Chris Sarantopoulos's Blog, page 8

Update on Through Stranger Eyes with a request for help at the end

At the end of this post, there’s a request on a friend’s behalf. If you don’t want to read my following ramble, skip to the end of the post and read the last paragraph.

The project I’m working on at the moment (provisional title, Through Stranger Eyes) is coming along fine, though slow, which means I once again failed to stick to my deadline. By deadline, I don’t mean a date where I would have finished everything about it and have it ready for betas. That’d be awesome, but no. What I mean is a date when the current round of edits had to be over, so the next round could start. I have yet to tinker with individual words (filter words and more active verbs) and sentence lengths and this usually takes time.

The reason for the delay is that I started querying and pitching The Darkening once more (most agents are back from holidays, plus I waited and hoped far too long on feedback from competitions I participated that never came), and at the same time I started researching ways of crowdfunding. Why? Because I may be submitting and querying agents, but I still have to keep my options open, in case every agent I approach turns my book down. A rather shocking possibility, but possibility nonetheless. I don’t know if you were aware of the following fact, but apparently, horror is a hard sell nowadays. I sure didn’t know it. There’s an abundance of horror books out there, so it never crossed my mind. Bad research on my part? Maybe, but then again I’d rather not

write solely following a market trend, since these things change with a snap of the fingers. I’m also unwilling to just shelf my work and forget I ever wrote that book. I may be emotionally attached to it, but I started writing not only because I had stories I wanted to tell, but also because I wanted others to read those stories. I don’t write for myself, which is why I struggle (perhaps too much) to perfect my craft and, through it, the quality of my work. I don’t have anything against those who write for themselves, it’s just not what I want.

So, I’ve spent a great deal of energy on researching marketing plans, strategies, promoters, editors, expenses, in addition to honing my craft, editing my own work, and of course reading to improve my writing skills. I’ve also decided to self publish a couple of my short stories in the following months. Not only will this put my name out there and, who knows, perhaps grant me a couple of readers, but I will also learn things related to self publishing first hand. It’s all nice and helpful when I read articles and posts about it, but unless I do it, everything I read will be something theoretical. All this, however, takes time, and it seems a day doesn’t have enough hours in it anymore, and I sometimes feel too drained.

Finally, the request I mentioned earlier. It’s not for me, but for a writer friend. Mind you, I will be in his shoes at soon, and you may have been in his at some point in the past. He is in need of beta readers for his current project, an epic medieval fantasy novel titled “Flakes of Fire” (about 135,000 words), for an adult audience. I’ve already offered to read for him, but one beta is never enough. In fact, it may be disastrous, especially since I’m not as experienced as a lot of you are. His open calls for betas on Goodreads and other sites have gone largely unanswered (we all know how hard it is to get beta readers when we embark in this journey) and there are no writing groups near where he lives. That’s pretty much how things are with me as well. I too don’t have a writing group (not many Greeks writing in another language, hehe. There are some but not too many), so I offered to help him by turning to you. If you would like to read something new, something fresh, if you have the time to spare and help a new writer, please let him know. His name is Yoann and his email address is: yo.re02[at]gmail[dot]com. Replace [at] with @, and [dot] with a period/full stop “.”

Thank you all.

Filed under: Getting to know each other, Uncategorized Tagged: beta readers, beta readers needed, help, literary agents, novel, story, Through Stranger Eyes, writing

Self-doubt Armageddon

Don’t you just hate those days when self-doubt creeps in (or even worse, takes control) and ruins the fun of what you’ve written so far? I don’t mean during the revision and rewriting stages, where we take apart everything (plot, characters, POV etc) but long after that, when you’re supposed to be doing minor edits to the prose, or working with sentence lengths, or punctuation. It’s so annoying when you start questioning yourself on matters you’ve already covered and made sure you perfected, like, “Did it really take them that long to do this thing in that scene?” (Dah, yes! You were revising that scene for over two months, hello? You rewrote it three times already).

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From Back to the Future

Then something else you corrected and improved two months earlier suddenly feels off, then a third thing, and a fourth after that. Things you knew for a fact up to a second prior to Self-Doubt Armageddon came knocking, that these things must not change and that’s how they have to be. Next thing you know you question your skill, your bright idea that you should write, which leads to “who’s going to read that pile of $*1t you’ve put on the screen,” and “my, God, this sucks,” and oh this and oh that… Annoying, isn’t it? I almost deleted everything I was working on yesterday. Almost.

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Bruce Campbell from Evil Dead 2

Filed under: Uncategorized Tagged: novel, self-doubt, story, writing, writing problems

Inspirational Prompt 36

Destroying the world seemed like the best option at the time. It should’ve worked. But she survived. Again.

I thought I should make today’s prompt a little different, but I’m not sure I succeeded. The idea is that if you remove one or more sentences from the given prompt (except the first one), you should get a completely different idea for a story. For example, if you choose to go with “Destroying the world seemed like the best option at the time. It should’ve worked,” you get something different than if you used all four sentences. Likewise, if you go for “Destroying the world seemed like the best option at the time. But she survived. Again,” should allow you to come up with something different. Each sentence adds a little bit of backstory or underlying conflict between characters.

I hope I did a good job. I’m burning in fever, so I may have messed it up royally. How many stories can you come up with?

Filed under: Inspirational Prompts Tagged: creative prompt, Inspirational Prompt for writing, novel, Plot, story, writing

Publishing contracts – Editing clauses

I hope you all had a great time with your loved ones, and that you found the time to recharge your batteries. Hopefully, 2017 will bring you more finished manuscripts, more published material, perhaps an agent (if you’re after getting published traditionally), and even more readers.

Speaking of getting published, I think it’s time to end this somewhat long-ish string of reblogged posts I started, that dealt with the process of getting published, the different paths one can take to see his/her work in readers’ hands, and of course a tiny portion regarding legal aspects. I may get back to some of these at a later time, but for the time being I think that’s it.

Today’s post deals with what to look out for when dealing with clauses in a publishing contract that deal with how a publisher edits your manuscript. On her blog, Victoria Strauss, writer and co-founder of Writer Beware, lists a few clauses she has encountered in real contracts, that should alert every writer that something’s not right. You can also find the same article on Writer Beware‘s blog.

Please keep in mind, that publishers are not trying to set a trap for the writer. They are not malevolent beings, lurking in the shadows, cackling and rubbing their hands every time they receive a manuscript. That’s not why I think such articles are necessary. The reason I’m posting this is because once we choose to publish our work, we put our artistic and creative hats away, and put our business hats on. It’s always safe, for both sides, to have a contract upon which they’ll build a healthy business relationship. Just as the publisher doesn’t know you or how determined you are to see this business partnership flourish and wants to be safe, you don’t know the publisher and, as a result, should be safe. Good contracts mean good business deals.

Hope this helps.

Filed under: Advice, publishing Tagged: editing clauses, legal, novel, publishing clauses, publishing contracts, publishing law, story, writing

Merry Christmas

This post comes a day earlier than usual, but that’s only because I’ll be unavailable for the next few days (lots of things to do for Christmas and New Year, and of course I need to prepare for my nameday – we celebrate namedays here in Greece aside from birthdays, and mine is on Christmas day), so I wish you all the best!

Have a great time with your loved ones, family and friends, and I’ll see you all in 2017.

Filed under: Uncategorized

Publishing scams – More about publishing contracts and red flags

The moment has come, fellow unagented writer, where a publishing contracts is actually in your hands! Years and years of struggling, querying agents, submitting to publishers, revising, disheartening comments (though helpful in the long run), editing, stress, and God knows what else have finally paid off. An actual and no-longer-imaginary contract is in your hands. You probably consider never washing those hands again so you may always have that feel of the contract on them (though I strongly advise you against it). A publisher has finally recognised your worth. How awesome is that! Chances are you’re jumping up and down with glee and excitement, the edges of your mouth almost touching your ears. You’re singing, and with the pen in your hand you’re about to –

STOP!

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Read that contract again. You owe it to yourself, to your career.

There are things all writers, who don’t have an agent or a publishing attorney or an in-depth knowledge of publishing law, should look out for.

Susan Spann, who specialises in intellectual property, business and publishing contracts, has a few things to say about what to look out for. In her post How to Spot–and Avoid–Predatory “Pay to Play” Publishing Contracts, she explains in brief some of the things you should consider as red flags in the contract you hold in your hands. Yes, publishing contracts are precious to us, but how certain are you that you’re as precious to the publisher who offered you that contract?

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Susan Spann (@SusanSpann) often tweets publishing-related advice under the hashtag #publaw. Ever since I joined Twitter, her posts on publishing law are the ones I read several times over. I think you’ll also find her advice helpful.

Filed under: Advice, publishing Tagged: contracts, publaw, publishing, publishing contracts, publishing scams, story, Susan Spann, writing

Inspirational prompt 35

Let’s see what paths this takes you

Publishing contracts – Tips regarding the Grant of Rights clause, by Sidebar Saturdays

So you’ve chosen which publishing path is the right one for you, you’ve weighed the pros and cons of each, and are now faced with the legal technicalities. If you can afford a lawyer who specialises on publishing contracts, or if you have an agent to back you up, kudos! Agents are there to support writers and deal, among others, with the legal stuff. The rest of us, who struggle for traditional publishing, envy you, turn makeshift dummies of you into pincushions cackling in the gloom, and covet what you have.

But what about those who opted for traditional publishing without an agent or a lawyer to back them up? How many of you can honestly say they have a solid understanding of legal terms? Specifically, publishing legal terms? Chances are not many of you. It’s okay. In all my academic years, I only had to attend one legal class and I still don’t know how I passed that class.

I recently stumbled upon a website that covers many aspects of publishing law. Sidebar Saturdays is a blog where the practice of law meets the profession of writing, posted weekly by writers who are attorneys, and it’s designed to provide fellow writers with a general understanding of publishing law and help make their fictional legal scenarios realistic. One article in particular drew my attention, which had to do with the Grant of Rights clause. The writers of the article provide ten basic tips that should help those of you who are, or thinking of being, traditionally published without an agent or legal assistance, and want to have a better understanding of what happens when you grant certain rights to the publisher.

I hope you find it as helpful as I have

How to Tell Which Self-Publishing Company is Right For You

Today, I’d like to focus on the writers who choose to self-publish. Far be it from me to be seen as some sort of expert on the subject, since not only I haven’t published a novel-length work. I’m only investigating options and always keep in mind that someone else may be interested. Because I know some of you may find it useful, or may have something to add or correct, I feel it’s best to provide reference to other people’s views and knowledge who are more experienced than me, and maybe even from some of you. Always keep in mind that everyone’s path to publication is different, so don’t take anyone’s opinion to heart. Research before you do anything.

*Chris leans forward, narrows an eye, and beckons you closer as if in conspiracy – If you’ve self published in the past, that means you’re an expert in the field compared to me, so please share your experiences and wisdom with the rest of us who stumble in the dark, ‘kay?*

A while back I told you about Jane Friedman’s infographic regarding available publishing paths, which obviously included self-publishing.

As it turns out, self-publishing is not all about you, the writer, doing all the work and making all the decisions a publisher should make, like typesetting, formatting etc. There are companies out there who do the job for you. Whether you opt to go for that or not – that’s a totally different decision, one that’s up to you – the following questions found on Ryan Lanz’s blog might prove helpful in making the right choice when it comes to self-publishing companies.

A Writer's Path

The following is an update of a post I wrote for Joel Friedlander’s ever-helpful blog at TheBookDesigner.com.

On the path to self-publishing, your first decision will be whether to:

Engage a self-publishing service company (SPSC) to do everything from editing to distribution. Some SPSCs are BookLocker, Mill City Press, Outskirts Press, and Dog Ear Press.
Do it yourself (DIY) by hiring editors, designers, and other freelancers and uploading your finished, formatted cover and manuscript to POD providers such as CreateSpace and IngramSpark and ebook distributors such as KDP and Smashwords.

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Filed under: Uncategorized

Inspirational Prompt 34

Today’s prompt will be short but, hopefully, sweet.

Left by the side of the bed of room 321 of Pineview Hotel, folded neatly, police officers found the following note in a flowing and elegant handwriting:

Dear humans,

I don’t know how you do it, but I’ve had enough pretending to be like you.

Officer Wallace was the first the wall sucked in.

 

Filed under: Inspirational Prompts Tagged: horror, inspirational prompt, novel, prompt, story, writing