P.H. Solomon's Blog, page 298
July 4, 2015
Scrivener Tips Pt. 2: Compiling
Compiling Conundrums
I’ve recently begun preparations for sending the manuscript of The Bow of Destiny to my editor. The manuscript needed compiling which I had never done for a book. I had compiled for a short story so that was rather easy. For a book there were a few more details required than I had previously experienced.
Manuscript Expectations
I wasn’t concerned with the format of my manuscript since it was consistent. However, I did want chapters without titles and a header. My first attempt did not work as I expected. The folder names became chapter titles and labeled scenes appeared in the text. This is likely because I originally used a general template rather than one specific to a novel. But no biggie, I started poking around and found settings in the compiler to help me get the manuscript to the appearance I wanted.
Custom Compiling
First, click on File and then Compile to open the Compiler:
Note all the different categories on the left menu. Click on Contents and verify that everything for your manuscript is selected. You can use these to change settings in the compiler. When you start making changes it will change the “Format As:” to Custom.
For my purposes, the necessary changes were made by first clicking on Formatting and turning off all the check marks for title. This removed folder titles being used as chapter names so that only the chapter numbers remain.
To change the layout of a section click on a level to highlight it and then on the Selection Layout button.
Here you can edit the beginning layout of a section. In my case I removed any text I didn’t want and added a few details.
Next I wanted to change my header. To do this click on Page Settings from the left menu of the Compiler and then type in or change the header settings. My screen shot above also shows an example. Not that “Not on Page 1” is not checked by default. I checked that and made sure that page one was counter by checking the second box.
Saving and Presets
To save these custom settings click Save and Close on the lower right. When you re-open the Compiler and choose Custom from the menu these will remain. However, you can also save your custom presets by clicking Save Presets in the lower left.
Once you’ve saved a preset you can load it by clicking on the Load Preset button in the lower left and scrolling down the list of standard presets to My Presets and choosing the one you want based on your needs.
I hope this helps when you compile a manuscript. There are many other settings so take time to learn those according to your project parameters. Please share your thoughts and ideas in the comments section.
Sign up for my Archer’s Aim Digest mailing list to receive the forthcoming edition of my newsletter with announcements about upcoming releases and events (and there’s some big news this month). Want to be listed in The Bow of Destiny credits? Also join the Street Team to share upcoming books links. Either way, you’ll be the first to have news about my books, especially some free offers this summer related to the upcoming release of The Bow of Destiny, the first novel of The Bow of Hart Saga. You’ll also receive a free coupon to download my e-book short story, The Black Bag, as well as July’s free e-book: Recommended Reading for Authors!
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This blog does not share personal information – including email addresses – with third parties nor do I store any information about your visit to this blog other than to analyze and optimize your content and reading experience through the use of cookies (which is a WordPress.com function and not mine).
You can turn off the use of cookies at any time by changing your specific browser settings.
I am not responsible for republished content from this blog on other blogs or websites without our permission.
Screenshots from my blog project
Just as a note: I am not affliated with Scrivener in any official capacity. For support questions, pricing and other concerns please contact the vendor.
Filed under: Blogging, Cover Reveal, Creativity, Editing, Fiction, Goodreads, Indie Publishing, Planning, Scrivener, Self-publishing, Social Media, Tech Tips, The Black Bag, The Bow of Destiny, Tips, Twitter, Writing Tagged: blogging, Coverart, Editing, Facebook, Formatting, Indie Publishing, P. H. Solomon, Planning, Scrivener, Self-publishing, Social Media, The Black Bag, The Bow of Destiny, Tips, Twitter, writing
July 3, 2015
Managing Scrivener Projects & Templates Pt. 1
Scrivener has been a key component to improving my productivity this year. I’ve recently written about various uses for Scrivener such as blog posts, newsletters and even template email messages. Additionally, I’ve shared about using Scrivener templates including some resources for these. In this post I want to delve deeper into template creation and usage. By next week, I intend to create a basic template that I can post for download on my website that I hope may be useful.
Why Use Scrivener Templates
Templates are used for quickly creating projects by type so that you don’t have to configure your new projects from scratch each time you create one. Using templates can be a time saver that allows writers of all kinds to tap their creativity almost immediately. This is important since spending time on minute details can undermine your writing with distractions.
There are several ways you can approach creating a template. If you want something for your most common type of writing then you might want to create a template. For instance, if you write short stories, there is already one in Scrivener. However, I’ve downloaded one specific for speculative fiction that’s geared towards magazine markets that are accepted by SFWA. In this case, the template has common traits expected for submission to these short fiction markets which is a great help. I don’t need to think about the specifics of manuscript format so I can get down to business. In this kind of template usage each short story is created as an individual project.
However, if you are working on a larger project of repetitive actions – such as blogging or a regular newsletter – you may want to have a template that covers the whole year. In such a template you can create individual blog posts or newsletter volumes by adding folders and sub-folders in the binder as you go. The point here is saving time by avoiding creation of whole new, blank projects and then trying to keep up with them. Instead, all your blogs, newsletters, etc, are organized in one macro-project.
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Compiling Individual Projects in a Macro-Project
How are these individual projects compiled instead of compiling the whole project? Here are the basic instructions:
1. Click File to expand the menu.
2. Click Compile to open the Compile window:
3. From here I can choose an individual blog to compile by de-selecting everything but the blog I’m currently publishing.
4. Next choose the formatting by clicking the “Compile For:” menu. For a blog post you might choose an html format:
5. Now you click compile to proceed with completion of the function (and yes, I’m compiling this post when completed).
This is particularly helpful if you want to organize your projects differently. Let’s go back to the short story template. You could organize one large project for all your short stories so that all of them are together. Compiling one folder or text container allows you to prepare one story at a time for submission or posting somewhere.
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Creating a Template in Scrivener
Creating a template is a rather simple matter for those who haven’t done so yet. Here are the basic instructions:
1. Open a new project and name it.
2. Since you are making a project you will configure it how you want.
3. Once you have the template setup to the basic configuration you want it is ready to save.
4. Click File and then on “Save As Template…” and proceed to create the template.
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Importing Templates into Scrivener
Once you’ve created your template you then need to import the template. Here are those instructions:
1. Click on File and then New Project to get the appropriate window.
2.Click on the Options menu in the lower left of the pane and choose “Import Templates…”
3. As part of the import process you have the options to choose what category the template should be place in as well as an associated image for the template.
So these are the instructions for compiling individual projects, creating templates and importing templates in Scrivener. For more information consult the Help menu.
Next week, I hope to have completed a template or two to begin sharing for download for those interested. Check back for the post.
Are you using Scrivener and templates? What templates have you created and why? Please share your thoughts and ideas in the comments section.
Sign up for my Archer’s Aim Digest mailing list to receive the forthcoming edition of my newsletter with announcements about upcoming releases and events (and there’s some big news this month). Want to be listed in The Bow of Destiny credits? Also join the Street Team to share upcoming books links. Either way, you’ll be the first to have news about my books, especially some free offers this summer related to the upcoming release of The Bow of Destiny, the first novel of The Bow of Hart Saga. You’ll also receive a free coupon to download my e-book short story, The Black Bag, as well as July’s free e-book: Recommended Reading for Authors!
Privacy Policy
This blog does not share personal information – including email addresses – with third parties nor do I store any information about your visit to this blog other than to analyze and optimize your content and reading experience through the use of cookies (which is a WordPress.com function and not mine).
You can turn off the use of cookies at any time by changing your specific browser settings.
I am not responsible for republished content from this blog on other blogs or websites without our permission.
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Screenshots from my blog project
Just as a note: I am not affliated with Scrivener in any official capacity. For support questions, pricing and other concerns please contact the vendor.
Filed under: Blogging, Cover Reveal, Creativity, Editing, Fantasy, Fiction, Indie Publishing, Planning, Self-publishing, Social Media, Tech Tips, The Black Bag, The Bow of Destiny, Tips, Twitter, Writing Tagged: blogging, Coverart, creativity, Facebook, Indie Publishing, P. H. Solomon, Scrivener, Short Stories, Social Media, The Black Bag, The Bow of Destiny, Twitter, writing
Scrivener Tips Pt. 7: Elements For Your Document Template
A few weeks ago, I shared about using the document template feature of Scrivener. It allows you to create a template internal to your project with differing features and content so you can start writing more quickly without forgetting your commonly used elements for your documents. It makes the process of writing approachable.
But what should you include in a document template? How much should you include? What’s the benefit of this bit of work? Let’s take the last two questions first.
As to how much you should put into a document template, this depends on your needs. If you need a simple template with all the common formatting for your project then it’s a straightforward process. If the nature of your project requires more information then you should include that. For instance, with a blog or newsletter project (assuming you are using a year-long project for these), you can use the document template to include common content that appears in all your posts or newsletters.
As to the benefits, it’s a time-saver. You won’t waste time re-creating the same document conditions every time you start a new chapter, blog, newsletter, etc. Also, this template usage eliminates forgetting to include common content such as those used on blog posts and newsletters.
But what should you include in your Scrivener document template? Here are a some suggestions:
1. You may want to create several templates depending on what your project is. As an example, I’m using a year-long project for my blog posts and newsletters so I may need multiple templates for these. This is especially true of my blog project where I develop different kinds of posts. I can make different templates for Scrivener posts, interview posts, serial posts and general category posts.
2. Include your ending content for blog posts. Again, these may differ based on the type of post.
3. Include introductory content. Again this may differ depending on usage but it sure helps you jump into writing without much worry with getting everything correct.
4. Regarding formatting, do you have special formatting that will be used in your project several times? Then you should consider creating a template that incorporates this formatting. There’s nothing so time consuming than trying to re-create formatting to match earlier content. With the document template you can re-create that formatting by choosing to use the template.
The main take-away is to include as much as necessary to simplify your writing process rather than get bogged down with unnecessary details. As I run across a repetition of form in projects I’m creating a new document template or adding necessities to existing ones. That way I will spend less time on continuity and complete my writing faster.
How can you use document templates in your Scrivener projects to streamline your writing? If you’re already using this feature, what elements of your writing do you include in your document templates? Please share your thoughts and ideas in the comments section.
Sign up for my Archer’s Aim Digest mailing list to receive the forthcoming edition of my newsletter with announcements about upcoming releases and events (and there’s some big news this month). Want to be listed in The Bow of Destiny credits? Also join the Street Team to share upcoming books links. Either way, you’ll be the first to have news about my books, especially some free offers this summer related to the upcoming release of The Bow of Destiny, the first novel of The Bow of Hart Saga. You’ll also receive a free coupon to download my e-book short story, The Black Bag, as well as July’s free e-book: Recommended Reading for Authors!
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Screenshots from my blog project
Just as a note: I am not affliated with Scrivener in any official capacity. For support questions, pricing and other concerns please contact the vendor.
Privacy Policy
This blog does not share personal information – including email addresses – with third parties nor do I store any information about your visit to this blog other than to analyze and optimize your content and reading experience through the use of cookies (which is a WordPress.com function and not mine).
You can turn off the use of cookies at any time by changing your specific browser settings.
I am not responsible for republished content from this blog on other blogs or websites without our permission.
Filed under: Blogging, Cover Reveal, Creativity, Editing, Fiction, Indie Publishing, Planning, Scrivener, Self-publishing, Social Media, Tech Tips, Templates, The Black Bag, The Bow of Destiny, Tips, Twitter, Writing Tagged: blogging, Coverart, creativity, Editing, Facebook, Formatting, Indie Publishing, P. H. Solomon, Planning, Scrivener, Social Media, The Black Bag, The Bow of Destiny, Twitter, writing
July 2, 2015
Announcement! The Bow of Destiny NOW AVAILABLE At Select Retailers!
A recent change with Smashwords now allows authors some leeway regarding pre-sale of books. Such pre-sales are very important to a new book for a variety of reasons best summed up by Mark Coker. On June 17th, Smashwords announced that authors can now create an “asset-less” preorder book.
This means that authors may now create a book on Smashwords without uploading the final manuscript until closer to the release date. It allows the book to go into the premium catalog with the release date set up to 12 months in advance; you can read the details in the link above.
The advantage is that an author still completing a book has the ability to have the book listed with a release date on retailer sites such as Barnes & Nobel, iBooks & Kobo. Readers can reserve copies in advance, allowing authors to promote their work as it is completed. All the final sales go out on the release date, boosting the sales stats very quickly and improving visibility.
Smashwords will also port your book into Amazon KDP with $2,000 in sales upon your request. With pre-sales, if you have that much in sales upon release, you could port the book over to Amazon rather quickly. However, I’m going to verify whether Smashwords will do this if a book reaches $2,000 in pre-sales which is even more beneficial.
With all this in mind, I’ve put The Bow of Destiny into pre-sale status via Smashwords. Now you can reserve your copy at select retailers (Barnes & Nobel, is $2.99 (sorry Smashwords doesn’t allow it to be free in pre-order). This price will go up after the release date to $5.99 so reserve your copy before 9/28/2015 to secure the sales price. Want to see a sample? Look for news in the next week on an updated version of my short story e-book, The Black Bag, which will contain a sample of The Bow of Destiny.
Please share your thoughts and ideas in the comments section. Sign up for my Archer’s Aim Digest mailing list to receive the forthcoming edition of my newsletter with announcements about upcoming releases and events (and there’s some big news this month). Join the Street Team to share upcoming links and you’ll be listed in the book’s credits. Either way, you’ll be the first to have news about my books, especially some free offers this summer related to the upcoming release of The Bow of Destiny, the first novel of The Bow of Hart Saga. You’ll also receive a free coupon to download my e-book short story, The Black Bag, as well as July’s free e-book: Recommended Reading for Authors!
Follow Blog via Email
Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.
Privacy Policy
This blog does not share personal information – including email addresses – with third parties nor do I store any information about your visit to this blog other than to analyze and optimize your content and reading experience through the use of cookies (which is a WordPress.com function and not mine).
You can turn off the use of cookies at any time by changing your specific browser settings.
I am not responsible for republished content from this blog on other blogs or websites without our permission.
This privacy policy is subject to change without notice and was last updated on July 2nd, 2015. If you have any questions feel free to contact me directly here: ph at phsolomon.com (replace the “at” with @, it’s written that way to avoid spammers).
Filed under: Amazon, An Arrow Against the Wind, Archer's Aim Digest, Barnes & Noble, Cover Reveal, Creativity, Fantasy, Fiction, Goodreads, iBooks, Indie Publishing, iTunes, Kobo, Mailing List, Marketing, Pinterest, Planning, Pre-order, Rave Review Book Club, Self-publishing, Short Fiction, Short Stories, Smashwords, Social Media, The Black Bag, The Bow of Destiny, The Bow of Hart Saga, Twitter, What is Needed, Writing Tagged: Amazon, An Arrow Against the Wind, Announcement, Barnes and Noble, Coverart, Epic Fantasy, Facebook, Fantasy Fiction, Goodreads, iBooks, Indie Publishing, iTunes, Kobo, Marketing, P. H. Solomon, Pinterest, pre-sale, Self-publishing, Short Stories, Smashwords, Social Media, Street Team, The Black Bag, The Bow of Destiny, The Bow of Hart Saga, Twitter, writing
These Two Are Deserving of So Much More #RRBC
PHS:
2 Great RRBC members honored by club Pres. Nonnie Jules! Congrats Kim & Jason!!!
Originally posted on Watch Nonnie Write!:
This post is dedicated to two awesomely supportive members of the Rave Reviews Book Club (RRBC)!
Twice a year, RRBC gifts one lucky person with an Amazon gift card for their recruiting efforts. Since I won this awesome prize last December, I promised that if I won this year, I would donate my winnings (a $50 Amazon gift card), to the RRBC member of my choice. But, the member had to be hard-working and dedicated to the club’s success as well as its members.
After careful thought and conference with my new Vice President, John Fioravanti, I decided that in the midst of all the supportive members that we have, there were two who really stood out at this time, so, I decided to split the $50 award into two $25 Amazon Gift Cards! Now, these members weren’t expecting to win, I’m sure, and they are so…
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July 1, 2015
Blog Tour Featuring Jack Gets His Man by D. E. Haggerty
Today I’m happy to welcome D. E. Haggerty to Archer’s Aim for a blog tour stop. She’s written a mystery that I’m sure you’ll want to investigate.
The Gray-Haired Knitting Detectives Go on Tour
D.E. Haggerty
Jack Gets His Man
5 Things You Didn’t Know About D.E. Haggerty
I’m kinda, sorta afraid to fly, which is super-duper embarrassing when your husband is a pilot. It’s a control thing really. I get that the big aluminum tube is going to stay in the air, but can I really trust that pilot? I’m the same way with driving. Only when my husband is driving, or flying for that matter, can I truly relax. Unless I’m the one driving, then it’s speed demon time.I’ve spent the night in jail. And not for some stupid misunderstanding either. Nope, not I. I was in a good old-fashioned brawl and everyone involved got thrown in the slammer. My husband and his brother were angry because they only were in holding tanks while I had a huge cell with toilet and blankets all for myself. I was really, really mad at the time because I didn’t start the brawl, but in the meantime it’s become a great story to shock people with.
I’m an adrenaline junkie living in a scaredy-cat’s body. This leads to really, really weird situations. I’m like “Come on! Let’s go ride that gnarly carnival ride!” And then I get on it and I scream like a cat being declawed because I’m terrified out of my mind of heights. By the way, are carnival rides like a gazillion times scarier than when we were kids?
I like dogs more than people. Dogs are loyal, sweet and always happy to see you when you get home. My dog seems to know when I’m feeling down and need a cuddle as well. Of course, he won’t let me cuddle him normally because he thinks he’s a tough, independent dog. He weighs like 20 pounds so I have no idea where he got that idea from.
I have no talent for drawing. My hubby does all my book covers and when I explain a book cover idea to him, I have to use stick figures and shapes and even those are difficult to decipher. It’s embarrassing but somehow my husband normally figures out what I mean.
5 Things You Didn’t Know About Jack Harris, protagonist of Jack Gets His Man
I think skinny jeans for men is the best invention ever. I don’t care if they go out of style, I will be wearing them until I die or my butt is no longer fabulous, whichever comes first.
Turning 40 scares the living daylights out of me. Is my eyesight going to go now? I can’t wear glasses. I would look hideous in glasses. Will I start to go bald now? My bald head is not hot.
I’m worried that now that Izzy has her own family, she’s going to abandon me. It sounds silly but she’s basically all I’ve got. I’m holding on with all I’ve got though. I’m going to wrap Noel, Izzy’s husband, around my little finger if that’s what it takes.
I would kill for the Gray-Haired Knitting Detectives. Seriously, shoot someone dead. Guns don’t smell or get you dirty, do they?
I know I say I’m disgusted by walking in on Noel and Izzy getting it on on numerous occasions, but actually it’s pretty hot. I just wish it wasn’t Izzy. Otherwise I’d be watching me some live porn on a weekly basis.
Author Bio:
I was born and raised in Wisconsin, but think I’m a European. After spending my senior year of high school in Germany, I developed a bad case of wanderlust that is yet to be cured. My flying Dutch husband and I have lived in Ohio, Virginia, the Netherlands, Germany and now Istanbul. We still haven’t decided if we want to settle down somewhere – let alone where. I’m leaning towards somewhere I can learn to surf even though the hubby thinks that’s a less than sound way to decide where to live. Although I’ve been a military policewoman, a commercial lawyer, and a B&B owner, I think with writing I may have finally figured out what I want to be when I grow up. That’s assuming I ever grow up, of course. Between tennis, running, traveling, singing off tune, drinking entirely too many adult beverages, and reading books like they are going out of style, I write articles for a local expat magazine and various websites, review other indie authors’ books, write a blog about whatever comes to mind and am working on my sixth book.
Purchase links:
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25552260-jack-gets-his-man
Author links:
Website: http://www.dehaggerty.com
Blog: http://www.dehaggerty.com/mymusings
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dehaggerty
Twitter: https://twitter.com/denaehaggerty
Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/+DEHaggerty/posts
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/denahaggerty/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7210211.D_E_Haggerty
Book blurb:
Jack’s life is awesome. His store is making money hand over fist and his best friend has found love. So what if he’s feeling a bit restless and put out about his upcoming birthday and his ex is being a pain in his fabulous behind? That’s nothing he can’t handle. But then his smoking hot new bookkeeper discovers things at the store aren’t actually as they seem. Someone is playing fast and loose with the finances. Jack’s bestie and his gal pals, the gray-haired knitting detectives, jump at the chance to solve Jack’s problems. When they aren’t re-enacting scenes from spy thrillers, they’re setting Jack up on dates and generally insinuating themselves into his love life. They’re determined to find love for Jack as well as his missing money. Will Jack catch a thief or find love? Either way Jack’s going to get his man.
Goodreads Event Page – https://www.goodreads.com/event/show/966357-the-gray-haired-knitting-detectives-go-on-tour
Rafflecopter Giveaway Page – http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/4af5be7f22/?
Author Event Chat Room – http://4wills-haggerty.chatovod.com/
Big round of applause for D. E. Haggerty and her new book. Please support this indie author. Kudos to 4WillsPublishing for organizing this tour for the book and author.
This tour sponsored by 4WillsPublishing.wordpress.com
Please share your thoughts and ideas in the comments section. Enter your email address today to receive Archer’s Aim Digest with announcements about upcoming releases and events (and there’s some big news this month). Or join the Street Team and help share about The Bow of Destiny and be listed in the book credits. Either way, you’ll be the first to have news about my books, especially some free offers this summer related to the upcoming release of The Bow of Destiny, the first novel of The Bow of Hart Saga. You’ll also receive a free coupon to download my e-book short story, The Black Bag, as well as July’s free e-book: Recommended Reading for Authors!
Follow Blog via Email
Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.
Privacy Policy
This blog does not share personal information – including email addresses – with third parties nor do I store any information about your visit to this blog other than to analyze and optimize your content and reading experience through the use of cookies (which is a WordPress.com function and not mine).
You can turn off the use of cookies at any time by changing your specific browser settings.
I am not responsible for republished content from this blog on other blogs or websites without our permission.
This privacy policy is subject to change without notice and was last updated on July 2nd, 2015. If you have any questions feel free to contact me directly here: ph at phsolomon.com (replace the “at” with @, it’s written that way to avoid spammers).
Filed under: 4WillsPublishing, Amazon, Blog Tour, Blogging, Cover Reveal, Creativity, Fiction, Goodreads, Indie Publishing, Marketing, Pinterest, Rave Review Book Club, Self-publishing, Social Media, Twitter, Uncategorized, Writing Tagged: 4WillsPublishing, blogging, Coverart, D. E. Haggerty, Facebook, Fiction, Goodreads, Indie Publishing, Jack Gets His Man, Marketing, Mystery, P. H. Solomon, Pinterest, Planning, Rave Reviews Book Club, Self-publishing, Social Media, Twitter, writing
June 30, 2015
Fantasy Authors Unplugged Featuring Chris Kennedy
This is continuing feature on Archer’s Aim – Fantasy Authors Unplugged. I hope to frequently share an interview with a fantasy author. If you have authors to suggest and/or questions you’d like to see answered then leave a comment or send me an email. If you are a fantasy author and would like an interview please let me know and we’ll plan one that fits your schedule.
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Q. Hi Chris, welcome to Fantasy Authors Unplugged on Archer’s Aim. What motivated you to begin writing fantasy?
A. Hi P.H., thanks for having me. The decision to write fantasy was an easy one for me. I grew up reading fantasy and playing Dungeons and Dragons, and it was always something that I wanted to do. To me, though, writing fantasy is more difficult than writing some of the other genres, so it wasn’t the first book I wrote; I needed to develop my craft a little first. My first book was actually a military fiction book called “Red Tide: the Chinese Invasion of Seattle.” Having been in the navy for 20 years, it was something I knew and thought I could do well.
Q. What’s your current book and the brief synopsis?
A. My fantasy book is called, “Can’t Look Back,” and it’s the full length novel I wrote to follow the short story “Chasing a Spectre.” In the current book, John Gatsby is falsely accused of a crime by creatures from a world of magic, and follows the real perpetrator through a mirror in an effort to clear his name. John immediately finds himself in a world at war, where magic is real, and is drawn into a quest that will save the world…or extinguish everything good in it forever.
Q. After the earth laps the sun about five more times, what writing goals do you want to have accomplished?
A. In five years, I’d like to have sold a million books. I know that seems like a lot, but I sold over 40,000 last year, without really knowing what I was doing, and while I was doing it part time. At some point in the next year or two, I would like to start writing full time and, if I do, I think I can sell one million books in the next five years.
Q. What does your main character fear the most?
A. My main character most fears not knowing what to do. He is presented with a world where magic is real and has to figure it out if he is going to complete the quest. Even though it isn’t his world, he has a stake in it, as he doesn’t have a way back to his world. If the world dies, he does, too.
Q. What makes you say, “That’s a good book”?
A. I like a good story, with lots of action. With 20 years as a naval aviator, I also love stories that have an element of self-sacrifice for the team—people that are willing to do what it takes so that the group can survive.
Q. What activities generate creative energy for you?
A. Ever since I started writing, I now find stories in the most every-day things. I love a good challenge, where someone says, it would be really cool if… and then I go and bring it into the book. For example, when I was writing “Can’t Look Back,” one of my readers (from the U.K.) said, “I served on the HMS Hydra. It would be really cool if you had a hydra in your book.” Bang! Done! If you look at the cover of the book, you will see a beautiful paladin fighting…you guessed it, a hydra.
Q. How do you decide what you want as a book cover and how did you find your cover artist/designer?
A. I absolutely love the cover of “Can’t Look Back,” which was created by a designer I found on 99Designs.com. I posted the descriptions of several characters and told the designers that I wanted one of the characters fighting one of the hydra heads. They could put more in the background if they wanted, but they didn’t have to. The winning designer, Lee Dunning, chose to focus on one character and her battle with one of the hydra heads. Quite simply, it’s stunning. I knew I had a winner when my wife, who doesn’t like fantasy, came up behind me. She saw the cover and said, “That is really cool. I’d pick up that book.” If it could make my wife pick it up, it was definitely a winner.
Q. What insights have you gained that you can share with newer authors?
A. Before my first book, people always thought that I wasn’t very creative. With seven books and almost 50,000 copies sold, though, I think I’ve proven them wrong. What I would tell newer authors is to not let other people define them. If they have a story within themselves, they should write it down and take a chance on it. Self-publishing is very possible these days, and it is a great way to make some extra money. If they have questions about how to start, they can check out the book I wrote on self-publishing, or get one of the others that exist on the market. Don’t just jump into it without learning the process, though, or you’ll be disappointed. Make sure you have a plan, and you can be successful, too.
Bio & Links
A bestselling Science Fiction/Fantasy author and speaker, Chris Kennedy is a former naval aviator with over 3,000 hours flying attack and reconnaissance aircraft. Chris is a member of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators and an advisory board member of Hampton Roads Writers.
Chris’ full length novels include the “Occupied Seattle” military fiction duology, “The Theogony” and “Codex Regius” science fiction trilogies, and the “War for Dominance” fantasy trilogy. He is also the author of the self-help book, “Self-Publishing for Profit” and the forthcoming leadership book “Leadership from the Darkside.” Called “fantastic” and “a great speaker,” he has coached hundreds of beginning authors and budding novelists on how to self-publish their stories at a variety of conferences, conventions and writing guild presentations.
Catch up with Chris and join his mailing list at http://chriskennedypublishing.com. You can also find him on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/chriskennedypublishing.biz and on Twitter at @ChrisKennedy110.
Book Sales: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00PXK8OPA
Amazon Author Site: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00E4MIJA8
Thanks to Chris for the interview and please take some time to support his work. If you’re a fantasy author and would like to be interviewed for “Fantasy Authors Unplugged” just contact me via email or one of my social media channels and we’ll set one up.
Please share your thoughts and ideas in the comments section. Sign up for my Archer’s Aim Digest mailing list to receive the forthcoming edition of my newsletter with announcements about upcoming releases and events (and there’s some big news this month). Want to be listed in The Bow of Destiny credits? Join the Street Team to share upcoming links. Either way, you’ll be the first to have news about my books, especially some free offers this summer related to the upcoming release of The Bow of Destiny, the first novel of The Bow of Hart Saga. You’ll also receive a free coupon to download my e-book short story, The Black Bag, as well as July’s free e-book: Recommended Reading for Authors!
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Filed under: Amazon, Blogging, Can't Look Back, Chris Kennedy, Creativity, Fantasy, Fantasy Authors Unplugged, Indie Publishing, Marketing, Self-publishing, Twitter, Writing Tagged: blogging, Can't Look Back, Chasing A Spectre, Chris Kennedy, Codex Regius, Coverart, Fantasy Authors Unplugged, Fantasy Fiction, Goodreads, Indie Publishing, Leadership From the Darkside, Marketing, Occupied Seattle, Pinterest, Self-publishing, Self-Publishing For Profit, Social Media, The Theogony, Twitter, writing
Establishing Your Online Writing Presence
PHS:
Great tips and thoughts – reblogging on Archer’s Aim!
Originally posted on FastPencil.com Self-Publishing Blog:
Guest Post from our Partners in Screenplay Adaptations, Voyage Media
How to Untangle the Web
“Googling yourself” has sort of become the punchline of the digital era—it’s degraded as a vain and silly pastime of the erstwhile millennial. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves here. Far from just an ego trip, Googling yourself can be crucial to building your online presence as a writer.
I’d like to encourage you to Google yourself right now. Take a moment, I’ll wait. What are some of the first pages that pop up. Your social media sites—Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, your personal blog? Or is Google drawing a big blank?
There is a time and a place for the reclusive, mysterious, off-the-grid writer—but falling into that description can be dangerous for the up and coming. The Internet makes it easier than ever for producers, directors, and financiers to find out what you’re all about.
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Filed under: Uncategorized
June 29, 2015
Building An Author Platform Pt. 9: Check Online Details
Introduction
I recently attended a conference workshop about building an author website. I came away with a few things to do that need to be addressed but which haven’t come up for me previously. I list them for your consideration also. I know I’ll act on these immediately but will as I can.
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Clip Art Image Copyright by Microsoft. Clip Art Used by Permission of Microsoft
Check your alternate domain usage
There are a variety of alternate domains that you may want to register even if you don’t use them since you don’t want someone using them parallel to your brand. Honestly, there can be so many different domain suffixes (.net, .org, etc.) that it may be cost prohibitive for you. However, it’s worth consideration just so you don’t end up with something close to your address that is offensive. Just keep your budget in mind when purchasing multiple domains.
To find all the different domains you can use any site that searches domains for registration like GoDaddy.com – the domain search is at the top of the home page. It will provide alternate variations to consider buying as well. You’ll at least know if something is taken and plan for your budget otherwise.
Check your social media name usage
There are a large number of social media channels on the internet these days. You may not use them all or even plan to but you may want to take the name for your brand regardless so it isn’t used otherwise. It can take some time so you may want to do this piecemeal.
When you do this use to find all of them – and there are a lot of social media channels. You can take as many of these as you want – or all – you don’t have to use them but it keeps someone from impersonating your brand, or even taking the name honestly.
Don’t stop tweaking your platform – it’s a work in progress
Even if you don’t take all the name spaces for your domain or in the world of social media it’s worth to keep these in mind as you publish and become more widely known. As your reach grows so will your need to control your brand and then you may find you need to own all the domain variations and have accounts for all social media channels even if you won’t use them. The better known you become the more likely someone will take something you haven’t and use them in some whether malicious or not. It’s just one detail to keep in mind as your author platform grows
Please share your thoughts and ideas in the comments section. Sign up for my Archer’s Aim Digest mailing list to receive the forthcoming edition of my newsletter with announcements about upcoming releases and events (and there’s some big news this month). Want to be listed in The Bow of Destiny credits? Join the Street Team to share upcoming links. Either way, you’ll be the first to have news about my books, especially some free offers this summer related to the upcoming release of The Bow of Destiny, the first novel of The Bow of Hart Saga. You’ll also receive a free coupon to download my e-book short story, The Black Bag, as well as July’s free e-book: Recommended Reading for Authors!
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Filed under: Author Platform, Blogging, Creativity, Indie Publishing, Marketing, Pinterest, Planning, Self-publishing, Social Media, Tech Tips, The Black Bag, The Bow of Destiny, Tips, Twitter, Writing, Writing Conference Tagged: Author Platform, blogging,
June 28, 2015
Scrivener Quick Tip – Changing Formatted Content
Scrivener is a powerful writing tool. I write about it weekly with tips and usage ideas. To read more of my posts click the Scrivener tag or category at the end of the page.
Here’s a quick-tip for Scrivener a Monday morning. Need to change types of text in your document? Are the type of quotes you’ve used inconsistent or incorrect? Well, there’s a rather quick fix to these kinds of issues.
Just click on Format, slide down to Convert and you’ll see a number of choices displayed on the resulting fly-out menu:
Highlight all of your document or the affected text to make the following changes:
Go from smart quotes to straight quotes after highlighting your document.
Do the opposite if you need smart quotes instead of straight ones.
Need to change case? Just use one of the first three commands.
Here’s a good one – do you have multiple spaces in your document but don’t want to change them one by one? Just use the Multiple Space to Space command.
Need to send some annotations, etc to meta-data or vice versa? Use the last four commands as appropriate.
As always before making mass changes to a document, use the Snapshot for an easy backup. That’s all for today. Look for another quick tip next Monday!
Please share your thoughts and ideas in the comments section. Sign up for my Archer’s Aim Digest mailing list to receive the forthcoming edition of my newsletter with announcements about upcoming releases and events (and there’s some big news this month). Want to be listed in The Bow of Destiny credits? Join the Street Team to share upcoming links. Either way, you’ll be the first to have news about my books, especially some free offers this summer related to the upcoming release of The Bow of Destiny, the first novel of The Bow of Hart Saga. You’ll also receive a free coupon to download my e-book short story, The Black Bag, as well as July’s free e-book: Recommended Reading for Authors!
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Just as a note: I am not affiliated with Scrivener in any official capacity. For support questions, pricing and other concerns please contact the vendor.
Filed under: Blogging, Creativity, Editing, Indie Publishing, Marketing, Pinterest, Planning, Scrivener, Self-publishing, Social Media, Tech Tips, The Black Bag, The Bow of Destiny, Tips, Twitter, Writing Tagged: blogging, Convert, creativity, Editing, Facebook, Format, Indie Publishing, P. H. Solomon, Planning, Quick Tips, Scrivener, Social Media, Tech Tips, The Black Bag, The Bow of Destiny, Twitter, writing
