Scott Nicholson's Blog, page 21
July 25, 2011
Stephen King Week & Book Giveaways
(This week's giveaway: sign up for my monthly newsletter at scottsinnercircle-subscribe@yahoogroups.com and a new subscriber will be selected on Aug 1. to win a hardcover of From a Buick 8. A random subscriber will also be selected to win a hardcover of The Regulators, written as Richard Bachman. US/Canada shipping only, international winners receive a PDF of my graphic novel DIRT)
I was reading on some forum or other about Stephen King and the inevitable "He lost me at..." Like with many modern writers of dark, imaginative fiction, King was one of the main inspirations for my writing--not necessarily because he was the writer whose books I grew up on (I didn't start reading him until probably halfway through his career), but because he is a talented writer achieving success in a genre that every publishing insider says doesn't sell, doing it his way and succeeding.
I've always considered him a mutant talent--a combination of intense literary gifts combined with a storytelling genius, mixed in with a commitment to the craft, a love of words, and a desire to push the boundaries. Not the least of his talents is the ability to sit in his chair and crank out thousands and thousands of words, which is an admirable trait in itself. I can't say I've read everything King has written, and I'm a bit behind on the newer stuff, but that's okay, because he's writing about as fast I can read, anyway.
I read Stephen King, and I say, "I'll never be that good." But something about him inspires me to be okay with what I do, and, more importantly, to dare to do it the best I can.
###
I was reading on some forum or other about Stephen King and the inevitable "He lost me at..." Like with many modern writers of dark, imaginative fiction, King was one of the main inspirations for my writing--not necessarily because he was the writer whose books I grew up on (I didn't start reading him until probably halfway through his career), but because he is a talented writer achieving success in a genre that every publishing insider says doesn't sell, doing it his way and succeeding.I've always considered him a mutant talent--a combination of intense literary gifts combined with a storytelling genius, mixed in with a commitment to the craft, a love of words, and a desire to push the boundaries. Not the least of his talents is the ability to sit in his chair and crank out thousands and thousands of words, which is an admirable trait in itself. I can't say I've read everything King has written, and I'm a bit behind on the newer stuff, but that's okay, because he's writing about as fast I can read, anyway.
I read Stephen King, and I say, "I'll never be that good." But something about him inspires me to be okay with what I do, and, more importantly, to dare to do it the best I can.
###
July 22, 2011
Austerity: Buying back your time
I've been fortunate to make a decent living doing what I love. I've always enjoyed work, whether it was my years as a bass player/dishwasher, a construction worker/poet, or a journalist/novelist. I've dug ditches in the pouring rain while wading in raw sewer. I know what work is.
And I have a keen sense of worth and value, linked to the value of time. To me, money is literally time (I've written a short-story cycle using this concept). If you work for X amount, then you have bought yourself X amount of free time, or freedom to do what you want. Most of my practical life decisions are based on this idea.
That house? Sure, I have a 30-year mortgage, but I can pay it off it in twelve (it will actually turn out to be fewer than eight). And my quality of life didn't suffer at all. I have never deprived myself of anything I've needed, though God knows I could stand to have skipped a few meals. I drive rusty used cars and use them until they fall apart, taking enough care of them to fulfill their natural lifespans but adding no adornments like studly hubcaps or headers or Thrush mufflers. I just don't care. Gasoline muscle won't make me a man.
Clothes? When I went back to get my degree in 1994, when I was working as a carpenter and maintenance man building student apartments, I found a box of fresh, clean clothes in a dumpster, tossed by some vacating student. I still have many of those clothes. I doubt if I've spent more than $100 total on new clothes in my life (yeah, and I know it shows, but measure how much I care...yes, one year, the time of my life I have earned back by not spending $25,000 on clothes).
When I went to refinance my house a couple of years ago, my credit score was through the roof. The only flaw was I didn't owe enough! Something had to be wrong with me! But I drove in with a ratty car and a lower-middle-class income (you're not all that far above the poverty level if you're a newspaper reporter) and I walked out saving thousands of dollars over the life of the loan. And I did it not just to buy myself more time, but to keep from giving more of my time to the bank over the long haul.
I try to share my views with my family, but it's hard not to come across as a stinky old meanie who won't let anyone have any fun, because all the words for "thrifty" seem kind of small, mean, and petty--miser, frugal, austere, pinchpenny, cheapskate--and imply selfishness, when in most cases, the opposite is true. I am lucky to live in a rural community where we value self-reliance and nobody's trying to outflash the neighbors with the newest tech toy or biggest SUV. In fact, we think people who race to the top of their credit card limits are idiots.
And yet our entire nation is doing it, like we collectively drunk some Kool-Ade in the 1980s and then passed it on to our children. I know people who are about to lose their homes yet have children with $100 a month cell plans. And I am sad to see people lose jobs, but rarely do I see people adjust their standard of living until they are forced to do so. People whose jobs are at risk don't start cutting expenses immediately--they wait and then hope to coast on unemployment checks. It's taken me about three years to (gently, I hope) display to my wife that as long as you have debt, you have no true financial security.
Of course, security is an illusion anyway. I aim for paying off the house, figuring that will be a huge monthly burden removed. But security only comes from faith. So I slip on the rubber boots I used to wear while wading in sewer and walk down to the garden, where God and nature have consistently kept their end of the bargain and always given more than I take. I hope to give back a little of the time I have earned, because I feel like I owe a whole lot. It's just not money I happen to owe.###
And I have a keen sense of worth and value, linked to the value of time. To me, money is literally time (I've written a short-story cycle using this concept). If you work for X amount, then you have bought yourself X amount of free time, or freedom to do what you want. Most of my practical life decisions are based on this idea.
That house? Sure, I have a 30-year mortgage, but I can pay it off it in twelve (it will actually turn out to be fewer than eight). And my quality of life didn't suffer at all. I have never deprived myself of anything I've needed, though God knows I could stand to have skipped a few meals. I drive rusty used cars and use them until they fall apart, taking enough care of them to fulfill their natural lifespans but adding no adornments like studly hubcaps or headers or Thrush mufflers. I just don't care. Gasoline muscle won't make me a man.
Clothes? When I went back to get my degree in 1994, when I was working as a carpenter and maintenance man building student apartments, I found a box of fresh, clean clothes in a dumpster, tossed by some vacating student. I still have many of those clothes. I doubt if I've spent more than $100 total on new clothes in my life (yeah, and I know it shows, but measure how much I care...yes, one year, the time of my life I have earned back by not spending $25,000 on clothes).
When I went to refinance my house a couple of years ago, my credit score was through the roof. The only flaw was I didn't owe enough! Something had to be wrong with me! But I drove in with a ratty car and a lower-middle-class income (you're not all that far above the poverty level if you're a newspaper reporter) and I walked out saving thousands of dollars over the life of the loan. And I did it not just to buy myself more time, but to keep from giving more of my time to the bank over the long haul.
I try to share my views with my family, but it's hard not to come across as a stinky old meanie who won't let anyone have any fun, because all the words for "thrifty" seem kind of small, mean, and petty--miser, frugal, austere, pinchpenny, cheapskate--and imply selfishness, when in most cases, the opposite is true. I am lucky to live in a rural community where we value self-reliance and nobody's trying to outflash the neighbors with the newest tech toy or biggest SUV. In fact, we think people who race to the top of their credit card limits are idiots.
And yet our entire nation is doing it, like we collectively drunk some Kool-Ade in the 1980s and then passed it on to our children. I know people who are about to lose their homes yet have children with $100 a month cell plans. And I am sad to see people lose jobs, but rarely do I see people adjust their standard of living until they are forced to do so. People whose jobs are at risk don't start cutting expenses immediately--they wait and then hope to coast on unemployment checks. It's taken me about three years to (gently, I hope) display to my wife that as long as you have debt, you have no true financial security.
Of course, security is an illusion anyway. I aim for paying off the house, figuring that will be a huge monthly burden removed. But security only comes from faith. So I slip on the rubber boots I used to wear while wading in sewer and walk down to the garden, where God and nature have consistently kept their end of the bargain and always given more than I take. I hope to give back a little of the time I have earned, because I feel like I owe a whole lot. It's just not money I happen to owe.###
July 21, 2011
Today I talk about how I am not as good as I used to be o...
Today I talk about how I am not as good as I used to be over at Elizabeth White's All-Purpose Monkey blog: http://www.elizabethawhite.com/2011/07/21/the-indie-journey-by-scott-nicholson/
Also talking writing and indie publishing at the WG2E blog
And my regular Indie Reader Column this week is "The Words Are Still The Same": http://indiereader.com/2011/07/the-words-are-still-the-same/
Working on a couple of interesting deals, and I have a HUGE event coming in September--and it's going to put money and gift cards and free books in your pocket. The best way to keep up is to either follow this blog or sign up for my newsletter at scottsinnercircle-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
It's going to be so crazy even I don't believe it yet...but I am pretty sure it's never been done and is likely to fail spectacularly. Don't miss it!
###
Also talking writing and indie publishing at the WG2E blog
And my regular Indie Reader Column this week is "The Words Are Still The Same": http://indiereader.com/2011/07/the-words-are-still-the-same/
Working on a couple of interesting deals, and I have a HUGE event coming in September--and it's going to put money and gift cards and free books in your pocket. The best way to keep up is to either follow this blog or sign up for my newsletter at scottsinnercircle-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
It's going to be so crazy even I don't believe it yet...but I am pretty sure it's never been done and is likely to fail spectacularly. Don't miss it!
###
July 20, 2011
Sibel Hodge: Summer Book Club
Sibel Hodge is the newest featured author of the Summer Book Club. Get SBC free at Smashwords! About Sibel… Sibel Hodge is the author of romantic comedies and chick lit mysteries. In her spare time she's Wonder Woman!
Her first novel, Fourteen Days Later, was short-listed for the Harry Bowling Prize 2008 and received a highly commended by the Yeovil Literary Prize 2009. It is a romantic comedy with a unique infusion of British and Turkish Cypriot culture. Written in a similar style to Sophie Kinsella and Marian Keyes, Fourteen Days Later is My Big Fat Greek Wedding meets Bridget Jones. My Perfect Wedding is the sequel to Fourteen Days Later, although it can be read as a standalone novel.
The Fashion Police was a runner up in the Chapter One Promotions Novel Competition 2010 and nominated Best Novel with Romantic Elements 2010 by The Romance Reviews. It is a screwball comedy-mystery, combining murder and mayhem with romance and chick-lit, and the first in a series featuring feisty, larger-than-life insurance investigator, Amber Fox. Written in a similar style to Janet Evanovich and Myron Bolitar, The Fashion Police is Stephanie Plum meets Harlan Coben. Be Careful What You Wish For is the second Amber Fox Mystery. Tell us a bit about Be Careful What You Wish For… Be Careful What You Wish For is the second Amber Fox murder mystery that follows on from The Fashion Police:
For fans of Janet Evanovich, Kate Johnson, and Gemma Halliday...
Armed with cool sarcasm and uncontrollable hair, feisty insurance investigator Amber Fox is back in a new mystery combining murder and mayhem with romance and chicklit…
Three deaths.
A safety deposit box robbery.
The boxing heavyweight champion of the world.
Somehow, they're all related, and Amber has to solve a four year old crime to find out why.
As she stumbles across a trail of dead bodies and a web of lies spanning both sides of the social divide, it's starting to get personal. Someone thinks Amber's poking her nose in where it's not wanted, sparking off a game of fox and mouse – only this time, Amber's the mouse.
Amber's forced to take refuge in the home of her ex-fiancé, Brad Beckett, and now it's not just the case that's hotting up. So is the bedroom…
All Levi Carter wanted to be was the boxing heavyweight champion of the world, but at what cost?
All Carl Thomas wanted was to be rich, but would his greed be his downfall?
All Brad Beckett wants is to get Amber back, but there's a reason for the ex word.
Be careful what you wish for…you might just get it. Amber Fox is a feisty, wise-cracking insurance investigator with wild hair. Is she anything like you at all? Absolutely! She's got a lot of her in me but I'm not telling you exactly which bits for fear I might incriminate myself! What was your favorite part of Be Careful What you Wish For? Ooh, that's sooo hard! It's my baby so it's all my favourite. I love the fact that it's got a solid mystery combined with a lot of humor, wit, and romance. Probably typing The End is my favourite part - then you know that all the ideas in your head have finally come together. Will we get to hear more from Amber Fox in the future? Amber loves to talk so she'll definitely back to tell another story. Just try and shut her up! How do you get the ideas for your books? It's all the voices in my head that make me do it. I write so I won't have to be medicated! Do you ever suffer from Writer's Block? Sometimes. When that happens I usually drink a bottle of wine and throw ideas around with my husband. Well, that's my excuse for cracking the wine open anyway! What's your favorite thing to snack on while writing? Nuts (no jokes, please!). Do you plot everything before you start writing or do you just see where the story takes you?I'm definitely a fly-by-the-seat of my Wonder Woman knickers kind of girl! I think I've got Plotophobia. I make most of it up as I go a long - creative or crazy? I'm not sure which. What are you working on now? I'm working on some new ideas for my next chicklit novel which will be called The Hen Party. It's about a group of girls who go to Vegas for...yes, you've guessed it, a hen party. But they end up getting much more than they bargained for. I'm also hoping to start the next Amber Fox mystery at the end of summer. Do you have any advice for aspiring indie authors?First and foremost, you have to write a good book with a good blurb and cover if you want to succeed. But to do that, you need to learn your craft well. That's the first hard bit over with! The second is marketing and promoting, and this is pretty hard, too. What works for someone else won't always work for you, and it takes up a lot of time that you could spend on writing. But I've mingled with some inspiring and fantastic authors and met some great fans because of it. Would you get that if you were trad-pubbed with a marketing department? I don't think so. Being on a personal level is so much more rewarding. I think you can do anything you want to in life. You might have to go a different route to get there than you originally thought, but if you never try, you never know what might be. Go for it! What do you do besides write? Promotion takes up a lot of my time, but it's lovely to interact with other readers and authors. I swim, do yoga, walk, read. Oh yes...and the occasional bottle of wine! More about Sibel… Sibel talks to WG2E about how she went from 200 rejections to Amazon top 200! http://thewritersguidetoepublishing.com/welcome-to-the-wg2e-sibel-hodge Sibel's interview on The Eerie Digest, the Online Mystery and Hollywood Insider Magazine. http://www.eeriedigest.com/wordpress/2011/07/interview-with-author-sibel-hodge/ Sibel talks about plotting her novels on Traci Hohenstein's blog. http://msthriller.wordpress.com/2011/04/29/guest-blog-by-sibel-hodge/#comment-152 You can find out more about Sibel on her website: http://www.sibelhodge.com/ Be Careful What You Wish For is available from: Amazon.com http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004VGWJYE/ref=s9_simh_gw_p351_d0_i4?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=04MN44YYE7YSJ8C0369G&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=470938631&pf_rd_i=507846 Amazon.co.ukhttp://www.amazon.co.uk/Careful-What-Amber-Mystery-ebook/dp/B004VGWJYE/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1310631718&sr=8-3 Smashwordshttp://www.smashwords.com/books/view/51824 And Sibel will be doing a live Facebook chat at https://www.facebook.com/summerbookclub on Saturday night July 23rd at 6.30 pm UTC/GMT - which for the US is 11.30 Pacific, 12.30 Mountain, 1.30 Central, and 2.30 Eastern. She'll be giving away an ebook copy of Be Careful What You Wish For to one lucky commenter!
For reviews and purchases of my latest novels: http://www.sibelhodge.com/Follow me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/sibelhodge
Her first novel, Fourteen Days Later, was short-listed for the Harry Bowling Prize 2008 and received a highly commended by the Yeovil Literary Prize 2009. It is a romantic comedy with a unique infusion of British and Turkish Cypriot culture. Written in a similar style to Sophie Kinsella and Marian Keyes, Fourteen Days Later is My Big Fat Greek Wedding meets Bridget Jones. My Perfect Wedding is the sequel to Fourteen Days Later, although it can be read as a standalone novel.
The Fashion Police was a runner up in the Chapter One Promotions Novel Competition 2010 and nominated Best Novel with Romantic Elements 2010 by The Romance Reviews. It is a screwball comedy-mystery, combining murder and mayhem with romance and chick-lit, and the first in a series featuring feisty, larger-than-life insurance investigator, Amber Fox. Written in a similar style to Janet Evanovich and Myron Bolitar, The Fashion Police is Stephanie Plum meets Harlan Coben. Be Careful What You Wish For is the second Amber Fox Mystery. Tell us a bit about Be Careful What You Wish For… Be Careful What You Wish For is the second Amber Fox murder mystery that follows on from The Fashion Police:
For fans of Janet Evanovich, Kate Johnson, and Gemma Halliday...Armed with cool sarcasm and uncontrollable hair, feisty insurance investigator Amber Fox is back in a new mystery combining murder and mayhem with romance and chicklit…
Three deaths.
A safety deposit box robbery.
The boxing heavyweight champion of the world.
Somehow, they're all related, and Amber has to solve a four year old crime to find out why.
As she stumbles across a trail of dead bodies and a web of lies spanning both sides of the social divide, it's starting to get personal. Someone thinks Amber's poking her nose in where it's not wanted, sparking off a game of fox and mouse – only this time, Amber's the mouse.
Amber's forced to take refuge in the home of her ex-fiancé, Brad Beckett, and now it's not just the case that's hotting up. So is the bedroom…
All Levi Carter wanted to be was the boxing heavyweight champion of the world, but at what cost?
All Carl Thomas wanted was to be rich, but would his greed be his downfall?
All Brad Beckett wants is to get Amber back, but there's a reason for the ex word.
Be careful what you wish for…you might just get it. Amber Fox is a feisty, wise-cracking insurance investigator with wild hair. Is she anything like you at all? Absolutely! She's got a lot of her in me but I'm not telling you exactly which bits for fear I might incriminate myself! What was your favorite part of Be Careful What you Wish For? Ooh, that's sooo hard! It's my baby so it's all my favourite. I love the fact that it's got a solid mystery combined with a lot of humor, wit, and romance. Probably typing The End is my favourite part - then you know that all the ideas in your head have finally come together. Will we get to hear more from Amber Fox in the future? Amber loves to talk so she'll definitely back to tell another story. Just try and shut her up! How do you get the ideas for your books? It's all the voices in my head that make me do it. I write so I won't have to be medicated! Do you ever suffer from Writer's Block? Sometimes. When that happens I usually drink a bottle of wine and throw ideas around with my husband. Well, that's my excuse for cracking the wine open anyway! What's your favorite thing to snack on while writing? Nuts (no jokes, please!). Do you plot everything before you start writing or do you just see where the story takes you?I'm definitely a fly-by-the-seat of my Wonder Woman knickers kind of girl! I think I've got Plotophobia. I make most of it up as I go a long - creative or crazy? I'm not sure which. What are you working on now? I'm working on some new ideas for my next chicklit novel which will be called The Hen Party. It's about a group of girls who go to Vegas for...yes, you've guessed it, a hen party. But they end up getting much more than they bargained for. I'm also hoping to start the next Amber Fox mystery at the end of summer. Do you have any advice for aspiring indie authors?First and foremost, you have to write a good book with a good blurb and cover if you want to succeed. But to do that, you need to learn your craft well. That's the first hard bit over with! The second is marketing and promoting, and this is pretty hard, too. What works for someone else won't always work for you, and it takes up a lot of time that you could spend on writing. But I've mingled with some inspiring and fantastic authors and met some great fans because of it. Would you get that if you were trad-pubbed with a marketing department? I don't think so. Being on a personal level is so much more rewarding. I think you can do anything you want to in life. You might have to go a different route to get there than you originally thought, but if you never try, you never know what might be. Go for it! What do you do besides write? Promotion takes up a lot of my time, but it's lovely to interact with other readers and authors. I swim, do yoga, walk, read. Oh yes...and the occasional bottle of wine! More about Sibel… Sibel talks to WG2E about how she went from 200 rejections to Amazon top 200! http://thewritersguidetoepublishing.com/welcome-to-the-wg2e-sibel-hodge Sibel's interview on The Eerie Digest, the Online Mystery and Hollywood Insider Magazine. http://www.eeriedigest.com/wordpress/2011/07/interview-with-author-sibel-hodge/ Sibel talks about plotting her novels on Traci Hohenstein's blog. http://msthriller.wordpress.com/2011/04/29/guest-blog-by-sibel-hodge/#comment-152 You can find out more about Sibel on her website: http://www.sibelhodge.com/ Be Careful What You Wish For is available from: Amazon.com http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004VGWJYE/ref=s9_simh_gw_p351_d0_i4?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=04MN44YYE7YSJ8C0369G&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=470938631&pf_rd_i=507846 Amazon.co.ukhttp://www.amazon.co.uk/Careful-What-Amber-Mystery-ebook/dp/B004VGWJYE/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1310631718&sr=8-3 Smashwordshttp://www.smashwords.com/books/view/51824 And Sibel will be doing a live Facebook chat at https://www.facebook.com/summerbookclub on Saturday night July 23rd at 6.30 pm UTC/GMT - which for the US is 11.30 Pacific, 12.30 Mountain, 1.30 Central, and 2.30 Eastern. She'll be giving away an ebook copy of Be Careful What You Wish For to one lucky commenter!
For reviews and purchases of my latest novels: http://www.sibelhodge.com/Follow me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/sibelhodge
July 19, 2011
Simon Wood: Overnight Success 13 years later
I've been crossing internet paths with Simon Wood for years, since we both worked in the mystery and horror genres and occasionally showed up in the same publications. Simon was kind enough to grant me use of a story for my Curtains collection, and over the last few months his hard work built to critical mass--with some luck, timing, but most of all great storytelling. Simon is one of those writers who has you looking over your shoulder when you're reading, waiting for the next twist or betrayal)
Simon:
I remember when Marc Anthony exploded onto the music scene a few years ago. He described himself as a "ten-year overnight sensation." I loved the remark when I heard it. He'd been cutting records for a decade before his first breakout hit, but everyone assumed that he'd just gotten into the business. The comment let the world know he'd been working his butt off for a long time before success found him, and it also gave you an idea of his dedication to his art.
Marc Anthony's dedication is something I understand very well. I've been working away in the publishing salt mines since 1998. Whereas success comes quick for some, it's taken its time with me. I struggled to find an agent when I shopped my first novel, ACCIDENTS WAITING TO HAPPEN, and without an agent, editors wouldn't read it. I found success in the small press arena where an agent wasn't a necessity. ACCIDENTS was published in 2002 with a modest print run of 3,000. Sadly, the small press struggled with distribution, but I picked up some nice trade notices that helped my profile. The good word of mouth failed to land me an agent or a major publisher, although there were a few close calls.
However, the good notices enabled me to pick up deals with other small presses. I finally entered the world of New York publishing in 2007, but again not in the normal manner, which is common for me. Still without an agent, I took advantage of a pitch session at a conference. The editor liked what I had to say and three days later, I had a contract offer from Dorchester Publishing on a revised and updated version of ACCIDENTS WAITING TO HAPPEN. Finally, I had a mass paperback deal, but Dorchester was a small player in traditional publishing and the book never got the distribution I hoped.
Distribution is a harsh lesson I've learned over the years. Without it, a book's success is hard to achieve. I went on to do four books with Dorchester, until their much-publicized financial problems last year. I found myself in the unenviable situation of trying to promote a book that became unavailable part way through a book tour.
Just as my Dorchester problems were coming to a head, I'd been experimenting with eBooks by publishing my backlist. I must admit I wasn't sure what I was doing at the beginning. I think it took me a while to understand that the digital book market doesn't work the same way as the print book market. In February, I relaunched my Dorchester titles. Between February and June, I promoted one of the titles. I learned that success in the eBook market is through recommendations from trusted sources. I sent out review copies and press releases to websites and bloggers with strong followers and their thumbs up worked.
ACCIDENTS WAITING TO HAPPEN struck a chord with people and momentum took over. Eventually, someone, somewhere was mentioning ACCIDENTS daily. The sales spiked in April and kept spiking. By June, it was in the top 100 books at Amazon. Then Amazon featured the book at the end of June and sales truly exploded and the book reached the #2 spot. I'm quite frightened and staggered by the number of sales this titles has had in the last three months. The nice knock-on effect from all this is that a rising tide raises all boats. Over the last four months, all my titles have seen a boost. THE FALL GUY has followed ACCIDENTS' example by reaching the top 100. ASKING FOR TROUBLE has done really well for a short story collection and I think WE ALL FALL DOWN will be the next to break. It has been quietly selling over the last couple of months and I think it will be my next bestseller.
So, from an outsider's perspective, my success has been recent. To my wife and I, it's been thirteen years in the making. While my fortunes have rarely run to script, one thing hasn't changed and that's my dedication to my writing. My single focus for over a decade has been to have a career as a writer. I've worked hard at my craft, learned the ins and outs of the industry, hustled when I've needed to, sweet-talked and strategized to get the one thing any writer desires—readers. Finally, that's happening for me. Success is sometimes an accident waiting to happen, but it never happen without hard work and determination.-----------www.simonwood.net www.facebook.com/simonwoodwriteshttp://twitter.com/simonwoodwrites###
Simon:
I remember when Marc Anthony exploded onto the music scene a few years ago. He described himself as a "ten-year overnight sensation." I loved the remark when I heard it. He'd been cutting records for a decade before his first breakout hit, but everyone assumed that he'd just gotten into the business. The comment let the world know he'd been working his butt off for a long time before success found him, and it also gave you an idea of his dedication to his art.
Marc Anthony's dedication is something I understand very well. I've been working away in the publishing salt mines since 1998. Whereas success comes quick for some, it's taken its time with me. I struggled to find an agent when I shopped my first novel, ACCIDENTS WAITING TO HAPPEN, and without an agent, editors wouldn't read it. I found success in the small press arena where an agent wasn't a necessity. ACCIDENTS was published in 2002 with a modest print run of 3,000. Sadly, the small press struggled with distribution, but I picked up some nice trade notices that helped my profile. The good word of mouth failed to land me an agent or a major publisher, although there were a few close calls.
However, the good notices enabled me to pick up deals with other small presses. I finally entered the world of New York publishing in 2007, but again not in the normal manner, which is common for me. Still without an agent, I took advantage of a pitch session at a conference. The editor liked what I had to say and three days later, I had a contract offer from Dorchester Publishing on a revised and updated version of ACCIDENTS WAITING TO HAPPEN. Finally, I had a mass paperback deal, but Dorchester was a small player in traditional publishing and the book never got the distribution I hoped.
Distribution is a harsh lesson I've learned over the years. Without it, a book's success is hard to achieve. I went on to do four books with Dorchester, until their much-publicized financial problems last year. I found myself in the unenviable situation of trying to promote a book that became unavailable part way through a book tour.
Just as my Dorchester problems were coming to a head, I'd been experimenting with eBooks by publishing my backlist. I must admit I wasn't sure what I was doing at the beginning. I think it took me a while to understand that the digital book market doesn't work the same way as the print book market. In February, I relaunched my Dorchester titles. Between February and June, I promoted one of the titles. I learned that success in the eBook market is through recommendations from trusted sources. I sent out review copies and press releases to websites and bloggers with strong followers and their thumbs up worked.
ACCIDENTS WAITING TO HAPPEN struck a chord with people and momentum took over. Eventually, someone, somewhere was mentioning ACCIDENTS daily. The sales spiked in April and kept spiking. By June, it was in the top 100 books at Amazon. Then Amazon featured the book at the end of June and sales truly exploded and the book reached the #2 spot. I'm quite frightened and staggered by the number of sales this titles has had in the last three months. The nice knock-on effect from all this is that a rising tide raises all boats. Over the last four months, all my titles have seen a boost. THE FALL GUY has followed ACCIDENTS' example by reaching the top 100. ASKING FOR TROUBLE has done really well for a short story collection and I think WE ALL FALL DOWN will be the next to break. It has been quietly selling over the last couple of months and I think it will be my next bestseller.So, from an outsider's perspective, my success has been recent. To my wife and I, it's been thirteen years in the making. While my fortunes have rarely run to script, one thing hasn't changed and that's my dedication to my writing. My single focus for over a decade has been to have a career as a writer. I've worked hard at my craft, learned the ins and outs of the industry, hustled when I've needed to, sweet-talked and strategized to get the one thing any writer desires—readers. Finally, that's happening for me. Success is sometimes an accident waiting to happen, but it never happen without hard work and determination.-----------www.simonwood.net www.facebook.com/simonwoodwriteshttp://twitter.com/simonwoodwrites###
July 15, 2011
Indie Author Ego Check
An English professor started a writing workshop series here in our little Blue Ridge community (the unincorporated town of Todd: five rebel flags, three churches, and an old general store), and the first guest of the series was a poet friend of the professor's. I told my wife I was thinking of popping in to support it, and she was like, "Okay, Mr. Kindle Big Shot, maybe they don't need your charity. They're doing just fine on their own."
I think she was partly right. My intention was colored by "Hey, I'm a pro" thinking, although no one there would know it. Like maybe going to a poetry reading would be slumming, and I'd be sitting their smirking while plotting to earn my Kindle millions. But part of it was curiosity, and, to be honest, a need to get an infusion of passion for words. Sitting here consuming author blogs and publishing threads is a sure way to go bonkers. "Oh my God, my Kindle rank slipped, the bubble has burst!"
And so much of the current conversation, of which I am a willing participant, is about the state of the publishing industry, marketing, pricing, how often to tweet, who is signing a deal with whom, that I am not even enjoying it that much, even when I am on the verge of the biggest success of my life.
And here comes Joseph P. Wood, driving 11 hours, leaving his family in Tuscaloosa, AL while they are closing on a new house, to read his poetry to an audience of half a dozen. He apologized beforehand, pledged not to take too long, and then proceeded to rock the house with tremulous passion and great literary gift. He exposed himself through his words and cadence, fit words together into dangerous and exciting new imagery, crucified himself and then rolled away the stone.
At the end, he wasn't pushing his Twitter handle or Facebook page. Although he works as a professor, he doesn't need to publish his poetry, and he still does it the old-fashioned way, by querying small presses. The word "Kindle" never came up. There were handmade broadsheets for sale, and he sheepishly admitted he only had five copies of his collection I & We that the publisher had given him. He didn't care if he sold them, but he'd take whatever we wanted to pay.
He spent his own money and days of his life to come share his words, with no hope of compensation or audience building. And he brilliantly said, while obliquely sidestepping the need for "meaning" in poetry, "When I write it, it's mine, but once I share it, it's the reader that possesses it."
He didn't rant about his blog (where you can read how "stoked" he is to be coming to the reading) or direct us to his Amazon "Buy" Page, or even mention his website. He didn't reel in social-media followers. He didn't say traditional publishing was doomed or that paper was dead or that all agents are leeches. ("I'll save the fancy talk–it's about why do we believe things in poems.")
Here I was thinking about which character I needed to kill off to gain audience sympathy, which book to write next to reinforce my brand, how to move around my price points to maximize income, how to raise my marketing profile. And I wasn't even sure if I believed in a damn thing I wrote anymore.
Afterward, he said reading always embarrassed him, because he got so passionate and put it all on the line and expected everybody to run away. Me, all I wanted to do was get more product out. Joseph, you rock. It's me who is embarrassed.
Today I just want to write one good sentence.
##
I think she was partly right. My intention was colored by "Hey, I'm a pro" thinking, although no one there would know it. Like maybe going to a poetry reading would be slumming, and I'd be sitting their smirking while plotting to earn my Kindle millions. But part of it was curiosity, and, to be honest, a need to get an infusion of passion for words. Sitting here consuming author blogs and publishing threads is a sure way to go bonkers. "Oh my God, my Kindle rank slipped, the bubble has burst!"
And so much of the current conversation, of which I am a willing participant, is about the state of the publishing industry, marketing, pricing, how often to tweet, who is signing a deal with whom, that I am not even enjoying it that much, even when I am on the verge of the biggest success of my life.
And here comes Joseph P. Wood, driving 11 hours, leaving his family in Tuscaloosa, AL while they are closing on a new house, to read his poetry to an audience of half a dozen. He apologized beforehand, pledged not to take too long, and then proceeded to rock the house with tremulous passion and great literary gift. He exposed himself through his words and cadence, fit words together into dangerous and exciting new imagery, crucified himself and then rolled away the stone.At the end, he wasn't pushing his Twitter handle or Facebook page. Although he works as a professor, he doesn't need to publish his poetry, and he still does it the old-fashioned way, by querying small presses. The word "Kindle" never came up. There were handmade broadsheets for sale, and he sheepishly admitted he only had five copies of his collection I & We that the publisher had given him. He didn't care if he sold them, but he'd take whatever we wanted to pay.
He spent his own money and days of his life to come share his words, with no hope of compensation or audience building. And he brilliantly said, while obliquely sidestepping the need for "meaning" in poetry, "When I write it, it's mine, but once I share it, it's the reader that possesses it."
He didn't rant about his blog (where you can read how "stoked" he is to be coming to the reading) or direct us to his Amazon "Buy" Page, or even mention his website. He didn't reel in social-media followers. He didn't say traditional publishing was doomed or that paper was dead or that all agents are leeches. ("I'll save the fancy talk–it's about why do we believe things in poems.")
Here I was thinking about which character I needed to kill off to gain audience sympathy, which book to write next to reinforce my brand, how to move around my price points to maximize income, how to raise my marketing profile. And I wasn't even sure if I believed in a damn thing I wrote anymore. Afterward, he said reading always embarrassed him, because he got so passionate and put it all on the line and expected everybody to run away. Me, all I wanted to do was get more product out. Joseph, you rock. It's me who is embarrassed.
Today I just want to write one good sentence.
##
July 14, 2011
Kevin Bozard: Writing to Please
I met Kevin years ago, back when I was a "real author" and he'd driven up with his mother to one of my book signings in North Carolina. He's never let go of the dream, even when life tells us writing doesn't matter, and he's also following some of my writing advice--hopefully he is picking the correct half, although I am not sure which that is. Ladies and gentlemen...Kevin.)
A writer's life is often boring, even if a little frenzied at times. I'm no exception. I'm one of those unknown authors that's looking for just a little light to fall on me from the top. A little more than ten years ago, I did a lot of reading, but I had never considered writing. It was while reading one of my favorite authors that I got the idea to try my hand at crafting a novel. I thought this would be a simple task, but I was in for a rude awakening, and a serious reality check.
I spent the next 18 months writing my novel, and the question now was, how do I get it published?
In my search to find representation, I also found that there were authors that were self publishing, and this was something that I entertained a thought of doing, even though everything I read about self publishing, said not to do it. I waited another 6 months or so, before finally self publishing my book.
During this time, I kept reading everything I could find, and this is when I stumbled upon a copy of The Red Church, by Scott Nicholson. I read the book, and loved it. I felt that Scott was someone I needed to get to know. I learned a lot from Scott by reading his articles on his website, but I never asked him the thousands of questions I wanted to ask. Questions that sometimes I regret not asking.
Local reaction to my novels was good, but I didn't really care about the money. I was more interested in writing to please my readers at this point.
After the excitement died down from the second novel, I began writing a third. This was a novel that would almost end my writing career, due to circumstances beyond my control. A few years passed, and I dabbled with writing, but didn't put a lot of effort into it. Strangely enough, it was a friend from another hobby that sparked the fires of writing again. I wrote a third novel, and found that the publishing world had changed a bit. A lot of the authors I'd met in the beginning were now self-publishing themselves. This was where a lot of writers were headed, so I decided to follow the pack.
These new inspirations helped to breathe life in this otherwise defunct writer, and I'm excited about the opportunities of publishing again. I enjoy writing, and that's what a writer's life is all about. I'm writing again to please myself, and to please my readers. After all, in the grand scheme of things, that's all that matters.
Learn more about Kevin's books at his website:
http://www.wix.com/kevinbozard/kevins-epub-page###
A writer's life is often boring, even if a little frenzied at times. I'm no exception. I'm one of those unknown authors that's looking for just a little light to fall on me from the top. A little more than ten years ago, I did a lot of reading, but I had never considered writing. It was while reading one of my favorite authors that I got the idea to try my hand at crafting a novel. I thought this would be a simple task, but I was in for a rude awakening, and a serious reality check.
I spent the next 18 months writing my novel, and the question now was, how do I get it published?In my search to find representation, I also found that there were authors that were self publishing, and this was something that I entertained a thought of doing, even though everything I read about self publishing, said not to do it. I waited another 6 months or so, before finally self publishing my book.
During this time, I kept reading everything I could find, and this is when I stumbled upon a copy of The Red Church, by Scott Nicholson. I read the book, and loved it. I felt that Scott was someone I needed to get to know. I learned a lot from Scott by reading his articles on his website, but I never asked him the thousands of questions I wanted to ask. Questions that sometimes I regret not asking.
Local reaction to my novels was good, but I didn't really care about the money. I was more interested in writing to please my readers at this point.
After the excitement died down from the second novel, I began writing a third. This was a novel that would almost end my writing career, due to circumstances beyond my control. A few years passed, and I dabbled with writing, but didn't put a lot of effort into it. Strangely enough, it was a friend from another hobby that sparked the fires of writing again. I wrote a third novel, and found that the publishing world had changed a bit. A lot of the authors I'd met in the beginning were now self-publishing themselves. This was where a lot of writers were headed, so I decided to follow the pack.
These new inspirations helped to breathe life in this otherwise defunct writer, and I'm excited about the opportunities of publishing again. I enjoy writing, and that's what a writer's life is all about. I'm writing again to please myself, and to please my readers. After all, in the grand scheme of things, that's all that matters.
Learn more about Kevin's books at his website:
http://www.wix.com/kevinbozard/kevins-epub-page###
July 13, 2011
J. Carson Black: Summer Book Club
Facebook Alert! J. Carson Black will be doing a live Facebook chat on Saturday July 16 at 4:30 p.m. Eastern time at http://www.facebook.com/summerbookclub Please join us with your questions for J. Carson.
How the Cult of Personality Inspired My Thriller THE SHOP
When I decided to write a new thriller, I had several ideas on the table. None of them made the final cut. The idea for THE SHOP came out of the blue, thanks to a cable TV news show.
Come to think of it, most of my ideas come out of left field. When one of these ideas strikes, it's like being hit by lightning. I get a tingle in my gut and then my mind starts working a hundred miles a minute.
This time, my husband Glenn and I were watching cable news while eating dinner. John Mark Karr's plane was coming into Boulder, Colorado, where he would face charges for killing JonBenet Ramsey. He'd been flown over from Europe, dining on shrimp cocktail and entertaining his captors—federal marshals, I believe—and generally having a great time of it. Now the press was lined up along the airstrip in Boulder to cover his arrival. Picture the private jet coming in for a landing, with all the pomp and circumstance of the Space Shuttle. The reporters, the news vans, the cameras, the microphones, the breathless reporting on the ground and in the studio: an absolute frenzy!
Glenn and I looked at each other. This was a farce worthy of commentary. This is the new American way: celebrity from nothing. It turned out later that John Mark Karr was playing everybody. He didn't kill JonBenet Ramsey. But he'd fulfilled his purpose—he'd fed the hungry maw of the media for a short time.
Something could be done with this—the distraction of celebrity. That was the seed for my story, THE SHOP.
In the opening scene of THE SHOP, celebrity Brienne Cross is killed in her Aspen chalet, along with the four finalists of her reality show, SOUL MATE, and the producer of the show. I knew right away who killed them. But why?
Even the killer wants to know why. And so he sets out to find the truth.
Getting a plot idea from the instant celebrity mode of television news. Who knew? *****J. Carson Black is the author of THE SHOP—available for purchase as a Kindle ebook for $0.99 (USD)—a Summer Book Club promotion for a limited time at amazon US and amazon UK.Learn more about J. Carson at her website and blog at jcarsonblack.comFollow her on Twitter at twitter.com/jcarsonblack Fan her Facebook page at facebook.com/pages/J-Carson-Black-Author-Page
J. Carson Black will be doing a live Facebook chat on Saturday July 16th at 4:30 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time at http://www.facebook.com/summerbookclub Please join us with your questions for J. Carson.###
How the Cult of Personality Inspired My Thriller THE SHOP
When I decided to write a new thriller, I had several ideas on the table. None of them made the final cut. The idea for THE SHOP came out of the blue, thanks to a cable TV news show. Come to think of it, most of my ideas come out of left field. When one of these ideas strikes, it's like being hit by lightning. I get a tingle in my gut and then my mind starts working a hundred miles a minute.
This time, my husband Glenn and I were watching cable news while eating dinner. John Mark Karr's plane was coming into Boulder, Colorado, where he would face charges for killing JonBenet Ramsey. He'd been flown over from Europe, dining on shrimp cocktail and entertaining his captors—federal marshals, I believe—and generally having a great time of it. Now the press was lined up along the airstrip in Boulder to cover his arrival. Picture the private jet coming in for a landing, with all the pomp and circumstance of the Space Shuttle. The reporters, the news vans, the cameras, the microphones, the breathless reporting on the ground and in the studio: an absolute frenzy!
Glenn and I looked at each other. This was a farce worthy of commentary. This is the new American way: celebrity from nothing. It turned out later that John Mark Karr was playing everybody. He didn't kill JonBenet Ramsey. But he'd fulfilled his purpose—he'd fed the hungry maw of the media for a short time. Something could be done with this—the distraction of celebrity. That was the seed for my story, THE SHOP.
In the opening scene of THE SHOP, celebrity Brienne Cross is killed in her Aspen chalet, along with the four finalists of her reality show, SOUL MATE, and the producer of the show. I knew right away who killed them. But why?
Even the killer wants to know why. And so he sets out to find the truth.
Getting a plot idea from the instant celebrity mode of television news. Who knew? *****J. Carson Black is the author of THE SHOP—available for purchase as a Kindle ebook for $0.99 (USD)—a Summer Book Club promotion for a limited time at amazon US and amazon UK.Learn more about J. Carson at her website and blog at jcarsonblack.comFollow her on Twitter at twitter.com/jcarsonblack Fan her Facebook page at facebook.com/pages/J-Carson-Black-Author-Page
J. Carson Black will be doing a live Facebook chat on Saturday July 16th at 4:30 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time at http://www.facebook.com/summerbookclub Please join us with your questions for J. Carson.###
July 12, 2011
If you don't believe writing success is luck
I used to get really annoyed when J.A. Konrath simplified all writing success to luck. Of course, that luck has to be born on the back of hard work, because without the work, your timing doesn't matter a bit. And I've slowly come to believe luck plays a huge role in breaking through. I wish my humble success was due to talent, but it's not. A little work, a lot of timing.
I am not in the business of calling out writers, but this one particular writer once had such a vitriolic, hateful post on Facebook that I typed up a passionate response before wisely just erasing it and simply "unfriending" this author. But I'd noticed him because his series character was apparently named John Locke, after the libertarian philosopher which also turned out to be the name of the first indie author to sell a million Kindle books.
And guess what? This author uses "John Locke" in the subtitles of his books and now they seem to be selling. I haven't read one, but this product description tells me I would never dare crack one open, even at the wonderfully John Locke-ian price of 99 cents. Warning: this dude really likes colons.
HONORABLE REVENGE
When John Locke sees danger screaming down on him like a banshee from hell: He not only grabs on and comes out shooting; he's caught on an adrenaline ride that doesn't stop until he is the last man standing. Locke's world is filled with cruel and ruthless men that will kill and steal just for the rush it brings them: Dark places that normal people never go unless they are dragged in screaming, and never come out. Drug Cartel's, that mutilate, then fast-freeze their competitors; secret Chinese Triads that think crime and business are one in the same, and murder is used to close a deal. Street Mutts caught unaware of the treachery going down around them, only to be cut down in the running gun battle that surrounds them.
This book is ranked 1,200 in the Kindle store. And this tells me two things. A lot of people aren't reading their 99-cent purchases. And luck is clearly more important than writing skill when it comes to ebook sales. You win, Joe. Now I am off to write my Harry Pottermore series under the pen name Steven King.
###
I am not in the business of calling out writers, but this one particular writer once had such a vitriolic, hateful post on Facebook that I typed up a passionate response before wisely just erasing it and simply "unfriending" this author. But I'd noticed him because his series character was apparently named John Locke, after the libertarian philosopher which also turned out to be the name of the first indie author to sell a million Kindle books.
And guess what? This author uses "John Locke" in the subtitles of his books and now they seem to be selling. I haven't read one, but this product description tells me I would never dare crack one open, even at the wonderfully John Locke-ian price of 99 cents. Warning: this dude really likes colons.
HONORABLE REVENGE
When John Locke sees danger screaming down on him like a banshee from hell: He not only grabs on and comes out shooting; he's caught on an adrenaline ride that doesn't stop until he is the last man standing. Locke's world is filled with cruel and ruthless men that will kill and steal just for the rush it brings them: Dark places that normal people never go unless they are dragged in screaming, and never come out. Drug Cartel's, that mutilate, then fast-freeze their competitors; secret Chinese Triads that think crime and business are one in the same, and murder is used to close a deal. Street Mutts caught unaware of the treachery going down around them, only to be cut down in the running gun battle that surrounds them.
This book is ranked 1,200 in the Kindle store. And this tells me two things. A lot of people aren't reading their 99-cent purchases. And luck is clearly more important than writing skill when it comes to ebook sales. You win, Joe. Now I am off to write my Harry Pottermore series under the pen name Steven King.
###
M.J. Rose- The Halo Effect
M.J. Rose's erotic thriller THE HALO EFFECT is the first in her series featuring Dr. Morgan Snow of the Butterfield Institute, a sex therapist for a wide range of clients who is drawn into the investigation of twisted murders. It's currently on sale for 99 cents for Kindle. The book trailer is below. If you don't know M.J., she is a true outlier, someone who broke into publishing in the late 1990s by printing and hand-selling her own books back when self-publishing was still the supposed mark of a hack and amateur. Now she's come full circle and putting out her own e-books again. 
