It's been four months since I posted an entry to my blog.
Shame on me.
Since then, I've been on two vacations (including one without kids), the kids have started back to school, the youngest is mostly potty-trained, and I haven't made one iota of progress towards the book being published.
Yes, you read that right. Not one iota. To be honest, it has probably only crossed my mind about four times. That fills me with shame and regret. I need to get busy. If I don't get it done soon, I'll probably just give up on it, which isn't really what anyone wants.
So, what do I need to do to make it happen?
Well, first off, I need to finish writing it. I want there to be 13 stories in it. I have 12. I've looked through some of my past stuff to see if there's anything I could "polish off" and fill out the list, but none of them seem to fit correctly. Which means I need to write another story. To do that, I need three things: an idea, inspiration, and motivation.
I have plenty of ideas, but none are currently inspiring my muse, which seems to also have gone on holiday for a while. Hopefully s/he will return soon. The last part of the equation usually sparks up when the inspiration strikes, so...
What happens after I finish writing it? I need to have it edited. Self-editing can only take you so far, because you know what you intended to say, and often will read it that way when reviewing it. So, I need to find someone to edit it for me. My wife and editor has dozens of projects on her books for her art career, and I don't want her to get sidetracked from them. I also don't want to pay someone to edit them when I'll probably not recover the fees in sales. (I'm realistic about how many I'll actually sell.) We have ideas here, but don't need to worry about them until I'm ready to explore them.
Say I get it edited, then what?
Then I have to get a cover designed. Even though it will only be an e-book, I still need a cover for it. Covers are usually the first impression a potential reader has when deciding to try the book or not. Also, several sites will not put them on their featured pages without cover art. I'm not much of an artist. My wife, who is an amazing artist, also has her own projects (as I mentioned before). Assuming a time constraint in getting the cover designed, my best bet would be to develop a "temporary" cover art until a much better one could be put in it's place (the nice thing about e-publishing is that the product can be updated to change out plain cover art with better stuff, "also by this artist" pages with updated ones, etc.). that would allow me to publish it shortly after finishing the writing/editing phase without having to "push" or "rush" my wife to do a better cover on my timeline. I know she hates deadline type work and would then grow to hate the project if I did it that way versus allowing her to do it on her own timeline.
So, that being said, I will start carrying around an idea book and pencil more often (it'll also be easier since we're closing in on the time of year when I have my jacket with me when I'm out) in hopes of getting those key materials needed to getting the thirteenth story written for this collection. Maybe I'll even force myself to write even when I don't feel inspired. It's usually the advice famous artists/writers give to aspiring artists/writers. Even if I throw most of it away, I might find one gem in the bunch.
What about future stories/books, you ask?
Well, those will almost certainly happen if I can get this one story written. I have several ideas (that don't fit with this collection I think) percolating in the back of my mind. Several involve splitting up larger story ideas I've had into smaller stories that build on each other for one larger tale when put together as a whole, but each of which could be a small story in itself. Plus there's the "new takes on classic horror stories" of vampires, werewolves, zombies, etc. that I'd like to include in the same book, but none of which are beyond the early idea stages yet.
Now, on to the fun stuff:
The Sharks only have one game in Colorado this upcoming regular season, so I bought better-than-normal tickets and got second row seats across from the Avs bench for the game this year with Candice. Then right after I buy them, the school announces that the fourth grade concert (which is usually MUCH later in the school year) will be that very same night. Gabe loathes going to those events DURING and AFTER they've happened, but generally HAS to go to them because everyone else is. Since we know how he's felt about all of them in the past, we plan to divert his attention that night. We're going to give him the Blu-Ray of Captain America: Winter Soldier and let him watch it for the first time that night. Should make everyone happy.
Also, this year, Candice will be playing Fantasy Hockey with me. I'm excited that she'll be participating in a hobby I find fun. Right now I have 5 teams in the league, all of whom I know, and most of whom are mostly new to fantasy hockey. We need an even number, so I need at least one more, and preferably three more. It should be interesting seeing her root even more for some players as the season unfolds!
Megi is mostly over her feat of the potty, and is essentially potty trained. She also started preschool two days a week. Donna started kindergarten this year. My goodness where has the time gone?
We spent the money we had saved up for a new bed on getting the house painted to satisfy the HOA. It needed it anyway, but I was hoping for another year or two before we were forced to do it. Now, we're saving up for it again.
Halloween is just around the corner, and this year we have a crying angel statue to add to the cemetery. Here in a couple of weeks, we'll take the kids to get their costumes and put up the cemetery fencing, then the week of Halloween, I'll set up the rest of the stuff. Hopefully, we get a good deal on November 1st for something good to add to next year's exhibit.
Megi has figured out pedaling the tri-cycle, but still has a few issues with it, but at least we don't have to push her for the most part any more. Donna, is getting really good at riding her bike, but needs a larger one. We'll probably get that and then start on the no training wheels thing. Gabe, as always has already outgrown his bike, but until he starts learning to use his hand-brakes, we're holding off as long as possible before getting him his first adult sized bike.
I also learned about the Elio around the 4th of July weekend and made a deposit on one. I got my number in line the other day, and I should get the 5,751st Elio to roll off the assembly line next year this time.
I know I'm leaving out a bunch of stuff since I missed so many months, but thanks for reading anyway!
Showing posts with label independent author. Show all posts
Showing posts with label independent author. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 17, 2014
Friday, March 21, 2014
New Approaches
First, if you haven't read my post on how to best support your favorite independent author, do so now. Then go support them as best you can. I'll wait.
OK, thanks. They'll appreciate it (BTW, the advice will also work for new/lesser known authors with mainstream publishers, too.
So what's happening in the writing world of T. Allan Bishop lately? Well, the muse story stepped back and hasn't cried out for more to be written lately, so I have it set slightly aside. The zombie story has reshaped itself, and I've written several sections for it over the past week. It looks now like it'll be formed mostly of "newspaper articles," "police report" excerpts, "medical and lab report" excerpts, personal letters, etc. I don't know if that will be just one section that talks about the outbreak and part II might change POV to be first or third person yet or not. the story hasn't revealed details from that far ahead yet. I do know that some of the personal notes will be from at least one zombie. I know that this isn't the first time an approach like this has been used (Stephen King's Carrie comes to mind), but it's a new approach for me.
The Josef Mengele vampire story has been popping into my head a little lately, too. So, it might just turn out that I start juggling stories based on which one is yelling at me the loudest that day.
I got tired of having to constantly reboot my phone, have apps stop responding, the previously awesome battery life suddenly being non-existent, and the phone not even give me the option to answer it. I was planning on buying it later this summer when I hoped a sale would be happening (though it was going to be painful waiting that long when it was basically a paper weight). When I did a search for rumored sales of the phone I had decided I wanted, I found that it was $130 cheaper from Amazon than from Verizon, so I went ahead and got it and will be putting the money I was going to be setting aside for it to the credit card bill to pay for it. We'll keep the Amazon route in mind when we go to upgrade Candice's phone eventually, too. If it saves us $$, why not?
I got the Samsung Galaxy Note 3. The primary reason was because I have large clumsy fingers and figured (correctly) that it would be easier for me to type, etc on it. The secondary reasons was that it has handwriting recognition and I figured that could help me as a writer, and that it has good battery life. It turns out the handwriting recognition is AMAZING (but slow). It recognized my handwriting even when I wrote in my crappiest form and EVEN when I wrote in cursive. I have to write a little slower to get the handwriting recognition to work and convert to typed text, but I'll be able to use it when waiting in waiting rooms, or lying in bed and getting inspired, etc. So, as a writer, this is the first time that writing using technology has excited me instead of simply handwriting on paper with a pencil, this is another new approach for me to writing. Granted, when I really get in the groove, I will still probably use a pad and pencil for now, but eventually this might be the way I go. (This phone will also allow me to change the battery if/when this one starts to die, too).
That's all I have for this post. Thanks for reading.
OK, thanks. They'll appreciate it (BTW, the advice will also work for new/lesser known authors with mainstream publishers, too.
So what's happening in the writing world of T. Allan Bishop lately? Well, the muse story stepped back and hasn't cried out for more to be written lately, so I have it set slightly aside. The zombie story has reshaped itself, and I've written several sections for it over the past week. It looks now like it'll be formed mostly of "newspaper articles," "police report" excerpts, "medical and lab report" excerpts, personal letters, etc. I don't know if that will be just one section that talks about the outbreak and part II might change POV to be first or third person yet or not. the story hasn't revealed details from that far ahead yet. I do know that some of the personal notes will be from at least one zombie. I know that this isn't the first time an approach like this has been used (Stephen King's Carrie comes to mind), but it's a new approach for me.
The Josef Mengele vampire story has been popping into my head a little lately, too. So, it might just turn out that I start juggling stories based on which one is yelling at me the loudest that day.
I got tired of having to constantly reboot my phone, have apps stop responding, the previously awesome battery life suddenly being non-existent, and the phone not even give me the option to answer it. I was planning on buying it later this summer when I hoped a sale would be happening (though it was going to be painful waiting that long when it was basically a paper weight). When I did a search for rumored sales of the phone I had decided I wanted, I found that it was $130 cheaper from Amazon than from Verizon, so I went ahead and got it and will be putting the money I was going to be setting aside for it to the credit card bill to pay for it. We'll keep the Amazon route in mind when we go to upgrade Candice's phone eventually, too. If it saves us $$, why not?
I got the Samsung Galaxy Note 3. The primary reason was because I have large clumsy fingers and figured (correctly) that it would be easier for me to type, etc on it. The secondary reasons was that it has handwriting recognition and I figured that could help me as a writer, and that it has good battery life. It turns out the handwriting recognition is AMAZING (but slow). It recognized my handwriting even when I wrote in my crappiest form and EVEN when I wrote in cursive. I have to write a little slower to get the handwriting recognition to work and convert to typed text, but I'll be able to use it when waiting in waiting rooms, or lying in bed and getting inspired, etc. So, as a writer, this is the first time that writing using technology has excited me instead of simply handwriting on paper with a pencil, this is another new approach for me to writing. Granted, when I really get in the groove, I will still probably use a pad and pencil for now, but eventually this might be the way I go. (This phone will also allow me to change the battery if/when this one starts to die, too).
That's all I have for this post. Thanks for reading.
Saturday, March 15, 2014
How To Best Support Your Favorite Independent Author (or Artist)
Independent authors are changing the way the publishing world works. You'll often find their books published for much less than mainstream publishing books electronically for e-readers like the Kindle, Nook, iPad, tablets, etc. Some even release a book for free in hopes that people will like it and will purchase their other books.
When you discover one of these authors, there are some things you can do to make them more successful. This has already happened to some, who have been picked up by larger publishers for better distribution. Here's a small list that isn't all-inclusive:
1. The obvious: Buy their books.
2. The next obvious: Tell your friends and family.
3. The not-so-obvious: Write a review of their book. This is perhaps the most important thing you can do, because it will reach so many more people and surveys have shown that at twice as many of "first time" book purchases for a new author are based more on reviews than by recommendations from friends or family.
4. Corollary to #3: Review the book on other sites where you can. This includes other venues where it can be bought as well as sites like Goodreads and Shelfari.
5: Important corollary to numbers 3 and 4: Do not write a review that will make the book sound better than it really is. Write an HONEST review of it. If it is 4 stars, don't give it 5 just because you've liked their other works or know them and want them to be more successful. Write it honestly and include enough details to help someone else decide if they, too, might like to read it (but not so much you reveal the story).
6. If they have a web page, share it on social media for them.
7. If they have a social media presence, follow them. But it isn't enough to just follow them. You also need to share, click like, +1, etc. their posts. Facebook for instance, inhibits small businesses and independent authors and artists from being seen by their core audience and followers with their algorithm to show "what is important" by only selecting random posts from a site you've clicked "like" on. The more posts from that page gets shared and/or liked, the more of their posts that will show to people that have already clicked "like" on their page (and the more likely they can then click "like" or "share").
8. Corollary to #7: go to their page just in case you didn't get to see some of their posts.
9. Encourage them. Post something to their page letting them know you anxiously await their next book, but don't be too pushy. Artists and Authors like encouragement, but not so much pressure to complete something.
10. Repeat.
That's all for this week's blog. Thanks for reading.
Connect with Me
When you discover one of these authors, there are some things you can do to make them more successful. This has already happened to some, who have been picked up by larger publishers for better distribution. Here's a small list that isn't all-inclusive:
1. The obvious: Buy their books.
2. The next obvious: Tell your friends and family.
3. The not-so-obvious: Write a review of their book. This is perhaps the most important thing you can do, because it will reach so many more people and surveys have shown that at twice as many of "first time" book purchases for a new author are based more on reviews than by recommendations from friends or family.
4. Corollary to #3: Review the book on other sites where you can. This includes other venues where it can be bought as well as sites like Goodreads and Shelfari.
5: Important corollary to numbers 3 and 4: Do not write a review that will make the book sound better than it really is. Write an HONEST review of it. If it is 4 stars, don't give it 5 just because you've liked their other works or know them and want them to be more successful. Write it honestly and include enough details to help someone else decide if they, too, might like to read it (but not so much you reveal the story).
6. If they have a web page, share it on social media for them.
7. If they have a social media presence, follow them. But it isn't enough to just follow them. You also need to share, click like, +1, etc. their posts. Facebook for instance, inhibits small businesses and independent authors and artists from being seen by their core audience and followers with their algorithm to show "what is important" by only selecting random posts from a site you've clicked "like" on. The more posts from that page gets shared and/or liked, the more of their posts that will show to people that have already clicked "like" on their page (and the more likely they can then click "like" or "share").
8. Corollary to #7: go to their page just in case you didn't get to see some of their posts.
9. Encourage them. Post something to their page letting them know you anxiously await their next book, but don't be too pushy. Artists and Authors like encouragement, but not so much pressure to complete something.
10. Repeat.
That's all for this week's blog. Thanks for reading.
Connect with Me
Follow me on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/TAllanBishop
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@TAllanBishop
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