What a time for your computer to die. And that's just what my computer did. I saw it coming, though. For the last few weeks, it had been going blank on me. Black screen. Not blue screen, but completely black. Knowing I'd have to take it in for service I changed my pass codes for the important stuff, like banking and such. But the computer fix-it guys told me that I had just better buy a new one.
So off to Fry's I go. Since it was shortly after the Christmas season, it was dead in there. Hardly anyone. I had never seen Fry's so empty. And not just of customers. Hardly anyone was working there. No customers, no staff, I was almost all alone. But so what. I went to look at computers. And I saw a couple that might work well for me.
I don't play computer video games. At all. Zilch. Not a one. So getting a computer for that was not a consideration. I was ready to tell a clerk or SOMEONE that I only needed a computer to write documents and to research information, like for my novels. I use Amazon and eBay, but that and email are the only things I do on a computer.
But, whatever, no one was there to help me. It was weird. I was used to people coming up to me and asking me if I needed help. And this time I did need help. But no one was asking. So I left. I went to Best Buy. And even though they, too, were far less busy than during the holiday season, at least there were people there to help me. And somebody did. He helped me decide on a good computer, on which I am writing this post right now.
So it was a bad time to have to transfer all my data. I've got my manuscripts on my computer, my songs, and a lot of research. Not to mention photos of my kids when they were small.
And I am pretty much involved in a semi negotiation with that publisher in Europe for my novel Second Chance; a Football Story. He said he likes sports novels, and is a fan of the Friday Night Lights series. So I guess it's going to happen. Second Chance will get published by JustFiction Edition. Whether the snobs like them or not.
I'll wait however on the submissions for The Vase and John Dunn. Since both are in the process of being submitted to agents and to publishers, it would behoove me to wait out the process. You never know. In the meantime, Second Chance will get published and we'll see how it goes. If by this summer there's no progress on my submissions to the agents or publishers, I may go with JustFiction Edition for those as well.
And that's that. We'll see.
Showing posts with label Publishers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Publishers. Show all posts
Thursday, January 17, 2019
Sunday, December 2, 2018
Another Year Almost Up
Wow, it's December again. My birthday is near, and of course the Christmas holidays are coming up. It's time for family and good tidings, and hopefully that means good tidings in the publishing world when it comes to my three available novels. They are The Vase, which is one of the books that had been popular with publishers. John Dunn; Heart of a Zulu, which I would think would be popular with UK publishers, since it directly involves UK history. And Second Chance; a Football Story, which could be a book for Young Adult audiences, or anyone who love a good football story.
In any case, I'll keep submitting as much as I can. I submitted The Vase and John Dunn to a UK publisher just today. So that means another three month wait or thereabouts. Time is up for the other publishers I had submitted to. And of course there is that publisher that contacted me. They are called JustFictionEdition Publishers. They are a European publisher. I can't think of any good reason why I shouldn't go ahead and publish with them. So I'll make a list as follows:
Reasons for going with JustFictionEdition:
1- As I mentioned. they are a European publisher. And The Vase and John Dunn might be more appealing to European audiences. Especially John Dunn for UK audiences.
2-They make their books available on the international market. And The Vase and John Dunn might be more appealing to international audiences because The Vase takes place in Israel, and John Dunn takes place in South Africa.
3-I have an offer on the table. Well, no contract as of yet has been offered, because I haven't yet submitted to them, but the outlook is good.
4-The royalties are a little higher.
Reasons for not going with JustFictionEdition:
1-American bloggers on publishing seem to frown upon them. Why? I don't know really. I've researched them, and no one seems to have a real reason. The foremost reason is that they are not one of the Big Five publishers. But a lot of publishers aren't Big Five publishers, but they're still good publishers. So what the heck...
2-There is a misperception that they are a Vanity Press. But they are really NOT a Vanity Press. Because a Vanity Press or Vanity publishers make YOU, the author, pay THEM to publish your book. JustFictionEdition does NOT make the author pay them to publish their books. They cover all costs, just like any real publisher. So therefore, they ARE a real publisher if that is the criteria. So it's a misperception only, and not a real reason to not go with them. So, what the heck...
3-The bloggers almost unanimously agree that an author should never go with a publisher who solicits THEM to publish their book. But again, they don't provide a reason why. Again, they suggest that all publishers who solicit authors are Vanity Presses. And it IS mostly true. Vanity Presses DO solicit authors to publish their books, because that's how Vanity Presses make their money. Not by selling books, but by getting authors to pay them to publish their books. But I've already covered the fact that JustFictionEdition is NOT a Vanity Press. So again, what the heck...
4-The royalties are a little higher. But that would be a reason to go with them, so what the heck.
According to my lists, then, maybe I should go with JustFictionEdition. I think I'll email them and ask a couple more questions. Maybe they are the real deal. I mean who said they aren't? A bunch of snobs who've been lucky enough to find Big Five publishers? Or have they? Maybe I don't need to listen to them. Hhhmmnnn....
In any case, I'll keep submitting as much as I can. I submitted The Vase and John Dunn to a UK publisher just today. So that means another three month wait or thereabouts. Time is up for the other publishers I had submitted to. And of course there is that publisher that contacted me. They are called JustFictionEdition Publishers. They are a European publisher. I can't think of any good reason why I shouldn't go ahead and publish with them. So I'll make a list as follows:
Reasons for going with JustFictionEdition:
1- As I mentioned. they are a European publisher. And The Vase and John Dunn might be more appealing to European audiences. Especially John Dunn for UK audiences.
2-They make their books available on the international market. And The Vase and John Dunn might be more appealing to international audiences because The Vase takes place in Israel, and John Dunn takes place in South Africa.
3-I have an offer on the table. Well, no contract as of yet has been offered, because I haven't yet submitted to them, but the outlook is good.
4-The royalties are a little higher.
Reasons for not going with JustFictionEdition:
1-American bloggers on publishing seem to frown upon them. Why? I don't know really. I've researched them, and no one seems to have a real reason. The foremost reason is that they are not one of the Big Five publishers. But a lot of publishers aren't Big Five publishers, but they're still good publishers. So what the heck...
2-There is a misperception that they are a Vanity Press. But they are really NOT a Vanity Press. Because a Vanity Press or Vanity publishers make YOU, the author, pay THEM to publish your book. JustFictionEdition does NOT make the author pay them to publish their books. They cover all costs, just like any real publisher. So therefore, they ARE a real publisher if that is the criteria. So it's a misperception only, and not a real reason to not go with them. So, what the heck...
3-The bloggers almost unanimously agree that an author should never go with a publisher who solicits THEM to publish their book. But again, they don't provide a reason why. Again, they suggest that all publishers who solicit authors are Vanity Presses. And it IS mostly true. Vanity Presses DO solicit authors to publish their books, because that's how Vanity Presses make their money. Not by selling books, but by getting authors to pay them to publish their books. But I've already covered the fact that JustFictionEdition is NOT a Vanity Press. So again, what the heck...
4-The royalties are a little higher. But that would be a reason to go with them, so what the heck.
According to my lists, then, maybe I should go with JustFictionEdition. I think I'll email them and ask a couple more questions. Maybe they are the real deal. I mean who said they aren't? A bunch of snobs who've been lucky enough to find Big Five publishers? Or have they? Maybe I don't need to listen to them. Hhhmmnnn....
Wednesday, July 18, 2018
The Vase, Second Chance, and Heart of a Zulu
Since two of my publishers have gone out of business, three of my books are out of print. The Vase, Second Chance, and Heart of a Zulu are no longer available with two exceptions. On Amazon, there are two more books left of Second Chance, and one more book of Heart of a Zulu.
Because of that, the price of Second Chance has skyrocketed. Two hundred forty-nine dollars. That hasn't happened with Heart of a Zulu yet. So if you're inclined to read a true story that takes place in South Africa during the nineteenth century, you'd better jump on that. It's still listed at 14 dollars.
As for Second Chance, well, I don't expect anyone to pay over two hundred bucks for a book. Even if there are only two copies left. I am, after all, trying to find new publishers pretty soon. Unless some collector wants to get the now rare copies of first editions. There are collectors who do that. Usually they are well-to-do people who have the money to spend on thing like that.
The first issue of Superman sold for over a million dollars. And that was a ten cent comic book. So you never know. In fifty years, or a hundred years, anything goes.
Because of that, the price of Second Chance has skyrocketed. Two hundred forty-nine dollars. That hasn't happened with Heart of a Zulu yet. So if you're inclined to read a true story that takes place in South Africa during the nineteenth century, you'd better jump on that. It's still listed at 14 dollars.
As for Second Chance, well, I don't expect anyone to pay over two hundred bucks for a book. Even if there are only two copies left. I am, after all, trying to find new publishers pretty soon. Unless some collector wants to get the now rare copies of first editions. There are collectors who do that. Usually they are well-to-do people who have the money to spend on thing like that.
The first issue of Superman sold for over a million dollars. And that was a ten cent comic book. So you never know. In fifty years, or a hundred years, anything goes.
Saturday, July 14, 2018
Agents? I Wonder
Trying to land an agent again. My first effort resulted in finding an agent but that was short-lived. And nothing happened as a result. I went straight to publishers after that, and had some success. The Vase was seemingly the most popular. It was accepted by five publishers. I went with the publisher I thought would be the best, and it was in several ways. They taught me a lot about writing a novel. And I took that knowledge and applied it to all of my novels, and they are all better for it.
Killer of Killers drew a lot of interest as well. Not just from agents but from publishers. Although only one publisher offered a contract, compared with the five contracts offered for The Vase. But that publisher is still kickin'. Two of the publishers who offered contracts for The Vase, and with whom I signed, folded. Thus the rights are reverted to me. Another publisher with whom I signed had internal trouble, including lawsuits by former staff. I chronicled all of it on the blog here, so I don't need to get into it again. It was a frustrating experience
The bottom line I discovered is that people don't really care about you, or your contracts or your money. They only care about themselves. Of course, I knew that already. So it was no surprise. You can't really trust anyone. Not in the publishing business. Not in any business. It's what I teach my sons. As a matter of fact, my youngest son asked me recently what my most important advice to him would be. I said without hesitation 'Don't trust anyone.' I've told him before. Both of my sons. Many times. You just can't trust anyone is this world and it's a shame really.
Which means being an agent is an oxymoron. An agent is supposed to be someone you can trust. But you can't trust anyone. Still I'm seeking an agent. It's the best chance to make the Big Five. And I do want that. So I have no recourse. We'll see how that goes.
For me, it wasn't an agent, but a publisher who became an untrustworthy entity. Here's a lesson I learned and I did apply it the second time. You cannot trust a publisher who doesn't sign his own contract. I chronicled the happenings here on the blog some years ago. And when a later publisher tried to do the same thing to me, I told them that.
Here's the trick. A publisher will send you a contract unsigned by them. A first time author will sign it and send it back, thinking the publisher will then sign it and send you a copy. But that didn't happen. So I learned a lesson. Then when a second publisher did that to me, this time I knew better. I told them that publishers who don't sign their own contracts are publishers who cannot be trusted. I said that. Straight up. So then they got on the ball and signed it and sent it back to me.
See? Lessons learned and applied. But sadly three of the other publishers who offered contracts for The Vase simply folded. So that's another reason I'd prefer the Big Five. They won't fold.
But you take what you can get. When will I give up? Who knows. You keep trying. The Vase, Heart of a Zulu, and Second Chance will find homes again. We'll see which homes. Soon I hope.
Killer of Killers drew a lot of interest as well. Not just from agents but from publishers. Although only one publisher offered a contract, compared with the five contracts offered for The Vase. But that publisher is still kickin'. Two of the publishers who offered contracts for The Vase, and with whom I signed, folded. Thus the rights are reverted to me. Another publisher with whom I signed had internal trouble, including lawsuits by former staff. I chronicled all of it on the blog here, so I don't need to get into it again. It was a frustrating experience
The bottom line I discovered is that people don't really care about you, or your contracts or your money. They only care about themselves. Of course, I knew that already. So it was no surprise. You can't really trust anyone. Not in the publishing business. Not in any business. It's what I teach my sons. As a matter of fact, my youngest son asked me recently what my most important advice to him would be. I said without hesitation 'Don't trust anyone.' I've told him before. Both of my sons. Many times. You just can't trust anyone is this world and it's a shame really.
Which means being an agent is an oxymoron. An agent is supposed to be someone you can trust. But you can't trust anyone. Still I'm seeking an agent. It's the best chance to make the Big Five. And I do want that. So I have no recourse. We'll see how that goes.
For me, it wasn't an agent, but a publisher who became an untrustworthy entity. Here's a lesson I learned and I did apply it the second time. You cannot trust a publisher who doesn't sign his own contract. I chronicled the happenings here on the blog some years ago. And when a later publisher tried to do the same thing to me, I told them that.
Here's the trick. A publisher will send you a contract unsigned by them. A first time author will sign it and send it back, thinking the publisher will then sign it and send you a copy. But that didn't happen. So I learned a lesson. Then when a second publisher did that to me, this time I knew better. I told them that publishers who don't sign their own contracts are publishers who cannot be trusted. I said that. Straight up. So then they got on the ball and signed it and sent it back to me.
See? Lessons learned and applied. But sadly three of the other publishers who offered contracts for The Vase simply folded. So that's another reason I'd prefer the Big Five. They won't fold.
But you take what you can get. When will I give up? Who knows. You keep trying. The Vase, Heart of a Zulu, and Second Chance will find homes again. We'll see which homes. Soon I hope.
Thursday, July 12, 2018
Homeland - Done - Okay
All right. I'm finished watching Homeland. Not because I didn't like it anymore. I'm done because I've watched the final episode of the final season. Or at least the final season that had been aired. Is there going to be a season eight? I don't even know. As far as I'm concerned, it's okay if there is. I'll probably watch it if there is. As for the season I just finished? Season seven? It was okay. A bit better than season six at least. Well, the two seasons were really one big season, meaning the story arc covered seasons six and seven.
It was about the first woman president more than anything else. Don't know if the producers and writers of the show expected Hillary to win and made their show a parallel story for that scenario. My guess is they did expect Hillary to win, because everyone did. But whatever. The show was on the decline, and even though it leveled out for season seven, I was not much interested anymore.
And that's because of what they did to Peter Quinn. He was a great character, and like I said before, was half the show. Carrie is able to carry the show by herself, but like I said before, without Quinn the show was only half as good. Which was still good, though. And like I said it ended okay.
That is if it is the end. My guess is there will be a season eight, and will pick up where they left off. With Carrie being returned to America in a prisoner exchange with the Russians. After seven months of imprisonment and no meds for her bipolar condition, she looked like a wretch there at the end. Totally off her rocker. Again, Claire Danes is a fabulous actress. I don't think anyone else could have been better for the part.
So now what? Flash? Arrow? Or another show that's been out for years that I haven't watched? I didn't last more than a couple episodes of Empire, nor did I last for more that two episodes of Westworld. And I ended up hating Counterpart. I absolutely loved Limitless, but it was canceled after one season, so there you go. Not much more in the TV world for me, it seems. Not when the shows I love are canceled. Or they just run out of gas like The Blacklist did.
Maybe I'll go back to writing my own stories. But probably not. I'm still trying to find new homes for The Vase, Heart of a Zulu, and Second Chance. And while I'm doing that I'll be improving the prose for them at the same time. Might as well. A book can always be written better, I've found. So I will keep making them better until they are published again.
At that point I may go back to writing new stories. Or maybe not. But I probably will.
It was about the first woman president more than anything else. Don't know if the producers and writers of the show expected Hillary to win and made their show a parallel story for that scenario. My guess is they did expect Hillary to win, because everyone did. But whatever. The show was on the decline, and even though it leveled out for season seven, I was not much interested anymore.
And that's because of what they did to Peter Quinn. He was a great character, and like I said before, was half the show. Carrie is able to carry the show by herself, but like I said before, without Quinn the show was only half as good. Which was still good, though. And like I said it ended okay.
That is if it is the end. My guess is there will be a season eight, and will pick up where they left off. With Carrie being returned to America in a prisoner exchange with the Russians. After seven months of imprisonment and no meds for her bipolar condition, she looked like a wretch there at the end. Totally off her rocker. Again, Claire Danes is a fabulous actress. I don't think anyone else could have been better for the part.
So now what? Flash? Arrow? Or another show that's been out for years that I haven't watched? I didn't last more than a couple episodes of Empire, nor did I last for more that two episodes of Westworld. And I ended up hating Counterpart. I absolutely loved Limitless, but it was canceled after one season, so there you go. Not much more in the TV world for me, it seems. Not when the shows I love are canceled. Or they just run out of gas like The Blacklist did.
Maybe I'll go back to writing my own stories. But probably not. I'm still trying to find new homes for The Vase, Heart of a Zulu, and Second Chance. And while I'm doing that I'll be improving the prose for them at the same time. Might as well. A book can always be written better, I've found. So I will keep making them better until they are published again.
At that point I may go back to writing new stories. Or maybe not. But I probably will.
Sunday, April 22, 2018
The Vase - Book revised
As the second book I had written, The Vase had already undergone several revisions. It was my first book to be revised with the lessons I learned from a real editor. Meaning not just a Beta reader. The editor was from the now defunct publisher Penumbra Publishing, and the lessons were vital to my future as a novelist. And with five novels under my belt at this point, it was indeed vital.
It's true that Melange - the publisher for my first book, Killer of Killers - advised me on much of what the Penumbra editor taught me. But it was Penumbra that really drilled the lessons home. And from that point on I became a much better novelist - an author who writes novels.
I went back and applied those lessons to Killer of Killers, of course, and Melange was gracious enough to allow me to do that. And since Penumbra folded, I have been going back over The Vase, time and again, revising and revising, improving the prose, and yes, even making better judgment calls on the original edits.
The Vase is being rewritten, not only in the application of the lessons I learned, but with the original intent on how the story unfolds. The editor had his own ideas, and applied them to a small degree to my story line. I made it back into the way I wanted it, with one exception. I had originally intended for Professor Weiss to relay his version of the climactic events in a flashback scene, as if the reader was experiencing the event "live". But the editor wanted the events "told" by the professor after Captain Mathias caught up to him and asked him what happened.
I think that was the better option. And the reason is because the events Weiss relays contain some controversial, or even questionable, occurrences, and when those controversial and/or questionable occurrences are told after the fact, then the reader can use his or her own judgment as to whether those event really happened the way the professor told them to the captain.
Otherwise, the reader will be experiencing the events as did Professor Weiss, and they would be more akin to seeing it as what really happened, and then there would be no questionable aspect involved.
So yeah, the editor did contribute much to that book, not only in teaching me all the current rules for writing a novel, but made the right call for that particular post climax scene.
And as I revise The Vase for the umpteenth time I am greatly improving the prose, making every single paragraph on every single page the best writing as humanly possible. It's truly a work of art at this point. I can't wait to resubmit to publishers when I'm finally done. Multiple publishers had accepted it for publication in its original state. Cant wait to see the results when I submit it now that it's a vastly superior book to what it was then.
It's true that Melange - the publisher for my first book, Killer of Killers - advised me on much of what the Penumbra editor taught me. But it was Penumbra that really drilled the lessons home. And from that point on I became a much better novelist - an author who writes novels.
I went back and applied those lessons to Killer of Killers, of course, and Melange was gracious enough to allow me to do that. And since Penumbra folded, I have been going back over The Vase, time and again, revising and revising, improving the prose, and yes, even making better judgment calls on the original edits.
The Vase is being rewritten, not only in the application of the lessons I learned, but with the original intent on how the story unfolds. The editor had his own ideas, and applied them to a small degree to my story line. I made it back into the way I wanted it, with one exception. I had originally intended for Professor Weiss to relay his version of the climactic events in a flashback scene, as if the reader was experiencing the event "live". But the editor wanted the events "told" by the professor after Captain Mathias caught up to him and asked him what happened.
I think that was the better option. And the reason is because the events Weiss relays contain some controversial, or even questionable, occurrences, and when those controversial and/or questionable occurrences are told after the fact, then the reader can use his or her own judgment as to whether those event really happened the way the professor told them to the captain.
Otherwise, the reader will be experiencing the events as did Professor Weiss, and they would be more akin to seeing it as what really happened, and then there would be no questionable aspect involved.
So yeah, the editor did contribute much to that book, not only in teaching me all the current rules for writing a novel, but made the right call for that particular post climax scene.
And as I revise The Vase for the umpteenth time I am greatly improving the prose, making every single paragraph on every single page the best writing as humanly possible. It's truly a work of art at this point. I can't wait to resubmit to publishers when I'm finally done. Multiple publishers had accepted it for publication in its original state. Cant wait to see the results when I submit it now that it's a vastly superior book to what it was then.
Sunday, February 18, 2018
John Dunn and Second Chance soon to be not available
Just to let you know, both John Dunn; Heart of a Zulu and Second Chance; a Football Story will no longer be available as soon as what's left on the the Amazon stores are sold out. I see that Heart of a Zulu is down to one on Amazon and perhaps a few more that are available through outlets that sell through Amazon, and the same is true for Second Chance. How long that will last is anyone's guess.
I know from a collector's perspective that that could be a good thing. Collectors have a penchant for collecting things that are not available anymore. And those two books, at least in their current states will no longer be available pretty darn soon. Like I've been saying, I'm trying to get them published with other publishers, but the books of Knox Robinson will soon go the way of the dinosaur, and that means those two books as well.
That's what collectors live for. Collecting rare items. And very soon, KRP books will be just that. The same is true for first editions. And those editions from KRP will soon be the only editions. So just saying. Get them now before they are no more. Because no more editions will be printed. And what's there now is all there will be.
Until further notice I mean. And when they are published again, you can bet they will be better versions. Because I'm improving everything about them at this point. That means The Vase too. Whenever The Vase is published again, it will be a superior book. The writing for all three will be superior. And for me, as an author, that is the most important thing. It's the writing that shows the author's effort. And boy have I put in the effort SINCE the original publication of all three books.
I've been rereading my Killer books lately, too. I'm amazed at how well written those two books are. I wouldn't need to do too much rewriting for those. A few dialogue tags could be eliminated and perhaps a word here and there but that's about it. I'm glad for that. We'll see how things go.
I know from a collector's perspective that that could be a good thing. Collectors have a penchant for collecting things that are not available anymore. And those two books, at least in their current states will no longer be available pretty darn soon. Like I've been saying, I'm trying to get them published with other publishers, but the books of Knox Robinson will soon go the way of the dinosaur, and that means those two books as well.
That's what collectors live for. Collecting rare items. And very soon, KRP books will be just that. The same is true for first editions. And those editions from KRP will soon be the only editions. So just saying. Get them now before they are no more. Because no more editions will be printed. And what's there now is all there will be.
Until further notice I mean. And when they are published again, you can bet they will be better versions. Because I'm improving everything about them at this point. That means The Vase too. Whenever The Vase is published again, it will be a superior book. The writing for all three will be superior. And for me, as an author, that is the most important thing. It's the writing that shows the author's effort. And boy have I put in the effort SINCE the original publication of all three books.
I've been rereading my Killer books lately, too. I'm amazed at how well written those two books are. I wouldn't need to do too much rewriting for those. A few dialogue tags could be eliminated and perhaps a word here and there but that's about it. I'm glad for that. We'll see how things go.
Saturday, February 3, 2018
Heart of a Zulu to be submitted again
I was celebrating my opportunity to submit both John Dunn; Heart of a Zulu and The Vase to Big Five publishers recently. The Vase has been submitted to Macmillan and Penguin Random House. And Heart of a Zulu is submitted to Penguin Random House as of last week. But tomorrow I will also submit it to Macmillan. That will be two of my books submitted to two of the five of the Big Five.
Yeah I know my chances are slim. But I am confident in the overall quality of both books. Meaning the writing in both is top notch and the stories are top notch. After ten years of taking novel writing seriously, my writing has evolved to the point that exceeds most novel writers out there at this time. I'm not saying I'm the best writer in the world. But I'm a lot better than many.
So that means the writing is good enough. More than good enough. As for the stories? Let's take a look. Let's start with The Vase. Here is a story with a premise that has never before been used in any kind of story anywhere. In no book, movie or TV show has the premise of a story included ancient recordings. That's because in ancient times, recording was not possible. Well, of course recording was possible in the form of ancient writings. Like the Bible, and the writings of ancient historians. We've all heard of Herodotus, Thucydides, Tacitus, and the like. They "recorded" the ancient events of their times. But they recorded those events in the only way possible back then. In writings.
But I'm talking about recordings as we know recordings today. AUDIO and VIDEO recordings! And I'll say it again. No book, movie, or TV show has featured ancient AUDIO and VIDEO recordings of ancient events ever. Because it wasn't possible to do that back then.
But wait. If the atmospheric conditions were such that electromagnetic phenomena were happening at the time, then audio-video recordings just might have been possible in the grooves of a spinning vase. And once that vase had been fired in a kiln, and became eternal bisque-ware, then those recordings could possibly survive the millennia to this day.
And that's the premise in the story of The Vase! (And it's why the book is called The Vase!) I can't fathom how any editor or publisher couldn't find that concept fascinating. It's why so many publishers offered me contracts when I first proposed the book. At least five publishers were interested in publishing that book. Unfortunately, none of the publishers were Big Five publishers, so no Big Five publisher was aware of it. Back then you needed an agent to submit to a Big Five publisher. Alas...
But I'm not a newbie to publishing anymore. I'm savvy to the ins and outs of publishing and now I have this opportunity to submit to some Big Five publishers. And it's all for the better. I mean after so many years, I've become a better writer, as I was saying. And with another chance to improve the prose that's just what I've done. And of course it makes the chances of being accepted by a Big Five publisher so much greater.
The same thing is true with John Dunn; Heart of a Zulu. Here is another fascinating story, maybe more so because the story is actually TRUE. It's based on the true story of John Dunn and features the real historic events of the Anglo-Zulu War of 1879. And I know a lot of people are interested in that war. Also, the genre speaks for itself. Readers love historical fiction, and even more people love historical fiction which is based on a true story. And the John Dunn story is underrepresented in books. There have been a couple, but they are out of print and the current supply of books offers next to nothing in the way of the John Dunn story. Thus, the timing of the John Dunn book is just right.
Here's hoping that Macmillan or Penguin Random House will see it that way too. I know the writing and the stories are excellent. I'm hoping the editors of Macmillan or Penguin Random House will agree and I'll have some good news in about three months. That means I should know something by this coming May. Fingers crossed.
Yeah I know my chances are slim. But I am confident in the overall quality of both books. Meaning the writing in both is top notch and the stories are top notch. After ten years of taking novel writing seriously, my writing has evolved to the point that exceeds most novel writers out there at this time. I'm not saying I'm the best writer in the world. But I'm a lot better than many.
So that means the writing is good enough. More than good enough. As for the stories? Let's take a look. Let's start with The Vase. Here is a story with a premise that has never before been used in any kind of story anywhere. In no book, movie or TV show has the premise of a story included ancient recordings. That's because in ancient times, recording was not possible. Well, of course recording was possible in the form of ancient writings. Like the Bible, and the writings of ancient historians. We've all heard of Herodotus, Thucydides, Tacitus, and the like. They "recorded" the ancient events of their times. But they recorded those events in the only way possible back then. In writings.
But I'm talking about recordings as we know recordings today. AUDIO and VIDEO recordings! And I'll say it again. No book, movie, or TV show has featured ancient AUDIO and VIDEO recordings of ancient events ever. Because it wasn't possible to do that back then.
But wait. If the atmospheric conditions were such that electromagnetic phenomena were happening at the time, then audio-video recordings just might have been possible in the grooves of a spinning vase. And once that vase had been fired in a kiln, and became eternal bisque-ware, then those recordings could possibly survive the millennia to this day.
And that's the premise in the story of The Vase! (And it's why the book is called The Vase!) I can't fathom how any editor or publisher couldn't find that concept fascinating. It's why so many publishers offered me contracts when I first proposed the book. At least five publishers were interested in publishing that book. Unfortunately, none of the publishers were Big Five publishers, so no Big Five publisher was aware of it. Back then you needed an agent to submit to a Big Five publisher. Alas...
But I'm not a newbie to publishing anymore. I'm savvy to the ins and outs of publishing and now I have this opportunity to submit to some Big Five publishers. And it's all for the better. I mean after so many years, I've become a better writer, as I was saying. And with another chance to improve the prose that's just what I've done. And of course it makes the chances of being accepted by a Big Five publisher so much greater.
The same thing is true with John Dunn; Heart of a Zulu. Here is another fascinating story, maybe more so because the story is actually TRUE. It's based on the true story of John Dunn and features the real historic events of the Anglo-Zulu War of 1879. And I know a lot of people are interested in that war. Also, the genre speaks for itself. Readers love historical fiction, and even more people love historical fiction which is based on a true story. And the John Dunn story is underrepresented in books. There have been a couple, but they are out of print and the current supply of books offers next to nothing in the way of the John Dunn story. Thus, the timing of the John Dunn book is just right.
Here's hoping that Macmillan or Penguin Random House will see it that way too. I know the writing and the stories are excellent. I'm hoping the editors of Macmillan or Penguin Random House will agree and I'll have some good news in about three months. That means I should know something by this coming May. Fingers crossed.
Sunday, January 21, 2018
Didn't Send John Dunn yet
I have said often not to rush your submissions. And that is why I did not send my John Dunn; Heart of a Zulu submission yet. It wasn't quite ready. I wanted to send it last Friday, but what the heck. Monday is still soon enough. Or Tuesday for that matter. Or Wednesday.
The point is make sure it's ready. Make sure it is as good as it can be. Because after you send it, that's it. And trying for a Big Five publisher like Penguin Random House is an opportunity you can't mess up. That's why I spent nearly six months improving The Vase before I sent it last week. The Vase is as good as it can be right now. I am very confident in the chances it has with PRH. Or any publisher for that matter. Fingers crossed on that. Because I'll need all the luck I can get. I am still an unknown author to them. I have no credentials as far as they are concerned. They don't know me from Adam.
And that's the problem with my efforts. I'm a nobody. And nobody's like me have next to no chance with a publisher, with an agent, or whatever. Unless you're famous for one reason or another, like a former pro athlete, a movie star, a rock star, a politician, or a relative of one of those, you have to know someone, for a publisher to take notice. You have to have connections.
So having no connections and knowing no one in the publishing world makes it a long shot for me to make it with the Big Five. But nobody's have made it before. They got lucky. I hope I will too.
The point is make sure it's ready. Make sure it is as good as it can be. Because after you send it, that's it. And trying for a Big Five publisher like Penguin Random House is an opportunity you can't mess up. That's why I spent nearly six months improving The Vase before I sent it last week. The Vase is as good as it can be right now. I am very confident in the chances it has with PRH. Or any publisher for that matter. Fingers crossed on that. Because I'll need all the luck I can get. I am still an unknown author to them. I have no credentials as far as they are concerned. They don't know me from Adam.
And that's the problem with my efforts. I'm a nobody. And nobody's like me have next to no chance with a publisher, with an agent, or whatever. Unless you're famous for one reason or another, like a former pro athlete, a movie star, a rock star, a politician, or a relative of one of those, you have to know someone, for a publisher to take notice. You have to have connections.
So having no connections and knowing no one in the publishing world makes it a long shot for me to make it with the Big Five. But nobody's have made it before. They got lucky. I hope I will too.
Thursday, January 18, 2018
Penguin Random House up next
I am now submitting The Vase and John Dunn to Penguin Random House. Never mind how I'm doing that without an agent. It's possible. I have blogged before about loopholes to reach Big Five publishers without an agent. I've tried before and will keep trying as long as it's possible.
Sure, you can't get your hopes up. Sure, the odds are still against me. But I believe in my stories. I believe in my writing. Meaning I'm not too humble to admit the writing is excellent. Especially now since I've been making the writing better and better every day. That means for The Vase and for John Dunn. And for Second Chance, too. I'll be getting to that one soon.
I've concentrated on improving the prose in The Vase over the last six months. And I've been working on improving the writing for John Dunn, too. I just submitted The Vase. So for the next three months, that one will be on hold. I'll try to submit John Dunn tomorrow.
So yeah. Losing a publisher is not a good thing in one way. But it's a good thing in another way. The good thing is that you get another chance to make your books better. And you get another chance to find an even better publisher.
That's what is happening now with The Vase, John Dunn, and Second Chance. I'll keep on working and working until it happens. That's all anyone can do. And I will.
Sure, you can't get your hopes up. Sure, the odds are still against me. But I believe in my stories. I believe in my writing. Meaning I'm not too humble to admit the writing is excellent. Especially now since I've been making the writing better and better every day. That means for The Vase and for John Dunn. And for Second Chance, too. I'll be getting to that one soon.
I've concentrated on improving the prose in The Vase over the last six months. And I've been working on improving the writing for John Dunn, too. I just submitted The Vase. So for the next three months, that one will be on hold. I'll try to submit John Dunn tomorrow.
So yeah. Losing a publisher is not a good thing in one way. But it's a good thing in another way. The good thing is that you get another chance to make your books better. And you get another chance to find an even better publisher.
That's what is happening now with The Vase, John Dunn, and Second Chance. I'll keep on working and working until it happens. That's all anyone can do. And I will.
Tuesday, January 2, 2018
New Year - New Hope
Well the new year is here, and with it comes new hope. I have two books with a publisher who doesn't seem to have any inclination of going out of business. That would be Melange Books, the publisher of Killer of Killers and Killer Eyes. Melange has treated me well, and the books sell, seemingly well enough, albeit with inconsistency. But what do I expect? Melange is a POD publisher, and that means no bookstore placement. All sales are online, either through the Melange website or Amazon. I think there are other online sites, too. Like Smashwords, and such...
But the new year brings the fact that one of my other publishers will go out of business. Knox Robinson, as I had said in an earlier post, is throwing in the towel. I had placed them as a higher ranked publisher, because I was under the impression they were not a POD publisher and would get their books into bookstores. Alas, that was not to be, because they are folding this month, and that's that. The rights to John Dunn and Second Chance will be reverted to me and with that reversion comes new hope.
And what is that new hope? Another shot at the Big Five. I think an author can truly call his career a success if he makes it to the Big Five. But that takes a connection, I suppose. You look at several of the Big Five books, and many of them suck. Worse than Disney's Star Wars, too. I mean really suck. You ask yourself how is it that the Big Five published these books, when they suck so much. It's an unanswered question.
But whatever. I have three books now that are available to be placed with a new publisher. I can go with my remaining publisher, Melange, but again, I want higher stakes with those books. Melange is good for my Killer books, since they were the first publisher to believe in me. But with The Vase, John Dunn, and Second Chance, I will shoot for the moon. Why not? They are great books, with great stories, and great writing. You never know unless you try.
So while I'm still kickin' I'll keep on trying. Never give up, never surrender. that was a line from Galaxy Quest. That was a great movie, btw. Loved it.
But the new year brings the fact that one of my other publishers will go out of business. Knox Robinson, as I had said in an earlier post, is throwing in the towel. I had placed them as a higher ranked publisher, because I was under the impression they were not a POD publisher and would get their books into bookstores. Alas, that was not to be, because they are folding this month, and that's that. The rights to John Dunn and Second Chance will be reverted to me and with that reversion comes new hope.
And what is that new hope? Another shot at the Big Five. I think an author can truly call his career a success if he makes it to the Big Five. But that takes a connection, I suppose. You look at several of the Big Five books, and many of them suck. Worse than Disney's Star Wars, too. I mean really suck. You ask yourself how is it that the Big Five published these books, when they suck so much. It's an unanswered question.
But whatever. I have three books now that are available to be placed with a new publisher. I can go with my remaining publisher, Melange, but again, I want higher stakes with those books. Melange is good for my Killer books, since they were the first publisher to believe in me. But with The Vase, John Dunn, and Second Chance, I will shoot for the moon. Why not? They are great books, with great stories, and great writing. You never know unless you try.
So while I'm still kickin' I'll keep on trying. Never give up, never surrender. that was a line from Galaxy Quest. That was a great movie, btw. Loved it.
Saturday, December 23, 2017
Good News, Bad News
Yes, there is both. Good and bad news. Let's start with the good news. It's not all that monumental, but good news is still good news. And that is The Vase is better than ever. I've always said that rewriting makes a book better. And The Vase sure is better. And that's because I've been rewriting it for the past couple of months big time.
Yes I sent the first hundred pages to Macmillan Australia. And I've even rewritten some of those pages as well. I've got a couple months under the belt now with that submission. That leaves four more months to wait as they said it takes about six months to get back to you.
So in the meantime I've just been rewriting the prose of the story. Certainly the story is the same. But with the prose so much better, that can only help my cause. Fingers crossed.
Now the bad news. And that is yet another of my publishers is going out of business. Or in their (her) words it's "closing." That would be KRP, AKA Knox Robinson Publishing. I got the word a few days ago. Yes it is sad. I thought KRP had a lot of potential, not just for my books, but for all their books. I thought they were going nowhere but up. And with two of my books on their list, Second Chance and John Dunn, I was glad for that.
But not to be. But this bad news carries with it a silver lining. And that is the same silver lining that the closing of Penumbra Publishing had. Which is now I have another chance to rewrite those two books also. And I certainly will. Not that the writing actually needs to be improved. I've already pointed out that no matter how good the writing is, it will always get better with rewrites.
I'm focused on The Vase right now. And then I'll get back to John Dunn and Second Chance. And once the rights to those two books are reverted back to me, I'll start submitting them again for publication. It's a chance to crack the Big Five again. I will take that chance and I'll make the most of it. Which is exactly why I'm considering the closing of KRP a silver lining. Like Penumbra and The Vase, the books will be a lot better, and the chance to crack the Big Five will be highly improved.
So, really, I can't wait for it all to happen. I'm so thrilled with how good the writing is in The Vase, and I'll have the same thrill for John Dunn and Second Chance. As for Macmillan Australia? Like I said. Fingers crossed. The New Year has a lot to look forward to.
Yes I sent the first hundred pages to Macmillan Australia. And I've even rewritten some of those pages as well. I've got a couple months under the belt now with that submission. That leaves four more months to wait as they said it takes about six months to get back to you.
So in the meantime I've just been rewriting the prose of the story. Certainly the story is the same. But with the prose so much better, that can only help my cause. Fingers crossed.
Now the bad news. And that is yet another of my publishers is going out of business. Or in their (her) words it's "closing." That would be KRP, AKA Knox Robinson Publishing. I got the word a few days ago. Yes it is sad. I thought KRP had a lot of potential, not just for my books, but for all their books. I thought they were going nowhere but up. And with two of my books on their list, Second Chance and John Dunn, I was glad for that.
But not to be. But this bad news carries with it a silver lining. And that is the same silver lining that the closing of Penumbra Publishing had. Which is now I have another chance to rewrite those two books also. And I certainly will. Not that the writing actually needs to be improved. I've already pointed out that no matter how good the writing is, it will always get better with rewrites.
I'm focused on The Vase right now. And then I'll get back to John Dunn and Second Chance. And once the rights to those two books are reverted back to me, I'll start submitting them again for publication. It's a chance to crack the Big Five again. I will take that chance and I'll make the most of it. Which is exactly why I'm considering the closing of KRP a silver lining. Like Penumbra and The Vase, the books will be a lot better, and the chance to crack the Big Five will be highly improved.
So, really, I can't wait for it all to happen. I'm so thrilled with how good the writing is in The Vase, and I'll have the same thrill for John Dunn and Second Chance. As for Macmillan Australia? Like I said. Fingers crossed. The New Year has a lot to look forward to.
Wednesday, November 29, 2017
Killer of Killer Sales Picking Up
I got my annual sales report from my first publisher Melange and it showed a marked increase in book sales over the past year. That was nice. I don't expect to be on the best seller's list any time soon, but it was a nice surprise to see Killer of Killers selling better than ever.
I guess it's like that sometimes. If the trend keeps up, who knows what might happen. I had the idea to send a copy of the two books to Dustin Clare's agent and see if something might happen in the film department regarding those books.
The idea behind that is it seems Dustin Clare's career really isn't taking off like I think it should. And I'm sure like he wishes it would. He's working and making films, but not like Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt, or Jason Statham. I think movie producers just haven't found the right vehicle for him yet. And that's where Killer of Killers and Killer Eyes come in.
I mean Jason Statham wasn't all that famous before his Transporter movies catapulted him to stardom. Same with Cruise and Pitt. They each had a movie or a franchise that brought them fame. I'm thinking my Killer books could do that for Dustin Clare. Of course it would need top directors and fight scene coordinators. Like Corey Yuen. He was the man in charge of the Transporter movies, and many other great martial arts movies.
So I tried to contact Dustin Clare's agent, but found out you have to pay to join some website and only then you get the information you need. I passed. Why? Because it's not a sure thing. I can't see myself paying for information that will get me nothing in return. I'm not at that stage yet. If it never becomes a movie, that's fine. Trent Smith will still live on the pages of the books.
And I will get back to writing about the world's greatest martial artist soon. The third book is started, and I plan on finishing it. Some day. Someday soon.
I guess it's like that sometimes. If the trend keeps up, who knows what might happen. I had the idea to send a copy of the two books to Dustin Clare's agent and see if something might happen in the film department regarding those books.
The idea behind that is it seems Dustin Clare's career really isn't taking off like I think it should. And I'm sure like he wishes it would. He's working and making films, but not like Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt, or Jason Statham. I think movie producers just haven't found the right vehicle for him yet. And that's where Killer of Killers and Killer Eyes come in.
I mean Jason Statham wasn't all that famous before his Transporter movies catapulted him to stardom. Same with Cruise and Pitt. They each had a movie or a franchise that brought them fame. I'm thinking my Killer books could do that for Dustin Clare. Of course it would need top directors and fight scene coordinators. Like Corey Yuen. He was the man in charge of the Transporter movies, and many other great martial arts movies.
So I tried to contact Dustin Clare's agent, but found out you have to pay to join some website and only then you get the information you need. I passed. Why? Because it's not a sure thing. I can't see myself paying for information that will get me nothing in return. I'm not at that stage yet. If it never becomes a movie, that's fine. Trent Smith will still live on the pages of the books.
And I will get back to writing about the world's greatest martial artist soon. The third book is started, and I plan on finishing it. Some day. Someday soon.
Wednesday, November 8, 2017
Finished The Vase Rewrite
Well, it took a little longer than I thought it would. But I just completed a first rewrite of The Vase. It's not like I actually rewrote the book. I just revised it, as in polished up the prose, and made it a better written book. That will surely go a long way for a Big Five publisher to accept it for publication. Any publisher, really, but I'm shooting for the stars this time.
Macmillan Australia is my best shot. They would be perfect, and they've had the first 100 pages now for about five weeks. But they say on their website it may take up to six months before any decision is made. Still, I'm glad I polished up the prose. I will probably go through it at least one more time. Why not? If I have five months more to wait or even three to four, I might as well maximize my chances if they do request the full. Here's to hoping.
In the meantime I might go back to Inside the Outhouse. Not sure. I kind of ran out of steam for that one. It's aimed at middle school level and being an adult, maybe I'm not so invested in it. Still it doesn't mean I will never go back to it. And then there's Book 3 in my Killer series. At one point it was titled Killer on the Payroll. Then I changed the title to Killer Not for Hire. It's kind of the opposite, but I figure it's a more accurate one. Seeing as how Trent Smith, the world's greatest martial artist, doesn't work for anyone. Ever.
So back to The Vase for more improvements, and then I'll just keep on writing, then I'll keep on composing, and I'll keep on creating art. That's what I do.
Sunday, October 29, 2017
Updates
I'm really improving the prose to The Vase big time. It was fine, but fine is not good enough. It has to be great. And that's what it is now. Everyday it's even greater. That's how great I've made it these past few months.
When it comes to all of my books, I think The Vase would have the best shot at publication with the Big Five. It's a great book as a stand alone book, but it has many possibilities to expand as a series, much like Dan Brown's DaVinci Code book did. How many sequels does that one have? I'm not sure if Mr. Brown intended for that to be a series or not, but it turned out to be, and it worked well. At least I think it worked well. The main character in The DaVinci Code is not an action hero. But he does have a recurring role in all the stories, and he remains the main character.
In The Vase there could be several characters from which a main character could be chosen. The first main character is the boy, Naji Muhabi. Then there is his father Muhsin. But their involvement really is restrained to this particular story. If there were to be sequels, I would think the other characters would be involved. Like Professor Hiram Weiss, the College Art Professor, and most certainly Captain Benny Mathias, the IDF captain, who is also an agent in the Kidon. That in itself has several angles which can be examined for future story lines.
But that doesn't mean Muhsin and Naji can't be included. They were good characters too. And the mother, Sanya. Can't forget about her. Even Mary and her role cannot be forgotten. So, yeah, if the opportunity arose, a sequel to The Vase could be written. But only if the opportunity arose. I'm still not fully invested in the third installment of the Killer series. Yes, I've started it. But that doesn't mean I'll finish it. We'll see.
When it comes to all of my books, I think The Vase would have the best shot at publication with the Big Five. It's a great book as a stand alone book, but it has many possibilities to expand as a series, much like Dan Brown's DaVinci Code book did. How many sequels does that one have? I'm not sure if Mr. Brown intended for that to be a series or not, but it turned out to be, and it worked well. At least I think it worked well. The main character in The DaVinci Code is not an action hero. But he does have a recurring role in all the stories, and he remains the main character.
In The Vase there could be several characters from which a main character could be chosen. The first main character is the boy, Naji Muhabi. Then there is his father Muhsin. But their involvement really is restrained to this particular story. If there were to be sequels, I would think the other characters would be involved. Like Professor Hiram Weiss, the College Art Professor, and most certainly Captain Benny Mathias, the IDF captain, who is also an agent in the Kidon. That in itself has several angles which can be examined for future story lines.
But that doesn't mean Muhsin and Naji can't be included. They were good characters too. And the mother, Sanya. Can't forget about her. Even Mary and her role cannot be forgotten. So, yeah, if the opportunity arose, a sequel to The Vase could be written. But only if the opportunity arose. I'm still not fully invested in the third installment of the Killer series. Yes, I've started it. But that doesn't mean I'll finish it. We'll see.
Saturday, October 21, 2017
Rockin' the Cosmos on SoundCloud
Just to see how it might work on a computer that's not signed in to my account, I looked up the blog The Vase and clicked on the Rockin' the Cosmos icon and listened to the first song Sensurround while reading the lyrics. It was all good, better than I thought it would be. And it sounded great. But then, like I knew would happen, some Hip Hop song followed, and I don't have a clue why that happens. But I clicked on the Rockin' the Cosmos playlist that was in the right margin on that page, and sure enough the songs in my playlist appeared, so I just clicked on Song #2 which is Green Lady and it came on with Lyrics and all.
It sounded great as well. At least, to me it did. I suppose I'm biased. All my songs sound great to me. And why wouldn't they. I wrote them and arranged them. I played and performed every instrument, and I even provided the vocals. It's not like I played the guitar and bass and drums and all that. I do play the piano and organ, though. So all the instruments are played on a keyboard/synthesizer. Yeah, it's a modern miracle how one instrument can synthesize all other instruments. Not to perfection, however, but still, it makes for a close replicate. And I hope to put up my Volume 13 one day soon, which is Rockin' the Afterlife. The lyrics are already up. Now that I know how to post them on SoundCloud, the songs will soon follow.
You know I composed, arranged, performed, and recorded all these songs more than ten years ago. Some of them twenty years ago, and only now am I posting them online. Well, it's only now I'm catching up to the 21st Century. In many ways, I'm still a 20th Century man. That's weird. That's a line from one of my books. The Vase has a line similar to that. Professor Weiss tells Captain Mathias something like that during one of their meetings.
Speaking of The Vase, I sure hope that Macmillan Australia accepts it for publication. That's my last and only hope to make it in the big time of publishing. That's not really true, but in some ways it is. Anything's possible, and who knows what the future holds. It's just that, for me, the future is getting slimmer and slimmer as the days go by. I guess that's true for everyone.
It sounded great as well. At least, to me it did. I suppose I'm biased. All my songs sound great to me. And why wouldn't they. I wrote them and arranged them. I played and performed every instrument, and I even provided the vocals. It's not like I played the guitar and bass and drums and all that. I do play the piano and organ, though. So all the instruments are played on a keyboard/synthesizer. Yeah, it's a modern miracle how one instrument can synthesize all other instruments. Not to perfection, however, but still, it makes for a close replicate. And I hope to put up my Volume 13 one day soon, which is Rockin' the Afterlife. The lyrics are already up. Now that I know how to post them on SoundCloud, the songs will soon follow.
You know I composed, arranged, performed, and recorded all these songs more than ten years ago. Some of them twenty years ago, and only now am I posting them online. Well, it's only now I'm catching up to the 21st Century. In many ways, I'm still a 20th Century man. That's weird. That's a line from one of my books. The Vase has a line similar to that. Professor Weiss tells Captain Mathias something like that during one of their meetings.
Speaking of The Vase, I sure hope that Macmillan Australia accepts it for publication. That's my last and only hope to make it in the big time of publishing. That's not really true, but in some ways it is. Anything's possible, and who knows what the future holds. It's just that, for me, the future is getting slimmer and slimmer as the days go by. I guess that's true for everyone.
Sunday, October 8, 2017
The Vase Submitted to Big Five
I have finally submitted a manuscript to a "Big Five" publisher. Two "Big Five" publishers in fact. Penguin/Random House and MacMillan. Albeit those two Big Five publishers are not the American versions. They are Penguin/Random House - South Africa and MacMillan - Australia. I had submitted to South Africa's Penguin/Random House for my John Dunn book, but they didn't accept it. Maybe it wasn't ready yet. I might have waited until now when it's more ready at this point, but alas, John Dunn is published already. And The Vase is way more ready too, btw.
So if it's so ready, maybe now is the best time to submit. Thus my thinking. And so maybe all is for the best that The Vase is available again. Perhaps it's true what they say. Perhaps things do happen for a reason. And so the reason Penumbra went out of business and reverted all rights to The Vase back to me is so that I can find another publisher for it. And this time, maybe, just maybe I can finally crack the Big Five and really "make it" as an author. Until then, I really will have fallen short.
Other people might not agree. Other people might say, Hey, you got published. Be glad for that. And I am. To a point. But the dream is the "Big Five." Fall short of that, and the dream is unfulfilled. Unless you make the best sellers list and movies are made and you become a millionaire and even a billionaire like J.K. Rolling and her Harry Potter books. They didn't get published by the Big Five, but they became best sellers and became movies and she's rich and she can care less at this point who published the books.
So, yeah, I guess it's all relative. Still, I'm hoping Penguin/Random House - South Africa or MacMillan - Australia will pick up The Vase. Fingers crossed. Won't know for another three to six months. So until then, will keep improving it. It's all I can do.
So if it's so ready, maybe now is the best time to submit. Thus my thinking. And so maybe all is for the best that The Vase is available again. Perhaps it's true what they say. Perhaps things do happen for a reason. And so the reason Penumbra went out of business and reverted all rights to The Vase back to me is so that I can find another publisher for it. And this time, maybe, just maybe I can finally crack the Big Five and really "make it" as an author. Until then, I really will have fallen short.
Other people might not agree. Other people might say, Hey, you got published. Be glad for that. And I am. To a point. But the dream is the "Big Five." Fall short of that, and the dream is unfulfilled. Unless you make the best sellers list and movies are made and you become a millionaire and even a billionaire like J.K. Rolling and her Harry Potter books. They didn't get published by the Big Five, but they became best sellers and became movies and she's rich and she can care less at this point who published the books.
So, yeah, I guess it's all relative. Still, I'm hoping Penguin/Random House - South Africa or MacMillan - Australia will pick up The Vase. Fingers crossed. Won't know for another three to six months. So until then, will keep improving it. It's all I can do.
Wednesday, September 20, 2017
The Vase - Waiting for the Big Five
Since my book The Vase is in Limbo right now I have options. Go with my current publisher, Knox Robinson, (nope). Go with my other current publisher, Melange Books, (nope). Find another POD publisher, like its former publisher Penumbra, (nope). Self publish, (nope). Don't publish it, (nope), or once again try for the Big Five, (yes). But that takes an agent and agents are not interested in a nobody like me. Yes, but there are ways around that.
So I will examine publication via non-agent access to the Big Five publishers. It will be a last ditch effort on my part. At the same time, I will be undergoing a last ditch effort in my music. I'm at that age, I guess, where everything is a last ditch effort. My kids are in high school and college now, so even that part of my life is in its later stages.
Here's to hoping things work out.
So I will examine publication via non-agent access to the Big Five publishers. It will be a last ditch effort on my part. At the same time, I will be undergoing a last ditch effort in my music. I'm at that age, I guess, where everything is a last ditch effort. My kids are in high school and college now, so even that part of my life is in its later stages.
Here's to hoping things work out.
Monday, June 26, 2017
John Dunn read-through completed
I had reported that in the first half of my newest book, John Dunn, Heart of a Zulu, there was only one typo. I had hoped that it would project to two typos for the entire book. Well, there's three. No worries, they're very minor typos. In the first half of the book there was a quotation mark where it didn't belong. It turned out that in the second half of the book there were two places where there was no indentation where there should have been.
Both places were in a section where there was dialogue. And for some reason, two times the next person speaking it didn't get indented. I suppose those things happen when the documents are converted from word docs to PDFs and then to print.
So three total typos. All three are minor, and don't impact the story at all. I had already noted that books published by the world's top publishers have at least that many typos, so I guess I'm right up there with them. Still, I'm a perfectionist, and I strive for perfection. I will see if in the future I can get those typos out of there. If not, no big deal. It's still good. So good in fact, that I'm with the impression my John Dunn book is my best book of all five that I've written.
My Killer of Killers book has no typos. That book is my personal favorite. I made sure it had no typos, but it took a Second Edition for that to happen, and I don't want to go that course again. I just want perfection if perfection can be achieved.
My book The Vase, I dare say, will be perfect. I'm still perfecting it right now. It's an amazing story. So amazing that it might end up being my best book. Hopefully it can break the Big Five. I'll need an agent for that. Finding an agent is not easy. But you never know until you try. So fingers crossed.
Both places were in a section where there was dialogue. And for some reason, two times the next person speaking it didn't get indented. I suppose those things happen when the documents are converted from word docs to PDFs and then to print.
So three total typos. All three are minor, and don't impact the story at all. I had already noted that books published by the world's top publishers have at least that many typos, so I guess I'm right up there with them. Still, I'm a perfectionist, and I strive for perfection. I will see if in the future I can get those typos out of there. If not, no big deal. It's still good. So good in fact, that I'm with the impression my John Dunn book is my best book of all five that I've written.
My Killer of Killers book has no typos. That book is my personal favorite. I made sure it had no typos, but it took a Second Edition for that to happen, and I don't want to go that course again. I just want perfection if perfection can be achieved.
My book The Vase, I dare say, will be perfect. I'm still perfecting it right now. It's an amazing story. So amazing that it might end up being my best book. Hopefully it can break the Big Five. I'll need an agent for that. Finding an agent is not easy. But you never know until you try. So fingers crossed.
Monday, June 5, 2017
John Dunn; Heart of a Zulu almost ready
My publisher contacted me today, telling me the pre-orders for my John Dunn book are almost ready. Readers can go to Amazon.com or Barnes and Nobles online, but not quite yet. For now, I'm ordering some copies directly from my publisher, along with (I hope) some copies of my football book, Second Chance.
And the reason for that is I would like to do the overdue bookstore signing. It's where an author promotes his book(s) of course. There's not a lot of bookstores anymore. Three Barnes and Nobles were near me some years ago, and now only one remains. That's the result of online shopping I guess. Which is a shame. The old "brick and mortar" bookstores as they are called now. They are few and far between now.
I prefer the "brick and mortar" stores, really. I know that online you can browse from the comfort of your own home, in your underwear, or whatever, and buy whatever catches your fancy with an order online, with shipping costs, and the ever present tax. But what about browsing through real books, looking at covers and reading the back cover, and maybe an excerpt from within?
Oh, yeah. You can do all of that online, too. I guess the only thing you can't do online is take a physical book to the check out stand and pay the cashier and have it immediately. Online you pay with your credit card and then wait for the book to come in the mail. Thus the shipping charge.
Either way, the money doesn't come to me. Or very little of it does. The publisher, being the one who put up the money to publish the book, gets the lion's share. Then of course the online sites take their cut. Which leaves precious little money for the author. But that's the way of things.
The big money for the author is when Hollywood comes calling. Which is why I've wondered aloud often here on the blog about that happening. And in my mind's eye, and the blog's eye, I've considered actors and actresses to play the roles of the characters in my books.
As for the John Dunn book? I've already picked an actor for Dunn. Henry Cavill, or course. And his first wife, Catherine Pierce? Candace Patton from the Flash TV show. They are a match made in Hollywood, if you ask me. Well, for the lead male and female roles in my John Dunn book anyway.
I'll keep you posted when the online ordering is ready. Stay tuned.
And the reason for that is I would like to do the overdue bookstore signing. It's where an author promotes his book(s) of course. There's not a lot of bookstores anymore. Three Barnes and Nobles were near me some years ago, and now only one remains. That's the result of online shopping I guess. Which is a shame. The old "brick and mortar" bookstores as they are called now. They are few and far between now.
I prefer the "brick and mortar" stores, really. I know that online you can browse from the comfort of your own home, in your underwear, or whatever, and buy whatever catches your fancy with an order online, with shipping costs, and the ever present tax. But what about browsing through real books, looking at covers and reading the back cover, and maybe an excerpt from within?
Oh, yeah. You can do all of that online, too. I guess the only thing you can't do online is take a physical book to the check out stand and pay the cashier and have it immediately. Online you pay with your credit card and then wait for the book to come in the mail. Thus the shipping charge.
Either way, the money doesn't come to me. Or very little of it does. The publisher, being the one who put up the money to publish the book, gets the lion's share. Then of course the online sites take their cut. Which leaves precious little money for the author. But that's the way of things.
The big money for the author is when Hollywood comes calling. Which is why I've wondered aloud often here on the blog about that happening. And in my mind's eye, and the blog's eye, I've considered actors and actresses to play the roles of the characters in my books.
As for the John Dunn book? I've already picked an actor for Dunn. Henry Cavill, or course. And his first wife, Catherine Pierce? Candace Patton from the Flash TV show. They are a match made in Hollywood, if you ask me. Well, for the lead male and female roles in my John Dunn book anyway.
I'll keep you posted when the online ordering is ready. Stay tuned.
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