1
Author Craft / Re: Steps to take?
« on: August 21, 2009, 12:06:36 PM »
The POV switching for books is a really cool idea... go for it! Hope it's a success for you when it all comes together 
Show Posts
This section allows you to view all posts made by this member. Note that you can only see posts made in areas you currently have access to.
Pages: [1]
2
Author Craft / Re: Steps to take?
« on: August 18, 2009, 02:27:13 PM »
Mind if I ask you what your manuscript is about?
3
Author Craft / Re: Just starting... again
« on: August 17, 2009, 11:52:57 AM »
Hey Ducky! As I'm sure you're getting from this, everyone is different in the way they do things.... I tend to start with the most exciting or interesting image, or the strongest point I'm trying to make... basically what excites me about writing, and what I really want to get to. I keep a basic road map of what I want to do with the story, but if it's getting the ball rolling that's the issue, I reckon it's fun to start with a bold introduction... after all, the first couple of pages are what usually make up people's minds one way or the other if they're going to read on. Go in hard, grab people's attentions, then settle in to flesh out your characters and the universe you're trying to create...
4
Author Craft / Re: Steps to take?
« on: August 17, 2009, 11:45:02 AM »
From my experience, it's much better to start with an agent. Publishers tend to treat the agents as a filtering process (i.e. if someone chose to put the time and effort into representing you, then you must have a bit of talent). I haven't met anyone who was successful in going straight to the publisher, but I suppose that's not to say it hasn't happened! I just figure that with everyone at these places (and any business for that matter) being so busy, they are less likely to pick up a manuscrpt from someone they haven't heard of, or have no professional connection to.
Beta readers are vital... friends and family are a great place to start. Make sure you choose people who are willing to be honest with you, though... they make your work better by pointing out the areas that didn't make sense or could be improved.
Only advice I can give you is that if you're going to get it professionally edited before you take it to a publisher (whatever happens, it needs to be professionally edited at some point, which = $$), make sure you get the person's qualifications up front, as you'll need to cite them to the publisher should things go ahead. Publishers tend to have their own editor's they work with and trust, so they might want you to fork up the cash to pay for their services, even after you have had someone else do the work (if they don't feel the other person's work is up to scratch)... so choose wisely.
Anyway... hope that's useful to you!
Oh, and my book just came out this week! Check out http://www.strategicbookpublishing.com/OldHaunts.html ... Ha! Shameless plug!
Beta readers are vital... friends and family are a great place to start. Make sure you choose people who are willing to be honest with you, though... they make your work better by pointing out the areas that didn't make sense or could be improved.
Only advice I can give you is that if you're going to get it professionally edited before you take it to a publisher (whatever happens, it needs to be professionally edited at some point, which = $$), make sure you get the person's qualifications up front, as you'll need to cite them to the publisher should things go ahead. Publishers tend to have their own editor's they work with and trust, so they might want you to fork up the cash to pay for their services, even after you have had someone else do the work (if they don't feel the other person's work is up to scratch)... so choose wisely.
Anyway... hope that's useful to you!
Oh, and my book just came out this week! Check out http://www.strategicbookpublishing.com/OldHaunts.html ... Ha! Shameless plug!
5
Author Craft / Re: editor's wordcount (as opposed to actual wordcount)
« on: August 17, 2009, 11:34:17 AM »
Hey! From what I understand each publisher is different, but a common expectation of length from a first novel is 80,000 to 120,000 words. They tend to look at it that way so they can keep their publishing costs within a certain area.
I can tell you for a fact, though... publishers won't really care if it's a bit longer if it's got a good, strong selling proposition. At the end of the day a publishing house is a business, pure and simple. If you can convince them that what you've got will sell copies, then they'll be all over it...
I can tell you for a fact, though... publishers won't really care if it's a bit longer if it's got a good, strong selling proposition. At the end of the day a publishing house is a business, pure and simple. If you can convince them that what you've got will sell copies, then they'll be all over it...
6
Author Craft / Re: Interesting Lexicon
« on: August 17, 2009, 11:24:41 AM »
I love the "Dennis Hopper"...
"A story based on some arcane bit of science or folklore, which noodles around producing random weirdness. Then a loony character-actor (usually best played by Dennis Hopper) barges into the story and baldly tells the protagonist what’s going on by explaining the underlying mystery in a long bug-eyed rant. (Attr. Howard Waldrop)"
Solid gold!
"A story based on some arcane bit of science or folklore, which noodles around producing random weirdness. Then a loony character-actor (usually best played by Dennis Hopper) barges into the story and baldly tells the protagonist what’s going on by explaining the underlying mystery in a long bug-eyed rant. (Attr. Howard Waldrop)"
Solid gold!
7
Author Craft / Re: Published Author On Board
« on: August 16, 2009, 08:20:47 AM »
Hey Guys!
I'm freshly published - just released an urban fantasy novel called Old Haunts this week. Here's the blurb from the back of the book:
Jack Worthington's life has hit a dead end. Business as a spirit talker is as dangerous as it is underpaid. He is behind on the rent, terminally single, and every morning he awakens to be haunted by the ghost of an eighty year old woman with a bad memory.
Naturally, things only get worse.
In saving the life of a client, Jack is forced to break one of the fundamental laws of existence, a crime that carries with it the punishment of death. Knowing that his days—or hours—are numbered, he races to forestall his inevitable death sentence, but in his travels unwittingly stumbles upon a potential catastrophe in the making.
Now he has to figure out why the ghosts of London City are sowing fear and paranoia into the minds of police and ordinary citizens, and what it all has to do with the anniversary of the infamous citywide riots that occurred one year ago to the day. His search eventually leads him to a haven for the city’s underworld denizens, where he must face a vampire with whom he shares a terrible link to the past, all while trying to stay alive just long enough to avert the apocalypse.
Some days saving the world kinda sucks.
So there it is! If you're keen to check it out, here's the link (amazon listing is pending):
http://www.strategicbookpublishing.com/OldHaunts.html
If you have any questions about the book or want to talk about it, feel free to e-mail me... Would be sweet to meet some fellow Dresden fans out there
My e-mail is emm_ett@hotmail.com
Thanks
I'm freshly published - just released an urban fantasy novel called Old Haunts this week. Here's the blurb from the back of the book:
Jack Worthington's life has hit a dead end. Business as a spirit talker is as dangerous as it is underpaid. He is behind on the rent, terminally single, and every morning he awakens to be haunted by the ghost of an eighty year old woman with a bad memory.
Naturally, things only get worse.
In saving the life of a client, Jack is forced to break one of the fundamental laws of existence, a crime that carries with it the punishment of death. Knowing that his days—or hours—are numbered, he races to forestall his inevitable death sentence, but in his travels unwittingly stumbles upon a potential catastrophe in the making.
Now he has to figure out why the ghosts of London City are sowing fear and paranoia into the minds of police and ordinary citizens, and what it all has to do with the anniversary of the infamous citywide riots that occurred one year ago to the day. His search eventually leads him to a haven for the city’s underworld denizens, where he must face a vampire with whom he shares a terrible link to the past, all while trying to stay alive just long enough to avert the apocalypse.
Some days saving the world kinda sucks.
So there it is! If you're keen to check it out, here's the link (amazon listing is pending):
http://www.strategicbookpublishing.com/OldHaunts.html
If you have any questions about the book or want to talk about it, feel free to e-mail me... Would be sweet to meet some fellow Dresden fans out there
My e-mail is emm_ett@hotmail.com
Thanks
Pages: [1]