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7/28/10: I've been unhappy with my eBook sales on Smashwords. Out of 60 downloads, I've sold 1 copy. My book doesn't suck. Really. I've got two reviews that say it's good. So what's the problem? The price is $2.99 so that's not it. I've upped the free sample from the first three chapters to half the book. Visibility might also be a problem so I've gone directly to Amazon to create the Kindle version. You can find it here.7/27/10: Just got an email from Lulu this morning about saving 20% on physical items (no eBooks). Just enter SANTA305 at checkout. The sale is only good until the end of the week so buy now.
7/2/10: June's list of bullet points:
- Finished the first draft of "She Cries At Midnight."
- Worked on the Armistice Day sequel. The working title is Gateway To Empire.
- Commissioned posters for Armistice Day. Travis, the cover artist for said book, will have a booth at GenCon where he'll be selling his wares as well as those from others he's done work for (like me). I'll be using the other copies for local promotional activity. Marketing, ugh.
Well, Arkham Tales decided there was no room for "Emily's Star" at their new place. Yet strangely enough they're open for new submissions. Irregardless, I'm back to shopping Emily around.
Finished the re-write for "We'll Watch the Sunrise from the Bottom of the Sea."
Almost done with the first draft of "She Cries At Midnight." I hope to have it finished soon and submitted for editing shortly thereafter. Once this one's off my plate I can get back to the Armistice Day sequel and "Neptune's Diamonds."
4/4/10: The New PODler Review of Books has reviewed Armistice Day. "Armistice Day is not just an excuse for action, the story is informed by a surprisingly sophisticated appreciation of conquest politics, revealing it to be a world of secret games played by the Empire in order to subdue the conquered for their own good."
3/30/10: I have to be real quick. So here it is bullet style:
- Worked on "She Cries At Midnight" and "Neptune's Diamonds"
- Corrected a mistake a reader found in Armistice Day
- Started a writing group with a local writer
- Joined The New PODler Review of Books, with hopes of helping out fellow indie authors with book reviews.
- Converted the ebook version of Armistice Day over to raw feed for Smashwords. They've got a better ebook distribution package so I need to take advantage of that.
"Drazul has delivered a debut novel that anybody should be proud
of, and something that’s an example of the good that can be self-publishing."
-POD People
Read the full review here.
Read a FREE preview of the first three chapters here.
Available at Amazon and Lulu in trade paperback and eBook. It's on the Kindle but if you want a different eBook format go to Smashwords. Check Apple's iStore for the iPad version.
Read the full review here.
Read a FREE preview of the first three chapters here.
Available at Amazon and Lulu in trade paperback and eBook. It's on the Kindle but if you want a different eBook format go to Smashwords. Check Apple's iStore for the iPad version.
2/25/10: Armistice Day is now available at the Bethel Public Library.
Been busy working on new stories: "She Cries At Midnight", "Neptune's Diamonds", and Gateway To Empire, the working title for the Armistice Day sequel. I also began work on a new novel based on the concept of seasteading.
1/29/10: The first review of Armistice Day is in. An 8 out of 10 from Pod People!
A couple excerpts from the review: "Armistice Day is a fast-paced action adventure, but one with solid character development." "With Armistice Day, Drazul has delivered a debut novel that anybody should be proud of, and something that’s an example of the good that can be self-publishing."
Read the full review here.
1/18/10: Arkham Tales has been resurrected by Leucrota Press. No word yet which, if any, of the old contracts will be honored. I'll keep my fingers crossed.
Got my first royalty check today for Armistice Day sales! :)
1/3/10: Armistice Day is now available on Amazon. I've even got an author page so that I can keep Amazon visitors up-to-date with my work. Of course, if you're reading this, you already know that the best place to stay informed about me is here at my website.
12/3/09: It's here!!
Back Cover Copy:
D.C. nuked.
Manhattan quarantined after a bioterrorist attack.
The world in the throes of World War Three.
And then they showed up.
The Krendorian Empire told us they were compelled to stage an intervention for our own good. Whether we wanted their help or not, they were here to stay.
Armistice Day is at hand. With the signing of the treaty, Earth will be welcomed into the Empire to reap the benefits of Imperial investment, interstellar trade and advanced technology.
But not everyone wants Earth to join the Empire.
Aaron Osborne, a consultant hired to provide security at the Armistice Day Ceremony, stumbles upon a plot to wreck the peace and rekindle the war. As he fights to prevent the worst from happening, Aaron is forced to accept help from anyone he can, including the alien responsible for his best friend's death.
=======
Available in print and eBook from Lulu. No word yet when it will appear on Amazon.
I understand the desire to "try before you buy." Therefore, I'm offering the first three chapters for free (PDF). I'd rather lose sales than have disgruntled buyers.
I've got my galley copy and I'm very happy with how it all came out. The text is clean, neat and level. The font size is perfectly legible. The binding is solid. And I love the cover. All in all, it looks professional.
I think the best part is that I can finally move on. And once the holidays are done I can devote good chunks of time to writing the next book.
11/24/09: Just learned that Arkham Tales has released their fifth issue... and that they're closing up shop. Not only does it suck that another great zine is closing down (147 since '08 according to one commenter), "Emily's Star" is now without a home.
11/18/09: I'm still shopping some stories around. The market is brutal. Shock Totem recently announced that they accepted two stories out of 400 submissions. Not very good odds.
One story, "Collection Notice," has garnered a nibble. If it turns into a full-fledged bite, I'll let you know.
The good news is that Armistice Day will be seeing the light of day really soon. I've selected a POD company with good distribution and no upfront costs. It'll be available in both dead tree and e-book formats. And I've even got someone working on the cover!
Travis Leichssenring is the man! I've seen the rough drafts. He's taken a scene from the book and rendered it out in fantastic detail. It's great! I can't wait for the rest of the world to see it!
8/24/09: Well, it's been 6 months since the last update. Honestly, I expected to have more news for you and a whole lot sooner. I'm sorry to report I don't have much to say.
Still no word from Arkham Tales when "Emily's Star" will appear in print. Considering how late it was accepted before the Closed For Submissions sign went up, I'd say that we're looking at 2010. I heartily recommend checking them out if you haven't done so already.
I'm still trying to find a home for four other stories. With the shrinking zine market (due to the tough economic climate), competition has become even more fierce than it was before.
I've started three new stories over this time span. I haven't made a lot of progress on them due to time constraints and a desire to get the existing stories submitted. I really like them though and look forward to the time when I can flesh them out.
I'd intended to get three short stories accepted/published before querying agents again about Armistice Day, but with the slow rate of acceptance (either I suck and my writing workshop cohorts lied to me or competition really is that fierce) and the economy's toll on traditional publishing so high, I've decided to bite the bullet and self-publish. I've waited long enough, possibly too long.
I contacted an illustrator to do the cover, rather than rely on a POD assembly line artist. He's interested but is away on vacation. In the meantime, I'll have to start reviewing AD to see if it needs freshening up.
2/19/09: Arkham Tales has agreed to purchase "Emily's Star." YAY!!! No word yet on when it will appear. I just got the acceptance letter last night. They're a quarterly zine specializing in "weird fiction." They describe themselves as "supernatural suspense and adventure stories informed by (though not imitative of) the pulp fiction of the early 20th century." It's free to readers as they get their revenue through advertizing. So go there now and download the first two issues. Great stories!
It's been a long time coming, but Emily finally has a home. After a promising start, she dealt with repeated rejections (and reviews that dragged on for months) because she didn't fit in with either the horror or sci-fi crowds. After reading the first issue of Arkham Tales, I thought that maybe this would be the place she could call home. And she will. No more pleading with those sad puppy dog-from-the-fifth-dimension eyes, "Have you found a home for me yet?" Now she can go out and play with the world, and maybe strangle an unfortunate passerby who gets suckered in by her sweetness. Oh, Daddy is so proud.
2/10/09: Finally got all of those short story edits finished and the revised works submitted to various zines. The last one went out five minutes ago. Maybe it's needless to say that there's nothing new to report on the writing front. Life has been keeping me busy and these stories had to get out the door before I could permit myself to start something new. So now I'd better get to work.
12/10/08: The writer's workshop is done. In addition to what I mentioned in the previous entry (11/6/08), I finished "We'll Watch the Sunrise From The Bottom of the Sea" and "Collection Notice," a story about a time traveling bill collector. Normally, I wouldn't consider doing a time travel story as it's so easy to get caught up in a paradox. However, this one, inspired by the fiscal shenanigans up on Capitol Hill was too tempting to pass up.
Once the holidays wrap up, I'll get to work (sooner, time permitting) on the edits and start submitting them 1Q-09.
Until then, have a Happy Chanukah! Merry Christmas! and a prosperous New Year!
11/6/08: I'm in the middle of a writer's workshop right now so I'm focused on writing material; saving submissions for 1Q-09. So far the new 1st chapter of Armistice Day, a rewrite of "Emily's Star", "The Recruiter", and "The Sun Will Come Out Tomorrow. Maybe." (formerly "Snowbound"), have been brought to class and been well received. Suggested edits were minimal so these stories will just need a tweak or two before sending out. I'm still working on "Watch the Sunrise From The Bottom of the Sea," the story involving the undersea hotel I mentioned back in March. I'm trying to finish that one in time for the next class.
9/1/08: "Tile" is published!!! Check it out in this month's issue of The Harrow!
In other news, I may have found a new artist for the Armistice Day cover. I'll know for sure later this month or early next month. In the meantime, I've tossed the old first chapter in favor of a more "action packed" intro. With any luck, this one will provide enough bite to hook people.
Other short stories in the works: "The Recruiter" (initial draft complete), "Snowbound" (still writing), "Beneath The Ice" (still writing).
Back to work!
6/18/08: The Harrow liked "Tile"!!! I'm going to be published in their September issue! Wooo hooo! I have to admit some surprise. I'd become so accustomed to rejection that any and all correspondence I receive is automatically assumed to be negative. But my hunch was correct. They wanted that style of story. Despite its familiar theme, "excellent characterization and the good structure of the piece elevates this out of the norm." =D I'm thrilled beyond words. Ok, maybe I've a few. It's vindication for all the hard work I've put in over the last few years. Sure, it's just one short story, but it's the proverbial foot in the door. It's a lifeline to escape the slush pile. It's a renewed sense of hope that I have a future in this.
3/16/08: Spinward States Sourcebook, the Traveller RPG supplement written by my friend, Mike West, has been published. I provided editorial assistance, but the excellent material is all his. Congratulations, Mike!
Started writing the first chapter to a potential novella/novel that ties in with the undersea hotel concept and the character I wrote about in October. I can see the relationship between the three, but I have to decide how far it will go.
2/7/08: Edward Morris, who wrote the fantastic "Jihad Over Innsmouth", was kind enough to critique "Emily's Star". He only had a couple suggestions, but overall thought it was "good." So, that was encouraging.
Pseudopod lost "Tile" again. I contacted them after three months had elapsed. The editor apologized and insisted I submit it to him directly for immediate review. He kept his word. Unfortunately, he confirmed what everyone else who's read the story has said: it's predictable. No sale.
I've got "The Recruiter", a short story, waiting to be written. It's been bouncing around my head for months. I've also had some ideas for an Armistice Day prequel, chapter 1 in particular. And then there's this Lovecraftian tale I have in mind concerning this undersea hotel concept that I saw in Popular Science. No title yet.
Now if only I had the time to write.
12/28/07: Haven't had any time to hunt for an illustrator for Armistice Day. Hopefully, I'll post the job on elance.com, or something like it, next month. If I take any longer, I'll be compelled to start editing the book to reflect two years of change.
11/30/07: Oh great! Now November is gone too. Time flies... no matter what.
While looking for an illustrator, I came across Leucrota Press, a small press, newly established this year. I decided to give them a try. I sent them three sample chapters and a synopsis. It only took 11 days to get a reply. That's amazing for a response time. Of course, it was negative. "A little slow". I guess a death in the first chapter wasn't fast enough. I thought that I was supposed to build up the suspense in a story. Oh well.
As for writing, I tweaked the opening for "Emily" before I sent it out. Not much. Tried to sharpen the hook. I also worked a little bit on "Gateway". I'm not optimistic about December either.
10/30/07: Is October over already? Damn. Where did the time go?
Well, I think that I wrapped up editing The Spinward States Sourcebook, though I discovered today that might not be the case.
The rest of the month has been spent working on a website for a client, though it's all fits and starts. At least he paid me an advance on the work.
All Possible Worlds, where Emily languished all summer, has folded.
The artist who I'd hoped would do the cover for Armistice Day has gone AWOL. After being dragged along since February, I've given up on him and decided to find a new artist. So far, no luck.
I did manage to find one night to write (Sad, huh). I wrote up an introduction to a character for a novel, but I've got no clue what novel it's for. She just appeared out of thin air, much like the end of the month.
The good news: that batch of Rebecca's Red Ale that I made came out fine. :)
9/30/07: Well, I tried to move things along this month, but haven't had promising results.
I sent a follow up email to Pseudopod. They replied that they never received it [Sigh] but invited me to re-submit it. And I did.
I got in touch with the artist I had in mind for Armistice Day. He moved over the summer and is now gainfully employed and ready to start drawing [Sigh]. I'll check in on him next month and see what progress he's made. I was hoping to publish Armistice Day in time for Christmas.
The editor's hat got some more use for my friend's Traveller book: The Spinward States Sourcebook.
New work? Hasn't been much time for that as I've been busy with home improvement projects (and a little bit of web work). Been trying to take advantage of the nice, dry weather to paint, saw, and stain. At least, the wood chopping is done.
Oh, and I brewed up another batch of Rebecca's Red Ale. Bottling should commence this week.
I can't say I didn't write. I wrote down some thoughts I had for a vampire story. Yeah, the vampire genre is probably tired, but there's always a market for it. I offer up a re-interpretation of vampirism. I've got that much defined, but a story hasn't shown up yet. Everything else lies restrained in my brain, fighting for my attention.
8/27/07: Still no word from either All Possible Worlds. I'm a bit pissed off. I realize that zines are flooded with submissions, but how long can a writer leave their work in someone's possession before they have to move on? If a zine is full, they should say so and close their doors for a while. And yes, there are plenty that do just that. I'm giving them through Labor Day Weekend and that's it. Time to move on. These are just short stories, not novels. I expect long delays in the case of the latter, not the former.
The editor's hat took preference over the writer's cap this month. Lots of projects going on around the house/yard. It's easier to edit than create. Anyway, the Spinward States Sourcebook is now in official review so it should see the light of day either later this year or maybe by Spring. No official dates have been released. I'm just guessing.
I started writing "She Cries At Midnight" but haven't got far. A little bit of work was done on "Gateway To Empire" too.
Armistice Day still needs cover art. I'm hoping September bears some fruit.
7/30/07: Not much better than last month. I finished editing "Tile" only to discover that Cthulu Sex Magazine, the zine I had in mind when I wrote it, is closing its doors.
I came up with another story idea. The title, "She Cries At Midnight." My daughter was the inspiration. Now I just have to sit down and write it.
Lastly, I've been working on the playtest for "The Spinward Domain", the next 1248 milieu sourcebook for Traveller. Lots of proofreading to do.
As for Armisitice Day, I've decided to self-publish it. There's no point in going the traditional route. Unless you're J.K. Rowling, Stephen King, Danielle Steele, Dan Brown or some tabloid fodder celebrity, no one wants to hear from you. The numbers just don't work. So rather than whine about it, I'm just going to do as much of it as I can. Most importantly, Armistice Day needs to be released from the silicon confines of my pc. And no one cares more about that than me.
What I need now is cover art. Hopefully, I'll make some progress on that front this summer or fall.
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