So some time ago I suggested the idea of my doing a reading from Fae - The Wild Hunt via webcam. Not everyone jeered and laughed at the notion, and so here it is. This doesn't really contain any real spoilers, though my delivery clearly needs some practice. If the blogging gods are feeling unkind then you can catch the reading on youtube here
Showing posts with label Fae - The Wild Hunt. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Fae - The Wild Hunt. Show all posts
Friday, 27 February 2015
Sunday, 29 June 2014
a paperback edition and the coolest book launch ever!
So when "Fae - The Wild Hunt" came out back in March, I knew I wanted it to be out in paperback. I wanted it in bookshops, and I wanted to be signing it and generally getting out there and meeting people who'd read it and enjoyed it.
I'll be honest, and say I also wanted to hold it myself. It's a bit childish, but I need to feel it in my hands, smell it... maybe hug it a little. Is that so wrong? Judge all you want, I don't care...
Anyway, the slight snag was in finding a publisher who was insane enough to take me on and get this thing out there. As I might have mentioned once or twice, there is an insane amount of competition in this game and even getting your book considered is a feat in itself.
If I'm really really honest, then it also has a large amount to do with my own impatience. I could have sat home, editing and polishing the book and sending it off to agent after agent, publisher after... Well you get the idea. I wasn't prepared to do that forever, and so I decided to self-publish it on kindle and the other eBook platforms.
Since day one people have been asking for a paperback edition, and I have looked long and hard to find a way to do this. There are a quite a few self-publishing options out there, but using most of them would result in the price of the book being much higher than I think is reasonable. If I wouldn't pay that amount myself, then I definitely can't expect other people to.
And so there it sat... I was doing okay on eBook sales and it was all ticking along nicely, but the lack of paperback edition nagged at me. Like an itch you just can't quite reach. The funny thing is that paperback sales, unless you are selling absolutely shed-loads of books, really don't make a writer much. The real money is in eBooks but it's really kind of hard to sign an eBook and tends to mess up the screen. Even the various e-signing apps out there don't really give the same impact.
BUT.... (and you can gasp in anticipation here if you like...)
I have managed to find a way! That's right folks, I am releasing a paperback edition which should (we hope) be available from August 14th!
But hold on... that's not the cool part. (Again, a gasp isn't going to be out of place here... give something back you know?) No the cool part is just how, and where, I'm going to launch this puppy. There is a little gathering happening in London on this weekend in August. An intimate gathering of say... SEVEN THOUSAND PEOPLE who are all going to LonCon, the 72nd World Science Fiction Convention!
I will be there! Not camped out on the pavement outside but actually in the dealer zone! I'll have my own table and paperbacks for sale. I will be signing, hanging out, and probably giving away some cool things too.
For those that don't know, this thing is truly huge. Patrick Rothfuss, Robin Hobb, Peter V Brett, and Joe Abercrombie will all be there, to name but a few. And there, in the midst of literary greatness, will be me... (*gulp*)
So there you have it... cat out of the bag and all that. If you are going to LonCon then be sure to scout out the dealer zone and see if you can find me. I'd love to meet anyone who has read and enjoyed the book. I'd love to meet anyone who hasn't read the book but quite fancies a copy. Hell I'd love to meet all of you... Come on over.
For those that can't get there but who still want a copy, it will be on sale via amazon and the usual sites. I'll have to think up something fun to celebrate the launch.
Now, all those people that are on my mailing list knew all of this days ago. They've also been able to read some of the next book. I've put a form just below where you can sign up to get cool news like this, and also to receive raw snippets from the sequel. These are as fresh as it gets, sometimes not even proofed. It's as close as you can get to reading over my shoulder as I type!
That's it for now. I have a new editor cracking her whip and revisions to make. See you in London!
I'll be honest, and say I also wanted to hold it myself. It's a bit childish, but I need to feel it in my hands, smell it... maybe hug it a little. Is that so wrong? Judge all you want, I don't care...
Anyway, the slight snag was in finding a publisher who was insane enough to take me on and get this thing out there. As I might have mentioned once or twice, there is an insane amount of competition in this game and even getting your book considered is a feat in itself.
If I'm really really honest, then it also has a large amount to do with my own impatience. I could have sat home, editing and polishing the book and sending it off to agent after agent, publisher after... Well you get the idea. I wasn't prepared to do that forever, and so I decided to self-publish it on kindle and the other eBook platforms.
Since day one people have been asking for a paperback edition, and I have looked long and hard to find a way to do this. There are a quite a few self-publishing options out there, but using most of them would result in the price of the book being much higher than I think is reasonable. If I wouldn't pay that amount myself, then I definitely can't expect other people to.
And so there it sat... I was doing okay on eBook sales and it was all ticking along nicely, but the lack of paperback edition nagged at me. Like an itch you just can't quite reach. The funny thing is that paperback sales, unless you are selling absolutely shed-loads of books, really don't make a writer much. The real money is in eBooks but it's really kind of hard to sign an eBook and tends to mess up the screen. Even the various e-signing apps out there don't really give the same impact.
BUT.... (and you can gasp in anticipation here if you like...)
I have managed to find a way! That's right folks, I am releasing a paperback edition which should (we hope) be available from August 14th!
But hold on... that's not the cool part. (Again, a gasp isn't going to be out of place here... give something back you know?) No the cool part is just how, and where, I'm going to launch this puppy. There is a little gathering happening in London on this weekend in August. An intimate gathering of say... SEVEN THOUSAND PEOPLE who are all going to LonCon, the 72nd World Science Fiction Convention!
I will be there! Not camped out on the pavement outside but actually in the dealer zone! I'll have my own table and paperbacks for sale. I will be signing, hanging out, and probably giving away some cool things too.
For those that don't know, this thing is truly huge. Patrick Rothfuss, Robin Hobb, Peter V Brett, and Joe Abercrombie will all be there, to name but a few. And there, in the midst of literary greatness, will be me... (*gulp*)
So there you have it... cat out of the bag and all that. If you are going to LonCon then be sure to scout out the dealer zone and see if you can find me. I'd love to meet anyone who has read and enjoyed the book. I'd love to meet anyone who hasn't read the book but quite fancies a copy. Hell I'd love to meet all of you... Come on over.
For those that can't get there but who still want a copy, it will be on sale via amazon and the usual sites. I'll have to think up something fun to celebrate the launch.
Now, all those people that are on my mailing list knew all of this days ago. They've also been able to read some of the next book. I've put a form just below where you can sign up to get cool news like this, and also to receive raw snippets from the sequel. These are as fresh as it gets, sometimes not even proofed. It's as close as you can get to reading over my shoulder as I type!
That's it for now. I have a new editor cracking her whip and revisions to make. See you in London!
Wednesday, 18 June 2014
I might just be crazy but... why not?
I'm probably crazy for thinking this one up but here goes. Reviews are all well and good but it's rare that I get any real feedback on my book. It's written now and although there is some editing going on with it, it's unlikely anything major is going to change between now and when the paperback comes out (yes I did just let that slip didn't I?).
So this brings me on to the sequel. It would be great to have some real feedback, what works and what doesn't and why... This is usually done with a handful of beta-readers who go through the book in secret, but does it have to be? This got me thinking. What if there was a way you could read the book as it was being written? What if you were emailed a few pages every couple of weeks? It wouldn't totally spoil the finished product for you as it would naturally change as we progressed due to your feedback and my own edits. Plus I wouldn't send entire chapters, just snippets. It would be a totally organic way of writing, the book would evolve as it was written.
You'd have to have read the first book to really understand the second but it's only a few dollars/pounds/yen and actually only 99c at the moment (well until Thursday). It's a bit of a crazy idea but hey... why the heck not. You provide the eyes and some feedback... I'll do the rest.
I'm posting the form here... let's see who signs up.
So this brings me on to the sequel. It would be great to have some real feedback, what works and what doesn't and why... This is usually done with a handful of beta-readers who go through the book in secret, but does it have to be? This got me thinking. What if there was a way you could read the book as it was being written? What if you were emailed a few pages every couple of weeks? It wouldn't totally spoil the finished product for you as it would naturally change as we progressed due to your feedback and my own edits. Plus I wouldn't send entire chapters, just snippets. It would be a totally organic way of writing, the book would evolve as it was written.
You'd have to have read the first book to really understand the second but it's only a few dollars/pounds/yen and actually only 99c at the moment (well until Thursday). It's a bit of a crazy idea but hey... why the heck not. You provide the eyes and some feedback... I'll do the rest.
I'm posting the form here... let's see who signs up.
Thursday, 22 May 2014
A sneak peak...
A tiny snippet from the sequel (as yet unnamed) to "Fae - The Wild Hunt". I'm posting this to celebrate hitting 500 likes on that Facebook thingy... but mostly because I kind of like this section.
She stood carefully, “Let me get this little beast
into bed and I'll be back,” she paused at the doorway, looking back
over her shoulder at the drink in his hand. “Get me one of those
while I'm gone, I think I'm going to need it.”
The trip up the climbed the stairs was a slow and
cautious one, practice allowing her to avoid those steps that
creaked. He was a good baby but he was a light sleeper and she'd
quickly learned to avoid noises. She laid him down into the cradle,
pulling the light blanket over him. The sun had almost set, just a
sliver remaining above the silvery horizon as it sank into the seas.
The stars were slowly becoming visible through the thin clouds.
Ylsriss moved to the window and stared out over the city towards the
harbour, her thoughts far across the ocean as she glanced back at the
baby for a moment. Voices from the kitchen brought her back to
herself and she turned to the doorway. She didn't look at the rooftop
opposite Rhavin's house. It would have taken sharp eyes indeed to
have picked out the figure crouched low beside the chimney. As the
last light of the sun faded, the green-tinged mist rising from its
shoulders was just visible below the burning amber eyes. Eyes that
had watched so intently as she lay the baby down.
Saturday, 3 May 2014
And We're Off!
And We're Off...
So here we go... everybody ready? Got your coffee? Snacks? No bathroom breaks after this... We're off!
Okay so I've written a book, you may or may not have heard of it, "Fae - The Wild Hunt"? I didn't really set out to write a book, it wasn't something that I ever thought I would be able to do. The idea had always appealed to me and in a fit of madness I thought I'd give it a go. In a weird way it's not that hard, in the same way that running a marathon isn't that hard. You start running, you don't stop... you run some more. Writing a novel was the same way for me. You start writing, you write some more.. and eventually it's finished. So I sat down one day and started typing...
Alright I know I am oversimplifying but before people start hurling abuse at me I have run two marathons and at it's most basic level it really is that simple. So where did this leave me? Well having finished the story I then had proof-reading (really dull), editing (even more dull), polishing (frustrating) and then sending it out for others to read. This, incidentally is the single most terrifying thing I have done in my life. Also the most irritating. I'm a man. I make no apology for this. Men are not by nature, patient creatures. At my core is a spoiled child trying to get out (although I do let him out to play when nobody else is watching but shhh!) and I wanted instant results, instant gratification and of course, everyone in the world to love my book immediately.
After all these steps and some truly brilliant editing efforts (thanks Clare, Dawnmarie and of course Gillian) it was time to start submitting. I sent it off to probably twenty varied agents and even a few publishers. Again the spoiled child got in the way. He ranted and sulked and jumped up and down a bit... Why weren't people beating a path to my door? Why didn't I have three agents and four publishers fighting over me already?
The answer to all these questions of course is that the market is competitive. Not just a little competitive either but hugely MASSIVELY competitive! Agents are drowning in submissions they have to sift through. Publishers are swamped in agents trying to sell them their client's work. It's just all a bit frantic and mad. So eventually I decided to self-publish. Not entirely though. I'd seen David Dalgish and Andy Weir publish their work as eBooks and achieve amazing results. Andy Weir actually had 30'000 downloads a month within three months and then was snapped up by a publisher. Incidentally if you haven't read "The Martian" you really need to. It's amazing writing and this is why he was snapped up and my massive ego aside, this did at least show it was possible.
So I published as an eBook on Amazon exclusively to start with (though I'll be expanding out into Nook and Kobo and iTunes and all that good stuff on June 16th). The initial reaction was brilliant. I hit best seller lists as my friends and family and people who'd caught my facebook ramblings about the book rushed to grab a copy. Then came the slow decline... You see what people don't always realise is the sheer number of books and eBooks on Amazon. The numbers are so large they don't really mean anything anymore. You can picture ten or even a hundred books... a thousand in a stretch. Amazon has over 2,600,000 titles, and even then I am missing a few. You can't even imagine that amount of books. Like three or four HUGE libraries piled on top of each other. That's what we're talking about here. So how the heck was anyone going to find MY book??
And this is what brings us up to the present. THIS is the major difference between traditional publishing and self-publishing. The marketing. I'm a writing... I'm not a marketer. I don't want to do press releases. I don't want to be that guy standing on a virtual corner of the internet screaming "buy my book! Really it has fae in it and how cool are they? I mean really nasty ones too at times... it's far better than that other crap you were looking at. Hey no.. where are going?? No not that book! MY BOOK! MINE MINE MINE!!!" And really this is what a lot of internet marketing ends up being. I want to be doing readings and signings in bookshops...
So I decided I'd start this blog, talking about how we got to this point. About the next book (apparently I have not been deterred that easily) and the writing process. Also about the weird and wonderful world of print books and my quest for a publisher. At the moment I can't find a way to publish in print without gouging the customer. I like my book. I know I'm biased but it's good, really it is. It's not as good as Terry Pratchett though, that's something that would just be astounding to achieve and it won't happen on my first attempt. Because of this I refuse to print something that would have a higher price than his work. It's not reasonable and it's a bit arrogant. The problem is that the cost of producing a book with the companies I have looked at (and who will give me a hope of getting it into bricks and mortar shops) drives the price up beyond that.
So for now we will stick with the eBook and keep searching for a publisher/agent. I'll work on the sequel to my novel and try hard....really hard to ignore the child screaming inside my head "PUBLISH MY BOOK! BUY IT BUY IT.. MINE MINE MINE!!"
So here we go... everybody ready? Got your coffee? Snacks? No bathroom breaks after this... We're off!
Okay so I've written a book, you may or may not have heard of it, "Fae - The Wild Hunt"? I didn't really set out to write a book, it wasn't something that I ever thought I would be able to do. The idea had always appealed to me and in a fit of madness I thought I'd give it a go. In a weird way it's not that hard, in the same way that running a marathon isn't that hard. You start running, you don't stop... you run some more. Writing a novel was the same way for me. You start writing, you write some more.. and eventually it's finished. So I sat down one day and started typing...
Alright I know I am oversimplifying but before people start hurling abuse at me I have run two marathons and at it's most basic level it really is that simple. So where did this leave me? Well having finished the story I then had proof-reading (really dull), editing (even more dull), polishing (frustrating) and then sending it out for others to read. This, incidentally is the single most terrifying thing I have done in my life. Also the most irritating. I'm a man. I make no apology for this. Men are not by nature, patient creatures. At my core is a spoiled child trying to get out (although I do let him out to play when nobody else is watching but shhh!) and I wanted instant results, instant gratification and of course, everyone in the world to love my book immediately.
After all these steps and some truly brilliant editing efforts (thanks Clare, Dawnmarie and of course Gillian) it was time to start submitting. I sent it off to probably twenty varied agents and even a few publishers. Again the spoiled child got in the way. He ranted and sulked and jumped up and down a bit... Why weren't people beating a path to my door? Why didn't I have three agents and four publishers fighting over me already?
The answer to all these questions of course is that the market is competitive. Not just a little competitive either but hugely MASSIVELY competitive! Agents are drowning in submissions they have to sift through. Publishers are swamped in agents trying to sell them their client's work. It's just all a bit frantic and mad. So eventually I decided to self-publish. Not entirely though. I'd seen David Dalgish and Andy Weir publish their work as eBooks and achieve amazing results. Andy Weir actually had 30'000 downloads a month within three months and then was snapped up by a publisher. Incidentally if you haven't read "The Martian" you really need to. It's amazing writing and this is why he was snapped up and my massive ego aside, this did at least show it was possible.
So I published as an eBook on Amazon exclusively to start with (though I'll be expanding out into Nook and Kobo and iTunes and all that good stuff on June 16th). The initial reaction was brilliant. I hit best seller lists as my friends and family and people who'd caught my facebook ramblings about the book rushed to grab a copy. Then came the slow decline... You see what people don't always realise is the sheer number of books and eBooks on Amazon. The numbers are so large they don't really mean anything anymore. You can picture ten or even a hundred books... a thousand in a stretch. Amazon has over 2,600,000 titles, and even then I am missing a few. You can't even imagine that amount of books. Like three or four HUGE libraries piled on top of each other. That's what we're talking about here. So how the heck was anyone going to find MY book??
And this is what brings us up to the present. THIS is the major difference between traditional publishing and self-publishing. The marketing. I'm a writing... I'm not a marketer. I don't want to do press releases. I don't want to be that guy standing on a virtual corner of the internet screaming "buy my book! Really it has fae in it and how cool are they? I mean really nasty ones too at times... it's far better than that other crap you were looking at. Hey no.. where are going?? No not that book! MY BOOK! MINE MINE MINE!!!" And really this is what a lot of internet marketing ends up being. I want to be doing readings and signings in bookshops...
So I decided I'd start this blog, talking about how we got to this point. About the next book (apparently I have not been deterred that easily) and the writing process. Also about the weird and wonderful world of print books and my quest for a publisher. At the moment I can't find a way to publish in print without gouging the customer. I like my book. I know I'm biased but it's good, really it is. It's not as good as Terry Pratchett though, that's something that would just be astounding to achieve and it won't happen on my first attempt. Because of this I refuse to print something that would have a higher price than his work. It's not reasonable and it's a bit arrogant. The problem is that the cost of producing a book with the companies I have looked at (and who will give me a hope of getting it into bricks and mortar shops) drives the price up beyond that.
So for now we will stick with the eBook and keep searching for a publisher/agent. I'll work on the sequel to my novel and try hard....really hard to ignore the child screaming inside my head "PUBLISH MY BOOK! BUY IT BUY IT.. MINE MINE MINE!!"
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