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Thursday, December 22, 2011

GoodReads Giveaway of SHORTING THE UNDEAD

posted by Saul

To celebrate the publication of my collection of short speculative fiction, SHORTING THE UNDEAD AND OTHER HORRORS: A MENAGERIE OF MACABRE MINIFICTION, I am giving away two signed proof copies on GoodReads. Sign up below for a chance to win!

But wait, there's more! I have one additional copy to give away and additional chances for you to win it. Just mention the GoodReads contest on your blog and email me the link or include it in a comment below (along with some way I can contact you if you're the lucky winner). Alternatively, tweet the contest and include my Twitter handle (@saultanpepper) so I get it. There's no limit to the number of blog or Twitter entries; the more you tweet or post, the more chances you get to win.

Here's the short url for the contest: http://bit.ly/u9y3nY



Goodreads Book Giveaway

Shorting the Undead and Other Horrors by Saul Tanpepper

Shorting the Undead and Other Horrors

by Saul Tanpepper

Giveaway ends January 31, 2012.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.
Enter to win

The GoodReads contest is open only to US addresses, but the blog/tweet contest is open to anyone, anywhere. Both contests end January 31, 2012.

Best of luck!

Thursday, November 3, 2011

Is the Great Debate asking the Wrong Question?

posted by Saul


Publishing Point's Susan Danzinger recently posted a video of this past spring's "Great Debate" at the London Book Fair. Having not attended, this was a good chance for me to see and hear first hand what has increasingly been driving a wedge in the literary community over the past several months. I'd already gotten the basic gist of the discussion from other sources, but I was curious to hear, in its entirety, the debate based on the inciteful premise: “Publishers in the digital age will be irrelevant.”
Or put another way: "All that will matter is the writer and the reader."


The panelists comprised of four experts. Two advocates for the "resolution": Cory Doctorow, bestselling author, blogger, and Publishers Weekly columnist; and London-based tech author and publisher James Bridle. Arguing against the resolution: Richard Charkin, executive director of Bloomsbury Publishing; and Andrew Franklin, publisher and managing director of Profile Books.

First of all, what is a publisher?

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Publishers Offer of Real-Time Data a Good Thing?

posted by Ken

The NY Times is reporting that three of the Big 6 publishers will provide real-time book sales numbers to their authors:
Three major publishers said on Wednesday that they would allow their authors to access book sales data directly online, a move that appeared to challenge Amazon and its continued efforts to woo authors.       
The three publishers are Simon & Schuster, Random House, and the Hatchette Book Group. All have all committed to creating author's portals for accessing the data.

According to the Times' Julie Bosman, the publishers hope that the new services:
...help publishers strengthen their relationships with authors who have expressed frustration at the difficulty of getting up-to-date sales information. In the absence of data from their publishers, many writers turn to Amazon, which last year began giving them access to data from Nielsen BookScan, which tracks about 75 percent of print sales.
Too much of good thing, or not enough?

I applaud publishers for making changes in response to what writers are expressing they want, but I would caution them to be prepared for skepticism. For too long they have ignored the will of their clients, who are fleeing for reasons beyond ready access to their sales figures. While this is a move in the right direction, it will likely provide only mild relief to those who feel they've been slighted by the megalithic publishing machinery.

There's also the risk that writers, having up-to-the-minute access to their numbers might now be constantly reminded of the relatively small royalties they are making compared to what they might get going indie or publishing through one of Amazon's imprints. This, I think, is a bigger problem for the publishers to address, and they've been strangely mute on the subject. A little good will in that regard will go a lot farther than simply providing authors with what they should have been getting in the first place.

Finally, is this really what writers need? Haven't we already got too much to obsess about without having the urge to constantly refresh our author portal page to see if we've sold yet another copy of our book?

Access to the data is wonderful, but I fear this move may end up cutting both sides of the table in ways unexpected.

I hope I'm wrong. I hope this goes a long way toward rebuilding relationships. On the other hand, I wouldn't be surprised if writers see this as a crack in the wall and begin pounding harder. Maybe this is the opening salvo in a building battle between writers (and their agents) and publishers. Or the first retreat. Then again, wither of those things would be a good thing.


What do you think? Is this a good move? Does it go far enough?

Here's a link to the article:
The NY Times reports three of the Big 6 publishers will provide real-time book sales numbers to their authors.

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Planning for an Indie Future: Creating a Business Plan

posted by Saul

All too often I talk to or hear about a writer who's published a book on Amazon or through Smashwords and it's clear they have no idea what to do next. Now, granted, some of these writers don't aspire to a career in writing, but many do, and so it astonishes me to think that they've taken the first step on a very long journey without properly preparing for it.

Where's your plan?

Before the indie movement, before the technology was available to allow Joe Anywriter to publish, the basic book writer's business plan went basically as follows:

  1. Write
  2. Submit
  3. Fret
  4. Revise
  5. Repeat steps 2-4 ad infinitum
  6. Die
For many, the democratization of publishing has simplified this:

Friday, October 7, 2011

How to Prepare for the Inevitable (Publishing) Apocalypse

posted by Saul


(to be read to R.E.M.'s It's the End of the World as We Know It playing in the background)

What will publishing look like in the future? Hell, what on earth will it look like next year? Nobody knows. So, how do writers prepare for it?

By listening to the message and ignoring the hype.

I had originally planned to talk a little bit about my specific self-publishing marketing plan today, but after a week and a half in the tropics doing research on my upcoming YA short story collection Zombies in Bermuda Shorts, I decided to do something a bit less serious (yes, the research was serious; for example, I found out zombies love shrimp cocktails) and talk about the state of publishing, since there seems to be a hell of a lot of arm-waving going on right now that would put the Wall Street protests to shame if it weren't being done in private writer cubbies all over the world.

Monday, September 26, 2011

3 Billion Words? Try 100 Billion or more

posted by Ken

Just two weeks ago, Smashwords announced they had published three billion words. How big is 3 billion? Think of it this way: if you started at 1 and counted each second until you got to 3 billion, you'd still be counting ninety years from now.

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Indie Writers, Map Out Your Journey Before Hitting the Self-Pub Road (Part Two: Creating a Roadmap).

This is the second part of three on my series of blog posts for new indie writers. Part One discussed the writer's decision to go indie. Part Three, which will be posted next week, will be an outline of my own business plan and rationale.
posted by Saul



No serious-minded indie writer is going to set out on the self-pub journey without first having drafted a solid business plan that includes a vision of what to expect and what to accomplish along the way. Goal setting must be firmly couched in the real world and based on real-world experiences.

So how does a noob acquire such wisdom?

Monday, September 19, 2011

Indie Writers, Map Out Your Journey Before Hitting the Self-Pub Road (Part One: The Decision)

(posted by Saul)

I’ve been reading more and more frequently disturbing stories about writers frustrated with how hard it is to break into traditional publishing and instead making their way into self-publishing, only to find their frustration compounded by how hard it is to get people to buy their stories.

Believe me, self-pubbing is not a shortcut, and it’s definitely not a route to be taken by everyone. Publication isn’t simply a destination. It’s a series of stops and starts, detours and expressways. Sometimes the road is smooth and the horizon clear; other times, the route may seem to disappear altogether, the path so rough and treacherous that you’ll constantly wonder whether your mental suspension might give out at any moment.

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

A Conversation with Indie Writer Saul Tanpepper

Today's blog post is a conversation with The Writer's RoadTrip's newest contributor, Saul Tanpepper, a recently self-published writer of speculative fiction. He'll be a regular presence here, offering insights and opinions on the indie writer's journey as a point-counter-point to my own journey to becoming a trade published writer.

KJHwrite: Welcome, Saul. And thanks for accepting my invitation to blog your journey here at The Writer's RoadTrip.

ST: Thank you, Ken. It's a pleasure to be here. I'm pleased to have the opportunity to talk about my experiences.

KJHwrite: I think, to start off, it might be helpful to talk a little bit about yourself, give the readers an idea of what you can offer. Before you answer, though, I should give a brief intro to how we came to be here.

Wednesday, August 31, 2011

The Proper Care and Maintenance of Twitter Hashtags for Writers

For writers, a Twitter account can provide a sense of community to what is, for much of the time, a very solitary activity. But Twitter is more than that. It enables writers to reach out, to share writing techniques, discuss trends, offer support, announce launches, reach readers…. Phew! In other words, it’s a great tool for connecting, learning and sharing.

But Twitter can quickly become overwhelming, even for the most experienced user. For the Noob (or newbie), Twitter can be frightening.

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

What Readers Really Want (that Publishers Fail to Understand)

Today's post comes from an old acquaintance of mine, author of speculative fiction, Saul Tanpepper.

There’s a conversation going on right now—yes, right now—between Readers and Writers:

Yo, I'll tell you what I want, what I really really want,
So tell me what you want, what you really really want,
I wanna, I wanna, I wanna, I wanna, I wanna really
really really wanna zigazig ha.*

Sound familiar?

Monday, August 1, 2011

What Writers Really Want (Versus What We're Often Told We Should Want)

When you start off writing, as I did, coming from a completely different field, you’re pretty susceptible to what other writers tell you. And so you should be. Who better to guide you along the long and tortuous journey to Authordom than other published writers, right? So I did my due diligence, read every writing, reading and publishing book I could get my grubby little hands on. I honed my skills, joined crit groups, solicited feedback, wrote and revised, and wrote and revised some more. And it’s all been great because I've learned a great deal about craft and people and life and myself along the way.

But there’s one thing that has always bothered the heck out of me.

Sunday, July 31, 2011

Vanity Google+ URLs: A Word of Warning

I've been noticing a proliferation of vanity URLs in place of the awkward polynumeric and totally anonymous URLs G+ is assigning to its users. The vanity URLs look like

http://gplus.to/yourname
or
http://plusya/yourname
or
http://gplus.name/yourname
etc.

I personally would love to see G+ allow vanity URLs, but in the meantime, going with a third party shortening service may cause you problems down the road, and may in fact hinder search results for your profile (it's an SEO thing). There's also the potential for a vanity URL company to stop supporting the link. And I've heard of some shortened URLs leading to the wrong profiles.

If you just want shorten your G+ URL, then Google owns its own URL shortener (http://goo.gl/). What you get is no less anonymous than the polynumeric one, but it's definitely less cumbersome. For example, my assigned G+ URL is:

https://plus.google.com/104693795958410368655

but goo.gl shortened it to:

http://goo.gl/lVqoI

For a more technical explanation,check out this post from Cirruslabs.

Saturday, July 23, 2011

I hate when this happens

OK, not a post about writing or even remotely related to writing (although I suppose I could always think of using it as a metaphor of writing someday). I just really liked this sign, which we found in New Zealand on our drive to Franz Josef Glacier.



Friday, July 22, 2011

The Guilt (and Freedom) of Uncircling

I just had to uncircle someone over on Google+. I feel really bad about it, especially since they're someone in my own field and it feels like a betrayal. But I threw him out, blocked his posts and essentially blacklisted him from my life. Why? Because he was flooding my stream with garbage. If I wanted that, I'd read JA Konrath's Twitter stream-- not him, but all the people who follow him. Seriously, do you realy think I want to know your every thought? Do you really think everyone you're sharing with really wants to know the latest breaking back-page news?

Then why are you cluttering my space and time with it?

I've been on Google+ now for almost 2 weeks and I really like it. I mean, I really, realy like it. I love the humor; I love the relevant editorials and advice; I love the snarkiness. But most of all, I love the fact that pretty much everyone there gets it. Sure, I don't mind the occasional photo of the pet, the occasional update on the kids or what you had for dinner (looks good, by the way). These are things that make it worth connecting and sharing with you; they make you more human, not just a bunch of digitized content delivered to me over the ether. And, yes, every once in a while, I'll share such nonsense with you, too. Once in a while. But I'm trying to work here, and if you're constantly getting in my way of doing that, then it's not worth having you around.

What do you think? Am I being too harsh? Or do I have unrealistic expectations for this newest social media platform?

Sunday, July 17, 2011

Twitter and Google Plus: Shouting out to (or over) the crowd

As much as I love being on Twitter and the feeling it gives me of being able to connect to others who share my interests, sometimes it feels a bit like an exercise in futility. I don't say much; I'm a man of few words (except on paper, or screen), so when I do have something to say I like it to count. I extend the same courtesy to others, even fretting that I can't see everything being said by the people I follow. I worry when the people who follow me are streaming the tweets of a thousand other tweeps as well. Do my words get heeded when, mere seconds after posting them, they're already lost in the barrage of 140-character quips and quotes?

It makes me wonder if anyone is even listening anymore, if we're all just shouting into the chaos, hoping to be heard above the din. I know I'm not the only one who thinks this. I've been told by many others that to be heard, you have to shout louder and more often.

I've been on Google+ now for a week and so far I like it better, in part because it's still new and there are a lot fewer people on it. Even so, it's a definite improvement over Twitter. I like how you can share more and your followers can comment directly within the stream of the post. It's much more...responsive. I feel like I can actually catch my breath, comment, and people will actually see what I've said. For now. But the "crowd noise" is eventually going to take over like it did on Twitter. Already I can see it happening. We're flooding the world with our thought pollution, saying everything that's on our minds with little consideration to self-censorship.

What's the remedy? I don't know. It's not more shouting, though. It's not more spewage.

I think maybe it's saying something that people want to heed. If you say something of importance, it will find its audience. Your words will cut through the fray.

At least, I hope they will.

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Book Review: BETWEEN TWO ENDS, by David Ward

BETWEEN TWO ENDS,
by David Ward


Published by Abrams Books, 5/1/2011
Middle grade fiction, fantasy


ISBN-13: 978-0810997141.

This review courtesy of NetGalley.com.

My rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars.



The aspiration of every storyteller is to make the reader believe that they are part of the story. But what if the story is so real, so wonderful, that the reader forgets and instead believes the fiction? And what if you had to get that reader to remember that it’s not real, because by doing so you might help someone you love? What if by even attempting it, you might also become caught in the story’s grasp and become lost to reality forever?

That’s the dilemma facing twelve-year-old Yeats Trafford, whose father entered the world of the Arabian Nights as a child and almost became trapped. He wished himself back, but the girl he accompanied, Shari, did not. Now, twenty years later, the father’s depression threatens Yeats’s family. Yeats must enter the story and bring Shari (now Shaharazad) back by her own free will and, in doing so, rescue his father.

But the storyworld won’t let her go so easily.

Transported to the shores of the Arabian Peninsula by no less than a recalcitrant pair of magical bookends (naturally), named Skin and Bones, Yeats faces considerable challenges. Things don’t go so well. In fact, we begin to question whether Yeats will even survive the experience long enough to get himself out, much less convince Shari to come with him.

“Between Two Ends,” a reference to Skin and Bones and an allusion to being within the story itself, satisfies without overcomplicating. Well paced, well plotted and enthralling from first page to last, David Wards achieves the storyteller’s goal on several levels while reintroducing us to a world at once familiar and strange. A perfect read for hesitant readers and well recommended for any boy or girl.



This review is also posted on the Amazon product page here.

View my GoodReads reviews

Thursday, June 16, 2011

Stuck in Christchurch, New Zealand

Arrived Christchurch last night. Supposed to fly out this morning at 6:15am. It's 10:30 and still no flights out because of the ash cloud from the Chilian volcano. To make matters worse, we've had for earthquakes since our arrival, two 3.4s, a 3.5 and 4.4. Hoping to get out of town by tomorrow at the latest.

In other news, internet has been spotty around New Zealand. Blog posts will be spotty until we return stateside early July.

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Book Review: THE HOMECOMING OF SAMUEL LAKE, by Jenny Wingfield

The Homecoming of Samuel Lake: A Novel

The Homecoming of Samuel Lake: A Novel by Jenny Wingfield






Hardcover: 336 pages
Publisher: Random House (July 12, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0385344082
ISBN-13: 978-0385344081

This review courtesy of GoodReads.com.

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



There are books that scream their business at you. Others that throttle you until you give them the attention they so desperately seek, as if to say, "Look at me! Look at me! Pick me up and read me!"



Jenny Wingfield's debut is not one of those books.



Instead, it quietly finds its place in your heart, some tiny little cubbyhole where it can rest. It is one of those books that ever so gently makes itself known to you, and then hangs unobtrusively around, and so becomes a part of your existence. It's tricky that way.



And that's what's so sexy about it: it seduces.



Don't get me wrong. The first line fairly rips your breath away: "John Moses couldn't have chosen a worse day, or a worse way to die, if he'd planned it for a lifetime." But, see, that's the beauty of even that: the book isn't really about John Moses. It isn't even about the eponymous minister, Sam Lake. Not really. It's mostly about defrocked Sam's daughter, Swan (yes, her name is Swan Lake). Not to mention a whole slew of other characters.



See what I mean? Tricky.



The story follows a similarly indirect route to its conclusion. A family reunion turns tragic when the patriarch shoots himself, which lends itself to son-in-law Sam's return to the Moses home, along with his wife and children. Minister Sam, a good man who can't help but butt heads with his superiors, has had his congregation taken from him. The goodness in his heart extends to the thoughts and actions of his family, including Swan, who has her own weaknesses. An abusive neighbor plays a part, as does a police officer who, like his name, is always early. Early harbors a secret about Swan's uncle, Toy. Let's just say it involves a murder. The story, almost epic in scope, at times feels a bit like Gabriel García Márquez' ONE HUNDRED YEARS OF SOLITUDE, though certainly on a much smaller scale. Perhaps it's because the cast of characters flow in and out of the story, and the stoylines themselves weave from the background to the fore in intricate ways. Some readers might find this disturbing, but to me it felt genuine.



Wingfield's writing, though not perfect, is overall superb. My favorite line comes in chapter 7, when she describes the stoic Toy from the viewpoint of his unfaithful wife Bernice: "Poor Toy. He couldn't see straight. But when a person loves you so much that he asks for nothing in return, it's only to be expected that that's about what he gets. It's like a Law of Nature." The description gives us as much insight on Bernice as it does Toy.



I did find getting attached to any one character difficult, as many characters had a tendency to appear on stage, snatch the spotlight for a brief moment, then disappear until a later scene change. Because of this, the story felt a bit episodic, which is why I'm giving it 4 instead of 5 stars.



There are also a few minor considerations, which I attribute to this being a first novel. For example, Wingfield gives some of her characters whimsical names: Blade, Toy, Early, Swan. I thought it was a bit self-indulgent, though it didn't detract from the reading, once I got used to them. My only other complaint about the writing itself is her overuse of repetitive words and phrases, as if she lacked the confidence to make her point the first time. It might not have mattered as much if the story were told from a single point of view, rather than the limited alternating 3rd person. Details such as these have a tendency to blend characters' voices together. I mostly noticed this in the first third of the book; whether that means I got used to it later or it was less prevalent afterwards, I can only guess. Otherwise, the writing is both as elegant and utilitarian as necessary, no more, no less.



I do also have to comment on the editing, which I thought could have been tightened up a bit. My biggest complaint is the overuse and misplacement of commas in some places (including the very first sentence!), though this tended to be found only in isolated clusters. Even so, it gave the reading a stilted feel in those sections. Also, I found several instances in which elipses and em-dashes were used in place of one another. I fault the copy-editor for this, which is why I didn't ding the book itself.



The story does contain a few disturbing themes: animal abuse, child and spouse abuse, suicide and murder, alcohol abuse, infidelity. So, though the main character is Swan, this is not a children's book. It doesn't sell itself as such, but I thought I'd make that point. However, like Leif Enger's PEACE LIKE A RIVER, whose main character is a child, I think this has strong crossover potential into the young adult market.



In summary, an excellent debut with very good, though not perfect, writing. The story tends to wend a bit, but it all feels honest and, ultimately, full of hope.



View all my GoodReads reviews

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Book Review: HOTEL ANGELINE: A NOVEL IN 36 VOICES, by various authors



Hotel Angeline: A Novel in 36 Voices, by various authors

Published by Open Road Media, 2011
General fiction

ASIN: B004VSV7FY.

This review courtesy of NetGalley.com.

My rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars.



The idea behind Hotel Angeline: A Novel in 36 Voices, brainchild of Garth Stein and Jennie Shortridge of Seattle7Writers, is as fascinating as the book promises to be: a cadre of 36 well-known writers gathering in Seattle in October of 2010 to write a complete novel in six days. Before a live audience. Each writer completing one chapter in two hours.

How cool is that?

As an experiment in literary creation, the book accomplishes three very ambitious goals: first, the rendering of a (mostly) cohesive story and, second, proving that the act of creative writing doesn’t always have to be a solitary process carried out in private. The 60,000-word genre-spanning novel is remarkable for its uniqueness and for its display of (raw) talent. The final goal was to raise funds for literary organizations and, indeed, ten thousand dollars was collected to promote literacy.

The story follows fourteen year old Alexis, who inherits the thankless job of running a residential hotel in Seattle when her mother falls ill. It’s an interesting premise and one ripe with potential. One can imagine the storyline veering unexpectedly into any number of tracts. Unfortunately, it does, sometimes a bit jarringly. I’m not sure if the over-the-top feeling is a result of some unconscious need by the authors to infuse everything they think about the story and its characters into their one chapter (something normally spread out over the course of the entire book, or at least with greater restraint), but it felt a bit excessive at times. It was almost like watching the character(s) reinvent and reintroduce themselves over and over again, with the result feeling somewhat…schizophrenic.

Having said that, in many places the writing absolutely sings, and it’s in these moments that the beauty of the book—and the skill of the individual writers—shine forth. There were other times, however, when the writing tended to flag or felt self-congratulatory. Not surprising, given the number of voices involved. And so it is remarkable that despite these caveats the story is as cohesive as it is.

This is, however, not to say that the story doesn’t work and that it and the characters don’t engage the reader. They do a fairly decent job of it, though certainly not with the seamlessness one is accustomed to with a single-author book. Some transitions were more disruptive than others, especially those where the entire format changed. Knowing the book’s history does prepare one to expect this. In fact, the transitions become a part of the character of the book, propelling the reader onto the next chapter in expectation of finding something new. Special props go to the organizers and the writers for bringing the story to a satisfying conclusion.

I think it behooves the authors to continue talking up the book’s conception and creation, both as a literary experiment and a literary device, especially for readers interested in more than reading-for-pleasure, readers who are more attuned to style and voice and language. Readers who simply want to completely immerse themselves in a good story will probably find Hotel Angeline a bit like a subway ride, with far too many stops and starts.


This review is also posted on the Amazon product page here.

View my GoodReads reviews

Friday, May 13, 2011

Book Review: URBAN ANIMALS, by Isabel Hill



Urban Animals, by Isabel Hill

Published by Starbright Books 2009

For all ages

ISBN 978-1-59572-209-6

This review courtesy of NetGalley.com.

My rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars.



A photo picturebook, Urban Animals is a visually attractive collection of animal motifs used in urban architecture. The author/photographer does a fine job of inviting the reader into a world most adults (and probably children, too) pass obliviously through, reminding us all of the simple wonders that remain hidden in plain sight.

Each "creature" is introduced in a pair of photographs, a longer shot and a close-up, with simple, playful and informative rhyme that can be easily read by most younger readers. Often, the term for the architectural structure that the animal adorns is also provided. Rounding out the book is a glossary of architectural terms included in the text and a list of the buildings photographed along with their addresses in and around New York City.

The book accomplishes much, and so it succeeds on several levels. Educators will find it a wonderful introduction to architectual terms. For rural students, it's a nice way to point out contrasts, while for city kids a great reminder of the "wildlife" around them. The simple rhyming text shows how poetry can be used in conjunction with more "prosaic" themes.

This is not, however, a story book, so those seeking a tale won't find one here.

A couple observations:

The rhyming meter doesn't always work, but this is a minor consideration and doesn't detract from the book's other qualities.

I also found the glossary could have been made a little user-friendly, as I initially mistook the number associated with each term to represent the number of the page on which they appear. They don't. Again, a minor issue, but one that some children might also find confusing.

In summary, Urban Animals is sure to delight children while piquing their curiosity and educating them, all at the same time.


This review is also posted on the Amazon product page here.

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Book Review: RETURN TO CHEROKEE, by Harvey Mendez

Return to CherokeeReturn to Cherokee by Harvey Mendez

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


I have to say I was intrigued by the book's description and was delightedd to get a copy, but I found it difficult to keep reading. While Mendez does a fair job at setting things up and getting them moving, I found the characters flat and stereotypic. A lot of the description was meant to elicit a very specific response. The book may yet find its audience, particularly for those who don't mind a quick read, but I found it too easy to put down and too hard to pick back up again.



View all my GoodReads reviews

Monday, May 9, 2011

Revived and Redesigned

After a few months away, I've decided to revive the ol' blog and am celebrating by giving it a fresh new look. I'll be posting more reviews of books, both published and pre-launch. I also plan to provide more content on writing and publishing (traditional and self, as well as digital and ebook trends), so check back often for updates.

Saturday, January 1, 2011

December Monthly Rejection Roundup

Happy 2011!

OK, so still no news on the YA undergoing developmental edits. Expected to hear back by middle of Dec, but not surprised when I didn't, this being the holiday season. Even twitter has been quiet.

Some exciting news. Different MS that I'd thought was a no-go with another house turns out to still be alive and well. Reader report returned as very favorable. Editor requested revisions, which will be done end of Jan. So, I get to take that one off the R list and put it back in the active list.

Also, subbed a third YA to the Delacorte. Slim chance, but just getting it polished really improved it and brought out some great new tropes.

Not many R's; everyone's taking the holiday to catch up on important stuff, I guess. Like being with family.

Total manuscripts out: 16
Unique PB titles: 11
> New subs this month: 0
Unique MG/YA titles: 3
> New subs this month: 1

Total rejections: 1
Form/No response means "No": 1
> Personal*: 0
> Positive: 0
> Negative: 0
* anything that directly references my submission by more than title

Total manuscript requests: 0
Partials: 0
Fulls: 1

Offers: 0
PB: 0
Novel: 0



Mood Meter (on a scale of -5 to +5 with -5 being downright rotten and +5 being ecstatic): 4.2

Change from last month: +0.4

OK, so radio-silence on the one YA, but a +0.2 after hearing back on another I thought was dead, plus a +0.2 on a new sub I'm very optimistic about.



2011 has got to be the year.