Today I thought I'd post about a topic that, while somewhat related to my experiences as an author, has really more to do with my experiences as a parent. That is: the importance of reading. I'm not talking just about how important it is for a parent to encourage their children to read. No, I'm talking about something far much more essential: the importance of setting an example when reading as a parent.
From the time that my daughters were old enough to listen to stories, I was reading to them. It became part of their evening routine, every day, until they were old enough to read the novels they wanted to read to themselves - and even after. It began with picture books, and progressed to childrens' chapter books. But it did not end there.
For me, it was important not only to be able to read to my daughters, and to share my love of reading with them - but also to share in their favorites as well. If my daughter wanted to read a particular book or series of books, then at the very least I wanted to read the first book in that series as well. Why? Because if that book was something they liked, I wanted to know what it was that they liked. If I wanted them to read A Midsummer Night's Dream, or Les Miserables, or The Lord of the Rings, or any of the Dragonriders of Pern books, then I should be able to read Throne of Glass, or The Hunger Games, or when they were a little younger the Warriors book series (there were how many of those???) Over time, those books, as well as the movies and songs that we shared and discussed, became our common reference points.
My point is that in life, as a general rule, you will get out of it what you put into it. If I wanted my daughters to understand how I saw the world, I needed to understand how they saw the world. It has been a rewarding experience, and one that I wouldn't trade for anything.
Thursday, October 24, 2019
Friday, October 18, 2019
Book 1: Third Book Review on Amazon
It's been a busy week - with my second novel released for Pre-Order, and all of the preparation and effort that goes into a successful launch. I would be remiss, however, if I didn't also mention that my first novel had its third customer review posted on Amazon this past week (which was also the fifth rating-or-review to be posted on Goodreads).
I would like to extend my thanks to Blogger and book reviewer Janey Merry for taking the time to read Storm's Herald and compose her thoughts and impressions into a review. I'm glad she enjoyed the novel. To quote from her review:
I very much appreciate the feedback from reviewers, and do try to take any suggestions or criticism to heart. It was in response to a previous reviewer, for example, that I decided to add a comprehensive character listing into the end-matter for both Books 1 and 2 (if you'd already downloaded Book 1 before the addition, just re-download and the new end-pages will appear).
Promoting customer reviews has been one area where I have been very much behind the curve with the release of my first novel. I will be trying a few different strategies with the release of my second book, to hopefully encourage more reviews up-front.
I would like to extend my thanks to Blogger and book reviewer Janey Merry for taking the time to read Storm's Herald and compose her thoughts and impressions into a review. I'm glad she enjoyed the novel. To quote from her review:
All in all, a lovely read. The story is very engaging. I fell in love with the characters, and I can’t wait to find out what happens next in their adventure!
https://www.janeymerry.com/bookreviewspage/golan
I very much appreciate the feedback from reviewers, and do try to take any suggestions or criticism to heart. It was in response to a previous reviewer, for example, that I decided to add a comprehensive character listing into the end-matter for both Books 1 and 2 (if you'd already downloaded Book 1 before the addition, just re-download and the new end-pages will appear).
Promoting customer reviews has been one area where I have been very much behind the curve with the release of my first novel. I will be trying a few different strategies with the release of my second book, to hopefully encourage more reviews up-front.
Monday, October 14, 2019
Cover Reveal: Stormfall Chronicles Book 2
A dragon: the most powerful, destructive and malevolent force known. The last thing Lynette ever wanted to get closer to – and the one thing she’s been tasked to go find.
For the first time in centuries, a dragon has been reported on the edge of the Feyfell. Homes, cities, and forests are all threatened with fiery destruction. The news has plunged the Fae Kingdom into a panic.
Desperate to know the truth behind the reports, and unable to discretely dispatch his own fae soldiers to investigate, King Elyan tasks Lynette, Baxter and Eirlon with tracking down the whereabouts and intentions of the fiery beast.
But Lynette is still only a second-year student at the Fae Academy. She has come far – but she knows she’s no Arche-Mage. Baxter is still struggling to prove his worth, hoping Lynette might see him as something more than the boy-squire she first met two years before. And Eirlon – he still hordes secrets Lynette can only suspect. A girl, a boy, and a gnome – on the hunt for a fire-breathing dragon.
The threats facing the Fae Kingdom, however, are multiplying. A traitor has set his sights on King Elyan, while the Arche-Fae Council continues to treat the Princess Elise as an outsider – an adopted daughter rather than a noblefae by birth. Hostile armies are gathering on the kingdom’s northern frontier, while the mage-turned-swordsman Garth must balance between rescuing a boy on a quest and averting a larger war.
With sightings of dragons, rumors of war, and trained assassins stalking the land, will there even be a Feyfell for Lynette to return to?Storm's Clouds is now available for Pre-Order on Amazon with a December 19th release date.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07Z429ZJP
Sunday, October 13, 2019
Status Update - Book 2 - Final Edit Complete
I have completed my seventh edit of Book 2 of the Stormfall Chronicles. The word count still stands at around 121,000 words - so the seventh proofread/review cycle had essentially no effect on the overall word count.
I expect the next steps towards release to happen in rapid succession:
I expect the next steps towards release to happen in rapid succession:
- Formatting the manuscript for eBook and paperback editions
- Release of the blurb for the book
- Cover unveiling
- Timing and release of the promotional campaign
Thursday, October 10, 2019
Status Update - Book 2 - Beta Reader Edits Complete
Finally - the edits from my second beta-reader have been incorporated into Book 2 of the Stormfall Chronicles. The entire editing process has taken longer than I might have anticipated, but there really is no cutting corners when it comes to editing a novel. All the iterations are necessary to produce a quality story that flows smoothly.
In the process of incorporating the final round of edits, the text has grown in length from 118,000 words at the end of the fifth round of edits (from my first beta-reader), to 121,000 words today.
Concurrently, I have been re-reading and polishing the text one final time from the beginning, and am currently through Chapter 5 of my seventh round of edits. At this point, the changes tend to be cosmetic: word substitutions here and there, or sentences that needed to be added or removed.
The next steps towards publication include:
It's been an arduous process, but I am pleased that I can finally see that light at the end of the tunnel.
In the process of incorporating the final round of edits, the text has grown in length from 118,000 words at the end of the fifth round of edits (from my first beta-reader), to 121,000 words today.
Concurrently, I have been re-reading and polishing the text one final time from the beginning, and am currently through Chapter 5 of my seventh round of edits. At this point, the changes tend to be cosmetic: word substitutions here and there, or sentences that needed to be added or removed.
The next steps towards publication include:
- Completing the seventh round of edits
- Formatting the manuscript for eBook and paperback editions
- Final edit and release of the blurb for the book
- Cover unveiling
- Timing and release of the promotional campaign
It's been an arduous process, but I am pleased that I can finally see that light at the end of the tunnel.
Saturday, October 5, 2019
The Indie Author's Portfolio
It might be asked, "What does a successful indie author look like?" That is to say, what should our expectations be for what constitutes success as an author in this digital age?
Different authors might, of course, have different expectations for what their personal definition of "success" should look like. There are of course those who will claim they are purists and that they "really don't care" whether anyone reads their writing or not. While there may certainly be a few who truly subscribe to this belief, they are part of an exceedingly fringe minority. If a writer truly didn't care if anyone read their work or not - then why publish at all? At a minimum, we publish because, as artists, we would like to see our work appreciated by as wide of an audience as possible. And while we're at it, it wouldn't hurt if we were somehow indemnified for our effort.
On the other extreme are those authors who dream of writing an international best-seller: a book that sells millions of copies and eventually is made into a movie or television series. Certainly, a lofty goal to aspire to. But this is not a realistic expectation for most of us. Very few athletes become professionals at the national level. Very few aspiring actors become Hollywood stars. And very few writers write a single book that generates millions in sales.
So what does a "successful" indie author look like? Whether we are writing as a hobby, or hoping to find an additional source of income, or even if we hope to make a living from writing novels, there are a few things that every indie author should know and understand.
The "average" printed book on the market today, by all accounts, will sell fewer than 250 copies over the lifetime of that book.[1][2] Many print-on-demand books sell far less.[3] Examples of "failure" therefore litter the marketplace. This does not mean that indie authors should lose hope. There are indie authors who actually make a living as writers, and their example should inform our expectations for what "success" in today's market should look like.
The first reality is that even the successful indie authors - those who actually make a living or substantial portion of their livelihood from writing - do not rely on a single book from which to earn their income. It is unrealistic to expect to be the next Harper Lee. For most of us, one novel will not be enough. Those authors who stay in the business rely on having a portfolio of multiple titles.
Those indie authors who have "gone pro" (and expect to make a living at writing), will typically have a roster of fifteen to thirty titles, which collectively generate sales and income. This is why a book series becomes so essential to the success of today's indie authors. By itself, each "successful" title might generate hundreds of sales per month. Collectively, however, they can generate thousands, even tens of thousands.
For the new indie author, this becomes a vital reality. Much like the writing process, success as an author is a marathon effort - not a sprint.
Even for those of us who have no expectation of ever giving up our day job, we need to be thinking about the long term. About connecting with our readers. And generating a following. We need to be writing multiple books or a series of books which attract readers who will come back for more. Expecting to be "discovered" after publishing one title just isn't realistic.
Success as an indie author does happen. Understanding that it does not come from having published a single book is part of the road to that success.
References:
[1] Gallagher, BJ. “The Ten Awful Truths -- and the Ten Wonderful Truths -- About Book Publishing.” HuffPost, HuffPost, 7 Dec. 2017, https://www.huffpost.com/entry/book-publishing_b_1394159.
[2] Strauss, Victoria. “Self-Publishing.” SFWA, Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America, 8 Apr. 2019, https://www.sfwa.org/other-resources/for-authors/writer-beware/pod/.
[3] “Print-on-Demand Self-Publishing Statistics.” SFWA, Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America, http://www.sfwa.org/print-on-demand/.
Different authors might, of course, have different expectations for what their personal definition of "success" should look like. There are of course those who will claim they are purists and that they "really don't care" whether anyone reads their writing or not. While there may certainly be a few who truly subscribe to this belief, they are part of an exceedingly fringe minority. If a writer truly didn't care if anyone read their work or not - then why publish at all? At a minimum, we publish because, as artists, we would like to see our work appreciated by as wide of an audience as possible. And while we're at it, it wouldn't hurt if we were somehow indemnified for our effort.
On the other extreme are those authors who dream of writing an international best-seller: a book that sells millions of copies and eventually is made into a movie or television series. Certainly, a lofty goal to aspire to. But this is not a realistic expectation for most of us. Very few athletes become professionals at the national level. Very few aspiring actors become Hollywood stars. And very few writers write a single book that generates millions in sales.
So what does a "successful" indie author look like? Whether we are writing as a hobby, or hoping to find an additional source of income, or even if we hope to make a living from writing novels, there are a few things that every indie author should know and understand.
The "average" printed book on the market today, by all accounts, will sell fewer than 250 copies over the lifetime of that book.[1][2] Many print-on-demand books sell far less.[3] Examples of "failure" therefore litter the marketplace. This does not mean that indie authors should lose hope. There are indie authors who actually make a living as writers, and their example should inform our expectations for what "success" in today's market should look like.
The first reality is that even the successful indie authors - those who actually make a living or substantial portion of their livelihood from writing - do not rely on a single book from which to earn their income. It is unrealistic to expect to be the next Harper Lee. For most of us, one novel will not be enough. Those authors who stay in the business rely on having a portfolio of multiple titles.
Those indie authors who have "gone pro" (and expect to make a living at writing), will typically have a roster of fifteen to thirty titles, which collectively generate sales and income. This is why a book series becomes so essential to the success of today's indie authors. By itself, each "successful" title might generate hundreds of sales per month. Collectively, however, they can generate thousands, even tens of thousands.
For the new indie author, this becomes a vital reality. Much like the writing process, success as an author is a marathon effort - not a sprint.
Even for those of us who have no expectation of ever giving up our day job, we need to be thinking about the long term. About connecting with our readers. And generating a following. We need to be writing multiple books or a series of books which attract readers who will come back for more. Expecting to be "discovered" after publishing one title just isn't realistic.
Success as an indie author does happen. Understanding that it does not come from having published a single book is part of the road to that success.
References:
[1] Gallagher, BJ. “The Ten Awful Truths -- and the Ten Wonderful Truths -- About Book Publishing.” HuffPost, HuffPost, 7 Dec. 2017, https://www.huffpost.com/entry/book-publishing_b_1394159.
[2] Strauss, Victoria. “Self-Publishing.” SFWA, Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America, 8 Apr. 2019, https://www.sfwa.org/other-resources/for-authors/writer-beware/pod/.
[3] “Print-on-Demand Self-Publishing Statistics.” SFWA, Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America, http://www.sfwa.org/print-on-demand/.
Friday, October 4, 2019
Maintaining Momentum
With demands from school, and applications for college to complete, my beta-reader's time has become more scarce these past few weeks.
To maintain momentum, I have therefore returned to the beginning of Book 2 of the Stormfall Chronicles for another round of proof-reading and edits. As of now, I have completed the seventh round of edits on Chapters 1 through 3. Most of the changes that I am making at this point have been to fine-tune the prose: eliminating unnecessary words, replacing some word choices here and there, or adding a sentence or two where appropriate. Many pages have required no editing - so the text was already very close to its final form.
I've also been gradually adding to the first draft of Chapter 1 for Book 3.
To maintain momentum, I have therefore returned to the beginning of Book 2 of the Stormfall Chronicles for another round of proof-reading and edits. As of now, I have completed the seventh round of edits on Chapters 1 through 3. Most of the changes that I am making at this point have been to fine-tune the prose: eliminating unnecessary words, replacing some word choices here and there, or adding a sentence or two where appropriate. Many pages have required no editing - so the text was already very close to its final form.
I've also been gradually adding to the first draft of Chapter 1 for Book 3.
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