Finding My Way in a Strange New World

Social media can be great to get the word out about stuff and to connect with others. Before this Internet thing, reconnecting with old friends, classmates, or new people was more difficult. Now we have Facebook, Twitter, blogs, and tons of other services under the sun where can communicate with others (I take that back, I really don’t want to read about every second of your life spelled out in painful detail on FB or Twitter). The new methods of communicating have also made it easier to build a base and get your name out to the world.

I find myself in that position now. In Memoriam, my debut novella, is in the editing process now and with a fall release in mind I have to do some things that really are different for me. Like most authors out there now, I have the Facebook fan page, the Twitter account, the Amazon author page, and the blog (please like them all or follow them all!!!!!!!!!!). My job now is to go forth and grow my brand and name so when the book drops, I won’t hear crickets. This is hard for me, because I’m really a quiet introverted kind of person. I’d rather be home alone instead of in a big crowd. I’m social when I have to be, but before I backed away from attention. I’ve always had a circle of friends, but it never extended out very far. I can talk to people at anytime, but it’s not my first choice.

All this is changing however. I’m in the process of building up the different avenues of me there are to follow and connect with. The experiences I’ve had so far have been really good and I’ve started to come out of my shell a tad. Pimping myself still makes me a little uncomfortable, but I’m taking it in stride (like I’m not going to be the pimp following you down the street trying to sell you a girl or some weed for five blocks straight). I’m a new writer, I’ve only been doing it for two years now. I’m learning how to make all this I’ve created work for me to connect to new people, fans, and fellow authors so I can be the best I can be.

Well, I’ve had my say for the evening. Right now there are two shorts, a new novella, novella edits, and the novel to work on. Oh, one last thing…if you want to see a movie that is schizophrenic, go see Snow White and the Huntsman. It wants to be two different movies, but comes up short because of it’s lack of identity. They really had some good stuff, but failed to do anything with it. It is dark, the costumes and acting were superb, (except the girl from the sparkling vampire movies…she couldn’t act if her life depended on it) but when it tries to be a great retelling of the story or a teen flick (only because of the vampire franchise chick who can’t act) it fails. Overall, it is watchable, but wait till it hits a discount theater or rent it.

Goodnight…

Lessons Learned and Blog Winners!

First off, I would like to congratulate the three winners from the blog contest.  The winner of the signed Undead Tales 2 book was Beth Lunkenheimer and the two winners that will appear in some upcoming projects were Ashley Smith and Mark Duvall.  I’ve already filled Mark in on his role and he is very excited to be hunting and killing some zombies.  I’m sorry about the delay in posting the winners here (they were posted on the Facebook page), but life has been hectic around here.  In fact, my life is going so wonderful I’ve had to trade in my usual rum, whiskey, or beer for the glass of milk pictured next to here.  I will say that it is in a glass from a brewery, so I’m still representing!

In the past few weeks, the writing world exploded with the situation regarding Undead Press and new author Mandy DeGeit.  I will not rehash the situation here, but if you want to read about what happens when an anthology editor goes above and beyond editing without the author’s approval, click here to go to her blog and catch up on the bad situation.

I almost fell prey to the same guy.  I submitted a story to the same book trying to be in the same anthology as Mandy and my other friend Wesley Southard (link over in author links page).  The story was quickly accepted and I told Mandy we’d be sharing a TOC.  Well, that was until I received the contract.  First, it read like it was written by a third grader and some of the points in it were really bad (like a cut of any future movie options even if the rights have reverted back to the author).  I didn’t care, I wanted to be in the anthology with my friends.  Then we started a rather nasty back and forth about the signature on the contract where the publisher acted like a complete unprofessional ass-hat.  First off, the story I sent in sucked and I knew it, but it was the only finished thing I had (it was the first non-flash story I ever wrote).  When the publisher became insulting over how the signature looked, I pulled the story and went on with my life.  Looking back, I never should have even tried to sell the crappy story and secondly, once I read the contract, I should have walked  then instead of trying to continue.  I learned to read the contract carefully.  I learned to get something besides a copy of the publisher’s self-published drivel for my work.  Hey, I live and I learn.  I have myself to rely on and I try to do the right thing.  I learned my lessons. 

Now to help Mandy, the unaltered version of her story “She Makes Me Smile” is now on Kindle.  50% of what the book earns will go toward paying the anthology authors $25 for their story and the rest is going into a fund to hire a lawyer that will look into Undead Press/Living Dead Press/Open Casket Press contracts with the purpose of returning all rights back to the authors that have dealt with those presses.  So go click here to help support the cause.

Now I must get back to some editing on some short stories and work on the novel.  Editing has begun on In Memoriam and I’ll keep you posted.  The milk is calling so,

Goodnight…

The Reflecting Pool

Looking down at the still water, I pull out a penny from my worn and tattered jeans.  Glancing down at the copper piece I close my eyes, make a wish, and flip it into the still glass-like pool.  The coin plunges through the surface and sinks to the bottom while the serene water above forms into waves and spreads throughout the pool.

The pool is how I feel about everything right now.  I want to be calm, to take my time, and get done the things I set to do.  Every time I finish something or I don’t (or can’t) get my goal for a story complete, I beat myself up pretty bad over it.  The waves breaking up the quiet still of the pool are my doubts.  I have doubts about me, doubts about my work, and doubts about if anyone one day will really care.  Sometimes I go back and read through something in a book and I’m amazed somebody liked it, I mean really liked it enough to publish it.

I don’t know why I feel that way, I really don’t.  Why do I have such self-doubt?  I have a nice shelf with the books I’m in, I have a nice little blog that a few people visit, and I have a bright future according to some, but why I can’t I just enjoy it? 

I write for myself and tell the tales I like to read.  If other people like them, that’s great (I demand at least token payment, or a contrib copy, or a nice discount on copies – no ‘for the love of’ projects that give you zilch – why should a publisher get the $$$ while an author gets zero).  I guess all I’m saying is maybe deep down in the dark reaches of my soul…I do what some recognition, some kudos.  I feel like as a new author trying to stand on my own two feet, I am fighting for a little respect.

Ok, I’m done with that for now.  The site will be going over to a regular website domain in the near future, I have the cover art for The Blue, the Grey, and the Scarlet below, and I will be adding book reviews into the regular rotation.  The copy for the first book review is on the way and once I read it, I’ll tell you about it.  The plans for the book signing are under way and it will be this fall.  More details later as plans get hammered out.

Oh yeah, the cover art…

 

Well, I have some things to write about and one great secret of a writer’s life just became clear to me.  With that said…

Goodnight…