Sunday, December 16, 2012

December Update

Just a bit of necessary blog maintenance:

-Agents queried: 4
-Replies to queries: 2
-Rejected queries: 2
-Form rejections: 2

Also, I've submitted a pitch/synopsis/first 40 pages to Tor. With any luck, my submission packet is in their slush pile as I write this sentence.

This week the agent hunt continues, as does my ongoing revision of Souldancer. As of this writing, I'm on chapter ten.

In closing, here is sage advice from John C. Wright.

Sunday, November 11, 2012

Nethereal Final

I'm pleased to say that the final version of my Nethereal manuscript is done. The final draft is far leaner and smoother than the others, weighing in at 541 pages (compare that figure to 720 for the original). That's without deleting any chapters or scenes; just making smarter word choices and using more concise phrasing. The shift to third person variable perspective also helped to weed out excessive description and exposition while adding dialogue.

I don't plan on making any further changes unless a professional editor orders them, so the next step is to start querying agents. I'll keep everyone apprised of how my search goes.

Saturday, October 20, 2012

Beta Geminorum Featured at Drunken Zombie

First a quick update: the most recent Nethereal manuscript revision is fast drawing to a close. I've had some slumps in productivity but should be able to make my end of the month goal if I stay disciplined. When the manuscript is done, I plan to start querying agents.

Of more immediate interest, the fine folks over at Drunken Zombie have graciously featured my first short story "Beta Geminorum" in their 31 Days of Halloween short story series. Zombie inebriate in chief Bryan Wolford has assembled an impressive catalog of shocking tales both classic and contemporary, and it's an honor to be included in his list among luminaries like Ambrose Bierce and H.G. Wells.

Also, be sure to check out Bryan's gripping short story "The Incident at Bowling Ball Tree". It's a macabre coming of age tale in the tradition of Stephen King's "The Body" and is well worth your time.

Saturday, September 1, 2012

Submission Update

I just heard back from Pyr, who have opted to pass on the Nethereal manuscript. I was hoping for a little feedback, but as mentioned on their submissions page they didn't have time to give details.

Still, the turnaround time of only six weeks for a slush pile submission is pretty impressive. I'd prepared myself to wait for months. Now I can safely shop the book around without fear of simultaneous submissions.

The latest revision has reached chapter 28. It shouldn't be long before the manuscript is ready to be sent out again. I'll keep you posted as always. 

Friday, August 24, 2012

Third Person Variable

I haven't been resting on my laurels since submitting my manuscript. On Nick's advice, I've decided to switch my novel's viewpoint from third person omniscient to variable third person limited.

The first reason I'm overhauling the manuscript's narrative mode is the original version's tendency--pointed out by Nick--to stray toward third person limited. Secondly, the story derives much of its effect from suspense. It's difficult to justify withholding the kind of information that proper tension-building requires when the narrator knows everything.

The experiment is working out well so far. The narrative flow feels much tighter and more streamlined, and describing the observations and thoughts of only one character at a time helps the reader identify with each POV character more strongly.

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

First Novel Submission

After 18 months and three full revisions, I decided that it was finally time to market Nethereal. Following careful research, I chose to send my first submission to Pyr. They're a subsidiary of Prometheus Books who've got a pretty robust presence in the industry. Most importantly, many of the titles in their catalog come close to the tone and genre of my book. Even better, they accept unagented electronic submissions of the whole manuscript--not just a query or a sample.

We'll see what happens in the coming months. I can tell you that my search for an agent will continue in earnest.

Having submitted my manuscript is no excuse to slack off, which is why I'm glad that Nick Enlowe has agreed to work with me on polishing the narrative structure and general presentation of the book. As stated above, the text has been through several revisions; but the results have been clearer, tighter, and just plain better every time.

I keep putting myself through the wringer because I believe in this story. It took some convincing, especially after the somewhat ambiguous initial feedback. But the test readers (to whom I am deeply grateful) all report that basic plot and theme is solid. I can work with that, if nothing else, and I've got a feeling that my esteemed colleague's help will draw out a great deal more.

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

The Last of the Giants

Ray Bradbury died on Tuesday night. I'm not documenting his death as just another celebrity obituary. This is a real, tangible loss for society as a whole. Bradbury was far more than just a great science fiction writer (he always claimed to have written only one science fiction book). He was the last connection in our time to the golden age of adventure serials, pulp comics, and classic radio dramas.

Bradbury worked alongside towering figures like Lovecraft, Howard, and Clarke who built upon the legacy of Rice Burroughs, Wells, and Verne. More than any of his peers (and not solely due to his longevity), Bradbury shaped contemporary perceptions of genre fiction. Even more, he attained the culture-making status achieved by an elite few writers. Bradbury's fiction affected how our shared conceptions of space exploration, dictatorship, and individuality developed.

Ray Bradbury lived through some of the most definitive moments of American publishing history, including our own time when the industry's future hangs in the balance. Considering the general direction of these changes, it is doubtful that any author in the years to come will enjoy a career as illustrious and visionary as his.

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

The Storm

I'm a big fan of independent filmmaker Tony Wash. His team over at Scotchworthy Productions are currently working on a new horror movie titled The Storm. The premise has been described as Night of the Creeps meets women's roller derby.

If you ever catch Tony at one of his public speaking engagements, he'll tell you how he's screened his projects for film producers to universally positive reviews, only to be told that they have no money for him. Financing any independent art project is a herculean ordeal right now, but this guy and his crew keep turning out films that put Hollywood to shame for little or no reward because they love it.

Tony has set up a Kickstarter account for The Storm. I already donated because I'd never ask you to do anything I'm not willing to try myself. If you're a fan of independent horror or movies in general, or you want to help out an extremely talented and committed artist, I encourage you to pitch in.

Monday, April 23, 2012

Story Two Has Been Mostly Published

My second short story "Reign of Terror" is now available. You can get it in print here, in ebook format here, or in pdf here.

Thanks to Title Goes Here: for accepting my work and to the members of this blog for your support.

Thursday, March 22, 2012

A Brief News Item

Earlier this week, I received the contract for my second short story, "Reign of Terror" from Title Goes Here:. I submitted the signed forms yesterday, officially granting them first North American serial rights. The tale is scheduled to see print in their April issue.

Saturday, March 10, 2012

March Update

Since last time, I've been diligently continuing with my novel's final revision, doing a lot of fine-tuning on the related RPG system, and working with Mick on a new music project.

Perhaps the most interesting news is the module I've been helping Ian with for Pathfinder. His first supplement being a big success, I'm very excited that he invited me to collaborate on the followup adventure. Whereas his solo effort was a fairly traditional if fanciful dungeon crawl, the latest product of our combined wordsmithing features a nightmarish, Lovecraftian tone.

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Soul Saga Visits Drunken Zombie

For some reason the guys over at the Drunken Zombie podcast keep inviting me back. I recently co-hosted an episode in their series on the films of Stephen King. This time we reviewed Maximum Overdrive, the final and most popular film chosen by fans in DZ's online poll.

For those of you unfamiliar with Drunken Zombie, the show derives its appeal from a source very similar to that of TV's Seinfeld. It's about nothing. My presence always seems to throw the hosts off form though, and this episode is a prime example. A lengthy discussion on the ethics of copyright law quickly ensues, to the point that I nearly forget to promote my writing. For those with an irreverent sense of humor and a strong tolerance for...earthy dialogue, I invite you to have a listen.

Monday, January 23, 2012

Practical E-Book Justice

Norman Spinrad has a compelling article over at SFWA that addresses a number of pertinent subjects, including the obligatory dire warning over the demise of brick and mortar book stores and the perennial "pusblishers used to care about art" rebuke. However, what intrigued me most about Spinrad's post was the scenario he presented about how the ongoing e-book revolution could radically shift relations between publishers, best-selling authors, and mid-list authors.

It breaks down like this: most traditional literary contracts offer writers 25% royalties on e-book sales. By contrast, Amazon and Barnes & Noble offer 70% (albeit without advances). The only thing keeping major best-selling authors loyal to traditional print publishers is the fact that print books still outsell digital copies. However, it's not too hard to imagine a very near future in which book sales are split 50/50 between print and electronic markets. When that happens, Spinrad argues, major best-selling authors will have it in their best interests to self-publish the digital versions of their books at 70% royalties because they simply don't need advances to finance their work. They can also turn around and sell the print rights separately to a traditional publishing house for a lessened but still substantial advance. This new dynamic could cause a mass exodus of top talent from traditional publishers, who will be made reliant upon their remaining mid-list authors to survive.

Spinrad defines a mid-list author as a writer who can consistently sell ten to twenty thousand copies a year--not enough to make the best-seller lists, but sufficient to keep a beleaguered publishing company on life support. That is, unless, the mid-listers also decide to go into the online publishing business for themselves.

What can save the traditional publishers at this point? Spinrad suggests a reassessment of the industry standard 25% e-book royalty rate. Most publishers can't afford to match Amazon's 70% figure, but compromising on 50% should be enough to keep the midl-listers around while still eking out a profit.

And if traditional publishers reject the path of enlightened self-interest? Well, nothing's keeping companies like Google and Apple from throwing their hats into the epublishing ring, and if they do, they'll be poised to offer what Amazon and B&N currently don't: advances matching or exceeding those of print publishers.

Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Beta Geminorum Is Online

My first published short story "Beta Geminorum" has been posted to the Jersey Devil Press website.

http://www.jerseydevilpress.com/?page_id=1962