According to conventional bookselling wisdom, summer is the slowest time out of the year for book sales. But is that really the case? I’ve heard David Gaughran and Ed Robertson argue that that’s just a myth perpetuated by New York publishers who are completely out of touch with their readers. Sales don’t fluctuate with the… Continue reading Thoughts on declining sales and the summer slump
Category: Outworld Trilogy
Yay for short stories!
So for the past three weeks while waiting for my first readers to get back to me with their comments on Strangers in Flight, I’ve been working on short stories. It’s a great way to stay busy and productive between projects, and feels really gratifying too because it only takes a week or two to… Continue reading Yay for short stories!
Don’t worry, I’m still alive
Wow, has it been more than a week since my last post? I think this is the longest I’ve gone without updating this blog since coming back from Georgia. I wish I could say life has been busy, but it hasn’t really. Just another lazy summer in Utah. I did start dating someone recently, which… Continue reading Don’t worry, I’m still alive
Familiar vs. original vs. WTF?
In writing, you’ve always got to strike a balance between things that the readers find familiar and things that might be original or new to them. Every genre has its own standard set of tropes, plot twists, character archetypes, and other such story elements, and even if the readers can’t explain them all to you,… Continue reading Familiar vs. original vs. WTF?
Looking ahead
Sorry not to post anything new in a while. This past week has been rather busy/disorganized for me, which isn’t helped by the fact that I had my last wisdom tooth pulled today. I’ve swallowed so much blood that my mouth tastes like I’ve been sucking on an anvil, and I can also feel a… Continue reading Looking ahead
New STAR WANDERERS covers!
Let’s take a quick break from the Brothers in Exile excerpts to show you the awesome new cover art for the Star Wanderers books! These ones are for Dreamweaver, Benefactor, Reproach, and Deliverance, and I think they turned out quite well. The cover designer here is Libbie Hawker, who also did the other covers (except… Continue reading New STAR WANDERERS covers!
Okay, back to work
Well, the Blogging from A to Z challenge was fun, but now that it’s May it’s time to switch gears and focus on other things. I’ve got about a bazillion projects going on, so it’s definitely going to be a full month! Here’s what I hope to accomplish: Writing Finish the first draft of Strangers… Continue reading Okay, back to work
A few quick updates
So I thought I would post the Y post today for the A to Z challenge, but I didn’t get around to it so it looks like I’ll be doing Y and Z tomorrow. And yes, I know that “expectations” was a cop-out for X, but hey, at least I didn’t spell it “x-pectations.” As… Continue reading A few quick updates
X is for Expectations
What sort of expectations should or shouldn’t you have when you start self-publishing? What is plausible, and what is unrealistic? Honestly, it’s probably a good idea to go into it with expectations that are fairly low. Most books don’t sell more than a handful of copies, and there’s no way to tell what will and… Continue reading X is for Expectations
W is for Writing the Next One
If you want to make a living as a writer, you’ve got to write a lot of books. One book is not sufficient to make a career, unless you’re the exception that proves the rule. But that’s okay, because writing is probably the thing that made you want to do this as a career in… Continue reading W is for Writing the Next One