Hey guys, just thought you might like to know that I’m running a couple of Goodreads giveaways this month! They are for two copies of Bringing Stella Home, and one set of the first four Star Wanderers books. Check it out! Goodreads Book Giveaway Bringing Stella Home by Joe Vasicek Giveaway ends January 31, 2015.… Continue reading January Goodreads Giveaways!
Category: Star Wanderers
How going indie is like driving a manual (plus a cover reveal)
A couple of weeks ago, I got a new (to me) car. It’s a 2005 Ford Focus / Saleen: a two-door hatchback that drives like a racing car and gets about thirty miles per gallon (WA-A-AY better than the gas guzzler I was driving before). It’s also a manual transmission, which is perhaps the biggest… Continue reading How going indie is like driving a manual (plus a cover reveal)
What readers want
I’ve been thinking a lot recently about what science fiction and fantasy readers want in the books they read. I’m in the middle of writing and publishing a series of novellas and short novels, so it’s definitely on my mind. After publishing twenty books and completing another novella series, I think I have a pretty… Continue reading What readers want
Short Blitz #7: Starchild
Title: Starchild Genre: Space Opera Word Count: 3,000 Writing Time: about two weeks I haven’t trimmed or polished this story yet, but I’m calling it at 3,000 words. If I were stricter about following Heinlein’s rules, I would only give it a proofreading pass, but with shorts I’ve heard that it’s best to cut out… Continue reading Short Blitz #7: Starchild
Thoughts on declining sales and the summer slump
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
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!
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