Yesterday was day one of my fishing adventures at Lake Allatoona. It was me, my friend who is not necessarily an Ogre and my trusty flat back canoe with a trolling motor. Like all days dedicated to fishing, it had much potential. We kept it light and easy with the logistics, learning over the years that driving 2 hours+ to command the boat for an hour to get to the "spot" does not always create a day of good fishing, just more time wasting than anything else.
The results are in:
Once again, I have proven that I must not have the means necessary to charge a marine battery, luckily we brought a backup. My trusty 25 year old canoe did start taking on water for the first time which usually doesn't go away by itself.
I also knew in the back of my mind that fishing while the weather is acting crazy is either hit or miss, usually miss big time. I remembered why I ceased all winter fishing operations here in GA a few years back when I unofficially became an adult of sorts. The wind was cold, the water was cold and due to the weird spell this week, the fish aren't spawning yet. *whisper*That means they weren't having sex (in their own way) where we could find them. Nope, no shallow action was to be found. It does seem a little crazy to take advantage of bass while they are having all that fun.
It was a beautiful day with only one or two bass boats in sight or threatening us with drowning in their wake. I did see a houseboat that was being prepared for service which was cool, I WANT ONE. I would like to make a recording studio on one and have live shows, they would always sell out but I am sure the insurance would be astronomical.
What's next? Farming. Due to our inability to catch a large bounty of fish, most of today was devoted to my pleasure garden...I mean vegetable garden. Yes, I have planted the following fruits and vegetables thus far:
1. 12 Tomato plants to include Black Cherry, Beefsteak, Roma
2. 60 or so Red Onions
3. 1 Black grape plant?
4. 8 Strawberry
5. 3 Mixed lettuce
6. Hens and Chickens (not for eating, I think)
7. Irish Moss (not for eating, unless it is the seaweed variety, which this is not)
Among others, seeds are literally being sowed as we speak under my full spectrum lamp in the basement (only legal seedlings this year, sorry) and I hope to have much more to report on in the weeks to come. I will devote one blog at least to getting a garden started, probably next week with links and pics for anyone who will listen.
Keep in mind that not too long ago everyone had a garden at their house and it is a noble tradition to continue.
Now death!
I have always had it in my heart that I would like to be eaten by a shark. Being out on the open water where their are deff no sharks reminded me of this. Now, not a small sharky mind you, that would take too much time and I would likely die in a hospital later from infection, not cool.
This time last year, I jumped from a C-130 (airplane) into the ocean ON PURPOSE. It's ok, the green men said it was cool. I almost drowned but was rescued by a Zodiac with my name on it. The night before, I looked up how many sharks were in Tampa Bay and was highly disappointed by the sizes offered.
Seriously people, suicide is stupid. Kidding not aside for the moment though, I was fearless jumping out of that plane knowing that this was my big chance....The headlines, oh the headlines:
MARC DIES DURING AIRBORNE OPERATIONS IN TAMPA AFTER LANDING WITH PARACHUTE IN THE WATER AND BATTLING A VICIOUS GIANT MONSTER SHARK...THE SHARK ALSO WASHED UP ON A NEARBY BEACH SOME TWO HOURS LATER, DEATH FROM FATIGUE AND BLUDGEON.
Friday, March 29, 2013
Thursday, March 28, 2013
Go Ahead, Prove Me Wrong...
And there it was...exactly what I needed to get the blog juices flowing. The writing gig to end all writing gigs.
Call for Submissions: Erotic fiction and poetry
And you thought you had the best job ever when you could be writing erotica!
Seriously though, if you are going to make an online literary magazine, you really need to own up to what you are selling and what?????
NO PAY??? Which is fine, but if you are just spending your precious time and dirty little thoughts to the dark void of internet stealer space, you need to rethink why you waste your time coming up with crafty schemes that aren't porn...in the first place.
Writer friends...wait, only two people read this and I'm pretty sure they are still working on crayons, so....notes to self regarding submissions to online literary erotica or whatever your game of the moment is:
1. NEVER submit work to a no name anything.
2. Always look for at least free copies for compensation, that way even if you can't pay the mortgage, it can add to your trophy case your mom keeps for you back home. "But I don't have any trophies!" I know, you still get the point.
3. Shop shop shop around and send out often.
4. Never underestimate the power of old school snail mail submissions with a self addressed stamped envelope and all that...Real is real and killing trees does suck, so does burning coal.
5. Hey...before you submit, READ the magazine first to know what they publish and what they would like to see in their issues.
6. The list of obnoxious and obvious answers to life is over, take a look at these real submission criteria from random places I like to visit, harass and send threatening letters to:
Seriously, these are what submission criteria should look like:
http://dreamsandnightmaresmagazine.com/guidelines.htm
http://www.strangehorizons.com/guidelines/poetry.shtml
http://krakenpress.com/?p=37
https://mixerpublishing.submittable.com/submit/4810
http://www.albedo1.com/?page_id=82
#Krakenpress is so awesome, I want to sweep their virtual floors.
Anyway, feel free to post any good publishers or literary magazine links on here, even the real deal erotica action, oh yeah.
Besides, the best erotica was written years ago by a WOMAN, Anais Nin's Little Birds and Delta of Venus , the latter being the best by far...go ahead, prove me wrong...
Call for Submissions: Erotic fiction and poetry
And you thought you had the best job ever when you could be writing erotica!
Seriously though, if you are going to make an online literary magazine, you really need to own up to what you are selling and what?????
NO PAY??? Which is fine, but if you are just spending your precious time and dirty little thoughts to the dark void of internet stealer space, you need to rethink why you waste your time coming up with crafty schemes that aren't porn...in the first place.
Writer friends...wait, only two people read this and I'm pretty sure they are still working on crayons, so....notes to self regarding submissions to online literary erotica or whatever your game of the moment is:
1. NEVER submit work to a no name anything.
2. Always look for at least free copies for compensation, that way even if you can't pay the mortgage, it can add to your trophy case your mom keeps for you back home. "But I don't have any trophies!" I know, you still get the point.
3. Shop shop shop around and send out often.
4. Never underestimate the power of old school snail mail submissions with a self addressed stamped envelope and all that...Real is real and killing trees does suck, so does burning coal.
5. Hey...before you submit, READ the magazine first to know what they publish and what they would like to see in their issues.
6. The list of obnoxious and obvious answers to life is over, take a look at these real submission criteria from random places I like to visit, harass and send threatening letters to:
Seriously, these are what submission criteria should look like:
http://dreamsandnightmaresmagazine.com/guidelines.htm
http://www.strangehorizons.com/guidelines/poetry.shtml
http://krakenpress.com/?p=37
https://mixerpublishing.submittable.com/submit/4810
http://www.albedo1.com/?page_id=82
#Krakenpress is so awesome, I want to sweep their virtual floors.
Anyway, feel free to post any good publishers or literary magazine links on here, even the real deal erotica action, oh yeah.
Besides, the best erotica was written years ago by a WOMAN, Anais Nin's Little Birds and Delta of Venus , the latter being the best by far...go ahead, prove me wrong...
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
I Can't and Will Never Resist
"Yeah but, I didn't think you would actually do it, it was simply a suggestion."
Ah...so many times this has been said to me over these 3000 years, I can only imagine.
My older sister learned by the age of 10 or so not to double-dog dare me to do anything or she would have to listen to me scream like a half-run over cat.
I remember it well, my face was bloody, and my ankle was broken inside my girly boots that I had to borrow just to go sledding. I took down that hill and ice with my ninja turtle sled knowing that I would show her, and indeed I did. The once half-melted, now frozen again snowman at the bottom of that amazing trip showed me that it was not in fact a jump after all. Both of my siblings thought I was kidding so they headed home, scared of the crazy scene I was causing. Luckily, a trusty neighbor was by her house phone and called my Dad. The worst part of riding in the back of Dad's friend's van (really?) was that I was wearing those girly boots with different colored hearts. I thought surely, it was the tight boots borrowed from my little sister that caused all this mess in the first place. If I had my own boots on, none if this would ever have happened, they would have taken the strain caused by the giant block of ice and I would be having hot chocolate and watching the Wonder Years by now.
And then, after many other instances like this, there was the bookstore...
I worked at the Strand in NYC (http://www.strandbooks.com/) which was one of the best jobs I've ever had. Didn't pay much, but I met alot of nice (women) people and got to read alot. Like everything I do, I dabbled at The Strand. I worked in the warehouse upstairs because I failed their book quiz during the interview, I drove a van, I also worked in art and photography section (best job ever). You could buy books half off as an employee and you were FORBIDDEN FROM SELLING THEM ON THE INTERNET but I did it anyway. Later, after being a doorman (get to that another day) I shopped there once a week or so, still selling books on Amazon, Ebay and abebooks (www.abebooks.com)
Things really picked up when I got hitched and my wife left for Christmas as she was still in college and I was left to sulk. I put my idle hands to good use and BAM dawsonbooksellers was born. This went on for quite some time from our Bay Ridge, Brooklyn apt. and I would shuffle books from old ladies houses by the boxes, as much as I could fit into a cab, later our '88 Olds Cutlass Cierra.
Spanning time ahead, moves, moves, making moves, next thing you know, I am a Southerner living in Kennesaw, GA with not much space and a whole lot of books. The idea is you buy lots of books and sell them one at a time.
I started doing business in Rome, GA with the only guy who would buy my unwanted stock. I would bring a truckload, we would shoot the breeze and I eventually went from selling him my books to buying his store, the whole turn key operation. He was going under simply because he didn't have an Internet market. You cannot rely on brick and mortar any longer unless you are The Strand. Everyone thought and knew I was crazy, even me. But cheap bookstore? I can't and will never resist.
This was great, I loved having a bookstore. We redecorated, I got a cat for the place, everything was cool. The structure was in a traditional southern downtown (Broad St. = Main St. ). I could have been there forever and made it work but green things came and took me away, made me jump out of planes and put me in charge so I had to get out.
My employee at the time was a very eager English major. He was my third and I almost lost his resume but I kept it in some rusty coffee can marked "just in case". I paid him next to nothing and he showed up to work anyway. I eventually sold the store to him and he has done very well (he is still there anyway, and he probably still has my risk board.) Alan, you're a good guy. Check it out, http://paradiselostbooks.wordpress.com/
https://www.facebook.com/paradiselostbooks
+Paradise Lost Books
I hope Alan learned from some of my mistakes, I know I sure did. Next time, and there will be a next time...I want to have a book barn so I can do all of my evil deeds in one cozy place. I can see it now...books downstairs, recording studio upstairs, antiques and art gallery throughout, garden outside with Crepaux (French) farms vegetable stand on the corner...kids eating Popsicles and selling tomatoes...Taxis dispatched in and out...plays performed in the amphitheatre...frogs hopping in the pond...
Ah...so many times this has been said to me over these 3000 years, I can only imagine.
My older sister learned by the age of 10 or so not to double-dog dare me to do anything or she would have to listen to me scream like a half-run over cat.
I remember it well, my face was bloody, and my ankle was broken inside my girly boots that I had to borrow just to go sledding. I took down that hill and ice with my ninja turtle sled knowing that I would show her, and indeed I did. The once half-melted, now frozen again snowman at the bottom of that amazing trip showed me that it was not in fact a jump after all. Both of my siblings thought I was kidding so they headed home, scared of the crazy scene I was causing. Luckily, a trusty neighbor was by her house phone and called my Dad. The worst part of riding in the back of Dad's friend's van (really?) was that I was wearing those girly boots with different colored hearts. I thought surely, it was the tight boots borrowed from my little sister that caused all this mess in the first place. If I had my own boots on, none if this would ever have happened, they would have taken the strain caused by the giant block of ice and I would be having hot chocolate and watching the Wonder Years by now.
And then, after many other instances like this, there was the bookstore...
I worked at the Strand in NYC (http://www.strandbooks.com/) which was one of the best jobs I've ever had. Didn't pay much, but I met alot of nice (women) people and got to read alot. Like everything I do, I dabbled at The Strand. I worked in the warehouse upstairs because I failed their book quiz during the interview, I drove a van, I also worked in art and photography section (best job ever). You could buy books half off as an employee and you were FORBIDDEN FROM SELLING THEM ON THE INTERNET but I did it anyway. Later, after being a doorman (get to that another day) I shopped there once a week or so, still selling books on Amazon, Ebay and abebooks (www.abebooks.com)
Things really picked up when I got hitched and my wife left for Christmas as she was still in college and I was left to sulk. I put my idle hands to good use and BAM dawsonbooksellers was born. This went on for quite some time from our Bay Ridge, Brooklyn apt. and I would shuffle books from old ladies houses by the boxes, as much as I could fit into a cab, later our '88 Olds Cutlass Cierra.
Spanning time ahead, moves, moves, making moves, next thing you know, I am a Southerner living in Kennesaw, GA with not much space and a whole lot of books. The idea is you buy lots of books and sell them one at a time.
I started doing business in Rome, GA with the only guy who would buy my unwanted stock. I would bring a truckload, we would shoot the breeze and I eventually went from selling him my books to buying his store, the whole turn key operation. He was going under simply because he didn't have an Internet market. You cannot rely on brick and mortar any longer unless you are The Strand. Everyone thought and knew I was crazy, even me. But cheap bookstore? I can't and will never resist.
This was great, I loved having a bookstore. We redecorated, I got a cat for the place, everything was cool. The structure was in a traditional southern downtown (Broad St. = Main St. ). I could have been there forever and made it work but green things came and took me away, made me jump out of planes and put me in charge so I had to get out.
My employee at the time was a very eager English major. He was my third and I almost lost his resume but I kept it in some rusty coffee can marked "just in case". I paid him next to nothing and he showed up to work anyway. I eventually sold the store to him and he has done very well (he is still there anyway, and he probably still has my risk board.) Alan, you're a good guy. Check it out, http://paradiselostbooks.wordpress.com/
https://www.facebook.com/paradiselostbooks
+Paradise Lost Books
I hope Alan learned from some of my mistakes, I know I sure did. Next time, and there will be a next time...I want to have a book barn so I can do all of my evil deeds in one cozy place. I can see it now...books downstairs, recording studio upstairs, antiques and art gallery throughout, garden outside with Crepaux (French) farms vegetable stand on the corner...kids eating Popsicles and selling tomatoes...Taxis dispatched in and out...plays performed in the amphitheatre...frogs hopping in the pond...
Self-Publishing: An Introduction
I am going to introduce and lay some of the groundwork here for self-publishing eBooks. There is a whole lot to cover but I will attempt to provide links and some insight into this ever-changing method of publishing your work. By far, the most beneficial links I can give you are going to be listed right after this paragraph so that you can geek out and look on your own. Below the link list is a narrative that I would like to be continued by all who are interested. One thing that I want everyone to remember that a fine young woman said to me: "Books don't have to be good to sell, you just have to have a niche, a ton of material and know how to market." I am paraphrasing a little because I was obviously distracted by the beauty here but there is some truth in that. Please, stay away from most of the "Secrets to selling eBooks and getting rich" type of material sold on www.Amazon.com For some of the eBook one stop shops, keep in mind that for the majority of these, they are looking to sell 10 copies of 150,000 books, not 150,000 copies of 10 books. That is how they make their money.
Links to add to your favorites to look through as you geek out and read the rest of my post:
http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-18438_7-10119891-82/self-publishing-a-book-25-things-you-need-to-know/
http://reviews.cnet.com/how-to-self-publish-an-e-book
(The above two are from +David Carnoy really great links here and an excellent summary of what it all means for self-publishing an eBook. Really a great how to.
http://www.authoragency.com/ (basically a middle man, but they offer some good, expensive services)
http://www.ingramcontent.com/pages/home.aspx
http://web.blogads.com/adspotgroups/mininetwork.2007-04-27.1123778986/ba_mininetwork_view
(paid blogs to get book reviews)
http://www.smashwords.com/
http://www.publishgreen.com/
www.createspace.com
(The above two are from +David Carnoy really great links here and an excellent summary of what it all means for self-publishing an eBook. Really a great how to.
http://www.authoragency.com/ (basically a middle man, but they offer some good, expensive services)
http://www.ingramcontent.com/pages/home.aspx
http://web.blogads.com/adspotgroups/mininetwork.2007-04-27.1123778986/ba_mininetwork_view
(paid blogs to get book reviews)
http://www.smashwords.com/
http://www.publishgreen.com/
www.createspace.com
Novel Concept
publishing (http://www.novelconceptpublishing.com/) is a small-scale publishing house that focuses on the editing and
production of eBooks. They publish +Jason Halstead works which I wrote a review on yesterday. Traditional publishers and writers may consider up and
coming publishers like Novel Concept a “subsidy press” or “vanity press”, which
produce books upon acceptance and up-front payment from authors who may be
considered not publishable by traditional means in the traditional market (www.poets.org).
From the writer’s point of view, using a subsidy press is advantageous in that
it represents an elimination of an unreachable and often unwilling middleman,
the traditional publisher, in the process of publishing a work. The combination
of the eBook market and disenfranchised writers has led to a streamlined production
process. Truly, anyone with a computer, Internet, and written work can
self-publish. They can either opt to gain assistance from a small publisher
such as Novel Concept or go it alone.
The
solo approach can be difficult as there are so many business which offer
services to aspiring authors and publishers. www.Bookbaby.com, along with www.CDbaby.com for
music, boasts “eBook distribution to the biggest retailers in the world,
including Apple's iBookstore, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Sony Reader Store,
Kobo, and more…with 0% cut of the sales” (Bookbaby.com). Bookbaby, among others,
takes payment for publishing packages. They offer “editing and cover design,
to ISBNs and author websites and
printing services…” (Bookbaby.com). There are many one stop shops similar as
this option. Any young writer would truly have to weed out all of the choices
out there as some are simply looking for the immediate payment alone. For some of these, they are looking to sell 10 copies of 150,000 books, not 150,000 copies of 10 books. Amazon
also has a direct approach for authors and publishers to produce material direct
to their Kindle marketplace.
Unlike
Bookbaby, wwwAmazon.com has its own built-in marketing strategy, boasting “massive
amounts of data mirroring user patterns and buying preferences, allowing
further customization of the user experience” (http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/home/index.html). The
marketing strategy described relates to everything else that Amazon sells,
which is nearly anything. This brings the consumer in direct contact with what
they are most likely to buy, or most likely to decide to buy without prior motivation.
While there are many options for self-publishing or independent publishing, writers
and small publishers have to choose strategy carefully as marketing is
ultimately their own responsibility.
Marketing is again a large portion of a traditional publisher’s budget which an author would have to do by himself if choosing to self-publish. With the recognizable advantages of social media, personal promotion is certainly possible, especially within the growing eBook realm. Developing a digital social base is of absolute importance for writers who wish to promote. If a writer is truly interested in selling eBooks, he or she has to create a fan base within the same digital realm in which he or she wants to sell. Marketing platforms such as personal websites, www.Facebook.com, www.Twitter.com and www.blogger.com can be used to empower authors and drive customers to new work. A vanity style press or self-publishing business model must take advantage of social media in order to be successful and build a brand. This marketing technique would have meaningless impact on the book market for author and consumer alike if not for eBooks and the direct-to-consumer scenario they harbor.
Truly
a modern market, eBooks have augmented the traditional book and publishing
systems with high impact in such a short amount of time. Each year, companies
develop new devices to lure away traditional book buyers and add to the ease of
access that current eBook consumers enjoy. The United States leads this market,
with “3.7 million eReader owners at the end of
2009…and eBook revenue accounting for 7.2% of all consumer book sales in 2010” (PriceWaterhouseCoopers). Trends also suggest that “eBooks will have a market share of 22.5% of
consumer books in 2015.” (PWC). As all of these statistics suggest, the eBook
market is not going anywhere but up in the near future. Due to the direct
approach that self-publishing or subsidy publishing represents, one can easily
recognize a beneficial relationship for writers, sellers, and consumers. You can look up more eBook stats at http://www.infodocket.com/2011/05/23/aap-releases-march-2011-book-and-ebook-sales-numbers/
Jason
Halstead (the author I reviewed yesterday) has benefited from the current open market described which allows
authors the freedom to personally have a hand in the marketing process. Amazon
empowers all sellers to set their own pricing. Many young authors who are
promoting a series will “sell” the first book for free, counting on avid
readers to be hooked and buy the rest of the series. The Voidhawk series dances between two genres that are known both for
series writing and readers who avidly consume multiple works. A unique
marketing scheme is needed for this scenario. Halstead lures readers of both
genres by giving away the first book for free. There is nothing lost to the
consumer here except the minuscule amount of space used for a Kindle file. The
book is also listed in multiple sections of Amazon.com when listed for free,
heightening the chance that a buyer will randomly browse the book. If the
reader likes his work, the reader can then choose to purchase the other books
in the series.
Writers
decide pricing on Amazon.com and can make pricing changes at any time. This
allows the author to increase the cost of books as the series increases in
popularity. Some readers may be lost in this model due to pricing changes or distraction
but monetary gain may remain the same due to the tiered pricing system. Also, when readers search through genres or
subgenres, overall Amazon sales rankings dictate how often certain titles will
appear to the user. Amazon sales rankings are determined by frequency of sale
over every thirty day period. This mathematical ranking system does not reset
each month, instead, titles start out at their current ranking at the beginning
of the month and go up or down from there. This is the same scale used for
hardcover and paperback books as well.
The
process of direct selling and the means through which an eBook reaches
customers makes the cover of a book all the more important. Consumers can view
thousands of titles in only minutes on a digital buying platform. The design of
the cover art must also meet all guidelines of the marketplace as it is made
into a small thumbnail and therefore must catch the eye of readers browsing
very differently than they would in a bookstore (Rich). Halstead has done an
excellent job in the design of his covers, essentially branding the Voidhawk representation of the name on
all of his titles making them easily recognizable during a search.
eBooks have augmented the traditional book and publishing systems with high impact in such a short amount of time. Jason Halstead has benefited from the current, more open market described. Authors have a high degree of freedom to personally have a hand in the marketing and production process upon completion of their written work. This new era of book marketing, does not change the fact that a book or series must be original and compelling enough to develop a fan base and sell copies.
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
Tiny Salvage
+Ed Cyclist recommended that I watch this video from http://tinytexashouses.com/:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acD_f_5YJpc
I have to say, I am quite impressed that someone can make all of these houses from old found material and turn them into livable spaces. I wonder how well they would do in GA though with all of the termites.
Then I watched https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2igl5wd2c8 which lays out a whole new business plan for me to consider. Not really, I wouldn't have the space or the time it took for this man to acquire all of this stuff over the years, nor do I have the mind required to put the puzzle pieces together to make a livable structure. I would sure like to and kudos to this guy for pulling it off.
All of his houses seem to be selling and I wonder if he is running out of stuff anyway. I would really like to have one of these to use as a recording studio, it would be small but quite unique. He may want to have a female sidekick spokesperson to keep him centered and fill in the gaps, but with her, him and the cameraman, it could get quite crowded.
Last year, I bought my hoarder's house that I am now living in and I am a little depressed about all of the junk I threw away and burned. But all of the wood that I burned was sitting outside for a real long time and what could be used was taken away free by other people.
It is appropriate to recognize the people that can make money from nothing and take advantage of the insane amount of waste that occurs in our society. As a business enterprise, it is certainly viable but not so much for me cool Texas guy but the new wood you buy at HD from Canada really does suck.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acD_f_5YJpc
I have to say, I am quite impressed that someone can make all of these houses from old found material and turn them into livable spaces. I wonder how well they would do in GA though with all of the termites.
Then I watched https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2igl5wd2c8 which lays out a whole new business plan for me to consider. Not really, I wouldn't have the space or the time it took for this man to acquire all of this stuff over the years, nor do I have the mind required to put the puzzle pieces together to make a livable structure. I would sure like to and kudos to this guy for pulling it off.
All of his houses seem to be selling and I wonder if he is running out of stuff anyway. I would really like to have one of these to use as a recording studio, it would be small but quite unique. He may want to have a female sidekick spokesperson to keep him centered and fill in the gaps, but with her, him and the cameraman, it could get quite crowded.
Last year, I bought my hoarder's house that I am now living in and I am a little depressed about all of the junk I threw away and burned. But all of the wood that I burned was sitting outside for a real long time and what could be used was taken away free by other people.
It is appropriate to recognize the people that can make money from nothing and take advantage of the insane amount of waste that occurs in our society. As a business enterprise, it is certainly viable but not so much for me cool Texas guy but the new wood you buy at HD from Canada really does suck.
Jason Halstead - Book review part 1
So, I've read this really cool series of books that combines sci-fi and fantasy quite well by Jason Halstead. http://www.booksbyjason.com/ under an up and coming publisher http://www.novelconceptpublishing.com/
I thoroughly enjoy this series and even wrote a paper on it and the self-publishing market for my Intro to Modern Science Fiction class at national university www.national.edu . One day this week, I will really dig into the self-publishing market and lay out some ground work, likely boring one of my two readers out there. First though, Mr. Halstead does a great job with the Voidhawk series.His books can be found on Amazon here: http://www.amazon.com/Jason-Halstead/e/B0049AXHP2/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1364312389&sr=8-1 among other places. I haven't been able to read his other works yet, mostly due to time, but I have already loaded my Kindle with some of them for the next trip. I am still trying to finish Needful Things by Stephen King alone, at night, with only my Kindle lamp to guide me, so I get a little scared, plus King is wordy as hell. Onto the review:
The new and exciting digital book market has brought in a score of new readers and writers alike. With the explosion of both demand and production of books, many new sub genres and marketing tools have been created to keep up. Jason Halstead is one of those exciting young writers that is paving a new way forward and taking advantage of an ever-changing marketplace. He has published forty four novels which span the genres of science-fiction, fantasy, action and pulp. This author has also managed to mold science-fiction and fantasy seamlessly into one comfortable genre with his Voidhawk series. This series represents Halstead’s use of unconventional tactics, genre flexibility and eBook marketing strategy.
The Voidhawk series consists of five books: Voidhawk, The Elder Race, Redemption, The White Lady, and Lost Soul. The first book of the series was originally written as ten separate episodes, later compiled by the author for the novel. The tale begins with the assembling of a crew, each character with a unique story and an individual specialization. The lead character, Dexter, is a swashbuckling human who serves as an pilot for the military and flies small scout ships while scheming, leading up to an adventurous future. Dexter stows away a transport ship in order to assemble a crew for mercenary and space, or “void” hauling work. He employs his best friend Kragor, a dwarf with great mechanical skill to help with the arming and beefing up of the old transport. Halstead continues to assemble the crew piece by piece over the first half of the opening book.
Eventually, the roster is somewhat complete as the story continues into the second book of the series. The crew is ultimately rounded out with a female elf, half-elf, human juggernaut, a werewolf/paladin, an adolescent female slayer creature, and an indestructible pleasure golem. Others characters appear throughout the series who are either permanent or temporary. The diversity of fantasy characters which Halstead develops to make the crew of the Voidhawk is somewhat typical of the fantasy quest. Each character adds unique skills to the ever-changing mission as the crew flies through space for hire.
Mixing of typical fantasy characters with a common goal would seem trite in this day in age. J.R.R. Tolkien was one of the most well-known authors who created many of the character types we see in modern fantasy. With so many Tolkien knock-offs and Dungeons & Dragons, or gamer quest based tales produced, it can be difficult for an aspiring author to find a niche. After the release of The Lord of the Rings movies, the challenge for the author lies in pulling a fantasy work off and succeeding with a very expecting audience. On the other hand, the physical qualities of these characters are already set for a writer in this genre. A writer rarely has to explain what an elf or a dwarf looks like. This allows an author to build further on these traits and focus on substantial character development.
Book three of the Voidhawk series, Redemption, is largely devoted to an offshoot story of the main human juggernaut crew member, Rosh. Rosh’s character is another example of shallow turned deep. This character starts as a happenstance oaf who is guarding the original crew after being captured. He later becomes immortal, convinces an entire world that he is their creator, and is an excellent example of the duality of man. It often proves quite successful for a series writer to devote one or two books in a line to one character with an offshoot story. This adds to the development and allows the writer free reign on new content without repetition.
The author’s knowledge of nautical jargon is excellent and the mode in which the characters travel the void is quite unique. Basically, ships and objects retain their own atmosphere and gravity bubble. This freedom of movement concept gives the author free reign on design of ships traveling throughout space.
The Voidhawk and other ships in the series follow a comparable design of ships of the 18th and 19th centuries. The vessels host weapons such as harpoon cannons, boarding gear and single shot pistols or swords for crew members. Descriptions of the quarters along with the overall use and purpose of the transport vessel in the story is also similar to the colonial era. The idea of solar sail propulsion, a method of fueling the ships, becomes a believable concept without the overuses of technical speak usually found in science fiction.
The Voidhawk crew explores new worlds and strange species, always dancing between magic and mysticism, science and speculation. There is surprise for both the sci-fi reader and fantasy fanatic around every page. With these unique qualities in mind, one could argue that a series of this type would be a tough sell to a publisher or agent. Which genre would a writer of this kind of work target? Publishers could easily scoff at the idea of marketing a fringe concept to a reader base that can often be polarized.
Tomorrow, I will lay out the ground work for self-publishing a book like this among others. The point will essentially be to educate my two readers (if they are willing) on the eBook market, hopefully someone, anyone will continue the discussion. Can I get anybody more coffee?
If anyone else would like me to review their book/magazine/crayon drawings, send $200 dollars in a hilarious birthday card to Kennesaw, GA. They'll know where to find me. Or, you could simply email me: marc.crepaux@gmail.com
I thoroughly enjoy this series and even wrote a paper on it and the self-publishing market for my Intro to Modern Science Fiction class at national university www.national.edu . One day this week, I will really dig into the self-publishing market and lay out some ground work, likely boring one of my two readers out there. First though, Mr. Halstead does a great job with the Voidhawk series.His books can be found on Amazon here: http://www.amazon.com/Jason-Halstead/e/B0049AXHP2/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1364312389&sr=8-1 among other places. I haven't been able to read his other works yet, mostly due to time, but I have already loaded my Kindle with some of them for the next trip. I am still trying to finish Needful Things by Stephen King alone, at night, with only my Kindle lamp to guide me, so I get a little scared, plus King is wordy as hell. Onto the review:
The new and exciting digital book market has brought in a score of new readers and writers alike. With the explosion of both demand and production of books, many new sub genres and marketing tools have been created to keep up. Jason Halstead is one of those exciting young writers that is paving a new way forward and taking advantage of an ever-changing marketplace. He has published forty four novels which span the genres of science-fiction, fantasy, action and pulp. This author has also managed to mold science-fiction and fantasy seamlessly into one comfortable genre with his Voidhawk series. This series represents Halstead’s use of unconventional tactics, genre flexibility and eBook marketing strategy.
Eventually, the roster is somewhat complete as the story continues into the second book of the series. The crew is ultimately rounded out with a female elf, half-elf, human juggernaut, a werewolf/paladin, an adolescent female slayer creature, and an indestructible pleasure golem. Others characters appear throughout the series who are either permanent or temporary. The diversity of fantasy characters which Halstead develops to make the crew of the Voidhawk is somewhat typical of the fantasy quest. Each character adds unique skills to the ever-changing mission as the crew flies through space for hire.
Mixing of typical fantasy characters with a common goal would seem trite in this day in age. J.R.R. Tolkien was one of the most well-known authors who created many of the character types we see in modern fantasy. With so many Tolkien knock-offs and Dungeons & Dragons, or gamer quest based tales produced, it can be difficult for an aspiring author to find a niche. After the release of The Lord of the Rings movies, the challenge for the author lies in pulling a fantasy work off and succeeding with a very expecting audience. On the other hand, the physical qualities of these characters are already set for a writer in this genre. A writer rarely has to explain what an elf or a dwarf looks like. This allows an author to build further on these traits and focus on substantial character development.
Book three of the Voidhawk series, Redemption, is largely devoted to an offshoot story of the main human juggernaut crew member, Rosh. Rosh’s character is another example of shallow turned deep. This character starts as a happenstance oaf who is guarding the original crew after being captured. He later becomes immortal, convinces an entire world that he is their creator, and is an excellent example of the duality of man. It often proves quite successful for a series writer to devote one or two books in a line to one character with an offshoot story. This adds to the development and allows the writer free reign on new content without repetition.
The author’s knowledge of nautical jargon is excellent and the mode in which the characters travel the void is quite unique. Basically, ships and objects retain their own atmosphere and gravity bubble. This freedom of movement concept gives the author free reign on design of ships traveling throughout space.
The Voidhawk and other ships in the series follow a comparable design of ships of the 18th and 19th centuries. The vessels host weapons such as harpoon cannons, boarding gear and single shot pistols or swords for crew members. Descriptions of the quarters along with the overall use and purpose of the transport vessel in the story is also similar to the colonial era. The idea of solar sail propulsion, a method of fueling the ships, becomes a believable concept without the overuses of technical speak usually found in science fiction.
The Voidhawk crew explores new worlds and strange species, always dancing between magic and mysticism, science and speculation. There is surprise for both the sci-fi reader and fantasy fanatic around every page. With these unique qualities in mind, one could argue that a series of this type would be a tough sell to a publisher or agent. Which genre would a writer of this kind of work target? Publishers could easily scoff at the idea of marketing a fringe concept to a reader base that can often be polarized.
Tomorrow, I will lay out the ground work for self-publishing a book like this among others. The point will essentially be to educate my two readers (if they are willing) on the eBook market, hopefully someone, anyone will continue the discussion. Can I get anybody more coffee?
If anyone else would like me to review their book/magazine/crayon drawings, send $200 dollars in a hilarious birthday card to Kennesaw, GA. They'll know where to find me. Or, you could simply email me: marc.crepaux@gmail.com
Monday, March 25, 2013
The Dabbler Strikes Again
It appears that the two people that read my blog are only up at night and I wouldn't want to disappoint my audience by only blogging during morning coffee so here is your nightly shot of powerful insight and highlights from the day back home in Kennesaw, GA.
Today was a fascinating day, met with the trailer park men (owners) and was introduced to a wonderful new side of the Underbelly. I saw free decrepit trailers for the taking, chickens dancing, all in an urbanish environment outside an Air base. I was inspired by the smell of mold, cat piss, and the freedom that comes from mobile homes broken into for years. I am rekindled at the thought of somehow, somewhere in America people are picking up the pieces and moving on. To what?I have no idea, just keep moving. I stepped into a time machine there to the future, a post-Apocalyptic wonderland fit for the children and rust. While I wasn't carrying at the time, my gracious host was, openly, in this great place we call Georgia. I felt well protected and important. I had an amazing trip and was even offered the grand opportunity to buy in on this miraculous business venture. The Mrs. and I will pass this time, but I will keep an eye out for trailer parks here in the northern areas further from Atlanta so that I may too own a piece of a micro American dream.
I did start a business today with my good friend, Joel, which was my first unofficial meeting of the morning. It is so polite for an Ogre to text "Knock, knock" instead of banging on the door. I discovered that he too had a blog, but it is somewhat mismanaged. We have been knocking heads together for awhile regarding the joint business venture we need to accomplish and have finally come to an agreement. The first meeting ended with only defined questions but by the end of the day, we've developed the handshake plan for my newest business venture J&M Power sports. Essentially, we are going to buy/fix/sell stuff that wives hate men to buy on impulse like Boats, Motorcycles, knives, loose women and vegetable baskets. We will launch officially soon and eventually come up with a better name.
Speaking of good names for Power sports business, I want to give a shout out to my friend Jon Adams and his Power sports company in Central New York:
https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Pin-Up-Powersports/308293999198689
Really cool logo there Jon.
I probably talked too much today like I always do and I listed for the trailer guy my current endeavors that aren't helping me focus. I know you all need a list, so I am going to conveniently display my dabblings that I thought about out loud today with other people, I am unsure about the reaction so if I still have a following tomorrow after the head spins, see you after/during coffee.
1. Literary magazine
2. J and M Power sports
3. Farmer
4. Music Producer
5. Copywriter
6. Writer
7. English professor (yoyo)
8. Taxi tycoon
9. Trailer Park tycoon
10. Tycoon tycoon
11. Professional Scapegoat
This list is not in any particular order, remember that when it goes to microfiche.
Today was a fascinating day, met with the trailer park men (owners) and was introduced to a wonderful new side of the Underbelly. I saw free decrepit trailers for the taking, chickens dancing, all in an urbanish environment outside an Air base. I was inspired by the smell of mold, cat piss, and the freedom that comes from mobile homes broken into for years. I am rekindled at the thought of somehow, somewhere in America people are picking up the pieces and moving on. To what?I have no idea, just keep moving. I stepped into a time machine there to the future, a post-Apocalyptic wonderland fit for the children and rust. While I wasn't carrying at the time, my gracious host was, openly, in this great place we call Georgia. I felt well protected and important. I had an amazing trip and was even offered the grand opportunity to buy in on this miraculous business venture. The Mrs. and I will pass this time, but I will keep an eye out for trailer parks here in the northern areas further from Atlanta so that I may too own a piece of a micro American dream.
I did start a business today with my good friend, Joel, which was my first unofficial meeting of the morning. It is so polite for an Ogre to text "Knock, knock" instead of banging on the door. I discovered that he too had a blog, but it is somewhat mismanaged. We have been knocking heads together for awhile regarding the joint business venture we need to accomplish and have finally come to an agreement. The first meeting ended with only defined questions but by the end of the day, we've developed the handshake plan for my newest business venture J&M Power sports. Essentially, we are going to buy/fix/sell stuff that wives hate men to buy on impulse like Boats, Motorcycles, knives, loose women and vegetable baskets. We will launch officially soon and eventually come up with a better name.
Speaking of good names for Power sports business, I want to give a shout out to my friend Jon Adams and his Power sports company in Central New York:
https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Pin-Up-Powersports/308293999198689
Really cool logo there Jon.
I probably talked too much today like I always do and I listed for the trailer guy my current endeavors that aren't helping me focus. I know you all need a list, so I am going to conveniently display my dabblings that I thought about out loud today with other people, I am unsure about the reaction so if I still have a following tomorrow after the head spins, see you after/during coffee.
1. Literary magazine
2. J and M Power sports
3. Farmer
4. Music Producer
5. Copywriter
6. Writer
7. English professor (yoyo)
8. Taxi tycoon
9. Trailer Park tycoon
10. Tycoon tycoon
11. Professional Scapegoat
This list is not in any particular order, remember that when it goes to microfiche.
I want to make it clear to the two people that read my first blog post that I do not intend on making my blog a stupid rant that goes on forever and ever with the woe is me attitude and all that mess. I would like to have a good time here and encourage many people to contribute to the chaos and the scathing reports. I will however, always have:
1. lists
2. poor penmanship
on this blog. Maybe one day I will go total pro sports writer blog on you and lists will have to scale down a bit. Until then, dry humor is the way to go, just like washing machines were.
My mild acquaintance, John Shirley blog:
Wandering Thoughts: What We Think We Know...about Victorians
is pretty good. He seems to know what he is doing with blogging so I will attempt to lure him into Rusty Wheels with some random junk from the closet and cheese so I can pick his brain. Hopefully he responds in this open forum here and changes the whole dynamic.
Have to go for now, I am meeting with some people who bought a trailer park (or, at least part of one) in Marietta, GA., after my Ogre friend stops by, maybe he will have some dynamic business venture for me as I am perfectly capable of doing the following in five minutes:
1. Build a website for the business venture
2. Online marketing for the business venture
3. Making a phone number so people can call and demand things from the business.
Check out this poorly maintained blog: http://joeldockery.blogspot.com/
The list at the bottom is my resume for all inclined to give me money. It lists all the jobs I've had since the beginning, if I've missed any, let me know.
janitor, waiter, fry boy, cashier, construction, musician, real estate,mover, warehouse goon, bellman, doorman, concierge, online bookseller, back to construction, soldier, security guard, student, airborne daddy, bookstore owner, forklift driver, taxi driver, taxi business owner, flip cars, writer, poet, painter, part time farmer
1. lists
2. poor penmanship
on this blog. Maybe one day I will go total pro sports writer blog on you and lists will have to scale down a bit. Until then, dry humor is the way to go, just like washing machines were.
My mild acquaintance, John Shirley blog:
Wandering Thoughts: What We Think We Know...about Victorians
is pretty good. He seems to know what he is doing with blogging so I will attempt to lure him into Rusty Wheels with some random junk from the closet and cheese so I can pick his brain. Hopefully he responds in this open forum here and changes the whole dynamic.
Have to go for now, I am meeting with some people who bought a trailer park (or, at least part of one) in Marietta, GA., after my Ogre friend stops by, maybe he will have some dynamic business venture for me as I am perfectly capable of doing the following in five minutes:
1. Build a website for the business venture
2. Online marketing for the business venture
3. Making a phone number so people can call and demand things from the business.
Check out this poorly maintained blog: http://joeldockery.blogspot.com/
The list at the bottom is my resume for all inclined to give me money. It lists all the jobs I've had since the beginning, if I've missed any, let me know.
janitor, waiter, fry boy, cashier, construction, musician, real estate,mover, warehouse goon, bellman, doorman, concierge, online bookseller, back to construction, soldier, security guard, student, airborne daddy, bookstore owner, forklift driver, taxi driver, taxi business owner, flip cars, writer, poet, painter, part time farmer
Sunday, March 24, 2013
Wanna Be a Blogger
Someone recently told me that if I want to get anywhere in my desired profession, I must be a blogger. This sounds stupid even now, considering the fact that I should be working on my books and not blogging at all, every word counts.
What is my desired profession? Not sure yet, will let you all know what I want to be when I grow up. For now, I am at another crossroads where the "evil doers" are trying to get me to work for them and I am truly thankful the economy is in the state that it is in so that I can continue to sham and use it as an excuse for not getting a "real job" or starting a "real" career. I may or may not be an Army officer, so we'll leave politics out of this for the most part and just discuss the facts.
Facts:
1. I hate working for other people. (not totally true if you are cool)
2. I hate going around to interviews, proving myself to other people.
3. I like wearing suits, uniquely designed ones though but not for other people.
4. I have about four albums worth of material to be put out, sitting in my basement, waiting to be edited (music).
5. I have four galleries worth of empty canvas, paper, paint, charcoal and ink in my basement.
6. I have three books that are not finished.
7. I have poetry that is ready to be submitted, but to whom?
8. I have a 1983 Volvo 240 DL that I planned on restoring that is sitting at a shop, me and the shop owner are having a stand-off.
9. I have a part-time/sometimes mega full time job that demands physical and mental labor, travel, and danger that allows me to pay some taxes and gives me cheapish health insurance.
10. I have too many ambitions.
11. I want to be a writer/publisher/musician/producer/poet/blacksmith/hero/artist/traveller...guy.
12. I want someone to give me land with no zoning restrictions, point to it and say here kid, do what you will.
Now that we have gone through these 12 very important facts to nobody in particular, I think it is obvious that I am a dabbler and I should probably just be a farmer. How can I get a small business loan? I looked it up once and was turned away. If anyone would like to offer any advice, please send a $200 check and the advice scribbled on a paper airplane made from a yellow legal pad, all other career advice will be turned away.
What is my desired profession? Not sure yet, will let you all know what I want to be when I grow up. For now, I am at another crossroads where the "evil doers" are trying to get me to work for them and I am truly thankful the economy is in the state that it is in so that I can continue to sham and use it as an excuse for not getting a "real job" or starting a "real" career. I may or may not be an Army officer, so we'll leave politics out of this for the most part and just discuss the facts.
Facts:
1. I hate working for other people. (not totally true if you are cool)
2. I hate going around to interviews, proving myself to other people.
3. I like wearing suits, uniquely designed ones though but not for other people.
4. I have about four albums worth of material to be put out, sitting in my basement, waiting to be edited (music).
5. I have four galleries worth of empty canvas, paper, paint, charcoal and ink in my basement.
6. I have three books that are not finished.
7. I have poetry that is ready to be submitted, but to whom?
8. I have a 1983 Volvo 240 DL that I planned on restoring that is sitting at a shop, me and the shop owner are having a stand-off.
9. I have a part-time/sometimes mega full time job that demands physical and mental labor, travel, and danger that allows me to pay some taxes and gives me cheapish health insurance.
10. I have too many ambitions.
11. I want to be a writer/publisher/musician/producer/poet/blacksmith/hero/artist/traveller...guy.
12. I want someone to give me land with no zoning restrictions, point to it and say here kid, do what you will.
Now that we have gone through these 12 very important facts to nobody in particular, I think it is obvious that I am a dabbler and I should probably just be a farmer. How can I get a small business loan? I looked it up once and was turned away. If anyone would like to offer any advice, please send a $200 check and the advice scribbled on a paper airplane made from a yellow legal pad, all other career advice will be turned away.
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