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You may have noticed some subtle changes to my social media and official site recently.
Here is the good news: MillerWords, LLC is now accepting submissions for publication.
The plan is simple - a streamlined publishing experience which gives more control to the author.
MillerWords will format and produce both paperback and eBooks, then partner with the author to promote the stories in the most creative ways possible.
The question is simple - What can I do for you?
With over 20 years of customer service and retail experience, my goal is to help in any way that I can. I have been a traditionally published author since 2008 and I want to produce professional, attractive books that will look great on any shelf. Through
Authors in the Park, I will offer the added benefit of promoting local authors and selling anything in the
MillerWords library.
If you have been trying to decide whether to self-publish, send me an email. If you are tired of rejection letters, send me an email. If you have any questions, send me an email.
MillerWords pricing and contracts are very competitive and fully negotiable. Whether it is one book for a family reunion or the launch of your best-seller career, I want to help you make that dream a reality.
MillerWords is not a vanity press or self-publishing.
Your book will be registered with the Library of Congress, have an ISBN, and the MillerWords imprint.So, what can I do for you?
By: Mark Miller,
on 4/20/2016
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It's never too early to start planning for the holidays, right?
I had to get a head start on this one. December 10, 2016 will be the 5th anniversary of Authors in the Park and we will be celebrating in style with the "Christmas Book-tacular"
What is Authors in the Park (AIP)?
It's a local event for local authors. Basically, its a way to promote the little guys (like me). Past events have featured local authors, new break-out writers, regional favorites, international best-sellers and even a rock-and-roll legend. It's a great way to be involved in the community with raffles donated by local businesses, art strolls, wine tastings. We have done quite a lot.
That's why we wanted to go big this year to celebrate. The upcoming event will host 40 authors - who can register here:
Check out the link to see the schedule for the day. I will give you a hint: there will be an author reception, two guest speakers and a huge public expo for authors to sell and sign their works.
Jaimie M. Engleis an award-winning author from Brevard County, Florida. She has written professionally since 2003 with publications in Space Coast Living Magazineand Florida Today Newspaper along with Writer’s Digest and the Dr. Laura Program. She independently published her anti-bullying children’s book Clifton Chase and the Arrow of Light in 2013, which won a BRAG Medallion in 2015 and was listed as a Top 10 Book in 2014 by Kid Lit Reviews. She published The Dredge in 2014, an L. Ron Hubbard Writer’s of the Future honorable mentions. Engle ran the Marketing Dept for an independent publishing house and lectures regularly at colleges, conferences, schools, and libraries. She runs her own editing & marketing firm to educate authors on marketing and publicity. Follow her at www.jaimiengle.com and hire her atwww.awriterforlife.com.
Dan Walsh is the bestselling author of 16 novels including The Unfinished Gift, The Discovery and When Night Comes. He has won 3 Carol Awards (finalist 6 times), 3 Selah Awards and 3 of his books have been finalists for RT Review’s Inspirational Book of the Year. A member of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) and Word Weavers International, Dan writes fulltime in the Daytona Beach area. He and his wife Cindi have been married 39 years. You can find out more about his books or follow him on Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads or Pinterest from his website at http://www.danwalshbooks.com.
There is only one thing missing - YOU!
AIP is extending an open invitation to you, the author, the independent, the self-published, the regional celeb. Registration is open now and space is limited. As of this writing, there are less than 30 tables still available. Early registration ends May 31st and the fee goes up after that. So, don't wait!
Register now and celebrate with us!
NYT bestselling author Jamie McGuire started her career as a self-published author.
Her fourth book Beautiful Disaster was picked up by Simon & Schuster’s Atria imprint and became an international bestseller. Yet after her contract ran out, she’s decided to go back to self-publishing. In an interview on Smashwords, she explains why. Check it out:
The deciding factor though was realizing that I had signed foreign book deals for five to seven years on average, and my domestic deals were indefinite. That made sense before ebooks, but because the overhead for digital books is negligible, publishers can make them available indefinitely. Before, authors might have once been able to see rights returned to find new ways to revive their backlists, but now, signing is permanent. Going forward, I knew I could potentially make more money holding on to my digital rights because ebooks are forever.
Maude by Donna Mabry returns to the top of the Self-Published Bestsellers List this week.
To help GalleyCat readers discover self-published authors, we compile weekly lists of the top eBooks in three major marketplaces for self-published digital books: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords. You can read all the lists below, complete with links to each book.
If you want more resources as an author, try our Free Sites to Promote Your eBook post, How To Sell Your Self-Published Book in Bookstores post and our How to Pitch Your Book to Online Outlets post.
If you are an independent author looking for support, check out our free directory of people looking for writers groups.
Amazon Self-Published Bestsellers for the Week of February 18, 2015
1. Maude by Donna Mabry: “In 1906, I was barely over fourteen years old, and it was my wedding day. My older sister, Helen, came to my room, took me by the hand, and sat me down on the bed. She opened her mouth to say something, but then her face flushed, and she turned her head to look out the window. After a second, she squeezed my hand and looked back in my eyes.”
2. Beneath This Ink by Meghan March: “I’ve always known she was too good for me, but that never stopped me from wanting her. And then I finally had her for one night. A night I don’t remember. I figured I’d blown my shot.”
3. Prick: A Stepbrother Romance by Sabrina Paige: “Caulter Sterling is a prick. A filthy-mouthed, womanizing, crude, spoiled, arrogant prick. The tattooed, pierced, panty-melting-hot son of a celebrity.”
4. Trace Trace Part Two by Deborah Bladon: “Vanessa Meyer had finally taken on the task of learning more about her birth mother. The twisted path that brought her to her family’s townhouse on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, also brought her face-to-face with the man who she’s been spending most of her nights with.”
5. Stepbrother Untouchable by Colleen Masters: “Calling Nate Thornhill a rich, cocky, arrogant asshole would be an understatement. He also happens to be stunningly handsome, popular, intelligent, and captain of both the Crew and Lacrosse teams at UVA. I hate him for thinking he’s untouchable—not because he’s a narcissistic, privileged, borderline-misogynistic heartbreaker—but because he’s right.”
6. A Shade of Vampire 10 by Bella Forrest: “Time is slipping through the Novaks’ fingers like sand. The only witch with the power to save them is already within their reach. But how does one fix what one doesn’t know exists?”
7. Departure by A.G. Riddle: “Harper Lane has problems. In a few hours, she’ll have to make a decision that will change her life forever. But when her flight from New York to London crash-lands in the English countryside, she discovers that she’s made of tougher stuff than she ever imagined.”
8. The Deal by Elle Kennedy: “Hannah Wells has finally found someone who turns her on. But while she might be confident in every other area of her life, she’s carting around a full set of baggage when it comes to sex and seduction. If she wants to get her crush’s attention, she’ll have to step out of her comfort zone and make him take notice…even if it means tutoring the annoying, childish, cocky captain of the hockey team in exchange for a pretend date.”
9. The Glassblower by Petra Durst-Benning: “In the village of Lauscha in Germany, things have been done the same way for centuries. The men blow the glass, and the women decorate and pack it. But when Joost Steinmann passes away unexpectedly one September night, his three daughters must learn to fend for themselves. While feisty Johanna takes a practical approach to looking for work, Ruth follows her heart, aiming to catch the eye of a handsome young villager.”
10. One Night Stand by J.S. Cooper: “It was only supposed to be one night! We met at a wedding. He was hot. And I’d been in a year’s drought.”
Smashwords Self-Published Bestsellers for the Week of February 25, 2015
1. Sixty Words or Phrases Commonly Misused by ESL/EFL Students Preparing for Universities By Kenneth Cranker
2. Health Promotion Pathways: Applied Activities for the Collegiate Classroom By Jennifer J. Edwards, Ph.D.
3. Job Searching in Student Affairs: Strategies to Land the Position YOU Want By Patrick Love
4. Negotiating for Success: Essential Strategies and Skills By George J. Siedel
5. English Grammar and Essay Writing, Workbook 2 By Maggie Sokolik
6. Neuropsychopharmacology By Nicoladie Tam, Ph.D.
7. This Time Is Divine: A Tribute To Black Tusk’s Jonathan Athon By Stereo Embers Books
8. Economics for Smart Citizenship By Mikel Cohick
9. Principles of Biology: Animal Systems By Nicoladie Tam, Ph.D.
10. Research Methods: Functional Skills By James H Cauraugh
Halfway Home: Drawing My Way Through Japan
By Christine Mari Inzer
Naruhodo Press
$11.95
ISBN: 978-0-9907014-0-8
Ages 12 and up
On shelves now
There’s been a lot of talk about the role of the reviewer when it comes to self-published books. Horn Book Magazine makes a point of not reviewing self-published fare of any sort. Kirkus, in contrast, makes quite a penny off of doing precisely that. And bloggers? Bloggers make their own rules. Some eschew anything but the professionally published while others are open to all comers. I fall somewhere in the middle. In my experience, you should always be open to self-published books because once in a while you’ll find a diamond in the rough. It might take a while to find them but they’re out there. I receive roughly 2-3 requests to review self-published fare a day, on average. I don’t review books not originally published in the current year and I don’t review books that are only available in an ebook form. That knocks out roughly 60% of the requests I receive right there. I also don’t review YA, so when I was contacted about Christine Mari Inzer’s illustrated memoir Halfway Home I sent a politely regretful email saying I’d be unable to review the title. As it happened, the book had already been sent to me in the mail so I figured I’d just hand it over to the YA specialist in my office and be done with it. Then I saw it firsthand. You know, when folks like Jeff Smith (Bone), Hope Larson (A Wrinkle in Time), and Kate Williamson (A Year in Japan) are blurbing a high school senior’s memoir of a time spent in a foreign country, you know something’s probably up. Funny and smart with a personal journey that’s infinitely relatable to young readers everywhere, Inzer’s first foray into publishing will leave readers wanting something very specific: more.
Meet Christine. In the summer of 2013 she had a chance to spend a whopping eight weeks in Japan with her maternal grandparents. Born in America with a Japanese born mom, Christine hadn’t visited Kashiwa, a small city outside of Tokyo, since she was ten. Now she’s traveling by herself and recording it all. From crepes and ramen to Kashiwa Matsuri and 6 a.m. sushi, Christine records everything with wit and a surprising amount of acumen. By the time she returns home she’s older, wiser, and more self-assured, though she misses Japan like crazy even before she’s home. But as the quote in the front of the book says, “Each day is a journey, and the journey itself home” – Matsuo Basho.
It’s hard to get perspective on your life when you’re 30, 40, even 50 years of age. Now imagine that you’re a senior in high school and you’ve managed to define for yourself what it is to straddle two very different cultures, both of which you love deeply. Near the end of the book Christine is traveling on a train back to the airport to leave Japan once more. She writes, “What was most painful was when the train doors closed, and Baba was standing outside. And also, the scenery outside the window. Old house rooftops and rice fields and everything, so vivid with color, and I was passing by all of it for the last time.” She concludes eventually that being split between the two countries, she can only be halfway home at any given time. Though the book could be read as a graphic novel, it’s the author’s written passages like this that give it heft and weight. You’re not reading fluff when you read “Halfway Home”. You can get something out of it and apply it to your own life.
To be honest, when I saw the blurbs the book had received I found them interesting but it was Inzer’s artistic style that actually put my mind to rest best. The book is drawn like an artist’s sketchbook, only it has a coherent narrative present throughout. Inzer alternates between pages where the text and images cohabit together to panels to simple images of architecture or food. Photos are also meshed into the final product and help it enormously. The end result is a book that will inspire as many teen readers as it will amuse.
To my mind, all the great cartoonists have one thing in common: if they are writing a memoir then they consistently make themselves less attractive in their comics than they are in real life. This makes perfect sense. If you’re being honest about your life and how you live then often you’ll draw yourself as the “you” that you feel matches the “you” inside your skin. So while the pronounced eyebrows do their best to render Christine heavy browed, you get the distinct sense that she’s just drawing the “Christine” that best represents her inner self. It’s a sophisticated choice on her part. One you’d expect from a cartoonist far older than her scant 17 years.
And it’s funny! Honestly really very funny. Yet not primarily in an “isn’t it funny how they do things in Japan” way. Plenty of books go that route and it’s honestly the easiest way to write a travel manual. I-went-here-and-saw-this-crazy-thing will only get you so far when you’re trying to write a serious book. Fortunately, Christine mixes things up. Because the book has a sketchbook style to it, you really do feel like you’re with Christine every step of the way. And while she’ll milk humor from enormous corner condom stores, toilets, and bathtime, she also knows how to work in situational humor (her Baba’s conversation with a monk is classic), flights of fantasy (imagining Tyra Banks hosting “Japan’s Next Top Maiko”), and everyday moments (flight woes, being eaten alive by deer, etc.). She even uses tropes that I enjoyed greatly, like having her 10-year-old self interact with her present day self (very Hark, a Vagrant).
I once worked the children’s reference desk just a floor below a very active teen library. Since my floor had the nearest bathrooms, we were constantly fielding an array of rather adorkable YA readers. Those that always fascinated me the most were the ones obsessed with Japan. They’d been introduced to it via manga and that obsession had turned into a full on love affair. They learned the language. They read everything they could about it. For them, Halfway Home would read like a How To manual of everything they’ve ever wanted in life. But its appeal stretches far beyond those kids already fixated on the topic. Humor and heart are difficult things to invest in any YA title. You usually either get one or the other. Inzer gets both in a book that feels professional and reads beautifully. Recommended heartily and with a MOS Burger lifted in thanks.
On shelves now.
Like This? Then Try:
Source: Final copy sent by author for review.
Professional Reviews: Kirkus
Today's guest shares a nice Q&A with us. Dlesheree Gladden is the author of Wicked Hunger and she wants to tell us a little about it.
Q: When did you first start writing?
A: I first started writing when I was a teen. It was mainly just a hobby at that time, and I wasn't very good. After I got married my husband encouraged me to focus on writing and get into publishing. His support has made all the difference.
Q: Do you read much? If yes, have you always loved reading?
A: I have always loved reading. When my mom would take us to the library when I was little I rarely left with less than twenty books, and I always had them all read by the time we went back for more books.
Q: Who's your favorite author? What's your favorite book?
A: This is always such a tough question because I have so many. Can I pick two? Jim Butcher and Brandon Sanderson are at the top of my list. I love the Dresden Files and the Mistborn Trilogy.
Q: What writers have influenced you the most?
A: Patricia C. Wrede and Jim Butcher. Wrede's books were the first books I really fell in love with. Her characters brought the whole story to life. Butcher's imaginative and unique take on magical creatures and elements inspires me to stretch my mind and be creative.
Q: Do you have a favorite fictional character? Either from a book or movie or a tv show?
A: I think I'd have to pick Mat Cauthon from the Wheel of Time books. Even though 15 rather long books, he always surprised me and kept things interesting.
Q: What are you working on right now? Can you tell us something about it?
A: Too many things at once! I'm working on the sequel to Wicked Hunger, called Wicked Power, which will continue the story of Van and Zander Roth as the explore the world of the Godlings and try to figure out who to trust. I'm also working on a sequel to Escaping Fate. Soul Stone follows Arra as she discovers new abilities. A new project, Invisible, a story about an invisible boy who discovers someone is trying to hunt him down, is the last project I'm focusing on. It will be featured on Wattpad starting in Sept. 2013.
Q: Is there anything in particular that you do to get in the mood to write, or to get in the 'zone'? Any particular pre-writing routines?
A: It just depends on my mood. Sometimes I want absolute quiet, an other times I need to have music in order to concentrate.
Q: Where do you do your writing?
A: I do most of my writing either on the couch or up in the extra room that is my office/sewing room. My computer shares the desk with two sewing machines and a dressmakers dummy, but it works!
Q: How do you approach your writing? i.e. - Do you do outlines? Character bios? Etc.?
A: I jump in and keep writing until I either get stuck or finish the book. I only outline when I absolutely have to and I've never once done a character bio.
Q: Do you have any advice for other writers?
A: Read a lot. There is so much you can learn from reading other writers' work. I get a lot of inspiration from favorite books. Authors I really admire encourage me to keep expanding my abilities and push myself.
Q: Are you a morning person or evening person? Day or night?
A: Night, definitely. I am not a morning person at all, although I taught a seven o'clock yoga class twice a week for over a year!
Q: Do you have any pets?
A: Nope. Between me and my husband, we're allergic to most pets. The ones we aren't allergic to are too smelly. Some day I'm sure my daughter will talk us into a dog regardless of allergies, but she hasn't been successful just yet.
Q: What's your favorite 'I need a break from writing' activity?
A: Reading a good book. I love losing myself in a story and I love sharing my favorites book with my kids now.
Q: How do you approach writing sex scenes? They can range from mild to wild. Where are you on the mild to wild meter?
A: Since I write YA, I don't really write sex scenes. I write steamy scenes when they are called for, but even in the adult books I'm working on, I have a closed door policy.
Q: Do you write in one genre? Or more than one?
A: All of my published books are YA urban fantasy, but I have three adult dramatic romances that I am working on right now.
Q: Are you self-published or with a publishing house?
A: Most of my books are self published right now. I worked with a publisher on The Destroyer Trilogy originally, but after many problems I decided to go back to self publishing. Wicked Hunger was signed with GMTA publishing early this year, and is now available from most major ebook retailers.
Q: What are your thoughts on getting a literary agent?
A: I've never worked with a literary agent, so I don't have a lot to go on to answer that question. I think it depends on their experience and contacts. If they can do more than an author can do on their own, I'm sure it would be a great partnership. The publishing industry is becoming more open to working directly with authors, though, so it will be interesting to see how their role changes in the future.
Q: What about marketing? How do you approach that area?
A: Most of my marketing is done online through social media, reviews, blog tours, workshopping, and participating in giveaways and author related events.
Q: What about beta readers? Do you use them? How many do you have? Where do you find them?
A: I have several great beta readers I work with. I have found beta readers through writing groups as well as recruited a few loyal readers and new readers through mutual friends and social media.
Q: What's your favorite food?
A: Green chile chicken enchiladas. Being from New Mexico, I love green chile!
Q: What's your favorite color?
A: Orange. I love fall colors, the dusty, muted reds and oranges of fall leaves.
Q: Is there a particular website or facebook page or blog that you, as a writer, find very helpful?
A: The Next Big Writer online writing community has helped me connect with so many wonderful authors. Goodreads is also a great place for authors. You can connect with readers and share updates about your writing.
Q: What's your favorite time of the year?
A: I love the fall. Living in a desert, it's always a relief when the heat starts to cool into nice autumn days.
Q: What's your most recent book about? And where can people buy it?
A: Wicked Hunger is the story of the Roth siblings. Vanessa and Zander Roth are good at lying. They have to be when they are hiding a deadly secret. Day after day, they struggle to rein in their uncontrollable hunger for pain and suffering in order to live normal lives. Things only get worse when Ivy Guerra appears with her pink-striped hair and secrets. The vicious hunger Ivy inspires is frightening, not to mention suspicious. Vanessa's instincts are rarely wrong, so when they tell her that Ivy's appearance is a sign of bad things to come, she listens. She becomes determined to expose Ivy's secrets. Vanessa tries to warn her brother, but Zander is too enamored with Ivy to pay attention to her conspiracy theories. One of them is right about Ivy . but if they lose control of their hunger, it won't matter who is right and who is wrong. One little slip, and they'll all be dead.
Q: As a writer, what do you feel is your strongest gift or talent or skill that you have, that helps you the most as a writer?
A: One thing readers have told me they enjoy are my characters. I always try make sure my characters are unique. I want them to have a life before the book starts. Their backstories drive the decisions they make in the book. I don't want readers to feel like the character was "born" on page one.
Q: Please share some of your links with us - facebook author page, website, where people can find your books?
A: Readers can find me online at:
About the book: Vanessa and Zander Roth are good at lying. They have to be when they are hiding a deadly secret. Day after day, they struggle to rein in their uncontrollable hunger for pain and suffering in order to live normal lives. Things only get worse when Ivy Guerra appears with her pink-striped hair and secrets. The vicious hunger Ivy inspires is frightening, not to mention suspicious. Vanessa’s instincts are rarely wrong, so when they tell her that Ivy’s appearance is a sign of bad things to come, she listens. She becomes determined to expose Ivy’s secrets. Vanessa tries to warn her brother, but Zander is too enamored with Ivy to pay attention to her conspiracy theories. One of them is right about Ivy … but if they lose control of their hunger, it won’t matter who is right and who is wrong. One little slip, and they’ll all be dead.
About the author: I live in New Mexico with my husband and two children. I love expressing my creativity through writing and painting and I get a lot of my inspiration from my family and from the culture and beauty of New Mexico. I write mainly Young Adult urban fantasy, but my writing interests are ever expanding. I am also currently in the Dental Hygiene Program at San Juan College, so 90% of my waking hours are devoted to thinking about teeth for the time being!
By: Mark Miller,
on 5/24/2013
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Today, we have the pleasure of talking with N.Y. Times and USA Today best-selling author Hugh Howey. He is the author of the award-winning Molly Fyde Saga and I, Zombie, but is perhaps best known for Wool.
Woolintroduces readers to the Silo Saga and a ruined and toxic landscape, where a community exists in a giant silo underground, hundreds of stories deep. There, men and women live in a society full of regulations they believe are meant to protect them. Sheriff Holston, who has unwaveringly upheld the silo’s rules for years, unexpectedly breaks the greatest taboo of all: He asks to go outside.
His fateful decision unleashes a drastic series of events. An unlikely candidate is appointed to replace him: Juliette, a mechanic with no training in law, whose special knack is fixing machines. Now Juliette is about to be entrusted with fixing her silo, and she will soon learn just how badly her world is broken. The silo is about to confront what its history has only hinted about and its inhabitants have never dared to whisper. Uprising.
Woolis available in hard cover, paperback, eBook and audio book. It is on the fast track to be a major motion picture and, at last count, has been picked up by 28 countries for translation. Amidst this whirlwind of success, Hugh was nice enough to answer a few questions about the man behind the books.
Mark Miller: In meeting other authors, I have found that our life story can sometimes be as interesting as the ones we create. Can you tell us a little about your life? What did you do before you were an author? How did that help you become an author?
Hugh Howey: I’ve had numerous jobs and careers. My main gig was as a yacht captain, which allowed me to see quite a bit of the world, meet fascinating people, and get in some wild predicaments. I think each of those helped me be a better writer. Roofing for two years was a great way to daydream and also a great job for wanting one where you worked from home in your pajamas.
MM:Roofing in your pajamas probably doesn’t work too well, but you might be able to get away with it on a yacht. Life experience is key to writing and it sounds like you’ve had some good ones. What about your hobbies, pajama-clad or not, do they add to your writing in any way?
HH:I’m a nut for photography. It definitely adds to my writing. It teaches you to see the details in the world. You also learn to tell a story with a single snapshot.
MM:I believe you share some of your photography on Facebook. You definitely share your life. Being a world traveler and best-selling author, how different is that life now versus about a year ago?
HH:Not so different when it comes to work. But a year ago, I was living in the mountains of North Carolina. Last June, my wife and I moved to south Florida when she took a different job. So that’s changed quite a bit. I now see more sand and far less snow!
MM:Less snow is always good. I will say, at least snow melts. Sand always seems to be hanging around and winds up in some odd places. You traded the beautiful mountains of North Carolina for the beautiful waters of South Florida. Even with the move, it sounds like you are traveling as much as ever. With all the travel and book tours, like Germany and Australia, what do you miss most from your old life? Does your wife have any thoughts on the subject? Does it affect her in any way?
HH:I miss the steadiness of my writing routine. Travel makes writing difficult. I think my wife gets worn out from me being away from home so much. Since I work from home, I normally keep up with the cleaning and food prep. I also watch and entertain the dog. So it’s a lot more work for her when I’m gone. Plus, I think she misses me. A little.
MM:That is a very familiar routine to me, except for the globe-trotting. Maybe you should try adding some children to the mix…but let’s change the subject. Many consider Wool a must read. When you open a book, what do you consider a must read? What elements are you looking for to make it a must read?
HH:For me, I have to learn something. It has to expand my mind. I mostly read non-fiction, but I read a work recently that blew me away with its prose and plot. It’s called Lexicon by Max Barry, and it comes out in June. One of those books you want to read a second time.
MM:Max is an Australian author and is also known for his online political simulation game Nation States. It sounds like he will be making his mark soon. There are so many up and coming authors these days with changes in independent, digital and self-publishing. There are also a growing number of authors and aspiring authors that write fan fiction, Amazon recently made an announcement about it. You have even posted about Wool fan fiction and seem to encourage it. How do you feel about other writers creating stories in your world? Have you written any fan fiction? If so, can you name the franchise?
HH:I fully support it. Of course, I would never ask or expect anyone to write fan fiction in my world, but when people approached me about it, I gave it my full blessing. The idea of charging money for the fan fiction came from me. I just feel like artists should be bold enough to ask for a dollar for their hard work. And a lot of the fan fiction is better than the source material. I haven’t written any fan fiction, but it’s something I’m keen on now that I’ve seen it work the other way. My first foray might be a Dr. Who episode, just for fun. Maybe I’ll shop it to the studio and see what they have to say. :)
MM:I can picture it now – the TARDIS materializes in a cave; the Doctor and his companion walk out and discover they are at the bottom of an enormous spiral staircase. Or maybe Firefly? After all, you are a captain. Also, don’t think I’ll let your “fan fiction is better than the source material” comment go unnoticed. It is something I have seen from you on more than one occasion: you appear to be a modest, genuine person. It is refreshing. You are as much an author as you are a fan. Allowing for a fanboymoment, are there any established authors that you would like to see write a story in your franchise? Any with which you would like to co-write anything?
HH:Oh, I would hate to suggest that anyone write stories in my franchise. That would have to be up to them. If I co-wrote something with another author, it would ideally be my wife. I’m trying to convince her to publish some self-help shorts. She’s a psychologist with a gift for helping people, and books could reach a much wider audience.
MM:There’s that modesty again. You wear it well and you seem to have a great relationship with your wife. Isn’t that every husbands’ dream to write with his wife? Or at least every husband that is an author? I even have a concept when I can convince mine to join me. We have covered quite a bit already, but I wanted to rewind a little and ask have you always wanted to be an author? And looking forward, where do you see yourself in five years? Still writing or pursuing another goal?
HH:Yeah, this has always been a dream of mine. In five years, I see myself on a sailboat, sailing around the world. Writing as I go, of course.
MM:With Shiftclimbing the charts, it looks like your long term goals are coming sooner rather than later. As you try to hold your laptop steady, bobbing on the Caribbean waves, can readers expect more stories from the silo? What others stories are you looking forward to sharing with the world?
HH: There’s one more book coming out in the series entitled Dust. It will be out August 17th of this year. And then it’s on to other stories.
MM:Every good story deserves to be a trilogy, at least. Whatever those other stories might be (hopefully one Dr. Who episode), this is only the beginning for you. Congratulations on everything so far and thank you for taking the time to be here today. I would like to end with a fun question: If you could be any fictional character, who and why?
HH:I’d be Han Solo. It’s everything I knew from being a yacht captain, but in outer space. That’s the job for me. With a Wookie for a best friend, which is like a dog, but better. A dog you can talk to and play chess with. Sign me up!
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By:
Steve Novak,
on 2/19/2013
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So, here's the deal.
I do a lot of covers for a lot of people these days. Sometimes when I whip up something for a client it doesn't exactly work for their book and I have to give it a second go. It's all part of the process. It happens.
Unfortunately, this means that I'm left with a pretty decent cover that doesn't have a home.
Covers are just like people, right? Every cover wants to be loved and every cover deserves a home.
Also, I'd like to at least get my money back for the stock images. That's a part of it too.
With that in mind I've decided to implement the First Annual Pre-Made Cover Extravaganza! (You know it's important because it's in caps.)
Here's how it works: Have a look at the covers below. If you think one of them might work for something you've written all you have to do is drop me a line at [email protected] (or leave a comment in the comments section) and it can be yours.
I'll remove the novakillustration.com watermark, plunk in your title and your author name, and even putz around with the fonts a bit if you think you'd like to try something different. If you like most of the concept but want to make some changes I'm sure we can work out a price that'll make every happy.
I'll do all of that for a measly $40. (Payable through Paypal)
Come on, that's a serious deal. Final images will be sent to you in printable 300dpi quality, as well as three sizes for all of your online needs.
Deal city, people. Deal city.
If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask.
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By:
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on 12/30/2012
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Henry and the Incredibly Incorrigible, Inconveniently Intelligent Smart Human
By Lynn Messina
Tater Tot Books
$7.99
ISBN: 978-0984901845
Ages 9-12
On shelves now.
Every year I swear to myself that I’ll review at least one self-published book written for kids. And every year I manage to do it, but only after sifting through countless manuscripts. The process is as close as I ever come to living the swanky life of an unpaid publishing company intern. Your slush piles ain’t got nothin’ on my slush piles. Why do I do it? Because every once in a great while I hit gold. Pure, uncut, rarified gold, my friend. I find a book that really is remarkable. Really is worth reading. Finding a picture book that falls into that category is hard enough. Chapter books for middle grade readers can be even trickier. The last time it happened was back in 2008 when I reviewed B.B. Wurge’s Billy and the Birdfrogs. Now at the tail end of 2012 I find the remarkable, hilarious, exciting, and downright diamond-in-the-rough worthy Henry and the Incredibly Incorrigible, Inconveniently Intelligent Smart Human. A smart little novel with a catchy hook I’ve not seen in a book for kids before, hand this one to the next kid who comes you whining that their teacher told them to read something “science fiction”. They’ll moan no more, guaranteed.
They say the 13th upgrade is the hardest. Insufficient comfort for a robot like Henry, though. Because of a bug in his system Henry just can’t keep up with the other kids in his class. Things seem pretty gloomy until good news arrives. Henry’s dad has just received a fantastic new appliance. It’s the HueManTech ETC-420- GX-2, a top of the line human meant to do menial tasks around the home. Trouble is, the human’s good. Too good. And the more time Henry spends with it, the more he comes to suspect that this human might be so smart it could be used as a weapon by the government itself. What’s a kid to do when his best friend’s an appliance? Save the day, of course.
The basic premise that robots are the productive members of society and humans merely their appliances is a joke that by all rights should get old fast. What’s remarkable is that not only does Messina pull it off, she turns it into world building. Slowly you begin to envision the fields where wild consoles are harvested and turned into video games. Where prisons are kept at ridiculously high temperatures to keep rogue robots in check. Where fire isn’t a concern but water can be death itself. To make the idea of robots human and humans robots, Messina had to be extraordinarily clear from page one onward about where Henry lived and what his world was like. At the same time, she sets him in a space that’s familiar to many a kid reader. What child can’t relate to being called on in class and unable to conjure up the correct answer at a moment’s notice? That’s the sly trick of the novel. It couches the strange in the familiar and ends up the stronger for it.
If the child reader is anything like myself then they’ll begin the book by trying to figure out if this is an entirely alternate reality, or if it’s some kind of post-apocalyptic world where robots have taken over and humanity has long since been forgotten. I kept wavering between the two possibilities for the better part of the book. This feeling was fed into by little hints Messina posed from time to time. For example, at one point E asks Henry where original ideas come from if robots are programmed to replicate only the same ideas over and over again. Henry finds this to be an impossible paradox, suggesting perhaps that robots aren’t the be all and end all. Later it becomes clear that there may be a conspiracy surrounding the creation of humans in the first place. I won’t ruin for you whether one theory or another was correct. Regardless, it satisfies sufficiently.
There are some distinct horrorific elements to the tale, but they’re told as matter-of-factly as if this were everyday fare. Humans that fail in their programming are sent to be compacted, easy peasy. It sort of has a slow creeping horror when you hear that. And really it isn’t until E is on the precipice of his own compaction that it’s drilled home to the reader. I had visions of the song “Worthless” from The Brave Little Toaster as all this happened. Or maybe Soylent Green. The funny thing is that though Messina ratchets up the tension, you don’t get a clear sense of the bloody process involved. And that is a-okay with me.
Alas, due to the number of times the book repeats the human’s official name of HueManTech ETC-420- GX-2, I’m afraid this won’t exactly be a readaloud, unless the reader is willing to shorten the little human’s name “E” or “ETC” for the bulk of the book. Aside from that it’s a pretty compact, smart bit of a novel. The kind of book that’ll make kids question the ease with which they treat their own iPads, iPods, and other handy dandy devices like things without feelings. A great discussion topic would be a thought about a next generation tablet so smart it has opinions of its own. Hey, man. Stranger things could happen. Just read this book if you don’t believe me.
On shelves now.
Source: Copy sent from author for review.
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There is a book trailer that I particularly like…
Children’s book writer Katherine Paterson, author of Bridge to Terabithia, once wrote that she had finished a draft of a novel and dramatically announced to her husband that the draft was awful and she was quitting. He calmly said, “Oh, you’re at that stage.”
Yes, there are Stages of Writing that we go through. Recently, a new writer bemoaned his lack of progress and someone suggested that he read Ann Lamott’s Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life, which talks beginning writers through some of the emotional stresses of learning to BE a writer.
OK. You’re at the Bird by Bird stage, too. Here are some other books to help you through this stage.
Help for Fiction Writers
Help for Revising Your Fiction
If you make it past the first draft, sorry, but you’re not done yet. Now, it’s time to move to the next stage and revise.
Help for Poetry Writers
Writing Metrical Poetry: Contemporary Lessons for Mastering Traditional Forms by William Baer. Sure, I know that not many of you will be doing poetry. But this book is too good to pass up. On pp 12-17, Baer analyzes the famous line from Hamlet, “To be or not to be, that is the question,” and it’s the most succinct explanation of voice I have ever seen.
Help for Self-Published Writers
Help for ALL writers
To improve your writing skills, there are a couple of books that I always recommend. They aren’t for the faint of heart–learning to improve your writing takes time and attention to detail. Take it slow, doing a lesson a week or so. But I guarantee your writing will improve if you work at it.
Steering the Craft: Exercises and Discussion on Story Writing for the Lone Navigator or the Mutinous Crew by Ursula K. LeGuin.
This master of science fiction crafts a book on the craft of writing that will stretch you, whether you write fiction or nonfiction. Take the time to DO every exercise she suggests. Then, do them again.
The Art of Styling Sentences by Ann Longknife Ph.D. and K.D. Sullivan.
Do semi-colons confuse you? Do complex-compound sentences scare you? Then you simply MUST work through these twenty sentence patterns. When I worked through this book with a friend, I found it made more difference in my writing than anything else I had ever tried. It freed me to express my thoughts in complex ways–and get it right.
Just learned about 14 year old Chental-Song Bembry. She's the author of the children's book "The Honey Bunch Kids."This 64-page book was published in 2010. It took her nearly three years to write and illustrate her first book! The three characters in the book are in middle school and meet each other on the first day of classes after they miss the school bus. Have a look at this video of the
Ryan Pequin’s “The Walk” is available for sale now, and would agree with him if you asked me.
‘The Walk’ is a short story I wrote a while ago. The story is 19 pages, but the booklet is 24. I personally think it’s my best comics work ever and I think some other people would agree with me if you asked them. It is $9 and I will sign it for you. You can read it for free here.
Okay, You've Written a Children's Book.
You even have a publisher willing to publish it. . .
or
You've taken the "big leap" and self-published.
Now, you want to promote your book, and sell oodles of copies. . .
But, how do you get the book into Amazon, Borders, K-Mart, Wal-Mart, and all the other Marts out there, where parents, relatives, and friends go to buy books for kids?
. . .
IT ALL DEPENDS ON THE BOOK, AND WHO PUBLISHED IT.
Promoting and Selling Your Self Published Book:
It is difficult to get self-published books into the big online outlets and stores. Never take NO for an answer, and keep trying, is my best advice. There are professionals that can help you promote your book, IF you have a bunch of cash to spare: otherwise you are on your own. You will need to outlay some money, plus huge amounts of time and energy. RESEARCH and Thinking Out-of-the-Box is the name of the book promotion game, mates. Make the Internet your best friend.
. . .
*Make sure your website is cool, fun, and kid friendly.
*Write a killer Press Release.
*Research to see if your book has a niche market. Then, send a Press Release and cover letter to every place that fits that niche. Visit, e-mail, write, or phone them with the glad news about your book.
*Offer website fun that interests kids and parents: a print out puzzle or coloring sheet, a competition with your book as a prize, autographed copies from your website.
. . .
*Work up a great school program and contact schools near and far.
*Do library readings
*Send out Press Releases, followed up by phone calls, to the smaller newspapers, TV and radio stations in your area - and out of it.
*Contact local stores, and the managers of the larger chains in your area. Ask about a book signing, and if they will stock your book. Offer a DEAL they can't resist. A far smaller profit per book is better than nothing - right!
*NEVER leave planning to the store. YOU need to micro-manage everything so it goes smoothly - window signs, book supplies, balloons to attract interest, a table, a chair, and handouts. Even to reminding them that you will be there TOMORROW!
*Put your e-mail, web address and book's name on everything - your name too.
*Make your appearances fun events - dress up as a character in your book, have cuddly toys that represent your characters, forget your inhibitions, go for kid level fun and goofiness. This will pay off in sales, and even requests for return engagements.
*Give out freebies - bookmarks, coloring sheets, puzzles. Whatever fits the theme of your book.
Promoting and Selling Your Traditionally Published Book:
Any good traditional publisher, big or small, will get your book into Amazon, and other great online outlets. Brick and mortar stores, both large and small, are another thing altogether. Many are reluctant to deal with smaller publishers, because they have a return of unsold books policy. Some smaller publishers can't afford this, and that's when you smack into a brick wall.
Publishing today is in flux, so things change all the time. Make sure you know everything about your publisher's sales policies before you sign on the dotted line. And if the smaller stores in your area do not stock your book, a charming and gentle, in-person visit from you, could change their minds. A call to your publisher will have your books on their shelves ASAP. Even a
"special-order" request is better than nothing.
Again, see if you can work a deal between your small publisher and your book seller, or the local branch of that giant outlet. Anything is possible if you smile, and keep up a gentle insistence. When the going gets tough - offer a DEAL! Your publisher wants to sell books too.
Large publishers will put you in more stores, but often are less flexible regarding the small stores in your area. In these instances, nurturing a good relationship with your editor can be very helpful. These days, the BIG Guys still expect you to hit the pavement (or the Internet) running, and promote your book like mad. Books that do not sell do not get second or third printing runs. Publishers want sales that translate into profits. So, if your first book sits like a lump on bookstore shelves, and is returned to to the publisher by the truckload, they will not be too keen on publishing your next book - GOT IT.
. . .
Unfortunately, most of what I suggested above, to sell your self-published book, still applies if you have a traditional publisher - big or small, advance or no advance. So study my starred suggestions with care. Think about what would persuade you to buy a children's book from an author signing copies in a store - then DO THAT!!
I am sure there are other things you could do to promote and sell your book, however, at this moment I am plum out of ideas.
If I havent't listed the idea - be my guest
INVENT IT YOURSELF!
PS - June 20th
Read comments by Karen and Jessica.
They both added terrific NEW information
(Comments Welcome)
Oh My--Self-Published Picture Book Down with the P-O-T...
Take a look at this disturbingly hilarious (hilariously disturbing?) post on Galley Cat about a self-published picture book called It's Just a Plant (which I'm not linking to. OK yes I am--because you can click through and read this fine piece of literature ***), "an illustrated children's book about marijuana" that is "a book for parents who want to educate their children about the complexities of pot in a thoughtful, fact-oriented manner."
The commentary about the book from the former publisher of High Time magazine is, well, commentary from the former publisher of High Times. Dude.
*** in English, Finnish, German, Hungarian, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish or Thai. I kid you not. And don't miss the reviews (one of which calls the author "the Dr. Seuss of pot") from the likes of Entertainment Weekly, Bill O'Reilly, and David Crosby.
The number of African American Children's Book authors published in 2007 has declined nearly 12% since 2006!
The Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC) at the University of Wisconsin, Madison has tracked children's books by and about people of color in the US since 1994. Its study of African American children's book authors goes back further to 1985 (based on the books received by the CCBC).
Dr. Lydiah Nganga, is an assistant professor of Education at the University of Wyoming. She's also a native of Kenya, educated in both the US and Africa. And, she's the author of "My Sister Kairitu is Sick."
This 52-page, full-color children's book is about Kairitu, a young girl in Kahawa Sukari, a suburb of Nairobi, who wakes up one morning with a fever. Her sister, Kate, tells the reader
If you are interested in comparing the offerings of DOZENS of Print-on-Demand publishers, do check out the recently (Feb 2008) POD Database listing prepared by author Dehanna Bailee. This 22 page PDF is free from Dehanna. Enjoy!
Carla R. Sarratt, author of Freshman Focus: Carter G. Woodson High School, is blogging about her self-publishing experience on her blog, Keeping Up with Carla. Good stuff!
One of the joys I had in publishing Martha Ann's Quilt for Queen Victoria was in selecting the illustrator for the book. I went through dozens and dozens of artist portfolios and sent off about a dozen emails to see who might be 1) available 2) affordable and 3) appropriate for my book. Given it was my first children's picture book, I was looking for someone who had experience illustrating
By: Rebecca,
on 8/13/2007
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Earlier today we introduced you to The Bedside Dysmorphologist: Classic Clinical Signs in Human Malformation Syndromes and their Diagnostic Significance, by William Reardon. Dysmorphology is the study of congenital malformations. This afternoon we have another helpful excerpt, about persistent drooling.
Recognizing the Sign This hardly requires any clinical expertise, but a good history can inform the examination and investigation. The neonatal feeding history will often be of a poor feeding pattern, perhaps requiring nasogastric supplementation. Establish whether there was macroglossia at birth, cleft palate, or micrognathia. Was there any suggestion of velopharygeal incompetence on feeding, often represented by nasal regurgitation of milk during feeding? Gauge the progress of the child with respect to perceptive and expressive speech. (more…)
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I drew this last night and finished it today! Everytime I draw a face I learn SO much more about shading etc. I find it to be the hardest thing to draw.. but I am slowly learning how to make it easier. Dont forget to click for a bigger image so you can see all of the details!
'Evergreen - Click Image to View Larger Format
I was asked to design a poster for an art show in Mexico called 'DO2'. I had been thinking a lot about the environment and green related topics the past two days after reading an article titled 'Plastic Ocean'. I was inspired to create art that had a green theme to it. I decided to play off the tribal tattoo look but instead of being hard core I gave it a subtle foliage flair while limiting my color palette to greens.
I'd love to get this printed some day on recycled paper using soy inks to really push the whole green aspect of it. I think that would be really cool.
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This sounds amazing. Must procure for the teenage graphicnovelologist.