• Challenge,  On Writing,  publishing

    The Magic Bakery: An Epilog

    Epilog: A Comment Reminded Me… I used to wonder what rights I could sell to my fiction. What exactly those rights were all called. I thought for the longest time there were rules and I just couldn’t find the rules or the secret door to go through to discover where those rules were posted. I think all of us feel that way early on because we don’t understand the true nature of copyright when we start writing. In fact, most writers, even though they will spend years writing, don’t have a clue what they are trying to sell or license. And won’t spend one minute trying to learn it. Let…

  • On Writing,  publishing

    The Magic Bakery: A Chapter in the Center

    (Note: I forgot a major topic. The doors to the Magic Bakery. So this chapter will fit into the middle of the book somewhere.) Chapter (in the center)… Doors to the Bakery Any business must have a way to get into the business. For example, at our North collectable store here in town you can enter through an interior staircase and climb, or climb an exterior staircase. Both methods take some work for customers and we also have a special entrance in the back that comes in without stairs. Three entrances. We have the store full of enough cool stuff, we hope it is worth the customer’s climb. So how…

  • On Writing,  publishing

    Two Bundles With Two Novels

    Two Major Bundles Happening Right Now… And I am lucky enough to have books in both of them. MOONSCAPES BUNDLE and DARK CRIMES BUNDLE Both can be found at www.storybundle.com Even more fun, both bundles support the fantastic AbleGamers.com charity. I’ve talked about AbleGamers.com a few times over the last week or so. They are stunning. Both bundles also have a volume of Fiction River for a selection of short stories. And the new Dark Crimes Bundle also has a Year’s Best Crime and Mystery volume in it. Talk about a lot of reading. Moonscapes Bundle has one anthology and nine science fiction novels. Dark Crimes Bundle has two anthologies and…

  • On Writing,  publishing

    The Magic Bakery: Last Chapter

    Chapter Ten… Maintenance. This book, at its heart, has been about the business of fiction. And selling fiction. And the copyright associated with fiction. Fact: So many writers ignore copyright and eventually go away. Long-term writers know copyright and know how to get every bit of money we can from copyright. That might be the most important element to why a long-term writers is a long-term writer and not a “what-ever-happened-to” writer. Fact: So many writers equate the hours it took to write something with the value of the story. A short story can’t have much value because it only took four hours to write it. That is the thinking.…

  • Challenge,  On Writing,  publishing

    Domain Collecting

    Might Be Called Hoarding… By nature, I am a collector. Actually, by nature, I am a picker. I buy things to resell and have a wonderful time in the search. Finding something for a buck and selling it for a hundred has a real thrill attached. I actually collect and hold very few things. I sort of collect marbles (although we sell many) and very old paperback books. Old meaning the first 500 or so of each publisher back in the late 1930s up through 1960. That’s it. Everything else I buy to resell. Except for one small exception: Domains. Now I don’t go out and try to grab domains…

  • Challenge,  Lecture Series,  On Writing,  publishing

    New Lecture Available

    Advanced Business Lecture: Taxes for Writers… This is the second lecture in the Advanced Business Lecture series. The first one was on corporations for writers. This one is about taxes for writers. It is not tax advice, but more of an awareness of the concepts of how writers can save vast amounts of money if they understand taxes in their states, countries, and around the world. Those who bought the full series on the subscription, I sent codes to earlier. If you didn’t get a code, write me. If anyone is interested in just taking the lecture, the cost is $50 and you can find it at: http://wmg-publishing-workshops-and-lectures.teachable.com/ ——————– A…

  • Challenge,  On Writing,  publishing

    A Couple of Fun Things

    Anyone Want to Listen to Me Talk About Writing? Kevin Tumlison, on his Wordslinger Podcast, talked to me about my book Writing into the Dark. And about writing in general. Fun conversation since Kevin and I think very much alike in this area. You can listen to it at: http://kevintumlinson.com/podcast-rss/2017/6/9/wpc-116-writing-into-the-dark-with-dean-wesley-smith Thanks, Kevin!!! Second… A study has come out about creative types.  You can find it at…  http://bit.ly/2t6KUfb Why I am pointing this out is because the conclusions (after 40 years of study) are that no writer knows their own work and the more you write, the better chance you have at success. Go figure. Here is a quote from the…

  • Challenge,  On Writing,  publishing

    Writing a Novel In Five Days While Traveling Turned In

    Yup, Finally Put It Together… I’ve been meaning to since January. Turned out to be just under 10,000 words. It will be in the issue of Smith’s Monthly I am turning in tomorrow. And Ace High: A Cold Poker Gang Novel I wrote in those five days will be in the same issue. You want to read the novel and then read how I wrote it in five days, Smith’s Monthly #39 will be the place. Actually, you can sort of read both books right now. Ace High is already out for sale. And the chapters of the nonfiction book are all still here as blog posts. They start with…

  • Challenge,  On Writing,  publishing

    An Issue Turned In

    Finally Got Going Again with Smith’s Monthly… Took me a while to get going, but finally got the issue of Smith’s Monthly in to WMG. It has the novel I finished last night and four short stories and part of a nonfiction book. I will have the next issue turned in on Monday, since that has novel I wrote in January. Then to finish a book I started a long time back and get it turned in for another issue next week. Those of you who followed along in April know I started a new ghost of a chance series character called Marble Grant. That is the only story from that challenge in…

  • Challenge,  On Writing,  publishing

    How Long Does It Take Me to Write A Novel?

    I Get That Question… Honestly, most professional writers do all the time. Of course, the question comes from people who never read this blog. And without lying, I often tell them what they want to hear. (I never tell them I have written a full novel in five days while traveling.) For example, this book I just finished tonight I started back in late December. So to make those who believe in myths, I can safely say it takes me about six months to write a short novel. Let’s not mention that I did a novel in five days while in a hotel room in Las Vegas in January. Or have…