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Five Story Collections
A Brand New Series of Classes… Okay, this is not official yet, but here is what Kris and I are thinking for the Collection Class Series. This is the really fun idea that has popped up a bunch of times since the summer. This would not be part of the regular workshop classes or subscription, but something very different and you will see why. But the upshot is that by the end of the class, you will have published a five-story collection you didn’t have going into the class. Here is. the structure of each class in general. A nine week class. (Yes, I said nine weeks.) And each week…
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Time to Look Ahead…
And We Can!!! Finally, the end of this year is in site, a vaccine is in sight, and here in the States a new government is in site. So it is the 7th of December and time to slowly start making plans for the new year. Writing plans, business plans, exercise plans that were almost impossible to make four months (or even two months) ago. On exercise, since I finished the marathon, I overate and gave my feet time to heal, so gained five pounds. Winter/holiday weight I am sure, but going to drop it back off plus more after the holiday. So I am in the process of setting…
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Want Someone to Do It For Me…
I’ve Run Into This Lately A Few Times… Some writers are dead set on going to traditional publishing because they want someone to do the work for them. They believe their job starts and stops with writing. And back in 1990, that was the case. You wrote and the publisher published. Writers had no control at all and honestly in 1990 should not have asked for it or tried to get it. But that was thirty years ago. Writers now control everything, but beginning writers still come into writing wanting someone to do all the work for them. I’ve been trying to figure out why, since indie publishing is so…
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The True End of Trade Publishing…
At Least As Anyone Knows It… Trade publishing is what I call traditional publishing. The reason for the word “trade,” very, very, VERY simply put, is that the publishers don’t sell directly to readers, they sell into the trades. The trades in publishing are a distribution system that is an old-fashioned channel to get books from an old-fashioned printing presses to warehouses to distributors to bookstores and then into the hands of readers. (By the way, three of the major trade printers have filed for bankruptcy or shut down. That is another really bad sign that causes books to be extremely delayed.) Trade publishers do not care about readers and…
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Two New Classes… Two New Storybundles
All Kinds of Fun Stuff… I have three books in nifty StoryBundles right now. The first one is the Space Opera Storybundle and my collection, A Billion Earths is exclusive to the bundle, so you can get it along with some other really nifty books by great writers. The second book is an anthology I edited called A Twist of a Knife (best mysteries from Pulphouse Magazine.) It is in the Twist of a Knife Storybundle along with some other wonderful mystery books. I also curated this bundle and I also have my Cold Poker Gang novel Bad Beat in there. Three books in two Storybundles. How much fun is…
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A Problem I Am Just Starting to See…
Submissions to Major Magazines… I flat believe that everyone writing short stories and who wants a writing career long term should get into the habit of sending short stories to major magazine markets. I have gone over the reasons may times. All upside when your stories start to hit. And I have just assumed it was some fear thing that stopped writers from submissions of stories to major magazines. Fear caused by baseless critical voice issues that I just assume that if a writer can’t get past the fears, they will never be a long-term writer. And I think all of the above is true still. No opinion change on…
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A Challenge For Everyone for 2021…
My Challenge of 70 While I Am 70 Pushes Me… So I got a comment about structuring a short story publishing challenge for 2021 for others, especially writers just starting out. And I think it’s a great idea for a bunch of reasons for most writers. So I thought I would go into the reasons and the idea here. Challenge: Publish 52 Short Stories Stand Alone In 2021 Note, I did not say write, I said PUBLISH. Stories would have to be stand-alone, most selling for $2.99 electronic and $4.99 paper. (Under 3,000 words sell it for $1.99… never 99 cents.) A lot of writers I know have collections published…
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Book #1 of 70 Book Challenge
This Came Out On the First Day of the 70 Book Challenge… That’s right. On my birthday. TWIST OF A KNIFE: Best 10 Mystery Stories from the First Year of Pulphouse Fiction Magazine. Well, it is not officially published yet, but you can get it in the Twist of a Knife Storybundle. So it actually is published and available. It is exclusive there for another two weeks or so, then it will go on sale around the world and be sent to everyone who supported the Pulphouse Kickstarter campaign. It was the 4th stretch goal. The book was a fun one to put together, actually. And I had help from…
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Publishing 70 Books In One Year…
I’m Doing It! In my 67th year, three years ago, I started a challenge to publish 67 books in my 67th year. Then things kind of went sideways with a life roll and because Kris was so sick I moved her down here to Las Vegas just after the first of the year and then had to clean out our big house and the challenge went by the wayside. (I think I still got out about thirty books, but that was all momentum from the fall.) So now, since I just turned 70, I am tempting fate and going to do the challenge again. That’s right!! I am going to…
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Some Fun Thoughts…
And A Warning… As many of you know, or might have guessed, I spend a great deal of time reading news and information about the industry, both the traditional side and what can be found among all the promotion myths on the indie side. Some of it I pass along, some of it Kris and I talk about, some of it I just file away as information to see trends and so on. I consider this part of my job. Not for you folks, but because this is how I make my living and if I am not aware of my industry, I will make mistakes. Now some of you…