My Reaction to Chuck Wendig’s Recent Blog Posts

Tags

Chuck Wendig, self-published authors, self-publishing

Some of you in the self-publishing or even just the writing world may have heard of novelist Chuck Wendig’s two recent blog posts about self-publishing. They’re being discussed on author blogs, writing forums and social media sites, stirring up emotion for better or worse.

Basically, what Wendig is calling for is that self-published authors need to step it up.

That’s what I got out of his posts, and its been something I’ve been realizing more and more in recent months. Since self-publishing is here to stay, and many are choosing this option, it is best to take it to the next level.

In his first blog post, Self-Publishing is Not the Minor Leagues, Wendig says this:

See, here’s the thing. Though acting as author-publisher is a viable choice, it’s one that retains a stigma — lessened, these days, but still a stigma carried by other writers, by those in publishing, by bloggers, and in some cases by readers. The air, suffused with an eggy stink.

You want to get rid of the stigma once and for all? Clear the room of any bad smell?

Good.

Then it’s time to take a long look at the culture surrounding self-publishing. We’ve moved past the time where we need to champion the cause, okay? We’ve seen enough success in that space and have plenty of positive examples it’s time to stop acting as cheerleaders.

The sad truth about self-published books is that many are not produced well. Many of them are loaded with poor editing, and some even have poor cover designs. Some would say the stories are terrible, but that’s a matter of opinion and a whole different debate.

But yes, many self-published books are released with many typos and grammar issues. It has gotten to the point where many readers are refusing to read self-published books unless word of mouth assures them that a particular book has no editing issues.

Is this something we really want for ourselves? Do we really want that dark cloud hanging over our work like that? I don’t. My book had editing problems when I initially released it. Even though I fortunately got that fixed and re-released my book, the complaints are written in stone on Amazon, Goodreads and book review blogs. So, my book and my reputation as an author is another statistic. I don’t want that for myself in the future, and I don’t want that anymore for my fellow self-published writers.

We no longer have any excuses. There’s just no reason to shrug such flaws like that. We shouldn’t even shrug off lousy book covers or unprofessional behavior. If we want to be taken seriously and respected by writers and readers alike, then we have to take our work and ourselves as writers seriously. A few years ago, writers like ourselves raved that self-publishing was the future of books. We’ve helped revolutionize how books are produced. But with our unprofessional work and behavior, we’ve made ourselves look bad among readers, publishers and traditionally published writers. If we truly believe in what we are doing and creating, then we can’t live in denial about the reputation we have now.

I like it when Wendig says this:

Self-publishing isn’t a lifestyle choice.

It isn’t a hobby.

It’s not a panacea. It’s not pox on your home.

It is neither revolution nor religion.

Yes. It’s a business. Period.

(Oh, and it damn sure isn’t a place to improve your craft. That’s called “writing.” Writing is how you improve your craft — by doing a whole lot of it, by reading, by having your work read by friends and family and by other writers and by editors. Publishing is not where you improve your craft. You don’t learn to pilot an airplane by taking a job with U.S. Airways. A job as an executive chef is not analogous to a cooking class. You wouldn’t expect that of other careers, so why are we okay with it when it comes to author-publishers?)

Yep, once you click on “upload”, you are in real time and not practicing. By then, you are asking for total strangers’ time and money, even if its only a few cents or dollars. They are like any other reader, and having your book not be traditionally published doesn’t mean they will see your work differently. Unless of course, its badly edited like too many are.

I’ve said before and I’ll say again: it’s time to put down the Pom-Poms and time to pick up a magnifying glass — or, for some, a mirror. Don’t celebrate mediocrity. Don’t encourage half-assing this thing for a couple of bucks. This is scrutiny time. This is time to not to say, “Here, you’re doing this wrong,” but “Here, let me help you do this better.” This is time for conversation and constructive critique, not empty applause and pedestal-building.

The culture will need to start asking tougher questions. If we’re going to admit that self-publishing is an equal choice, then it’s time to step up and act like it. It’s time to stop acting like the little brother trailing behind big sister. Time to be practical. And professional.

Since self-publishing my book in September 2012, I’ve changed my whole attitude toward self-publishing, writing and being an author in general. Doing this has made me question why I write in the first place, why I am aiming to publish my work when I write, what it means to be an author, and how I see my audience. I’ve radically changed my attitude since September 2012. I’ve grown so much and learned much more. I have also been honest with myself about why I write at all, and why I want to share my work with total strangers worldwide.

Maybe its because it’s innate, like the “I can’t not write” mindset some writers have is also mine. Or maybe once I start writing scenes, creating characters and worlds, I cannot wait to share them with others. As I write the sequel to The Dark Proposal, I get giddy when I write a good scene or a character shows a deeper side of themselves or a twist comes along. I then get excited by others reading that, and hope they get as excited as I do. It’s give and take when it comes the author and the reader. I offer to share my stories with them, and hopefully they will accept and appreciate that I entertained them or made them think.

Which leads to Chuck Wendig’s second post about self-publishing: Self-Publishing Readers are Not Good Gatekeepers. Here, he discusses the attitude some self-published writers have toward their audiences, and it is not very good. He says:

Because the moment you go somewhere — Amazon, Smashwords, B&N, wherever — and you start charging money, that changes the equation. By a strict reading, that’s no longer Hobbytown, Jake. You’ve entered pro grade territory. You’re asking readers to take a chance on your work for one buck, three bucks, five bucks, etc. You’re not hosting a party. You’re running a lemonade stand.

So stop pissing in the lemonade and asking people to give you cash to drink it.

Once a book is uploaded somewhere, it becomes a product and the buyer is a customer. Would anyone give something mediocre to an interested buyer? And would that person honestly expect them to shrug off any mistakes and ignore unprofessionalism?

If anyone wants to be a respected businessperson and really cares about what they are producing and selling, the answer is no. If they really care about their audience, they also would not see them as guinea pigs or people who exist to boost their egos. It’s all give and take between authors and readers. You want to share your story with someone, that someone wants to be entertained. You give them respect, they give you respect. You give them crap, they throw it right back at you. If you really give them crap, you have a very deep hole to climb out of with not too many willing to help. Wendig says it better:

[I]t’s putting out. It feels exploitative. It feels careless.

And it’s is not an uncommon attitude amongst author-publishers, and what it tells me is, you care about yourself as a writer but not your readers.

He goes on to say this:

Asking readers to be your gatekeepers is putting a lot of responsibility on the people who are paying you. Stop saying you’re going to let the readers figure it out when it comes to sorting through what’s crap and what’s not. You need to figure that out. That’s on you.

Eventually, readers will grow tired of having to be your gatekeepers.

And they’ll ask someone else to do it for them.

Do we as self-published writers really want that? To ruin what we hyped up so much? To ruin our personal hard work and money? I don’t. I realized about a year ago that I did not want to be another statistic, even if I already was. I didn’t want my failures to ruin my goals and dreams, and have me stomp away from the literary world like a little brat. I wanted to learn and improve myself as self-publisher, and take responsibility for everything I worked on.

So, I am ready to move on. I’m ready to get going and be a businesswoman. I have a product here, and I need to represent it well. I have potential readers who may be curious about it, and they deserve respect. I’ve read a lot about the negative attitudes some have toward self-publishing, and I’ve seen many writers make similar mistakes to mine. All have made me rethink my perspective on self-publishing.

I think enough is enough, and we need to move on. We need to improve. We need to prove to the literary world that we truly are a force to be reckoned with, and not a fad. But that will only come if more self-published authors step it up.

Chuck Wendig has rung the alarm, and he says it best here: Writing is a craft, storytelling is an art, publishing is a business.

I’m ready to step it up, and I hope I succeed. I hope many want to do the same.

Dracula: Season 1 Review

Tags

Dracula, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, NBC, TV reviews, TV Shows

So NBC’s Dracula completed its first season this past Friday. That was quick. Doesn’t it seem like the show only debuted yesterday?

Click for the show’s page on IMDB

Well yeah, it only had 10 episodes for its first season. It is still not known if the show will be renewed for a second season as NBC is reportedly still thinking it over. Supposedly, there were some issues with the ratings, but those picked up during the last couple of episodes, so there may be hope.

But until then, I’m going to give my thoughts on this season and whether I’ll be tuning in for Season 2, if there will be one.

Overall, I felt Dracula was all right. I thought the acting was pretty much good overall, the costumes and set design was amazing, and the storyline was OK. I was uneasy when the show premiered because I was concerned that Dracula was going to be a soapbox to preach against Big Oil. Fortunately, that did not happen and the Big Oil topic became secondary. Instead, what we got was Dracula trying to walk in the sunlight so he could get revenge on the Order of the Dragon with Van Helsing, whom he was surprisingly in cahoots with.

I grew to like this new take on the Dracula-Van Helsing rivalry. Obviously they despised each other, but both needed each other in order to fight the Order of the Dragon, which had ruined them in two very different ways. I liked how this tale had Dracula as a member of the Order, only to be cursed to be a vampire by them. However, I wished we had seen more of Dracula’s life from before he was turned into the vampire. We kept seeing the same images over and over of Van Helsing’s family ruthlessly being killed by the Order, yet not enough of Dracula suffering from them. I get it that the angle was mostly on Van Helsing as he aimed for revenge, but it got tiresome and painful to see the scene where his son is forced from him and into the burning house. I wished we had seen more of Dracula with his wife, Ilona, who was killed by the Order, because that was what he was focused on, second to getting revenge from the Order.

I found Mina to be likable in this version, though maybe a little naive. Harker had good reasons to be suspicious of what was going on between her and Alexander Grayson. Lucy here reminded me a lot of the one in Francis Ford Coppola’s 1994 film, particularly when she, ahem, measured Harker’s pants. I wonder if having her being in love with Mina was a nod to the hinted lesbianism between the two in Coppola’s movie.

Harker is someone to like and cheer on. Yes, he was a douche for downplaying Mina’s interest in medicine, but given he’s the good guy in this story, there’s a reason to cheer for him. I was so mad at him when he joined the Order, but luckily, he realized that was a bad idea during the final episode. I’m glad he and Van Helsing are going to team up to destroy Grayson. Harker knows he has been causing chaos in his life and wants to ruin him, and Van Helsing is done with Dracula. It will be interesting to see what this duo does to ruin Grayson.

Before the show aired, Jonathan Rhys Meyers warned that Dracula was not a good guy here, and that is true. His Dracula is the unlikable villain that you strangely want to see succeed. Really, him making Lucy a monster because she hurt his reincarnated wife was him being a tool. Yeah, Dracula made Lucy a vampire in Bram Stoker’s classic, but ugh! Oh yeah, his creepy obsession with Mina was not romantic at all. I’d like to see what will happen when Mina realizes Grayson is a vampire. It won’t be easy for her to cope, now since the two of them have finally had sex. It’s like her attraction to him has been sealed. And will Grayson want to make her a vampire, even though he thinks it will be an abomination? Or will Mina ask to be one?

So yeah, overall I thought it was good. Not stellar, but not bad either. There were some episodes that dragged a little. I felt some of the sex was put in for the gratuity rather than to tell a story. The costumes are mostly good, but the makeup on the women was so not Victorian, especially Lucy’s eyebrows and Mina’s lipstick. The acting is fine, though I’m not impressed with Jonathan Rhys Meyers. Yes, the guy is sex personified, but based on The Tudors and The Mortal Instruments, I can’t help but think that he does the same acting over and over. Sigh!

If the shows is renewed for a second season, I’ll tune in. I’m not too worried about this show jumping the shark because if it does, it won’t be as painful because I wouldn’t call this show great. It’s good, just not great. But it is entertaining, pure and simple, and that’s enough.

Reviewing Authors’ Works While Being an Author

Tags

authors, book reviews, books, reading, writers

Before I begin, I’d just like to say that I am really sick and tired of this cold weather! This whole month has seen NYC turn into a total ice box, and I cannot take it anymore! I know the Farmer’s Almanac predicted a very cold winter, but I didn’t realize how painfully cold it would be. It makes me long for those sticky hot summer days. Oh wait…

OK, onto today’s topic. I am an author. I wrote a book and I published it, albeit all on my own. I know firsthand how hard it is to develop characters and a storyline, convey emotion, a vivid setting while using the loveliest prose I can. It is not easy, and it is hard work and deep concentration.

Image via Wikimedia Commons

So, does that mean I should change my approach to reviewing other authors’ books?

Before I published my book, I read and reviewed books like any other reader. But since becoming an author myself, I’ve been questioning how I should review books. I know how hard it is to write a story, so shouldn’t I be more lenient on flaws? And also, if I’m a writer too, then I am on the same level as any other writer, which means I am a peer.

I feel nervous when I review books, which is why I’ve only reviewed two books since publishing The Dark Proposal. Part of me fears that I would be a hypocrite to point out flaws in books that may also exist in mine. I mean, should I really say something about a flaw in the plot, writing or development when someone might think my book was equally flawed? Who would I be to complain then?

And how critical should I be? If I am gentle, am I sugarcoating? Or if I give a thorough review, am I being too harsh? What if my review sounds like I think the author wrote their book wrong, and I’m hinting at how I would’ve wrote it?

I have just always felt that as an author, my approach to reviewing cannot be the same as any other reader. I also feel that my reviews may be seen with a more critical eye given that I wrote a book myself. Plus, I have no author clout now, so I definitely don’t have any authority on what is a great book and what isn’t.

So how should I review books for now on? I get the impression that they should be like a peer to peer review. But how do I do that? Do I do it like one of my writer critique groups, where we point out the positives and negatives of each others’ work? Do I use a tone used in college papers for English lit courses?

I’m going to find out what is the best way to approach reviewing now. I’ve seen some authors reviewing other authors’ books as if they are ordinary readers, and I can’t help but think that is not the right angle. I’ve also noticed some hypocrisy like pointing out poor editing when these authors have the same problem in their books. Things like that that makes me think authors of any level should be aware that once they release a book, they can’t take off their writer hats so easily.

How about you? Has being an author changed how you review books? Or do you feel you can still review like any other reader?

Movie Review: Byzantium

Tags

Byzantium, films, movie reviews, movies, Neil Jordan, Saoirse Ronan, vampire movies, vampires

I had heard about this lesser-known vampire film on Anne Rice’s Facebook page because the director, Neil Jordan, directed the movie based on her classic, Interview With The Vampire. But I didn’t see too many promos for it, so I guess it was one of the movies that wasn’t expected to be a huge hit. Maybe Hollywood feels there are too many vampire movies out there.

Click here for Byzantium’s page on IMDB.com

But it appears the word is spreading about Byzantium. I’ve seen a few blog posts about it, particularly from Francis J. Franklin and more recently, from Irish author Emma Meade. The latter’s post got me very interested because the movie was next on my Netflix queue, so I was already prepared to anticipate a good movie.

Byzantium is about two mysterious women who say they are sisters. But in truth, they are mother and daughter who are also vampires. They’ve spent two centuries roaming England, hiding and finding places to live, while feeding on humans. At the start of the movie, the mother, Clara played brilliantly by Gemma Arterton, commits murder and has to take her daughter, Eleanor, wonderfully done by Saoirse Ronan, to a seaside town to hide from the authorities. Also from the start, we see that the mother and the daughter are very different, despite living side by side for 200 years. Clara is a vivacious sex worker while introverted Eleanor prefers writing. They also have different attitudes to taking human blood. Clara has no qualms taking human life in order to feed while Eleanor prefers drinking from those ready to die. Basically, Clara enjoys being a vampire while Eleanor does not.

As the movie progresses, we see flashbacks to how these two women became vampires. We first see that Clara was a simple woman who had lived in the very seaside town she is now hiding in. That is, until a British military officer forces her to be a prostitute in a brothel, where he could use her whenever he stops by. Eventually, Eleanor is born to Clara, who puts her in an orphanage, hoping that her child has a better life than the one she has now.

From there, we soon learn how Clara becomes a vampire, and we then see that this vampire story is a feminist one, particularly from a mother-daughter perspective. That is because these two women are struggling to survive in a male-dominated world – both ours and the vampire world. Pardon the shameless promotion of the work of a fellow vampire author, but I noticed some similarities between Byzantium and Francis J. Franklin’s book, Suzie and the Monsters. Both are about female vampires trying to live in a patriarchal world, and it was male abuse of women that caused the women to become vampires. The fact that Clara is a stripper at the beginning of this film sounded familiar too.

Byzantium starts off slowly, which may make it a little boring for some. But it reflects Eleanor’s brooding nature. Besides, her choices leads to the climax of the story, which is quite nail-biting. The ending was good, and I felt it left room for a sequel, though I don’t know if one would ever be made. One thing I really was intrigued by was how humans become vampires in this story. It’s very different from the usual blood-exchange that many vampire stories have (even yours truly does that, though with no apology), and the originality of it is cool to watch. Also, these vampires move around easily in the sunlight and have no supernatural powers, making Byzantium refreshing among vampire movies.

Overall, Byzantium is worth the growing buzz around it. Hopefully, it will be one of those sleeper movies that fade quickly from theaters, but word of mouth makes it successful.

Descriptions: Too Little or Too Much?

Tags

authors, readers, reading, reading a book, writers, writing

I feel this is a topic often debated among authors and readers: is there such a thing as too much description or too little?

Some authors go into great detail to describe important things in a book, such as a setting or a book’s tone. Others go into great detail describing something that is minor, such as a character’s appearance or one room that is shown only once in a book. And then there are authors who are altogether vague.

I don’t vague details, but I also don’t like it when authors go overboard. I’ve read books where a character’s appearance was not mentioned at all, except whether it was a male or female character. But I’ve also read books where a bedroom is described right down to a slightly open drawer or a piece of fuzz on the floor. Why did I have to know all that, especially since that bedroom plays no significant part in the story and is basically just there?

I like details that give me a good idea of what the town is all about based on its layout, what the character looks like so I could better easily picture him or her, and what a place looks like based on the immediate details. In other words, I just like the basics. I see having descriptions as a way for the author to communicate with readers rather than letting them fend for themselves while reading.

I sometimes go into a lot of detail when I write, but then I stop myself because all of that detail isn’t necessary. Sure, I may like to describe an outfit or how a house is set up, but would my readers care? Chances are, no, especially if those details don’t matter much to the story. They want to know what happens to someone, not what exactly that person is wearing.

I once saw a discussion on a writers’ forum where a character’s appearance was debated. Some said it unnecessary to mention hair and eye color, height and weight. Those who did explained that it would enforce stereotypes of say, blonde women, obese people, short men, etc. Personally, I like to know the basics of what characters look like, and I want my readers to know the same for the ones I create. Whether I am enforcing society’s expectations of certain hair colors or heights, that’s another debate. I try to do away with expectations, but sometimes how I see a character is just how I see them. I’m really not making a statement on appearances.

So anyway, descriptions are fun. It helps bring a connection between author and reader. Just as long as the author doesn’t overdo it. 🙂

 

 

I’m Excited About Oyster and Scribd

Tags

books, eBooks, indie authors, Indie books, Netflix, Oyster, Oyster.com, Scribd, self-publishers, self-publishing, Smashwords

Some of you may be aware that there’s a Netflix for eBooks in town. Or, on the Internet, actually 🙂

Last fall, Smashwords notified its authors that it was teaming up with Oyster and Scribd as a way to distribute its ebooks to readers. These two websites operate kind of like Netflix. Meaning, a subscriber pays a certain amount each month to have “borrowed” books sent to their eReader. There is also a “recommended for you” part on these sites, which Netflix has too. This will allow word of mouth to come into play for many authors, which is the best way to sell anything for anyone.

And yes, there is a financial pay-off, but that all depends how much of a book a reader actually reads. There is a compensation (not a lot, but its still money) when a book is actually read from cover-to-cover. There are other payments, albeit smaller, when half or two-thirds of the book is read. So all in all, Oyster and Scribd offer indie authors both a chance to find new readers and get some compensation for their investment.

But I have heard about some writers being uneasy with this. Some of them aren’t too optimistic because both Oyster and Scribd are new ventures, and there is a concern that they might fail. Others claimed to have used one of these sites before they teamed up with Smashwords, and they had to go to great lengths to get their royalties. And there are some who say Oyster and Scribd are going to cheapen the book industry because it is so cheap to get books, particularly eBooks.

Regarding the first concern, many business ventures start off slowly before taking off. Look at Twitter. Many laughed at that idea, and now the CEO is laughing his way to the bank. I am optimistic that Oyster and Scribd will succeed, because it was inevitable that an eBook loaning site will start with the advent of eBooks.

Now as for the shady side of those two sites, well, I don’t think Smashwords’ Mark Coker would want to do business with something that will hurt the authors who come to his site. Since authors like me are half the reason why Smashwords is a success (the other half is from the readers who buy their books there), why would he want to anger us? We’re like his bread and butter.

As for cheapening the book business, yes I admit it sounds a bit scary. The publishing industry keeps changing, thanks to the Internet and the ever-evolving digital technology. But the music industry was turned upside down by file sharing and iTunes, and it is still standing. Netflix’s only casualty were video store chains, like Blockbuster. But movies are still being made and still generating money. As technology changes, so must we.

But I don’t think these two sites, or any other route for authors to sell or spread the word about their books, will destroy the book business. Things are little shook up now, but I’m sure everything will work out in the end.

I’m excited for these ventures, and I don’t see why they would fail. Here in the U.S., Netflix and Redbox are a success, so why can’t those two book loaning sites be successful with readers? Plus, the idea of more people coming across my book sounds great to me! And if they only read half of it, well, anything towards what I invested in is fine by me.

By the way, if you are an author on Smashwords, the way to have your books included on Oyster and Scribd is to have them in the premium catalog.

Author Interview: Stella Coulson

Tags

author interviews, authors, Gothic, interviews, novella, self-published, vampires, writers

I love hearing about other authors’ take on vampires. I think its safe to say we all have our own view on these immortal creatures, so it is fun to chat with authors and their vampires. That is why I was happy to interview poet and self-published author, Stella Coulson, about her novella series, “Whitby After Dark” – which makes me want to learn about Whitby in Yorkshire, England.

Here she is!

MC: You’re both a poet and an author. Which one do you enjoy more?

SC: I tend to write Poetry far more – Because it is less complex to create due to moments of inspiration not drying up by the end. Stories are far more complex, even the short ones; every character has its own life, idiosyncratic tendencies, direction, quirks etc. I prefer to write stories as its complexity is a challenge. Being a writer is like having a universe in your head and trying to find a doorway to the tiniest part of it.

MC: Why did you choose to write a novella instead of a novel?

SC: Volume 1 of the novella Whitby After Dark, will be part 1 of a novel. Part 2 will be soon, followed by part 3 and so on. Each one follows different story arcs – The 1^st one being the introduction of Lenore who has visions of the future and death and her discovery of a hidden supernatural world within a small coastal Town. It follows Lenore’s abuse, her triumph against him (the abuser), and the tracking of a serial killer Demon and it’s downfall . The follow up – Volume 2 will be about a hidden dimension within Whitby Abbey and a journey through the Fae realm to rescue a family member of Seth the Shifter Wolf. In time all novellas will be put together as a complete novel. Stephan King’ novel ‘Green Mile’  was originally six separate volumes. I was greatly inspired by this.

MC: What is it about vampires that intrigue so many, in your opinion?

SC: It’s the fear of the unknown that races our pulse and intrigues us. They are a powerful being and power is an attractive quality,, plus the fact they don’t age. A man or woman who has the mind of a vast age within the form of a eternal beauty is incredibly appealing, which I suspect is why they have in the last hundred years or so, been romanticized. Let us not forget they are terrifying creatures that prey upon feed and often kill humans, which are horrific but fascinating – They are the ageless serial killer.

MC: You once lived in Yorkshire, England. How much of your portrayal of Yorkshire in “Whitby After Dark” is accurate? Is there really a Whitby and is it really Gothic?

SC: There is indeed a real Whitby. It is a rather gothic place – in fact a Goth Weekend is held there 2 times a year, where people dress in; Gothic, Victorian, cyberpunk, steampunk etc,  and have live music, a Masked Ball and so many cool things.  Whitby was in fact the place where Bram Stoker had ‘Dracula’ get shipwrecked, as well as Stoker writing much of his masterpiece there. I myself wrote several chapters of Whitby After Dark there. One can’t help but be inspired by the gothic architecture and beauty of the place.

MC: You self-published your book, both in eBook and via Lulu. Is there any difficulty in self-publishing a traditional book?

SC: An Indie Author has to be their own publisher, editor, publicist, agent advertiser et al, so they are very busy. There are difficulties for both published and self published. The journey to become conventional published is tenuous in terms of getting there if at all. Those lucky enough to achieve this goal have different pressures; Tight deadlines, insane amounts of criticism, and having to deal with media and so on.

MC: Do you think there is still for self-published authors? 

SC: I think it used to be far more difficult to self publish prior to the internet. The invention of online publishing has made the production aspect far more convenient. The online publisher I use – lulu prints to order and sends the book to order, thus taking away the stress of having to pay for the making and storage of each book. Lulu takes a percentage of each book sale, making it agreeable to them and myself. This said; the real challenge is getting recognized, getting the word out due to having no agent or publicist. I owe a lot to the incredible social networks online and word of mouth in the sales of my novella.

Thanks Stella! Looking forward to the rest of your series!

Here is where you can learn more about Stella and her work:

Official Website

Facebook

Whitby After Dark – Paperback

Whitby After Dark – eBook

So Reading Can Change Your Brain…

Tags

books, brain studies, characters, fiction, novels, reading

In recent days, there have been articles going around that reading fiction can make changes to your brain. It leads to connectivity changes in your brain, which can change your perspective and alert the sensory parts. This is based on a study done at the Emory University, which was published in the journal Brain Connectivity last month.

Photo by Spirit-Fire on Flickr, found via Creative Commons

Now some may agree with Nature editor’s Noah Gray’s snarky tweet: “Reading a novel induces connectivity changes in the brain … But so does everything else you did or are doing today.”

There’s been plenty of articles, studies and op-eds that discuss the effect of reading a novel. Some argue that reading novels makes us more empathetic, and therefore more human.

I think reading a novel all depends on how you approach it. Sometimes I read fiction to escape my world. Sometimes I read because I hear the prose is incredible. Or I’m interested in how an author will re-tell a famous story (as I was when I picked up A Song of Achilles, which retold the Iliad by making Achilles and Patroclus lovers last year) or what they have to say about certain social issues.

I admit that I don’t often read a novel because of a character. I guess that will be strange to some, but the above examples is what drives me to read fiction. I don’t aim to be more empathetic or be a better human being. I tend to read to learn or be entertained. I wonder if that means I am poorly affected by fiction, unlike other readers.

I want to change that. I want to try to read a novel based on the characters. I want to start reading blurbs and try to focus on the characters rather than the setting and the plot. That could be my New Years’ resolution as a reader – however there are books I’d like to read that go along with my usual habits. But I’ll try my best.

My Shout Out to Fellow Staten Island Authors

Tags

authors, books, Goodreads, Listopia, New York, New York City, Staten Island

Happy 2014 everyone!

I’m starting off the new year by doing something nice but may be also controversial for some. I’ve created a list on Goodreads’ Listopia. I did it to help Staten Island authors get some recognition, and to show that even a place like The Forgotten Borough can produce good writers. And since I am originally from the Island, I included my book on the list.

This isn’t something I thought up over night. When I first started out in 2012, I asked around Goodreads about adding my book to any of Goodreads’ lists that fit its description. I was told by other authors that while it wasn’t against Goodreads guidelines, it was frowned upon by other users. That made sense to me, because any author could put their books on the wrong lists or over vote their books just for exposure. In other words, they would promote their books in a poor manner that would turn off other readers.

But a couple of months ago, I saw this being discussed in one of the Goodreads groups and while it was agreed that an author could abuse Listopia, it was debated over whether certain lists were OK for an author to put their book on. This was when the Goodreads’ Director of Author Marketing, stepped in and said while it wasn’t advisable to add your book to any “Best of…” or a list that did not fit the genre or category, there was nothing wrong for adding your book to a list that fit its description.

So, let’s say your book takes place in Hawaii or delves heavily into astrology or has a main character with OCD. It is fine to add that book to a list that includes books with similar attributes. Even creating a list is OK if there isn’t one that exists.

I was intrigued. Especially since I was looking for a way to spread the word about fellow Staten Island authors. As some of you may know, I was born and raised there. I may currently live in Brooklyn now and loving it, but Staten Island still matters to me. It’s my hometown!

Now, Brooklyn is known for being the Writing Capital of the United States, or at least the East Coast. It does not need to let the world know about that. Even the other boroughs, Manhattan especially, have recognition as a place where great minds can create great books. Staten Island, on the other hand…

Sadly, it is known as the “armpit” of New York City. That meme above says it all, and many of my Facebook friends laughed uproariously over it. Staten Island is not recognized for anything artistic or intellectual. In fact, it has many negative stereotypes as being conservative and its residents being much like the cast of the Jersey Shore. While those labels may be true for some, you can’t say a place with nearly 500,000 people can’t have a good writer or two.

So why not make it be known?

I began making a list of authors who’s books I would include on my Listopia list. Some I met before when I ran my writing groups. Others I had heard about, like Paul Zindel. I actually read Zindel’s book, “The Pigman”, in junior high and loved that he was a Staten Islander and set that book there. It gave me hope of being an author myself. Because, you know, seeing one of your own succeed is inspiring. 🙂 I also included authors who while they may not have actually lived on Staten Island, they were closely associated with it due to their job.

But I was still hesitant because I’ve heard about authors adding their books to lists and getting labeled by Goodreads authors as an “Author Behaving Badly” because of their spammy promotion tactics. So I emailed Goodreads for a final confirmation, and their response was that my idea was fine, as long as my books were not the only ones on the lists.

That was reassuring. And I can assure you that my book is not the only one on that list. Not only because it will be all alone, but it will just lousy to promote myself that way. And besides, why not give a shout-out to fellow Staten Island authors? This shows that we exist and may give some book loving Islanders some pride.

I know monitoring this list won’t be easy. I’m sure some spammy author will come along, and flood the list his or her work and abuse the voting. I’ll have to make it a twice-weekly effort to make sure that doesn’t happen. My list is free for any author who was born and raised, or lived, or is closely associated with Staten Island. Now, if you are an author who is none of these things, but can prove that your book is set on Staten Island – and Staten Island has to be a setting, not merely mentioned – I’ll add your work because you are closely associated with the borough in that way.

I’m nervous I may get flamed for making this list, but it seems that is all good. After all, I was told twice by Goodreads that my idea is fine. So if they say so, then I feel much better.

So, no more of me talking (or typing 🙂 )and here is Listopia’s Staten Island Authors.