A.J. Maguire

Category: Self-Publishing

  • Writing and Business and the In-Between

    As of this evening my novelette “Torven” has a completed rough draft. Given its very small length (16006 words) I have been toying around with the idea of giving it away for free or really, really cheap (after it’s gone through a rigorous editing) which has led me to the normal marketing spiel/debate.

    I’ve been here before. Often.

    In fact, I’d like to say I’ve dipped my toes into murky depths of marketing since Sedition was first published five years ago. (Five years? Really? Sheesh.)

    I have not, however, really committed to a marketing plan. Up until this point my focus was on my craft, wanting to just write the next story and grow as an author, and while none of those goals have changed (and never will, because that’s the whole point of taking ownership of your craft) … I can say that I am going to step intrepidly out into the realm of marketing.

    I started, quite comically, with a giveaway of Tapped today on Amazon. The giveaway lasted all of an hour, which … really showed me how bad I am at math. (5 books + every 5th entrant wins = about an hour’s worth of giveaway time. Just in case anyone else needs this information.)

    But I learned a great deal about what I want to do in the future. I’ve set up a pretty little timetable to follow for marketing – when I want to do what promotions and at what sites – and even color-coded it … because I’m a geek like that.

    I am also in the process of revamping my website … with help because I’m really not great at it.

    As to writing itself …

    With “Torven” done I can go back to Dead Weight, the sequel to Tapped. I’ll be revamping the outline based on the things I learned in James Patterson’s Master Class (still an awesome thing and if you write, you should check it out.)

    Basically, I’ll be going over the outline once a week through the month of April. Start to finish. Tightening the plot. Adding elements of the suspense genre into my science fiction … basically implementing everything Mr. Patterson set out to teach me in 22 lessons.

    I’m excited.

    It’ll be fun.

    And I’ll record all the mayhem here because I can … and maybe it’ll help someone else down the road.

     

  • The Side Project

    My cork board hasn’t changed since January. According to my calendar I should be on Chapter 9, not Chapter 4, of Dead Weight. That big leap I had at the beginning of the year is now completely gone.

    But you know what?

    I really don’t care.

    Because I’ve been working. Granted, I haven’t been working on what I said I’d be working on at this point, but it’s still words on the page.

    In fact, it’s over 10,000 words of that lovely fairy tale story I began for my son. He’s enjoying it still, by the way, and it is nearly complete. I should have the full novella by the end of this month. At which point I’ll set it aside for a couple of weeks before doing a round or two of edits and then I intend to put it out for free/super cheap/whatever I can get Createspace to do there.

    But I haven’t just been writing on this thing. I also opted to take James Patterson’s Master Class on writing and slowly made it through the 22 lessons there.

    Why no, I’ve never written a suspense novel before, but that doesn’t mean that things within the suspense genre can’t be planted into the genres that I prefer writing. In particular, I took away from this class a very distinct outlook on Outlines that I will, at the beginning of April, implement with Dead Weight.

    Since I’m only on Chapter 4 there I don’t feel like I’ll be shooting myself in the foot starting over with the Outline and doing it the “Patterson” way.

    For those who have been toying with the idea of taking a Master Class like this one, I’m going to go ahead and give the “two thumbs up” and encourage you to do so. There are some things you’ve heard that you’ll hear again, but in the end it’s got some nuggets in there that you can certainly use.

    In the meantime, I’ll be posting some of the Fairy Tale on the website and things because … well … it’s fun. And you can’t beat free.

  • Owning Your Craft – Sedition Version

    I began reading Sedition to my son recently. He’s seven now and the whole Fantasy world of Dyngannon seems to appeal to him.

    Sedition-WEBThat or he just really likes the sword on the cover. I’m pretty sure much of the story is over his head but, he picked it and all. (Don’t worry, we read picture books before we settle in for a chapter of this one.)

    In any case, it’s been nearly six years since that book was first published and Trenna Silvanus remains one of my most popular characters. I get loads of commentary from people wanting to know when the next segment of her story is coming out (soon, I promise) and … yes, this does make my little writer’s ego fluff up in pleasure.

    That being said …

    If Sedition weren’t already published I would be doing a major overhaul on it.

    The dialogue is hard to get through in places. There are dozens and dozens of peripheral characters whose involvement in the story itself could be richer – sometimes shorter, but richer in content at least. The exposition is clunky. The narrator’s voice bounces (particularly in regards to Brenson and Nelek, which I’m going to blame on the fact that I wasn’t handling the male POV right).

    The one bright, shining light in the book so far (and we’re only in Chapter Seven) is that Trenna really is likable. She’s spunky, tough, and has a sense of humor that exerts itself in some of the oddest places.

    Why am I telling you all this?

    This book is out for sale. What sane writer points out the flaws of their own work in a public forum? Who’s gonna go out and buy this thing now?

    Honestly?

    Because any sane, professional writer also owns their craft.

    I own the fact that the book I wrote nearly ten years ago (NOTE: it did not get published as soon as it was finished, it took a long time to find a home) is not as strong as the books I’m writing now.

    I own that my personal style has changed with every book I’ve written.

    I own the mistakes that are in Sedition just as much as I own the things I did right.

    What did I do right?

    Trenna.

    In fact, the main cast of characters were done right; Nelek, Brenson, Faolan, Marsali, Brock. They have individual voices, concerns, arguments, and motivations. And while I remember it was complicated to the max trying to get all those individuals out into the open without making a 300,000 word book, it worked out in the end.

    So this is me owning my craft. Maybe I’ll start working on a 10 year anniversary edition of Sedition and clean up some of my mistakes.

    Maaaaybe.

    Probably not, though. Because after Usurper is done there’s at least one more book in this series. And the Tapped series has at least 4 main books with several novellas in the queue. And I have a Civil War/Western that has been simmering on the back burning for a while now. Annnnnd … my Dragon Noir.

    You get it. There’s lots going on in my head. But hey, if there’s enough interest maybe I will.

  • Writing While Unmotivated

    I know there are lots people out there who just plain won’t write if they do not have the proper inspiration. They follow their creative muse and lean heavily on the concept of being an artist, and those things are true. Writing is an art and yes, sometimes you just plain don’t want to write.

    I’m not talking about those moments when life steals your writing time. I’m talking about those moments when you sit down at the computer for your designated 2-3 hours of writing time and just don’t want to do it. The words feel stale in your mind, feel stale when you get them on paper, and you think that a thousand other authors could write this better than you are right now.

    How do you push through that?

    Well, I imagine it will be different for each person but I can tell you a couple of things I’ve learned about myself.

    1) These moments do not last for only a day.

    If I allow it, this feeling of drudgery can last for months at a time. So when I discover myself stuck in one, I have to take measures immediately. Sometimes this means going for a walk, cleaning the house, going to the gym or jumping in a pool. Anything where my brain can wander wherever it wants.

    2) Rely On Craft

    Yes, it does feel like I’m slogging through my work when I’m in this particular mindset. Yes, I groan and grump and get only a little bit of progress done on my manuscript. But the truth is, if I write anyway then I find myself looking at the work through the mindset of my craft, instead of the mindset of my muse.

    Yes, it’s hard.

    However, when I look at the work through the mindset of my craft I generally find a solution that would never have occurred to me any other way. It zooms the creative lens out and forces me to think outside of the character and onto the book as a whole, which produces a far stronger book.

    The awesome thing about relying on my Craft, is that eventually something sparks and the inspiration snaps back into place. It might take several weeks, but it’ll get there and I’ve learned to have faith in that.

    3) Read

    When I start feeling unmotivated, I start reading anything and everything I can get my hands on. Fiction, Nonfiction, News, Poetry, literally anything in my path I will read. This not only stores new concepts and story ideas somewhere in my subconscious, but it makes me a better writer when that motivation finally does return.

    4) … And this is going to sound terribly geeky … Play a Genre specific game

    If I’m writing a science fiction, I will play wither Star Wars or Star Trek. If I’m writing fantasy, I play Dungeon Siege. Historical Fiction … well, I haven’t found a game for that one but I do watch tons of WWII movies and documentaries. My creative mind soaks up the visuals of those games (and/or movies) and often bounces me right back into wanting to write again.

    And that’s it. Those are my four steps to getting back into the swing of things. Generally, I do all four. They aren’t a guarantee that my muse will start working again quickly, but I know that eventually it’ll come back. The main focus is that I keep writing regardless because I know that my Craft is capable of moving forward.

  • Self-Publishing Journal Entry #6

    Dear Diary,

    As expected I made every mistake there is to make while self-publishing a novel. After its “Hydra leak” on the 1st of January I went through the Kindle version and found no less than 25 translation, formatting, or just-plain-dunce errors that had to be fixed.

    Orange Beast
    Orange Beast

    The Orange Beast is still laughing at me for that.

    However, I do feel better about this because if I hadn’t been so hopped up on cold medication I would have found those errors in the week prior to its official release anyway. This just means that those unfortunates who purchased the leaked novel are going to have a one-of-a-kind “whoopsie” version that no longer exists.

    I’ll laugh about it in a couple of years, I’m sure.

    In any case, the novel was fixed before its official release. (To include the spacing issue that had the printed version sitting at over 500 pages. That would be one of the just-plain-dunce errors.)

    What have I learned from this whole self-publishing adventure?

    1) Editors are worth their weight in gold. 

    No, seriously. They are. Those 25 errors were mostly formatting and translation problems that happened while I was bouncing between Scrivener and Word.

    2) Never work while on cold medication. 

    ‘Nuff said.

    3) Marketing is pretty much the same on your own as with a small press. 

    Yeah, there’s really very little difference here. As much as I love my publishers and the validation they gave me for even accepting my work to begin with, a book doesn’t just fly off the virtual shelves on its own.

    That said, I’m still not doing much marketing-wise. I’ll submit Tapped to various review sites and all that, but Scornedotherwise I’m not going to stress this point. I made this decision way back when Sedition was first published and while it makes no “business sense” I’m sticking to it.

    I want to be a better storyteller. I want to tell stories that move people, even if it’s only a select number of people. I feel totally awesome about the readership I already have. (Hey, Readers! I uber loves you all!)

    4) This is fun.

    In spite of my fights with Scrivener and my frustration with Word and staring at documents for hours on end while trying to make the formatting right, I had a lot of fun doing this. Don’t ask me why. I think only writers can really understand it.

    To sum up, I will probably do this with more than just the Tapped series.

    Yes, I understand the stigma that comes with self-published authors but I’m going to lean back on the real tradition here; the tradition of storytellers wandering from place to place, giving their entertainment away for lodging or food. Celebrities for a night or a day, or a holiday week, and then they faded into the background directly after their job was done.

    They didn’t have publishers back then, just word of mouth and a distinct love for what they did.

  • Official Release – Tapped

    I’m starting off the New Year with a bang!

    ScornedOr … well … a mistaken “bang” on the 1st because in my NyQuil induced haze I accidentally “leaked” the novel online but we’re moving past that now. This is my first self-published novel and I’m equal parts terrified and pleased by it.

    Tapped is a space-traveling adventure that follows the Barlow family as they unwittingly begin an underground railroad for refugees in Consulate space. It’s a story about what makes a family. It’s a story about the consequences of standing up for your convictions and a brothers-in-arms story all wrapped up together.

    The original concept for this novel was that I wanted a mother-son story. We have a lot of mother-daughter, father-son novels out there but I haven’t seen as many dealing with the relationship between a mother and her son. And since I happen to be the mother of one incredible little boy it was important to me that the Greeks not get the final word here.

    (No, really. The Greeks had the whole Oedipus thing that was really gross and weird. Just … yuck.)

    In any case, I’m throwing confetti and will enjoy some wine and a comfortable evening celebrating my first self-published release. It has been an adventure learning how to format and prepare a book for publication and, to be honest, kind of fun.

    Tapped Blurb:

    Jorry thought winning a galactic war would be enough to buy a peaceful life. She was wrong. Running from the government she fought so hard for, she carves a simple life out for herself and her family. When her family is dragged into a black market deal Jorry finds herself directly in the sights of those she’s been hiding from and must decide how far she’s willing to go to protect the people she loves.

  • Publishing Debates

    In January of 2011 my first book was published by Wings ePress, a small independent publishing house run by some very kind people. They put out a nice, professional book and I was over the moon about it. I liked the size, font, color, formatting, and everything.

    I was new to the whole publishing scene and didn’t really know the difference between Traditional and Independents/Small Presses/Whatever. I just knew my book was out there and people were liking it.

    Four years later and I am officially a self-published author.

    I know the stigma related to self-publishing. I’ve read article upon article upon article about Indie authors versus Traditional authors and the coveted-but-somehow-hated Big 5 and I’ve come to a major decision.

    I’m tired of reading about this.

    I’m tired of everyone saying that their way to the publishing business is the right way, that the old regime is coming to an end, that self-published novels are nowhere near the quality that traditional novels are, that the Big 5 have the monopoly on shelf-space in the major bookstores, or that people don’t really visit those bookstores anymore …

    The list goes on.

    And because I have decided that I am tired of reading these debates (the most recent one being how self-publishing is no longer a viable means to “hybrid author status”) I will politely pass them by.

    Knowing these things will not make me a better writer. Partaking of the debate might obliquely influence my sales, but it will not make my storytelling any better than it is today. And honestly, I don’t have the time or the energy for anything that does not add to my “writer’s toolbox” and help me master my craft.

    Harsh?

    Maybe.

    And I’m not saying all this as a condemnation to those who are actively engaged in the debate. If focusing on things in that light is what helps them put pen to paper at the end of the day then more power to them.

    I’m saying it doesn’t help me. It makes me indecisive. It makes me second-guess the risks I might otherwise take in my fiction. And fiction without risks is dull.

    Tapped is risky.

    I know it is.

    It’s the underground railroad in space. There are religious refugees and political issues and a mess ofScorned family secrets to wade through and if I had listened to certain blog sites and articles about what not to write or what to avoid I would never have finished the book.

    So this is me drawing a line in the sand.

    Maybe my books won’t sell as much as a traditional author. That’s fine. I’ll read their work and see if I can improve my own craft because in the end, that’s the only thing that really matters.

  • Self-Publishing Journal Entry #4 (I think?) — AKA, “DANGIT, HYDRA!”

    Dear Diary,

    I spent New Years Eve sick on my couch. I did not have the joy of watching the infamous “potato drop” in my home town. I could not smell the glorious turkey breast as it was cooking in my crockpot (Thank you to my Grandmother and to my Aunt Debbie for passing along that recipe, it was good even though I couldn’t taste everything.) And in my NyQuil induced haze I decided it would be a perfect moment to get some final tweaks done to Tapped before my January 13th deadline …

    The Big Orange Beast warned me not to do this. He meowed and jumped onto the back of my chair andIMG_0238 bopped my head a few times and I, still in a medicated stupor, did not pay him any mind. I imagine he would be snickering at me but he’s too annoyed that the child has a friend over and is currently hiding under my desk.

    I know because he keeps chewing on my toes.

    After many a night pondering and working and trying things out I opted to use CreateSpace to help launch Tapped into the world. It was very easy to use.

    Too easy to use.

    I went through the Proof Copy, understanding that this was the phase my publishers would have called the “Galley Proof” but not understanding that once I approved said copy it would be IMMEDIATELY published to the CreateSpace store and … several hours later … to Amazon.

    I was 99% certain I had given a publication date of January 13th earlier in the process but it seems I missed something. I’m blaming the NyQuil on that one.

    After much scrambling and panicking and trying to figure out how to take down the novels suddenly out for sale I finally decided to roll with it.

    So this is me mimicking Marvel after the Avenger’s trailer was released … “Dangit, Hydra!”

    Tapped is on Amazon. You can find it in two different paperback sizes, the 6×9 (which is cheaper and Scornedlarger) or the 5.2×8 (which is two bucks more and smaller because I wanted something purse-size because I am totally the book-in-the-purse type … when I carry a purse.)

    And, of course, you can find it for Kindle.

    I recognize that this has the potential to hurt sales. Everything I’ve read about publishing and such says that the week before the book goes up (which should have been next week) I’m supposed to be running about cheerfully telling people about the upcoming release and building all the happy-vibes so that people will buy it and stuff.

    “Dangit, Hydra!”

    Now I’m on to Battle Plan Bravo.

    Why no, I did not have a plan B in place for this. But I’m like MacGyver and can figure a way through almost anything if I have a paperclip and a gum wrapper. (I really don’t care if I just dated myself either. MacGyver was totally my hero growing up and I maintain that he’s swoon-able.)

    Excuse me while I go make Battle Plan Bravo for next week. In the meantime, my very first ever self-published novel is up for sale. I’m sure I made every mistake known to the publishing world in it and apologize in advance.

  • Book Cover Reveal – Tapped

    So the artist that I normally bat my eyelashes at for cover art is currently closed to commissions. Which is fine, he’s super talented and has a lot of his own stuff to do. (That’s Chris Howard, author and artist for the Saltwater Witch stuff, which if you haven’t read you really should read because the art is gorgeous and the story is compelling and … yeah … you can find him here.)

    Of course, this left me hunting frantically for a cover for Tapped since I put the release date at January 13, 2015. Hard to release a book without a cover. I mean, I could do it, but nobody would buy it and … well, I would hate myself forever.

    (FYI – a smart, sassy agent lady let me know that speculative fiction is best sold around the August/September mark but I’ve already made this deadline public so I’m sticking to it. I figure by the time August rolls around I can put the book on a cheap sale or something.)

    Now then …

    I searched and searched and searched for a cover for this book. Given my tight budget (single parent, working full-time, avocado-induced emergency room bills) I knew I had to go for a pre-made cover if I could. And let me tell you, there are LOTS of sites out there.

    Furthermore, there are some sites out there that recycle covers or something like that, so it’s important to research the artist too. So if you’re self-publishing or thinking about self-publishing, try to keep that in mind and make sure you’re paying attention.

    I found Rocking Book Covers and really liked the style and feel of the art so I hunted through its pages and found my cover! It’s simple and eye-catching and the artist had the work done very, very quickly.

    And so … here is the official cover for Tapped …

    Scorned

  • Self-Publishing Journal Entry #3

    Dear Diary,

    Scrivener hates me.

    I find this quite sad because I really like Scrivener and its little note-card preview and clean setup. And really, I’ve done nothing to deserve its hatred. We only just met a month or so ago.

    How do I know it hates me?

    Because it refuses to be rid of the subtitles in my work. I’ve tried seven different times now and it always brings up a subtitle after the word “Chapter” … even if the area is left blank. Even if I click on the “please don’t do this crap” button that it told me to click on in the instructions.

    The manuscript looks very nice apart from that. It just has “Chapter One” and then “Untitled” right underneath it.

    Orange Beast
    Orange Beast

    The Big Orange Beast has declared that Scrivener is on strike until I bring home soft food again. After all, he did not agree to this diet and he has every right to soft food regardless of the fact that he is beginning to look like a lumpy potato.

    He is also quite displeased that I left for Thanksgiving. He did not rage-vomit on my floor while I was gone though, so I believe he is accepting the fact that I like to visit my mother every couple of months.

    I’ve decided that all of my editing must be done by the end of this week. My Beta Readers have all checked in (for the most part) and I know what needs doing. In fact, I managed to get most of their comments already implemented into the book, now I just need to tweak wording and make sure everything flows right.

    I’ve also decided that Tapped is going to be YA, which is terribly frightening. The age is right. The main character is right. I was just being stubborn about the whole idea due to … you know … never having written YA before.

    What can I say? I’m living dangerously. First time self-publishing, first time writing YA. It’s an adventure.

    Which reminds me, I really ought to pin down a cover for this thing.