An Early Announcement

This is a bit premature, but I still wanted to go ahead and get it out there. I've been stuck in indecision so long, it feels nice to have finally made a choice.

I've been watching, intently, as this crazy phenomena called e-reading has popped up almost over night. I shouldn't be surprised. I come from the generation that went from phones with rotary dials, to touch tone, to beepers, to car phones, to giant cell phones resembling army radios, to what we have now, which is more of a mini-computer that you can make phone calls from (if you broke your thumbs and don't feel like texting with your mouth).

At first I was appalled. I hated the idea of e-books. No one would take my real-world books away. Blah, blah, blah. We were all a bit miffed back then, weren't we?.

Now, however, I see a tool that benefits both the reader and writer. I sometimes feel like a peasant, who having survived the Dark Ages, now stands with hope shining upon him like the summer sun.

And I'm not the only one.

I've commented before about Joe Konrath's blog , and the effect it has had on me. But please, don't think me a simple follower with lofty, unattainable dreams. I know that the money he's pulling down won't find its way into every self-published writer's wallet, but, truthfully, that's not what I'm going for. I only need enough so that I can turn this "hobby" into a career. That's all I'm asking for -- though I won't turn away the cash if it shows up on my doorstep.

Another fellow writer, Barry Napier, posted a couple days ago that he is going to try his hand at self-publishing, and Aaron Polson just posted about being a 21st Century Digital Boy. I know that there are several others that have already or are going to try soon. It's an exciting time to write.

So, with that bit of ranting out of the way, I would like to announce that I too will soon be throwing my hat into the self-publishing arena with my paranormal thriller Guarding the Healer. I know that success won't come overnight. Just like most things, this wall will only go up brick by brick.

I do not have a release date, yet, but when I do, you'll be one of the first to know.

Time For a Change

I've made a few changes to the blog.  I'm still using a template, mostly because I don't understand a gnat's eyelash worth of HTML, and I'm still too poor to pay someone to amp up my look.  That being said, I think it looks a lot better.  More professional.  Simplified.  I'm sure more changes are on the way.  My goal is to have a blog that is as awesome as Cate's.  It's my favorite of all the blogs I read.

Not that I don't love the rest of your blogs as well.

Anyway.

I'll have something better to blog about in a day or two.  I promise.

Don't give me that look.  This time I'm telling the truth.

I'm So Vain, I Probably Think This Post Is About Me

Is it courageous to break away from the pack and take your destiny into your own hands or is it foolishness to leave the tried and true path?  I'm not sure.  Really, I'm not.  This question has been plaguing me of late. 

I've been following Joe Konrath for a good while now.  He's smart, interesting, and pulls no punches.  If you haven't heard of him (which I can't fathom you haven't) then I suggest you check out his blog A Newbie's Guide to Publishing.

The reason I mention Mr. Konrath is that he has been encouraging writers to leave the traditional publishing path and consider self-publishing e-books.  There is no doubt he has had great success doing this, and has given examples of other writers (many without traditional publishing backgrounds) doing the same.

I've been mulling over all the pros and cons.  Looking at all the stigmas.  The words "self-published" have been such ugly words in the writing world for so long that I feel a certain amount of shame when I consider taking this path.  But in this budding e-book universe we find ourselves in, should this stigma remain?

I still love paper books, and always will.  And I know that inviting every writer to self-publish will just saturate the market with electronic mountains of trash, but eventually the cream always rises to the top.  Then comes the word "vanity" which somehow attaches itself to self-publishing and not to its traditional counterpart.  But as Konrath points out, if all I want is to see my name on the spine of a book, to win awards, or to be on the New York Times Best Seller List, that sounds pretty vain.  But if my goal is to reach readers and make enough money to continue writing full time why should I care if my book is electronic or the dead tree variety?

Still, I can't help the old formula from busting in and pointing a bony finger at me and yelling "Quitter!  Fraud!  No good hack that can't get published any other way!"

You get the point.

I have published several short stories and I did have a couple of high ranking agents take a good look at my novel.  So I believe that eventually I will write a novel that gets me an agent, and that agent will find me a publisher.  But should I subject myself to being a starving artist just because that's what the formula says I should do?  Or should I break away, keeping my eyes on the ever changing horizon and try to mold my own destiny?

I still don't know.

True, I am very disillusioned with the publishing industry right now.  It seems that if you aren't an instant success then they don't want to waste time trying to grow you into a brand.  That if your first book doesn't sell 500,000 copies all you can do is change your name and try again.  And why should someone (I mean the publishing industry as a whole) who is so unwilling to change and adapt be the gatekeepers to what people read.  I believe the e-book revolution has put the power back into the hands of the consumer.  The people, not the Big 6 houses, decide what is good and what is bad.  The writer -- the one that created, labored, sweated, bled and cried -- is given a bigger cut of the cake.  Maybe I'm just being one of those embittered writers that crosses his arms, screws up his face, and portions the blame out leaving none for myself.  But I don't think so.

Still, I don't know.  I can't get the model out of my head:  Write a book, get an agent, pray for a publisher, then hope you can catch enough coin to keep the pattern going.

So, my circle of wordslingers, what do you think?  If you follow Konrath's blog or read his books, leave me a comment.  If you don't, click on over there, go back as far as you dare, then when you can stand no more come back and talk to me.

I really want to know.

Oh, 2010, We Hardly Knew Ye

Just a little over five hours left of 2010 here in Indiana.  It's been a good year, and I will miss it.  I didn't accomplish as much, writing-wise, as I wanted to, but I was able to get my head on straight and work on my priorities.

Welcome twenty-'leven.  My resolution is to fill my life with more love.  Not to sweat the little things.  Read more; write more.  Get off my butt and do something with the few gifts God gave me.

Happy New Year every one.

I Just Don't Have the Words

"Self taught, no lessons, thank you very much, Pop!"

Ten points to the person that can name the movie this quote appears in, and another ten if you can name the actor.

The end of November is here, and I'm at a bit of a loss for a blog post. I've had an idea for a repeating post that I was thinking of implementing in the future. I think I'll try it out right now.

Now, as writers go, I'm not all that educated. I skipped out on college to take a good paying job (good for an 18 year old, anyway) and well, here I am. This post isn't really about that. What it is about is vocabulary. Mine is a bit on the light side. In an attempt to bulk up my word-muscles, I've been compiling a list of words from the books I read. When I run across one I've never seen, don't understand, or recognize but am not sure of the correct usage, then I write it down, look it up and try to burn it into my brain.

Here are a few words from that list.

Convivial : relating to, occupied with, or fond of feasting, drinking, and good company

Troika: 1. a Russian vehicle drawn by three horses abreast; also : a team for such a vehicle

2. a group of three; especially : an administrative or ruling body of three

Arcana: mysterious or specialized knowledge, language, or information accessible or possessed only by the initiate

Urbane: notably polite or polished in manner

Raucous: 1. disagreeably harsh

2. disorderly

I have a much longer list, with more difficult words. I realize some of these words are pretty common. Remember, I said some of them I was merely unsure of (he says, nursing his wounded ego), not completely ignorant of. If you must laugh, be gentle.