tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6524216043125745761.comments2023-10-05T05:42:39.584-04:00Notes from the Jovian frontierblankenship.louisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05541461775158369620noreply@blogger.comBlogger821125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6524216043125745761.post-51920615949082255742015-10-28T19:46:43.231-04:002015-10-28T19:46:43.231-04:00Nice Info :)Nice <a href="http://id-com.info" rel="nofollow">Info</a> :)Adminhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18400153320211647867noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6524216043125745761.post-7786595453860851592015-05-25T21:41:50.873-04:002015-05-25T21:41:50.873-04:00Partly for research, partly because I'd always...Partly for research, partly because I'd always meant to do it, partly because the opportunity presented itself in a friend who could loan me a rifle. I don't own one, can't really afford one, so no there wasn't really a practical reason. <br /><br />Medieval Times -- now there's some hands-on research, if you're brave enough to get on a horse and pick up a lance!blankenship.louisehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05541461775158369620noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6524216043125745761.post-46683993822109125722015-05-25T15:13:55.407-04:002015-05-25T15:13:55.407-04:00Fabulous idea, Louise! Did you take up the shootin...Fabulous idea, Louise! Did you take up the shooting just for research, or was there also some practical purpose?<br />I can't say it's quite the same but I always enjoyed LARPing as a single guy- it reinforced my inner geek about things like marching order, sighting distances, surprise; elements of combat and tactics. And just yesterday, we treated my high-school graduating daughter with her first trip to Medieval Times. Man, that's the job for me.!Wm. L. Hahnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09918981970218130294noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6524216043125745761.post-82524746406528749612015-02-13T14:08:36.616-05:002015-02-13T14:08:36.616-05:00I organised my own tour for Scrapplings, and if I ...I organised my own tour for Scrapplings, and if I do one again when I wrap up the series I'll probably hire someone to do it, because it was a huge logistical PITA. I don't think I saw more than a couple (2-3) sales as a result, but I felt like I made some connections and I did get a few high-quality reviews, so for that it was worthwhile. I've looked at a few blog tour companies but haven't tried any of them yet.<br /><br />Also, I think that the best publicity is probably to write stories or articles in magazines/blogs with large readerships. I should try for more of that, too.Ameliahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10416828902120818415noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6524216043125745761.post-84161600575855224022014-11-25T22:47:54.566-05:002014-11-25T22:47:54.566-05:00Er, Tolkien did write about the attack of the Ents...Er, Tolkien did write about the attack of the Ents on Isengard. He just did it in a flashback. Remember Pippin shuddering at the memory of the Ent who was set on fire?Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06193636437473341228noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6524216043125745761.post-30509522833526946612014-11-10T12:42:28.481-05:002014-11-10T12:42:28.481-05:00I've thought about buying another ad for PART ...I've thought about buying another ad for PART I, but I'm thinking the time for that is when the end of the series, PART VI, comes out. Which will be early next year, a few months after HAWKS & RAMS is published by Dreamspinner. I hear you on the bigger base -- that's definitely on my mind. <br /><br />I have not done anything with subscription services and I'll admit I've always been rather leery of those. One needs to have established trust with your readership w/r/t the quality of your writing... and your reliability. Even after two years, I wouldn't say that I have that. blankenship.louisehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05541461775158369620noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6524216043125745761.post-81066861544646536072014-11-10T12:08:58.505-05:002014-11-10T12:08:58.505-05:00It's really so important to see "real lif...It's really so important to see "real life" sales figures and analysis like this Louise, and I salute your candor.<br />So much to touch on, and I certainly have no magic answer for how to boost sales. I think you're on the brink of next-level, which I would define as getting steady, nice-to-have income from your work. Would you consider another KDPS promotion? Maybe from a bigger base there'll be a larger leap. Also, have you done anything with subscription services and are those non-sales income reflected here?<br />Basically, you've got a higher production budget than I do, so it's hard to comment. I'm also at the spend-no-extra-money level and working to turn any profit at all. Your ability to draw your own is big, very big for the fantasy genre.<br />Maybe if I get a drab of sales data from my new micro-publisher (and a big dollop of courage) I'll do the same as you someday!Wm. L. Hahnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09918981970218130294noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6524216043125745761.post-87548413945100067992014-10-13T17:47:47.818-04:002014-10-13T17:47:47.818-04:00I'm so jealous! I have to go back to Bhutan, I...I'm so jealous! I have to go back to Bhutan, I've decided. It's not cheap, but I'm saving up for it.blankenship.louisehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05541461775158369620noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6524216043125745761.post-58423434358442695172014-10-13T16:07:43.198-04:002014-10-13T16:07:43.198-04:00Welcome home! I'm excited about your trip! I s...Welcome home! I'm excited about your trip! I spent about a year all told in Bhutan and Nepal (in 2-3 month chunks for work) back in the early 2000s. It was amazing and eye-opening.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6524216043125745761.post-25229759660251951472014-09-20T15:52:58.998-04:002014-09-20T15:52:58.998-04:00Congrats. It'll be interesting to see how self...Congrats. It'll be interesting to see how self pubbing is different than small press pubbing.Liz A.https://www.blogger.com/profile/16531953467834426316noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6524216043125745761.post-7438158449252243922014-07-09T03:20:12.850-04:002014-07-09T03:20:12.850-04:00An excellent post. Like you, I find a lot of horro...An excellent post. Like you, I find a lot of horror formulaic and by the numbers. Actually, there's a lot of that in any genre. What excites me is the why. It's all about character and the reasons. Ellie Garratthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03731071128348213067noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6524216043125745761.post-5493148695619866912014-07-08T16:51:52.425-04:002014-07-08T16:51:52.425-04:00I like creepy but not bloody. I don't know if ...I like creepy but not bloody. I don't know if I could ever write a horror story, but then again, if the right inspiration were to hit...Liz A.https://www.blogger.com/profile/16531953467834426316noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6524216043125745761.post-10829764204185644432014-07-08T15:17:54.220-04:002014-07-08T15:17:54.220-04:00I agree, everything does happen to real people. An...I agree, everything does happen to real people. And our characters are real people, aren't they? <br /><br />I suspect that if you made a Venn diagram of all the genres, there would be very little space where there weren't at least two overlapping...blankenship.louisehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05541461775158369620noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6524216043125745761.post-34374739013241095722014-07-08T09:31:22.491-04:002014-07-08T09:31:22.491-04:00Most-excellent post, very thoughtful stuff and I a...Most-excellent post, very thoughtful stuff and I agree completely about innocence as stereotyped in movies.<br />In epic fantasy, I often say we veer into all the major genres soon or late- horror, romance, thriller, mystery, it's a world out there, after all, with people in it. And eventually everything happens to real people.<br />I didn't see it coming, but the elements of horror in my current release build primarily on a sense of isolation. And I think- I hope!- they also contain that element of "why" you allude to, instead of random chainsaws and falling shards of glass. One scene in particular comes to mind in what will be Book 4 next year. Poor Cedrith, such a gentle, erudite Sage, and gets himself dragged along on the worst adventure in recent history... fun! For the reader I mean.Wm. L. Hahnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09918981970218130294noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6524216043125745761.post-18841249294860120532014-06-29T18:59:43.773-04:002014-06-29T18:59:43.773-04:00Heya! Your year sounds like my year, in the sense ...Heya! Your year sounds like my year, in the sense that it's been blogging-impoverished. Sounds like a great festival. It has been so long since I've gone to a big loud music thing. Lots of semi-loud music things, though. Elizabeth Twisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03133959633383307056noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6524216043125745761.post-44510837272109063822014-05-28T09:34:31.947-04:002014-05-28T09:34:31.947-04:00Fantastic post, in every sense! I must say I feel ...Fantastic post, in every sense! I must say I feel a kinship with you Louise- I only have the one world, but its vastness, in large part, is what held me back from doing anything more than random notes for so long. I also think that your idea of trusting the universe strikes a chord. As a self-confessed chronicler, I'm trusting THAT universe!<br /><br />The one thing that baffles me- and I've seen other authors do the same as you- is the idea of tagging music into the writing process. And I've been around music all my life! There are songs and lyrics in the Lands of Hope, for example- but I haven't yet felt much of a connection to tunes in the Alleged Real World. Have to keep my ears open on that one. Thanks!Wm. L. Hahnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09918981970218130294noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6524216043125745761.post-8863104819848008852014-05-07T09:10:51.415-04:002014-05-07T09:10:51.415-04:00Hi L.B.:
I trotted over here from Absolute Write ...Hi L.B.:<br /><br />I trotted over here from Absolute Write to see your numbers. I'd say you're doing somewhat better than I am, with fewer books out. I had 8 sales in April (of 14 titles), after 2-2-3 in Jan-Feb-Mar. Since my first item (a short story) went live in Feb 2011, I've had 271 sales.<br /><br />It's very frustrating to work so hard to produce something, only to have it lost in the vast expanse of items for sale. Wish I knew the answer. I have a goal for sales for the year which, if I don't hit, I may just chuck it all.David A. Toddhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16825539283421597579noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6524216043125745761.post-64341792343268375472014-04-29T12:48:54.486-04:002014-04-29T12:48:54.486-04:00I'm very curious what sort of % "self-pu...I'm very curious what sort of % "self-pubbing" dj's get from online distributors like Beatport or Band Camp. They certainly seem to suffer from the same pricing quandries -- big labels can charge whatever they want for an album, but pricing is all over the place for non-big-label musicians. <br /><br />I agree, we're not competitors here and art is not a zero-sum game. We're especially not competitors across artistic platforms -- heck, I've done some good brainstorming out on the dance floor. It's called "trance" music for a reason...blankenship.louisehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05541461775158369620noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6524216043125745761.post-72320940717589708862014-04-29T11:12:29.367-04:002014-04-29T11:12:29.367-04:00Very insightful Louise, well done. One difference ...Very insightful Louise, well done. One difference in the favor of us indie-pub folk is the non-mandatory nature of an intermediary- the publishing platforms don't charge cover to the readers! And the fee split to is a percentage, not flat-rate. That, plus the lack of "infrastructure spend" as you pointed out, make it much easier for us to do business, though you could argue the competition is much higher and more readily accessible than for live-anything, including music.<br />I never did clubs myself, but the family dabbles in local theater, both participating and attending and we support that consistently including attending shows written and directed by colleagues. <br />Onward and upward for all of us- Anne R. Allen always points out that fellow authors are friends, not competitors in any real sense, and now you've shown that extends to the other arts as well.Wm. L. Hahnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09918981970218130294noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6524216043125745761.post-70317990174663366292014-04-23T13:48:50.510-04:002014-04-23T13:48:50.510-04:00I think you get extra leeway for wrestling with so...I think you get extra leeway for wrestling with something as difficult as second person! Bravo for tackling it.blankenship.louisehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05541461775158369620noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6524216043125745761.post-40703353039143726742014-04-22T15:59:40.380-04:002014-04-22T15:59:40.380-04:00Hi Louise, I have indeed been wrestling with narra...Hi Louise, I have indeed been wrestling with narrative voice, for about eighteen months. And losing. But it's still fun. My female protag (heroic fantasy) is a seer, so her sense of time is pretty flimsy, and it's second person with a kind of accusatory flavor coming in and out (like the occasional sentence of "that's just like you"). It's been a very tough challenge, but the beta-readers seem to adjust and like it well enough. Onward.Wm. L. Hahnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09918981970218130294noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6524216043125745761.post-27670013879433615612014-04-08T10:31:52.593-04:002014-04-08T10:31:52.593-04:00Great conversation, Louise. This Hahn guys sounds ...Great conversation, Louise. This Hahn guys sounds pretty deep!<br /><br />I'm looking forward to my series release starting in July, and I'm keeping your process in mind as a model... except for the part where you're still insanely productive while publishing. I mean, sheesh...Wm. L. Hahnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09918981970218130294noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6524216043125745761.post-49811048571266833502014-02-26T08:54:10.183-05:002014-02-26T08:54:10.183-05:00I agree, the "bad" sentences work as dia...I agree, the "bad" sentences work as dialogue, for me. People do talk like that. And you can write narrative in a very conversational voice, but it would take me some work to get comfortable with that one!blankenship.louisehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05541461775158369620noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6524216043125745761.post-65560254024932008942014-02-25T23:16:01.449-05:002014-02-25T23:16:01.449-05:00I haven't used Grammerly, and don't use Wo...I haven't used Grammerly, and don't use Word's grammar function. I've got a ton of training and editing experience so I figure I can spot myself. <br /><br />Fiction is so interesting when it comes to grammar rules. Your "bad" sentences in your examples all seemed kosher to me if you were writing with a particular voice. Elizabeth Twisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03133959633383307056noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6524216043125745761.post-564200055709400662014-02-25T14:46:31.270-05:002014-02-25T14:46:31.270-05:00Computer software that deals with grammar tends to...Computer software that deals with grammar tends to be pretty terrible. Language is still too complex for a simple algorithm to sort it out. I guess when they can do that then computers will finally be able to hold a conversation (and then we're all in trouble).<br /><br />mood<br /><a href="http://moodywriting.blogspot.co.uk/" rel="nofollow">Moody Writing</a> mooderinohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01523337588830695638noreply@blogger.com