I thought I would talk about audience today. Specifically, knowing who you are writing for and how you can ensure that you’re hitting the mark. I’ve been shown the value of understanding who might want to read my stories several times. When I sent in Mik Murdoch, Boy Superhero originally, I kind of knew who I expected my eventual readership to be: boys, ages 9 – 15. Simple enough, right? After all, the book is about a boy in that age category who wants to be a superhero. I expected some girls might like it and the occasional adult too. Then my editor, Robert Runte, and I had the chance to meet last Fall. He told me that when he […]
Read moreCategory: Irreverent Muse
Guest Post – Books that Inspired – Finding New Horizons – by Christopher Walker
I was a fairly dense kid while growing up. I wasn’t stupid. I easily managed A’s and B’s throughout school. I just wasn’t very aware of anything outside of my own immediate interests. I wasn’t aspiring to anything. I just ducked my head, hoping I’d make it to the next day, and missed out on lots of pop culture as a result. When my brother got me my first adult novel for Christmas when I was fourteen, I didn’t even notice that it was the last book in a series. “Star Wars: X-wing: The Bacta War” ignited my love for space opera and fantasy. I felt like I could have been Corran Horn in another life. I loved the starfighter […]
Read morePlease Help Me Cross Promote
There is one major area that I need to do some serious development in and that is asking others to help. I think it is because I always try to be respectful of other people’s time and commitments. Whatever the reason, I am always reluctant to ask others to give me some of their time unless I can give them something in return. But, promotion is very important to a new, upcoming book so I think it is important that I ask, no matter how difficult the asking may be. Even still, in the asking, I’m hoping I can give you a little something in return. In this case some cross-promotion. So, here goes. Are you ready? Okay, enough stalling. […]
Read moreThe Proof is the Next Step
The process of publishing a book can be a long one with many steps. The author, of course, has to present a clean, completed manuscript to a publisher. It has to be well-written and interesting and something the publisher is prepared to spend money on. Once that is agreed to, there is the contract, the editing, revisions, more revisions and finally a manuscript that is ready to see print. Or is it? The publisher then lays out the book and then… well then the laid out book is sent to the author (and other proof-readers) for final review as a galley. That is where I’m at right now. This minute, in fact. My publisher, Lorina, sent me my galley on […]
Read more