The fact that the book industry is changing has never been driven home quite as clearly as it was in the last few days. The first epiphany was when I read a post by my publisher, Lorina Stephens of Five Rivers Publishing. She wrote about how Indigo (the 500-pound gorilla in Canada for book sales) is now pushing the small and indie presses around (post found here). Essentially, the book chain has made the decision to supplement their waning book sales by selling giftware. Fair enough. If it helps them survive, all the power to them. But, and here is where the bullying comes in, they are also basically pushing the small presses out. Lorina says it better than me by far, so I […]
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Get Published Episode 67 – Jack Whyte Talks About Agents, Publishers and Editors
There are several authors I have always wanted to talk to. Anne McCaffrey, Terry Pratchett and Jack Whyte are all at the top of the list. When I heard Jack Whyte was going to be at the “When Words Collide” conference, I hoped to be able to talk to him there. I was blown away when he actually agreed to appear on “Get Published”. Jack has been a published author for more than 20 years and I am a huge fan. Jack had a lot of things to say about agents, publishers and the editing process. It was a great interview, but longer than most. That being the case, this episode will not have a tips and typos section. I […]
Read moreTime to Share – the Big Cover Reveal
As you know, I am busy getting my YA novel, “Mik Murdoch, Boy Superhero” ready for publication. The journey feels long some days and I wish I could share more of where we are in concrete terms. Today, I have something concrete to share with you. I have been EXTREMELY fortunate to have a good friend of mine do the cover for the book. I had always hoped he could do it and when I had the chance to make the introduction between him and my publisher, Lorina, I jumped at the chance. She hired him to do four covers right away and, to my delight, “Mik Murdoch” was one of them. So here it is. The cover for my […]
Read moreDon’t Overlook the Little Things – Notes on Revision
The revision process has been a series of aha moments for me. The latest one has to do with how two of my characters come together and form a bond. The book I’m revising is, of course, “Mik Murdoch, Boy Superhero” and the bond I’m talking about is that of a superhero and his sidekick, or, in this case, a boy and his dog. Let me set the stage: Mik has just been given a puppy by his parents. Except, the puppy doesn’t want to do anything except mope around the house. Mik and his mother discuss how the puppy has just been weaned and is homesick. It might help if Mik and the dog spend some quality time together. […]
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