Posted in Fallen Cloud Saga, Writing, tagged Beneath a Wounded Sky, creative writing, editing, Fallen Cloud Saga, FC:V, novel writing, self-publishing, Writing, writing techniques, writing tips on 09 Oct 2012| 1 Comment »
While I’m struggling with the proof process on FC:II (the errors are entirely my own; nothing to do with CreateSpace), another topic came to mind on which I have an opinion: Character Names.
I’ve seen some doozies—in print and in workshops—that left me shaking my head in wonder. Don’t these people read their own stuff? Don’t they see/can’t they hear how awful that name sounds? Below are some of the naming practices that drive me batty.
Posted in Fallen Cloud Saga, Hi Tech, Writing, tagged CreateSpace, creative writing, ebooks, Fallen Cloud Saga, Kindle, Lulu, novel writing, novels, self-publishing, Writing, writing techniques, writing tips on 04 Oct 2012| 2 Comments »
Yesterday, the second proof for The Year the Cloud Fell (2nd Edition) arrived from CreateSpace, and it was easy to see that the revisions I made were warranted.
The smaller font size and the wider margins make all the difference in the “feel” of the text on the page. Bookman Old Style still has that open, hot-lead, typeset look in 11pt, and the extra white space to top and side actually make the smaller font look less cramped. It’s readable, it feels good in the hand, and it passes all my criteria for a quality product.
It’s ready.
Posted in Fallen Cloud Saga, Writing, tagged amazon, Beneath a Wounded Sky, CreateSpace, creative writing, Fallen Cloud Saga, FC:V, novel writing, proof copy, publishing, self-publishing, Writing, writing tips on 28 Sep 2012| 5 Comments »
We have proof!
Yesterday, Brown delivered the proof for FC:I, and once again I was reminded of just how important a hardcopy proof is. For you out there who are thinking about self-publishing a hardcopy book, always get a physical proof copy of the book.
So, how was it?
Posted in Fallen Cloud Saga, Writing, tagged books, creative writing, editing, Fallen Cloud Saga, novel writing, self-publishing, The Ploughman Chronicles, Unraveling Time, Writing, writing techniques, writing tips on 24 Sep 2012| 4 Comments »
This past weekend, I gave myself some time off to enjoy “Borderlands 2” on Xbox, but that doesn’t mean I did nothing, writing-wise. I did a lot, actually…
Friday I finished typesetting the interior of FC:I and started working with the printer. There were two printers in contention for the job: Lulu and CreateSpace. I chose the latter. Here’s why.
Posted in Fallen Cloud Saga, Writing, tagged creative writing, e-readers, ebooks, editing, Fallen Cloud Saga, Kindle, novel writing, publishing, self-publishing, Writing, writing techniques, writing tips on 20 Sep 2012| 1 Comment »
When I decided to publish the new FC books myself, I rather knew what I was getting into. Publishers, for all their flaws, do provide a lot for the writer. I’ve seen it, experienced it, and though I bitched about a lot of it at the time, I surely do miss it now.
Some of the services a publisher provides that are now on my plate: editing, copy-editing, fact-checking, cover art, and typesetting. (And this doesn’t even get into the marketing/distribution side of things.)
It’s that last one, though…typesetting. It’s a bloody mare’s nest of minutia and details. But its importance cannot be understated. I’ve done this before, but it’s always a surprise. (more…)
Posted in Fallen Cloud Saga, Writing, tagged amazon, Beneath a Wounded Sky, books, creative writing, e-readers, ebooks, editing, Fallen Cloud Saga, FC:V, Kindle, novel writing, novels, publishing, self-publishing, Writing on 16 Sep 2012| Leave a Comment »
Cover art is here! I’ve also decided that I won’t be going with a hardback version of these books; production costs are too high and the demand is too low. We’ll be putting these out in trade paper and in e-book formats.
Onward!
Posted in Culture, Movies, Writing, tagged Abigail Gibbs, books, creative writing, harper collins, HarperCollins, novel writing, novels, publishing, self-publishing, Snooki, Twilight, Writing on 12 Sep 2012| Leave a Comment »
Yesterday, several of my writerly-feeds went nuclear after The Huffington Post reported that Abigail Gibbs was awarded a six-figure contract for her first novel. Every writer I know decried the state of writing when a newbie author would get such a deal for what was essentially (their words) “glorified fan fiction.”
First, nothing in the article leads me to believe that this is fan fiction. Though “inspired” by the Twilight series, there is nothing in the article that says she’s used characters from the series (a hallmark of fan fiction). Sure, she posted articles on Wattpad, but that doesn’t make it fan fiction, so, let’s drop that label, shall we? (more…)
Kurt R.A. Giambastiani 