The Blog, the Tweet, and the Facebook Page

Building an author platform can be a difficult and painstaking undertaking. Chances are your writing time will be greatly sacrificed. However, blogging, tweeting, and updating your Facebook page does constitute writing, and does generate readers. Therefore, it is time well spent. I’ve noticed certain patterns emerging as I’ve began building my own platform.

Blog reciprocation has the highest ranking. When I hit the Like and Subscribe buttons or drop a comment on someone else’s blog, they generally reciprocate by doing the same on mine. Of course that only happens when the initial contact is done through blogging. If the initial contact happens through Twitter, full reciprocation doesn’t usually occur.

When someone follows me on Twitter, I make it my business to follow back, drop a tweet, visit their Facebook page and their blog. But the Twitter reciprocation rate is pretty low. I’d say about 1 out of every 35 who I make contact with visit my blog or Facebook page.

Twitter returns don’t seem that bad when compared to Facebook. I must say that my Facebook page is pretty much dead space most of the time. Although I really haven’t been “pushing” over there either.

In the same order up to now, The Blog, The Tweet, and The Facebook Page have become my own version of The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly.

How are you doing with your platform experience?  Any tips you’d like to share?

The Twilight Zone of Reviews

I just got my third short story listed on Amazon and Barnes & Noble in keeping with my New Year’s writing goals. I remember listing the first one and worrying about reviews. Well, the first six are in and they’re all either 4 or 5 star ratings. Phew, what a relief!

What struck me about them was how two of the reviewers made similar observations that there was a hint of Rod Serling in my work. Probably quite true, I was raised on watching reruns of The Twilight Zone when I was young. I could watch it with my friends, sisters, or “square” parents. It just didn’t matter with that show, and still doesn’t. I just DVR’d a bunch of them during the New Year’s marathon and lately I’ve been curling up with my wife to watch them after dinner.

My third short story, A Purveyor of Odd Things, is up and I wonder what reviews will say about this one. I’m especially interested because of the preamble to this story. When I first presented it to my critique group, one of them said “That sounds like something Rod Serling would say to introduce a Twilight Zone episode.”

Let’s see what happens!

A Purveyor of Odd Things Published!

Announcing the release of my newest short story, A Purveyor of Odd Things, on Amazon and Barnes & Noble!  It’s a fun read for anyone who’s into detective stories, the supernatural, Hitchcock or the Twilight Zone.

The description: Meet Detective Renner Branson, a man so enslaved to his work that he’s forgotten how to live. In his newest baffling case, he will discover secrets – not just about the world, but about himself.  The terrors lurking within may shatter his grip on reality.  Or they may show him just how beautiful reality can be.

Excerpt:

Branson squeezed his eyes shut. His sense of real and unreal, of possible and impossible, was shredded by these apparitions. He wanted so badly to run, run anywhere, to the car, to the gate, anything to get away from this insanity. But he wouldn’t – couldn’t – leave Hannah. Through his panic he became aware of her clammy hand clutching his, and though he tugged on it, she seemed unable to move. Paralyzed by that cold stare. Fight or flight…or freeze.

It’s up for only $0.99, come check it out!

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Where do You Like to Read?

I’ve heard many times that if you want to be an author, you need to read a lot.  Now, many people like to read in bed. My wife, for example, is guaranteed to knock off a chapter or two in that fashion every night.  But for me, reading in bed is just uncomfortable.

Instead, I prefer to lean back in a trusty recliner in our loft.  Minnie (one of our cats) prefers that too; she likes to stretch out across my legs while I read.  There’s a handy table for a drink and other things, like magazines, my Nook, or a bag of cat treats. And of course, the CD player.

That’s another thing that most people don’t like: listening to music while reading. But I find it relaxing to have Mozart, Vivaldi, or Wagner playing low in the background.

It’s my comfy zone. I’m surrounded by my guitars and my favorite classic rock album covers and Beatles posters. And of course, a paint job that evokes the sunset.

Where is your favorite place to read?

Got Cats?

As I’ve been delving into the world of Indie Authors, via blogs, Facebook, Twitter, and Google +, I’ve noticed that many have more than one gift for the arts. Also, it seems that many are avid cat owners.

So to my fellow “Indies” I’d like to ask two questions…

1. What other art forms are you good at?
2. Do you have a cat?

I’ll go first. 1. I like to draw, faux paint, and play guitar and 2. I have two cats, Minnie and Phoenix.

French Onion Soup

Men, this is the perfect dish to make on a cold night for that special someone in your life.  Not only will she be impressed by your culinary abilities, but she’ll be pleasantly amazed at how thoughtful you are.

Ingredients:

2 large onions (I prefer Red Bermuda onions)

3 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon of olive oil

1 clove of garlic

1 tablespoon of all-purpose flour

6 cups of beef stock (NOT a bouillon or broth.  Try Swanson or Knorr Beef Stock.)

1 bay leaf

¼ teaspoon dried thyme

Slices of French bread

Grated Gruyere or Baby Swiss (Do not use a cheese that is aged or sharp)

1 teaspoon of sherry (optional)

salt and pepper

Step 1. Peel and French cut the onions (for instructions, try here). They should be thin.  If the onions are large, quarter them.

Step 2. Melt the butter in the soup pot, along with the olive oil.  (Cooking Tip: Do not put cold butter into a scalding hot pot. Let the butter come to room temperature and keep the pot on medium heat.)

Step 3. Add the onions and toss in the hot butter and oil. When the onions turn translucent, spread them to the outer part of the soup pot leaving the center clear. Place the pot on a small back burner on the lowest setting. Cover and forget it for 45 minutes. This process is called “sweating,” and after 45 minutes the onions will be soft and limp. (ATTN: Men! Fear not. This is one of those few moments when you want to make something soft and limp,)

Step 4: Put the pot back onto a regular burner at medium heat and add the flour. The flour will absorb the oils and start to darken. It only takes a minute or two for the flour to cook.

Step 5: Add the beef stock, thyme, bay leaf, and sherry (optional) and bring to a boil for ten minutes. This is a good time to lightly toast the French bread.

Step 6: Add salt and pepper to taste.

Step 7: Find that bay leaf and discard it.

Step 8: Fill two soup crocks with the onion soup. Cut a slice of French bread to size, place on top and cover with cheese. Place the crocks under the broiler. Let it melt, or make the cheese a little brown on top.

Step 9: After dinner, cuddle up on the couch with a romantic movie. (Tip: Try “Love Actually”)

Step 10: Prepare a candlelight bubble bath.

Step 11: If you need more instructions at this point, seek professional assistance.

Enjoy!

Facing the Ugly Truth: Your First Draft Isn’t Beautiful

As I look around Amazon at the works offered by other indie authors, I’m amazed by the huge range of quality in the writing. Just from the previews, some seem like they could easily make bestseller listings, while others need a lot of help in grammar, spelling and structure. It is this second category that is giving every indie author a bad name, and makes readers shy away from all of us. If you suspect that your book or story might need some help, but you can’t afford a professional editor, I thought I’d share with you some personal experience and tips.

I tend to fee-write just to get something down on paper. If I ponder commas, periods, semi-colons, and verb choices while I write, I’d never get anything done. As a wise man once said, you can’t edit a blank page. But I would never let anyone see a first draft; it always needs a lot of polish before it’s ready for the public. Here are some of the titles that I’ve found extremely helpful for self-editing, and I highly recommend them to fellow indies.

1. Self-Editing for Fiction Writers by Browne & King.  POV, Dialog mechanics, the inevitable show vs tell, and many other issues are addressed at length. Great explanations and examples abound.
2. Stephen King: On Writing. The first half is a memoir, but then he offers other writers a “toolbox” approach, which contains everything from grammar to narratology.
3. The Emotion Thesaurus by Ackerman & Puglisi offers many hands on tips. This one is usually sitting on the desk as I write.  Check out all of their titles.
4. Writing Fight Scenes by Rayne Hall is a bargain at $2.99. Replete with weapon actions, body language for male and female characters, fighting strategies, and post battle emotions. Certainly worth a perusal.

Once you’ve applied all of this wisdom to your draft, it’s time for critique groups and beta readers to give you some feedback. Only when I’ve finished with these last concerns do I dare put something up on Amazon or B&N.  I believe every author should, as it’s the only way to defeat the “Indie-Author Stigma” that bites all of us.

Feel free to comment below with your favorite resources or ideas for indie authors.

A New Year: Resolutions and Goals

It’s always important to remember that when it comes to setting goals, they must be plausible. I’ve never agreed with other goal oriented sentiments like…Shoot for the stars so if you fail, you’ve still reached the moon. That’s like setting an unattainable goal and then being satisfied with second-best.

Therefore, I’m going to set some very logical and sane goals for myself for 2014.

1. Finish my novel The First Light
2. Get a second novel completed
3. Get a short story up on Amazon and Nook each month.
4. Increase my platform; maybe even figure out Pinterest and other services.
5. I will market my work as an Indie author and take a stab at the traditional route.

Goal number 5 is important to note. Notice that I am only going to try the traditional route. My goal is not to definitely find a publisher. That would make my goal dependent upon the decisions of a nameless, faceless stranger.

What are your writing goals for 2014?

Locked in a Genre Box

As I peruse author blogs geared toward helping indie writers market themselves, I keep seeing particular sentiments repeating themselves: You have to pick a genre and stick to it. If you change genres, you should publish under a different name. And so on. Each tidbit of information seems to be another wall in the genre box.

That may be well and good for others, but not me. Since I wear many different hats, I write like that as well.  If you’ve been scanning my blog posts, you may have noted that the categories are diverse. Also, if you noticed the links for my short stories, you would note that Martha’s Kitchen is horror, while Stasis has a Libertarian theme.

I was raised on Hitchcock and The Twilight Zone. Therefore, I sometimes lean that way when I write. But I am also a Libertarian, and likewise, I sometimes let my creative juices flow in that direction. I also love J.R.R. Tolkien, Role Playing Games (RPG’s) like the classic Dungeons & Dragons or Pathfinder, along with some online versions. So it’s no surprise that my novel will fall under the Fantasy category.

Are you locked in a genre box? What advantages or disadvantages have you found in sticking to a genre, or in attacking multiple fields?

Stasis Published!

Announcing the release of my new short story, Stasis, on Amazon and Barnes & Noble!  It’s a great read for anyone into Libertarianism or who’s uneasy about the route that Big Government has been taking lately.

The description:  Kurt Williams has spent the last twenty years as a Libertarian refugee from a collapsing society. On his return to civilization, what he finds is nothing short of devastating. In an America where big government has run amok and nearly everything is outlawed, will his defiance and courage be enough to restore sanity?

Stasis won an Honorable Mention in the 2013 San Antonio Writer’s Guild contest for Best Short Story.  It’s up for only $0.99, come check it out!

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