Seeking the Veil for All

Though Seeking the Veil has been available on Kobo for a while, I haven't found the secret sauce to sell it there, so the short prequel to Veil of a Warrior has been underloved. It is finally getting reviews on Amazon and in a move that I have been wanting to make for a while, I am releasing all 3 parts to Nook, Apple (iTunes), ScribD and others. Google is unfortunately closed to any new publishers at this time due to problems with piracy. Part 1 should be available today on the rest. Part 2 coming right after and Part 3 coming in a few days.

If you want to read the story, but didn't want to sign up for another newsletter or mess with uploading it manually to your favorite device, buy it ASAP and tell your friends. I was going to keep Part 1 as free (once I got it listed as free elsewhere for Amazon to price match), but it may display to customers better at 99 cents. So for a limited time Part 1 will stay free, but that may change.

Or join the newsletter and get all 3 parts for free. Uploading them to your favorite device isn't hard and I can help if you have questions. Just post a comment below.

Click here to sign up for the newsletter and get the free fantasy adventure.

Published!

The short story that became a novelette is up and done. Seeking the Veil, Part 1 is live on Amazon. And the novel is coming in days. Click here to go to the Amazon page.

A young man seeks his purpose in a foreign land. To do something against an age-old enemy. But he is no magus, he has never lifted his war hammer in anger and he must struggle to find his place in a band of unlikely heroes. 

There is humor, friendship, battle, magic and the discovery of a mysterious power that lies within.

Lots to do, so I'll make this brief. The release of the novelette is something of a test run. Seeing how everything works and so on. Good thing my expectations were low, I spent an inordinate amount of time on Amazon last night, trying to tweak the formatting of the short story to look the best it could. Then I see the "Look Inside" rendering isn't even true to the Amazon online preview application.

Bah. Either way, the story is up. I'm happy with the results and now is when the magic starts. I started writing the short stories just a few months ago, but the novel has been brewing in my head for 7 years with story elements churning for decades. As much fun as I've had writing, the best part is sharing. That's when it truly takes its first breath, when it exists apart from me. And that is true magic.

Seeking the Veil, Part 1 - A Hammerblood Story

A young man seeks his purpose. To do something against an age-old enemy. But he is no magus, he has never lifted his war hammer in anger and he must struggle to find his place.

There is humor, friendship, battle, magic and the first touch of a mystery to come, and to grow. I invite you across the threshold, meet 17 year old Hestea and share his adventure.

The story is about 60 book pages in length (17,000 words). Sign up below to join the Newsletter and get it first, and FREE, this weekend. I'll put it here on the blog later, but the dedicated few get it first. Later I'll put it on Amazon and give this whole self-published thing a real try.

So, I've been quiet for a while, longer than I wanted. But the quiet was well spent and soon I will make more noise. The full book is still coming. My little opus that has taken seven years to write: Veil of a Warrior, Hammerblood Book 1. And it is ready for the light of day. Watch for cover art to come.

You might ask about the short story prequels. Why?

I say why not? I had some silly, crazy idea to write some short stories to let readers quickly and easily into the Hammerblood universe. This was sometime back in February. Thought it might only take me a few weeks. They were supposed to be short, right?

Ah, how naive. Anyway, Short story 1 is done. Short story 2 is on its 2nd draft, just needing a little polish and the 3rd is on its way. I thought these might be independent shorts at first, but I realized they would closely connect.

Part 1 stands on its own, but in the end, the three will form a short novel, somewhere around 60k words. Or about 240 total pages. All three will be released free to my Newsletter subscribers. So jump on board.

Sign up for the Newsletter here

Running Behind, a Pack of Savages on my Heels

I’m going on a Social Media Blackout. I’m running behind on the Hammerblood short stories by two weeks and it’s going to take me another week to finish the first.

As much as I want to keep up with the recent blogging, it is NOT the reason I wake up in the morning.

It is disappointing to see my little production schedule crumbling, but things happen. And though part of that reason is my ancient eight-year old laptop causing more trouble than it’s worth, at least I finally broke down and bought a new one that can blow through some of the speedbumps I’ve had to endure.

So, until the short stories are done… See you on the flip side. Know that I will break that rule if I see something really shiny.

(For the newsletter crowd, you’ll continue to get weekly updates on further chapters. It’s because I love you more.)

SEO Butchery for Your Fantasy Novel

How many keywords can you cram into your title? I had to wonder after doing a recent Amazon search.

But first, a quick primer for the SEO uniniated: SEO is Search Engine Optimization. A fancy way to say that a search engine is more likely to find your site (or in this case: book) than someone else’s.
1) Use meaningful descriptions. As in, don’t title your website “Clifton’s Hair-Brained Adventure”, call it “A Fantasy Writer’s Adventure”. Boring, yes, but it is what a lot of people swear by.
2) Add lots of keywords that relate to your craft, site, book, whatever, and voila! You have SEO.

I was doing some research for my book’s release and searched for "epic fantasy" on Amazon. I found The Way of Kings (yes!), some Kindle e-books promoted as Free (to be expected) and a new series titled: An Epic Fantasy.

What? They really called it An Epic Fantasy? That just strikes me as odd. Clicking over, the book descriptions for ALL of the author’s work included SEO keywords galore.

Sneak Peak: Veil of a Warrior

I’m itching to release my book, Veil of a Warrior. It is done, for all intents and purposes—except for some minor things like a proper glossary, layout design, book cover and maybe an edit or two that I do last minute.

This puts me into an interesting frame of mind where the business side of me says to, “Wait for release,” and the writer side of me says, “Screw that!”

That said, I’ve decided to give a free chapter of my book each week to newsletter subscribers until release. Sign on up: http://eepurl.com/SVhLr

(Writer wins? Maybe. My business side closed the office door and shut the blinds.)

What can I say? I’m impatient to start sharing the world and the characters I’ve created. I’ve labored on this for seven years, growing and evolving as a person, a husband, a father and a writer. I’ve moved cross-country…twice. I’ve been laid off once, had two kids (my wife helped), read some good books, met some awesome people and grown in my world-view.

Rocking Your Marketing w/ RSP

I’m no business person, but I think I understand the fundamentals, and I know I have a lot of work ahead. I may write because of the love of the story and because it pulls me down a fantastic path that I must follow. But, what I really want to do with this creation is share it with others. That is when the book will live and breathe on its own and THAT is when the true magic happens.

Sales are ancillary, a fringe benefit. But then, I have a LOT of books I want to write, so, validating that time expenditure needs to happen…one day.

So, how in the world do I tell the world about Veil of a Warrior? And how do I make them care?

Self-Publish: An Argument Realized

At a seminar on the business of writing, held by the local and talented Erik Wecks, we went over the traditional model of publishing and self-publishing. Erik touched on the timeline for each method and the benefits. I wanted to pick his brain a little more, like the hungry little zombie I am, but time was short. In all, it was a fun discourse, and I recommend anyone in the Portland area to check out any future seminars by Mr. Wecks. I know I plan to.

Self-pub in mind, I picked up the ole historical binoculars and spied backward to 2011 and my original post about self-publishing Hammerblood.

(Amusing tidbit: I mentioned publishing a book in 2014—what a coincidence!)

The Beta Runs Before the Wind

Yes, I had to tinker and
make a beta cover. 

I submitted Veil of a Warrior to a few beta readers in 2010. Though I liked the response, I realized eventually that there was more to do and the story was not ready. Back to the drawing board and four years later its off to beta one more time.

The book is ready to fly and in my excitement to finally publish, I had to hit the brakes. None of this round of beta readers uses an e-reader, so I had to look into my print options.

I don’t own a laser printer and quickly found that printing a 692 page behemoth on an inkjet to be a really bad idea. So,

Newsletter Fondness of the Fantastical

The book is coming.

Say it with me: The book is coming.

Did you feel a shiver? Me too, or maybe that was a nervous shake from fatigue.

Either way, Hammerblood is almost here, and as I have looked at its release, I lament one thing: That there is only one book. Yes, it will be part of a series of four (a tetralogy), but those books will be down the line. No cliffhangers. I swear. (My wife would give me the evil eye if there were.)

Anywho, it got me thinking, this lack of multiple books. It seemed so lonely. Should I not have something else? Something to kindle the fire of your Hammerblood-hunger? And then inspiration sparked!

And what about my Newsletter? What perks can I offer to the dedicated few? Ah...even better. A plan forms.

Not An Announcement

Announcements are declarations. They are definitive. And this is not one.

However, in an effort to update my blog with something (so the bleeping spammers will leave my blog alone for a couple more weeks), I give you something that is not quite an announcement:

I will release Hammerblood, Book 1: Veil of a Warrior around May. Maybe...

My hope was for sooner, but I'm running a couple weeks behind on a last pass copyedit/trimming the fat. In the next week or two, I will need some beta readers. If you and I have conversed in the past and you have some time, let me know—I need your eyes.

Hammerblood is epic fantasy, perhaps a little sword & sorcery, there is magic, there is mystery and I want the characters to pop with their own stories and passions.

Smash Semicolon, Bash Semicolon...

In my pursuit of finishing my personal behemoth, I’m getting close to the copyedit phase. As I near this unfamiliar territory, I have to face one of my greatest fears: THE SEMICOLON!!

Learning proper grammar and punctuation was never a keen interest. As I continue to write, my attitude changes, but the availability of time for research does not seem to coordinate.

Strange.

Yet, I have read a lot in my years and I am aware that the semicolon is a red-headed step-child of the genre fiction world. I was surprised to see it prominently in The Book of Three, by Lloyd Alexander (a recent read), though this was published fifty years ago.

Perhaps this is new to you? Then, let me share in brief: There are different styles of punctuation and grammar for different types of writing. Journalism adheres to AP style, genre fiction—like Fantasy and Science Fiction—mostly go with The Chicago Manual of Style, though each publishing house can have their own variations.

Veil of a Warrior. Coming Soon? - An Argument to Self-Publish

I'm seriously considering self-publishing my novel Veil of a Warrior.

That's a big deal for me. As many already know—that are attached to the publishing industry—it was never viable, or even respected, to go the self-publish route. It was, and still is in some respects, called vanity publishing for a very good reason. It is just amazing how much has changed in the span of 1-2 years. Suddenly, what was not even remotely an option, is more than just an option, it is perhaps THE way to go...

Heyyy Beta, Beta, Beta...

The 3rd draft is done. Finally.

Hestea Hammerblood is at last taking shape and I'm laying the whole novel out *gulp* for some scrutinizing eyes: my beta readers. They are seven hapless individuals whom I will be ever grateful for their time and energy. Thank you, my beta readers. Thank you.

I've finally given the book a true title: The Veil of a Warrior, and it is weighing in at about 105,000 words. It is a struggle against a dark force, with an emphasis on characters. I believe strongly in how much a character can pull you through a book of their own accord. As much as I want to just cram the story full of magic and strange creations, I have held myself back and kept the focus (hopefully) on Hestea and a select few that drive this story forward.

This will be book 1 of 4. Book 2 is somewhere between a third to a half of the way done, and the last two are outlined in various levels of detail. I will be sharing a couple more chapters of the story soon for anyone interested in reading them on the blog. If all goes well, perhaps soon after the beta readers give me their feedback, I may send it around and look for an agent and publisher. That also means I need to start doing some research. Oh boy... where do I start?

This critique process will be interesting. I've only gone through this once before and it was for a short story. I know there will be some feedback that will be hard to take. That's without question. I will try to not take it personal, and just try to learn. As many advise, I will be keeping myself busy with other projects while I wait for everyone's reply.

I'm also trying to mentally gear myself up for NaNoWriMo next month. I think I know which story I want to work on for the month. I really don't have the time, but then the whole purpose of Nano is to produce words and to do so quickly. So with that in mind it should be doable.

So, are you participating in NaNoWriMo next month? If so, are you ready?

One List to Rule them All.

The New York Times Bestseller List is synonymous with success. Though it does not sway me from reading a novel without one, it stands boldly out on those that do. Awards and mentions of any kind are always helpful in the pursuit to sell more books, but the attention garnered from this list seems more valuable than most. We've all heard of it, and for the general reading populace I think it strikes a familiar--perhaps subconscious--chord.

So how does one make this list and attain Star Writer status? Ensuring a future and a steady income to rely upon (or so we hope)? Unfortunately...I don't know, and after doing some research, it seems no one else does either.

It is a trade secret.

Yes, numbers count, but there is more than that. Read this fascinating and occasionally facetious article by Jamie Ford for more.

In my wanderings I also found this Wikipedia entry both intriguing and horrifying, where co-authors schemed to gain the NY Times Bestseller list artificially by buying up their own books in strategic locations. Apparently it worked--as unethical as it may have been.

I have heard (by Brandon Sanderson--I believe) that you can gain a foothold in this esteemed list by as little as 10,000 books sold (not bought by bookstores, but by actual people). This seems such a small number, yet so large when you consider that time is of the essence and the ever-increasing glut of content you have to stand out from.

So, do you care about the NY Times list? Do you see it as beneficial or helpful? Are there other lists that are more relevant and helpful for one pursuing fantasy or sci-fi publishing? I can't recall ever seeing them on the cover of a novel before, but perhaps I was merely blind to it...

To Hate is to Love? A guide to creative success.

I have this absolutely absurd theory: That an anti-fan club is a greater sign of success than a fan club.

What? You ask. First let me preface by saying I often think of how I can make a full time living as a writer and artist. In those thoughts I consider how I might grow an audience and make enough money to not need a "day job".

As a creative, I know that I can not possibly please everyone, no matter how good I get in my craft. I could write an improbably wonderful novel or create a beautiful illustration and in the subjective eye of many it will appear either wonderful, passable, drab, horrible, uninspired, and any other descriptor that may come to the mind of the masses. It is a simple fact we all have to live with IF we want success, because everyone's taste is subjective: colored by their world-view and experiences thus far.

Most creatives start out in a vastly different environment, amongst a heyday of appraise from friends and family and a small (but growing) network of supporters.

But one day, if we're lucky, that will all change.

One day hundreds, thousands, maybe even millions will want to see, read, listen, experience and talk about your work. Here comes the problem: Criticism. I know that during a creative's rise, they will invariably face constructive critiques, but in large they will be tempered by the knowledge that this individual is trying to improve and words are held back. Encouragement is the focus.

Once the cloak of obscurity is removed though, there can be a loss of interest in stroking egoes. Brutal honesty, even rabid attacks come forward. I've heard Brandon Sanderson mention before that after a while he stopped reading the reviews...because it was too much of a downer and a poor use of his time (perhaps engendering too much doubt as well). We can't please them all. It's not possible. To do so would make our work lifeless and dull...well, except to those few people that actually like, lifeless and dull.

If you are lucky enough to rise to such meteoric success, then you may very well have the extreme prestige of an anti-fan club with the likes of Rowling, Meyer, Tolkien, etc. With Great Fame comes Great Loathing. Be prepared.

With this in mind, I wonder: Is it the Fame that brings the Loathing, or is it the Loathing that brings the Fame?

Spurious claims you say? Maybe.

Since I am not yet popular, I lack a fan OR anti-fan club to say for sure. I know I can not yet earn the former, but can I ask for the latter? Would having an anti-fan club elevate me to fame and prosperity?

Or would it just be really, really mean?

Because I'm absurd like that, I'd like to take a moment now to ask if anybody wants to register and run http://www.cliftonhillsucks.com/. Any takers? (Just keep in mind that you might get some angry Canadians, as Clifton Hill is also a major tourist promenade in Canada, close to Niagara Falls. Or you could get some annoyed Aussies, as it is also a suburb near Melbourne, among other localities.)

I suppose nobody will take on the task. So I will bide my time and hope that one day I am popular enough to earn my very own...anti-fan club.

Excerpt from Chronicles of Hestea Hammerblood - Epic Fantasy Novel

Ok, here goes. At long last I'm sharing some of my epic fantasy novel (cue fanfare...aaand cut! That was cheesy. Let's just get to it):

In the land most call Molroun, the evil Sacraith are a fanatical group bent on all out domination. Invading by sea they are a Dark Brotherhood dedicated to the dark arts and their evil god. They sweep into Molroun with their massive forces; destroying and subjugating with sheer force of numbers and arcane magic. In their wake lay devastated lands, near and far, their people enslaved and ruled in fear by their new dark masters.

Some say they have lain in wait for centuries building strength and plotting their rise; a shadow on the world growing in darkness. Others think them to be a sign of another Great Destruction as told of in myth.

Either way, as word spreads of their plague upon humanity, pockets of resistance begin to form in Molroun and other lands. While some of these pockets are turned against their own and some are destroyed, others grow to be sizeable forces to challenge their oppressors. And from these trials a warrior of legend will rise from the destruction.

Read the excerpt here: http://clifton-hill.blogspot.com/p/chronicles-of-hestea-hammerblood-epic.html

As I write this post, part of me is screaming, "No, don't share. It's dangerous. Dang-er-ous! Someone will copy my brilliance and all my hard work will be for naught!"

Problem is that I need to shut that part of me up.

What's Your Word Count?

So as a writer how much do you log per day? Interesting thread on Absolute Write about word count/day. If you're interested check out the discussion. Some appear to get a little heated over the issue, which I can understand from a matter of paranoia that you are not living up to some standard of being a professional writer. It can be a hit to the ego, and a worry that you can't cut it if you are aspiring or an insult to the already-published.

Incommunicado

No updates? Am I alive? Certainly, just busy with the book. Been making good progress despite becoming derailed for a little bit to read "The Gathering Storm" (of the Wheel of Time series) -- fantastic read, highly recommended, Brandon Sanderson did a great job pulling together Robert Jordan's existing work on it, completing it, and polishing it until it shone with a brilliance.

Writers Beware

Good note by Victoria Strauss about your search for a publisher, and the perils of doing so in the internet age: http://www.sfwa.org/2009/10/victoria-strauss-the-perils-of-searching-for-publishers-on-the-internet/

I haven't done any publisher searching myself (yet), but I have done a fair amount of reading on the subject, and though it can be a contentious subject for some I don't think anyone can argue that getting sucked in by a vanity press (aka self published) such as Publish America is less ideal than going the traditional route. Some less read on the subject may not realize that vanity presses allow a writer to essentially get their book published whether it is a good or bad story, well edited or grammatically and thematically appalling. This may sound fantastic to some, but unless you just want to share your book with some friends and family, don't go there. Main reasons from what I have read is: