tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-302115882024-03-14T00:37:50.061-04:00The Elephant's BookshelfTo live like an elephant is not only to never forget, but to do one's best to endure. The Elephant's Bookshelf is a place where you can share cherished books and stories -- old and new -- with other readers, writers, and elephants. Post your thoughts on writers, reading, and writing.Matt Sinclairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07171715051853671712noreply@blogger.comBlogger317125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30211588.post-79683471568525366362018-12-31T18:04:00.000-05:002018-12-31T18:04:23.215-05:00What would you like to see in 2019?For Elephant's Bookshelf Press, December and January are often about finalizing all the planning we've been doing throughout the year.<br />
<br />
We begin 2019 with several projects under way, including our latest anthology of short stories around the overarching theme of flight. We have received some wonderful stories and are excited about publishing the best.<br />
<br />
We have some other items in the pipeline, and also have several ideas. Just as importantly, we're able to switch things up a little if we need to. Who says elephants can't be nimble?<br />
<br />
But what I'd like to know is what would <em>you</em> like to see this year from Elephant's Bookshelf Press?<br />
<strong><br /></strong>
<strong>A novel</strong> from another emerging author looking to develop his or her audience? Got someone in mind? We're open to submissions! Direct queries to submissions@elephantsbookshelfpress.com.<br />
<strong><br /></strong>
<strong>An online course</strong>? (And if so, what would is it you have in mind? How to publish anthologies? How to write/self-publish short stories? How to develop your authorial voice? Something else?) Frankly, we have a couple course ideas that are in the hopper, but we are still trying to determine which makes the most sense. I believe the best way to start is with a free course for writers, but there are a lot of them out there already. But maybe you want to hear what the elephants have to say about that!<br />
Another anthology of short stories? By "another" I mean in addition to the one we have in process right now. Anthologies take time to prepare, so if you're looking for a second anthology in 2019, we need to know that early on!<br />
<strong><br /></strong>
<strong>A collection of nonfiction essays</strong> (and if so, on what topic?) We haven't really tried this before, which could be exciting. But we need to have a focus. It's one thing for our brain trust to bang ideas around, but we want to know what readers are looking for.<br />
<strong><br /></strong>
<strong>Something else? </strong>There is no end to the number of possibilities. And we love learning new things, so perhaps we can learn together! Perhaps you want to see some sort of Facebook group or a series of author interviews. Let's face it, we've had some fantastic authors grace the pages of EBP anthologies before they became best selling and award-winning authors in their own right. Would you like to know what they're doing now?<br />
<br />
We love to hear what our readers are looking for more of, so please let us know!<br />
<br />
You can leave a comment here or send an email to matt@elephantsbookshelfpress.com.<br />
<br />
Happy New Year!<br />
Matt Sinclairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07171715051853671712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30211588.post-6192623664650664102018-10-14T17:55:00.000-04:002018-10-14T17:55:57.926-04:00EBP Launches New Anthology<br />
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At long last, Elephant’s Bookshelf Press is launching a new
anthology effort! <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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So, what is the genre? <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Science
fiction</b>.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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In a sense, it’s a way for me to go back to my beginnings,
because when I started writing, my primary focus was on science fiction.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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The best EBP anthologies to date have all had an overarching
theme, and I think we have something unique and interesting to shoot for in
this anthology.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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The unifying theme of these short stories will be <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Flight</b>.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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One of the reasons I like this theme is because it’s a term
that has multiple meanings and therefore multiple interpretations. Of course,
flight can involve human or alien spaceships, heroes with super-human
abilities, winged creatures, but it just as easily could include flight from
danger. Heck, I bet there’s a clever person out there who can make a flight of
stairs into a vital element of a science fiction story. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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I don’t want to be too restrictive in this description. The
story should incorporate flight; I leave the details to you.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><br /></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">For our anthology,
the stories can be up to 5,000 words long. No erotica. <o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><br /></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The submission deadline
is January 15. There is no payment, though the published authors will receive
both a paperback and electronic edition of the completed anthology. <o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><br /></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">(This will likely be
the first EBP paperback since the demise of CreateSpace, but I’ve been told
that this process will be as straight forward as what we had grown accustomed
to.) <o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><br /></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">An early spring
publication is my target.</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Our team will review the stories as they come in.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Feel free to ask any questions. Send them to
matt@elephantsbookshelfpress.com, and I’ll reply as soon as I can. <o:p></o:p></div>
<br />Matt Sinclairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07171715051853671712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30211588.post-68222769029374345372018-06-01T12:59:00.002-04:002018-06-01T12:59:31.917-04:00So, what do you do?<br />
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How often has this happened to you? You’re talking to
someone and either you or the other person asks what you do for a living.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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It happens all the time. I’d say it happens to me at
least once a week, and I’m probably being too conservative.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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But how do you answer?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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For me, I usually say I’m a writer. Sometimes I say I’m
an editor. Other times I say I’m a journalist. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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They’re all true.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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When I tell people that I write or that I work with
words, they make assumptions about me. They assume I’m creative, for example. Some
assume something about my level of education. Some others try to stump me on a
random subject, as though writers know everything about everything.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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You know who else we tend to think those same things
about? Teachers. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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I know I do.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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It makes sense, because at a certain level, most writers
are also teachers.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Even though I minored in education and did my student
teaching, I never served professionally as a formal teacher. I served as an
instructor for various short-term classes, but it wasn’t my full-time job. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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I spent a few years conducting classes at YMCAs where I
was a full-time employee, but I was running programs. I thought of it as
different. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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I was wrong. I was a teacher and an instructor and a
coach. I’ve realized lately that I still am.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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I suspect this old saying (meant as a joke) is still
told: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Those who can’t do, teach</i> (and
the corollary: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Those who can’t teach,
teach gym.</i>)<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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I never really liked those jokes, though I probably told
them more than once, too.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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But within those sayings is something that is certainly
true, even if it feels like it shouldn’t be: <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">You don’t have to be an expert to teach.</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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As writers, we should have lots of skills that
non-writers envy. Our ability to imagine out-of-the-ordinary scenarios is one
of my favorites. A way with words is another.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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I was talking with my sister recently about another trait
that she and my brothers share: We’re good at grammar. I suspect it had a lot
to do with our parents, but we always valued quality writing. We read it often.
It’s true that reading quality writing helps writers recognize bad writing.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Sometimes our preconceived notions of what something <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">should look like</i> distract us from <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">what something is</i>.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Maybe we think of teachers as people at the front of a
classroom lecturing on how to do a task. My best teachers also taught <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">why</i> things are the way they are. They
taught about perspectives.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Sharing perspectives is absolutely a part of writing. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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From my perspective, I’m still a writer. I’m still an
editor. I’m still a journalist. And when people ask what I do, those are the
answers I’ll still give them.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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But perhaps it’s time to change my perspective and see
how my vocation and avocation can change how I answer those questions.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">How about you?
What do you do?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<br /><br />
Fix the grammar glitch:<br />
<br />
In the comment section, please indicate which sentence below is correct.<br />
<br />
a) Please contact Amy or me if you have any questions.<br />
b) Please contact Amy or I if you have any questions.<br />
c) Please contact me or Amy if you have any questions.<br />
<br />
<br />Matt Sinclairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07171715051853671712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30211588.post-38766215425813087692018-05-23T13:03:00.000-04:002018-05-23T13:08:59.603-04:00The Genesis of the ElephantIn the six years since I created Elephant’s Bookshelf Press, I’ve seen my personal writing time winnow down to a dribble.<br />
<br />
I’m not making excuses. I chose to focus my creative time on publishing.<br />
<br />
This year, however, that has changed. I’ve been working on two different writing projects and one major edit/revamp effort, too. In a sense, I have spawned a similar problem. Once again, I have taken large bites and tried to chew too quickly.<br />
<br />
So, with the second quarter of the year a little past midway, I’m slowing things down a little. On the bright side, you’ll probably see more of me on the blog this way.<br />
<br />
I want to talk about our genesis. Think of it as a “why we exist” post.<br />
<br />
In the beginning was the word... and the word was “elephant.”<br />
<br />
When I was a small child, I fell in love with elephants. When I learned to talk, and people asked my name, I would say, “Elephant.” I didn’t have a big nose. I was possibly small for my age, but the name wasn’t intentionally ironic.<br />
<br />
I simply loved elephants.<br />
<br />
As the son of a scientist who worked at perhaps the premier research laboratory of its day, I grew up among books and learning and smart-ass older brothers. Eventually a smart-ass sister would enter the mix, too. I enjoyed educational experiences that I only learned to fully appreciate years later.<br />
<br />
And there were lots of elephants. Stuffed. On the pages of books. (I had a wonderful collection of Babar books, and many of the volumes are in my attic.)<br />
<br />
My grandfather bought me a Dumbo that I played with so much his felt wore off, and he eventually wore a baseball-playing elephant shirt that I’d outgrown. My mother even created an elephant pillow that my daughter now sleeps on or cuddles depending on where her dreams take her in the night.<br />
<br />
I grew up among loving parents and loving extended family members. We played together (lots of Wiffleball), prayed together, and stayed together. When sad or bad things happened, we got closer. Still do.<br />
<br />
As genesis stories go, it’s not much. Just another happy kid from a privileged upbringing with lots of books in an unfair world.<br />
<br />
My biggest challenges growing up, I realize now, were related to ambitions. All I wanted to do was write or play baseball.<br />
<br />
As hard as I tried, I simply didn’t have the skills to reach the major leagues as a ballplayer. The writing came more naturally.<br />
<br />
I’m fortunate that in my adulthood, my ambitions of making a living as a writer never left me, and I should feel proud that I’ve been living my dream of being paid to write. I do. But…<br />
<br />
But like most dreams, they’re not quite what you expect. The nightmares are rarely as harrowing as they seem at the time. And the “normal” dreams carry more portent and potential than we might recognize.<br />
<br />
Back to Elephant’s Bookshelf Press...<br />
<br />
Assuming some of the readers here are friends I’ve made at AgentQuery Connect, you’ve probably heard this before, but I’ll share it anyway.<br />
<br />
EBP arose out of e-conversations between several of my fellow moderators at AQC. We decided in 2011 that we wanted to find out what the whole e-publishing revolution was about. And while some of us had gained agents, many of us were finding the reception to our queries not so encouraging.<br />
<br />
I couldn’t tell you when I last sent a query to an agent. Struggling with perfectionism, I was still plugging in the electrodes on my moribund manuscript waiting for lightning to strike so I could cry out, “It’s alive! Alive!”<br />
<br />
So, I was happy to volunteer to lead the effort that became <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Spring-Fevers-Seasons-Book-1-ebook/dp/B007EDIAGC/ref=sr_1_9?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1527093841&sr=1-9&keywords=spring+fever"><i>Spring Fevers</i></a>, the first anthology from Elephant’s Bookshelf Press.<br />
<br />
Initially, it was to be an e-book only, but we decided a few weeks after initially publishing that it would be fun to have a paperback.<br />
<br />
I can’t remember which came first, the decision to publish a paperback or the decision to publish a second title, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Fall-Tales-Apocalypse-Seasons-Book-ebook/dp/B009ZVVDOM/ref=pd_sim_351_1?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B009ZVVDOM&pd_rd_r=83f702d4-5ea8-11e8-8141-1dfa32c27d34&pd_rd_w=Jc3a6&pd_rd_wg=Atrkn&pf_rd_i=desktop-dp-sims&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_p=7967298517161621930&pf_rd_r=CPK5342MCAN2YE7NE6T6&pf_rd_s=desktop-dp-sims&pf_rd_t=40701&psc=1&refRID=CPK5342MCAN2YE7NE6T6"><i>The Fall</i></a>. Either way, I’d bought myself several ISBNs because I had already decided that mine would not be a one-book adventure.<br />
<br />
Unbeknownst to me, I was developing new ambitions.<br />
<br />
You see, Elephant’s Bookshelf Press was borne from a desire to help other writers. We wanted a way to share our stories, literally and figuratively. I built a platform, and initially I wasn’t fully aware of what that would mean.<br />
<br />
Starting in 2015, but especially last year, I’ve spent a lot more time developing systems for EBP and determining what new products we can create. I’ve looked to develop new services for writers, not just to help them as writers, but also because it’s abundantly clear to me that being a writer in the twenty-first century is not simply about writing.<br />
<br />
It’s about creating.<br />
<br />
Creating books, sure. Creating websites. Creating blogs. Creating courses, perhaps. Creating partnerships. Creating relationships with readers.<br />
<br />
Creating an audience.<br />
<br />
Sharing and amplifying a voice.<br />
<br />
It has been slow going. Mostly because I haven’t always understood what EBP is really about.<br />
<br />
I know what we do: we publish books.<br />
<br />
But why?<br />
<br />
At Elephant’s Bookshelf Press, we love stories. We love telling them. We love hearing them. We love sharing them.<br />
<br />
Stories are as old as humanity.<br />
<br />
In the beginning, God snapped a finger and blessed a walking ape with an extra sense of self and a new level of curiosity. That ape started thinking in stories.<br />
<br />
Language evolved.<br />
<br />
Soon, that imaginative ape attracted a similarly gifted mate, and so sparked humanity.<br />
<br />
We’re attracted to authors who tell interesting stories and tell them in an engaging manner.<br />
<br />
Like elephants, we tend to travel in herds; at EBP, we call them anthologies. We haven’t published an anthology in a couple years now, but we will in time.<br />
<br />
Because Elephant’s Bookshelf Press isn’t just about selling books; it’s about helping authors meet and mingle with their audiences.<br />
<br />
Not the end.<br />
<br />Matt Sinclairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07171715051853671712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30211588.post-55013538171743383512018-03-27T12:57:00.000-04:002018-03-27T12:57:11.841-04:00Perceptions MatterThe other day, I was included in the photo shoot for the annual report at the nonprofit organization where I work. From my perspective, the key contribution I made was when the photographer was setting up the first shot. He was going to have me at white board, looking like I was leading a meeting.<br />
<br />
“I don’t think you want to have the middle-aged white guy leading the meeting,” I said.<br />
<br />
Almost immediately there was agreement around the table. A moment later, a woman whose family is from India was at the white board.<br />
<br />
The characters experience the story. And perceptions matter.<br />
<br />
As an author, you need to know your characters, but I think it’s at least as important to know how your readers will see your story.<br />
<br />
I’m not arguing for being politically correct (whatever that means these days). But I’m saying we’ve seen a lot of the same stories. There's room for diversity.<br />
<br />
We don’t need the story to be about the middle-aged white guy all the time. As a reader, I’d like to know more about the 20-something Indian girl; or better yet, the Native American woman in urban America.<br />
<br />
There’s lots of stories about teens who feel like fish out of water. I mean, that’s what being a teenager is all about, right?<br />
<br />
But what about the third grader from Egypt, or the second grader who moved to mainland U.S. from hurricane-ravaged Puerto Rico. There are so many stories that can be told.<br />
<br />
What are their stories?<br />
<br />
Usually, when I talk about these things with other writers, the chief argument is that they need to write what they know.<br />
<br />
I get it. But it’s also true that to learn, we need to explore the unknown.<br />
<br />
What are you writing? Could it be made better by changing the race, gender, or orientation of the protagonist?<br />
<br />
Give it a try, even if it’s just a writing exercise. You might surprise yourself.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
Matt Sinclairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07171715051853671712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30211588.post-40170957081286277682018-02-11T18:17:00.000-05:002018-02-11T18:23:36.416-05:00Questions for those who write for childrenLately, I've been working on a short novel. The best part about it is I know exactly who my ideal reader is, because I read to them every night.<br />
<br />
The characters in this story, which I believe will be the beginning of a series, are third graders, just like my girls. We're talking about a book that'll probably have no more than 10,000 words. This is not a middle grade novel.<br />
<br />
It's not ready for prime time at all; I haven't even finished the first draft, and I know I've created some tangents I'll need to lop off before I'm done. But that's part of the editing and revision process; I'm writing right now.<br />
<br />
But I'm curious about what other writers out there have learned during this process.<br />
<br />
How have you determined whether you're writing with the right language? I tend to write too old (probably related to my writing for a business audience for the past twenty-plus years).<br />
<br />
Do you test with children?<br />
<br />
Do you share with other parents?<br />
<br />
How do you find these things out for yourself?<br />
<br />
If you have thoughts or suggestions, feel free to comment here. Or send an email to me at matt@elephantsbookshelfpress.com.<br />
<br />
And if anyone's interested, I'm putting together an early readers' team for these books. I'm very much at the early stage of this, but I'll definitely give you free copies of the book when it's ready.<br />
<br />
<br />Matt Sinclairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07171715051853671712noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30211588.post-89063671661179478622018-01-31T13:01:00.000-05:002018-01-31T16:12:35.886-05:00Novelists, Meet Filmmakers. Filmmakers, NovelistsBy R.S. Mellette<br />
<br />
Right now, there seem to be two schools of production in Hollywood – those companies that make movies based on short stories or novels, and those that don't. I haven't run the numbers, but I'll bet dollars to doughnuts that the first group is doing a lot better than the second.<br />
<br />
The companies making films based on published properties tend to be either major studios or mid- to upper-end independents. A few of these companies started as uber-indies and were smart enough to acquire published work, and are now playing in the big leagues. Temple Hill with the Twilight series comes to mind.<br />
<br />
But most uber-indie production companies don't mess with published works. I know this because I've been a screener and/or programmer for the <a href="https://danceswithfilms.com/">Dances With Films</a> Festival in Los Angeles since 2001. I can't tell you the number of submissions I've screened where I think, <em>why did the filmmakers decide to tell THIS story</em>?<br />
<br />
I'm also a novelist. I have novelist friends all over the world who have wonderful stories they've told on paper. They would love to see these works made into films, but they’re completely baffled by the filmmaking community.<br />
<br />
This article is intended to help both sides bridge the gap, meet each other, and hopefully work together on mutually beneficial projects.<br />
<br />
I'll start with the filmmakers:<br />
<br />
Ladies and gentlemen, I'd like you to think long and hard about why you chose filmmaking as a career. Deep down in your soul, is the answer to that question, "I want to make movies," or "I want to tell stories?"<br />
<br />
Don't cheat. If you had to choose between just making movies and just telling stories, which would it be?<br />
<br />
Knowing thousands of filmmakers, I have a feeling that most would never give up the set. They love the sweat, pressure, art, camaraderie, adrenaline, thrill, and insanity of making movies. Creating the story on the blank page is secondary to making the story come to life, and that's fine. That's why you're filmmakers.<br />
<br />
Sure, some would rather gouge out their eyes than make someone else's story, but most are just as happy to make any story – as long as it's good, or the pay is high.<br />
<br />
So, filmmakers, don't feel like you must also be the story creator. You're a storyteller, for sure. No doubt about it, but you don't have to tell a story that you created. Better that you should find someone who has the same passion facing the blank page that you have facing an eager cast &amp; crew.<br />
<br />
That someone might be a screenwriter, sure, but many screenwriters have the same answer to the "why did you get into this business?" question as you do. So many of them – even some very good ones – want to make movies more than they want to tell stories. If you ever do take a meeting with a screenwriter, tell them you're not going to make the movie, you're just going to publish their story. See how they react.<br />
<br />
Novelists, on the other hand, are 100 percent pure storytellers. Their passion is what they've put on the page. Your turning it into a living, breathing thing is wonderful, mostly because it means more people will be exposed to their story. And, let's not lie, they'd also be into increased royalties, participation deals, etc.<br />
<br />
But their passion is the page, not the stage.<br />
<br />
Now to novelists:<br />
<br />
Men and women of letters. There is no way around it, filmmaking - as both a business and an art - is a social endeavor. Film sets have been accurately compared to a royal court. Navigating them can be hazardous to your health.<br />
<br />
Still, the best way to meet filmmakers is not when they are dressed nice, celebrating the premiere of their film at a festival, but when they are covered in blood, sweat, and tears while working as a Third Assistant Director on someone else's project.<br />
<br />
Why? The filmmaker who has just premiered has two years of trying to sell that movie to the public before they can even think about their next film.<br />
<br />
They also have a slew of people who have been pitching them like crazy, and they've burned all their favors on that first film. The second one will be ten times more difficult to launch.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, the hardworking crew of that film are owed some favors. If they want to step up to the plate as a producer/director, their chance is next. You just have to hope they didn't answer "to tell my stories," to the question of why they got into this business.<br />
<br />
But how do you get on the set? How do you get to meet filmmakers when all they do is work on each other's projects and go to festivals?<br />
<br />
That's easy. Every film needs people. From extras to PAs (Production Assistants), filmmaking is social because it takes so many people make them. And there's more good news.<br />
<br />
Because of the availability of cheap, high-quality, digital cameras, you don't have to live in Los Angeles or New York to find a filmmaking community. Chances are, there is a filmmaking group in whatever town you live in.<br />
<br />
Hit the internet, find them, and join up. If you do live in a filmmaking hub, and you can afford to take a low-paying job, sign up to be an extra. The pay is terrible for non-union (and the work isn't readily available for union), but you're usually fed well and it's a lot of fun.<br />
<br />
But what do you do once you're on the set, or in a meeting of filmmakers at a group? First, don't try to be what you're not! The industry is full of those people.<br />
<br />
Don't tell anyone you're a screenwriter. Everyone is a screenwriter. They need another screenwriter like the Sahara needs more sand.<br />
<br />
Just tell the truth. You're a novelist. You don't know anything about filmmaking, but you'd like to meet some filmmakers to maybe talk about some projects. I think you'll find filmmakers think novelists are as mysterious as you think filmmakers are.<br />
<br />
Okay, novelists have a way to meet filmmakers, but how do filmmakers meet novelists?<br />
Filmmakers. Novelists write. They also read. If you're going to reach out to a novelist, you're going to need to read them.<br />
<br />
But your buying all the best sellers and slogging your way through them until you find a writer you like is just like a novelist trying to network with a major filmmaker. The big novelists don't need your uber-indie eager help with their major works.<br />
<br />
So what's the answer?<br />
<br />
Short stories. Anthologies. You can get to know ten to fifteen authors reading an anthology in the time it takes to read one novel. And if you reach out to pretty much any author with, "I read your short story…" you will immediately have their attention.<br />
<br />
Short stories are like short films. They are a labor of love. Sure, they might also be a way of testing out an idea, or just getting something done, but just like your short films, they are gems that you never forget.<br />
<br />
I often call Elephant's Bookshelf Press the Sun Records of publishing. Just the way Sam Phillips discovered Elvis, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, etc. Matt Sinclair has published <a href="http://www.stevencarman.com/">Steven Carman</a>, <a href="http://rclewisbooks.com/books/">R.C. Lewis</a>, Robert K. Lewis (well, actually Don M. Vail), <a href="http://www.mindymcginnis.com/">Mindy McGinnis</a>, and many more.<br />
<br />
Are they as big in the writing world as Sam's discoveries are in music? No. Not yet. If they were, you wouldn't be able to work with them. But they are just as talented.<br />
<br />
Filmmakers, if you're looking for a story to tell, anthologies are a good place to start. <em>Roller Ball</em>, <em>Running Man</em>, <em>Stand By Me</em>, <em>Breakfast at Tiffany's</em>, <em>Brokeback Mountain</em>, <em>Children of the Corn</em>, and so many more feature films started life as short fiction. Fire up the Kindle app on your phone, download some anhologies, and get reading. EBP is a good place to start. When you find a writer you like, reach out. You never know what beautiful friendship might begin.<br />
<br />
<i>R.S. Mellette is the author of </i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Billy-Bobble-Makes-Magic-Wand-ebook/dp/B00PWRF0VA">Billy Bobble Makes a Magic Wand</a><i> and </i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01KVX8MDM/ref=series_rw_dp_sw">Billy Bobble and the Witch Hunt</a><i>, both from Elephant's Bookshelf Press. He also has written several short stories that have appeared in EBP anthologies.</i><br />
<div>
<br /></div>
Matt Sinclairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07171715051853671712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30211588.post-61729370344909703942018-01-17T13:05:00.003-05:002018-01-17T13:07:25.020-05:00A Different Take on Book LaunchesNo two books are alike, and from what I can tell, book launches are often different.<br />
<br />
The latest book from Elephant’s Bookshelf Press is unlike anything we’ve ever published before, and so is the launch. <em>Which the Days Never Know: A year in Vietnam by the numbers</em> is the first nonfiction book from EBP.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ugn3VhP9RmM/Wl-QLGykCPI/AAAAAAAABt4/S2OuKTD5Wp4YgAch5vZZ4y7yrBkNJvX5wCLcBGAs/s1600/Days_2500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1052" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ugn3VhP9RmM/Wl-QLGykCPI/AAAAAAAABt4/S2OuKTD5Wp4YgAch5vZZ4y7yrBkNJvX5wCLcBGAs/s320/Days_2500.jpg" width="210" /></a>The name might imply that it’s a memoir, and in a sense that’s correct. But not quite. It contains memories from the author, Dr. Donald McNamara, who walked off his flight home from Vietnam on January 13, 1968; we published the paperback on the fiftieth anniversary of his return home. But the book conveys moments more than memories, impressions rather than intensity.<br />
<br />
<em>Which the Days Never Know</em> does not set out to recount battles or delve deeply into personal matters – or even personnel matters. Instead, Don takes the approach of a workaday soldier.<br />
<br />
Everything in the Army seemed to have a number, he said, so in his book Don marched through 365 days – the typical one-year term of service in Vietnam – number by number.<br />
<br />
From a visual standpoint, he wanted the book to look like verse or poetry.<br />
<br />
From a publishing standpoint, I knew right away that we were taking a risk. But I think it’s a risk worth taking.<br />
<br />
In launching EBP’s nonfiction division, I wanted something that felt true to what the company has been aiming to accomplish – its mission, if you will. Unlike many EBP authors, Don is not unpublished; he has retired as a professor of literature and during his academic career wrote pieces on Irish language and literature in particular. He also has written countless journalistic pieces, which is how our paths crossed.<br />
<br />
But EBP prides itself on helping authors share their voice and helping their stories find an audience.<br />
As a bit of EBP trivia, Don helped me find the voice of my company, years before I knew I become a publisher. He taught me the phrase <em>bionn gach tasu lag</em>, which I used in the first paragraph of the introduction to <em>Spring Fevers</em>, EBP’s first book, back in 2012. For those who do not recall the intro – or might not be fluent in Irish – it means “every beginning is weak.”<br />
<br />
And in a mirror image of <em>Spring Fevers</em>, I have decided to publish <em>Which the Days Never Know</em> first in paperback; <em>Spring Fevers</em> was originally planned as an ebook only.<br />
<br />
Think of this as a soft launch.<br />
<br />
In this age of electronic and independent publishing, we learn to stagger launches every few months – more often, if you’re able to write that quickly – and build up a team of eager early readers. These approaches can work. I haven’t done that with <em>Which the Days Never Know</em>.<br />
<br />
As I said above, this is a very different book for EBP -- and for me. I’m not sure he’s aware, but Don has been a helpful mentor to me as I’ve grown as a journalist and author. Many EBP authors are people I’ve met maybe once or twice. Most of them I’ve never even spoken to on the phone. Don and I worked together years ago. We even shared office space.<br />
<br />
Without a doubt, I aim to build the audience for Don’s book, but I also want to share with this audience. I want to share the book with readers who might be able to use it best; veterans’ organizations, for example. I suspect the paperback version will be better appreciated for those groups, though I’m sure many of those readers also enjoy building their ebook collections.<br />
<br />
In fact, for readers who buy a copy of the paperback, I’ll provide them a free ebook version.<br />
<br />
So, if you’d like to get a free copy of the ebook, send an email to matt@elephantsbookshelfpress and we’ll make that happen.Matt Sinclairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07171715051853671712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30211588.post-91888758874565786502018-01-10T14:52:00.000-05:002018-01-10T14:52:36.828-05:00Falling Behind My GoalsAll of a sudden a week has passed since my last post. Not only that, between a pair of heavily crowded trains on the home-bound commute, a book release that needed to be worked on, and simply being too tired on the way into the city to write, I have been running short of my personal writing goals of 500 words a day. <br />
<br />
<i>This</i> is how I fall behind.<br />
<br />
Indeed, the best laid plans often go awry. Heck, I barely have time to write this. And this blog post won't come close to 500 words.<br />
<br />
Then why write the blog post? In part, because writers must write, despite what life throws in their face. But more importantly, I believe it's worthwhile to share with other writers that it's ok when we don't hit our goals. We get back up and try again. And again. And again.<br />
<br />
If you're hitting all your goals so far on day 10 of 2018, I applaud you. I still have time in my day today, so I think I can reach my goal. And I'm aiming to kick butt tomorrow, too.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Matt Sinclairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07171715051853671712noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30211588.post-49760208283616560792018-01-03T07:26:00.000-05:002018-01-03T07:28:57.044-05:00Writing 500 words a day<div class="MsoNormal">
I was shocked. My brother, who isn’t really a writer, sent
me an email inviting me to join him in a writing assignment. It was the
<a href="https://goinswriter.com/my500words-ty/">500-words-a-day group</a> that Jeff Goins leads through his blog. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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To be honest, even though I’m on Goins’ mailing list, I
hadn’t noticed that email invitation. So, when it came from my brother, it
carried more weight. And when Goins indicated his commitment included blogging,
I realized it was just the kick in the pants I needed to start the year right.
By writing!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Now, truth be told, I write 500 words a day nearly every day
anyway. It’s what I do for a living, after all. But while I could use those
words to weasel my way through to the finish line, the personal goal of writing
that much was what really mattered most to my ambitions. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So, in addition to a blog and an article for work, on my way
home I popped open one of the works-in-progress that I began last year and
refreshed myself. I added a scene. Added some tension. Introduced a character.
There’s still a lot of flesh to go on this skeleton, but there is more to the
spine than there was twenty-four hours ago.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Then, some ideas came to me while I was in the shower this
morning. More tension. And the story’s resolution came into view. It’s a
children’s story – kind of a late birthday present for my daughters – but it’s
also the beginning of a series. The inspiration to write was gelling into a
marketable product!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You might say that an unexpected email from a trusted source
resurrected the manuscript. But it’s more than that, really. What made it worth pursuing
was that the goal was tangible and attainable. Five hundred words is
essentially two pages. I know of writers who write thousands of pages a day. I’ve
just hit 300 and I’ve only been typing about 20 minutes.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Of course, doing it day after day takes discipline. In my
opinion, that’s a crucial ingredient to the recipe of a full-fledged writer and
author. Call it discipline, call it consistency. Whatever you call it, it boils
down to this: Writers write.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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So, my writerly friends, it’s January 3<sup>rd</sup>. What
have you written today? I’m not going to criticize you if you haven’t written
anything. I don’t know your schedule. But if you aim to reach your writing
goals in 2018, there’s no time like the present to get into gear.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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If my brother can do it, you can too.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Matt Sinclairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07171715051853671712noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30211588.post-21150065311737957872018-01-01T14:08:00.000-05:002018-01-01T14:08:14.759-05:00Story sharing in 2018<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
Happy New Year!</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
I will share with you that, aside from the Eastern chill (another polar vortex?!), I do enjoy January. It brings out that sense of renewal in me and jump-starts my creativity, which can languish in the fall.</div>
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When you’re a writer, especially an independent writer, there’s always something that needs to be done. Update the website, post a blog, create a newsletter, test new ways of building your audience. And if you’re lucky (or better yet, disciplined) you work on a book or story.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
I resolved in 2017 to write more. It worked. Sort of. I started two completely new books. You’ll notice, however, that neither of them were published. That’s because they’re not finished. And neither of them will be full-length novels.</div>
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What was I doing with my time all year? Well, mostly learning more about publishing. The business side of things. And I’ll apply more of what I learned in 2018. Indeed, I already have begun.</div>
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One of the things I resolve to do much more of in 2018 is communicate with you. After all, what are we writers if not communicators? From the time our bardic ancestors told tales around the campfire to today, when we offer up something more delectable than photos of our lunch on social media, we storytellers share our thoughts for consumption and pleasure.</div>
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Stories are nutritious. They feed our mind and our soul.</div>
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Audiences are nourishing. They provide feedback, which enables the storyteller to gain a better understanding of what the listener or reader expects.</div>
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And a good storyteller knows when to provide that and when to hold it back. We can be such teases!</div>
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So, let’s share a little. My little publishing company is five years old and, frankly, it needs to grow. So, this year I’m aiming to publish in ways we haven’t before. It will start with <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Which the Days Never Know</em>, which is coming out soon. It’s a verse memoir by Vietnam veteran Don McNamara.</div>
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After that, I’m looking to box up the seasons series that were the inspiration of EBP. I’m in the works on an omnibus edition of short stories, which will be an electronic-only publication. Of course, if you’ve got <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Spring Fevers</em>,<em style="box-sizing: border-box;"> The Fall</em>,<em style="box-sizing: border-box;"> Summer’s Edge</em>,<em style="box-sizing: border-box;"> Summer’s Double Edge</em>, and<em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Winter’s Regret</em> already, then you’ll have no need for the omnibus edition. But there are some terrific stories in those collections that deserve to find a wider audience.</div>
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The next bit of newness on tap for 2018 is about voice. Not simply a writing voice, though that’s in the works, too, but the spoken voice. I’m beginning to record audio books and expect to roll out the first EBP audio book later this year. I’m very excited about it, but it’s a lot of work.</div>
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I also expect to publish at least one of those books I started writing in 2017.</div>
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Whew! It’s a workout just thinking about 2018, but I feel great. Like ending a morning jog in bracing January air.</div>
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So, what do you have in store for yourself? Will you be writing more? Publishing more? Reading more? All of the above, more?</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
Please share. And let’s keep sharing. Remember, we’re in this together.</div>
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And speaking about sharing, I want to share your accomplishments through my channels, too. That means interview opportunities, guest posting opportunities, and cover reveals. I’ll be happy to help you promote your books and help you find other books to read.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
And products! Wow, has my publishing business been enhanced lately by certain products and tools!</div>
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So, let’s get started. I believe 2018 is going to be exciting, and stressful, and whimsical, and romantic. All the qualities we want in a book and in a year.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
Welcome, 2018. Let’s see what we can do together!</div>
Matt Sinclairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07171715051853671712noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30211588.post-51331679859792069752017-11-15T13:00:00.000-05:002017-11-15T13:04:59.420-05:00What to write next? What is your passion?<div class="MsoNormal">
When I’m underground, taking a subway between New Jersey and
New York, I often find myself passing the time not by reading but with a puzzle. Usually it’s a
crossword or a Sudoku. Ten minutes or so is often just enough time, to solve a
puzzle or two but not quite enough to delve too deeply into a book. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If I had my druthers, I’d prefer to work on a crossword
than a Sudoku, however. I was just working on a hard Sudoku a moment ago and
discovered late in the game that I’d made a mistake somewhere. I suppose I
could have spent the time to find my mistake and correct it and eventually
complete the puzzle. I’d fix a crossword, but it’s just not as satisfying for
me on a Sudoku. It's not my passion.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Satisfaction in the work and knowing it’s worth doing are
important motivators to finishing a piece, whether it’s a short story, novel,
poem, song lyric, magazine article, or anything on your writing docket. For me,
a crossword puzzle is simply more entertaining than a Sudoku, even though I
enjoy both. With fiction or nonfiction, it helps immensely that I care about
the characters or the subject of what I’m writing or editing. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In the same light, when it comes to selecting what to write
next, I find that passion for the subject tends to be the deciding factor.
Having the knowledge about and experience in a subject certainly matter, and
knowing how and where to do the research does too. I don’t know about you, but
I think I’ll get more done when I have a passion for the story, a passion for
the characters. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
It helps the reader, too. That passion comes through in the
writing. Write with passion (and well), and your readers will feel the life in your
characters, smell what they smell, discover what they discover. It will affect your
readers’ experience of the story.<br />
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Like me with a Sudoku, a story that doesn’t quite have the
same passion is still enjoyable and worth reading. It might make you think. But
I can tell you stories about favorite crossword puzzles; I couldn’t do the same
for a Sudoku. And I can tell you about my favorite authors and the passion that
comes through in their stories; then there are stories that are…fine.<o:p></o:p></div>
Matt Sinclairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07171715051853671712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30211588.post-49933345968082691112017-10-17T12:59:00.000-04:002017-10-17T12:59:21.363-04:00Buzz vs Word-of-Mouth: What Hollywood Could Learn From Publishing<span style="background-color: #fefbfd; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">This post appeared originally on From the Write Angle in February, 2013.
Gaining at least a basic understanding of marketing will help you identify and
target work to your audience. In this post, R.S. Mellette offers a snapshot of
his experience with buzz and word of mouth from the film industry. Shared with
permission of the author, whose two novels, </span><i style="background-color: #fefbfd; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Billy
Bobble Makes a Magic Wand</i><span style="background-color: #fefbfd; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> (2014) and </span><i style="background-color: #fefbfd; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Billy
Bobble and the Witch Hunt</i><span style="background-color: #fefbfd; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> (2016) were published by Elephant’s Bookshelf
Press.</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: #FEFBFD; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 15.0pt; mso-outline-level: 3;">
<a href="http://www.fromthewriteangle.com/2013/02/buzz-vs-word-of-mouth-what-hollywood.html" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #2b6e98; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Buzz vs
Word-of-Mouth: What Hollywood Could Learn From Publishing</span></a></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">by R.S. Mellette</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
<br />
I moderated a conference of film industry professors a while back, and when one
of them said that Hollywood relies heavily on word-of-mouth marketing, I
laughed.<br />
<br />
I couldn't help myself. Here is an industry that considers a 20% or 30% drop in
sales a success! That's not word-of-mouth. Or if it is, good words are not
being spoken.<br />
<br />
Interestingly, the Hollywood insiders on the panel thought <i>I</i> was
the crazy one for doing a spit-take with the Kool Aid they were serving. But of
course, none of them had theatre or publishing experience.<br />
<br />
In those disciplines, word-of-mouth marketing means sales INCREASE with time,
not drop. A play that is worth the time, money, and effort of going to see will
build an audience. A book worth the read will see an increase in sales.<br />
<br />
In Hollywood, my filmmaking brothers and sisters have forgotten the difference
between <i>Buzz</i> and <i>Word-of-Mouth</i>. So, let's take a
look at them side-by-side.<br />
<br />
Buzz: "I want to see that movie," says one friend to another before
it premieres. "Yes," says the friend, "I've heard it's good."<br />
<br />
Word-Of-Mouth: "I saw the best movie this weekend, you should see
it."<br />
<br />
In writing, we call that passive vs. active voice. In court, it's called a
firsthand account vs. hearsay.<br />
<br />
Marketing generates buzz. The product itself creates word-of-mouth.<br />
<br />
Why is that a distinction worth discussing? Because buzz owes only a passing
fealty to the quality of the product. Producers in Hollywood will actually
judge a script on "trailer beats," meaning juicy stuff they can put
in the preview to create buzz. A script that tells a good story but has no
trailer beats will be passed over in favor of another script that is more
easily marketable.<br />
<br />
Compare this to the world of self-publishing today. Sure, sure, there is a
sub-culture of writers trying to get good reviews—or spam their competition
with bad ones—to increase buzz. There is nothing wrong with an honest pursuit
of good buzz, but the runaway hits in the self-publishing world come almost
exclusively from word-of-mouth marketing.<br />
<br />
And word-of-mouth marketing is entirely dependent on the quality of the work.
It is first-person, active, marketing. One friend telling another, "I
enjoyed that, and I think you'll like it, too."<br />
<br />
What does this product-oriented marketing technique look like on the sales
charts, graphs, and tables? That's easy. No drop off. Sales go up the longer
the product is available. And when the same people create a new product, their
sales start higher because they have become a trusted brand. As long as they
keep up the quality, then their work will generate its own buzz.<br />
<br />
The opposite is also true. How many of us have been fooled so many times by a
great preview for a lousy film that we no longer trust the studios? Like so
much of the rest of American Industry, studios have lost sight of long term
success in favor of instant gratification. They have confused buzz with
word-of-mouth.<br />
<br />
So the work suffers. We, as consumers, suffer. And worst of all, we artists who
must try to make a living in this environment suffer.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="http://rsmellette.com/">R.S. Mellette</a> is
an author and filmmaker. Prior <span style="background: white; letter-spacing: 0.75pt;">to the Billy Bobble series of novels, Mellette had Sci-Fi
short stories published by Elephant’s Bookshelf Press in the anthologies: </span><em>The Fall: Tales from the
Apocalypse</em>, <em>Spring Fevers and Summer’s Edge</em>. Mellette
is an Associate Director of </span><a href="http://www.danceswithfilms.com/" title="Dances With Films"><span style="background: white; color: #d21a24; letter-spacing: .75pt;">Dances With Films</span></a><span style="background: white; letter-spacing: 0.75pt;"> (one of
MovieMaker Magazine’s top 25 coolest film festivals in the world). He wrote and
directed the multi-festival winner, </span><a href="https://pro-labs.imdb.com/title/tt0230350/" title="Jacks or Better"><em><span style="background: white; color: #d21a24; letter-spacing: 0.75pt; text-decoration-line: none;">Jacks or Better</span></em></a><span style="background: white; letter-spacing: 0.75pt;">. He also
wrote the first web-to-television intellectual property, “The Xena Scrolls,”
for Universal Studio’s <em>Xena: Warrior Princess</em>. On <em>Blue Crush </em>and </span><em>Nutty Professor II</em> he served as
script coordinator. He’s acted in <em>Looney Tunes: Back In Action</em>, <em>Star Trek: Enterprise</em>, <em>Days of Our Lives</em>, <em>Too Young The Hero</em>, and countless stage productions across the U.S.<o:p></o:p></div>
Matt Sinclairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07171715051853671712noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30211588.post-38272976209215193282017-10-12T12:17:00.000-04:002017-10-12T12:18:05.246-04:00The business of being a writer<div class="MsoNormal">
Not long after I’d graduated from college, I had a phone
conversation with a longtime friend. He was heading to med school and was on a
path that would lead to his becoming a prominent surgeon. Ever since we were
kids, he talked about how he intended to become a doctor. Even as he earned an
engineering degree in college, he knew his destiny lay in medicine, and he
really believed he would become a surgeon. It’s what he always wanted to do.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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I was also certain I wanted to become a writer, and I really
believed I would be a novelist. My friend was amazed at my goals of becoming an
author. To him, it would be more sensible for me to pursue a career that would
be more lucrative and enable me to write on the side. And sometimes when I look
at my bank statements and bills, I wonder if perhaps he was right. But that
night, after he asked how long it would take to write a novel, I said, “Well,
if I just write a page a day, by the end of the year, I’d have a novel.” <o:p></o:p></div>
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The logic of the statement -- which was just off the top of
my head -- surprised me then, and to a degree it still does. The answer
encapsulated much of what would lead me to become the writer I am today; it’s
my job. I write most every day. You can say it’s a discipline, but I just look
at it as what I do. And when I’m not physically writing or typing, I’m often
thinking about characters and story arcs.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Frankly, it took me a long time to finish my first novel,
which I trunked years ago (though trunks can be opened…) In the years out of
college, I spent most of my writing time on short stories, and the novels I
began quickly died on the vine. Back then, I spent more time writing songs than
novels. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I’m not working on a novel at the moment, either. And if I’m
honest with myself, I would say I haven’t worked on one of my own seriously
since I created Elephant’s Bookshelf Press. I have only so much time away from
work, and I spend what I can with my wife and children. Anyone who’s seen me on
the train heading home knows I’m always on my laptop. That’s where the bulk of
EBP takes shape: reading stories, editing novels, putting together media
packages, recording and analyzing data, and all the other administrative
responsibilities I need to address to maintain and build my little publishing
house. <o:p></o:p></div>
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To me, being a professional writer starts with those two
things: <b>dedicating yourself</b> to your
craft – writing every day – and <b>taking a
business approach</b> to your craft. It’s your job, after all.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Over the years, I’ve also learned the power of planning. I’m
a believer in setting goals – even New Year’s resolutions – and reviewing the
progress I make regularly. It may seem like a simple thing, but I’d be lost
without a calendar. Yet, even though I write my plans down and review them, I’m
still shocked when the fourth quarter of the year begins and I’m still
scrambling to finish things that are weeks behind.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Recently, my friend Mindy McGinnis posted a blog about her
schedule and all the work that goes into a typical day in her writing career. And
this is someone who has a half-dozen novels published, including the recently
released <i>This Darkness Mine</i>. It just
goes to show that, no matter how much “success” we experience in our writing
careers, life is still packed with a lot of unexciting but necessary busy work.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Now that we’re in the home stretch of 2017, what are you
doing to prepare your writing business for 2018? Have you found any answers or
solutions to the problems that have plagued you this year? What do you need in
the new year to accomplish your goals? Maybe we can find a way to help each
other. One of my goals in 2018 is to share more. (A goal my daughters have
suggested.) I’m looking forward to sharing with you.<br />
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<o:p></o:p></div>
Matt Sinclairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07171715051853671712noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30211588.post-66780501906667638662017-10-04T13:02:00.000-04:002017-10-04T13:02:10.806-04:00A few minutes with Jean Oram, author of The Wedding Plan<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">One
of the many wonderful writers I have met at <a href="http://agentqueryconnect.com/">AgentQuery Connect</a> is <a href="http://www.jeanoram.com/">Jean Oram</a>,
who is described as the “super moderator” of that writers’ community. In the
fiction realm, she tends to write romance, and in the nonfiction area, she
focuses on child’s play, with sites like <a href="https://itsallkidsplay.ca/">It’s All Kid’s Play</a>. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Jean’s latest new release, <i><a href="http://www.jeanoram.com/choose-your-store-the-wedding-plan/">The Wedding Plan</a></i>, is about a
secret marriage between ex-lovers. But with their past and being stuck in a
cabin out in the small, nosy little town of Blueberry Springs you can be sure
their secrets will be difficult to keep! <i>The Wedding Plan</i> is from her new Veils
and Vows series and can be found on all major online bookstores.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">She also has been an important supporter of <a href="http://www.elephantsbookshelfpress.com/">Elephant’s Bookshelf Press</a> since its beginning
and served as copy editor of our best-selling anthology, <i>The Fall</i>. For this interview, we talked about marketing and her approach to building her audience.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #500050; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Do you have a mailing list and newsletter?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I sure do!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #500050; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">How often do you send anything to your mailing
list?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It depends on a lot of
different things, but typically I try to reach out to my subscribers every 4-6
weeks so they don’t forget who I am. ;) It has to be meaningful though—I never
want to annoy my subscribers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #500050; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Do you have a blog?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Yes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #500050; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">How often do you post on your blog?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">That, like my
newsletter, depends on what’s going on. My blog is a place for my readers to find
updated news, items of interest, giveaway entry forms, and the like. Sometimes
there will be four posts in a week, sometimes nothing for 6-8 weeks.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #500050; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">What else do you do to market yourself as an
author?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I try everything and
an answer to this question could fill an entire book.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Basically, you never
know what’s going to work for you, so you’ve got to experiment. Some things
that haven’t worked for others work for me. Some things that work for others
don’t work for me. Things that worked two years ago no longer have the same
effect now. For example, doing a basic signed paperback giveaway used to create
avid fans—like a 90 percent conversion rate. Now it’s more like 25 percent
which makes it less financially feasible to use those kinds of giveaways in
that manner. So, now I use few signed paperback giveaways and use them for
different purposes. Why has it changed? Who knows, but if you’re going to keep
selling your books, you have to stay hungry, stay smart ,and keep rolling with
the punches.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #500050; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Do you offer services like editing, query
review, etc.?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I do not.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #500050; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">What do you consider success for your
marketing efforts?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It really depends on
what the purpose/goal on a particular marketing effort was. Recently, I wanted
to increase the number of people in my reader group (on Facebook), and so I
gave it a push from several different angles and met my numerical goal for new
members. My next goal is to get them active, make friends with those members.
After that will be to find rewarding ways for them to help me share the word
about my books—that’s going to be a more difficult thing to measure. Because
what are my goals? Visibility? Then having a few members share a post can help.
If it’s getting sales directly from posts being shared…well, that’s more
difficult to measure directly.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Thanks, Jean!<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Jean Oram is a New
York Times and USA Today bestselling romance author who loves making opposites
attract in tear-jerking, laugh-out-loud romances set in small towns. She grew
up in a town of 100 (cats and dogs not included) and owns one pair of high
heels, which she has worn approximately three times in the past twenty
years. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Her life contains an
ongoing school theme, having grown up in an old school house, then becoming a
ski instructor in the Canadian Rockies, then going on to marry a teacher and
becoming a high school librarian. She now runs a fundraising committee for her
daughter's school.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Jean lives in Canada
with her husband and two kids. She can often be found outdoors hiking up
mountains, playing with kids on the soccer field, racing her dog on her
bicycle--sometimes the dog lets her win--or inside writing her next
novel. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Subscribe to Jean's
newsletter and get a taste of her small-town comedies that will have you
laughing while falling in love. Get your FREE ebook by signing up here: </span><a href="http://www.jeanoram.com/FREEBOOK" target="_blank"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">www.JeanOram.com/FREEBOOK</span></a><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Matt Sinclairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07171715051853671712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30211588.post-23017194898189314362017-09-26T12:39:00.000-04:002017-09-26T12:39:46.585-04:00Why I Didn’t Pay for My Most Important Lesson in College<div class="MsoNormal">
Did you learn a lot when you were in college? I know I did.
But the most important lesson I learned when I was in college wasn’t during a
classroom experience. It didn’t happen while I was doing research in the
library. It wasn’t even a boozy revelation during a game of beer pong. It was a
far more basic moment than any of those.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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I was crossing a street with two blind curves. Most of the
drivers were my age, which meant they weren’t really thinking about pedestrian
safety. I don’t remember exactly why I felt I needed to cross at that spot, but
I’m sure it wasn’t necessary. So, I looked both ways, hoped I wasn’t doing
something stupid, and ran. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Obviously, I lived to write about it. Nothing happened.
Well, nothing bad happened. But at that moment, I realized that I was the only
person holding myself back from accomplishing the things I wanted to
accomplish. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I might have remembered something and needed to change
direction. I might have seen a pretty girl who I briefly chatted with and
privately mused about what might have been if I’d ever asked her out. It’s all
fuzzy now. What mattered is that, at that very moment, I realized what the biggest
obstacle to my success in life was:<b> me</b>.
<o:p></o:p></div>
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That was the lesson: I’m the one getting in my way.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Speaking as a middle-aged guy with young children, I know
now that the lesson I learned is not the one I’d get today if I were standing
at that same spot. Today, I’d encourage my daughter to find a safer spot. <o:p></o:p></div>
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But playing it safe can be an obstacle too.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I still strive to overcome myself. Sometimes I succeed, like
when I decided to create <a href="http://www.elephantsbookshelfpress.com/">Elephant’s Bookshelf Press</a>. I was already deep into
the process of creating <a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/135047"><i>Spring Fevers</i></a>, the first anthology
from EBP. I had created the Elephant’s Bookshelf blog years before ever
thinking about creating a publishing company. From there, it was an easy step
to naming Elephant’s Bookshelf Press. Soon after, I was applying for an LLC. It
seemed like a no-brainer.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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But there are still lots of moments where I discover the
speed bumps that my intellect constructs, and I suspect the same is true for
you. <b>How do you overcome your fears and
your own nay-saying? </b><b>Are you filled with self-doubt?</b> Most writers I know
still would admit to harboring that bugaboo.<br />
<br /></div>
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Here’s what works for me: <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Read and write
voraciously.</b> I’m lucky to work as a journalist, so I’m paid to read and
write every day. But I also read as much as I can. And as widely as I can. This
helps me to:<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Think elastically.</b>
A creative mind is one that can stretch an old idea into something new or
connect seemingly disparate concepts into something that feels altogether
different. It may be the most important element of: <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Innovation.</b> Take
what has worked in the past and break it down into its vital elephants… er,
elements. Can any of those pieces be upgraded? If so, what happens?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Ask questions.</b> Do
you know how your favorite author got started? …<b><o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>“Write” every day</b>:
Though I physically write at least five or six days a week, I keep a loose
definition of writing here. To me, writing includes imagining. Many of my best
ideas come when I’m not able to jot them down or expand on them. I often come
up with ideas while watching my daughters in their swimming lessons. Perhaps I
should, but I don’t take notebooks with me to the pool. But I love musing on
where some characters or settings might go, even if it’s just 15-20 minutes to
mentally play that day. Write every day and you’ll see your writing flourish. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Plan and schedule</b>.
I used to write on the fly and see where a story took me. I read an article by
an author who broke down her routine on her blog and later built a book on how
she turned her writing routine into a 10,000 word a day habit. The key was
starting with a light outline of what she wanted to accomplish that day. It
helped her organize her thoughts and focus her mind. I’ve tried to apply that
not only to my personal writing but also the day of writing and editing in my
day job. In many ways, I still write by my pants, but I know when I’m going to
write now and have goals for words or tasks. Which leads to the next item …<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Create – and stick to
– deadlines</b>: I apply deadlines to all goals: daily goals, weekly goals,
monthly goals, quarterly goals, and annual goals. When I know I have a busy
Saturday ahead with family stuff, I usually list all the things I need to
accomplish and scratch them off when they’re done. Sometimes I even write down
things I’ve already done before starting the list – run 3 miles, feed the cats
– to mess with my own mind and convince myself I’m getting things done. Sometimes
it also helps my wife know where I am and what I’m hoping to do; she’s been
known to add to the list, too. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Establish some sort
of accountability system</b>. This is the tough one for me. The truth is,
keeping accountable is very difficult for a lot of writers. It’s too easy to
say, “Oh, I just don’t feel it today. I’ll write twice as long tomorrow.” Or to
be distracted by any of the myriad legitimate interruptions that occur from day
to day. Sick kid? Sick parent? Got to take the car to the shop? Any of these
things can ruin a day or drag on to several. Having a good friend or a touchy
acquaintance whose job is to harass you when you’re trying to blow off your
writing time is a good idea in theory, but I’ve learned that it doesn’t work
every time.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Reward yourself for
your accomplishments</b>. In contrast to the accountability issue, this can be
too easy sometimes. It’s important to recognize your accomplishments, but
celebrate worthy goals and with supportive techniques. You obviously don’t want
to say, “if I finish 100 words today, I’ll celebrate by not writing at all
tomorrow.” It’s not only too few words and likely to have accomplished little,
but you’d be taking a step back by not writing the next day. But if your goal
was 50,000 words for a month and you reached your goal, take your significant
other out to dinner, or for some ice cream, or something else pleasant and
festive. You deserve it.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Of course, you may have different issues that get in your
way of your writing. I can only imagine. But maybe you have found ways to
overcome them too. I’d love to hear from you. Please share!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Matt Sinclairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07171715051853671712noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30211588.post-58098258486312999372017-09-22T12:37:00.000-04:002017-09-22T12:37:26.358-04:00Lost Wings Is Live!We are so proud to announce the release of <i>Lost Wings</i>, the first urban fantasy novel from Elephant's Bookshelf Press. I know it seems everything I've posted this year has been about <i>Lost Wings</i> (that may even be the case; I haven't checked), but the book has brought about a real shift in my thinking, especially with regard to promotion. It's really a significant book for EBP.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DEbicpSK6dI/WcU7O-guMLI/AAAAAAAABrM/usstF67RgKI2Zg6KR4VaOflzqRsP_xaOACLcBGAs/s1600/LW_small_1000.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="667" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DEbicpSK6dI/WcU7O-guMLI/AAAAAAAABrM/usstF67RgKI2Zg6KR4VaOflzqRsP_xaOACLcBGAs/s320/LW_small_1000.jpg" width="213" /></a>Over the past several months, I've listened to dozens of videos and read at least a dozen books and blog posts about the various nuances of book promotion, but the way I see it is: If you don't have a great book to promote, no one will care.<br />
<br />
In my opinion, <i>Lost Wings</i> fits that description. But the opinion of readers is what's going to determine whether it does well in the marketplace.<br />
<br />
I'd love to hear what you guys think.<br />
<br />
You can order a copy on Amazon, available as an <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075TNHXK1/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1506097631&sr=1-2&keywords=lost+wings%2C+don+m.+vail">ebook</a> and in <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1940180198/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1506097631&sr=1-1&keywords=lost+wings%2C+don+m.+vail">paperback</a>. If you post a review on Amazon by October 1, I'll have the author send you a signed copy of the paperback! Just <a href="mailto:publisher@elephantsbookshelfpress.com">send me</a> an email with the link to your review and your mailing address, and we'll take care of the rest -- even if you hated the book. (Of course, why would anyone who hated the book want a signed copy?)Matt Sinclairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07171715051853671712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30211588.post-10210666047303895692017-09-15T12:39:00.000-04:002017-09-15T12:39:03.048-04:00An interview with "Don M. Vail"With just a week to go until the launch of Lost Wings by Don M. Vail, I wanted to share the first-ever interview with this mysterious debut author.<br />
<br />
Enjoy!<br />
<br />
And there's still time if you want to get an advance PDF version of Lost Wings. Send me an email at matt@elephantsbookshelfpress.com and I'll send it to you. And if you post a review to Amazon (doesn't matter whether you liked the book or not, we're just looking for honest reviews) by October 1, we'll send you a signed copy of the paperback!<br />
<br />
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Seravek; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I set out to interview Don M. Vail, the author of the next book from
Elephant’s Bookshelf Press. It’s a very different novel for EBP, which to date
has published novels written for young adult and middle grade audiences, though
many of the stories in EBP’s anthologies are written with adult protagonists and with adult audiences in mind. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Seravek; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">But a funny thing happened on the way to the Tenderloin. Don came with his
alter ego, Robert K. Lewis, author of the Mark Mallen crime fiction trilogy: <i>Untold Damage,</i> <i>Critical Damage</i>, and <i>Damage</i>.
Of course, Don is the pseudonym of Robert, and he explains the genesis of not
only the pen name but also the story behind <i>Lost
Wings</i>, Don’s “debut” novel.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Seravek; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Elephant’s
Bookshelf: What inspired the character of Richard Eastman and this story?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Seravek; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Don M.
Vail/Robert K. Lewis: </span></b><span style="font-family: Seravek; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Well, it’s really about redemption. With me, it’s
always about redemption. With the <i>Damage
Series</i>, the protagonist, Mark Mallen, is on a road to redemption. He had a
life that he lost. A home, a wife, and a child. All that Mallen wants to do is
make it right, win back what he’s lost. That’s of course what redemption is all
about for me: an attempt to make things right, to atone for past sins. This
sense of redemption is what fuels Richard Eastman. He finds his chance in
helping this wingless angel named Avesta. And given who Richard is, I feel
sorry for anyone who wants to stop him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Seravek; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">When did you
complete your initial draft of <i>Lost Wings</i>?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Seravek; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Jesus, I think it was about twelve years ago. <i>Lost Wings</i> was the third book I’d written, and it’s been said that
it takes two or three books before you really get a handle on the form. From
the beginning, <i>Lost Wings</i> felt like
my first “real” book. So, yeah, I think about 2005 is accurate regarding the
time I finished the first draft. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Seravek; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Why did it take
so long?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Seravek; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">(Laughs) Well, because nobody wanted to run with it. Like I said, <i>Lost Wings</i> was the first book that really
felt like “a book.” I queried every agent out there, and also any publishers
that dealt with Urban Fantasy, Sci Fi, or even Horror. I got close, but no
cigars. So, after getting nowhere, I put it away in my desk drawer and went on
to the next project, the one that would eventually get me published, <i>Untold Damage</i>. However, over all those
long years since its inception, I would take Lost Wings out of the drawer and
rewrite it again. Like so many other authors, I had “that” book; the one a
writer just can’t let go of and always keeps around in the hope that at some
point in time, it would see the light of day. For me, Lost Wings was that book.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Seravek; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">What was it about
the story that kept coming back to you?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Seravek; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">(Pauses) I believe that every person has a small kernel of hero inside
them, and that this kernel is just waiting to come out, given the circumstances.
In <i>Lost Wings</i>, Richard is not a hero
in the classical sense, like the paladin figure of Aragorn from <i>The Lord of the Rings</i>. He’s, in my
opinion, closer to Michael Moorcock’s <i>Elric
of Melnibone</i> where the hero is the reluctant hero, called by the “horn of
fate.” Maybe in a more modern, non-sword iteration, Richard Eastman is more
akin to John McClane from the movie <i>Die
Hard</i>. I love a story about a person that crawls from the wreckage and keeps
on moving forward. That’s Richard Eastman in a nutshell. You can’t stop him. Yes,
he’s a derelict war vet. Yes, he’s drowning in his own pain, and also the pain
of the Tenderloin. But even then, when that horn sounds, he stands up and
starts down that road of redemption. I love pain-filled heroes, but then again…
I guess all heroes are filled with pain.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Seravek; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Aside from your
affinity for down-and-out characters living in San Francisco, there isn’t much
that is similar to your crime novels. How is writing urban fantasy different
from your other work and what do you see as similar?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Seravek; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The first thing that comes to mind is that when I’m writing crime
fiction, there is an inherent reality in the world that I’m working with. It’s
San Francisco. It’s the Tenderloin. Along with that reality comes a certain set
of expectations. There are cars on the street, there are criminals that have to
be arrested. There will be bullets and blood. However, I found writing urban
fantasy to be incredibly freeing. I mean, sure, there is the Tenderloin, there
is San Francisco, there are bullets and blood, but now I’m free to add a wingless
angel, or Lucifer as a little girl who runs a pawnshop, or even a hero that
both visually <i>and </i>metaphorically
takes a trip through hell. In crime fiction there is no visual trip through
hell, that trip only exists in a metaphorical sense. Again, it was incredibly
freeing to write urban fantasy, especially after growing up on Michael
Moorcock’s <i>Elric of Melnibone</i> series,
and Neil Gaiman’s <i>Sandman</i> graphic
novels. However, at its core, the <i>similarity</i>
lies with the fact that both Richard Eastman and my detective Mark Mallen walk
the same hero’s road, and that they both possess a moral compass that is always
kept, well… pointing north<i>.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Seravek; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Where did you
come up with the back story of Don M. Vail?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Seravek; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">All three Mark Mallen novels are dedicated to my best friend, life
partner, and spouse, Dawn M. Vail. This time, since I took a pen name, I
thought I should shake it up, and so Don M. Vail was born. She’s had to put up
with so much in regard to me being a writer, and since I can’t afford to give
her combat pay, I felt that this was the best homage I could come up with under
the circumstances.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Seravek; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The book
noticeably has “Book One” on the cover. What can we expect of Richard and
Avesta in book two?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Seravek; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">(Pauses) How can I say anything without giving away too much? All I
can say is that the seed that is planted in book one will come home to roost in
book two, x 2.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br />Matt Sinclairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07171715051853671712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30211588.post-65280984971060369102017-08-09T07:20:00.000-04:002017-08-09T12:43:23.847-04:00Cover Reveal: Lost Wings, by Don M. Vail<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eNW0peQ-eyI/WYrvkO1ne8I/AAAAAAAABqI/v85r-ElRrCUwoZ_xHsmu1V8vJmvVoty9wCLcBGAs/s1600/Lost%2BWings_nook_2000.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eNW0peQ-eyI/WYrvkO1ne8I/AAAAAAAABqI/v85r-ElRrCUwoZ_xHsmu1V8vJmvVoty9wCLcBGAs/s320/Lost%2BWings_nook_2000.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
We are happy to reveal the cover of <i>Lost Wings</i>, by Don M. Vail, the latest in the herd!<br />
<br />
This debut novel is different from every other EBP offering. Our first urban fantasy novel, <i>Lost Wings</i> is also our first written with an adult audience in mind. Gritty and graphic, <i>Lost Wings</i> goes places no other elephant has ventured…<br />
<br />
When Richard Eastman, a down-and-out veteran of the Gulf War, defends
an injured woman with strange injuries on her shoulder blades, he finds
himself battling an unexpected enemy — the devil. Hellish minions cut
off the wings of the woman — the angel Avesta. But if she’s an angel,
where is God and why won’t he help? With little to go on but his wits
and experience (and what he can remember from Catholic school), Richard
takes on a new mission: save the angel or die trying. But to do that, he
must descend into Hell, confront the demons and the damned who exist
there — as well as those from his own life — and ultimately fight
Lucifer. He knows he can’t accomplish his mission alone, but who can he
trust in Hell? Yet, if Richard fails, Lucifer will breed a new race of
beings with the stolen angel. And if that happens, all hell could break
loose.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://i0.wp.com/www.elephantsbookshelfpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/cropped-EBP-Offcenter-230x300.png?resize=512%2C512&ssl=1" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" class="alignright size-full wp-image-464" height="200" src="https://i0.wp.com/www.elephantsbookshelfpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/cropped-EBP-Offcenter-230x300.png?resize=512%2C512&ssl=1" width="200" /></a>While this is a debut novel, the author isn’t exactly new to writing.
Robert K. Lewis is writing as Don M. Vail. Robert is a talented
crime-noir author, but Lost Wings is not like his previously published
work. While there may be some of Robert’s readers who enjoy the work of
Don, we’re letting Don build his audience from the pebbly ground beneath
his feet and work his way up.<br />
<br />
“I wrote this novel over ten years ago,” Robert wrote on his blog.
“Every so often I would take it out and rewrite it to the level of my
abilities at that time. I just couldn’t give up on it.”<br />
<br />
At EBP, we’re glad he didn’t. We were drawn in from the first few pages.Matt Sinclairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07171715051853671712noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30211588.post-27280986953928565672017-05-17T12:43:00.000-04:002017-05-18T17:16:19.459-04:00The Revamping of the Elephant's Bookshelf Blogging Experience<div class="MsoNormal">
Hey guys. It’s been a while, I know. Though it’s not obvious
from the number of posts on this blog, I have been busy, and I believe the
busy-ness will become evident very soon. <o:p></o:p></div>
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In a nutshell, I’ve spent the past several months working on
expanding and developing Elephant’s Bookshelf Press, especially from a marketing
perspective. What this means in the short term is that two books are being made
ready for publication this year, with the possibility of a third also (though
that one may run into 2018).<o:p></o:p></div>
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I’ve also been rethinking my blogging. Not just my schedule
but also my purpose. <o:p></o:p></div>
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When I launched Elephant’s Bookshelf Press, my goal was to
help unknown writers earn publication and begin to develop an audience. I’m
very proud to have been the first publisher of fiction for more than a dozen
writers these past five years. I’ve actually never sat down and counted them
all; it could be upwards of twenty debut fiction authors.<o:p></o:p></div>
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That accomplishment – both mine and theirs -- has been on my
mind as I’ve considered what my blogging should be about. There are a lot
of writing blogs out there, and I know I don’t read as many as I used to. So
why would anyone want to read mine? Well, I don’t know that they will, frankly.
And that’s ok, because creating and building an audience takes time.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Writing is what I do. It’s what I’ve always done – before,
during, and after the creation of EBP. These days, I’m not only a writer. I’m
an editor, a publisher, at times a songwriter and musician. And increasingly
I’m feeling confident that what we’ve been trying to do with EBP is the right
thing for writers.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Let’s face it, publishing these days is a heck of a lot
easier than it used to be, but building an audience is <u>hard</u>. Very, very
hard. There’s so much out there. You’ve probably heard that a lot of it is
garbage. To a degree, that’s true. But then that’s always been true. <o:p></o:p></div>
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What’s different is I’ve gotten know a lot more writers now,
and the submissions I’ve gotten over the past five years always turn up several
gems. Some of the submissions my review teams have rejected were stories I
kinda enjoyed, even if too many of those relied on tired old tropes.<o:p></o:p></div>
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From now on, my blogging goal is to build something aimed at
helping authors develop an audience. As I said, it’s a big part of what EBP has
been about since the beginning, and if this company is going to be something I
can expand and possibly even give to my daughters one day, then that topic
needs to remain its focus going forward.<o:p></o:p></div>
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How will I do that? To be honest, I’m sure that’s going to
evolve, too. I’ll write about author marketing -- the tried and true as well as
the new. I don’t have all the answers, because smart new questions are being
asked every day. But I’ve spent the past blurdy-blurdy years interviewing
leaders of nonprofit organizations all over the country (and outside the U.S.,
too) about building constituencies, movements, followings; I am confident I can
share lessons learned over that time.<o:p></o:p></div>
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One way I’ll do that is by interviewing authors about what
they’re doing and what’s working for them. I’ll discuss things like covers
(because there <i><u>are</u></i> a lot of
crappy covers out there. Yeeesh!), and I’ll provide my own experience with
certain products to help other authors learn from my experience.<br />
<br />
<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When my friends and I created the late, beloved blog From
the Write Angle, the goal was to provide authors lessons from those of us
slightly higher up the ladder. In a way, that’s the goal on this blog, too, and
with this publishing company. I may even have some guest posts from some of my
FTWA co-conspirators.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So, I invite you to check out my updated blog. It’s actually
going to be at the EBP site – in fact, you’ll see this post there, too. And if
you like what you see, please sign up for my newsletter. I’ll use many of the
usual techniques – free stuff, newsletter-only exclusives, etc. – I hope you’ll
come to back because you’ll want to read the items I’ll be sharing. So, take a
look. And let me know what you like and what you don’t. Let’s get the
conversation going.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Matt Sinclairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07171715051853671712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30211588.post-3449450048572886122016-09-29T12:58:00.000-04:002016-11-13T09:14:17.956-05:00Thinking about the days of the week<div class="MsoNormal">
For those paying attention at home, I’m in the midst
of a blog rethink and redesign, at least as far as my writing approach to this blog is
concerned. I will reupholster the electronic furniture a bit and possibly hang
some new wallpaper, but suffice it to say, I’m aiming to make this a place
worth visiting. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Of course, I already have ideas and I’m putting some things together so I’ll be able to hit the ground running. Here’s one idea that
I’ve been mulling.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Folks of a certain age will remember a song from many moons
ago known as “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SaHAvEEbQOE">I don’t like Mondays</a>.” I want to do something about the whole
Monday malaise. Ideally, I’ll make things better for writers rather than
contributing to the “blahness” of the first workday of the week. But you never
know.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My idea is “Marketing Mondays.” Most fiction writers aren’t
any fonder of marketing than the rest of humanity is a fan of Mondays. So a
couple Mondays a month, I’ll explore ways we writers can improve our marketing
and promotion efforts. Yes, at some point I’ll probably talk at least a bit
about email lists and newsletters. Hate them or hate them, if they’re done the
right way, they’re highly effective tools for building your platform, which, among other things, help you stand out in a crowd. And few things are as
crowded as the book publishing world these days.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So, what’s the right way to do marketing in such a busy
field? Well, I’m hoping to get some comments on that type of thing from writers
and publishers who can address it better than I can. If you ask me, the answer
boils down to how you build an audience for your novels and short stories:
Write something entertaining and engaging and write it well.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’d love to hear some other topics you’d like to read about
with regard to where your marketing and audience development efforts
might be lagging. Feel free to share in the comments below or send an email to <a href="mailto:matt@elephantsbookshelfpress.com">matt@elephantsbookshelfpress.com</a>.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Soon to come: other days of the week.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Matt Sinclairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07171715051853671712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30211588.post-59107519762700034332016-09-13T12:53:00.005-04:002016-09-13T15:08:05.367-04:00Back to SchoolRemember the Staples back-to-school commercial from a few years ago? You know it: the one where the father is dancing through the aisles of the supply store behind his shopping cart while his kids plod along behind him, their heads staring at the floor, all while Johnny Mathis sings "It's the most wonderful time of the year..."<br />
<br />
Even before I had kids, that was one of my favorite commercials, and I'm not a big fan of watching ads. And now that I'm a dad, I understand it on another level. It truly feels as though things are falling back into place, the tumblers are landing in the correct slots to unlock the door.<br />
<br />
That's how things have felt for me lately. We have just launched <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Billy-Bobble-Witch-Hunt-Mellette-ebook/dp/B01KVX8MDM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1473784922&sr=8-1&keywords=billy+bobble">Billy Bobble the Witch Hunt</a></i>, and I'm working on the next novel, Don M. Vail's <i>Lost Wings</i>. Busy, busy, busy!<br />
<br />
But in the busy-ness, I have the exciting fretfulness of a student starting a new school year. I worry about the reviews for R.S. Mellette's wonderful book -- will readers think it's as engaging and provocative as I do? Am I doing enough to get the word out about it? (Probably not. None of us, not even Stephen King, ever do. Don't believe me? Without googling it, what were the names of his last two books?)<br />
<br />
So I've been boning up again on online tutorials, re-reading articles about marketing and promotion, and trying to put lessons learned into practice. I wish I had one that I could share that has been hands-down better than everything else, but to me they all seem to be about building audience incrementally, reader by reader. Slow going, to say the least. But valuable, nonetheless<br />
<br />
What has worked for you? Have you found anything that worked really well for your book? I'd love to conduct an interview with someone who has a great author-promotional effort to share. We can even do some shared marketing, where we'll give away some books -- yours and ours!<br />
<br />
Who's game? After all, It's the most wonderful time of the year.<br />
<br />
<br />Matt Sinclairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07171715051853671712noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30211588.post-91360598626597398682016-09-07T13:04:00.002-04:002016-09-13T15:11:35.907-04:00Things my wife keeps explaining<div class="MsoNormal">
Recently I was talking to my wife about <a href="http://www.elephantsbookshelfpress.com/">Elephant’s BookshelfPress</a>. Back before she became a mom and a classroom assistant in our daughters’
school, she negotiated deals in the advertising world (he says somewhat cryptically). So I learned a long time
ago to trust her marketing instincts. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We’ve talked about EBP’s <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Elephants-Bookshelf-Press-105031682868366/">Facebook</a> and
<a href="https://twitter.com/ebpressllc">Twitter</a> presence and blogging schedule and overall approach to promotion. I’ve been a journalist for more than twenty years, so I
think I have a clue or two about which marketing approaches work and which don’t.
But as is usually the case, my wife was able to demonstrate how I’m not as
smart as I sometimes think I am. The conversation went something like this:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Your last blog post was when?” she asked.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Not looking away from the pasta boiling in the pan. “A few weeks ago.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Try July.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I look up. Obviously, she knew the answer before she asked the question. “Well, that’s a few weeks ago.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“July.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Ok, I get your point. But I’ve been working on <i>Billy Bobble and the Witch Hunt</i>, the
anthology project, and <i>Lost Wings</i>.
And I have other projects for 2017 that are on the back burner, so I keep in
touch with those writers.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Are you keeping in touch with your readers?”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Silence on my part. I may have scuffled my shoes on the linoleum,
I don’t quite remember. I should pay more attention to this floor.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Not as well as I should,” I admitted – to her, to myself. (And
ultimately to you.)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Do your readers know who you are?”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“I think most of them are people I met through AgentQuery
Connect, the anthologies, and From the Write Angle.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“That’s all well and good, but readers like to know who
these writers are. And you’re one of the writers.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“I do interviews with the EBP writers.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“When was the last one?”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Boy, the linoleum is looking kinda scuffed. … “Yeah, I guess it has been a while.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“I was looking at your friend Mindy’s <a href="http://writerwriterpantsonfire.blogspot.com/">blog</a>.” she continued.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“I love her blog.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“It’s very good. She’s got all sorts of series that she
does: interviews, reviews of queries. And makes up funny names to those things.
SHIT, for example and SWAG and SNOB.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“She’s funnier than I am.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“You’re funny, too, when you talk like yourself.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I smile. It's nice to be considered funny, even if I'm not very funny. “But we’re writing for different audiences.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“What is her audience?”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Well, she writes YA mostly.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Is that who reads her blog?”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Actually, her blog is aimed at other
writers. But I’m sure she has attracted the readers of her novels, too.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“And her short stories. She writes wonderful short stories.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Yes, she does.” Her story "Last Kiss" led off EBP's very first anthology, <i>Spring Fevers</i>. (which is <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Spring-Fevers-Matt-Sinclair-ebook/dp/B007EDIAGC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1473267378&sr=8-1&keywords=spring+fevers%2C+sinclair">still free</a>, by the way.)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“So here’s what I think you should do with your blog. Write
blogs. Write them regularly. Have some sort of theme to things. Be yourself. In
fact: tell people about yourself. You don’t have to divulge that we keep the
Holy Grail in our garage (oops!), but you can be honest without sharing too
much information.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“No blog posts about what I had for lunch.” I poke around at the pasta again. Just about done. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Correct, but if you want to say you were cooking dinner for
the girls, that seems fine to me. As long as there’s a point to it. Having a
series of posts will help you focus.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“I think I have an idea for my first theme: Things my wife
keeps explaining to me.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“It’s a start. You’ll need to keep thinking, though.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p>...</o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p>So I'm thinking... Yeah, some of you who've read my blog over the years have probably seen me talk about doing more, but -- as usual -- my wife makes an important point. I may even talk about myself a bit, though I fear I'm way too boring to attract readers with information about me.</o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p>What else would you like to hear about on this blog? Or do you wish I'd simply go away? That's a valid viewpoint, too.</o:p></div>
Matt Sinclairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07171715051853671712noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30211588.post-32299361182317869952016-07-12T12:45:00.000-04:002016-07-12T12:45:01.741-04:00What I learned about writing while failing my first marathon<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">As a middle-aged guy, I struggle to keep in shape. Ok, to be
honest, I’m not in good shape unless paunchy is considered chic these days. I
rarely get to exercise much beyond walking 15-20 minutes between my office and
the subway station. But there was a time before I became a dad when I actually
tried to -- and believed I could -- run a marathon.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Perhaps that is overstating things. In my training to run
26.2 miles, I never got beyond 15. Still, those months of training taught me a
lot about writing, especially about writing novels. Here are a few of those
lessons.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Lesson 1: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">You don’t
have to do it every day, but you can’t let it go too long if you want to remain
both motivated and in shape to accomplish your goal. </span></b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">When I
started training for a marathon, it was summer. On occasion, I had to deal with some heat
issues, but mostly I would run early on Saturday or Sunday with the
occasional “maintenance run” after I got home from work in the evening. But
summer days eventually shorten and when you live in suburban New Jersey, you
learn not to trust drivers to see your reflective vest as the sun goes down. So
before long I was running almost exclusively on the weekends. The same can be true about writing. Sure, lots of writers aim to write every day, but sometimes there's just not even fifteen minutes to squeeze in between work, commuting, perhaps a doctor's appointment or special dinner or event. Life happens. But if too much of life gets in the way of writing, well, let's just say you start to doubt your ability to complete things.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Lesson 2:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Treadmills
are boring, but they help you meet your targets. </span></b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">The analogy
here is writing backstory that you’ll need to remove. Some writers will disagree,
but not everything you write needs to be golden. I’ve written thousands of words
that will never see a reading lamp outside my home. But I needed to put that
time in to get to know the characters better, to get a stronger sense of what
motivates them or what they aim to accomplish. It gets edited out – at least,
it should most of the time. Unknown characters are like relationships that
don’t get beyond the physical attraction. Without putting in the time to
discover your characters, you’re leaving yourself vulnerable to the “injury.” You
need to build endurance. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Lesson 3:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Your longest
run can still serve as motivation, even years later.</span></b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> I still recall
the thrill of running 15 miles. It had been a major milestone for me, because
before that run, my longest was about 13 miles – not quite half a marathon. I
have “finished” a novel. I’ve had beta readers go through it and give me lots
of great advice for ways to improve it, much of which I’ve applied. It was
wonderful to complete that first draft and entertain the dreams of seeing it
published. But still I know it’s not ready. I eventually trunked it and went to work on
other novels, which have also been trunked as a result of my commitment to EBP,
but they too will eventually see “The End” written, I have no doubt -- in part, because I've finished one before.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Lesson 4: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">It’s ok to
change your goals, even to “quit,” as long as you know why you’re doing it. </span></b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">I still
run, even though I have not aimed for a marathon in almost ten years. I set new
targets for myself. I have annual mileage goals I aspire to these days, and I
set monthly goals with the annual goal in mind. In a similar way, I have
realized I don’t have the time currently to write a novel. But that’s because I
started Elephant’s Bookshelf Press and instead of seeing my own novels
published, I aspire to see my company produce at least two books a year,
preferably more. It might not sound like much, but it works for me. I also know
that I will eventually chisel out the novels that are in my brain. Call me a
quitter if you like, but I chose the path I’m jogging along even if my pace
isn’t quite what it used to be.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Matt Sinclairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07171715051853671712noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30211588.post-65827948339496333482016-06-22T12:40:00.000-04:002016-06-22T12:40:36.377-04:00Expanding our next anthology<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Sometimes being a small press makes it
easier to change directions quickly. As the deadline for our latest anthology
was approaching, we decided to make an alteration – or edit, if you will: the
anthology is no longer limited to urban fantasy now; we are accepting fantasy
stories of any setting.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">An EBP fantasy anthology has always been
in the planning, to tell you the truth, but several of the submissions we’ve received
so far have been only barely urban fantasy and more along the lines of fantasy.
So this change enables us to open things up a little bit.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">With the story focus expansion, I
believe it’s only fair to change the deadline as well. <b>The new deadline has been moved to Friday, September 9</b>. As a
result, our publication date will need to shift, too. We haven’t quite nailed
down the date, as we have other books in process, too. But I suspect we’re
looking at early 2017.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Based on the submissions we’ve
received so far, I’ve also decided that fantasy stories need a bit more room than
other genres, so the word count has been boosted to 5,500 words. There’s no
change in where to send the stories: <a href="mailto:submissions@elephantsbookshelfpress.com">submissions@elephantsbookshelfpress.com</a>
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">If you’re wondering whether your story
has been accepted or not, fear not: unless you’ve already received a rejection,
the story is being considered. And if you’ve received a rejection, you can
submit another story for consideration. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">If you have any questions, feel free to
reach out to us at the same email address listed above.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Matt Sinclairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07171715051853671712noreply@blogger.com0