Is Fan Fic the New Trend?

The publishing industry has been in a tailspin for a while now. Established publishers that once banked on printing hardcovers first with a strong softcover follow-up are now scrambling as digital sales take a bite out of profit margins. That, coupled with the indie movement, has created a one-two punch that has everyone restructuring best business practices. 

We need look no further than the latest round of big publishers snatching up novice writers. Fifty Shades started out as fan fiction, and now it seems that another Twilight spin-off has hit pay dirt too.

Abigail Gibbs, a teen who took the Bella/Edward scenario in a different direction, has just been given a six figure deal by HarperCollins. According to The Brisbane Times, the first twenty chapters of the book attracted 17 million views, and it was then that a literary agent advised Gibbs not post the end of the story. You can read the entire article here, but I think this quote sums it up nicely:  

  "With an existing fan base waiting to see what happens next and the potential for word-of-mouth social media recommendations, HarperCollins's publishing director, Shona Martyn, expects the vampire thriller to find an immediate audience."

Regardless of where you stand on the issue of fan fiction, no one can argue that the industry is taking a good, long look at young writers that establish some sort of platform. It speaks volumes that HarperCollins readily admits the vampire genre is waning, and yet they are willing to invest in an unknown author solely based on the number of page hits they have.
 
While I'm sure I won't be reading this work anytime soon, I do like the fact that that our new gatekeepers are the readers and not someone predicting projected trends based on marketing focus groups.  

What do you think? Is Fan Fic bad for an already floundering industry?

The Book Cover Conundrum

I'm officially announcing that we will be moving publishing companies in the fall. I've found a wonderful little start-up publisher that I absolutely adore, and I couldn't be more excited.

But as you know, new publishers mean new ISBN numbers, a once-over through the edits, and a new cover. While I've loved every cover that has graced the Kailmeyra series, I'm still looking for that perfect depiction ... something that portrays fanstasy, romance, paranormal, good-and-evil, and, most importantly, the power of love. Not easy shoes to fill by any stretch of the imagination.

And so I've been stalking the cover scene, perusing everything from horror, to straight fantasy, to those amazing YA covers.

What I have discovered reinforces the truth that marketing drives cover design. We all know marketing is an relentless monster, eating time and creating chaos wherever it lurks. It is a necessary evil, one that cuts a path through our overloaded world allowing our stories to be exposed to potential readers. But it requires subtlety, stealth, and, most of all, intuition.

Here are three excellent examples of authors at various stages in their careers.

This cover is Hope Collier's debut novel. Striking, isn't it? I love the muted trees in the background, the shadows streaming through the water, and most of all, the sense of intrigue. She's done an amazing job capturing the essence of the book and realizing that new authors must market what's important ... the story. 

Now here's a sweet cover that has a ton of marketing already built in. Notice the NY time best seller above this author's name. The font isn't huge, making it seem like a formality, but I'm sure the bright color was no accident :-). Also, notice the author's name is bigger than the title. This is what happens when the author has an established reader base that will buy anything they put out. Kenyon is known for her dark romance, hence the overall dark cover. Also the cover really doesn't tell us much. Honestly, strip away the words, put an unknown author on the front, and many would say it looks like a self-pubbed cover. 

JK Rowling has reached icon status. Her Harry Potter series is the most financially successful series in the world. Ten to one that black X in the box will become the focal point for this book's recognition. I'm sure Little Brown wanted  to distance themselves from the Potter franchise, but this is overkill. My point is this: Rowling's name recognition is enough ...  she doesn't need anything else. Regardless of the hideous cover, the book will sell.

Who knows? Maybe Little Brown will set a new trend of condiment colored covers ... only time will tell.

The year of balance

Ray Bradbury once said you only fail when you stop writing.

He's right, you know.

Sometimes we indie authors get caught up in designing sites, marketing, and networking. Sometimes we take to heart mean spirited words in a review, or we sulk about slumping sales. I've only been in the industry a few years, and already I've seen talented authors who have simply given up and pulled their books from the virtual shelf.


It's easy to get caught up in the everyday grind of marketing and promotions. I'll take a little break, you say. Days become weeks, and before you know it months have passed by without writing so much as a page. WIP's go untended, new ideas slip into oblivion, creativity wanes, and you find yourself discouraged. 

Why is it that most writers are such extremist? It seems we are either furiously writing like someone's going to shoot us at dawn, or we're not writing so much as a post-it note.

I like the Chinese tradition of naming a year, but instead of characterizing years with animals I allow my years to name themselves. Call it the crazy creative side of me, but every year around this time I find a word floating  through my mind. That word becomes a mantra of sorts, creating common theme that runs throughout the 12 months and defines my personal history.

This year, as I struggle with two jobs, two kiddo's, two books, and two dogs, I'm constantly out of whack. Either I've paid ahead on a bill or something's about to get shut off. I'm a month ahead on lesson plans, or I'm scrambling for ideas on my way to school. I'm up on posts for blog tours, or I'm staying up till the wee hours of the morn trying to write a character interview. My pendulum is practically swinging out of control, and so I have to stop the extremes. I need balance.

It is getting better. I've started autopay on all the bills. I open mail before I step foot in the house, and I've started back on a strict writing schedule.  Like any good story, I'm not sure how this one will turn out, but I'll be sure to let you know how it goes. :-)


So here's to the year of balance ... let's hope it's a creative one!

The Secret of the Keepers tour!

I'm so excited that so many fantastic bloggers wanted to participate in the debut tour of Keepers! I'll update daily, so feel free to check in!

Nov. 9th-- Tracy Riva's book review
Nov.  8th-- Blkosiner's Book Blog Author this-or-that
Nov. 7th-- Tale of Many Reviews Guest Post and Giveaway
Nov. 6th--Novels on the Run
Nov. 5th--Hope Collier book review 
Nov. 4th--Narratively Speaking: Author interview 
Nov. 2nd--Blkosiner's Book Blog review
Nov. 1st-- Narratively Speaking: Review
Nov. 1st-- Patricia Particularity: Review

Question of the day--What's up with Kate and Hol?

Seven days left!


There have been quite a few questions over the past few months regarding The Kailmeyra Series.

As the debut of The Secret of the Keepers draws near, I thought I'd answer some of the more common questions.

FAQ: Kate and Holly are Nora's best friends in high school. They are on the first pages in The Light of Asteria, yet they do not play and active role after the third chapter. What's the deal? Will we see them in The Secret of the Keepers? 

There were many opening scenes to Asteria, but when I wrote this one my Katie was picking out colleges. So were her four best friends. Even though they were sure they would all stay close after graduation, I knew I wanted to prepare her for the possibility that they might drift apart. It would've been easier if the girls had chosen to go to the local university, but these girls are adventuresome and scattered to the four winds. I wanted Katie to open her mind to the idea of meeting new people, not just stay in her dorm room skyping her besties. 

Also, it seemed a good way to show Nora's willingness to put others first. Just the fact that she helped Kate and Hol move in, even when it was painful for her, adds depth to her character. It gave the reader a glimpse into her heart, and let them see her struggle, her fears. It shed light on her pure nature, and seemed authentic to her spirit.

To be honest, I've been surprised at the following Kate and Holly have gotten. I love the fact that quite a few readers related strongly enough to them to write me and ask for more of Kate and Hol. Even though they do not make an appearance in The Secret of the Keepers, they may still may play a part in the third.


If you have a question you would like answered, just comment on this post and I'll email you!

Can We be Trusted to Think for Ourselves?

Izzie and I were at our favorite indie bookstore yesterday, and the front display held a large table entitled "buy a banned book". This concept isn't exactly new, but I'd never seen the sheer number of books that have been banned before. Everything from Dr. Seuss's The Lorax to A Wrinkle in Time to Speak.


Odd, I thought we lived in the land of the free and the home of the brave.

I'm not suggesting for one moment that it's a great idea for a twelve year old to read Crank, or to encourage a third grader read The Hunger Games. While I've actually seen both of these examples, I didn't say anything. Parents can decide what's best for their children. Simply put, who am I to question or take away that choice?

I'll never forget when Kate read Number the Stars in fourth grade. It deeply disturbed her, but instead of me ranting at the teacher for suggesting it, the library for carrying it, or her for choosing it, I talked to her. We discussed the book, and I allowed her to express her outrage, her emotions, what it was that bothered her about the book. She came away from the experience with a new appreciation of how people should be treated, and a new opinion that she had formulated herself. 

It all comes down to this. Do we feel that the population at large is not intelligent enough to discern what it is they should and should not read? Are we as a society willing to trust the people of our nation to think for themselves?

Viva Las Vegas!

For my 40th birthday, my best friend Corina surprised me with a trip to Vegas. Needless to say we had a boatload of fun, but I soon realized that if I lived anywhere close to a casino, I'd be one of those people they'd keep tabs on. Vegas is like the grown-up version of Chuckie Cheese, and I'm a kid at heart.



There's something about pulling the lever on a slot machine, it's that anticipation ... the excitement ... what if you actually won? Two things I'll never forget about Vegas: Corina shouting "Oh yeah, baby!" Every time we won so much as a quarter, and the feel of a slot machine handle.

Thanks to my friend Megan Curd, I've now become a KDP junkie. For those of you that don't know, KDP stands for Kindle Direct Publishing. It's a place where Indie authors log in to see a live record of how many books are being purchased. With the click of the refresh button, I get an up-to-date account of how many books are sold. Needless to say, it's now permanently pinned as an app tab!

As soon as I opened the KDP site for the first time, that feeling returned in the pit of my stomach. I knew it right away. Vegas. It feels like I'm sitting on the top of the roller coaster, getting ready to careen down a hill. And every time the sales number goes up and have to shout "Oh yeah, baby!"

All I have to say is Viva Las Vegas!

Writing Outside the Marketing Box

I've admitted to stalking sites, and one of my favorites is the hashtag #YALITCHAT on twitter run by the incomparable Georgia McBride. I subscribe to her blog via email, and I always smile when I see her name in the topic line. Her new post "Balancing your creative vision with market conditions" is passionate, honest, and a little disturbing.

If you haven't read Georgia's post, I suggest you go up and click on the title. I'll try as best I can to sum it up, but long story short, her novel PRAEFATIO (you can read the first chapter here) is her baby, and it seems that the powers that be enjoy it, admire it, even compliment its unique qualities, but it doesn't fit the mold. It's not what they project that the market wants, and they're not willing to take a chance. She either needs to conform, write something else, or keep fighting for her baby's originality. 

 Now those of you who know me completely get why I stood in front of the monitor this morning and ranted.   To me, the gatekeepers of the standard publishing world are just like the administrators of our education system. They've studied for years, they've crunched numbers, they've made charts and graphs and gone to endless meetings, and they can spout out soundbites like candy on Fat Tuesday, but they've never been in a classroom, and they're not where the rubber meets the road.

There was a time, not too long ago, when the choices mentioned above were Georgia's only options. Not any more ... if you're willing to risk it.

Take my twitter friend Lorna Suzuki, author of the Imago series. In her blog, she writes ... 

"...when you think about it, does a Tolkienesque fantasy with an Asian flavour fit in any traditional publishing house’s line?

I even had the good fortune of having the president of a Canadian publishing company pursue me for two years to acquire rights to the Imago series, and if not this, then my new YA series.

And having Jessie Finklestein, editor of Raincoast books (yes, the publisher of Harry Potter in Canada) ask if I’d be willing to rewrite the Imago series to appeal to  YA audience was a huge boost to my confidence as a writer. It gave me the sense that there really is an audience for my fantasy, if I’m willing to seek them out.

The thing is, self-publishing is perfect for some authors and many resort to self-publishing because they couldn’t acquire an agent, but still firmly believe in their manuscript, enough that they would turn to self-publishing.

"Legally Blonde', 'Eragon' and 'The Celestine Prophecy' were self-published before being picked up by traditional publishing houses. Even international bestselling authors and authors of American classics like Mark Twain & Edgar Allen Poe self-published. John Grisham, the author of courtroom thrillers, was turned down by at least twenty literary agents. He resorted to selling his self-published books from the trunk of his car in  parking lots before being offered a book deal with a traditional publishing company

I'm proud to say that I'm an indie writer, but I also understand the stigma that still lingers in literary corners, and the roof over my head doesn't depend on a royalty check.

Georgia has already said she will continue to fight, and I glory in her spunk. Teens today are savvy, smart and seek originality. Take heart, Georgia, we're all cheering for you, but please know your work will succeed no matter whose name is on the copyright page.