Publishing part 2

I've been putting off thinking about the print version of Touch of Evil for a few weeks, but then Tuesday nite thought stuff it. So eight hours later, after most of that time reformatting for print, buggerising around coz i was tired and getting more than a little frustrated, I uploaded the book to LULU, So yes, in about three days from now, Touch of Evil will be available in print.

This post will take several tangent. this is but one of them:

Touch has thusfar sold but 2 copies as an ebook. Strange. True I haven['t exactly been out there pushing it down people throats. Been focussed on a couple of other things. But still, with ebooks having a rise of 1024% in the oast year and print falling somewhat, where are the people (friends, relatives) who might buy the book. Dunno, but I am looking into it.

Once I got my head aroiund it, LULU was easy to get along with. A long while ago, my good mate Pip publisjhed a wonderful book called "Faces in the Street" a wonderful book about the life and times of Henry Lawson. He used LULU, and his book cost a fortune. (well worth the money, but steep if you were just looking). Touch came in at just over half the size of Faces, but where Pip's book was processed in Portugal and posted from there ($20.00 freight + $35.00 for the book) I can sell Touch for $14.95 with freight being less than $10.00 and still make a dollar per book!!! why you shout as you jump up and down in delight. Because they print and send for Oceania and SE Asia from Brizbane. So YAY for LULU. Plus they now list freely wit Amazon and Barnes and Noble and all them lot. Probably Angus and Robertson/Dymocks et al as well. Now makes self publishing a little more affordable for us.

So, in a couple of days Touch of Evil will be available everywhere. I have thought about a special edition hardcover. Maybe , maybe not. it will truly be a special edition, meant for me and a few choice people who have helped me in some big ways. also thinking about am audiobook, but the reader is the key there, and I only trust 2 people to read for me. we'll see on that score.

So now, I ask that if you like a little speculation in your fiction, a little thought in your light entertainment then please take a look at Touch of Evil. I like it, I think you will too.

Thanks for listening.

Calamity's Corner

Another great Calamity's Corner. Jacquie Rogers new book, Much Ado About Marshals, sounds a great read. Must look out for Body Line by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles new detective novel which is another good review from LL Roberts. The movie review of Heaven Only Knows, Mr Allison brought memories of when I saw it years ago. I liked the sound of Sally Odgers and Aaron Pocock's new book, Journey into Faerie. It sounds delightful. Thanks, Calamity, for bringing my attention to what other people are up to. Email Calamity for a free copy of Calamity's Corner.

Scribbles

While in the process of doing the cover for Touch, I have revisited some of my other work. My short story - Gone to Mums, published a couple of years ago in Next Stop Hollywood- 15 stories Bound for the Screen - has been returned to me as the publishing rights I sold off back then have finally ended. I am trying to get the cover done and will release as a chapbook in the next few months, also as an e-book.

Transported Legends - Halloween is progressing nicely and if my new artist friend (not Anton this time, another young lad who wishes anonymity) gets the cover drawn and coloured then we are a go for October 30th delivery date. Transported Legends - Classic Monsters has started to form together and will follow hopefully Feb/March 2012.

As well as that, editing and revision has begun on another touch of evil, 10 short stories this time. still in that wonderful "what if...." vein of speculative fiction that I so love.

So. Busy busy busy.

But wait, there's more.

Have you ever heard a song and thought to yourself " Jeez, there's a story in there."

Most good songs contain a very short story, all the best ones it's a guarantee, except for instrumentals and even then you'll find a theme.

I write from music a lot. Everything is a go, metal, rock, classic, some current Top 40, lots of '80s, some electronica. every now and then one song will stick. Sometimes that's enough of a seed to get the story growing. sometimes it takes more than one.

My new piece Flame Trees (working title that I WILL change) was born in that way. The Cold Chisel song has always plagued me with thoughts of what it would be like going home to a place I hadn't seen in 20 or more years. Marry that to the Nickleback song Photograph and the idea started to sprout. A lot of it is based on my personal experience, some from the time of Gone to Mums, but this time a lot more imagination as well. My mate Lotty, who quietly asked one day if he could be in a story has a part, a short one but it's there. Some of it (a loose first drafty type affair) has been launched on Facebook to some warm response, but those responses have been from friends, and I always worry that friends will not always be 100% honest with me on what I write. That's sometimes why I love my friends.

And back in my rotation is an old piece I've stuttered and stammered with, Return to Majick, has been tickled a bit. it's not magic in the Harry Potter sense. It's actually a little bloodthirsty and nasty but I like it and am putting some of it in place between doing this note and a few other things.

My friend Jessica in America once had as her profile thought on writers Cafe:

I write because it keeps the voices in my head quiet.

I used to just think it was funny. Now I know what she means.

Good writing to all.

PS, I ramble a bit. Did you notice?

Away we go - Part III

Yeah okay. I know this is the first here, but hopefully the first of many. If all goes well, I will be documenting the continuing growth of my life as a writer. The word hopefully here is significant. But on with the news ...

Last week, before my sojourn to the concrete wilds of Sydney I created my first book. Not had it published or saw it turn up somewhere on a website. From scratch, and using ,materials found in my own home (some of which i bought from ebay - love ebay) I created a galley copy of my new collection (ten years in the making is new, ain't it?) of short stories A TOUCH OF EVIL. I now have a crude, but functional physical book. You can turn pages, look at words, actually read them and all sorts of good booky type stuff. And I am chuffed. Yes, you read it. Chuffed.

Making this thing was a trial, having never attempted that much formatting in one sitting, which turned out to be several sittings, and despite the fact that I still haven't actually gone through the whole thing, I have found errors (hey, there was bound to be some) that on screen I would never have even thought of. Most important is pagination, the layout of where the pages go. I know some wags out there will be hooting with derision. Page one follows page two and so on, they will snicker. My response - awww duhhhhhhhh!!!

No, as I have seen, and on inspection confirmed, there is a method in this madness of laying out a book. The first page of every story needs to on be the right hand page. Therefore, by that logic, page 1 is now right hand rather than left hand. Easy to fix, but on screen who gives a rats, right? Having that one line too many for a neat page ending - a little more tricky to fix, but had me do another edit and I lost some bits I missed in earlier edits, making the story that little bit better.

It also helped me redesign my corporate log for my publishing arm, which - thanks to LULU - will allow me to be the master of my own domain as far as printing and distribution, anyway. And I now look at publishing and think Shit! How do the big boys do it so easily.

But enough. This is my first post here and I hope you enjoy it. Please respond if you have pertinent comments, advice or discussions to add. If you spam me you are toast.

Thanks for reading. More to follow.

Baz.