tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post6327727502868860016..comments2024-03-18T06:16:18.802-05:00Comments on A Newbie's Guide to Publishing: Guest Post by Zander MarksJA Konrathhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08778324558755151986noreply@blogger.comBlogger26125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-73866382427158274522013-09-24T08:57:03.172-05:002013-09-24T08:57:03.172-05:00Apparently suspense and comedy don't mix well,...Apparently suspense and comedy don't mix well, either (in the legacy world), but it's what I like to read. Got an agent with book #1, but he couldn't "place" it (no fault of his). Wrote book #2 in the same vein anyway. By that time, self-publishing had earned some credibility (and was a lot cheaper than it used to be), so I went that route. My reviews, while they don't number in the hundreds, make me feel vindicated for not compromising. My sales, however...let's just say I'm working on book #3 (suspense + humor? Oh, yes!).Bill Cokashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16100840155626191109noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-66364017209967227862013-07-29T15:12:22.157-05:002013-07-29T15:12:22.157-05:00And to everyone here who has said such kind words ...And to everyone here who has said such kind words about my book, Wilkin says "Thanks for the love!" So do I.<br /><br />As to the coffee stains, Wilkin promises to bring that up in his next phone call from Eula. He's pretty sure she'll have some ideas. Artie still doesn't understand why the Quik Chek Food Store has suddenly become Telecom Central for Wilkin, but he goes along with it because he's a good sport that way.<br /><br />Oh yeah...and a new cover is currently in the works. We're pretty much all in agreement on that. :-)Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01202858130408624919noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-15282430725722937542013-07-29T14:45:36.292-05:002013-07-29T14:45:36.292-05:00"The feel here is very MEN IN BLACK. To me, i..."The feel here is very MEN IN BLACK. To me, it works better as a movie."<br /><br />ROTFLMAO. I just can't let this one pass.<br /><br />Men in Black Stats:<br />Budget: $90 million<br />Box office: $589,390,539<br /><br />Translation: "The feel here is very MEN IN BLACK. To me, it works better as a wildly successful cash cow. We wouldn't know how to handle that kind of revenue. Pass."Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01202858130408624919noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-14614051391681077992013-07-28T20:25:53.549-05:002013-07-28T20:25:53.549-05:00Zander, your books is fast-paced, fun, a really gr...Zander, your books is fast-paced, fun, a really great read. I only took a break from it to put it on my GR "reading" list and walk the dog. :)<br /><br />Can't wait to finish it! Cheers~<br />LeighLeigh Purtillhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00477635525179050959noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-8949993502825384182013-07-28T14:53:03.187-05:002013-07-28T14:53:03.187-05:00"the occasional incoherent fatwa from Mount T..."the occasional incoherent fatwa from Mount Turow, "<br /><br /><br />(messy coffee incident)<br /><br />WARN people when you're going to say something like that!Laura Resnickhttp://www.lauraresnick.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-67622371538588528882013-07-28T14:12:56.966-05:002013-07-28T14:12:56.966-05:00Zander, don't know if you'll see this, but...Zander, don't know if you'll see this, but great book! I got it yesterday and read most of the night and finished it the next morning after 3 hours of sleep. You said it was a fast read and it is, but that's not just because of your excellent writing but also because I just had to know...<br />Thanks!Paul McMurrayhttp://www.paulmcmurray.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-73673534530276209212013-07-27T23:00:21.273-05:002013-07-27T23:00:21.273-05:00This is a timely post for me, having recently self...This is a timely post for me, having recently self-published a novel which is not only ‘unpublishable’ in the conventional sense, but also has a premise which is guaranteed to alienate huge swathes of its potential readership.<br /><br />The work doesn’t cross or mixes genres—it’s essentially a straight commercial thriller—rather it’s the theme/subject matter which serves as an impediment, an impediment that only self-publishing could overcome.<br /><br />Or not.<br /><br />Its title is VIGILANT GUARDIANS. The premise is that a writer who doesn’t believe the official narrative of 9/11 decides to write a novel outlining an alternative (and in his mind more viable) narrative, one in which the event was <i>not</i> perpetrated by a few disgruntled Arabs with boxcutters. Naturally, this being a commercial thriller, the bad guys find out his plan, a chase ensues, people die etc etc.<br /><br />Does that sound like something anyone here would want to read? Or something that would inspire anyone to even bother going over to Amazon to check out the sample pages.<br /><br />I ask only because it’s germane to the topic: is the power of self-publishing now enough that we can generate interest in and sales for books which not only the publishing establishment would never touch, but that readers themselves might initially, and large numbers, shun?<br /><br />I for one am interested in finding out, and Joe, I am particularly interested in your opinion.David Alan Glynnnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-43459716012499486602013-07-27T17:06:01.672-05:002013-07-27T17:06:01.672-05:00Like somebody else pointed out - you already wrote...Like somebody else pointed out - you already wrote the book on "funny & scary" when you sat down and scribbled out the first few books in the Jack Daniels series, Joe.<br /><br />Funny just naturally goes along with scary. <br /><br />How many times in a horror movie has that dude in the hockey mask jumped out of the shadows and you crapped just a little and maybe even went eek or oh-my-god or just a heartfelt "HUH!!!" - and then right afterwards you sort of giggled and let your breath slide on out.<br /><br />Part of that was most likely you trying to manfully cover up your inadvertent display of the chicken-shitters - but the bigger part of it was a whole lot more basic than that.<br /><br />Every scream starts with the seed of a giggle.<br /><br />It's like sunshine and shadow - you need one to find the other.<br /><br />Another fellow who just naturally handles the funny and scary genre is Jeff Strand. He's a real nice guy and a hell of a writer and if you don't giggle a little while you're reading one of his books then your funny bone is seriously broke.<br /><br />Now - if you really want me to get craven about this I'd have to mention my vampire and hockey novella SUDDEN DEATH OVERTIME.<br /><br />If you want to read a little hoohaw horror - with as much chuckling as shrieking - then swing on over to Amazon and hunt up a copy.<br /><br />Without a trace of shame I will tell you that this is the finest example of "funny and scary" that you will ever find.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-90257030176371648252013-07-27T16:17:28.823-05:002013-07-27T16:17:28.823-05:00Wonderful post, Zander. We 'out of the box...Wonderful post, Zander. We 'out of the box' writers really need to hear this more often!<br /><br />As a writer of m/m historical fiction series (with a murder mystery twist), self-pubbing is THE way to introduce readers to a whole new, naughty little sandbox. Traditional publishers wouldn't touch my work with a ten foot dildo. <br /><br />Thanks for the offer to download your book. Snagged it. And thanks to Joe for this blog! It has become an inspirational, slap-in-the-face place for daily visits. <br /><br />JPAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-32030373420705201832013-07-27T15:36:32.523-05:002013-07-27T15:36:32.523-05:00I was told several dozen times that 'chick lit...I was told several dozen times that 'chick lit' was finished and that my 'no sex, no cursing, no bloodshed' paranormal romance/mysteries would not find a significant audience. <br /><br />In 2+ years I have published 16 novels, received 1000+ 4/5 star reviews, and sold 200,000+ copies. And recently landed a traditional print-only deal. <br /><br />While the Big 5 needs to pick up $100 dollar bills in order to pay the rent, I am doing just fine picking up quarters, truckloads of them. <br /><br />Go get 'em Zander!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-85038952583763548272013-07-27T15:19:51.494-05:002013-07-27T15:19:51.494-05:00Yet another example of why this blog is tagged as ...Yet another example of why this blog is tagged as "must read" in my Feedly settings (and these guest posts have been one reason after another). Great piece, Zander. I happily downloaded <i>Death Ain't But a Word</i> and look forward to cracking it (electronically, of course—please permit me my obsolete expressions).<br /><br />Of all of the comments in your rejection letters, Joe, the most telling is the one about it being too difficult to sell to the sales force. So salesman were the ultimate arbiters of what would make it to the shelf. I knew that already, but it's still jarring.<br /><br />Thank god for change.Michael Alan Peckhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17757406702223683469noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-37271881436594414882013-07-27T15:19:22.555-05:002013-07-27T15:19:22.555-05:00Speaking of zombies, and laughs mixed in with scar...Speaking of zombies, and laughs mixed in with scares, my latest Thomas and Mercer release has all of the above.<br /><br /><a href="http://tinyurl.com/c5reupa" rel="nofollow">KEY DEATH</a><br /><br />Billed as a thriller, but I've been pleased with the number of people who have noted the humor as well.Jude Hardinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09994813046526310594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-17360249730779503352013-07-27T15:09:52.790-05:002013-07-27T15:09:52.790-05:00This is wild! I put Zander's book on my wishli...This is wild! I put Zander's book on my wishlist two weeks ago. LOL So of course, I downloaded it today.<br /><br />Thank you to Zander and all the guest bloggers for contributing their personal stories.<br /><br />I've been cleaning out my office and stumbled across rejections for my zomromcom series from 2005-2006. They all go along the lines of "Great writing! Great voice! Zombies won't sell but send us something else."<br /><br />I followed Joe's advice two and a half years ago, and my first anniversary for quitting the day job will be Wednesday. I must say it's been a fabulous experience!Suzan Hardenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04600258874634909988noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-83305529677626888942013-07-27T14:33:16.283-05:002013-07-27T14:33:16.283-05:00"Apparently, trying to combine thrills and la..."Apparently, trying to combine thrills and laughs wasn't marketable according to New York Publishing"<br /><br />You've told this story before and I'm always at a loss whenever I hear it. Especially considering that during the timeframe of rejection moviegoers were forking over billions a year for action-comedies. But I guess BigPub never had a trusted cookie mold on the shelf that said "action-comedy" on it, so no dice. <br /><br />The guest blogging has been terrific BTW. Thanks for all the work that's gone into it!David L. Shutterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08357694121376734716noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-79819435519451996562013-07-27T14:31:49.704-05:002013-07-27T14:31:49.704-05:00I wanted to see more sweet (i.e. not focused on se...I wanted to see more sweet (i.e. not focused on sex, not sexually explicit) gay romance, so I started writing and self-publishing it. It's doing pretty well. :) I'm branching out a little (I tried one erotic piece to mix it up, and I'm also submitting some pieces to a publisher), but most of my stories are self-published and *very* tame in the bedroom department. And they seem to be finding their audience. (There are stories like this already published, too, but they can be difficult to find, since there seems to be a baseline assumption in general that gay=porn.)Hollis Shilohhttp://www.amazon.com/Hollis-Shiloh/e/B00BPXIMWOnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-12605773232282127722013-07-27T13:16:06.090-05:002013-07-27T13:16:06.090-05:00I wrote a detective thriller with a supernatural t...I wrote a detective thriller with a supernatural twist back when only Dean Koontz was doing cross-genre work. St. Martin's bought the book, but the first thing my editor said to me was, "I've never read anything like this and that's a good thing and a bad thing. We're not really sure how to sell it."<br /><br />Not comforting words, I assure you. And he was right. They didn't know how to sell it.Rob Gregory Brownehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12785299355462748009noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-51347432004781234022013-07-27T12:32:07.922-05:002013-07-27T12:32:07.922-05:00I don't know about success, yet; I'm new t...I don't know about success, yet; I'm new to this (released my first book in February, and have two more out now) so my numbers are still small, but people who do read my books tell me they love them and ask for more.<br /><br />I've never seen anything quite like what I write. Fantasy-world (as opposed to set in the real world) fantasy with a romance between the two main characters as a major component of the plot (as opposed to romance in a fantasy setting, where romance is the main plot and the fantasy is secondary). Not multi-volume gritty fantasy, not Tolkeinesque, no elves, no dragons, no vampires or werewolves, not urban fantasy, not paranormal romance, certainly not YA, also certainly not erotica... I call it dark-edged romantic fantasy for grownups. Doesn't seem to fit in anywhere, but it's what I love to write and what I'd love to read if I could find it.<br /><br />The fantasy-western-romance series I'm writing right now would probably make agent/editor heads explode.Kyra Hallandhttp://www.kyrahalland.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-75931164381003139812013-07-27T12:20:48.211-05:002013-07-27T12:20:48.211-05:00My current bestselling series is both too short (e...My current bestselling series is both too short (each ebook 10k-20k words) and is based on another writer's original story. WOOL author Hugh Howey has opened his world to other self-publishers, something unheard of in traditional circles. With four of these shorts out to date, I sell about 100 copies a day.<br /><br />Amazon thought the idea was so good they've now adopted it for their Kindle Worlds. That's because they respond to what's working -- and get in on the action.<br /><br />Thanks for these tremendous guest posts. I'll be sending mine in this week.Patrice Fitzgeraldhttp://www.patricefitzgerald.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-77091484684796568862013-07-27T12:02:44.284-05:002013-07-27T12:02:44.284-05:00DIRTY MARTINI remains my favorite book of yours, J...DIRTY MARTINI remains my favorite book of yours, Joe. Everyone should download it while it's free!<br /><br />Speaking of which, how is the free thing working for you guys these days? I have a BookBub promo coming up, and I'm curious about what to expect.<br /><br />Downloaded yours as well, Zander. I can tell from this post and from the sample that you're a good writer. You might want to experiment with the title and the cover of your book, though. I doubt if I would have paid much attention to it if it hadn't been posted here on Joe's blog. Just my opinion, of course.Jude Hardinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09994813046526310594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-1979656321122618732013-07-27T11:26:34.092-05:002013-07-27T11:26:34.092-05:00Thanks for the post Zander. Great stuff. If you&...Thanks for the post Zander. Great stuff. If you're not stretching the envelope or bending genres then you're playing into the hands of those more established authors with bigger names and Big 6 backing with larger bank accounts to outspend you for attention. <br /><br />Yes, go for it. I applaud your effort and root for your success. Gary Ponzohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13171541464149058048noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-18433666058093580192013-07-27T11:13:06.949-05:002013-07-27T11:13:06.949-05:00I've written two novels that blended genres, a...I've written two novels that blended genres, always to my detriment. My agent couldn't sell either. My first, a YA thriller with talking animals, was always praised by editors for its originality. But no one wanted to take a chance because talking animals had never been done for that demographic. (Though they're popular with adults...go figure.) it's now my best and most reviewed book since I self published. A lot of readers really "got" my story. And that's gratifying. Monica Shaughnessyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04514561070396220285noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-84697942405809832013-07-27T10:56:49.610-05:002013-07-27T10:56:49.610-05:00The novel that got me my first literary agent was ...The novel that got me my first literary agent was a suspense novel with a lot of humor, even though the POV character is a paranoid schizophrenic. It also got me a lot of the same types of comments from editors as Joe has just shared, while never selling. <br /><br />Today, "Crack-Up" is my all time best seller with, to date, 49 reviews on Amazon USA (4.5 stars) and 16 reviews on the UK site (4.8 stars).Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15213221464811637407noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-45401398935014895312013-07-27T10:43:41.493-05:002013-07-27T10:43:41.493-05:00Your book sounds awesome.Your book sounds awesome.Tabitha Mainenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-8231033859336682522013-07-27T10:39:01.234-05:002013-07-27T10:39:01.234-05:00You've piqued my interest in your book, Zander...You've piqued my interest in your book, Zander. Good job.<br /><br />I'm finding Science Fiction from a Christian worldview difficult to sell to traditional publishers so I've decided to go it alone after much contemplation.Jessica Thomashttp://www.provisionbooks.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-19512454096065885422013-07-27T09:57:38.539-05:002013-07-27T09:57:38.539-05:00This topic is definitely timely -- thanks Zander! ...This topic is definitely timely -- thanks Zander! In my opinion, genre-mixing is one of the major benefits of self-publishing.<br /><br />I'm one of those writers who can't seem to avoid blending genres. My paranormal romance series is a fantasy based on Irish myth, with LOTS of sex. You know, the type of stuff I like to read. :) When it has sold it gets good reviews, but it's definitely not your run of the mill paranormal romance. <br /><br />Then I followed up with a fantasy novel, Queen Witch, set in the modern world, with an underground society of witches forced to serve immortals. Combining the modern with the magical makes for interesting category choices. I just moved it to occult fiction after having little success with the fantasy genre. I'm writing the sequel, and it will be a trilogy. <br /><br />So I'm trying to tackle both ends, keeping up the writing -- my way, with all of my quirks -- and trying to find the readers who will like it. I know they're out there. :)<br /><br />Thanks for all of your advice over the years, Joe. And thanks for this post, Zander. Best of luck to both of you!J.R. Pearse Nelsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00163199989017556255noreply@blogger.com