Big Announcement for My Readers

AMMANON Has Found an Agent!

Of course, there's still no way of knowing how quickly things will move from here. I'm sure the process of pitching to publishers is no less arduous for an agent as it was for me pitching to agents. And, as I've often lamented, publishing is an extremely slow-moving industry. But by golly it finally happened! At least, after all these years, I'm on my way.

There have been other changes, too. Rewrites; improvements. The criticisms of rejecting agents, (and these were legion, though only about 3 made comments, 5 sent form letters, the rest simply ignored) the characters didn't immediately engage the reader. Agreed. A sticky plot point came up at a book club meeting to which I was invited. I agreed and threw it out. Also, my style has matured considerably over the following books of the series. And no doubt the publisher's editor will do some tweaking, too. So it will be a much finer product when it finally reappears on the market.

From the bottom of my heart I thank all of you who have hung in there with me. It was your encouragement and enthusiasm that pulled me through all the obstacles, disappointments and frustrations. I love you all.

Let Me Know When You’re in a Better Mood

“Zombies often rise in theaters and on television when times are tumultuous,” observes Andrew Dansby, the Houston Chronicle’s entertainment writer. His Sunday, 10/30/2011, article points out that anxiety is at the root of allegories in movies. It’s not a cyclical thing. It’s not just for Halloween. The trend was wildly evident way before this. It’s the global angst produced by war, disaster, and economic woe.

The leading edge of this recent spate was Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight Saga and Cormac McCarthy’s The Road. Now zombies, vampires, and assorted other horrors are popping out of the ground everywhere. It’s a sure-fire indication that economic recovery is equally mythical.

Well, I for one will never give in to dystopian scenarios. Flowers grow even on the bloodiest of battlefields. Most people don’t go cannibalistic because of market downturns. And there’s as much drama under the sun as there is under a full moon. C’mon, People! You don’t need Hollywood ripping flesh from bone to get through this!

Granted, we are in dire need of escapism. But why turn to something even more hellish than our actual situation? Get out of this funk. Come to Ammanon!

My fellow VerveStar authors (Part 2): Matthew Scott Kimple

Is 27 years old too young for a memoir? Well…not if you’re a stuntman who’s worked his way up to Hollywood Stunt Coordinator (as well as acting in those same productions), is a screenwriter, wins medals in kung fu tournaments (is also a fung fu instructor), and has taught English for two years in China! In fact, it's quite a thick book. Sounds like he needs to do a memoir at least every couple of decades just to keep us caught up…

I didn’t know what to think when I met him. I mean, comparatively speaking, he’s just a kid. I wouldn’t say he was hyper or fidgety or anything, but he is definitely wired for action. And he kept everyone up and down the row thoroughly entertained with his quick wit and lively conversation. Until I got used to him, I panicked every time he spieled off some attention-getting scenario, like: “I’m going to run across the stage and knock over the podium!”

Other than that, he was completely poised and professional when meeting people at the booth. Believe me, we really missed him when he flew out on Thursday.

His book, cleverly entitled White Rice, chronicles his adventures thus far. Look for it November 2011. The cover is still in work. I’ve posted some prototypes. Which one do you like?

On a personal note, something seemed eerily familiar about Matt. I didn’t figure it out until after he was gone. There’s a character in my series called Daen, who was selected to the emperor’s elite personal guard force because of his quick wit, diplomacy, and acrobatic martial skills. While Ammanians on the whole are a large and muscular sort, Daen was small and agile – the type recruited to the imperial army’s special Stealth Force. The story often depends on his heroics. OMG. It’s Matt.

Do you love animals? Do you put them in your stories?

Today I picked up Chico from the vet where we boarded him while we were away. I’d missed him so much, and eagerly awaited his usual antics of running around in circles and choking from excitement at the very sight of me.

But he did no such thing. He wasn’t the least bit interested in leaving this paradise of laps, constant attention, and other animals to play with. The staff loved him. He’d had the run of the place all week. He was spoiled rotten. When I got the little beast home, he plopped down with a huge sigh, his expression one of profound boredom.

Back at my computer, my dejected dog flopped at my feet, I got to thinking about the animals in my books. Oddly, none of my characters have pets. There are animals, of course. I can’t do without them. But in my stories they are creatures of purpose, not merely accessories. In Ammanon, the emperor’s mighty steed Maxor is pivotal to the plot, as is his captive wife’s mare, the fleet and faithful Zephyr. Not to mention a pair of wayward goats that actually decide the course of a battle. In later books of the series, other animals come forth as heroes and helpers.

But why, when I grew up with birds, turtles, dogs, cats, fish, hamsters, chickens, sheep, cows, and horses, have I neglected to insert them into the domestic lives of my characters? I have no answer for that one.

Look at my new commercial!

It’s out there on YouTube: Ammanon Trailer
Last year, when my publicist recommended I make an EPK (electronic press kit) for the Ammanon series, I contacted Darkblade Media Productions because they had such a cool, animated logo. (Logo 2 ) When they responded, I discovered the company was run by the same man who posts those clever and insightful movie reviews on the Gather site. I was delighted.

Anyway, he agreed to try the EPK, so I wrote a script, collected pics, recorded some sound, and sent it in. Now, anyone who's worked with me back in my TV days can tell you I can get way too complicated. "A production nightmare!" a director screamed once.

So when I didn't hear from him after a while I wasn't too surprised. And since I'd never really seen the point of the project anyway, I didn't push. I just continued following his movie write-ups and admiring his turn of phrase. Once in a while we’d exchange another flurry of emails, tossing around ideas to make the video halfway do-able. Did I ever suspect that Darkblade Media was a 13-year-old kid? Not a clue.

Anyway, last week he popped up again with a new idea, this shorter but very professional "commercial" that he'd just put together. I loved it! Hope you do, too. Oh, by the way, he's 14 now...

Are you trying to get published?

Let’s face it: when it comes to publishing, it’s a jungle out there! An aspiring author basically has three choices: a traditional and/or Big Name publisher, a subsidy publisher, or a vanity press. Unless you’re Stephenie Meyer, James Patterson, or Stephen King, you can totally forget about the first one.

A subsidy house is iffy at best and fraught with fraud at the worst. They will review your manuscript before offering a contract and, ostensibly at least, offer to share the cost of publication. Unfortunately, they are usually just after the front money – fees, plus however many copies they can get you to buy.

The vanity press is self-publishing, pure and simple. They will give you a finished product with the least hassle, but there’s no attempt at quality. Like the subsidy operations, the vanities offer all sorts over-priced and under-effective editing and marketing services. Sadly, it’s way too easy to suck in a new author chasing a dream.

But that said, far be it from me to discourage you from having a dream! Unfortunately, I have little help for you. Every time I think I’ve got a handle on the way things work in this business, I quickly realize I don’t know zip. I was lucky – at least with Books One and Two of my series. Eloquent, a subsidy imprint of Strategic, was pretty much a one-man operation when I was referred to them. That man was Mark Bredt, who did a brilliant job on my cover and generally took good care of the entire process. He also assigned an editor named Jennifer Leigh Mustoe to do a 3-chapter evaluation of the manuscript. She absolutely tore me apart. Best thing that ever happened to me! Then she disappeared. I’ve been Googling her for years now with no luck.

Book Three was a nightmare of epic proportions. The burgeoning Strategic was sucking in manuscripts by the hundreds and adding departments and off-the-street personnel at nearly the same rate. Even before I became aware of all the legal and ethical charges against them, I was contending with a deranged artist, a third-world Outsourced press writer, and complete lack of interdepartmental communication. But AMMANON Book Three, the Deliverance did finally get out there. And NOT with that cover!

My new publisher, VerveStar, is a small traditional publisher. They’re not just continuing the series; they’re starting over with Book One. This time it will be done professionally in hardcover with dust jacket, and properly promoted. Unfortunately that means Ammanon will not be available on Amazon.com or other sources until it comes out again under the new imprint. So, dear readers, please help me to be patient!

By the way, I’ve signed with a new publisher!

Remember last summer when I posted about VerveStar? (July 11, 2010) They’re a highly-rated international PR firm now branching out into more comprehensive media services and publishing. I met one of the partners, Miranda Spigener, while they were doing some contract work for my previous publisher. Later I did a bit of work for them on their new website, http://www.vervestar.com/, which is still being renovated, and was thoroughly impressed by their capabilities and operations. So when they approached me about taking over the Ammanon series, it was, like, are you kidding? I’m there!

VerveStar has a radically different approach. Actually, it’s the way it should’ve always been. Sort of an “Ah-hah!” moment in the literary industry. As recognized leaders in the PR world, the VerveStar partners understand that it’s publicity that moves the market. Obviously, you can’t sell it if nobody knows about it, right? Therefore, VerveStar is developing the publishing around the publicity...the way most businesses have done for years!

It only makes sense to build a campaign around the author and his book, and then publish in the wake of that in-place and ongoing publicity. This will provide authors with a much better outcome than the hap-hazard, largely do-it-yourself marketing programs of today’s publishing houses. VerveStar believes that the first and final product needs to be the publicity, not the book. They are publicists first, publishers second.

Think about it. Why do it any other way?