Popping up here, again, to show that I haven’t died. And to excuse myself by revealing the several irons I have in the fire. And playing with fire is what’s been keeping me quiet, hypnotize by the jumping flames. (Anyone who remembers me from Boy Scouts would know I’m a bit of a pyro.)
Okay so, I have been getting some things done, simply nothing that warrants an announcement—yet.
Such as?
Such as recoding A Perfect Blindness as an HTML file, by hand, while learning how to use CSS in various formats from Guido Henkles’ excellent book The Zen of eBook Formatting and simultaneously teaching myself all the new software required to do that.
But why would you want to recode all 129,000 words of a perfectly acceptable eBook already in multiple marketplaces? I hear rattling around inside various heads.
Actually, several reasons, including a certain masochistic streak painted down the middle of my life.
Mostly though, it boils down to flexibility, control, and not wanting to shell out yet more money for every small change in the text (mostly in the end matter after the story is over) and experiment in promotions, all of which is critical for success in digital marketplaces. That and creating a more eBook friendly version of the book which includes links and invitations in the very back of the book. Ebooks are based on HTML after all, and what better place to ask people to visit my site and join the mailing list then right after they finish a book they enjoyed. (People put down books they don’t enjoy.)
With this new version, I’ll also be able to take much greater advantage of Amazon’s huge marketplace by publishing the eBook myself through KDP: Kindle Direct Publishing. (iUniverse will continue publishing the soft cover version as needed.) Apple Books, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, etc. won’t be forgotten. But Amazon is the biggest market, so there first.
Ultimately, I’m looking to relaunch it while laying the groundwork for a Fantasy series I’m also currently writing and bolstering me as a Writer. See, that was a capital-W.
(More on the specifics on these reasons later when I have the time for a broader survey of my delusion/brilliance.)
Just a couple of days ago, I wrapped up making sure all the single quotes and apostrophes go the right direction. As I said, hardly anything one announces. Currently, I’m tweaking the Table of Contents and inserting my author’s photo as well as figuring out what premium someone will get for forking over an email address through a new link in the back.
By the by, if anyone has a suggestion or three, I’m all ears.
Oh, and I’ve also written 54,000 + words of a fantasy novel, which will be the first in that series, with a working title of “The Book of Visions”.
An ordinary man lost in a world of magic. He holds the key to stopping a fabled book from engulfing two worlds in war: If he survives long enough to use it.
(I’m closing in on the end of act I now, with about 100K as the final word count.)
So, stay tuned for more, and seriously, if you have something you’d like to get from an author, specifically me, in exchange for giving up your email address, let me know.
Talk to you again in November. I’m hoping with a big announcement and perhaps more explanation about why I’m recoding a book from scratch. I’ve a few facts to look up, and I do hope they line up with my beliefs. Else, you’ll see someone change his mind in almost real time.
Words of Wisdom
(some found, some used, perhaps even a discarded illusion or other.)
“If you ever wonder why you are where you are in your life, go to a mirror. The answer is staring back at you.”
News Extras
Good News for Fans of Wax Trax! Records and their music, which does play a large role in A Perfect Blindness, being the label signing Mercurial Visions, the band the fortunes of which the books follows. It’s just been announced that the movie and soundtrack will both be available in April of next year. Read all about it:
Wax Trax! documentary ‘Industrial Accident’ due out on DVD in April — plus a soundtrack