Hello my lonely blog. Sad news. Today, I got my second rejection for 3 Strikes. Sure, I've only sent it out to 3 ppl but it still stings. Since then, about 2 PM, I've been thinking up many reasons why I should just not bother with getting it published at all. But then again, my suspicion is that they haven't even read the sample chapter. First of all the rejection email was sent "on behalf" of the actual agent and second of all, it was obviously basically a spam send-back email.
I really hate the fact that people aren't interested in your book without even reading it. It's so shallow and so quantity over quality. Anyway, I'm feeling blue :( and my only consolation is that one day they'll regret it! Ha! If only...
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Book Proposal, Synopsis, Marketing
Okay, so I have finished writing my book and now I have to write a book proposal that will get the agents "engaged and excited" about it, hence they will be able to get their publishers "engaged and excited" too.
So, now I not only have to have the love and drive to write, but have to also learn to market and sell the book. Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't that why you hire an agent? so that they do the marketing and selling for you? It seems to me that agents are interested more in quantity rather than quality. They don't even care to read the actual product anymore. As long as the proposal, again, written by the writer (since they haven't even read the book), is 'excellent' then they feel confident that they can sell it...
So, pretty much, my book can be low quality crap, but as long as I over-dramatize, glorify, fudge my synopsis they will have faith in its sales.
I don't even know what to think of agents. I would actually really like to avoid going through an agent all together. It seems to me that they do very little work for you at all, that they just use their connections to get you published...when they feel that 'excitement'.
I'm feeling really discouraged to care to get published at all. All I want to do is write! I'm a writer, not a salesperson or a marketer. Sure, I can learn to do those things but that takes time, time away from thinking about my character's lives, time from writing. I could die tomorrow! If I don't write down what I've been thinking about happens next in the story, then that's it, it dies with me...
But of course, now that I've completed 3 Strikes, I can't just let it sit in the computer file. I think it's readable material, fun, enjoyable, adventurous, interesting. Definitely better than some of the books I've read that got published, somehow (must have had a great proposal!). I guess I am feeling down. Who knows how long this will take and how many rejections I'll have to get past.
I suppose my one hope is to write a killer synopsis, which is ironic, in a way...
So, now I not only have to have the love and drive to write, but have to also learn to market and sell the book. Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't that why you hire an agent? so that they do the marketing and selling for you? It seems to me that agents are interested more in quantity rather than quality. They don't even care to read the actual product anymore. As long as the proposal, again, written by the writer (since they haven't even read the book), is 'excellent' then they feel confident that they can sell it...
So, pretty much, my book can be low quality crap, but as long as I over-dramatize, glorify, fudge my synopsis they will have faith in its sales.
I don't even know what to think of agents. I would actually really like to avoid going through an agent all together. It seems to me that they do very little work for you at all, that they just use their connections to get you published...when they feel that 'excitement'.
I'm feeling really discouraged to care to get published at all. All I want to do is write! I'm a writer, not a salesperson or a marketer. Sure, I can learn to do those things but that takes time, time away from thinking about my character's lives, time from writing. I could die tomorrow! If I don't write down what I've been thinking about happens next in the story, then that's it, it dies with me...
But of course, now that I've completed 3 Strikes, I can't just let it sit in the computer file. I think it's readable material, fun, enjoyable, adventurous, interesting. Definitely better than some of the books I've read that got published, somehow (must have had a great proposal!). I guess I am feeling down. Who knows how long this will take and how many rejections I'll have to get past.
I suppose my one hope is to write a killer synopsis, which is ironic, in a way...
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
WEBSITE vs. BLOG
WOW! I've had a revelation. After spending a week on creating my website, I'm considering canning it, instead publishing the material from there to here...
I don't know, there are advantages to both...but blog's free, which is a big plus, considering I'm the only one reading my posts :( and going to my website :(
lol
I amuse myself too easily...
:D
I don't know, there are advantages to both...but blog's free, which is a big plus, considering I'm the only one reading my posts :( and going to my website :(
lol
I amuse myself too easily...
:D
Monday, March 7, 2011
King's Dragon continued...
Still reading this book. I'm close to the end and have to admit that it's a little bit hard to read now, and by that I mean I'm losing interest. Dang, I hate when that happens and I hate admitting it. But there are a lot of characters to keep track of, a lot of which I don't care much about. there's this war going on that's dragging on... It's just not my cup of tea, although it started that way. Alain and Liath still haven't met...and I still don't know what to expect to happen when they do. And like I said before, there's a lot of religious allusions which I don't really like in a fantasy novel...
Anyway, don't want to sound like I'm bashing it. It is a well-written novel.
Anyway, don't want to sound like I'm bashing it. It is a well-written novel.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
King's Dragon, Kate Elliot
I'm currently reading this book. I had actually started reading another book at the same time, which was a 'bestseller' (Kusher's Justice) but Kate's book, which was not, won over. It started off very dramatically, with the leaving of the King's lover, who had just had his baby four months previously. Right away, the reader is captivated by their love story because the woman is actually from another 'world', one separated by magic. She is also a completely different humanoid species, immortal, a dragonic human, therefore the baby is half human and half in-human...and you know that his fate will be one of a kind.
But that's just the prologue. The book takes place twenty years later and it is about the fates of two people, Alain and Liath. They come from completely different backgrounds and parts of the world, yet their paths are meant to cross and are crucial in the affairs of the world.
Alain's part of the book is the religious part; he was raised by monks on a distant island, until the Eika (the warriors of the dragon people 'world') attacked and he escapes. He is visited by the Goddess of War and promises her to fight on her side. She gives him a rose that never wilts, so that he will not forget that her visit was real. He is recruited to the army, though as a labour boy, rather than a soldier. It is there that Alain sees his first Eika from up close, a captive wildman who acts like a wolf rather than a man and in fact, he sleeps in a cage with the vicious dogs. Alain takes an interest in the Eika, and is the only one who does not mistreat him. In fact, he takes pity on him and saves his life. It is at that point that the Eika speaks to him and tells him that he's indeed a Prince...
Meanwhile, sixteen year old Liath lives with her father, who has possession of ancient, secret books of magic. One morning, when she wakes, she finds her father dead and it is now up to her to guard the books of powerful knowledge. In fact, Hugh, the monk, knows of these books and accuses Liath of stealing from her, so that he may force her to be his slave as a way to pay off the debts. Through a well thought out brainwashing, and beatings, Hugh tries to break Liath and tell him where she hid the books. After a year, Liath breaks, submits and tells him where she buried them. The books are not there, however, as Liath's friend, in whom she confided, re-buried them elsewhere. Hugh beats Liath almost to death, then tells her that they are moving. On the day that they are to leave, Liath is offered a way out by the King's Eagles army, who have come to recruit...
It is these two journeys of Alain and Liath that they meet. I have not finished the book yet. The one thing that's different about this work, being fantasy, is the strong religious aspect. Also, being written by a woman, a lot of the key figures are women as well, like the head biscops and goddesses. When people pray it is to the Lord and Lady... I'm alright with that, although I find it unrealistic. (ironic, being a fantasy that I'd want some realism) The book is also very political, which can be hard to follow at times and I find it distracting from the main characters. Also, another thing I love to do when I read is try to guess the outcome, which at this point, is impossible for me to fathom. I guess what I'm trying to say is that the book started easy to read, simple and enjoyable, then about halfway in it became this complicated, new character-filled saga. It's still enjoyable and of course, it suits the story, as the main characters come out of their comfort zones into the dangerous, outside world. But at times, I just feel like I ought to take notes... Overall, I'd give this book a thumbs up for a read. The characters are interesting, likeable and worth the time.
But that's just the prologue. The book takes place twenty years later and it is about the fates of two people, Alain and Liath. They come from completely different backgrounds and parts of the world, yet their paths are meant to cross and are crucial in the affairs of the world.
Alain's part of the book is the religious part; he was raised by monks on a distant island, until the Eika (the warriors of the dragon people 'world') attacked and he escapes. He is visited by the Goddess of War and promises her to fight on her side. She gives him a rose that never wilts, so that he will not forget that her visit was real. He is recruited to the army, though as a labour boy, rather than a soldier. It is there that Alain sees his first Eika from up close, a captive wildman who acts like a wolf rather than a man and in fact, he sleeps in a cage with the vicious dogs. Alain takes an interest in the Eika, and is the only one who does not mistreat him. In fact, he takes pity on him and saves his life. It is at that point that the Eika speaks to him and tells him that he's indeed a Prince...
Meanwhile, sixteen year old Liath lives with her father, who has possession of ancient, secret books of magic. One morning, when she wakes, she finds her father dead and it is now up to her to guard the books of powerful knowledge. In fact, Hugh, the monk, knows of these books and accuses Liath of stealing from her, so that he may force her to be his slave as a way to pay off the debts. Through a well thought out brainwashing, and beatings, Hugh tries to break Liath and tell him where she hid the books. After a year, Liath breaks, submits and tells him where she buried them. The books are not there, however, as Liath's friend, in whom she confided, re-buried them elsewhere. Hugh beats Liath almost to death, then tells her that they are moving. On the day that they are to leave, Liath is offered a way out by the King's Eagles army, who have come to recruit...
It is these two journeys of Alain and Liath that they meet. I have not finished the book yet. The one thing that's different about this work, being fantasy, is the strong religious aspect. Also, being written by a woman, a lot of the key figures are women as well, like the head biscops and goddesses. When people pray it is to the Lord and Lady... I'm alright with that, although I find it unrealistic. (ironic, being a fantasy that I'd want some realism) The book is also very political, which can be hard to follow at times and I find it distracting from the main characters. Also, another thing I love to do when I read is try to guess the outcome, which at this point, is impossible for me to fathom. I guess what I'm trying to say is that the book started easy to read, simple and enjoyable, then about halfway in it became this complicated, new character-filled saga. It's still enjoyable and of course, it suits the story, as the main characters come out of their comfort zones into the dangerous, outside world. But at times, I just feel like I ought to take notes... Overall, I'd give this book a thumbs up for a read. The characters are interesting, likeable and worth the time.
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Website Blues
Building a website has been a pain in the... There are just too many things that can go wrong, like the program not saving or is unable to upload/resize certain objects.
But it's getting there! Very basic design but hopefully it gets its purpose done...
I know I'm talking to no one but oh well :D isn't that what writing's about anyway?
But it's getting there! Very basic design but hopefully it gets its purpose done...
I know I'm talking to no one but oh well :D isn't that what writing's about anyway?
Friday, February 18, 2011
Book is DONE!
Yey! Finally, 3 Strikes is completed.
I am making a website for it where the book will be available for a free e-book download!
www.3strikesthebook.com
Hope you like it and leave your opinion about it :D
L.
I am making a website for it where the book will be available for a free e-book download!
www.3strikesthebook.com
Hope you like it and leave your opinion about it :D
L.
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