Explicitly Undecided

OK, so when I submitted my latest manuscript for publication Lulu added a check box for me to indicate whether or not my work contained explicit material.  I've seen that indicator showing up more and more and wondered how I was supposed to handle it.  I'm certain it is used to tell the reader the level of adult material contained in the book that might not be appropriate for younger readers.

But here's the thing.  I've already indicated that my book is intended for an adult audience.  In reality, I think my book appropriate for anyone over thirteen years of age.  Although, I would always defer to a parent to make that decision regarding their child.  It is a fantasy novel and deals in some very adult themes and relationships.  It may not be appropriate for a teenager with an overactive imagination.

So let me describe the level of explicit content.  Profanity is very scarce in my books.  The "f" word everyone seems to focus upon is never uttered.  It doesn't exist on Verdan.  Through the first six books you can probably count the number of profane words used on the fingers of one hand.  That includes even mild profanity.  Certainly, the characters in the book utter curses, but with the exception of a villain I intentionally wanted to depict as vile and vulgar, profanity wasn't necessary.

In the final three books the situation  changes dramatically and profanity is used more liberally.  Very liberally if you count the surrogate word used in place of the "f" word.  Think Battlestar Galactica and their use of "frak".  No, that's not the exact word I use, but the meaning will be very clear and I even provide context behind how the word was created historically in Verdan.  But does that make the content explicit?  Maybe.

Sex?  Adult relationships and sex seem to go hand in hand.  How can sex not be referenced when one of my main characters is half-nymph?  Yet, I don't think the sexual innuendo or sex scenes described in my books will end up in the pages of an adult magazine.  Yes, if they were ever translated to a visual medium I am sure they would be R rated.  But does that make the writing "explicit"?   When describing sex I focus more on what the characters are feeling and less on trying to describe the physical aspects.  So I'm just not sure.

Violence?  There certainly is a lot of violence and blood shed in my books.  The severing of limbs and the use of torture are described with a fair amount of detail, yet I still find it difficult to say its crossed the line of what one might see in any current horror picture.  Maybe this does qualify as expicit?  And then I go to Amazon and other sites to see how books similar to mine are treated and I can't find them labeled as explicit.  But I still think it's a fine line and how someone views this will be based on their past experience and level of tolerance.

So here's my warning.  Adult themes are the focus of my books.  If I was using a movie type rating system I would rate my books PG-13, but certainly someone with an active imagination could take the situations in my books and turn them into R rated scenes.  But does that make them explicit?  I may change my mind, but for now I'm going omit such a label.

Verdan Chronicles Latest News

Taking a few minutes to share current efforts to publish this series.

Council's End (Volume 6) - Lulu returned the cover and interior designs for me to review.  Overall, the cover looks beautiful, but for some reason they mocked up the spine using specifications for a 200 page book.  As a result the spine fonts are smaller and rotated incorrectly.  I've sent back my comments to Lulu clearly indicating that the book is 484 pages and should match the design for other books.  I'm sure they'll correct it, but there initial response is that that was just standard for the design, but in actual print the spine would match the actual page count.  I told them that was unacceptable and I won't sign off until I see a mock up for a 484 page book.  Word of caution to other prospective authors.  Do not approve something until it matches your expectation.  Lulu is great to work with, but I've been burned once before when I missed something I expected to be obvious to them.

Anyway, I expect the cover corrections to be made next week and I'm diving into the interior design.  This involves my rereading the book with care and looking for any typos/corrections I may have missed in earlier edits.  At this stage, no matter how tempting, I do not rewrite anything larger than a sentence or two.  I've learned that more often than not, major changes at this point are as likely to make things worse as they are to make things better.  Also, I only get 50 corrections for free and need to pay for anything after that.  So basically, the story is what it is at this point.  Not to worry, this approach has worked out pretty well for me thus far.

The bottom line is that I expect to send interior corrections in a couple of weeks and should have final approvals in about three weeks.  A week or two after that the book should be available to purchase on Lulu.

Out of Time (Volume 7) - Ready to go.  Once I complete the interior review for Volume 6, I will be submitting Volume 7 for publication.  Given the current pace of Lulu's efforts it will likely not be until early next year that it is published.

Blood and Magic (Volume 8) - Just got the final illustration back from Amy.  It looks beautiful.

This volume will be submitted for publication in early 2017.

The Fourth Age (Volume 1)

Still working with Lulu to get this offered through Goodreads.  They sent a draft advertisement for me to review and sadly pulled all the info for Heroes of Bardoom (Volume 3).  Yikes!  That's exactly how I responded.  I love my readers too much to ask them to start the series with Volume 3.  The story is woven in a way that you really want to start with Volume 1.  I'm sure they'll make the necessary corrections.

Ok, so if you've read all of the above, you've probably noticed that I'm dealing with a couple of issues with Lulu.  Some may ask, why are you still publishing with them?  My answer is twofold.  First, yes, I've had to deal with a few issues, but overall I find the quality of their work, the ease of working with their staff and the breadth of options they offer to be top notch.  I do recommend them.  Second, which is not really a ringing endorsement is that I stick with them because they've published the first five books.  I don't want to switch now and have the remainder of the series "look" different from the first five.  I guess what it comes down to is that their mistakes have not been major enough to push me to switch.  But if anyone is considering starting their publishing journey, you may want to explore all available options.

So take care.  If you're in the US, make you sure you vote.  Otherwise, I hope you continue to read, whether its the Verdan Chronicles or not.

Here We Go (Publishing the Verdan Chronicles Part 4)

Baby steps, I guess that's been my approach.  Although by the time this series becomes the set of literary masterpieces that its intended to be, I'll probably run out of time.  So let's take a couple of steps.

First, good news on Council's End. volume 6 in the series.  It has passed content evaluation and is now in production design.  I've seen that process take as little as a week and as long as a month.  Once that's done I need to do one final pass which takes a week or two and then I approve it for publication.  So, my best guess is two to five weeks until you can get your hands on it.

Second, I plan to initiate the publishing process on Out of Time, volume 7 in the series as soon as I give final approval on Council's End; even before it is published.  I'm certain Council's End will be out before the holidays.  Out of Time is more likely to be right after the holidays.

Third, I'm dipping my toes again into marketing.  Anyone ever hear of Goodreads?  It was recommended to me by a friend and the Lulu marketing people had nice things to say about it.  So for those willing to try the series, check out Goodreads and have a chance to score The Fourth Age, volume 1 for free.  Well, maybe not absolutely free.  My understanding is that if you pick it up for free, you're supposed to review it.  I find that both exciting and horrifying.

All of my reviews to date have come from friends and they've generally been positive.  I've gotten some constructive feedback in areas I could improve, usually in the form of sentence structure or punctuation.  I usually take that feedback and try to improve going forward.  I used to try and go back and make corrections, but then I've found when I fix one thing I break something else.  And once I pay for publishing, I'm not exactly in a position to go back and pay again to do it over.

In terms of the actual story, the feedback has usually been very positive.  A couple of people found the story a little confusing, what with the large cast of characters.  But others have liked that aspect of overall story complexity.  Sometimes I don't get any feedback.  Trust me, I almost always assume that non-feeback is negative and the person just didn't have the heart to tell me how much they hated the book.  I think once the books get out into the hands of a larger audience it will find its way to someone who could care less about my feelings and won't hesitate to express their disdain.  

I guess we'll see, but all too often I do that to myself.  I convince myself that the feedback will be exceptionally bad, so that when it is, I can just say it's what I expected.  What do I really, actually expect.  I expect a mixture.  I expect some people will applaud the effort, but point out some deficiencies.  Some people will nicely make suggestions and what I should do to correct those deficiencies.  Some people will express aspects they really liked before dropping the negative bombs of what they didn't like.  Some will just dismiss it as a waste of their time.  A few might blast it for wasting their time.  A few might say they really liked it.  I think that's what I expect, a variety of opinions that will overall end up somewhere in the middle of the road.

But here's the thing.  The only opinion that really matters at the moment is my own.  The Fourth Age could receive some of the worst reviews ever written, and that won't stop me from publishing the rest of the story and it won't stop me from continuing to write.  I still feel this is one of the best stories ever read...EVER.  I have a grandson.  He just turned 4 and this is not story for little children.  But I hope his father lets him read it when he gets older (my opinion is that 12 or 13 is old enough) and then I hope I'm still alive to discuss it with him.  I think there are some very important lessons in life buried in what I hope is a fun read.

So, worst case, I crawl back to my computer, I continue to write and I continue to publish, but I quietly realize that marketing a book the rest of the world doesn't care about is a waste of time and money.  I'd rather write than market anyways.  I'll be fine.  In a best case scenario there are people who actually like the book, maybe more than a few.  Maybe I can even make enough money to retire early and focus on my writing.  I would start feel I owe my reader base the best product possible and work harder to smooth out rough edges.  Hopefully, I would have the means to help other aspiring creative people and help them realize their dream.  I would love to do that.  So here we go.  I'll tell you about Goodreads when I know more about it.  It should be soon.  Take care.

Dave

Themes of Verdan Part 2 (Out on a Limb)

I'm starting to question the wisdom of my current blogs.  I feel like I'm out on a limb with no idea how thick the branch is I'm sitting upon.  I mean seriously. what the heck do I know about racism or sexism?  I'm caucasion and male.  Well, I am writing fantasy.  The only thing I can promise you is that my blogs are real and honest.  I may not be an expert on these things, but that doesn't stop me from thinking about them and having opinions.  Doesn't everyone?  At the core of my belief system all men and women are created equal, regardless of any labels people try to place on them later.  That goes for elves and dragons as well.  :-)

Politics - Let's go really out on a limb.  How is politics handled in Verdan?  The world I created consists of many nations and kingdoms.  Most of the people at the time of The Fourth Age are ruled by a monarchy; a king and/or queen. Parthea is a religious state and Kyrotha is a failed republic.  Taiga is more of a collection of tribes and Chirncy is divided up into separate territories; each controlled by a pirate lord.  As time goes on, we will eventually see the spread of democracy and some hybrid type governments.

The danger in my discussing politics at this time is because of the heightened tensions created by the current presidential election in the real world.  In general, I have a distrust of large governments and corporations.  No, I don't really think there are as many active conspiracies as some would propose, but I do think a lot these large entities are too absorbed by self preservation and self interest and not enough in the people they are supposed to serve.  In this respect, some kings and queens feel as if the common peasant's purpose is to serve them and some rulers understand that their role is to serve the will of the common people.  I try to present both types of leaders.

I do believe that in a democracy too many people vote out of fear and that the politicians purposefully play upon those fears.  If Jamut were real, I'm sure his power would be tenfold what it is in Verdan.  What I see are people whose daily lives are guided all too often by fear; fear of losing a job, fear of losing whatever meager wealth they've accumulated; fear of losing themselves.  Political campaigns are sometimes almost strictly based on fear and all too often elections are won based on fear.  In Verdan, Celecia and Dakoran are my beacons of hope.  Much of the story is their journey and while they suffer setbacks like anyone else, I always try to keep hope alive within them.

I don't want to divulge too many spoilers, but my draft of Volume 9 was completed over a year ago.  While I continue my efforts to see the original nine volume story published, I've found that I enjoy writing and I enjoy expressing possibilities in this playground I call the Verdan Chronicles.  Current events and politics have driven a lot my thoughts lately and I want to express them as creatively as I can.   Last year I've started writing down some notes on how the Verdan Chronicles might continue.  And so they will.  

I can't promise to publish the subsequent volumes.  Once again I'm writing for me.  Self-publishing takes effort and if you want a good end product it takes even more effort or more money.  In my case it's taken a fair amount of both.  If enough people are interested in the Verdan Chronicles to generate the necessary revenue to fund more books, then they will be published.  Honestly, that's not asking much.  For every 100 readers willing to buy my books I can pay to publish another book.  So I guess that's the bar that's been set.  

Just to wet your appetite, Volume 10 is titled Whisper in the Universe.  It starts five years after the end of Volume 9.  It's taken that long for the events of Volume 9 to be wrapped up.  It will follow some familiar and some new characters as they embark on another set of challenges.  You can also count on there being a running theme to explore what it means to be a leader and how decisions can affects the lives of others.  I plan to examine the possible results of some tough decisions.  It will be the start of another three volume arc and I already know how it will end.  I don't think anyone will see this coming.  Of course no one will see or read about it if the chronicles remain in obscurity.  But I guess that's up to you.

Themes of Verdan Part 1 (Get to Know the Author)

On the surface the Verdan Chronicles is intended to be a fast paced adventure.  My goal is take twists and turns and throw obstacles in the way of the heroes and villians and then turn things upside down.  In other words, I want this story to be fun; fun for the reader and fun for me to write.

But what I've also done is create a diverse and expansive world.  It's not our world, but I also want a certain amount of familiarity to which the reader can relate.  In order to do that, I have to build an infrastructure and sort of an operating system in which my world exists.  In other words I have to build a society of laws, religion, politics, economies, prejudices and all the other themes prevalent in our every day lives.  I think I've done that.  I also try to do it as organically as possible within the context of my world.

Now, here's the disclaimer.  I'm going to discuss many themes explored in the Verdan Chronicles.  At no time is it my intent to tell others what is right or wrong or in any way to disparage or show a lack of respect for any groups in our society.  This is a work of fiction.  But it's also impossible for me to say that my beliefs and positions don't influence my writing.  So the following paragraphs are intended to introduce readers to some of the themes they will find in the series.  I will try to keep spoilers to a minimum, but there will be some.  And while I'm not trying to sway readers to follow my beliefs, they will be out there for those of you who so choose to read.  Again, no offense is intended for those who believe otherwise.  Let's begin.

Racism - It's alive and well in Verdan, but perhaps not like you think.  Color of skin is not an issue in Verdan.  I may describe some individuals as having fairer or darker complexsions, but it has zero bearing on the story.  Any character in this book could have any color skin and it wouldn't change who they are; at least not in my mind.  Racism in Verdan is between humans, elves, dwarves, goblins and dragons.  

Just like in our world some people will apply labels and make assumptions based on a characters race.  Some races will be violently targeted as a result of these prejudices.  I don't think there are any easy answers for this.  If you want to understand how I feel about it, volume 5 will provide some clues.  A king has banned some races from living in his kingdom.  A crisis ensues and many people die.  Had the ban not been in place, lives may have been spared.  That's my belief.  Diversity makes us stronger, but only when we embrace that diversity and work toward common goals.  Prejudice creates fear and distrust.  That works in both directions.  In the end, it has to all be about mutual respect, and that's a trait I try to impress upon my heroes, even though they may stumble on occasion.

Sexism or misogyny - This is also very much alive, but I hope it doesn't take long for you to realize that this book will contain many strong male and female characters.  While some characters could just as easily be written as male or female, most were intentionally written as they were.  Let's start with the most important character in the book Celecia.  Could she have been male?  In general yes, but not when you break down her story.  Very early in the series she is subjected to a lot of emotional turmoil.  Those events would have taken on a different tone had she been male.  The story would have worked, but it would have been a different story and it would have overlapped too much with Terek's arc.

I can't state enough how important it was for me to have strong female characters in the series.  The focus of many of my covers are female.  Some of that is intentional but it's not because of some sexist desire to attract adolescent males with pretty women on the cover.  Part of the reason I enjoy Amy's work so much is that her characters are beautiful, but they are not unrealistically proportioned "barbie dolls".

Getting back to Celecia.  Her journey is central to the entire series.  I've tried to provide her character with a lot of depth, but yes, she does like beautiful things, she likes to wear dresses and she likes to shop.  She may engage in these stereotypical female activities, but that's the point.  Looking and acting like a girl does not make someone weak.  She grew up in an isolated community with few places to shop.  She's attracted to boys and likes to make herself look pretty.  

Yet her relationship to boys or men does not define her.  You could make a stronger argument about the men in her life to say that their lives were defined by her.  Does that make them weak?  People don't generally say that about men.  What makes Celecia a strong character to me is her sense of "self" and her moral beliefs.  Those beliefs are defined by how she was raised and she won't sacrifice those for anyone.  If necessary, she is willing to give her life in defense of those beliefs.  That makes her a strong character to me.  I try to treat all my characters in a similar vein.

I think I'll end this first installment here.  In future installments I plan to discuss terrorism, environmentalism, religion, politics, media and sexual preferences.  I may find other things to cover.