Artist Support

In a few days I'll be restarting my self-publishing efforts.  While some kind friends have sent me information about other publishers accepting submissions, I'm convinced I will just be further wasting my time.  I just don't have that magic marketing bullet that will make them comfortable giving my books a shot.  But then, that's not what I wanted to blog about today.

I've been feeling sort of introspective this week and once again a little nervous about moving one step forward with my plans.  I sometimes read about the psyche of an author and how one moment they feel they've created the next literary masterpiece and the next they're convinced they've written complete trash.  From experience, I can say it's absolutely true.

I'm currently editing Volume 8 and when I read some pages I will stop and think, "Did I really write that?  It's brilliant!  It's perfect!  I can't believe anyone who likes this genre won't love this chapter."  I'm sometimes literally moved to tears by what I wrote...seriously.

And then there are moments I think about the people who have received a copy of my first book.  Feedback has ranged from tepid to awesome.  But then a number of people have provided no feedback at all, other than to not express interest in reading volume 2.  The only conclusions I can draw from lack of feedback is that they haven't taken the time to read it yet, they found it mediocre and not worth wasting more time upon, or they absolutely hated it and believe the only kindness they can extend is to say nothing.

I've summoned the courage to ask a few people who haven't provided any feedback and the replies have fallen into the category of "been really busy, but am planning to get to it."  In my mind, they still could be dodging any negativity.  In other words, they know my books are important to me and don't want to be the one to tell me my books suck.

My response is...it's ok.  I would rather know than not know.  By not knowing, I will almost always assume the worst.  The cold reality that it may be poorly written is better than investing thousands of dollars into self-marketing only to finally some day have some neutral critic rip it apart.  At least if I have some honest feedback from people I trust it will prepare me for the world's response to come.

So that's me, but I think many artists would feel the same way.  So here's my pitch for this week.  A lot of people out there enjoy expressing themselves through painting, dancing, singing, writing or any number of artistic means.  I can't think of anyone who doesn't do that because they enjoy it.  Support them.  Give them a safety net of friends who show they care.  Giving even 5 seconds of your life to show support will bring a smile and fortitude to their positive outlook.  If you take even more time to deliver honest feedback, trust me, the fact you even took the time to show interest in what they were doing will mean a lot, even if that feedback isn't all glowing praise.

So there it is.  I'm about to go back to editing and I can't express how excited I am to read this story for the 7th or 8th time.  IMHO this is an awesome story, but then again I'm impartial on my feelings.  Look, I know not everyone is going to feel the same.  Some very popular works have been trashed by a lot of people, but that didn't keep even more people from enjoying the story.  That's kind of all I'm hoping for, but first I have to convince people to give it a shot...and stick with it.  I wish I could say Volume 1 is the best of the series, but it's not.  It's not bad, but the story intentionally unfolds in layers and to do it any other way would make it a different story.  And I like it just the way it is.

The Fourth Age - The Elevator Pitch

Below is my first shot at an elevator pitch.  Does it make you interested in reading the book?  If not, then either you're not the right audience or I still have some work to do.  Below you can read the dialog that went into preparing this.

My book is titled The Fourth Age and its the first volume in a series of epic fantasy novels.  The story revolves around a powerful wizard who believes it is his destiny to unite the world in peace, an event foretold in prophecy.  His price for peace is freedom and heroes from across the land are gathered to oppose him.  The unique qualities and abilities of many characters make this feel like dropping the X-Men into a Lord of the Rings type struggle.

The kingdoms of Verdan's free people have placed their faith in an exiled wizard of legend to lead these heroes, but it may be his seventeen year old daughter and the son of an innkeeper who offer them the greatest hope of victory.  As the first book in a series, The Fourth Age briskly moves the adventure forward, while also serving as a type of origin story.  All nine books in the series are written, although not all have been published.  Does this sound like something that would interest you?

First, for anyone who doesn't know, an elevator pitch is just that...imagine yourself getting onto an elevator and finding yourself with a literary agent or publisher.  You have until the elevator doors open to convince them that they should be interested in your book.  That's it.

As I've said before, I didn't research the industry before beginning to write my book, so for me, all this is an after the fact attempt (based on encouragement from friends and coworkers) to put my books out their for the general public.  If you really want to make a living at this, the best advice I can give is write, write, and write some more, but take time out periodically to study the industry and talk to others in it to help navigate the waters.

Ok, so how to get started.  First I googled the internet for other blogs and articles on elevator pitches.  I scanned a few sites, but finally settled on one that seemed to give the most detailed and relevant advice.  The blogs are a few years old, but the advice seems as relevant today.

http://www.rachellegardner.com/tag/elevator-pitches/

There were other sites I scanned, but honestly, they do get repititious after a while.  I like Rachelle's site because of the examples and critiques of each gave me a good roadmap for where to start.  But in all honesty, there are a lot of good sites out there and you could spend days going through them all.

So what's next?  Well, I decided to attend a seminar at Gen Con dedicated to elevator pitches.  The panel included a variety of people from the industry (James Minz, Maxwell Alexander Drake, Christopher Morgan were the names listed in the program, but there were a couple of others).  Below are the highlights of what I took away from my readings and seminar.

1. Besides getting someone intrested in your work, the purpose of an elevator pitch is to help them form a picture of what audience might be interested in purchasing the book.
2. Everyone is busy.  Elevator pitches need to be short, but not too short.
3. Use a conversational style, don't sound like you're reading from a manuscript
4. It should include a "blurb" which contains a cross-reference to other popular cultural touchpoints
5. Know it.  Practice it.  But be prepared to go "off script" if necessary.
6. Don't be passive agressive.  Have confidence.
7. Know the literary style of your work (1st person, etc.)
8. Make sure to include the genre.
9. The elevator pitch just opens the door, at the end of the day it will be the strength of your writing that determines if you get published.
10. Publishing is a business!  You're trying to help the listener envision how they can market and make money off your book.

Most especially, don't forget #10, which is kind of another way to say #1, which is fair.  It all starts with being able to market your book and find that audience you know would love it, if you can just get them to read it.

Next, I'm going to dwell on #4.  It's the one I stress out the most about.  Here, you need to give your audience a popular cultural reference to compare your work to.  Wait!  Wasn't the purpose of all this to write something original and unique?  Well, in reality nothing is completely original.  Face it, there are a finite number of story types.  Name a popular book, movie or television show within the past 100 years and I can almost guarantee that it's a derivative of something that was created long ago.  The only original stories may be those carved onto cave walls by our ancestors.  Everything after that is just another variation.  So, unless you're that one in a billion genius who has found something new, your book may be unique (because you wrote it), but it's hardly original.

So let's talk The Fourth Age.  Genre is easy.  It's an epic fantasy adventure.  It's written in an all-knowing 3rd person style.  There's a lot of real-time dialog, but the author can see what is happening and knows what the characters are thinking.  I don't think you put the style in the elevator pitch, but you need to know it if asked.

Pop culture references.  in the seminar, they said only George RR Martin can reference Game of Thrones and you will demonstrate more knowledge of your target audience if you can reference works that are currently popular, but maybe less widely known.  The issue for me is that between my job and family I'm lucky I can find time to write and not much is left for reading.   So there are some works that I may have heard about (I hear the Wheel of Time series is good), but I just haven't found time to read a lot lately.  I used to be an avid reader.

So what is The Fourth Age like?  The only logical reference I can come up with initially is Lord of the Rings.  Face it, I have men, elves, dwarves and halflings coming together to battle a common enemy.  Does that mean my story is just another version of Tolkien's work?  I hope not and don't think so, but as a point of reference, I would think that readers who enjoyed The Lord of the Rings, will also enjoy my books.  I honestly believe that.

So what else?  You need to usually cross-reference two pop culture sources.  This is one is tough and less obvious, but at the time I began writing I was immersed in reading Marvel Comics, thousands of them.  And while my characters may not wear colorful costumes, I do look upon them as each possessing unique qualities or abilities.  A major part of the story is that many of them need to learn how to best use their abiliities and then come together a team.  I thought about a lot of super-hero groups and while the outcast element isn't there in the early books, I would go with the X-men.  Beyond that, I do think that the twisting adventures, reveals and focus on personal lives does give my story a comic book feel.  Let's go with that.

That's another thing.  If you don't feel like you're getting anywhere with your elevator pitch, you can always change it.  You're not likely to be any worse off than you are today, so what do you really have to lose. 

For length, it sounds like elevator pitches should be 30-60 seconds in length, but you should also be prepared to give a longer synopsis of your book if the pitch generates some interest.  Just don't freeze up and remember, "no one knows your book better than you."  Read your elevator pitch outloud...several times... if possible to another person.  Get their feedback.  Modify and repeat.

That whole passive aggressive thing?  Stay away from phrases like, "I know there are a lot of other good books out there, but..." or "It may not be the greatest book ever written, but..."  No, you need to talk like other good books don't matter and yours is the greatest book ever written.  For a lot of us, it's hard at times, but if you're trying to get them interest in your book, not anyone else's.  If yours isn't the greatest book, then they'll just move on.

While you need to stay excited and upbeat, i still encourage people to keep realistic expectations.  Almost anyone entering the publishing arena is lying is they don't dream about being the next George RR Martin or Stephen King.  That's ok.  It's good to dream.  Keep it up.  But at the end of the day realize that a lot of good authors may make a solid living, but never get to that level.  That's ok too.  I don't know if it's true, but read a statement the other day that the average author makes about $10K a year.  Face it, you can't live on that kind of money.  So for a lot of us this will never become a full time profession.  I wish it were otherwise, but that's reality.

That brings me back to The Fourth Age.  I'm going to publish my 'work in progress' elevator pitch at the top of the blog.  If you have any comments, feel free to share them.  I'm not certain if a publisher will ever be interested (there goes that passive agressive nature again), but this is still an excellent exercise I encourage every author to go through.  I've had friends ask me "What's your book about?" and froze up at the answer.  This will help.  I hope to come up with elevator pitches for each of my books (I'm sure some pieces will stay the same between them) and share those online.

Before I leave you, let's run through the components of my pitch.

• Title of the book feels important to me - The Fourth Age
• I've let them know it is part of a series of novels.  At the end I let them know how many and that all nine books in the series have been written.
• The genre "epic fantasy adventure" is right there at the top.  They can stop you there if the genre does not interest them.
• I've tried to provide some flavor of the story.  A powerful wizard tries to unite the world (or conquer it as is the case).  I've set up the main theme "peace versus freedom", which is very relevant in today's world.  I've mentioned a prophecy, which sets up another element of suspense.  I've mentioned the main protagonists (an exiled wizard, which implies a backstory, a seventeen year old daughter which introduces some YA elements and family themes and an innkeeper's son which speaks of everyman qualities and that anyone can be a hero).
• The blurb.  The story is a cross between The Lord of the Rings and The X-Men.  Yes, I do believe if you're a fan of either you will like the story and if you're a fan of both you will love the story.
• I've mentioned that the book serves as an origin story but also a fast moving adventure.  This covers tone.
• Length - It took me 49 seconds to read it.  I may need to shorten it a touch, but its a good start.  I also need to make it a little more conversational and may edit out a sentence or two based on how the listener is reacting to what I say.
• Finally, I ask if the listener is interested.  This is important.  If they say yes, that's an introduction to set up another meeting over coffee, lunch or a drink.  If you get them to that next level, you can then provide a more detailed synopsis.  If you're lucky, they will ask to see your manuscript and then it all comes down to the strength of your writing and how interesting the story is.  If you don't have those two things, then you still won't get published.

So that's it.  Good luck.  As for the status of my series.  The first 5 books are self-published and available through all major distribution channels.  Volumes 6 and 7 are ready to go.  Before doing any research on the industry I sent one manuscript to a well known Fantasy/Sci-Fi publisher.  It was not a final draft (that was a mistake), but the only real feedback I got is that they can only consider outstanding manuscripts and weren't sure they could make money publishing my book.  There it is again.  Publishing is a business!  Don't ever forget that.  You may be searching for an audience, but the publisher is searching for a buying audience.  Plus, I don't know if the outstanding manuscript part is a reference to my writing.  It all sort of felt like a standard letter written by a lawyer.

Right now, I've submitted a synopsis and (poorly) formed elevator pitch to another publisher.  I'm not going to mention names but would be thrilled if they were interested.  They're fairly new in publishing, but I so believe in their overall brand that I would be excited to promote them, as much as my books.  It's been 4 months without a word back and if I don't hear anything by the end of the month, I've decided to move on with self-publishing.  There are other publishers out there and if opportunities arise I'll see what happens.  But I've always said my main goal was to have these books published and on my shelf.  If I don't move forward that may never happen. 

What Would I Do Different?

It's been a while since I posted something new and decided to take a break from the mysticology or divinology type blogs.  While I wait to hear back from a prospective publisher, it has got me thinking about "Would I have done anything differently if my original goal was to become a best-selling author."  And while I'm still not entirely sure, I think that I could have done things differently.

Now, don't get me wrong.  I'm 100% happy with the story I've written.  I've blogged endlessly about my fears around the strength of my literary skill, but the story is still the exact story I wanted to tell.  And for those who haven't read my earlier posts, this whole thing started when I became obsessed with writing down the story that had been stuck in my head for 30 years.  It was a bucket list item and that's how I treated it.

But what if my goal was not just to write the story, but also to best position it as something palatable to others?  First, I'd like to think that I would have spent a couple of years attending seminars and classes on how to improve my writing.  At the very least, polish my skills, as I really don't consider them bad.  I also would have attended seminars and talked to authors more about their experience and get their advice.  With the exception of a very brief conversation with Amber Benson, I haven't done any of that.

But what about the story itself?  Do I think anything would have been different?  Maybe.  OK, here I have to warn the reader to...

STOP - THE REMAINDER OF THIS BLOG WILL CONTAIN MANY SPOILERS AND WILL ALSO BE LESS MEANINGFUL IF YOU HAVEN"T ALREADY READ THE FIRST FEW BOOKS.

Ok, if you're still reading, that's on you.  The Chronicles of Verdan is a very complicated story that contains hundreds of characters; several dozen of which could be considered signficant.  The storyline jumps between muliple locations.  All of this seems to work well for a story like Game of Thrones, but that's kind of the exception.  Most other stories that end up becoming popular have diverse worlds, but the story seems to center around fewer characters.

So the first think I would likely do is center more of the story in the first few books around Celecia.  As the series progresses it becomes more apparent that her role is key to the main storyline.  That's always been the goal, but in the early books I spend time developing multiple characters of which she is just one.

The second big decision would involve whether or not I would keep two groups of heroes embarking upon a journey to reach Izmir.  If I'm going to focus more on Celecia, perhaps the group traveling from the east would be the only group.  So where would that leave Trevor, Sara and the others in the second group?  I would either have to incorporate them somehow into Celecia's group, combine their role with another character already traveling from the east or relegate them to a smaller role and let them enter the story for a short period.

Eliminating the second group would likely require radical change to the map of Verdan.  Some of the storylines I consider not only interesting and entertaining, but key to the overall story I'm trying to tell.  Certainly religion and the role of Parthea as a religious state is key.  What I would likely do is have the story start in a small village, just like it originally did.  I would have the group travel to Hamstead, where they would be joined by others and let tragedy strike, just as it did in The Fourth Age.  It's after that that things would change.

I would have to place the Khanian Mountains in the path between Eff/Falmead and Izmir.  Because the Khanian Mountains are dangerous and prohibit magic, I would likely have Arakon lead his group north around the mountains and then south into Darkwood.  I would likely extend Celecia's recovery in Hamstead and thus make her more desparate to catch up to her father.  As a result, I would have her continue east into Parthea and have her group go through the adventures there and then enter the goblin tunnels.  After they exit the mountains, I would then have them rescue Arakon, escape Darkwood and head toward Kyrotha.

Several other things would likely change.  I would probably have Terek teleport a captured Arakon to the White Cliffs so that I could end the Third Age, so by the time Celecia arrives to save her father, he would already be dead.  She would likely already know that, but be guided by her father from the afterlife into rescuing the others.

In other words a lot would change.  However, I do feel that by the time we reach Heroes of Bardoom that the story would shift to Izmir and remain mostly the same from that point forward.  Again, more emphasis on Celecia, but otherwise the events would unfold much like they do in the current books.

So why would I do all of the above?  Again, I think a more mass audience would be engaged by the story if their focus were placed on fewer characters.  I, of course, knew where things were going and thus the way the story was written is perfectly fine with me.

So would I ever go back and make the changes discussed above?  No, not unless I was convinced by a prospective publisher that their interest in the books hinged upon some of the changes.  I still like the story as is.  And since I'm currently self-published, it would be quite an expenditure were I to want to republish.  Sorry, but if you like the above idea, it's not going to happen unless I'm selling enough books to earn the money needed.  But then if the books do begin to sell it would mean that others also like the story as is, and thus there is no need to make any changes.

And thus ends a rambling blog brought to you by having all kinds of time to think about these things while waiting for news on my submission.  Oh, and I also do continue to edit future books.  I'm currently working on Volume 8 and expect to be done with it by fall and Volume 9 by the end of the year.  Take care and I hope everyone is having an awesome summer.  If you take in any of the pop culture or gaming conventions this year I will sadly be missing SDCC for the first time in several years, but I will be at Gen Con and Wizard World Chicago.  At Gen Con, you must check out the cover artist, Amy Nagi's booth.  Please let her know how awesome the covers are, because they really are awesome.  If you need a reminder, check out the Cover Art page.

Take care.

Dave

Divinology 101

Divinology...it's possible I just made that word up.  At least nothing came back when I did an internet search.  Who knows, maybe it will become a word before I'm done.  I'm aware that theology would be a more appropriate word for more Earthbound studies, but we're not talking about Earth, we're talking about Verdan.  So for the purpose of this  course, Divinology will be defined as the study of all things of a divine nature.

So let's talk god.  It's a hot button topic that typically is avoided like the plague.  But if I'm going to create a world of diverse cultures, it would be impossible to ignore.  Let me start out by saying that nothing in the Verdan Chronicles is intended to mock or in any way show disrespect toward the religions of our world, Earth.  I hold the utmost respect for people of all faiths and have friends who practice a variety of beliefs.  I consider sacred any religion that enhances a sense of community, love and respect.  In other words, don't read too much into some of the discussion around religion in Verdan.

Enough of that.  The following is intended only to give you insight into how religion was constructed in Verdan.  This first course will cover the gods currently worshipped by its inhabitants.  When you think of these gods, you can probably best compare them to the Roman, Greek or Norse mythologies of our world.  Chief among these gods is Mermis, the god who is given credit for creating Verdan's sentient species.

The entire series is established based on the premise that the previous statement is true.  Mermis created men, elves and dragons.  Whether you want to believe he snapped his fingers and they appeared or that he evolved them over time through genetic manipulation is irrelevant.  All that's important is that one day he looked across the planet and saw three potentially dominant species.  The stage was set.  Dominion over the land was first given to the dragons, and the First Age of Mermis was born.  The rest will be covered in some future Verdan History class.

While Mermis is considered the creator of sentient life on Verdan, there are also other gods present.  They are Othan, Jamut, Kezar, Asac and Enya.  And while these mythilogical beings may not be "the" supreme being we sometimes think of as god, their power should not be ignored.  They can create life and they can destroy life.  They can influence events on a planetary and cosmic scale.  They can bestow gifts or powers to their most faithful followers.  They can travel across diminensions and are not strictly bound by our known laws of science; at least not science as we know it.

Mermis - Each god in Verdan is said to champion and feed off of certain emotions.  While there is a basis for those claims, the truth is a little more complicated and will be covered in more depth in a later course.  Suffice it to say that Mermis' focus is on feeling of hope and devotion.  Those mortals that trust in Mermis, are devoted to his teachings and believe in his future prophecies and most sacred to him.  Each god is also associated with a color.  For Mermis, that color is white.

Jamut - Jamut is considered a chief rival to Mermis.  While Mermis is considered lord over Verdan, Jamut is said to rule a dark and perilous place.  It is called many things, 'hell', 'the underworld' and probably most correctly, 'the Netherworld'.  Jamut seeks to elicit feelings of fear and despair among the mortals.  In order to elicit those feelings he has sent wraiths, vampires, shadows, werewolves and other fearful creatures to Verdan.  His followers are said to practice dark arts and are able create zombies from the dead.  His primary color is black.

Othan - After Mermis, Othan may be considered the next most powerful god.  The feelings he seeks are those of both justice and anger.  He values strength above all.  Among the creatures he has sent to verdan and variety of giants, ogres and trolls.  Whether the dwarves are his creation or a variant of man is still an open question.  Yet the dwarves equal honor both Othan and Mermis.  It is said that Othan followers have written a book, "The Book of Othan", to rival the "Book of Mermis".  Yet Othan's book was lost many years ago.  Othan's primary color is yellow.

Kezar - Kezar is the god worshipped by theives, rogues and pirates.  In fact, entry into the Theives Guild is said to require devotion to Kezar.  Creatures Kezar has sent into Verdan include the wisps.  Their goal is to promote feelings of greed and jealousy; those most desired by Kezar.  Kezar's primary color is green.

Asac - Asac is a god of lust and passion.  The creatures he has sent into Verdan include nymphs, dopplegangers and gaze terrors.  He is a demanding god.  While he freely grants his loyal followers favors, he can also turn on them and deliver powerful curses.  It said that those who fall most into his disfavor are turned into the hideous Medusa creatures.  Asacs primary color is red.

Enya - Enya is considered a beauteous god who favors feelings of love and compassion.  Among the creatures she has blessed Verdan with are the pegasai, the Equineans, fairies, sprites, tricksters and the Taleecian cats.  Druids often worship Enya as she is believed to be closest to nature.  While almost all Verdanians worship Enya at events such as weddings, she is also considered a distant god who maintains some distance from mortals.  Her primary color is blue.

That covers the basics.  Whether more gods than these six exist will be explored in the series.  In Divinology 201 I will discuss the favors granted by gods to mortals and delve more into how the gods have shaped events in Verdan over the years.  I will also cover a little bit more about the religious history of Verdan.

Happy Mother's Day

Here's wishing the happiest of days to all the mother's out there.  It is your compassion, wisdom and strength which makes many of us the people we are today.  Most especially, I hope that my wife and mother to my two sons enjoys this special day.

I don't talk much about holidays in Verdan.  Perhaps I'll cover that more in the future.  Certainly they do not celebrate Christmas, Easter or any of the other religious hoiidays found on Earth.  But I would like to think they celebrate mothers and fathers every bit as much as we do.

In honor of today, I'd like to give special mention to some of Verdan's most honored mothers.  But be forewarned, in order to do so will require mention of their significance to the story.  So...SPOILERS AHEAD!  Proceed at your own peril.

Perhaps the most honored mother in the story is Carina.  Her two daughters, Tathiel and Celecia, are central to the events in Verdan.  While Tathiel's life takes a tragic turn, Celecia's journey is at the crux of the chronicles being told.  Carina loves her daughters very much and has sacrificed a lot to try and keep them safe.  Her actions exemplify the tough decisions that mothers often need to make.  Whether right or wrong, what mother could do more?

And then there is Silessa, Queen of the Darkwood Elves.  She is mother to the princes Amlach and Warbow and the princess Tamara.  She loves each of them in a manner of speaking.  And even though some of the relationships she has with her children are contentuous, she is still willing at the end of the day to place their welfare above her own.

Some characters (names witheld) will become mothers during the course of their adventure.  It is an event that will change their lives and their perspectives.  Yet others will long for motherhood and be denied its blessing.  It will shape their actions.

Perhaps the most powerful mother in the story is Phaedra, the oldest dragon and hope of her race.  She will go to war to safeguard her brood and puts nothing ahead of their existence.  Her actions confirm that a mother's love is not reserved for humans and elves.

So Happy Mother's Day!  Set aside today and honor the mother in your life.  Tomorrow we can get back to enjoying the Chronicles.  :-)