First Reviews of The Inevitable

Posted on by under The Inevitable

My novel has been out for a little over a month now, and the first reviews are marching in right on time. No one believes my mom when she says my book is great, so it helps that people I’ve never met are corroborating her story.

If you don’t believe me, read their reviews:

Elisa Nuckle gave The Inevitable 4 out of 5 stars.

Brittany Mac gave it 7 out of 10 lightsabers. (Easily the coolest unit of review measurement.)

SpaceGypsies gave it 5 out of 5 wagons.

Jason Norton gave it 5 out of 5 stars.

There you have it; people think I’m cool. Well, that’s not entirely accurate, but they love my book!

A Consistency of Sharks

Posted on by under Writing

That headline may sound like the title of my new Jane Austen-meets-James Bond novel, but it’s not. It refers, instead, to the recent outcry over a Discovery Channel “documentary,” which can teach us something about the author’s obligation to the reader.

That screeching you just heard is the sound of a thousand authors indignantly launching back in their chairs with a shrill cry of horror. “The author has absolutely no obligation to the reader,” they scream in disgust. Let me explain.

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Dead Trees in Meatspace

Posted on by under The Inevitable

PaperbackAt this point, The Inevitable has been available for nearly a month, but I’m pretty happy to announce that it’s also available as a paperback. It’s real!

It was already pretty satisfying to see my novel as an e-book, but there’s still something so intoxicating about holding the physical manifestation of your work in your hands.

If you don’t like e-books, or you just want a physical copy, you can order The Inevitable in paperback from CreateSpace. It should also be available through the regular Amazon listing in about a week.

Go Categorize Yourself: The Frustration of Describing Your Book

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You’ve started up a conversation with a [friend/acquaintance/stranger/parole officer], and the [conversation/ice breaking/flirting/shouting] naturally develops to the point where you can mention you [wrote/published/dreamed/stole] a manuscript without sounding like a self-absorbed doof. Naturally, you spring at the opportunity, letting the title of your book roll off your tongue with just the right degree of nonchalance. It’s exhilarating.

And then the trouble starts.

“Oh,” this person says, “that’s [cool/exciting/nice/typical]. What kind of book is it?”

Uh oh.

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The Middleman Is Always There: The Economics of Self-Publishing

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Today we have a lesson in economics, which is perhaps not what you expected when you arrived here. It could be worse, though. I could have written about the market pressures on ferret farmers as a result of tulip shortages in Denmark. Actually, no I couldn’t. But wouldn’t that have been surprising? Fear not, this is still about writing. In fact, it pertains specifically to all those who have self-published or are thinking about it.

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