ALWAYS CHASING WORDS

Happy New Year!

2010-01-03T05:11:11Z

Okay, I know I'm late, but the sentiment is never-the-less heartfelt. I'm just hoping it's not a sign of things to come (me being late for everything, that is. lol)

Seeing the new year has rolled around (and I nothing new to say, since I haven't actually done a whole lot that is interesting yet), I thought I'd do a random list of good things and bad things of 2009. So, without further fuss, here it is:

Best thing that happened to me in 2009: Kasey wasn't hurt in the several accidents she had.

Best writing related thing that happened to me: Both Deadly Desire and Bound to Shadows hit 6 on the NY Times bestseller list. You have no idea how much I danced those days. Thank you all for making it possible.

Best general writing thing that happened: There's two--several lulus got requests, and Charlaine Harris proved that urban fantasy really does rule at the moment!

Best movie of 2009: Star Trek. Many may not agree but the mere fact that I've watched it over 15 times says something about my love. I think it's the best reboot I've ever seen and I can't wait for the next one. (and I'm not blind to the problems the movie had--I just don't care!)

Best movie of 2009 runner up: Without a doubt, Avatar. Yeah, the storyline might be a tad predictable, but who really gives a damn? The imagery was beautiful and it made you believe (and having close-ups of Sam Worthington didn't hurt, either :) )

Most overrated movie of 2009--Terminator Salvation. Christian Bale as the charismatic John Connor? Who in their right mind thought that was a good idea?

The stealer award: This has to go to Sam Worthington for stealing Salvation from under Bale's nose. He, Moon Bloodgood and Anton Yelchin were the best things about that movie.

Best book read of 2009: Sadly, I didn't really read much last year. I get onto something of a historical kick in the latter half of the year and have read--and really enjoyed--most of Julia Quinn's novels. I also enjoyed Loretta Chase's Lord of Scoundrels. Urban Fantasy wise, I again didn't read much, but I loved Iiona Andrew's Magic Strikes.

Low point of 2009: The divorce coming though. He was a liar and a cheat, but it's still hard to walk away from 30 years of your life. Especially when you're all but walking away from people you've come to see as your second family.

Hopes for 2010:

All the lulus get contracts.

All the Dames get contracts and/or hit the bestseller lists (let Dame domination begin!)

The book in the back of my brain actually makes it onto the computer screen.

Another contract would always be good (need to pay off the house. lol)

Oh, and world peace. (yes, I watch too many Sandra Bullock movies :) )

Merry Christmas...

2009-12-24T19:39:46Z

It's Christmas Day here in Oz, so to all of you on my side of the world, Merry Christmas! Hope the day is a good one, and that Santa is generous to you. To all those not in my time zone, hope the weather is fine, the food is good, the company is excellent and there's presents a-plenty when Christmas day finally rolls around for you!

Be safe everyone!

well...

2009-12-17T08:09:51Z

the resolution to blog more often slipped almost before it had even gotten underway. I think that has to be a record. Go me. lol. But between Christmas shopping, trying to get the garden into a viewable state before the mob (aka family) land here for Christmas, fitting in writing, and all the other assorted sundry stuff that happens around this time of year, I've really been left scratching for time to do anything else. Like blog. To be honest, even the writing has suffered over the last few days.

And just when I think everything is finally under control, the line edits for Moon Sworn come in. And of course, they need to be back on my editors desk by early Jan. Which means I have just over a week to do them, because I am not working Christmas day, boxing day or New Years! Living where I do also means I have to allow at least five days for delivery, just to cater for unexpected delays (FedEx are usually pretty good, but still...)

Once the Moon Sworn edits are done, I'll have to swing onto the Mercy edits, which are due mid Jan. So the book I was hoping to finish by December probably won't be finished now until mid-feb. WHich is still ahead of deadline, but I was hoping to allow myself a bit more breathing space to work on another (un-contracted) project. The muse has the itch to play, but no damn time!

The muse's simmering frustration wasn't helped when I accidently erased the file for the free online read, either. I have older back-ups, but I'd already done over five chapters of rather hefty editing on it, and to say I wasn't amused would be the understatement of the year. Microsoft Word copped a lot of abuse that day, let me tell you. lol. So, chapter 2 is coming, but probably not until early next week now. I have done one edit run through the second chapter, but I need to do another.

Hopefully, I'll post again on Monday (but don't hold your breath waiting. lol)

slacko...

2009-12-10T10:49:50Z

yep, that’s me. I’ve been a slacko of late and not blogging as much as I should. I will try and fix that slackness, but in the mean time, I’ve just blogged about getting published over at the deadline dames.

And here’s the latest writing update for those who don’t follow either twitter or facebook:

Story–Dark Angels

New pages – 4
Time spent writing – 4
Current page count – 252
Intriguing things – a fight in the gray fields.
Annoyances – the muse changing the plot!
Music – Eco Zen 1 & 2
Taking care of Keri – discovered I’m not eating enough for all the exercise I do. Woohoo! Food, here I come :)
Muse food – Serenity. Captain Mal. Sigh.

Harlequin uproar pt 2...

2009-11-29T02:45:11Z

This is actually a response to a comment I received in my blog about the Harlequin Horizons vanity press venture. I won't post her comment here (you can read it here if you want to), but basically, the commentor in question was refuting the fact that Harl Ho was vanity press, saying it was 'assisted publishing' instead. I did respond to her comments there, but I thought it worth putting up here on the main blog page, because given some of the comments I've read elsewhere online, she's not alone in thinking 'assisted publishing' is a different kettle of fish to vanity press. So, here goes:

Eva, Harl Horizons (Or Dellarte Press as they're now calling themselves), is NOT assisted publishing. It's vanity publishing, pure and simple. YOU PAY THEM to publish your books, and then you give them half of your royalties as well. That does not sound like a good deal to me. How our they assisting you? All they're doing is providing editorial services (at a cost), printing your book (at a cost) and providing distribution services (at a cost). And those distribution services are nothing that you, as a self pubbed author, cannot do yourself (amazon don't charge authors to list books--anyone can do it if you have an isbn). I have nothing against self or vanity publishing if that's the route you want to go, but please be aware that there are cheaper options out there.

As for your comments on traditional publishing and royalties--5% is on the low side. Most authors get around 8%. Which might not sound much, but consider the fact that with traditional publishers you're getting your books in store and online--with self/vanity publishing, you're only available online, and then only minimally. Also, trad publishing provides all the publicity and backing, and they're taking the risk cost wise, not the author. The author is paid an advance and may never get more than that, but at least they have money in hand, up front. With a self/vanity publisher, the author shells out money upfront, and takes all the risk themselves. They may never make their money back, let alone a profit, as the average number of sales for a self/vanity press book is around 79 copies sold. The average trad published author will sell at least several thousand (although if they only sold that, it'd be unlikely they’d be offered another contract).

Agents are worth their weight in gold, and don't ever believe otherwise. For a start, they get your books in front of editors. Most traditional houses nowadays don't take unsolicited manuscripts, and unless you've got an agent your market options has shrunk considerably. Plus, they often not only negotiate better money, but better contract conditions--a vital service in this day and age of publishers wanting everything they can get, believe me! And they also handle overseas sales--which can be a legal minefield for those who have no idea (which is most of us, lets be honest)

As for those figures you quoted--did you actually read the full breakdown? Because yeah, it may cost a publisher $58,000 for a Trade, and $90 000 to publish a hardcover, but those figures include author royalties of $15 000 and $25 000. So as a self/vanity press author, you can deduct that figure for a start. You can also greatly reduce the printing and binding costs, because they'd be based on print runs of at least ten thousand, which no self/vanity author would generally do. Warehousing costs can also be taken out because why would you need to rent a warehouse when a garage or a room in your house will do? Because I'm not sure whether the sales mentioned is sale staff costs, or not, I'll leave that in. Which brings the totals down to $18 000 and $26 000, and that is the type of money I've seen some self / vanity authors spend. The major difference is, in one model, the author is taking all the risks, shells out all the money, and has very little hope of getting any returns. In the other, the publisher is taking the risk, the publisher is providing the warehousing and staff, the publisher is providing the marketing, and the publisher is offering the means of getting your book onto store shelves. Which, despite the kindle, e-readers, and the advent of online sales and stores, is still where 95% of book purchases occur.

As for your comments about second class authors, well, I’ll just say I very much doubt any agent or editor has ever said that. Yes, they more than likely have said your work is not ready for publication, but that’s something every published author has heard more than once in their publishing career. Hell, I read those words in rejection letters for at least ten years. And they were right! My work wasn’t ready for publication, even if I thought otherwise at the time.

As I said, I have nothing against authors choosing to go the self published or vanity press route, but I certainly wish more would see past the glossy images and carefully worded promises offered on glossy websites.

edited to add--for those wanting to check out Rachelle Gardner's post of the cost of publishing, head here

Wordle...

2009-11-29T01:19:53Z

Wordle is a toy for generating “word clouds” from text that you provide. The clouds give greater prominence to words that appear more frequently in the source text. So today I went there and posted in the latest book, just for the fun of seeing what words I overuse. And, as expected, the ones I shouldn't overuse are the ones that popped up the biggest. Like like and just! lol. Lots of editing ahead.

here's the pic (if you want to see it larger, just click the pic):

Harlequin uproar...

2009-11-19T20:41:28Z

Anyone who has any involvement in romance writing will be aware of the current uproar over Harlequin's decision this week to announce the arrival of Harlequin Horizons--a vanity press they're opening up in partnership with Author Solutions. Please note that I said vanity press, not self publishing. Harlequin is might be trying to sell this venture as a self publishing option for authors, but the two are very different.

In self publishing, the author does it all-- they not only write the book, but also arrange for its design, printing, marketing, and distribution. They're 100% involved at all levels. And they get to keep 100% of any subsequent sales.

With a vanity press, someone else holds the reins. The author pays for a third party to edit it, they pay for (usually limited) artwork, they pay for production, but they only get to keep a percentage of sales (in the Harlequin Horizons case, authors get 50% of net.) Oh, and they generally also have the opportunity to pay yet more money for “distribution packages" which will not get them into bookstores.

I won't go into why I think this whole situation stinks to high heaven--mainly because Jackie Kessler has already done that a whole lot more eloquently than I ever could. I will say, however, that I think its morally reprehensible that a major publisher like Harlequin brands its vanity press Harlequin Horizons and then states that the books produced will not have Harlequin support or branding. So why is Harlequin advertising the venture all over its website? Why have editors been directed to note on all rejection letters that Harlequin Horizons is an available option? Why call it Harlequin Horizons at all?

Harlequin wouldn't be the first publisher to be involved with vanity press. Random House own 49% of Xlibris, but the difference is, there's no branding conflict. The two are clearly separated and Random House editors are NOT recommending on rejection letters that authors go visit Xlibris.

But the real WTF moment for me came from an answer Malle Vallik gave to this following question over on the Dear Author site:

If an author chooses to go to Horizons, do they lose “first publication” rights? How will that affect any effort to gain an agent or traditional publisher with their “bound copy”?

Malle's answer: I’m not sure I completely understand this question. The author owns her content. How would she lost first publication rights? She has published it herself. Whether she is giving it away as gifts or marketing it, is up to her. Yup, clearly I don’t get your question.

I mean, seriously, I realized Malle was getting bombarded by questions and a whole lot of anger (and I applaud her bravery in staying there as long as she did--and remaining calm), but how could an editor(or former editor) not understand that question when first publication rights are the very thing that all editors buy?

To put it bluntly, if you publish it anywhere, in any form, in its entirety, then you've lost first publication rights and most editors wouldn't touch you with a long wooden pole. If you're famous, with a history of good sales behind you, then that might be a different story--but you still wouldn't be selling first publishing right. You'd be selling reprinting rights.

As I said, I think this whole situation stinks. If vanity publication is the path you want to take (and I would personally never, ever recommend this path to any fiction author), then there are better (cheaper) options out there. Harlequin are charging through the roof ($600--1500 for their services) and then taking 50% of net. On average, most vanity published books sell 75 copies. Do your sums and guess who is going to be out of pocket. Not Harlequin.

Edited to add: Here's an agents take on it

my dogs and me...

2009-11-08T09:10:04Z

Anne (my editor) asked if I wanted to use the same old author shot or send a new one. Given I hate the old one, I jumped at the chance. After dragging my daughter off her Mac (no easy task, let me tell you), we headed out to the garden to grab some shots. In the process, we took some shots of me with my dogs. I'd love to use the first one as my author shot. It's so me...

awesome news...

2009-11-05T20:02:22Z

thanks to my lovely editor and most awesome agent, I learned today that Bound to Shadows is #6 on the NYT list in its debut week! How absolutely brilliant is that? :) So, a huge thanks to everyone who preordered the book, or who went out and purchased it ASAP--I'm only on the list thanks to you guys and gals!

In other news, Deadly Desire went back for reprint, which is also totally awesome (and it means it's still selling well, which is always good news for an author--and it keeps the publisher happy.) Also, for those of you in the UK, Book Chick City has an interview up with me, and she's also giving away a copy of Bound to Shadows.

In writing news, I actually managed to get some writing done, even though there was mucho excitement over the Times news. Risa continues to roll along, and Director Hunter has made it onto the page. Apparently, she doesn't like McDonalds coffee. lol

another chance to win...

2009-10-31T20:36:18Z

ScifiGuy has posted a fab review of Bound to Shadows, and is also hosting a giveaway of the book. Head on over there to check both of them out.

In other news, it was Lulu crit meeting day yesterday, so a lot of chocolate and cake was consumed, gossip was had, and we even managed to do some critting. Overall, a most excellent day. The two chapters of Risa I'd submitted were given the thumbs up, although my fellow lulus did point out something dumb I'd done in one section (while this isn't surprising, it thankfully wasn't major). There won't be much done in the way of writing today, as I'm off to a mate's place for a BBQ, and tomorrow is also a wash, as I have both lunch and dinner arrangements. Just as well my trainer will be slaughtering me tomorrow morning--I'm going to need it if I'm to avoid putting on weight this weekend! lol

a chance to win...

2009-10-30T06:49:21Z

If you want to go into the draw to win a signed copy of Bound to Shadows, head on over to Deadline Dames and make a comment at the end of my post (aka blatant plug) :)

It's out!

2009-10-27T20:08:03Z

Bound to Shadows is officially available from your favorite bookstore and online! Woohoo! Hope you enjoy reading it :)

trip down to Lorne...

2009-10-23T21:25:05Z

It did indeed turn out to be a lovely day yesterday, and I had a nice time at the beach. Here's a couple of my favourite sculpture pics. You can view the rest at my flickr site :)

Fresh Fiction review...

2009-10-22T19:58:16Z

Mandy Burns from Fresh Fiction has just reviewed Bound to Shadows, and had this to say--The Riley Jensen Guardian series ROCKS! Riley is one bad- ass heroine with a heart of gold. Keri Arthur never disappoints and always leaves me eagerly anticipating the next book. A classic, fabulous read!

Needless to say, I am happy dancing. Head on over there if you want to read the full review :)

Writing wise, there's nothing new to report. I had to sit down and do my BAS yesterday (otherwise my tax agent was going to come down and thump me. lol), so that took most of the afternoon to sort out. And there won't be much done today--seeing it's supposed to be a nice day today (and crappy over the weekend), I've decided to drive down to Lorne to see the beach sculptures. Shall catch up on writing over the weekend (and if I get any decent pics, I shall post them) :)

vampire wire contest and an update...

2009-10-21T21:21:29Z

Vampire Wire (a great blog and one that I read everyday--along with Scifi Guy) is running a contest with a copy of Bound to Shadows as the prize. Head on over there to check it out and enter. :)

Writing update--not much has happened, so this is brief!

Story–Dark Angels

New pages - 2
Time spent writing - 2 hrs (yes, it was a SLOW day)
Current page count - 140
Intriguing things - a character dying ahead of schedule
Annoyances - the muse changing the plot!
Music - Eco Zen 2
Taking care of Keri - off carbs this week, to see if that shifts my stubborn weight
Muse food - currently on a Julia Quinn reading kick.

another interview...

2009-10-20T19:51:35Z

Today I can be found over at Eleni's Taverna, answering a whole lot of questions about my writing life and me. And there's a chance of winning either a signed copy of Deadly Desire or one of my ImaJinn books :)

writing update and an interview...

2009-10-19T09:13:36Z

Best bud Mel Scott interviewed me for the Nobody Writes it Better blog the other day, and it's now live and dangerous. Head on over there for a read--and the chance to win a signed copy of Full Moon Rising :) I shall be making appearances answering questions over day (or night, if you're downunder like us).

In other news...there isn't much. Risa is rolling along quite nicely, I'm on a Julia Quinn reading binge, and I'm pissed off at the Bose system because it won't play the 3rd Xmen movie. Oh, and the lunchtime movie today was 39 Steps with the delish Rupert Penry-Jones :)

Dames day...

2009-10-16T04:38:30Z

I'm blogging over at the Deadline Dames today, so head on over there if you want to read about my writing day.

And for those who don't get my newsletter (or read the front page of the website), there's another contest up and running--this one to celebrate the upcoming release of Bound to Shadows. The prize is Victor the vampire beanie bear. Head on over to the contest page to check him out :)

contest winners and writing update...

2009-10-06T20:50:26Z

First up, the overdue contest drawing….and the winners were Kristi and Julie! Congrats ladies! An email has been sent to you both. As soon as you answer, your prizes will be on the way. :)

For everyone else, keep an eye on my site, because I’ll have another contest up and running soon to celebrate the release of Bound to Shadows.

Writing news–well, I haven’t done a whole lot of writing, for two reasons. I was up in Canberra this weekend for Conflux, the annual speculative fiction convention. It seemed smaller this year, but it was still lots of fun. And it had lots of really interesting panels, too. I also noted down a couple of good sites for writers, and I’ll add them to my site once I actually get around to unpacking my bag.

The other reason I haven’t written is because the edits for Riley 9 came in yesterday, and I now have to concentrate on them. They basically need to be turned around this week, as they need to get to line editing ASAP. Which isn’t to say the muse hasn’t been thinking about Risa–it has, and it’s come up with some doozy ideas. I’d been struggling a little over which direction to take this series, but I can now see a definite pathway. Which is more than I had when I first started writing Riley. lol

cover goodness...

2009-09-29T21:30:49Z

Bantam just sent me the cover for Moon Sworn, and I thought I'd share. It's great!

:)

publication news...

2009-09-28T20:47:20Z

Just heard that Piatkus (UK) have purchased the right for Destiny Kills and its sequel, Mercy Burns, for release in the UK and Commonwealth territories. So, all you lovely people in both England and Oz wanting to get your hands on the books without paying import prices will now be able to. Woohoo!

Of course, I have no idea of release dates yet, but I'll let you know as soon as I hear anything.

On related news, the release date for Mercy Burns has been pushed back--instead of May 2010, it'll now be Jan 2011. Sorry, folks, it's a publisher decision. But the good news is that Moon Sworn (Riley 9) is now being released in Summer 2010 (still no definite date yet)

here's the writing update:

Story–Dark Angels

New pages - 6
Time spent writing - 4
Current page count - 101
Intriguing things - a character becoming bisexual and the background of another changing. The muse, she plays with me.
Annoyances - the muse changing the plot!
Music - Eco Zen 2
Taking care of Keri - trying not to eat crap after a binge filled weekend. lol
Muse food - I've been on a Jane Austen binge. I do so love an Austen hero :)

ten things...

2009-09-24T21:31:56Z

Cynthia Sterling (aka Cindi Myers) has a great newsletter aimed at writers. In the latest one, she's summarizes the Spotlight on St. Martin's Press from the Romance Writers of America annual conference in Washington, DC. I thought I'd share some of it, because it's good general advice for writers:

The 10 Most Important Things You Need to Know About Publishing

1. Publishing is a labor of love
2. We want to be transported (to the world of your story.) We want “the words to fall away...and for it to become a movie in our mind.”
3. Getting published takes talent, hard work and luck.
4. We want to find brand new author. Nothing is more exciting to us.
5. The most common reason we don’t buy a book is not because it’s bad, it’s because it’s average.
6. You shouldn’t pay too much attention to trends.
7. Publishers and authors both have to do their part for things to work.
8. The most important person in this process is the reader. If you write for yourself rather than the reader when you see a lot of overwriting in the book. The author is entertaining herself, rather than the reader.
9. You have to be both left-brained and right-brained — analytical and creative.
10. Attitude is everything — don’t be bitter, jealous, grudging others’ success. You have to learn to move past that.

Anatomy of a trend spiral
1. Someone writes a really great book.
2. Readers snap up anything remotely like that 1st book
3. Publishers and authors sense a trend
4. More people write in that area and publishers buy in that area.
5. A few of those books sell well also.
6. Publishers start to creates lines and imprints in this area.
7. It becomes easier to sell in this area. The temptation is so strong to sell your soul and write in the area that people think is hot at the moment.
8. Publishers have slots to fill and lower their standards.
9. The quality of the books goes down.
10. Readers catch on become cynical and jaded.
11. Contracts aren’t renewed and authors become bitter.
12. Lines fold.
13. No one is happy - publishes, authors or readers.
14. Readers look for anything new and different.
15. Someone writes a really great book.

Her rule of thumb — “Once you see someone creating lines around a certain book, I, personally would head for the hills.”

new covers that rock!

2009-09-23T10:00:30Z

Piatkus (UK & Aust) are rereleasing the Riley series from March next year, and have redone the covers to match the style of both Deadly Desire and Bound to Shadows. And they rock!

Love, love, love the new look :)

In other release-related news, Moon sworn (riley 9) should be out summer 2010. As soon as I know the full date, I'll let you know :)

In writing news, Risa still seems to be rolling along nicely. She's gone and had a chat to Riley and Liander, and she's now about to get into another fight. Bad men want to snatch her. She's not planning to go along with this plan. lol. Here's the official update:

Story–Dark Angels

New pages - 6
Time spent writing - 5
Current page count - 82
Intriguing things - Riley becoming a photogragher. Who knew?
Annoyances - not knowing the plans of the bad men. Muse needs to get to work pronto and provide a reason for their actions!
Music - Eco Zen 2
Taking care of Keri - rested the knee today and trying not to feel guilty about not get to the gym. lol. Who would have thought I'd ever be addicted to exercise!
Muse food - been on a movie binge. Today I watched Watchmen and Shoot 'em Up. The first was strange and not really likeable, the second over the top but brilliant fun. Plus it featured the ever watchable Clive Owen. :)

the outfit...

2009-09-14T04:23:17Z

for those of you who have been following my dyeing dramas over on facebook, the end result actually turned out quite well (even if I ended up having to re-dye socks and a skivvy at 3pm on Sat arvo, because the jumper chris gave me didn't match the socks, and the attempt to dye the socks to match the jumper ended up turning them gray. Don't ask me how!). Anyway, here's a pick of me, standing with birthday girl Kez :)

(for those unsure who is who, I'm velma, she's elvira)

great post on writing...

2009-09-09T21:16:28Z

The fabulous Stephen Fry made a great post on writing. Head over to his blog if you'd like to check it out.

Writing wise for me, the story continues to roll along, albiet slower than I might wish thanks to the headache attacks (which I think is being caused by the fact I need my eyes tested again). There is a looming problem, however, and that's the whole theological angle. I really don't want to get into deep discussions on the whole issue, but when you're writing about reapers and the Aedh (who are--were--the gatekeepers to the light and dark paths) then some sort of explanation and discussion has to happen. I'm just getting a little worried it'll bog down the story. I guess I'll have to wait for my fellow lulus to read it and see what they think. Here's the official update:

Story–Dark Angels

New pages - 4
Time spent writing - 2hrs
Current page count - 45!
Intriguing things - Reapers with sexy smiles
Annoyances - theological discussions (of a sort)
Music - Eco Zen 2
Location - The desk.
Taking care of Keri - got slaughtered by my trainers two days in a row. The body, she aches. Both assure me its good for me. Not believing it right now.
Muse food - been on a Jane Austin binge. Currently listening to Pride & Prejudice. Great fun :)