Monthly Archives: October 2012
Q & A with George Wilhite
George Wilhite, author of On the Verge of Madness, talks about self-publisher vs. working with a publisher.
Wilhite has been an aficionado of the horror genre since his youth, discovering Poe and Lovecraft at an early age while also spending many summer nights at drive-in theaters watching the contemporary scene unfold. His stories have been published in numerous anthologies, genre magazines and web sites. He also serves as editor of Static Movement anthologies and reviews books for The Horror Review web site. He can find out more about him at: http://www.authorsden.com/georgewilhite.
Q: Why did you decide to self publish your debut collection of short fiction, On the Verge of Madness?
A: Essentially, just to get a book out. I was having some success with publishing individual stories, though still for little or no money, but no luck with a publisher willing to release a collection. I gathered up the stories I considered my best at the time and then looked for a common theme. All of the protagonists of the tales in the collection are at a crossroads in their various situations where they have two choices: the supernatural is real, or they are mad.
I decided, at least for this first time around, I would rather get a book at now on my own rather than continuing to submit to publishers.
Q: What were some of the struggles and rewards?
A: First of all, I have no talent in the area of graphic arts, so I knew I needed help with the cover. For a reasonable cost, the publisher, LuLu, provided a serviceable enough cover, but nothing extraordinary. To be honest, the most interesting element of the cover is the photography from my wife I offered as base material.
Then, of course, there was the editing. I didn’t have much money to spend so I just went over the manuscript several times myself, and my ever-patient wife did so a few times, and I also enlisted the help of some fellow writers.
While the process was all rather painstaking, it was worth the efforts to have an actual book to promote. That is the other element that requires a lot of work, sometimes for not the greatest rewards. I promote everything I publish, including “exposure only” web posts, on Facebook and Author’s Den.
I am still glad I self published the first time around because I have received eight very good reviews, which in turn provide more marketing opportunities, since readers like to see reviews on a book when they are deciding whether or not to buy it.
When Smashwords came around, it was also easy to use their vehicle to provide an ebook version of the collection.
Q: So the follow-up collection, Silhouette of Darkness is going to be published by Musa Publishing. How is it different working with a publisher?
A: Well, it’s different in just about every way. I had already been through the stories individually, and the manuscript as a whole, just as many times as I had with On the Verge before submitting it to Musa. The great thing now is that they will bring a fresh set of eyes to the final editing process and–thank goodness!–a talented artist to create a book cover. It is a great relief to let these specialists help make the book the best it can be and to tap into their existing marketing and distribution.
I am still early in the process. The initial release date is November 16, 2012. But so far, I am very pleased with the staff. It seems that Musa is a well organized and mutually supportive group of writers.
Q: How can readers keep in touch with you?
A:
http://www.authorsden.com/georgewillhite
http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/george.wilhite.3
I am just starting up my blog at:
http://georgewilhite.blogspot.com/
Note from Lisa: Silhouette of Darkness is out now at Musa Publishing. I own a copy. 🙂 And here’s the Amazon link:
Sorrowmoor Kickstarter! Help Fund Historical Gothic Romance Serials for just a Buck…or More
I’m doing something different…a Kickstarter project. I really enjoy writing serials, and I like rolling them out as serials were meant to be done: in quick succession. The goal I’ve set for funding is where it needs to be to cover the rewards, cover art, editing, formatting and other expenses. And it is pretty reasonable for a Kickstarter project goal from what I can tell. I want to have enough money to complete the project in a way I’m happy with in a timely manner, and most importantly, to give value to readers.
That isn’t always possible unless as an author, I have control over the publishing process. That’s where my project Sorrowmoor comes in. I’m planning at least 20 serials over the course of 2013. My motto is under-promise and over-deliver in terms of what I’ve outlined for the serials. So, it’s likely I’ll have more than 20 serials or that they’ll be lengthier than the minimum of 2000 words each. These will land in backers’ inboxes (unless backers don’t want them in that format), and I’ll also put the serials in a combined e-book edition with a fabulous cover and a print edition that looks equally great. I’m planning lots of other cool stuff, too!
So, how can you get some good reads and back the project? If you have a dollar, that’s a start. There are all sorts of levels to back the project at, so please take a look. If you don’t like gothic romance, you can support the project and gift your rewards to a friend who will enjoy these serials. It’s like a year-round Christmas gift. 🙂
I appreciate the backing I have so far, and I’m really excited about this project! Check it out if you have a minute, and tell a friend who might enjoy reading these stories. You can see the video about Sorrowmoor and learn more here:
Thank you all for reading and supporting my endeavors as a working writer! 🙂
J. F. Jenkins: On Her Muse
Happy Birthday Bob
In a handful of days, my muse will be turning a quarter of a century old. Some people might think this is weird since a muse is supposed to be an ageless sort of thing. Mine, however, is not. Today, I’m going to tell you about Bob. Yup, I named my muse Bob. I’m not a fan of the name myself, but that’s what he said to call him. Something about having a basic, generic, sort of name makes him more pliable for the different roles I put him in.
Bob makes an appearance in all of my books. Sometimes he’s the main hero (IE: The Dragon’s Saga). Sometimes he’s the third part of the love triangle (IE: Vala). And other times, he’s the vital secondary character who supports the hero (IE: Battlefield). In the future he will be a villain, perfect romantic hero, and a sex pot. He’s very diverse in his skills.
I adopted Bob as a muse roughly three or four years ago. At that point in time, Bob was technically twenty-twoish, but in my head he was eighteen. You see, Bob is based roughly around a real person. When I saw this real person, the muse version came to life. He was born in a flash of lightning, and he has characteristics of this real person, but also a whole mind of his own.
For the past three years, Bob has been eighteen. Kind of little kiddish, sweet, innocent, but also manly and strong. That stage of life any person goes into where they feel caught between being a child and an adult so they maintain characteristics of both. That was Bob for a long time, which made him be able to take on a lot of different things.
Now Bob is slowly morphing into an adult man. He’s more rough, wise, and experienced. It’s starting to show in my writing too. As he matures, so do I. It’s been a great adventure, and I’m so glad that he’s stuck around to work with me. I’ve had other muses, but they’re kind of fickle. They come and go with the wind. Bob is the one who stays. He’s made himself comfortable inside of my head. And even though he’s older, he sometimes still gives me a younger version of himself to work with. Sometimes, he’ll inspire multiple roles. Like I said, he’s talented and diverse.
How Bob Works:
- Bob always starts by giving me a concept of a character. He whispers in my ear who he feels like playing for that day.
- As details emerge, Bob starts to show me actions and give me words. Kind of like he’s acting out some kind of a play in my mind.
- If Bob is playing more than one part in a story, he morphs his appearance, but I can always tell when it’s him and not another muse (I do have more than one, but like I said, the others are fickle).
How to spot Bob in a novel:
- Bob has blue eyes. That’s usually the first give away. He could have red, brown, blue, black, or pink hair, but the eyes always stay the same. Only in “Battlefield” does he not have blue eyes.
- He’s usually average height, and average in size. While he’s a good looking muse (especially in reality), his appearance is also that of an obtainable man.
- His build is lean but developed.
- Most of the time he does have dark hair.
While Bob may be based on a real person, when I see him he’s always a faceless shell. If I look into his blue eyes, those are all I see. Sometimes I can focus on just his smile, but the rest of him is like a faded memory. And I like it this way. It helps with making him malleable for my projects. That’s what makes him a good muse and I think that’s also why he’s stuck around for so long. He keeps all of the other muses in line too.
So Happy Birthday Bob! Welcome to adulthood!
Find out more about J.F. Jenkins on Facebook
or her website:
The Super Spies Halloween Party!
Hello Everyone! Welcome to the Super Spies Halloween Party! We’re giving away a KINDLE FIRE by playing a game called “Bobbing for Books” and here’s how you enter to win!
The first way to enter is by tweeting and Facebook sharing about the event and posting the tweet or share at Lisa Cole Orchard’s blog. That’s the main site where all the comments, etc. should be:
http://lisaorchard.wordpress.com/2012/10/14/the-super-spies-halloween-party/
Each tweet or share counts as one entry. So, the more tweets you do the more entries you have. 
The second way to enter is by purchasing one of the participating authors books and posting the title and confirmation code at the link I just posted. This purchase counts as two entries, so if a contestant buys two books, they are entered four times in the giveaway.
The winner will be announced on October 30th.
****Please be aware that the KINDLE FIRE will be gifted from Amazon and sent directly from there. Therefore, if the winner receives a damaged prize, myself and the participating authors are not held liable for any damages. The winner must work with Amazon to get a replacement.
Now let the tweeting and sharing begin! Good luck to all of you! This is going to be a fun party! Head to the link to check out all the books and buy any of the ones you see at my website to enter, too!
http://lisaorchard.wordpress.com/2012/10/14/the-super-spies-halloween-party/
Thanks and good luck! ~Lisa
Lisa L Greer 