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Author of speculative fiction

Author of speculative fiction

Tag Archives: Self-Publishing

Cover Reveal! New Series! Fantasy!!

09 Friday Nov 2018

Posted by amidtheimaginary in Blog, Messages

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Book Covers, Cover Reveal, Fantasy, Fantasy Art, Indie Author, Self-Publishing

I’ve been waiting to share the cover and synopsis for book one of The Bitter Sea Trilogy, my upcoming fantasy series. I’m so excited it’s finally time!!

 

Without further delay, have a look!!

 

BeneathCruelFathoms_FC

After a violent storm destroys her ship, Isaura Johansdottir knows better than to hope she’ll be rescued from Eisland’s vast Failock Sea. Adrift and alone, her plans to start over lost, it’s a tragic conclusion after the disastrous end of her marriage—until she’s saved by Leonel, one of the merfolk, a creature long believed extinct. In repayment for her life, Leonel enlists her help to investigate the Failock’s mysterious and deadly plague of squalls. But when Isaura discovers Eisland’s ruthless new Lord commands the storms, her life will be in more danger on land than it ever was at sea.

As guardian of the Fathoms, Leonel must find the cause of unnatural storms ravaging the tidal currents and destroying the sea life. There are rumors of dark magic stirring in the Orom Abyss, the resting place of old, vanquished gods who tried to submerge the land millennia ago. Yet without proof, no one in King Ægir’s court will listen to him. And if it’s discovered he broke the Blue Laws to save a shipwrecked landweller, he might not survive the consequences.

As storms spread, Leonel and Isaura uncover secrets as forbidden as the bond that grows between them. Betrayal lurks in the restless sea, and when ancient powers lay siege to Eisland’s coast, the truth may be drowned along with everything else. 

***

This cover is another masterpiece of the amazingly talented artist at Seedlings Design Studio. I am in awe of Jenny’s work and I honestly can’t rave enough about it. Everything she touches becomes a stunning work of art.

Based on Norse ocean mythology, Beneath Cruel Fathoms is scheduled for release in the spring of 2019. There will be teasers and fun pre-release goodies leading up to it! I’ve updated the book’s page on Goodreads and you can add it to your TBR list today :):):)

 

Release Day: The Insurrection Omnibus!

29 Sunday Apr 2018

Posted by amidtheimaginary in Messages

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Book Release, Book Sale, Indie Author, Science-Fiction, Self-Publishing

Hello! Hi! I’m super excited!!

Today is the release day of the Insurrection Omnibus! (And I’ve already used WAY too many exclamation points for a Sunday morning!)

A little over two years ago I published the first installment of this story with Subversive. It’s hard to describe how I feel to see the completed novella series head out into the world at last. A sense of accomplishment, yes, along with a weird sense of joyful sorrow. The end of one thing is always the beginning of another, but I’ll miss this universe and the people in it.

I’ve decided to leave the omnibus on sale today through May 6th. Grab your copy on Amazon for only 99¢ Also available on Kindle Unlimited.

Insurrection

For twenty years Inquisitor Gemson Agaton used torture and interrogation to root out subversives undermining the Establishment. He earned his cold, hard reputation, setting morality aside in the name of a strong state. Now he’s on the subject’s side of the interrogation table, duty to the regime he believes in pitted against loyalty to the one person he always protected.

Gemson isn’t the only target on the Establishment’s radar. An insurgency challenges its authority. Every attempt to capture the Albatross, the rebels’ enigmatic leader, has failed. To the oppressed, he epitomizes freedom from tyranny. But behind the symbol is a man haunted by his past. Not even his closest allies know his true identity, and he’s careful to keep it that way.

As the Albatross rallies Earth’s citizens to resist the regime’s dictatorial rule, many are listening, including one of the Establishment’s most talented operatives. To find and betray him is her directive. To fall in love with him is treason.

In this universe, there are no easy answers and secrets cloud the truth. When a new threat emerges, these unlikely few must overcome their discordant history and forge alliances among enemies. The survival of mankind depends on it.

At over 100k words, the Insurrection omnibus brings all five books from the novella series together. An action-packed space adventure, it’s a tale of redemption and sacrifice in the struggle for humanity’s ultimate fate.

Buy it for 99¢ on Amazon or Add it to your Goodreads shelf

Guest Post: The ESSENCE of Writing Serial Novelle

19 Thursday Apr 2018

Posted by amidtheimaginary in Messages

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Book Series, Guest Post, Indie Author, Novella, Science-Fiction, Self-Publishing, Writing Tips

JK-BW-headshotToday I’m excited to have indie author and friend J. K. Ullrich as a guest on the blog! An award-winning Science-Fiction author, she’s recently finished an awesome Sci-Fi series called Syzygy and is here to talk about her experience with the novella story form. Enjoy!

The ESSENCE of Writing Serial Novelle

What do Of Mice and Men, Animal Farm, and The Metamorphosis all have in common? Besides a reliable spot on English class syllabi, each of these classics contains less than 40,000 words, technically a novella. While these famous novelle (that’s the plural, thanks to how the Italian language declines feminine nouns) probably wouldn’t have landed a deal with modern publishers, who rarely consider manuscripts under 70,000 words, readers find a lot to like about the format. Lauded author Ian McEwan praised short fiction that can be read in one sitting, “like enjoying a three hour movie or opera”. If bingeable streaming TV is more your taste, however, consider a novella serial. Earlier this year I completed Syzygy, a science fiction novella hexalogy. Fun yet challenging, the project taught me the ESSENCE of writing a serial novelle: Evaluate the master plot, Structure the component parts, use Suspense, Echoes, and Negative space to Concentrate storytelling, and plan an Endgame for publication.

Evaluate

The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America define a novella as fiction from 17,500 to 39,999 words (70-160 standard pages). That doesn’t leave room for meandering tales that take chapters to hit their stride. Advance planning is essential, especially if you intend to release each novella as you complete it. Plot the master arc just as you would a novel, and don’t skimp on the details. I learned this the hard way when I reached Pt VI: Right Ascension and discovered that my notes, so precise for the early titles, contained little more for the final installment than “Heroes confront antagonist. The end.” That put me in the awkward spot of reverse engineering scenes that fit with everything I’d already established. Having a comprehensive outline from the start would have saved me a lot of agony!

Once you’ve worked out the big picture, subdivide it into individual novelle. If I framed the entire Syzygy story (about 160,000 words) in three-act structure, the first two installments would be Act I (about 40,000 words total) books three through five would be Act II, ending with the peak crisis (about 70,000 words total) and part six is the climactic Act III (about 40,000 words). Each episode builds on the previous one, adding tension and advancing the story.

Plot2

Structure

Component novelle are more than just arbitrary slices of the broader arc: each needs its own internal structure. Let’s zoom in on the plot outline above….

Plot

In the scope of the entire Syzygy saga, Transient Phenomena is only half of act one, but as a standalone, it still reflects classic plot mechanics with its own beginning, middle, and end. This helps every piece feel complete. But not too complete. The key to any good series is tempting the audience irresistibly onward.

Suspense

Notice something different about the Transient Phenomena outline compared to the series outline above? There’s no drop at the end to represent denouement; the action keeps rising. I drew readers through the series by ending each novella with a question or twist that would send them scrambling for the next story right away. Part I leaves Ash’s decision and Skye’s fate unresolved. Part II concludes with a revelation that turns everything upside down. And so on. Identify the suspenseful points in your master plot and divide up the story around them. (I went a step further and tried to end every chapter with a hook as well!) Is it a little cruel to leave readers hanging? Undoubtedly. But is that not an author’s prerogative?

Echoes

A good hook may pull readers through your series, but it takes more than a core plot line to fuse separate installments into a cohesive, satisfying whole. One way to cultivate connection is to draw parallels between the pieces. Plot and character development accomplish some of this, but I found it was the nuances that really pulled the story together. For example, Ash and Skye’s quips about their respective name meanings in the first book establish an inside joke between them, and variations on it play across the series. Offhand dialogue from early installments, echoed later at a critical point, resonates with new meaning. This technique adds thematic depth and facilitates narrative cohesion. It’s like the baseline in a piece of music, a common rhythm beneath the changing melody. In novelle, even the background is important!

Negative Space

“Negative space” in visual arts describes the sometimes-empty area around the main subject of an image. Narratives have negative space, too, in the ambient details surrounding major events.  Novelle writers can use it as a canvas for implications, making the most of their limited pages. In the opening scene of Transient Phenomena, Skye steals equipment from the Colony and detects a radio signal emanating from Earth. Two simple plot points, right? A lot more appears between the lines:

  • The harsh living environment of lunar dwellers (and the presence of rival settlements, at least one of which is struggling to survive);
  • Skye’s status as an outsider in her community (and the existence of a leader who would punish her for disobedience);
  • Her habit of talking to herself (suggesting chronic isolation);
  • Her skill with telemetry and electronics (which she’s been prevented from using); and
  • A previous discovery of the same signal, ignored for unknown reasons.

By integrating all these clues into the background, I avoided exposition and saved precious wordage. (Transient Phenomena is available free for Kindle and Nook if you want to read the whole scene and judge for yourself.) Leveraging negative space helps writers get the most out of every paragraph.

Concentration

The prologue I just described introduces a protagonist, implies parts of her backstory, establishes key world-building elements, and poses questions that keep readers turning pages…in only 566 words. Concentrated storytelling like this helps maximize impact in the pithy novella format. As you edit, appraise the manuscript with economical eyes. Can you condense any sequences, combine any scenes? Can any characters do double duty? For example, the supporting character Violet is Hazel’s mother and Ash’s father’s work partner and the mechanic responsible for the Colony’s plot-entangled power grid. I could have created a separate person for each of those roles, but combining them makes for a more interesting character (and helps keep the cast from becoming unmanageably large over the course of the series). Once you’ve streamlined the narrative, pare down the prose. My prolix English major habits struggled at first, but I came to appreciate the brisk elegance of novelle.

Endgame

Your novella may be as fast and trim as a well-engineered spacecraft, but don’t launch it just yet. Publishing a novella serial involves a few more decisions than publishing standalone work. Will you release each installment as you write it? A steady flow of new titles can build a reader base hungry for more, and but you risk continuity errors or writing yourself into a corner if you haven’t planned the story well. What about completing the whole series first? That enables comprehensive revision, but it might take years to complete the entire thing, and having your name off the market that long can be problematic (especially for Indies).

Whichever path you choose, Novelle are a hard sell—people are already reluctant to pay a few dollars for “full-length” novels, much less shorter works—but serials enjoy the advantage of various marketing options.

  • Make the first story “permafree” to entice readers to give it a try (hopefully all those suspenseful hooks will drive them to buy the rest).
  • Once all the installments are available, Amazon allows authors a series page where shoppers can buy all the books in one click.
  • Release the complete series in a single-volume edition. Bonus content, like a new epilogue or spinoff story, can make the omnibus an especially appealing purchase.

With swift storytelling honed to its ESSENCE, novella series offer a unique and rewarding experience for authors and readers alike!

Anela says: Many thanks to J. K. Ullrich for an insightful look into the structure and execution of writing a novella series! Check out her website to learn more about her work and find other great articles about speculative fiction and more. 

You can grab the first installment of her Syzygy series for FREE on Amazon! It’s a fast-paced story with plenty of twists and awesome characters, so don’t miss out!

syzygy-1

Ash was never supposed to visit Earth. After a genetic engineering catastrophe wiped out civilization, the survivors—inhabitants of a lunar mining colony—planned to rebuild on Mars. That was before a group of rebels seceded to the dark side of the moon, taking critical data with them. Now conscripted teenagers scavenge the ruined planet for species to use in terraforming. At fifteen, Ash is the best diver in a generation. But when tragedy strikes, he vows to end his colony’s dependence on its old homeworld at any cost.

Skye has never set foot on Earth. It’s not even visible from the moon’s far side, although the exiles’ mystic leader promises they will return home someday. Skye has discovered something that could realize this long-awaited dream, but she’s an outcast among outcasts, and no one will listen to her plan. To save her people, she might have to betray them.

Worlds collide when Ash and Skye meet, blurring the boundaries between enemies and allies, deception and truth. Their choices could win a future for humanity…or finally drive it to extinction.

Grab it on Amazon!

 

A Matter of Perspective

20 Thursday Oct 2016

Posted by amidtheimaginary in For Writers

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

#amwriting, Craft, Fantasy, Indie Author, Self-Publishing

I love YA books.

There, I said it. I’m not a teen (or anywhere close to that age, ahem) but I love the genre and gorge on it regularly in all its forms (Mature YA, YA/NA). All books include an element of self-discovery and reflection, but it’s my opinion that these themes are especially poignant when centered around a protagonist living those years when you’re still unsure of who you are.

Something I’ve noticed about the YA/NA genre is it tends to be written in the first-person, present-tense point-of-view (POV). Seems logical since first-person POV can feel more intimate (the reader follows the protagonist’s direct voice) and present-tense lends a sense of immediacy–And young adults definitely (at least what I’ve witnessed from my teen nephews and cousins) live in the Right Now with some rough sketches of what the future might look like. It’s the charm and the madness that is them. And hey, those are tough years as they try to get a grasp on what the hell this life thing is about and how they should handle it…That’s what I remind myself of when one of them makes a creative move on the highway and narrowly avoids causing a massive collision that would’ve resulted in twisted metal, shattered glass, and calls to First Responders.

123414_600

Currently I’m about halfway through a draft in the first book of a planned YA/NA Fantasy trilogy titled Sundered Kingdoms. Each book will be centered around one character’s perspective and thus I put things in the first-person, present-tense form. I’ve done first-person, past-tense before in my first novel and enjoyed the process. Switching into present-tense takes some attention but I do like the immediacy of it.

And then…

One of my (very) early betas came back saying that he found it difficult to engage with the first-person, present-tense format and felt it was throwing off the read for him. Granted, early drafts are ugly bastards by nature with rough sections of monologue-ing and info dumping which will be mopped up in subsequent drafts, but the commentary did give me pause. The plot is most definitely through the eyes of a single character and I want to keep it in her voice. I took that to mean it should be in first-person, but does it have to be?

maxresdefault

There are a lot of opinions out there as far as when first person vs. third person POV is best. So, let me ask all you readers and writers out there:

If you are reading a story that is from a single character’s perspective, do you expect or prefer it to be in first-person? Or are you cool with a single third-person POV throughout a novel?

What Gives Self-Publishing a Bad Name

10 Monday Oct 2016

Posted by amidtheimaginary in Messages

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

Book Reviews, Indie Author, Self-Publishing

Everyone knows it’s tough to get noticed when you’re an author just starting out. This is true for traditional authors as well as indies. It takes time to build up your catalog of work, newsletter subscribers, ARC review list, learn how to properly launch a book and market it, etc. etc. etc. All this requires repeatedly telling yourself that this is a long game, not a sprint. Like anything worth doing, it’s going to take time and practice, something difficult to remember in a field where impatience, insecurity, and frustration abound.

Enter the bottom-feeding-puss-suckers that try to capitalize on these emotions and lure authors into cutting corners with the promise that it’ll jump start their dreams of a writing career. The other day I got an email, Subject: Your Book–My name was never mentioned so I was a BCC to probably dozens of others, if not more–in which “Jamie” (no last name) wanted to offer me so-called marketing packages that were little more than dressed-up methods of fraud.

Some of the options in the a-la-carte menu (this is directly from the e-mail):

  • I and my team of reviewers can provide up to 40 reviews per author. Each review will highlight all the positive aspects of your book and enlighten your future readers regarding the real essence and worth of your book. The book review is written by an avid book reader and Native English speaker so you can be assured of quality. NOTE: You are NOT paying me for the review but for the amount of time I am investing in reading your book. The rating may range from 3-5 stars. I don’t post negative reviews.  I can also write an editorial review as well as create a video testimonial for you.
  • I can promote your book on up to 40 high quality websites EXCLUSIVELY devoted to promoting free kindle books – on Kindle free days. I can also promote your book if it is on Kindle countdown promotion (please note that it is up to each site’s owner to decide whether to list your book or not. If your book listing is approved, it will be shown ONLY during the promotion period). In addition, I can also offer you up to 200 GUARANTEED free Kindle ebook downloads or book purchases (in other words, you can ask me to buy/download your ebook for as many times as you want, for a nominal fee). This in turn can boost your rankings even further!
  • I can add 30 likes to your positive reviews on Goodreads. All likes come from unique accounts and multiple IPs.
  • I can add your book to 70 popular listopia lists by voting for them.  All votes come from unique accounts and multiple IPs.
  • My BESTSELLER SO FAR: I will rate your book on Goodreads, post as many honest reviews as you want, mark your book as ‘read’, become your fan and add your book to the listopia list of your choice. I and my team can offer up to 50 reviews on Goodreads

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Yeah, so, whoever “Jamie” is, he might claim he’s not selling reviews, but come on, yes he is. And “honest” reviews? Please. Probably he trolled through my back-list, saw I don’t have tons of reviews, and is trying to tempt me into taking the easy road. But listen, I don’t want to “appear” successful, I actually want it to be real if it happens, and compromising in this way is NOT going to get me there. It’s possible that others may feel cutting corners is what they should do. Maybe they think, “Well, businesses all over the world participate in unethical behavior and make lots of money doing it, why should I miss out?” It’s a valid question, but just because others have lowered the bar, doesn’t mean we should join them there. There’s a quote from a West Wing episode in which the characters were discussing this very behavior:

“We foster, we obfuscate, we rationalize. “Everybody does it”, that’s what we say. So we come to occupy a moral safe house where everyone’s to blame, so no one’s guilty.”

ethics

THIS is what gives self-publishing a bad name–this collecting fake reviews and likes and follows in an effort to dupe readers into thinking a book is more popular than it is. And readers are getting wise to it, lending strength to some of those big publishing house arguments that say self-publishing is vanity publishing, and that indie books lack quality writing. How can we argue if authors participate in these practices? It’s better to have only a few true reviews than ones that were purchased.

Self-publishing is a tough beat on a good day, but not impossible. It takes hard work, determination, perseverance, and a lot of practice in the art of keeping your chin up. Maybe we’ll get the success we hope for. Maybe not. Maybe we’ll have a small group of loyal fans. Maybe we’ll have loads of them. There isn’t a lot of control over what happens when it comes to the arts. Here’s the important thing though: the type of author you decide to be is completely up to you. Don’t wade into the murky waters and lose your path among the bottom-feeders. You’re better than that. As authors, the Word is our temple. Let no one sully it with lies.

Amid the Imaginary

I'm a Hapa Haole Hawaiian girl living in chilly Minnesota, reading, writing and working full-time while raising my family.

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