books

Still Seeking Agent, but Wattpad is a Thing

/ Toxicwriter / Leave a comment

Anyone following me for any bit of time probably knows that I’m an aspiring writer hoping to go traditional someday. I used to have self-published work, but stopped them from being available as much as I could to hopefully move on from my mediocre work and look towards the future with my Middle Grade Fantasy stuff.

I’ve been querying agents almost every day for the last couple of weeks, minus the anime con I recently went to. Hoping some will eventually like my work and hopefully represent me (doesn’t every aspiring writer want that?).

In the mean time, feel free to check out my work on my Wattpad. It’s free to read and is the work I hope to build an audience for while I’m seeking traditional publishing.

The Planes Walkers is a coming-of-age middle grade fantasy story about a boy named Jet Cafl.

Description:

Jet Cafl is falling. He knows he will soon hit the icy waters that surround the castle of Calbar. Above him, the Emperor’s tower. It was once a place he dreamed of living, instead of his and his older brother’s run-down shack. But Elements have taken everything from him. They took his hopes, his dreams, and now his brother. The Elementalist behind it: the Emperor Wrathel himself. As the Spirit Element grants Jet its abilities, he can only think about stopping the Emperor.

Wattpad cover done by @LaurenDMSmith

 

The 14th Zodiac is a middle grade fantasy that takes place in the real world but with a school for those gifted powers from the western astrology Zodiacs. Still a work in progress.

Description:

Vincent thought he was a normal middle school student until a massive goat creature, called an Aspected, crashes through the window of his classroom. His mysterious teacher named Evans saves him and his class from the Aspected, and nobody is any the wiser. Evans tells Vincent that he is being hunted by Aspected because he is a Signed, a person granted powers based on the Zodiac they were born under in Western Astrology. Vincent decides to go with Evans to the school for Signed, Apsis Academy, and discovers that he is a unique Signed, born under a sign that is unknown to everyone: the 14th Zodiac.
Wattpad cover by @Howling_Silver

 

As always, thank you everyone who has followed me so far, and I appreciate any who decide to read my work and share it.

Becoming a New Writer

/ Toxicwriter / 3 Comments

A lot has been going through my mind over the last few months as I’ve eagerly sought out an agent for my latest manuscript The Planes Walkers. It’s made me realize the many mistakes I’ve made as an aspiring author that dove head first into self-publishing without a single thought.

I was still new to it all, and all I knew at the time was I wanted to be an author more than anything. So I started writing and compiling my first manuscript, Elements of Lightning. That was about 5 years ago. It was only 4 years ago when I ended up giving up on agents and publishers and went into self-publishing. I was impatient and didn’t know anything about being a writer yet.

Looking back, I can see many mistakes I’ve made. I wrote a series as my debut, which is asking a lot of potential readers to get into. Not only that, but I couldn’t ever afford professional editing, so I never did get my drafts edited. I had some people look over them, but they don’t edit or beta read as a career/hobby so my editing was only sub-par at best. On top of that, I was writing in a genre I didn’t actually like to read a lot. My first series was originally aimed for young adults to adults. It’s pretty sad that it took me a while to realize that the books I enjoy reading are Middle Grade level, and that’s what my true passion and target audience is. That’s why The Planes Walkers is actually written for middle grade readers.

It’s a sorry excuse, but I don’t believe my original series represents my writing today. I’ve decided to scrap them as much as I can. I’ve already removed them from the Kindle bookshelf, and I am in the process of retiring them via CreateSpace.

As of what I’ll continue to do as a writer, I’m still working on it. I have been trying to pitch The Planes Walkers to agents with no luck yet. I don’t know if I’ll attempt to self-publish it, because I still lack an audience interested in it. I do know that if that route becomes my only option, then I will take the proper steps to make it stand above my past work, as I already believe it does.

There are still many routes I could take as a writer and I’m still unsure about a lot of them. I hope to be a writer for a living someday, even if that means it isn’t a novelist. I love writing novels and I do hope they get me somewhere someday, but as for now I’ll have to wait and see what comes of The Planes Walkers.

First Chapter of The Planes Walkers

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This is my current middle grade fantasy that I am working on trying to get traditionally published. Figured I could give a teaser, as others have enjoyed this section. Thanks for reading in advance!

Chapter One

   The snow had collapsed the roof the night before. Jet spent the entire night shoveling snow out of the shack to just get a few hours of sleep before dawn. He couldn’t sleep in. Not when there was work to be done.

“Glad to see you’re awake,” Jet’s brother said to him as he looked back from the metal barrel in front of their shack. Embers flickered and sparked inside. A light smoke rose from the metal cylinder as if it were a chimney on top the houses they lived behind.

Jet rubbed his eyes. Though the sky was covered in grey clouds, the sun still seemed to shine brightly over Calbar. Jet yawned and then gave his older brother a smile.

“You always did say that old roof would give out eventually.”

“Yeah I did. I’m just sorry it happened over you and not me. You didn’t even wake me to help you!”

Jet chuckled. “You know I wouldn’t bother you with that. We both can’t be tired. We can’t afford it.”

Jet’s brother’s expression darkened. Jet knew he never liked hearing that they couldn’t afford anything.

“Don’t be like that, little brother. Just let good ol’ Dustan take care of us,” his brother joked as he pointed to himself with a big grin.

Jet rolled his eyes playfully. “So do we have any jobs today?” he asked, changing the subject.

Dustan reached his cloth-wrapped hands back over the embers. “I believe the bakery has a job or two. We might end up with a few more gold pieces today, if we’re lucky.”

The two were welcomed among the people to do odd jobs, but nothing more. Shop owners wouldn’t be caught hiring the poverty-stricken.

“Anyways, let’s head out. The sooner we get the gold, the sooner we can eat,” Dustan explained.

Jet nodded, adjusting his vest and scarf. The vest was almost gray with ash and dirt. The scarf remained a vibrant green. Jet made sure to take more care of it because it was the only thing he had left of his father.

Dustan gave him a nod that indicated he looked as presentable as he could. Jet returned a nod as they both headed away from their shack. Leaving the alley, Jet could see the castle that overlooked the city of Calbar. It stood as a reminder of the life that Jet wished he and his brother could have.

Calbar was a massive industrial city and capital of the Soul Empire. Jet and Dustan lived in the poorest part of the city. The majority of people who lived in their district weren’t nearly as moneyless as the two of them.

“Don’t you think we should move the shack?” Dustan asked.

Jet broke his gaze from the castle. “Why do you ask?”

“Well I hate that castle looming over us, reminding us who we are.”

“I don’t mind,” Jet replied.

Dustan frowned. Jet could tell he didn’t believe him, but he didn’t press the issue.

The two of them walked for several minutes. They were soon out of the alley. Citizens were already moving up and down the streets going to work. Children, around their age and younger, were running around and playing. Dustan and Jet continued passed. Dustan had lost his child-like nature long ago. Jet still wanted to go and play with the other kids, but he knew he couldn’t. They didn’t have the luxury.

A flurry began to fall from the clouded sky as they reached the bakery. Jet’s stomach growled as he could already smell the fresh bread. He looked into the window of the shop. Steam rose off of the bread in the cool air.

“Don’t focus on the food,” Dustan snapped at Jet, “It’ll make the work harder.”

Jet broke his focus on the inside and stared at his own reflection. His pale green eyes were brought out by his scarf and the gray tattered clothes he wore. He sniffled his nose a few times. The two boys were used to the cold and wet climate. They never minded having their boots soaked. Just having boots was better than not having them.

“Ah, the Cafl boys,” the baker said as he poked his head out.

“Hello there Mr. Gher,” Dustan greeted.

“Haven’t seen you two around in a while. You working other parts of Calbar?”

“Anywhere we can get work,” Dustan chuckled.

“You look so much older now. What are you, eighteen?” Mr. Gher asked.

Dustan nodded. “It’s been about a year since we worked for you sir, so I’d say that’s about right.”

“And that makes you thirteen now, eh Jet?”

Jet nodded carefully. He was shy around others that had the power to deny them work. He knew his place as a poor citizen, and didn’t want to jeopardize the chance to make a few gold pieces.

“Well come on inside. I’ve got some ovens I need cleaned out.”

Mr. Gher led them inside and straight to the back. It was quick so no one could see them entering. The farthest part of the bakery was huge. Ovens lined the back wall. Mr. Gher worked by himself because he was a Fire Elementalist, one who controlled the power of fire.

“Alright, I’m using the one on the far right, but all the other ovens need to be cleaned,” Mr. Gher explained. “I’ll leave you both to it. Do a good job and there will be a few gold pieces in it for you.”

Dustan smiled and nodded. Jet nodded quickly and turned back to the ovens. Mr. Gher left to the front of the shop.

“Come on, let’s get started.” Dustan told Jet.

“Alright, one sec,” Jet said as he took his scarf off and set it aside safely.

The two of them began cleaning the ovens late into the morning. While they were cleaning, Dustan told Jet the stories from their homeland. There was a desert to the far northeast which is where they were from. Dustan was too young to remember the name when his dad had told it to him. It had been shortly after Jet was born that their parents brought them to the Soul Empire. Shortly after their move, the Soul Empire saw the desert people as a threat and closed their borders. Their parents left them in the safety of Calbar to go fight for the borders to be opened, or so the story went. They never came back.

Jet always hated the end of the story. The Soul Empire’s army that mostly came from Calbar had put a stop to the immigrants protesting the border close. A part of Jet hated the Soul Empire for that, but he had to be thankful they didn’t kill him or arrest him just because he was from the northeastern desert.

Dustan and Jet reached the last oven. It was a new industrial oven, more massive than the last ones. They both had to crawl inside to get the ash out and clean it. The oven was dark, with little light coming inside to tell where they needed to clean.

“The Fire Element seems to cause much more ash,” Dustan said, breaking the silence.

Elementalists were gifted people who controlled the power of specific Elements, such as fire, water, air and earth. He knew of rumors that there were Soul Elementalists that had founded the Empire, thus giving its name. Those were the ones that Jet knew of. They were all pretty rare, according to the citizens of Calbar. Jet assumed that the emperor, Wrathel, kept close attention to Elementalists to keep them under control.

Jet was going to reply when they both heard a soft voice-like sound. “What was that?” Dustan asked.

“I’m not sure…” Jet mumbled as he tried to listen.

After a few seconds, it happened again. It almost sounded like someone sighing, but it was distorted. Then suddenly, Dustan’s hand lit up with a pale green aura. It caused both of them to jump. Jet fell out of the oven with a thud onto the kitchen floor. Dustan crawled out of the oven.

“How’s it going back-,” Mr. Gher started but then stopped as he saw Dustan’s hands. “A Spirit Elementalist!” he shouted.

Mr. Gher’s shout caused a stir inside the lobby of the shop. He ran out to tell the other people. Neither Dustan nor Jet knew what was going on. Before they knew it, Mr. Gher was leading people into the kitchen to see them. Jet felt uncomfortable because he didn’t know how to react. No one seemed to care that two poor citizens were in the kitchen of a bakery, they all seemed focused on Dustan.

“Why didn’t you tell me you were an Elementalist Dustan?” Mr. Gher asked.

“Because I didn’t know myself,” Dustan explained. The aura swayed around his hands like a pale smoke.

“Out of my way, out of my way!” a voice shouted from the lobby of the bakery. Through the crowd came a soldier of the Soul Empire army. Not just any soldier. It was one of the high generals. He wore a black and purple trench coat that held metals of valor on one side.

As soon as people realized who he was, they began to move and bow. Mr. Gher shuffled and bowed quickly. “Greetings, sir. I didn’t know you were in this part of the city. I apologize my bakery is in such a state.”

“What’s this I hear about a Spirit Elementalist?” the general asked.

Mr. Gher stood up straight and quickly moved over to Dustan. “This is the boy, sir.”

“Looks like a nobody to me,” the general sneered.

“Well he is a nobody, but he has an Element.”

“Alright then,” the general nodded as he examined Dustan’s aura-covered hands, “Come with me boy.”

Dustan resisted for a second. “I can’t leave my younger brother here.”

“Brother, you say?” the general asked. “Do you have an Element as well?”

“No, sir,” Jet muttered.

The general seemed to think about it. The look on Dustan’s face was stern. He wasn’t going to leave Jet behind.

“Well his lordship might have a use for the both of you. Come on.”

“His lordship? Where are we going?” Dustan asked as the crowd parted for them.

“To the castle of course.”

Jet’s face lit up with excitement. He was finally going to see the castle and maybe even get to be a part of the Soul Empire as an official citizen. It would make them both well off.

The trip took longer than they expected. It was night time when they reached the castle. The castle was even bigger up close. Jet stood in awe as the massive braziers lit the paths and door. The castle walls were made of large gray stone bricks. Spires sprouted from the castle and one tower jutted out, only connected by a bridge.

Inside the castle was highly lit by chandeliers. The floors had long carpets that were a dark purple. Suits of armor, similar to the ones the soldiers wore, lined the walls.

“Good evening, general,” a voice said.

Coming down the entry hall was a tall man, wearing gold armor with pink stones embedded into it.

“Good evening to you, Sir Rujar,” the general replied.

Rujar had a sword strapped to his side. It’s hilt matched the same color of his armor. The blade was visible and pink.

“Who was that?” Jet asked carefully after the man passed.

“One of the representatives from the Crystal Kingdom to the east. Don’t pay him any mind.”

Jet frowned as he looked back to Rujar. He had never heard of lands outside of the Soul Empire or the desert. Jet decided to stay quiet and look out the glass windows that went from the floor to the ceiling. He had never seen anything more beautiful than this castle.

“So why does the Emperor want to see us?” Dustan asked.

“His lordship has been doing research.”

“Research? On what?”

“Elements of course. I believe that your Element might help him in his research. He will be delighted to have you aiding him.”

“Will he reward us?”

The general threw on a grin. “He might do that, yes.”

Jet was starting to feel uncomfortable again. He didn’t think about it too hard. It wasn’t long before the general led them across the bridge from the castle into the tower.

After several flights of stairs and down a long hallway, the general stopped them before the door. “Now, only speak when spoken to by his lordship. Great things are going to come from your help, so be on your best behavior.”

They both nodded and walked inside after the general opened the door. The Emperor was at a desk, glancing through books. The room was walled with bookshelves. In front of every set of shelves, there was a desk covered in papers and open books.

“Welcome, you two,” he spoke without breaking his gaze from the books. He was a tall man, his body looming over the desk.

Jet wondered how the Emperor already knew they were coming. The door closed behind them. Jet looked back as he thought he heard the door lock.

“Now, which one of you is the Elementalist?” the Emperor asked as he stood up straight and walked over to them. He was well-built. Jet figured he would have to be to command an army and claim Emperor.

“I am your lordship,” Dustan replied.

“And you’re his brother?” the Emperor asked, looking at Jet.

“Yes, sir.”

“No Element, correct? You’re already thirteen now too.”

Jet just nodded, because the Emperor already seemed to know.

“I’m sure you two know, Elements usually present themselves around the age of twelve to thirteen,” he stated as he moved back over to his books. “I’m surprised to see that you never had used yours before, Dustan.”

“I didn’t know that your lordship. I also wasn’t sure how.”

The Emperor just nodded. “I’m also sure you don’t know that there is a theory among Elementalists. This theory is as old as the planet itself. These books state that a Spirit Elementalist has the power to walk the Planes of other Elements. Planes are places where Elements come from.”

“Wow, I didn’t know that either, sir,” Dustan said.

The Emperor looked up, his violet eyes catching the torch light. “Of course not. Now please, come over here.”

He beckoned Dustan towards the end of the room. There was a large machine there that had coils and tubes coming from it. “I don’t want you to be scared, I just need you to step onto this platform and use your Element.”

Dustan nodded and walked over to the machine. He stepped onto the platform.

“If you can help me with this theory, you will become one of the wealthiest people in all the lands,” the Emperor explained.

Dustan smiled. Jet stood near the door watching. He was happy to know that they were about to be out of the cold and have brand new lives.

“Now, use your Element,” the Emperor said as he began to push buttons and flip switches. The machine roared to life with energy. It startled Jet, but he tried to remain calm after the Emperor said not to be scared.

Dustan’s hands lit up with the aura. The machine seemed to immediately respond to it. The Emperor smiled widely. A large portal opened behind Dustan. It was right in front of a window that looked out onto the city.

The portal was magical looking. It was like a large bubble that showed a completely different world. It began to shuffle through a few of the Planes that the Emperor had mentioned. One was a fiery land of lava and fire while another was a land of complete white. The planes began to shuffle faster and faster until the machine started to spark.

Jet watched the Emperor’s face darken. “What’s going on?!” he demanded. “Steady your Element! Use more of it!” he continued to yell.

“I’m trying!” Dustan shouted back.

The machine continued to spark and steam until it finally made a loud clanking sound. The Emperor and Jet watched as the portal started to the shake violently. After a few seconds, the portal closed. The machine powered down on its own. Jet assumed it was broken now after all the sparks and shaking.

“I’m sorry…sir,” Dustan mumbled as he looked around him.

The Emperor’s face was disappointed. His machine was destroyed and his plan didn’t work. He looked frantic as he ran over to his desk and began to shuffle through pages. All the years of building this prototype for nothing. He wanted to prepare the Empire for what was coming. How could he do that without the machine?

“I did everything right…why did it not work?” he mumbled.

Dustan stepped off the machine and began to walk over to Jet. Before he could pass the Emperor, the Emperor jumped in front of him. “It should have worked! Everything was right!” he yelled at Dustan.

Dustan couldn’t say anything. Jet could see fear in his eyes.

The Emperor reached out and grabbed Dustan by his shirt. “You didn’t try hard enough. I know you didn’t.”

“I did sir!” Dustan replied, trying to get out of the tight grip. Dustan truly wanted to do anything in his power to make this go smoothly. He tried to power his Element more. He had to. He had to for Jet’s sake.

“You have failed me, Spirit Elementalist. I have no use for you now!” the Emperor yelled as he began to pull Dustan. Instead of pulling his body, his clenched grip began to pull a purple aura out of Dustan. Jet couldn’t react in time. The Emperor ripped a purple ghost-like figure out of Dustan, causing Dustan to fall to the floor dead.

Jet wasn’t sure what just happened. He had always heard the Emperor be called the lord of souls, but he never knew it was an Element. He was a Soul Elementalist.

The Emperor quickly turned to Jet. Jet had a delayed reaction as he tried to run to the door. Thoughts ran through his head. Did that just really happen? He didn’t want to look back to check. He tugged on the handles, but it was locked. His heart sank. He felt the Emperor’s grip on his scarf that was wrapped around tight enough to move his entire body. The Emperor began to drag him.

“I don’t have use for you either. The Elementless are pathetic and weak,” the Emperor muttered as he pulled Jet.

Jet struggled to get free of his scarf. The Emperor held it in a position where it was impossible to do so. “No! Let me go!” Jet yelled.

He was slowly pulled passed Dustan. Jet tried to grab onto him. He was hoping he wasn’t dead. Dustan’s face was lifeless. It was just a body now. Jet’s eyes teared up as the truth began to sink in. He kept his eyes on Dustan as the Emperor threw him towards the window.

“I don’t need useless people in my empire!” he shouted.

Jet was flung at the window quickly. His scarf unwrapped from his neck and remained in the Emperor’s hand. The glass shattered around him. The Emperor had already turned his back on Jet as he began to fall. His vision was cut from Dustan as the tower wall began to rise as he descended towards the city.

Jet wasn’t sure what all was happening. It happened so fast. Green aura began to appear around him.

“You’ll be safe in here,” Jet heard a voice say. He thought it was Dustan. He wasn’t quite sure. The air rushed around him, his clothes violently flapping. The green aura began to engulf his surroundings. It moved with the air. It wrapped itself around Jet until he couldn’t see the castle or the city.

Jet wasn’t sure what had happened. All he knew now is that he wasn’t falling anymore. He was somewhere out of the Emperor’s reach. Somewhere out of anyone’s reach. Everything was calm.  All Jet could see was green mists.

“You’ll be safe here, Jet,” the voice said again.

Jet closed his eyes. He was safe.

Author Recommends: October 2017

/ Toxicwriter / Leave a comment

So I’ve decided to do a monthly recommendation on books and video games. Perhaps I can share the love I have for a current piece, or the eagerness I have for a piece about to come out!

Books

Old, but still a classic in my eyes: Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief

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You can find this book just about anywhere, but here it is on Amazon.

This is one of the series that I could not put down. I read it twice in a row! The description on Amazon sums it up pretty well: “After getting expelled from yet another school for yet another clash with mythological monsters only he can see, twelve-year-old Percy Jackson is taken to Camp Half-Blood, where he finally learns the truth about his unique abilities: He is a demigod, half human, half immortal. Even more stunning: His father is the Greek god Poseidon, ruler of the sea, making Percy one of the most powerful demigods alive. There’s little time to process this news. All too soon, a cryptic prophecy from the Oracle sends Percy on his first quest, a mission to the Underworld to prevent a war among the gods of Olympus.”

Rick Riordan will always be one of my favorite authors because of this series. I highly recommend it if you’re a fan of adventure, fantasy, and even have curiosity for mythology!

This one sounds really good: The Adventurers Guild

 

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I found this book on Amazon.

This was added to Amazon not even a week ago. The description makes it sound really good, so it is now on my to read list!

“Few ever asked to join the Adventurers Guild. . . . Their members often died young. In one of the last cities standing after the world fell to monsters, best friends Zed Kagari and Brock Dunderfel have high hopes for the future. Zed desperately wishes to join the ranks of the Mages Guild, where his status as Freestone’s only half elf might finally be an asset. Brock, the roguishly handsome son of merchants, is confident he’ll be welcomed into the ranks of the Merchants Guild. But just as it seems the boys’ dreams have come true, their lives take a startling turn . . . and they find themselves members of the perilous Adventurers Guild. Led by the fearsome Alabasel Frond, the guild acts as the last line of defense against the Dangers�hungry, unnatural beasts from otherworldly planes. And when the boys uncover a conspiracy that threatens all of Freestone, Zed, Brock, and their new allies�Liza, a fierce noble, and Jett, a brave dwarf�must prove their worth once and for all. This start of a thrilling new series is sure to be a hit with readers who like their fantasies clever and action-packed, with tons of humor and heart.”

 

Video Games

A game that got me hooked instantly: Stardew Valley

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Stardew Valley just got a release on Nintendo Switch and I’ve been falling in love with the game all over again. The game originated on Steam (PC gaming) until it got a release on Xbox One and PS4 (and now Switch!).

From the official wiki: “Stardew Valley is an open-ended country-life RPG! You’ve inherited your grandfather’s old farm plot in Stardew Valley. Armed with hand-me-down tools and a few coins, you set out to begin your new life. Can you learn to live off the land and turn these overgrown fields into a thriving home? It won’t be easy. Ever since Joja Corporation came to town, the old ways of life have all but disappeared. The community center, once the town’s most vibrant hub of activity, now lies in shambles. But the valley seems full of opportunity. With a little dedication, you might just be the one to restore Stardew Valley to greatness!”

It’s a fantastic RPG farming game! There’s so much to do and it has replay value for days. I highly recommend this!

 

The next big Mario game: Mario Odyssey

super-mario-boxart

There is a lot of hype around this game, and I believe it is well deserved. I grew up playing Mario 64 and falling in love with Mario Sunshine. I love the openness to those games. Even without a hub world, Mario Odyssey’s sandbox maps look so fun!

“Use amazing new abilities—like the power to capture and control objects, animals, and enemies—to collect Power Moons so you can power up the Odyssey airship and save Princess Peach from Bowser’s wedding plans!

Thanks to heroic, hat-shaped Cappy, Mario’s got new moves that’ll make you rethink his traditional run-and-jump gameplay—like cap jump, cap throw, and capture. Use captured cohorts such as enemies, objects, and animals to progress through the game and uncover loads of hidden collectibles. And if you feel like playing with a friend, just pass them a Joy-Con™ controller! Player 1 controls Mario while Player 2 controls Cappy. This sandbox-style 3D Mario adventure—the first since 1996’s beloved Super Mario 64™ and 2002’s Nintendo GameCube™ classic Super Mario Sunshine™—is packed with secrets and surprises, plus exciting new kingdoms to explore.” – Nintendo Overview

The game comes out at the end of this month and I am stoked! I’m so excited to play it, I just had to recommend it!

 

“Think It, Write It, Panic, Publish” Writing Panel at Sabaku Con 2017

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So I got back from a weekend in Albuquerque New Mexico, where I and some friends went to Sabaku Con. Sabaku Con is an anime convention that has been happening every year for the last 5 years.

This year, I submitted a writing panel on general knowledge about writing and publishing. It was labeled an entertainment panel, because the con is mostly anime based. To my surprise, almost the entire room was filled with people interested in hearing about writing.

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A few more people came in after I took these photos, so there was quite a turn out! I’m extremely thankful for those who came and participated in open discussion. The discussions went so well that we didn’t get to fully go over all the slides we had for our presentation!

So here’s the slides I used, for those who want to know more.

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How to Self-Publish (with CreateSpace)

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CreateSpace is my go to for my self-publishing needs. It was pretty easy to learn, but I figured I’d give any tips to those interested in CreateSpace. You can self-publish with CreateSpace for FREE as long as you keep your book to the basic options.

First, you’ll need to set up an account. Once you set up an account and log in, it should take you to the “Member Dashboard” where you can see all your titles and projects you’ve created in CreateSpace as well as there ID numbers and the royalties you’ve received.

dashboard

From here, you can click the “Add New Title” button. This will take you to the page where you can select what you are self-publishing, whether it be a book, CD, or DVD. As I am an author, and not creating CDs or DVDs, this will be general to creating paperback projects. You can see my 3 current books and the older editions of my first 2 listed here.

title

You have to name your project, most likely the book’s title, select the paperback option, and then select the guided process. There is an “expert” process that is in beta apparently, but if it’s your first time using CreateSpace, best to stick to the guided option.

title info

After it loads your new project, you’ll find yourself on the “Title Information” page under Setup for your project. Here you can add a subtitle (if you have one), the author’s name (in case you use a pen name), extra contributors (like designed by, photographs by, etc.), if the book is part of a series (which is optional), edition number, language, and finally the publication date. Each section has a “What’s This?” underneath it with more information regarding each one.

isbn

After you save and continue (after you save you can always come back to edit the project), you’ll find yourself on the ISBN page. Here you can get a free ISBN through CreateSpace or purchase a custom ISBN. You can also provide your own if you have bought one previously. There is a link to compare the ISBN options near the top.

For the next page, you’ll need your completed, edited, and formatted manuscript. I don’t have a picture for the next pages because I don’t have the required files/information to make the pages appear as they would for someone who is entering all the information in. The Interior page is where you choose the interior type (being black & white or full color), paper color (between white or cream), trim size (how large your pages and book will be), and where you submit your file. The color options are obviously going to probably cost you, I’m not actually sure, as I have only done black & white interior and white pages. There also is an option here for $199 for CreateSpace to professionally design your interior. This is NOT paying for them to EDIT. It’s to DESIGN your manuscript. Like I said before, you can get through this completely free if you know how to edit your document yourself.

Next is the cover! Here you can choose between having a glossy shiny cover, or a matte cover which is just a regular non-shiny cover. You can order samples to see what they look like but that’ll cost you. After you choose between the finish of your cover, you have three options: Build your own cover with CreateSpace’s limited cover designer, pay $399 dollars to have them design you a cover, or upload a cover-ready PDF. If you don’t have a full cover ready as a PDF, you can make your own for free. The designer is limited with fonts and templates, but it’ll get the job down if you just have like a photograph you want as your cover. If you have no picture editing skills, or can’t find someone who does, you should make your own cover with their designer. Or if you have 400 dollars. GIMP is an excellent program to use for photo editing. It’s like Photoshop but free, and pretty simple to use.

You did it! After all this you have come to the Complete Setup page. Here you review the information you have selected for your book. After everything is exactly as you want it, you submit your file(s) for review. It takes about 24 hours before they get back to you. During these 24 hours you can’t edit anything you have selected. This review is to see if your manuscript file and your cover file match up and there are no errors. If there are errors, you’ll have to fix them and resubmit and wait another 24 hours. If there isn’t any errors, then you are good to go. You can digitally proof your book (to see if there are any errors that it didn’t catch) or you can order a proof copy to read in person. You’ll have to wait if you order a copy, but if you proof it digitally, you can move on and begin the process of distributing your book.

The Distribute section is where you enter your price, your book description, what channels you want your book to be available to, and if you want to publish the book on Kindle. They are all self explanatory. To publish on Kindle, it’ll simply convert your files to eBook format and publish it that way as well. For pricing, there is a minimum price that you can set your book. Depending how long/big the book is, the higher the minimum price will be.

Hopefully this will help shed some light on the guided process of self-publishing a book through CreateSpace. There are several other self-publishing sites that you can use if CreateSpace isn’t your cup of tea, but it’s the only one I’ve used. Explore your options, but if you do decide on CreateSpace, hopefully this will help.

If you have any more questions on CreateSpace, feel free to ask me or even visit the forums.

World Building Tips

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So I figured because I’ve built several worlds from the ground up in my Shattered Soul series, I would provide some tips I’ve learned from Creative Writing classes and from general writing tips I’ve received.

The first thing I’ve been told when building your own world is to not overkill the reader with information about said world. When I first started writing Elements of Lightning, I opened the book explaining everything about how the world worked and how the Elements work. That was bad. You need to pace out the world building.

Next thing that really helped me was to outline your world. There are thousands of writing outline templates you can use. My first creative writing class had one that had different boxes for setting, notable places, weather, cities, and of course the name. The teacher in that class stressed the importance of naming characters and places. The name can give life to the world.

Another thing I wish I knew early on was to draw a map. Doesn’t need to be amazing. Having the visual in front of you can help you build a world. Having the map near you as you write to reference is a great practice. You can even make revisions to it as you continue to build your world.

If you a fan of dialogue, characters are a great way to build a world. I’m a huge fan of dialogue over description. I prefer for my characters to paint the picture, rather than directly telling the reader in description.

Speaking of characters, creating an outline for your characters is another great assist in world building. Your characters have a huge part to play in the world around them.

Lastly, think of what you would do in your world. If you thought about what you would do with your characters and your world, it becomes more real to the reader.

Hope these tips help like they have me! Remember to keep writing!

Shattered Soul series continues with Elements of Sight!

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My third book is out now! My Shattered Soul series continues with Elements of Sight, the story following Saocre.

“The Shattered Soul series continues with Saocre. They were out there. The Dark Elementalists were out there and looking for Saocre. Did Ace Venx fail? Was he dead? Saocre knew it didn’t matter now. All that mattered was he had to protect his home planet, Rentac, from the Dark Elementalists.”

You can get the book in paperback and ebook from Amazon and Createspace.

Like the 2nd book, Elements of Blood, it can be read before the first one with little to no confusion. For the easiest reading experience, I do recommend first reading Elements of Lightning.

All three of my books so far are set in the same universe, but about different characters in relation Ace Venx from Elements of Lightning.

NaNo 2015 Winner and Progress Update

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So in October I had just finished my 3rd novel, Element of Sight and its first edits. Then along came November, where I remembered it was National Novel Writing Month.

In my determination to finally participate, I immediately began my 4th novel to the Shattered Soul series, Elements of Light. On the 28th, I completed NaNo’s 50k word goal and my 4th novel. *applause* *cheers*

So now at the beginning of December, I’m back to the final edits of Elements of Sight. Hoping my 3rd fantasy novel will be out by the end of the year. The edits to Elements of Light will soon follow, and hopefully I will have that out by the end of January or February at least.

Seeing that it is possible to write a novel in a month’s time, I have never felt more like a writer. I have several more books planned for 2016, including a possible second series in the same universe as the Shattered Soul series, with brand new Elements and characters.

As a self published author and a college student (working a day job), I feel I need to use my free time to bump out more than just 1 or two books a year, like I have been doing. Elements of Lightning came out January of 2014 and Elements of Blood came out in December that same year. My 3rd book took until October because I was still unsure if I should continue my series as a self published writer and try to write something that I could send to agents/publishers. Maybe I’m impatient or read too many articles that are “pro-selfpublishing,” but I decided against it and began to finish EoS.

So now I have completed a book series. Not originally as planned (I was maybe aiming for 6 or 7 books), but it needed to be finished. It feels good to have more than just one or two now. Hoping the more I write, the more chance I’ll finally get the readers I dream for.

How much is a writer really worth?

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Found this post on Tumblr here. This is NOT mine. Simply sharing it. Follow my personal Tumblr here. You can get my sci-fi and fantasy books at Amazon.

Tough question, and one with many possible answers. Some writers (sadly, a very few) earn a good living from writing alone. However, to assume that all writers can make a decent living from writing is to assume that all actors are rich, based on a handful of Hollywood stars. We all know that most actors are “resting” ninety percent of the time, or taking unpaid acting jobs, or otherwise earning money doing something completely different (teaching; waiting at tables; helping out with stage lighting).

What many people don’t realize is that writers are in much the same boat.

In the UK, the “average” writer (if there can be said to be such a thing) earns about £5000 a year from writing alone. Of course, some earn much more than that; others, much less. There are many variables; and, as the following article points out, just because a writer is well-known and critically well-received, it does not therefore follow that he or she will be equally well-paid – or in some cases, paid at all.

http://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/mar/02/bestseller-novel-to-bust-author-life

http://www.prospects.ac.uk/writer_salary.htm

Most writers, like actors, supplement their writing income with teaching, running masterclasses, secondary jobs and so on – a sensible course of action, if writing alone doesn’t pay the rent. Artists do not – should not -expect to be subsidized. However, where people make money from artists’ work, then those artists should be expected to benefit. For too long now, writers have accepted to attend festivals, to do readings, signings and workshops for free (sometimes without even being paid travel expenses), simply because they feel that they have no choice in the matter.

I say they do, and this is why.

People are seldom grateful for unpaid work.

Everybody likes getting free stuff, but when it comes to allocating value, we generally assume that what comes free isn’t worth much. That’s why marketing people love to tell us the cost of their freebies: Buy this magazine, and get a free bottle of nail polish, worth 7.99! But how much is an author worth, if alltheir appearances are unpaid? Answer: a big fat nothing.

It isn’t the job of an author to subsidize festivals and book events.

Yes, festivals are an important part of the world of literature; valuable to readers and writers alike. And yes, some festivals do find it hard to make a reasonable profit. The ones that do well have sponsors to help keep them running. Some benefit from Lottery funding, or offer free advertising to local businesses in return for sponsorship. Some festivals charge high prices for tickets to author events – and of course, the public tends to assume that a cut will go to the author. In most cases, however, it doesn’t. Most festivals do not pay a fee (except for Hay-on-Wye, which pays exorbitant fees to a handful of celebrities, and to no-one else); and a growing number don’t even pay their contributors’ travel expenses. I’ve recently heard of a few UK festivals that actually charge authors for the right to attend, on the assumption that we should be grateful for any exposure we can get…

Take a moment, if you will, to apply this to any other service.

In my local restaurant, having finished a meal, I call the head waiter over and say: “Now if you’ll just slip me a tenner, I’ll tear up this bill and go right out and tell all my friends what a great place you have here. It’ll be worth it for all the goodwill.”

Really?

No. I don’t think so, either.

Of course, there are instances when we choose to work for free, such as, in the case of a charity. However, where working free is the norm, we end up devaluing our own work, and that of the whole profession. Working for free costs us time, effort and expertise; things that others get paid for. We would not expect a teacher, a lawyer, a  plumber, a chef, to regularly give their services for free. Their time and expertise is considered worth paying for. So is ours.

Festivals never question the fact that they have to pay for room hire; catering; advertising; transport; photography; insurance; sound and lighting. All these things cost money. Everything has to be paid for, in fact, except the people whom the audiences are coming to hear – that is, the authors themselves.

But… I hear some people saying: Aren’t these authors getting free publicity that will help them sell their book?

Excellent question. Well, yes… and no. For a start, there’s no such thing as free publicity. Someone, somewhere, always ends up paying for it. By working for free, we’re basically accepting to do another person’s job (in this case, a publicist’s) as well as our own. And in the case of festivals who don’t even offer expenses, we’re effectively paying for the right to do that extra work for free, too.

As for book sales, just take a moment to work out how many sales you’d need to make in order to pay your expenses. On average, your travel costs would be between £60-100, travelling second class by train. Let’s forget about meals, taxis, sundries (or indeed, the overnight stay that some festivals entail) . So. Let’s call it £80.

Right. The following article gives you some idea of how much in royalties you’d expect to earn from the sale of your book. Have a good look. It’s worth reading.

http://blog.celandor.co.uk/?p=75

However; for simplicity’s sake, let’s call it 10% of a full net price of £8.00 for a paperback. (That’s very generous, actually.) For the moment let’s forget about the percentage that would have to go to the tax-man, to your agent, and so on. Let’s call it 80p. Kerrrr-ching.

That means, that to break even, you’d have to sell 100 copies or more of your book at your festival event. Yes, some writers can do that. But it’s a big assumption. On a good day, you can reasonably expect about one in ten festival-goers to buy a copy of your book after a reading; that means selling at least 1000 tickets, just to break even.

Seriously, how often does that happen?

And that’s why authors are worth more than this. That’s why they shouldn’t work for free. It’s wrong; it’s unfair; and even if we could all afford it (I can; I’m one of the lucky ones who doesn’t have to worry too much about breaking even); if we don’t respect ourselves and value the work we do, then how the hell can we expect to receive respect from anyone else?