Great Blog for fans of Science Fiction Romance

Sometimes I miss the best stuff online. I guess it is a talent, sorta like my uncanny ability to choose the slowest checkout line, and this talent often shines when I am in a hurry. Today, I want to mention The Galaxy Express, a blog by Heather Massey, which apparently began a couple of years ago.

While researching the works of a favorite author who writes science fiction romance, I happened upon this content rich wonder. Although I haven't read all of it, I have perused enough to go ahead and provide a link to it. Thus far I have enjoyed some reviews, some news, an interview with author and pilot, Susan Grant, and some posts which mirror topics I covered in earlier entries of Pam's Pages. A post with a topic similar to one of my posts is What's in a Name? There's a thoughtful article on cover art, which I blogged about when Trinity on Tylos was in the works. Recently, I re-read and blogged about Heinlein's Friday; here's her take on the same groundbreaking novel, and she wrote her entry two years before I wrote mine. And hers is better, darn it. Some years ago, I made a speech where in I stated that a villain is the key to a great story. Heather's post, "Got Villain?" is on the same topic, but with a different slant, of course.

The Galaxy Express has other good "article posts" as well as news about science fiction romance. Authors who are mentioned run the gamut from the fabulous Lois McMaster Bujold, who authored some of the first SFR titles that I enjoyed, to some of my recent favorites, including Pauline Baird Jones, who is releasing a sequel to The Key soon.

I probably should gush some more, since I am enjoying this new find, but I it's time to stop writing and get back to reading.

Bye!

So, you want to be published. What now?

Sometimes folks ask me about my publishing experience. Generally, I say that it is fun, but there is no money in it, which really does reflect my experience. There is much more to tell, but Voltaire once said that the secret for being a bore is “to tell everything” so I usually keep it brief. However, some people want more information and ask. In that case, I’ll gladly tell all, and after six years I have a good bit to tell. Recently, erotic romance writer December Quinn, who has published more books than I have, and who has many “coming soon” titles, has done an exemplary job of explaining what to look for when seeking a publisher on her blog. This is multi part series which will run this summer, and I am linking to the first post. Once you are on her blog, you’ll no doubt find the other posts in the series, which I can’t recommend enough. She has covered almost all the bases and promises more to come.

If you are in the early stages of writing or are just beginning to explore publishing what you’ve already written, a writer’s conference can be a great help. Some of these offer agent evaluations of your work. If there isn’t a conference near you, or you don’t have the money, an online writer’s conference such as Muse It Up might help. I’ve heard some good things about this one.

I’ve mentioned some other resources for writers in previous blogs or on my website, including the Writer’s Beware blog and HiPiers.com, science fiction author Piers Anthony’s site, which has an informative section on internet publishing. When looking at internet sources such as forums and blogs, do be aware that some writers, for reasons I can’t fathom, are “cheerleaders” who will refute any negative information which is posted about their publisher, even if the negatives are accurate and should be considered by authors prior to signing a contract.

Anyone who asks me about my publishers will get straight answers, since honesty was drilled into me at Papa Dodd’s knee. For POD, Booklocker tells you up front how much it is going to cost. They charge out the ying-yang for corrections, but they never lie about it. The biggest downside is few reviewers will accept a POD, so it is hard to publicize these books outside the writer's circle of acquaintances. WCP is a mixed bag, wherein some authors are happy and others have paid or begged out of their contracts to seek better distribution and higher royalties. Gardenia Press, which once had a contract on The Gift Horse, was a publishing nightmare, but even they had some cheerleaders.

There are many opportunities for those who want to be published, via print on demand, ePublishing, and small presses, but be careful out there. As the old saying goes, it’s a jungle.

Want to know more about writing?

I’m always looking for great resources for myself and for other writers and wannabes, so I have a couple to share this week. One is online, and for the other one, you will need to either live in northeastern Georgia or be willing to travel here for a long weekend. Hey, this is a nice spot for a mini-vacation, so do consider it.

Authors Victoria Strauss and A.C. Crispin maintain a Writer Beware blog which goes along with their Writer Beware website, and it offers up-to-date information for writers of all levels of experience, but since newbies are often the ones who fall prey to scammers, anyone new to seeking publication should visit and revisit this blog. The authors have links to their latest publications, which is natural, and links to other helpful resources. I was especially impressed with their “two thumbs down” lists of agents and publishers to avoid. If you are remotely interested in writing for publication or in the publishing business, pay a visit to this one.

I recently received a brochure from the newly resurrected Harriette Austin Writer’s Conference, which will be held in July in Athens, Georgia. This conference was the first stop on my own journey toward publication, and the new website looks better than ever. The featured speakers for this year’s conference are Terry Kay, Ralph McInerny, and Peter Reinhart. Among those presenting at small groups is Bob Mayer, one of my favorite conference speakers, and a jim-dandy writer of science fiction and military fiction thrillers. This event is held at the UGA Continuing Education Center on the campus of the University of Georgia. If you are new to writing or want to advance your skills, this is great place to begin.

Year Three

Have you noticed that people either go through life looking through the windshield, i.e. looking forward, or in the rear-view mirror, i.e. looking backward? One of my close relatives seems to have her eyes fixed upon that rear view, evidenced by her constantly talking about people I haven’t seen or heard from in thirty years. I find that somewhat irritating, so let me say that I won’t be looking backward at my blog. For that, just see the archives.

Looking forward, I know that I’ll be a guest at Sci Fi Summer Con, and that Chris Barber will be joining me for a promising panel topic, “How to Torment Your Characters” which should be entertaining for the audience and for us. I’ve been told that Living Jackson magazine has placed Trinity on Tylos on their book review calendar for later this year, and I hope that spurs some sales for local vendors who stock it.

I’m hoping that my career as adjunct instructor of English will continue, since I am enjoying that. One goal for 2007 is to brush up another manuscript or two and send out some queries. Sales of my current offerings have been slow, so I don’t feel much pressure to get something “out there.” My publisher has only a two year contract on Trinity on Tylos, so that book may be out of print by next February.

Our children are growing up, which will mean some changes in our household, including more financial pressures, which is another good reason to put publishing on the back burner and give more lucrative projects my attention for the next few months (or years.)

As for those of you who read Pam’s Pages from time to time, I appreciate your interest, and I do intend to keep posting on a regular basis. Due to these shifting priorites, the topics will probably venture beyond publishing with more frequency, but I am always reading books and trying to keep up with the publishing industry, so I won’t be abandoning either of those entirely. Science fiction is still one of my favorite genres in print or on the screen, so expect comments on that as well.

What you won’t read are more personal topics which might either bore or offend certain readers. One of my friends says I need to create an anonymous online persona for that, and I am quite intrigued with that idea. Just who will I become when I decide to start that more controversial, “tell all” exposé blogging experience?

Author blogs

I began Pam’s Pages last May, in part as an experiment in marketing. Having up to date web content is a bit challenging, but the great blogging sites available make updating web content about as simple as writing a diary entry was in my youth. Of course, we couldn’t upload pictures, and we were rather selective about who saw the contents of our diaries. The public aspect of blogging is still ackward for me, because I tend to be the same online as I am in person— straightforward and sometimes brutally honest. However, I hope that readers who have discovered Pam’s Pages have found it both entertaining and informative.

During April, my goal was promote my website and my writing, including online publicity efforts. I’ve submitted my web addy to several more directories and sites; I’ve offered review copies of Trinity to some additional review sites; and I have approached the event directors of a couple of science fiction conventions, seeking guest status. I’m still working on those, so I’ll wait to write a post about that. Hopefully some of these activities will help garner some sales and build interest in my writing, but I’ve already discovered an unexpected benefit: new writers’ sites and their blogs.

After signing on as a book reviewer for Round Table Reviews— a site I discovered while looking for promotional opportunities— I got my first assignment: Rhiana by Michele Hauf. Her web addy is michelehauf.com, and her work is quite interesting. Fans of fantasy or paranormal romance should check out her Changling series. I’d read a couple of books by John Ringo, a prolific Baen books science fiction writer, for a few years, but now I’ve seen his website, featuring some unpublished essays and many links. BTW, Ringo is a fellow resident of Jackson County, GA.(Okay, he was before his divorce. That happens, I guess.)

Susan Grant is another author with a great web presence. I’ve been reading her work since her debut novel, Once a Pirate, a time-travel romance, was published by Love Spell. Grant writes stories which are more romance than science fiction, but often her characters have something to do with aviation, because Grant’s day job is being an airline pilot. My personal favorite of her work is another stand alone, Contact, and she has written a couple of series along with a few short stories. See her webpage at susangrant.com. One of her blogs, Come Fly With Me, is highly entertaining, and you don’t have to be a fan of sci-fi or romance to enjoy it.

As I work on other projects, I may not meet my once a week goal for posting entries on Pam’s Pages, but I’m sure to share a bit of what’s on my mind from time to time. This is my Anniversary Post, and I hope you enjoy visiting enough to return to see what happens with me and my writing for another year.

Being PC

I did a bit of surgery on this blog just now, so if you seem to remember entries that used to be here and do not find them, that is the beauty of the internet. Things in print are read over and over because they are a bit more permanent. Words written with electrons on a screen are ephemeral.

Basically, I cut out items which mentioned my family. My real one, that is. My blog will be politically correct from now on. Lean, trim, and (alas) much more devoid of character.

You can't have everything.

POD revisited

If you're looking for info on buying my latest book, check out my website and click on the Events button for upcoming booksignings and a link to my publisher's website.

I've been doing a bit of research and I ran across a simply wonderful blog. It's by an anonymous published author who is on a quest to find the very best print on demand (that's POD) books. Since there are many, many such books being printed, and lots of them are really bad, this person has some work ahead. Unfortunately, the low costs associated with producing these books means that almost anyone can get into print, and quite a few of them don't deserve to be there. But there is some buried treasure, and this site has 50 books with detailed reviews to explain why they're great books.

In the opening entry, Pod-dy Mouth explains that the five big New York publishers aren't interested in books which sell in smaller numbers. So what's an author to do if a really good book is rejected by larger publishers or the agents who can get it there? Throw it in the trash? The alternatives fall into three vague categories. First, try a small (maybe really small) publisher. This can take years and years, b/c most of publishers take a few months to respond to a manuscript, and if it isn't accepted, then it has to move on to the next one. Second, try an e-publisher—and some of these also offer paperbacks, so they sort of blend into the first category. Or, third, cut out the middle guy and do POD. More and more folks are tiring of the shop it around for a few years approach and accepting the trade-offs associated with being "self-published."

When I decided to use Booklocker to publish The Gift Horse, it was a little like having a baby and abandoning it on the steps of a church in a basket. I felt that I sentenced it to the stigma of POD and low sales. However, the doggone thing continues to sell after two years in print, and some of the mass market paperbacks from two years ago are selling for .o1 at the used booksellers who list their wares on Amazon. So, as I concluded in my previous post on this topic, I can't say the decision was all bad.

My second novel, Trinity on Tylos, is published by an eBook publisher, but they do offer the paperback option to authors who are willing to pay a small set up fee. I gladly wrote that check in order to have books to sell locally. Since my first novel sold two eBook copies—and one of those was to me!— I'll be curious to see my sales figures. WCP does list their books with Fictionwise, and I've heard that greatly increases sales of eBooks.

Time will tell. In the meantime, do check out the Pod-dy Mouth blog. I've spent some time there this weekend, and I will be returning, because there are reviews, interviews, and the blog entries as well. It's lots of fun for struggling authors and readers looking for something different.

Welcome

Welcome to my new blog. This is an up and coming method of communication, so I'm trying it out. Certainly, many readers have asked when my new book is coming out, what is going on with The Gift Horse, and just what is going on with my writing career, so I hope to keep readers apprised via this method.

The Gift Horse has sold well, but it has been out since February 2004, so sales are naturally declining, and I am working on a few other projects. My second "finished" manuscript, a speculative novel with romantic elements, is under serious consideration by a publisher, so I'll let you know via this blog and my website if and when the contract is signed.

Publishers like to read a summary of a novel prior to reading the manuscript, so the synopsis I wrote for Trinity on Tylos is here— hopefully, this will let you know what this new book is about.

Synopsis of Trinity on Tylos

What sacrifices must an officer make to save her shipmates from certain doom? Venice Dylenski, the young security chief of the colonizing ship, Excalibur, is faced with this dilemma after her captain makes a critical error in judgment in an encounter with an alien with superior fire power and a hidden agenda.

Trinity on Tylos opens with a tense scene as Venice experiences an embarrassing moment on a survey mission, one which rules out yet another planet as a hospitable home for their colony. While continuing its search, the Excalibur encounters the Archeons, an alien race characterized by gray-blue skin and a facility for language. The interchange results in Venice and a crewmate, Alathea Duke, being taken captive by the mysterious Archeon captain, Azareel. In short order, he informs them that they will play a critical role in revitalizing his dying race, that of surrogate mothers to genetically engineered Archeon offspring.

Venice, reluctant "to be the next Archeon soccer mom," strives to escape, but her companion seems all too willing to cooperate with their captor. Thus the stage is set for multiple conflicts between human and Archeon, human and human, and humanoids verses the hostile environment of their new planetary home in the Tylos star system.

Trinity on Tylos has the elements of a good space opera: complex characters faced with myriad problems to solve, set in a future where man may have escaped the bounds of his solar system, but not the bonds of human emotions.