Literature

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

First Impressions

Posted: 20 Mar 2012 02:14 PM PDT

I received it last night and wanted to share with all of you. Actually, I thought this would be the perfect time to try out something. We've discussed covers and the importance of your cover many times before. Now, I have my cover to share with you. When I developed this cover with my cover artist I had an idea in mind. I want to depict certain emotions, feelings, and thoughts. This is the very first impression a reader will make regarding your book so it has to carry the right...feel.

How do you like it? What do you think about it? What are your first impressions after seeing it? Does this cover intrigue you or grab your attention?

I'm using my cover as an example for this (although I greatly appreciate any and all feedback) but what is important is that you ask yourself these questions when you begin to design your book cover. You can even ask these questions when you browse through a bookshelf to purchase a book. Many times we look at a cover and make the decision whether or not to investigate further and decide to purchase it or not. Have you ever stopped and thought about that process? What was it about that cover that grabbed your attention? Understanding these details can only help as we write our stories and develop our covers.

Yes, Born of Blood will be released on Friday and I am very excited. Seeing the cover and knowing that the book is complete makes the whole process seem surreal and yes, a little larger than life.

Friday, March 16, 2012

Some Things Need To Change

Posted: 16 Mar 2012 02:33 PM PDT

Okay, I'm stepping up onto my soapbox for a moment. There is a place for all forms of publishing in this world - Indie (small pubs), big pubs, self-publishing...they all serve a purpose. Of these three self-publishing is consider the black sheep and rightfully so. The industry of self-publishing has done very little to fix this perception and, in fact, has gone to great lengths to confirm it. I truly believe there are strong writers out there with really good books who decide to try self-publishing for any number of reasons only to be ridiculed because of the path they're following.

A great number of companies that operate in this part of the industry are committing a major injustice to these authors and many other new authors every day. It starts with the less than efficient editing services offered then carries over to the generic cover handed out with little thought. If those two are not bad enough this next part is almost criminal. Authors pay for these "packages" and the end result is not only a poorly edited book with a lackluster cover but these authors are given a "website" in which to help market and promote their book. On the surface that may sound like a great deal but, as they say, the devil is in the details.

Why do I mention this? A friend of mine asked me for help with her site. She wanted to add a Twitter button to her website so readers can follow her on Twitter. That is a reasonable request and good idea. I go to her site and check it out. I will say it is very nice to look at but lacking in a great deal of information. For example, there are no links to Twitter, Facebook, or buy links other then the publishers bookstore. Even her 'About the Author' page is very limited with information. No, this is not a 'bash the author's site' moment because it is not her fault. She already told me that working with sites and things like this made her uncomfortable as it does many people. Anyway, I logged in to see what I could do and discovered that not only did the publisher design the site they also secured the code and widgets to prevent modification of the site. That's right, she paid for the site but she is not allowed to update, add to, or modify her own site. This is simply not right!

I mentioned the buy link for a reason too. She paid for a publishing package and on top of that the company is also taking a percentage of each purchase. You know they are. I consider this to be double dipping.

If self -publishing companies and the authors that venture down this road want to step out of the shadows and the bad reputation surrounding self-publishing these practices must change. Authors need to be very careful when dealing with self-publishing companies and really study these "packages" before purchasing them. If anything, make sure you have full access to your website and understand how they set it up. Even if my friend had access to her site I'm not confident she could modify it because of the complex nature of the code structure. Authors deserve better than this. Be careful out there.

Stepping down from my soapbox.

Thursday, March 1, 2012

Author, Writer Tag ....You're It!

Posted: 01 Mar 2012 02:46 PM PST

One of my brilliant fellow MuseItUp Authors, Barbara Bockman, tagged me on her blog to join in a blogging game. It did and now I'm passing the game along to you. See below for the rest...go ahead, you know you want to.

I answered the questions and I hope you will also play.

Rules/questioned copied are in bold.

The Tag rules:
1. You must post the rules!
2. Answer the questions.
3. Tag eleven people and link to them.
4. Let them know you've tagged them.

Questions to answer:
If you could live in a fictional world, where would that be? Middle Earth! Hang on, the four lands of Shannara would be a nice place too.

Do you read in noisy or quiet places? I read in the living room, kitchen, bathroom (a lot), and anywhere really. It really doesn't bother me if there is noise in the background or dead silence. If I'm in the book I'm there.

What was the first book you ever read? That was a long time ago. I really enjoyed mystery stories when I was a kid. Before that I read the Berenstain Bears.

If you could only read one book for the rest of your life, what would it be? Hands down, the Bible.

Favourite author? Good grief, this could be a long list. Terry Brooks, Tolkien, Jordan, Feist...to name a few.

Do reviews influence your choice of reads? Not really, no. I listen to what others are saying but it really comes down to my feelings about the title and back page write up.

Fiction or Non fiction? Fiction.

Have you ever met your favourite author? Alas, I have not....maybe one day.

Audio books or Paperbacks? I like paperback but eBooks have moved up to second place now.

Classic or Modern Novels? Both. I prefer Fantasy but let's be honest, Poe, Hemingway, and Shakespeare delivered some really great work.

Book Groups or Solitary Reading? Solitary. Although I do enjoy discussing books with my wife.

People to tag? Ah!
Join only if you think you could use this excursion in your life. And let me know if you do.

Clifton Hill
Icy Sedgwick
Eric (working My Muse)
Bryan Thomas Schmidt
80s Queen (Yes, you know who you are!)

Don't forget YOU'VE BEEN TAGGED. I hope to hear from you soon with the link to your posting.

If your name isn't on the list, and you want to play, join in and send me your link.

Thanks, Barbara, for tagging me and letting me play along.

Sunday, February 26, 2012

The Reviews Are Coming In!

Posted: 26 Feb 2012 11:10 AM PST

I will admit that after all the hard work we, as writers, put in to getting our ideas to stories along with the great effort of finding a publisher or agent it is a major relief when you receive positive feedback. I recently received two reviews for my debut novel Born of Blood and I had to share them here with all of you.

"Born of Blood is a keenly-crafted thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the last page is turned, the last word eagerly consumed. SB Knight knows how to keep the blood pounding and the suspense building. And just when you think you know everything... Step aside Stephen King and Dean Koontz, there's a new kid in town and his destination is keeper shelves everywhere. Let's hope Born of Blood is just the tip of Knight's creative iceberg!" ~ Rebecca Sinclair, Bestselling Author
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"If the topic of supernatural and mysterious has always intrigued and fascinated you, Born of Blood is the book for you. Surprising revelations, well-written characters, pulse-pounding suspense will make you want to keep turning page after page. SB Knight did a magnificent job with the plot of the novel and the imaginative and eloquent use of language that made the characters and the world around them three-dimensional at its best." ~ CA Milson - Film writer, producer, and author