Moving Forward

art, books, fantasy, horror, Publishing, Vampires, writing 1 Minute

 

So it looks like it’s really going to happen, I’m really going to unleash Andrej, Neko, and Anne-Marie on the world, probably late this summer. This is, quite frankly, terrifying. Honest to dog, I don’t know how I’m going to make myself do all the obligatory marketing and selling. I don’t want to become “that author” who endlessly tweets nothing but ‘buy my book!’ tweets.

But first, I have to get something, some kind of descriptors or keywords to my cover artist so he can get started on the painting (yes, not CGI. I’ve seen some really dreadful covers done in CGI). :::chews nails::: This is much harder than I thought it would be. There are the obvious things: vampires, Prague, the three main characters. I really have no clear vision of what I want on the cover so I’ll wait and see what he comes up with. I’m still not entirely sure what all he’s going to do as far as creating the digital version of the painting. So many details still to work out. I hope to have a contract in the next day or two.

I’m rethinking how/where I’m going to release the book. I had initially figured I’d go KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing) but now I’m thinking Smashwords who can distribute to iTunes and loads of others, including Kobo (since that’s the kind of ereader I have).

Oh god I feel like Kermit.

Published by D. D. Syrdal

Writer of vampire stories and science fiction. First novel, "Revenants Abroad", available now at Amazon. If you like a vampire you can go out drinking with and still respect yourself in the morning, I think you'd like Andrej.

Published

15 thoughts on “Moving Forward”

  3. Hi DD, I agree with Karen and congratulation! You are almost there just one more step than boom! So you better not chicken out. You have been working so hard for this very day and place too much time and effort into this. Nope nope get your self publish hon your stories are worth reading in a wider scale then blog community!

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    1. Thank you, Lora! I think you’ve always been my biggest fan 🙂 I’m sure I’ll go ahead and publish it, I just have moments of panic when I think I want to rewrite the entire thing from the first page! I’m sure it could be better, but I want to be done with this one and move on to the next.

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    2. I agree w/Lora 1000% – can’t wait to see the finished copy on my Kobo!!!!! BTW, in addition to “the obvious things: vampires, Prague, the three main characters,” don’t forget that it’s the Prague of the future (25th century, IIRC ?) – do you want the cover art to hint @ that, to attract readers who like futuristic fiction ?

      you’re my inspiration – Kermit Rules!!!!

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      1. Thanks, Bunny! I’m not really emphasizing the future setting, since I don’t think it really impacts the story, like the skyline of Prague is still largely what we know it as today. The roughs I got from the artist are emphasizing the architecture in Prague, which is good and pretty much what I was envisioning for the cover. I did more muppet flailing when I got them 😉

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  4. I’m so excited for you, DD! This really seems to be the right path for you, and I’m sure everyone here will be cheering you along.

    If, on the other hand, you decide it’s not the right path for you, and decide not to, that’s okay, too. Just don’t not do it for the wrong reason.

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    1. Thank you, Tasha! I like that, “don’t not do it for the wrong reason.” I will keep that in mind. But you know how you get those moments of self-doubt when you feel like a total fraud and should probably just give up writing entirely. Of course we never will, it’s encoded in our DNA, but it’s hard to feel confident all the time.

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    1. Thank you, Eric! Well, don’t put me up on too high of a pedestal because a) I’m afraid of heights, and b) there’s a good chance the whole thing will crash and burn. It’d be nice if I didn’t have too far to fall 😉

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  6. Yay, DD! Once you get this first published novel under your belt, you’ll feel like a million bucks and the rest will be a piece of cake. 🙂 Even if it makes you feel like throwing up, just do it! Hugs!

    Question: what is CGI?

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    1. Thank you, Lis’Anne! Haven’t felt the need to bow to the porcelain goddess, but that may come later 😉 CGI is Computer Generated Image, like this . I have no idea if that’s a real book or just something someone threw together to illustrate the point. You can search on “Bad CGI” and you’ll get some great (laughable) stuff.

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