Another Cautionary Tale for Aspiring Writers

[NOTE: This posting is in lieu of the regular Interesting Postings from Other Websites.]

Back on 16 July I posted My Own Cautionary Tale for Aspiring Writers to warn them about some of the less reputable independent publishers in the industry. Sadly, sometimes you even have to be careful with the more reputable publishers as is detailed in The Curious Case of Ellora's Cave.

For those unfamiliar with Ellora's Cave, the publishing house was established in 2000 in the days before the Kindle and Nook, and quickly carved out an empire for itself by selling PDF books via email in the erotica genre. That empire is now crashing down around the company and, sadly, its stable of writers because of greed, fraud, and mismanagement. While this case is an exception within the industry, it's worth any author's time to get to know the details.

Status Update

I know it's been awhile since I've updated my status.  Things have been hectic lately between my writing, helping a dear friend review her manuscript, and dealing with personal and health issues.  Most of those are behind me now, so it's time to get caught up.

This past month I reviewed the proofs for Rotter World and returned them to Permuted Press.  The book is going into final preparation and should be available soon.  I'll post updates as they become available.

I also finished the final draft of my fifth manuscript, Yeitso, which is my homage to the 1950s B-grade monster movies I grew up with as a Monster Kid.  I am currently seeking a publisher for that.

This week I'll be starting my next novel, Hell Gate, which will be my first foray into the young adult genre. 

The schedule of events for Ravencon, which will be held 13-15 April 2012 in Richmond, Virginia, is being prepared as I write this.  Once the list of events is complete, I'll post about which panels I'll be sitting on. 

I will also be attending Crypticon in Seattle, Washington on 25-27 May and Infectscranton in Scranton, Pennsylvania on 21-22 September.  I'll post more on these and other events as they draw closer.

That's it for now.  Things are progressing to get very busy for the next year.  I hope to see some of you at the conventions and books signings.

Upcoming Events for 2012

I have not been on line as much the past few weeks as I would have liked, mostly because I've been preoccupied between my day job and crashing to finish my latest novel.  Most of that is behind me, so now I concentrate on looking ahead.  This year promises to be very successful. 

Rotter World, my first zombie novel, will be published by Permuted Press sometime in April or May.  I am finishing up the final revision of Yeitso, my tribute to the B-grade monster movies of the 1950s that I loved as a Monster Kid (and still do).  Hopefully within the next few months I will begin work on my sixth novel, Hell Gates, a young adult dark fantasy set in a post-apocalyptic world where the boundaries between earth and Hell collapse, allowing the two worlds to merge. 

In the short story category, I have "The Last Flight of the Bismarck" (steampunk zombies) is currently with a publisher, and I should hopefully be hearing back soon.  Another short story, "Recognition" (a zombie apocalypse told from the living dead's point of view), is ready for submission, and I am looking around for the right publisher.  Plus I have several more ideas I'm hoping to develop in 2012.

I will also be attending several conventions this year as a guest.  Among them will be Ravencon 2012 in Chesterfield, Virginia from 13-15 April and Crypticon in Seattle, Washington from 25-27 May where I will be sitting at the Permuted Press table.  I hope to make appearances at several others, including HorrorFind 2012, as well as hold more book signings.  As always, I will keep you posted on developments.

That's it for now.  I thank my family, friends, and fans for all their support.  And I look forward to all the new people I will meet this year.

Good News for Authors

There was in interesting article in today’s The New York Times about the publishing industry (see Julie Bosman’s “Publishing Gives Hints of Revival, Data Shows”) which offers encouraging news to authors. According to a survey that was released 9 August by BookStats, the publishing industry generated net revenue of $27.9 billion in 2010, an increase of 5.6 percent over 2008. One of the strongest growths was in the adult fiction market, which witnessed an 8.8 revenue increase in the last three years.

E-books jumped from 0.6 percent of the total trade market in 2008 to 6.4 percent in 2010, with the strongest sales in genre titles (romance, mystery, and thrillers). In 2010, 114 million e-books were sold. Hardcover books and trade paperbacks saw slight drops in the market shares.

The article also noted that many publishers are experimenting with various multi-media products that go beyond the traditional book.

What this means for us authors is that the market is still vibrant and very much alive (unlike the creatures I write about). So, as my friend Clint says: "Write or die!"