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My Tortuous Road to Publication
I’m not sure exactly when I had the idea of writing a fantasy novel, though it must have been sometime after July 1977, because that’s when I bought and read Terry Brooks’ The Sword of Shannara.It wasn’t the story that inspired me, though. I’d read a huge amount of fantasy by then and found the plot to be too close to The…
My Tortuous Path to Publication
I’m not sure exactly when I had the idea of writing a fantasy novel, though it must have been sometime after July 1977, because that’s when I bought and read Terry Brooks’ The Sword of Shannara.It wasn’t the story that inspired me, though. I’d read a huge amount of fantasy by then and found the plot to be too close…
Reaching your Readers Part 1
How does one reach one's readers and fans to tell them about a new book? I've been a full-time novelist for 12 years now, and this is one of the questions that most vexes me.It's easy for readers to contact me. My email address is in all my books and on my website, and can be googled in an instant. I…
Supanova Brisbane
I'm off to Supanova shortly and looking forward to it very much, http://www.supanova.com.au/. For those who don't know about Supanova, it's an Aussie popular culture expo where the guests are either:Stars from various SF and fantasy movies and TV shows. This time they include Val Kilmer (Batman), Christopher Lloyd (Doc from Back to the Future), Colin Morgan (Merlin from the TV…
The Truth About Publishing – 15
Lesson 14: Putting your money where your manuscript isDespite what the hucksters say, it’s better for a publisher to publish your novel than for you to do it yourself. Why? Because publishers have a vast knowledge of the market and what it takes to succeed in it. You don’t, and this knowledge of book editing, cover design, placement and marketing…