Monday, May 13, 2013

I have reached a new first

Wow, even for me, this is a long time to go without saying anything. Sorry about that. I haven't posted because there hasn't been anything happening that I can really talk about.

That does mean that yes, things have been happening, but no, I still can't talk about it. Not much. Well, I'll try.

Moving to Amazon has been interesting. They actually pay on a regular basis, which is quite amazing. They also give me breakdowns on where my books are being bought. I'm apparently doing okay in Germany. Yay, Germany!

Amazon is also a lot more proactive at poking authors (at least they've been poking me) and going "Hey, we want to do 'this'. Are you interested?" So far, the answer to this question that I've been asked twice is to say "Sure!" Whereupon they reply with "Great, give us a synopsis and a first chapter and we'll decide whether we want to buy it."

One of these days, my dream is to have someone suggest I write something and actually pay me BEFORE I do it. Dreams....such nebulous dreams...

Project #1 I flat out can't talk about. It doesn't involve just me, so the announcement about it has to wait until Amazon releases it. Yeah, I have no idea when that's going to happen. "Soon," I think.

Project #2 I can give a few details on. It's not solid yet. I'm still getting that synopsis and first chapter to them, so a contract isn't 100% guaranteed and I don't want to jinx it. Call me paranoid. However, it's very likely it will be.

Amazon has asked me to write a new sylph book, separate from book 4 (which they say they're buying anyway. No, I haven't got the contract yet). The format of it is a little different. They want an 8 part serial, each serial being ten thousand words long and ending at a cliffhanger. It's to be released electronically, each serial coming out two weeks apart and then the whole thing being released as a novel afterwards.  The reader only pays once for the whole thing. They're called Kindle Serials and it's the same idea as the ongoing stories in pulp magazines back in the day. Amazon has some of them out already and they're quite popular, but I'm their first stab at a fantasy serial. So I'm busily at work on this one, which from what I understand, they want to release this fall. For publishing, that's an insane turn around.

Given that they also want the book to be able to stand on its own with new readers, I've had to put book six aside while I write it. Six has way too many spoilers for other books, like five. Five of course can't come out until after four, and four they're paying me for anyway, so I'm not interested in turning that one into a set of serials.

The book is called FOR THE LOVE OF A SYLPH and is set after book three and four. I'm not saying what the plot is, but I will say that anyone who remembers the water sylph and battler who were friends in ALPHABET SOUP FOR SYLPHS is going to recognize the leads. This is very much going to be a first as the entire book is written from the point of view of a water sylph. I've always wanted to try something like that. Usually just the battlers get focused on.

So that's what I've been up to, along with working full time, having fun with digital art, and spending way too much time in Minecraft PE or Real Racing 3.

To close, something that's never happened to me before happened yesterday. I was at the Ottawa Comicon and chatting with one of the artists doing commissions there. We got to talking about art and writing and he asked if I was someone he'd have heard of. I said probably not and told him my name.

He'd heard of me.

Forgive the squealing, but NOBODY's heard of me. Not standing face to face. You guys read my blog because you came to find me. This was like meeting one of you randomly on the street.

Yeah, I ended up flailing uselessly. It was great. :)

11 comments:

  1. Squee! I can totally see why you were excited about being recognized that way. Fun!

    I'm just feeling really happy for you...well, ok, for me, because I get to read more Sylph books. But happy for you, too, of course. Heh heh.

    Thanks for sharing all the fascinating Amazon stuff. On thing that happens when I read this kind of thing is I feel both more patience and more anticipation about your upcoming stories.

    Have fun :)

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    1. I'm glad you think so. :) i find it interesting sometimes to point out what the process is, and it means you guys know I'm not just sitting on my butt here. :) Though there is a lot of that...

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  2. Don't take this wrong - I'm happy for you and believe in your sylphs, belief that there is so much more to write about them.

    But.

    I have a Nook Color. Amazon does NOT want my business. Last I checked their site, they had nothing to sell in the epub industry standard.

    Their way or the highway.

    So I'll be there at the shoulder waving as your new sylphs go by.

    At least I was able to get the first three books before they were pulled from Barnes & Noble.

    :P~~~~~~~

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    1. Yeah, I despair that they only release in mobi format too. I think, however, and I won't know for sure until I get my contract of course, that when the serials are all done and it's released as a novel, the novel will be available as a paperback. So people can get it that way too.

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  3. I am a Nook user as well so I was also very disapointed that Amazon got there hands on the series. However, at least the series can continue. Plus you do not have to have a Kindle ... just down the Kindle App on to your phone or computer to read books from Amazon. I'm going to so that just so I can continue to follow the series.

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    1. Right, I should have suggested that, given I read most stuff on my ipad. Oops. Thanks for the idea!

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  4. In my book, Ms. McDonald, you ARE a rock star! I would love to meet you on the street or run into you at a conference, so you wouldn't be the only one flailing wildly. I do appreciate all your updates on the status of the series, as I have been waiting, and waiting, and waiting, for the next book. And I do have a kindle, so I'm ready whenever it's released! Keep writing and know that you have a lot of fans in the woodwork who love your work.

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    1. Thank you so much! :)

      I only have the money to go to nearby cons in Ontario and no one's asked me to 'be' there for anything. I'd love to be one of the guests. Maybe someday.

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  5. SOOO HAPPY!! And will be even happier if it comes out in Print!!

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    1. Me too. I'm really going to try to push for it in my contract. I have next to no power, mind you.

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  6. I'd Squeal and recognize you!!!!

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