Dandelyon's Worlds

The other day I followed someone's squib on facebook to a set of pictures. They had some comment about the power of nature or somesuch, but I was struck by the beauty in the pictures. I thought, I should set a story or two in places like this. Then I wrote a poem. A day later I tweaked it a bit and sent it out into the world.

And it was accepted!

The preliminary word is that it will appear in Everyday Poets sometime in June.

Sometimes things just work
The inspiration is clear
And the story flows

I've been doing this writing thing long enough now to know that the words that flow like a gift or a blessing aren't magic. They always follow on times when I worked and worked on my craft, pushing past my limits, often without a particularly good result. If they are a gift, they are a gift I gave myself, a reward for persevering when the going gets rough, proof that I've learned something I didn't know before and am ready to move on to something harder.

I don't know what "harder thing" is next yet, though...

I started a Zazzle store last night. Not much there, but you're welcome to check it out.  If it's not there right away, it should be soon, the directions say it can take up to 24 hours for items to appear, and I have no experience with how long it usually takes within that window.

Also, I just got an e-mail stating that on some items--white shirts and mouse pads included--the discount code EASYGIFTIDEA will give you 30% off (for a limited time). So if you want one, you're welcome to get it on sale!

http://www.zazzle.com/wyld_dandelyon

http://www.zazzle.com/angry_tree_tshirt-23542671782164088

http://www.zazzle.com/island_city_mousepad-144744081301695

http://www.zazzle.com/city_in_the_clouds_mousepad-1445293738987

If anyone has tips on how to make the best use of Zazzle, I'm happy to listen.

The story that RJ Astruc and I wrote for this anthology, Scrapheap Angel, started with a friendship on LJ.  RJ asked if anyone wanted to collaborate on a story, and I thought what the heck.  I've had both very good experiences collaborating and experiences that, well, didn't work out.  Anyway, we chatted a while on Skype--well, she chatted and I typed, since I couldn't get that old laptop to pick up audio no way no how.  And then we took turns writing.  Finally, happily, the editor liked it!

The book goes on sale today, and if you're inclined to buy it--for yourself or as a gift--please consider ordering today.  A good first day showing can make a big difference to a book's success in the marketplace.

You can order Subversion:  Science Fiction & Fantasy Tales of Challenging the Norm  here: 

http://www.amazon.com/dp/0615533299  (PRINT)
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B006GG90JE  (EBOOK)

In honor of this release, I'm announcing a contest--If during the month of December you review any of the three anthologies that my stories appeared in this year (Family Ties & Torn Skies, Re-Vamp, and Subversion) on your Amazon, Goodreads, a similar venue and/or on your blog, and leave a link here, I'll enter you into a drawing for however many SF&F books from my library I can mail to you for $10 US (That's a medium flat rate box if you're in the US).  The winner will get a chance to share their preferences as to authors and/or sub-genres before I raid my bookshelves to choose the prizes.

I suppose I should share links for finding the other books:

Family Ties & Torn Skies   This can also be found on Amazon.

Re-Vamp:
+Amazon paperback (US edition)
+Lulu paperback (worldwide edition)
+Amazon Kindle
+Smashwords (ebook, multiformat)

I'll pick a winner on January 1st--two winners, if you guys really blow me away with the number of reviews!

If you are inclined to boost this signal, please feel free, and thank you.

It's now past midnight on Oct 31st in the UK which means... it's ALIIIIVE!

Re-Vamp includes my drabble, Sometimes They Do.

You can purchase it in paper or e-form directly from the publishers or through Amazon, Lulu, or Smashwords:

http://maddocsoflit.com/

Amazon paperback (US edition)
http://www.amazon.com/Re-Vamp-Mad-Doctors-Literature/dp/1466407492/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1319999703&sr=1-2

Lulu paperback (worldwide edition)
http://www.lulu.com/content/paperback-book/re-vamp/11693059

Amazon Kindle
http://www.amazon.com/Re-Vamp-ebook/dp/B005UGJYEC/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1319999673&sr=8-2

Smashwords (ebook, multiformat)
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/94535

For those who care about the cover art (an excerpt of which was used for the flyer below), I'm told that Smashwords required the publishers to shrink the art, so the paper edition Lulu cover is printed from a higher-resolution file. 



Happy Halloween, everybody!

Over at http://www.dreamfarmer.net/?p=433 (which I'm following on my LJ friends page through some mysterious RSS-feed magic) Chrysoula Tzavela wrote, "I don’t like the popularity of the idea that you have to blog to sell fiction. I don’t like the focus put on crafting the perfect query, either. They seem equivalent to me. It might be helpful, but a lot depends on the audience and persistence and luck and patience and focusing on something that isn’t your fiction."

Part of me agrees with her. It's the story that matters, right?

But we all can cite award-winning stories that were rejected time and time again, from A Wrinkle in Time to Harry Potter. This is nothing new--plenty of people rejected Van Gogh's paintings in his lifetime. He didn't find his audience, though eventually his paintings did.  I wonder, if he'd had the internet, might things have been different? 

Another part of me chimes in, still wanting to simply agree with her.  I want to say, "I don't like the popularity of the idea that you have to dress for success. Your work at the day job should stand for itself!"  Even after all these years, it bothers me that putting on a costume (a suit is definitely a costume!) can be enough to convince people to take you seriously. But I know that, so long as the suit's message (that I'm professional and intelligent and competent) is true, it works.

The suit isn't what makes me good at my job--but it matters because it facilitates creating the business relationships that I need so I get to do the day job.

So, what does this have to do with blogging? Over at crowdfunding , I hear again and again that people are more likely to fund a project or tip an artist if they feel a connection with the writer or artist.  I hear this from the occasional patron who's not too shy to speak out in public, and I hear this from the creators who see, over and over, that people are more likely to click on that virtual tip hat if they like and feel welcomed by the creator.  Like the people who need a lawyer, who want to meet and shake hands with someone before hiring them, many readers and viewers like to get a sense of who they're dealing with before they spend their money on the work itself. 

Will a blog sell your stories or art if the work isn't good?  I doubt even the greatest blog has that power.  After all, the most expensive custom suit won't convince a client to keep a lawyer if they find the lawyer isn't doing a good job.  And unlike the law, when it comes to creative ventures, each viewer is the only expert on whether they liked a painting or enjoyed a story.  If you don't give your readers their money's worth, they'll send that money to someone who does.

But there's lots of writers and artists out there.  A blog can help a reader to decide if the stuff you write is likely to be something they're interested in spending their time on.  And a blog gives people a way to tell their friends how to find you, if (like Van Gogh) you don't have a
publicist to help you find your audience.

One of my current favorite books is Feed by Mira Grant/Seanan McGuire.  It's a zombie book, which is normally the kiss of death for me--zombies are icky, ugly, and stupid.  I don't see the attraction.  But Seanan was blogging, while she wrote the book she was then calling Newsflesh, about epidemiology.  Epidemiology isn't about beauty--but it's complex and fascinating.  I look at a book inspired by epidemiology quite differently than I look at "a zombie book".  Seanan's blog helped that book to find at least one audience member who would have ignored it otherwise. 

Is it worth spending time on a blog instead of your primary art form?  That's a question each person has to answer for themselves.  Certainly a blog is not the only way to be persistent, and it is also not the only way to try to luck into finding the right audience. 

However, when it come to "expected" ways to present yourself to people who might hire you, I have to say blogging beats the heck out of wearing a suit!

By an e-mail from the anthology that was holding one of my favorite stories from last year for final consideration. I held my breath, opening it.

The rejection was complimentary--but still, they had more stories they really liked than book to fill, and I have to find another market for mine.

Having chatted with ellenmillion during the selection process for the Torn World anthology, even though she was making all of the final decisions, I really empathize with the editor in question.  But still, it took a lot of the wind out of my sails yesterday.

Oh, well.  Gotta move on.

In other news, Ellen will be ordering the first print run this week sometime, as soon as the proof comes in (it's already behind schedule, so she won't dawdle).  You can preorder it at www.tornworld.net if you want to.

If you want to buy one from me in person, let me know!  I want to order enough wholesale to make sure my friends can buy copies, if they want them.  But having been unemployed for so long, and with a garage to take down (by City order) and now a huge tree to trim too (when did the City get so interested in my property?) I don't want to overspend...

Certain parts of life would be SO much easier if I were rich.

Oh, and there's a poem that could be sponsored in Torn World credits or at my website www.wyld-dandelyon.com:  The Sea Calls, $8.  Just in case anyone who's read this far is interested.

Soon we will have to decide on the size of the initial print run for the book. So, ellenmillion  says to me, You're taking books to conventions to sell and sign and offer to book sellers to take out into the wild, and time permitting, you're going to try to set up readings in friendly local bookstores and maybe libraries . . . so, how many books do you need?

And I'm stumped! I really don't know what to expect.  So I thought I'd ask you for help.

I'm not trying to talk anyone out of preordering on the site.  If you want to download the PDF version right now, while you get it free with the hard copy, that's the way to go.

And I'm not into a hard sell--I hope you'll all look at the book, because I believe in it, and because I enjoy sharing things with my friends--but don't buy it unless you want it.

If you do want it, however, and you want to avoid shipping costs, or just prefer to buy in person--I still have to come up with a number for Ellen, and that's where talking to you now comes in.

The retail cost of books is $14.99, with ten percent off for Torn World subscribers. I'm also willing to give the same discount to people who've sponsored any of my work online.

So--I'll be at Wiscon (though having the books there is a long shot), Duckon, Musecon, and Windycon for sure. Other cons are possible, if the driving time's not too far--I won't have vacation days for a year.

If you know now that you want to buy direct from me at one of these cons or any other gatherings that I might normally attend (such as Milwaukee housefilks), you can help me out!  Just let me know how many copies you want, and when/where you want them, and I'll make sure to order enough copies so I can reserve your copy/copies for you.  To say nothing of not having enough with me at the event you'll be at.  You can leave a comment here, or send a message on LJ or facebook or at the Torn World forums--or even send an e-mail if you know it.  ill put your name on my list and you can pay me when you get the book.

You can also help me out another way--if you know an independent bookstore that might like to sell the book, or someplace that would be a good venue for a reading, please let me or ellenmillion  know about them and let them know about us.  I'm planning to find time to go by local (Milwaukee, Madison, and Chicago, at least) stores in person, as many as I can identify, though I doubtless won't get to all of them as fast as I would have if I were still unemployed.

Thank you in advance for any advice, information, and (of course) orders!  I've really appreciated all of your support in the last couple of years.

P.S.  If you qualify for the discount, tell me that too, so I can keep track.

And I have a story in it! http://crossedgenres.com/archives/022-bildungsroman/  You can buy your own copy, if you want.

And I'd love to hear what you think!

Somehow in packing for the convention, I missed the e-mail from Crossed Genres telling me they want to publish my story Vibrations of Battle, Vibrations of Joy. I discovered this while checking my e-mail shortly before midnight on the day prior to my birthday, during the filk.

So today, after work, I printed out the contract, went over their suggested edits, and wrote a bitty bio.

But I'm still tired; my throat is still scratchy, and I haven't even skimmed most of today's LJ.  Hopefully I'm just catching up from being unable to sleep well at the con, and not coming down with something.  But the Musecon report will have to wait.

Sleep well, everyone!

I was taking recycling out to the bin in the yard, and opened my door to a bright, sunny day--with wet sidewalks. Stepping out, I realized there were gleaming, shining raindrops falling through the air -- and on my head. Which meant my bluetooth and cell phone were in danger. I ducked back inside, but then went out again without the technology to enjoy the pretty.

Sadly, protecting the phone also meant protecting the camera! So I have no pictures to share. Can I have a waterproof camera-phone next time? Please?

In writing news, ErgoFiction will be featuring my TornWorld story, Building a Home on Friday, for their "Love is in the Air" theme issue. They're at http://www.ergofiction.com/  And one of the great artists involved in Torn World will be doing a portrait of Lalya in his first dress, though I'm not sure how soon that will be done.

I'll provide links Friday and whenever the portrait is ready for viewing.

And finally, here's one of my roses from a few days ago.  It seems appropriate for the "Love is in the Air" theme!