I spend a lot of time in medieval Japan. Since I’m not in possession of a time machine (more’s the pity) most of that time gets spent in my head, or in books, but last summer I had the chance to spend a night in a ryokan (a traditional Japanese inn) that came as close as I may ever get to the life my ninja detective, Hiro, would have lived on a daily basis. During my research trip to Japan, I spent the night at Ryokan Iwaso on Miyajima, a sacred island off the coast of Hiroshima. Constructed in 1854,
Read moreMonth: December 2015
Bah, HUMBUG!
December 21, 2015 was official Bah, Humbug! Day – an observance designed to celebrate all things scroogey, grinchey, and holiday-hating. Today is December 22. Which means you missed it. In light of which, I’ll offer you my very best wishes for a happy, blessed, and peaceful holiday season. Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Joyous Kwanzaa, and I hope that whatever you do (or don’t) celebrate at this time of year, you’re able to do it with family, friends, and joy.
Read moreThe Voice We Must Not Listen To*
I have many voices in my head. (Most writers do.) Most of them I created, in one form or another, and for the most part I consider them friends. They populate my manuscripts, existing and prospective. Their voices are known and welcome. But there is another voice in my head, and yours, and the head of every person I’ve ever known or spoken to. Some of us hear it more loudly than others, but if you stop and think, you’ll recognize it’s there. I call it the voice I do not listen to, but that’s really a misnomer because sometimes I listen anyway.
Read moreOotoyo Jinja – Kyoto’s Hidden Jewel
I’d never heard of Ootoyo Jinja before I walked Kyoto’s famous philosopher’s path–and even then, I might have missed it easily had I not been in a curious mood. The shrine lies east of the path, marked only by a small wooden sign with an arrow pointing travelers in the right direction. Its unassuming entrance is marked by carved stone dogs whose mossy smiles reveal nothing about the nature of what lies beyond. Travel up a hill and through the torii gate that marks the entrance, and you’ll discover a hidden jewel–one of the most unique Shinto shrines in Kyoto. The shrine lies on the side of
Read moreThe Only Statistic You Need to Worry About
I often talk with authors who want to pursue publication but worry about the sometimes-overwhelming odds involved in finding an agent and a traditional publishing house. Some of them turn to self-publishing, not because they want to self-publish, but purely because they’re overwhelmed by the odds. In the immortal words of Han Solo, “Never tell me the odds.” And don’t let them be the reason you change your publishing path. Self-publishing is a fantastic option for people who want to self-publish. People whose talents (and time) are a match for the process, and who want to become an author-publisher. Self-publishing isn’t a good decision for
Read moreHow to Write a Business Plan for Your Book, Part 5: Release Phase Marketing
In case you missed the earlier installments in this series on “How to Write a Business Plan For Your Book” you can find them here: Part 1: Writing a Business Plan for Your Book Part 2: The Overview Part 3: The Synopsis Part 4: Pre-Release Marketing The Marketing section of a book business plan has three sub-sections: pre-release marketing, release week (or “marketing around release”), and marketing efforts after the “release publicity” push. Last week, we looked at Pre-Release marketing, which means it’s time to look at marketing during (and right around) the book’s release. In its most expansive definition, “release” marketing starts when the cover is finalized and/or
Read moreSpotlight on Moya
The last two weeks’ Tuesday Tank posts have spotlighted Kirin (who, sadly, passed away unexpectedly over this last weekend) and Vega, two of my female seahorses. Today, I’m giving the boys a chance to shine, with the story of Moya. Moya wasn’t one of the four baby seahorses I bought from the breeder last December to re-populate the reef. He actually arrived the following January. When the breeder learned that one of the four original seahorses had a birth defect, they sent a replacement–a shy little seahorse I named Moya: After only a few weeks in the reef, I realized Moya was male, but
Read moreFinding Your “Writing Conscience”
Many times, authors think of critique and writing support in terms of groups–either a writer’s group with regular meetings or, in some cases, an online group, where writers share and critique one another’s work in a virtual setting. Writers’ groups are useful, and important, tools in the writer’s arsenal. Today, however, I’d like to talk about another writer’s tool: one I like to call a “writing conscience.” In the Disney film Pinocchio, Pinocchio describes Jiminy Cricket as “my conscience. He tells me what’s right and wrong.” Although the external conscience feature didn’t always work out as intended, Jiminy Cricket did his best
Read moreAlong the Philosopher’s Path
During my research trip to Japan last summer, I spent a lovely morning walking the Philosopher’s Path, which runs along a tree-lined canal: from Ginkaku-ji (in the north): to Nanzen-ji, at the southern end of the canal, a distance of just under two miles. My son and I walked the path together, and though a determined traveler can cover the distance in under an hour, the wise visitor takes much longer, and stops to see the various shrines and temples along the way. Our afternoon on the Philosopher’s path took almost four hours, start to finish, and though the larger
Read moreWriting a Business Plan for Your Book, Part 3: Pre-Release Marketing
Welcome back to our continuing Wednesday series on How to Write a Business Plan for Your Book. If you missed Part 1 (Writing a Business Plan for Your Book), Part 2 (The Overview), or Part 3 (The Synopsis) the links will take you there. Today we’re looking at the third section of the business plan: Marketing Strategies. The Marketing section normally contains three sub-sections: pre-release marketing, release week (or “marketing around release”), and marketing efforts after the “release publicity” push. This topic, and section, covers a lot of ground so we’ll take each sub-section one at a time. This week: pre-release marketing. Pre-release Marketing involves building a platform
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