Saturday 13 July 2013

Nice new authonomy harper collins review...

nice review...


"I have read your first three chapters and find your story definitely intriguing. Jane is an interesting mix of restless passion and curious naiveté. I really like Bob. You have drawn the characters in a realistic way. The plot is thickening well as the chapters unfold. The important things are the plot and structure and layers. I think you have done great with them from what I have read so far - best of luck on this. Definitely highly starred! Mona (Facing The Truth - Bee Joy)"

http://authonomy.com/books/53862/the-vril-codex/#comment_981692

Monday 8 July 2013

Dont buy this novel...WHAT?! I hear you say...(well at least not YET!)

Yes dear reader I must have gone completely insane i hear you think.  As a long suffering trawler of various authors blogs/magazines/adverts or whatever you like to call them you have probably got used to the mantra of "buy the novel/read the book"  ect ect...so this entry will make a change!  Its a long story...

Back in 2010 I was a bit of an inexperienced novelist when it comes to the whole business of publishing.  This led to being featured on BBC Radio 4's "You and Yours" programme exposing the immoral actions of a certain publisher that had offered me a wonderful publishing deal but had until the contract was sent - somehow forgotten to mention the finances required from my end.  Yes in some ways the internet with amazon self publishing has opened a few doors but this is only because never was there a time when publishers were so unopen to the idea of direct submissions.  In the past you could submit.  not so now.  Instead online literary workshops such as authonomy seem a good way to get your work out there and improve and of course you must get a literary agent - not that they are anything more than business middlemen - there was a time when a successful author didnt need an agent.  To be honest if your lucky enough to find a good small press that can still be the case.  For some a good agent is a good idea but there is no rule of thumb in my view. 

Anyway to cut a long story short in 2011 i signed up with publish america.  Suffice to say that was a huge mistake.  Believe me a bad publisher doesnt equal bad authors.  I am bound to say that but they have managed to persuade everyone to sign up from sandor stern who wrote the screenplay to amityville horror to even the writers of a recent hollywood film.  Their success was despite rather than because of pa. Well, just youtube publish america and you will find enough proof.  Despite monthly proof that VC is selling on amazon i have never receieved and will never receive any royalties. 

Then after paying hundreds of pounds to be released from contract in 2012 i signed with a small online publisher called vamptasy who were it seemed much better but my book was not in keeping with their vampire type erotic fiction (though there are some elements of both styles in vril codex) so that never really made sense and we parted ways unpleasantly in May 2013 after i made an understandable complaint that no marketing /feedback ect of any kind had been offered.  I was unceremoniously dumped.

This hasnt been written to read as a moan  - but i do think artists and writers need to look out for one another.  If you have got published smoothly dont gloat and laugh and jeer at others lack of success  -it doesnt mean they arent any good.  More than likely you are talented but also LUCKY.   many a successful/talented author has been the victim of immoral or unprofessional publishers - we all need to start somewhere.  As for me it is for the readers to decide whether i am a good or bad writer.  Try to be sympathetic and make sure the swindles dont continue...

So why dont I want you to buy the vril codex yet?  Well I have high hopes for Taylor Street publishing  - they have incorporated "night publishing" and seem an improvement on the two publishers i have mentioned.  They seem to operate like a proper publisher rather than a self publisher masquarading as a trad publisher as was the case with PA and they have more distribution and have more in print than vamptasy.  If you decide you simply must have Vril Codex and will forget about it by the end of the year then please buy it at the expensive price it is listed at on amazon.  If, however you want a better edited cheaper alternative then do wait until the end of the year for the new release.

HOWEVER - if finances are not a problem then do buy the self published editions of vril codex and review them if you like.  Many a famous novel (spartacus ect..) started that way.    it all gets me out there. 

But if you want to read it that much - and i hope you do  - then wait until the new version it will save you money and i might get something for it.