Snowflaking

I recently decided to try out snowflaking--a writing process that runs rather counter to my typical strategies. Usually I start off with a concept, loosely outline it, then watch my characters bulldoze through my plans and make something far more interesting. On the plus side, my stories end up surprising me quite often, keeping me engaged, and developing naturally and organically. However, this method has a fair number of problems, as well: unanticipated plot holes, a great deal of rewriting (approximately four beginning-to-end drafts before hitting the final copy), and sometimes losing the story entirely, which results in more abandoned projects than I'd like.

So I'm trying out snowflaking! If you don't want to read the full summary at the link above, here's a short explanation: You start with your story in a nutshell--a single sentence explaining the concept. Then you turn that sentence into a paragraph, then each sentence in that paragraph into a paragraph of its own, until you have a fully-formed sketch of a story. (At which point you get to flesh it out and turn it into a proper novel.)

So I've been hammering out a concept for a superhero novel. Examples of my progress are under the cut:

Progress Report 13: Audiobooks and Paperbacks!

Wow, it sure feels good to watch that fill up!

I have some great news to share! Last night I received word from Open Book Audio that the recording portion of the audiobook is complete. This surprised me, since I hadn't actually heard who would be the narrator yet and hadn't realized that they'd already begun recording. Still, I think that's probably the best kind of surprise there is, right?

The narrator for the audiobook is Alexis O’Donahue; I listened to a few samples of other books she's narrated, and she's got a clear, easy to understand voice, and she seems to do a good job of putting tone into the story, so I'm looking forward to hearing the final product! Since I have hearing problems, though, I'll probably have to ask a friend with better ears for assistance during my part of the proofing process.

Now, some of you might be wondering why the audiobook is only listed at 75% when the recording is already done. Well, the editing and mastering process take a fair chunk of time, so I counted them as 25% of the total. The audiobook probably won't release on the same day as the ebook and paperback (October 25), but it won't be long after that!

As for the paperback, I recently received what looks like it'll be my final proof. The little tweaks that I have left are ones that I can check with an e-proof, rather than ordering another paperback, so I think I'll be able to release the paperback at the same time as the ebook.

Finally, as for the ebooks, I'm still considering KDP Select. I've spoken with Amazon, and they've said that I would be able to offer to send buyers the format of their choice after purchasing it through Amazon, so it shouldn't keep non-Kindle owners from being able to read it. I'm still up in the air, though. Also, I have to decide on my list price--I charged ebook backers $5, but they're also getting a free audiobook, which will retail at around $15. They also get a number of special privileges, including an early download of the book. But I don't know if it would be unfair to charge $2.99 for the book, even so. What do all of you think?

Aside from that, I'm considering releasing a few unrelated short stories through Amazon, as well. In recent months, I've had two short stories accepted by publishers, but I have several others that don't fit any anthologies that are currently open. If I do release them, I won't charge more than $0.99 for them. I wonder if anyone would be interested?

Finally, the agenda for the coming weeks:

• Go over proofs (paperback, ebook, audiobook)
• Set up ebook downloads
• Arrange paperback packages
• Rewrite the third/fourth books in the series (2000 words a day)

If things go according to plan, the ebook/paperback will be available on October 25, and the audiobook will be available by the end of the following month. After that, I'll be poised to fulfill all other rewards as soon as backers finish their surveys! (More than a month ahead of all promises made during the campaign itself.)

Back to work with me!

Considering KDP Select

In determining where to release my ebooks, I came across the KDP Select program.

Pros:

• Included in the Kindle lending library
• Can be promoted for free for five days every three months
• Can opt out after 90 days

Cons:

• Can only distribute my ebook through Amazon

I would only release my book via Amazon after making sure that I'd made all of the formats available to my backers, of course. As it's possible to read books for the Kindle without a Kindle (I read one on my laptop very recently), I don't know whether this would actually be a significant hurdle for potential readers. I've sent Amazon a message asking whether I can send people other formats after receiving proof of purchase and still qualify, but I'm not sure when they'll reply.

No matter what, it would still be available in paperback, so don't worry about that!

What do you think? If you're interested in reading the ebook, would the Amazon exclusivity make it impossible for you to buy it?

Small Update (not quite a progress report)

Six days is the longest that I've gone without posting here thus far. Sometimes I worry that I'm posting too often; I got a lot of responses that said they wanted updates about once a week. I write posts whenever I think of something that I think you all might find interesting, rather than writing on a set schedule. Thus far, this has worked pretty well for me, but let me know if I ever neglect anything in this blog.

Now, I'm waiting on three more editors at the moment. I don't want to edit Untold Memories before hearing back from all of them. In my past experience with editing, Editor A may hate a particular scene, line of dialogue, or character, while Editor B and Editor C may insist that that scene/dialogue/character is the best part of the entire book. Changing the book before gathering a consensus has not worked well for me in the past, so I'm holding off for the moment.

Of course, I also can't get terribly far with the third book until I know for sure whether the first or second books will change significantly. Furthermore, audiobook companies don't seem to offer services at prices I can afford, and I don't know anyone with the right voice for recording my audiobook among my friends. Finally, I can't finish prepping the paperback bonuses without knowing for sure how many people are going to want them. (Although many people have expressed interest and told me they plan to buy them, only two people have actually paid for their paperbacks, which makes me think that I may be a bit hasty if I plunge into preparing packages for everyone else.)

So, with action stymied in those areas, I've been focusing on broadening my writing skills by experimenting with other genres. Up until now, I've written almost nothing but fantasy; I decided to look into some anthologies that are open for submissions. I primarily found science fiction and horror anthologies, and I think that it'll make my writing more well-rounded if I practice with both of those, so that's what I've been trying. Of course, since I'm new to these genres and competing against veterans, I doubt that I'll be accepted. Even so, I think that the effort itself is worth the time I'm putting into it.

To be honest, it makes me want to put together an anthology of my own. I want Qol Press to be a long-lasting business, not something that I close down when I finish releasing Untold Memories (which should happen in late 2016 or 2017, depending on whether the branch story pans out). I also might want to release more than two books a year once I get into the rhythm of it. So I've been toying around with the idea of releasing anthologies between books, or after the books are all released.

In a nutshell, this is what I've been thinking about and working on for the last week. If you have any ideas, concerns, or questions, just let me know!

I'm really looking forward to getting back word from my editors! Oh, I'm still right on track with the initial plan (I'm actually ahead of it in some areas), but I'm always happiest when I'm working hard rather than just planning for when I can actually work hard again. I'm glad that I anticipated the wait times involved, at least. You should still get your books right on time, and in the best condition that I can possibly offer. I can't wait!

Audiobooks

When not editing today, I spent my time looking up audiobooks. The options, as far as I can tell, are: do-it-yourself recording, hire a freelance voice actor, or commission an audiobook production service.

DIY

Pros: It's cheap, fairly simple, and I don't have to wait on anyone else to get the work done.

Cons: I have a fairly obnoxious voice, in my opinion--it's fine for a conversation, but not good enough for storytelling. I also don't have a good setup for recording; my mic is weak, my laptop is a bit old, and my house has a fair amount of background noise. Furthermore, I have no experience with audio editing, so I can't guarantee that it would sound good. This is why I've passed over this particular option. Unless readers are actively interested in hearing me record my own book, I am highly skeptical about the chances of this happening.

Freelancers

Pros: There are a lot of ways to find freelancers, and I could probably find one with a good voice for the book.


Cons: Finding the right freelancer might take days or weeks of wading through applications--time I could spend editing. It'd also cost me a lot up front, and I can't guarantee audio editing quality ahead of time. (Or perhaps ever; truth be told, I have poor hearing and unable to follow audiobooks myself, so I'd be unlikely to pick up on problems with the recording.) If I could somehow find someone who'd be willing to work with the promise of a royalty--highly unlikely--it'd still be a lot of trouble hashing out contract details, and I wouldn't have a platform on which to sell it.

Services

Pros: Simplicity is a definite plus; I wouldn't have to worry about editing, finding voice actors, getting the formats I need, or distributing the books after they're completed. It'd sound more professional than the other options, most likely, and I'd have less to worry about.

Cons: It'd cost money up front that I just don't have right now. Open Book Audio mentioned being able to avoid these costs, but they've dropped all communication with me.

Conclusion

If I could go with an audiobook producer that would be willing to take a larger cut of the profits instead of upfront fees, I would do so. I'd really love to be able to give my backers an audiobook. More honestly, I'd love for my mother--who has very poor eyesight--to be able to read my book. But, at the moment, that looks extremely unlikely. If I can earn enough money by selling my books, I may try again in the future, but I think it's time to put the idea aside until then.


That said, however, I am open to having my mind changed, and you can contact me at mbauman@qolpress.com if you have opinions you'd like to share!

Progress Report 6: Editing

I've been hard at work over the last several days on a manuscript swap with another writer I know. I took her manuscript, and she took mine. She plans to release that particular book around December, which is when Untold Memories I: Rayai is slated for release. I'll be sure to let you know the details once it's closer to the release date in case any of you are interested; she's a strong writer, and I'm very fortunate that she was willing to swap with me.

Unfortunately, my other editors have not yet gotten back to me, which is stalling the editing progress bar up there. I'm expecting some more responses in the next week or two, but I'll have to send out reminders if I don't hear back from them by then. Since I've sent it out to eight people for editing, even if a couple fall through on me, I should still be able to get the book into tip-top condition.

In other news, Open Book Audio has not responded to any of my emails. I have therefore dropped audiobooks off of the list for now; I'll try looking around for other options when I have spare time, but I'm just not sure that I'll be able to afford it, no matter how much I want it.

Beyond this, I've also made a lot of progress in publishing preparations; all of the remaining aspects require a finalized interior or finished artwork, so I'm about as far as I can get for the moment.

All in all, I'm already done with everything I'd planned for June and July on my Grand Master Plan, so I'm trying to get a jump on anything that's possible right now.

While I wait for edits and other feedback, I will:

• Finish prepping the paperback bonus packages that have been ordered thus far
• Search for audiobook alternatives
• Work on rewriting the sequels so that they'll be ready for release on time

As always, let me know if you have any questions or concerns! I'm always happy to listen.

3D Printing Results

(Me holding my 3D Haubonalyr)

After much futzing around with Shapeways, I finally received the result! It feels a little powdery, and it's pretty delicate. It cost me $17 to print, which is very reasonable and much better than the competition. I had been hoping to make a mold out of it, but I don't think it'd survive the process intact, unfortunately. (That would have allowed me to produce a large number of cheaper models in a variety of materials.)

I'm going to look into glazes or other laminating agents that might keep it from feeling powdery, and I might try to paint it as I do. That will have to wait until I have more time, though. Would anyone be interested in buying one if I attended a fantasy convention or did a book signing? It actually looks rather nice in person.

Another couple of photos are beneath the cut!

Interior Art: Bleed or no bleed?

Another design decision that I have to make for the books is whether or not to use bleed for the interior artwork. For those who haven't spent hours trying to iron out details like these, bleed is when the artwork goes all the way to the edge of the page. (And, technically, beyond it, in case the printer or the cutter is off by a small amount.)

Bleed would allow for larger pictures in the book, but it would also mean that I'd need to do a lot more finagling to make sure that it looked right. Some of the picture would also disappear into the margins of the book, as well, making it harder to see the entire picture in paperbacks without potentially cracking the spine of the book. (As ebooks wouldn't have this problem, I might even do two slightly different versions to account for that.)

Also, I have determine whether it'd be better to place a picture at the end of most chapters (so that it doesn't interrupt the text flow) or in the middle of the most relevant chapter. The former is something that I could do right now, without having completed the editing process; the latter would have to wait until it's closer to crunch time.

Both of these affect the character bios with bullet-pointed info that I'm drawing up: full bleed offers more room for text and where the bios go will affect what information I might include. I'll try to get feedback before making any decisions--let me know if you have strong opinions about any of this!

Logos

(possible Qol Press logo)

Every press needs a logo. I've been burning through tons and tons of possible designs. Sometimes I've been consulting with others, especially the cover artist for the first book, who helped me refine some of my ideas.

The difficulty with designing a logo is that I have to consider at least three main points:

• It has to be recognizable and nice-looking at a range of sizes, since it'll show up on the spine of the book, the title page of the book, and my future website (which is in the works, actually). It might be anywhere from .5"x.5" to 2"x2" or more--and it has to look consistent at those sizes. This means that it has to be relatively simple. 

Something that looks nice when large may look blurry when shrunk down...

...or really pixelated.
Also, by a similar token, it has to be monochrome. At first, I tried doing black and white, using negative space to make the design more interesting. But the negative space may not look right due to bleed, and--at least on the spine--printing part in white might look tacky.


• It can't already be trademarked or similar to another press's logo. This means that a lot of the simple, straightforward logos that initially come to mind just won't work.

Oh, I know, I'll use a mountain--

 

Okay, a tree sounds simple enough--

(repeat ad inifinitum)

• It has to represent my books or my press in a meaningful way, or, at the very least, be related to them. It can't be too abstract, though--that'd defy the "simple" rule above--and it has to be be unique. 

I tried thirty or forty different designs, and I'm still not satisfied. I like the design I posted at the top of the page, but I'm not sure whether it's up to snuff just yet. What do all of you think?

Formatting

As you can see, I shrank down my progress bars. I...don't know why I didn't do that before. I hope that the cropping/resizing differences didn't mislead anyone. (That's why I included the key.)

Since my last update, I've been plugging away at formatting--that's a part of the Publishing bar that you see above--and I think that I've come to understand why publishers have dedicated designers. Even so, after many more hours than it should probably have taken, I think that I have my interior and exterior drafts done. Editing the content should only require minor changes to the design due to the set up I put into it.

After those changes are made, I just need to format and insert the interior art to make it paperback ready. (I've got all of the character bios arranged; I just need to figure out what information to include.)

The jump in rewards is due to adding names into the Acknowledgments. I'm at 33/182 rewards filled. Most of them won't be possible to fill until after I release the ebooks, but I do have 75 ebooks to release. Also in that tally are 75 names in the Acknowledgments (the number of people who pledged for a reward), but not everyone has responded. If you want your name included, please respond to the message I sent out via KickStarter! I would be happy to include every single backer.

So, my tasks for the week:

1. Finish formatting character bios
2. Buy a private mail box
3. Keep formatting!

Character Bios

(Pie chart made with this; I omitted the "I don't care." choice.)

Shortly after my KickStarter funded, I sent out a survey asking what my backers wanted me to prioritize. I got 40 responses to the survey, and I've been using it to guide my budgeting decisions ever since.

Here's the breakdown of the question I want to address today:

Question 2 (What sort of interior art would you MOST like to see?):

• Setting concept art - 28%
• Character concept art (ie, a full body drawing with bullet point info) - 20%
• Scenes (action) - 3%
• Scenes (characters interacting) - 15%
• I don’t care. - 35%

This is what led to my art breakdown: 32% setting concept art, 32% character concept art, 21% scenes (characters interacting), 10% maps (it was in another question), and 5% scenes (action).

However, I probably should have thought a bit harder about how I worded the question; now I don't know whether backers just want full body art of characters or the bullet-pointed bio information! If they do want info, what info do they want?

Right now, I'm trying to format the interior of the book, so I'm trying to arrange the profiles. So I'll put it to you, readers: would you rather have the information or have more room for the character picture? If you'd like to have information, what sort of info are you most interested in?

I'm starting to make headway! If I can figure out what information to include, the illustration progress will be able to jump from 20% to 34%, and I'll have done all of the parts that I actually have control over at the moment. If I don't get any feedback, I'll just make my best guess--but I'd rather hear from you!

Sneak Preview: 3D Model

Jeff Miller finished the 3D sculpt of one of the monsters in the first book! He was kind enough to animate it for me; I've turned the movie he sent me into a looping gif that I've placed below the cut! (Note: I cropped the original video to make it fit better below.)

What I love about the idea of a 3D model is its versatility. I could have commissioned a still shot of just the Haubonalyr, but--for the level of detail I wanted--the cost wouldn't have been significantly different. One scene illustration from the book will include the Haubonalyr, but not as its sole focus. 

Approximate Timeline

So I spent a long time today figuring out when I hope to have everything completed by. Emphasis on the hope part--after all, I can't predict major illnesses, life events, or disasters. There are a lot of things that could bring any parts of my plan that come after this December crashing down around my ears.


Even so, I thought it'd be a good idea to post it here. This is my current plan of action--if you see any flaws in it, anything that I missed, please let me know! I don't want to overlook anything, but there are a lot of pieces in motion right now. I'm doing my best to account for everything, and I think I've been pretty comprehensive, but having another set of eyes always helps.


Take a look at the details under the cut!

A brief aside on merchandise...

So, when not editing, I've been spending my time working with the artists and overall trying to get the production process of the book underway. Since the KickStarter funds haven't yet hit my account, I can't quite move into the next phase of all this--ISBNs are expensive--but I've been thinking about what else I might be able to offer to readers.

You see, I'm the sort of person who, were I wealthy, would buy all sorts of merchandise of series that I love. Harry Potter wands, parchment, and posters? I would love them. Lord of the Rings memorabilia, buttons, and stickers? Yes, please. It's kind of predictable, at this point; I often name a fandom and hope for merchandise when people are at a loss about what gift to give me. (Although, of course, a new book is always a welcome choice.)

So, when I look at my own series, I can't help but think of things that I would love to see if I were my own fan. Posters of maps, trading cards with characters, bookmarks with scenery, 3D printouts of my monsters... I've been looking into the logistics for everything that I can think of--well, when I can spare a moment. Many of them are out of my price range at the moment, but I have a lot of ideas.

What about all of you? What do you think of merchandise? If you like it, what sort of stuff do you most covet--and what are you most likely to buy? If you don't like it, what would you rather see from authors? (For example, short stories, art books, background information, etc.)

LiveStream!

Okay, so the LiveStream will be here starting in ten minutes, and we'll be there for a while, so come join us!

EDIT: The livestream went wonderfully. Thank you to those who participated! It ran for nearly three hours. Thanks again to our host and artist, Kaorien! (We'll try to do another of these in the future!)

Other than that, today I sent out the very first backer reward! (The Original Untold Memories reward.) There was something very satisfying about sending that off, especially since I included a mini bonus within. I certainly hope that they enjoy it!

Sending it out reminded me about the special paperback packages that I'm offering to backers. I want to keep an air of mystery around what bonuses will specifically be included, but I think I can give a little more information than I've been offering up until this point.

Progress Report 1: The Grand Plan

Key Points:

• Introduction (and details on the master plan)
• Notification: Livestream tomorrow at 1pm PDT - watch setting concept art get colored live while discussing books with me!

See below for the details!