Signed with Podium Publishing today (audiobooks)

I was quite surprised last week, when Podium Publishing, a leading audiobook producer and publisher contacted me. Podium is one of the 'big boys' in the audiobook world. The Martian is perhaps one of their better known audio works out there.

I had been in the process of looking for someone to do the Valens Legacy series as an audiobook, and I had even reached out to a couple of smaller houses that seemed to have a good product when out of the blue Podium contacted me. Yesterday we had a meeting to discuss everything, I'm familiar with the audiobook market and understand it a lot better now than I did even just six months ago.

They answered all of my concerns, and because they're a publishing company, they can do things that I can't, when it comes to dealing with Audible and ACX. Also, I don't have to deal with any of the many things producing an audiobook requires. Trust me, even if you go with most of the small studios out there, there is still a lot of work you have to do.

All I have to do with Podium is just hand them the manuscript. That's it. If there's anything that takes a special pronunciation, they'll ask me about it. But beyond that? Nothing. I don't have to audition people, chase after people, find time to listen to studio cuts and approve them, commission new cover work. None of that.

Most importantly of all: I don't have to do any marketing.

So, yeah, I'm a bit excited by this, and happy that I don't have to get involved with any of it. Just hand it over, and go back to working on the next book. The people I've talked to about them all liked them a lot. I have no idea how long it will be, before the books start showing up in audio. I'm sure we'll have that discussion once I pass over the manuscripts for the first three books.

I also like the fact that these people are very much on the ball. Correspondence is answered almost immediately. I don't have to wonder if they got it, what's going on, and when they'll get back to me. As a former manager and consultant working in tight deadline industries, nothing drives me crazier than sending an email to someone, and not hearing back for a month, when it's business related.

So yeah, excited that I've come to the attention of one of the big boys, and kind of interested to see where this goes. Now I just have to find the time to publish the trade paperback versions.

Book #3, Over Our Heads is now live!

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B076CHVDD3

Yes, I updated the layout. AND made a website

So, I got tired of the issues with the layout I was using. It was always in 'preview' mode and would horribly distort any images I loaded up. Also I wanted to add links for books. And I wanted something with a link that I could click on to make updates.

So I went with the very old 'original' style for blogger. It may be old, it may be plain, but it does what I need it to do, and very easily as well.

I was also in the grip of waaaaay too much caffeine and chocolate, so I updated and linked to the webpage for me and my books. There may have been a little alcohol involved too, I should probably go back and read what I put there at some point.

I am also thinking of adding some notes about the stories to the webpage, why certain groups are called what they are, what their names mean, maybe a little background on some of the past events in the world. Mostly because I read a very funny 'bad' review where the guy writing it really went off the rails on a number of things in the story. And while I suspect he's probably the only one making these strange connections, I'm thinking that maybe I should put up a little history to clarify a few things.

See, I know the story and I know all the history. I've got a couple of files full of notes. As well as a few pages in a notebook. Over the course of the story I try to bring that stuff out, but not everything gets brought out, and honestly I don't always recall what's been mentioned, and what hasn't. Also a character's recalled views on something may be a bit skewed by their own involvement.

There really is a lot more going on in the story than was first hinted at in the opening book. And some of those things are going to start peeking out as time goes on. You learn a few things at the end of book two that you didn't realize, and the end of book three gives you a few more. That's part of why I may move to a 4 week release schedule here after a few more books, instead of the 3 week schedule I've been using. The story is getting more involved, and yes, the books are slowly getting longer as well. Right now book four is kicking my butt and I really need to get back to work on it, and stop avoiding it by posting here :-p

Thanks all!

Finally created a web page

So yeah, finally created a webpage. It's all full of stuff you probably don't want to know :-0 

It does contain a little more info about how the Valens series and Shadow came about. Also a little bit about me. It's all part of an insidious plot. Really, I think it is.

I may update the layout of this blog today as well. Not very happy with the way it looks. Hopefully I won't fry the older posts in the process.

And if I haven't said it, you guys are the greatest. I honestly don't think that I think you all enough for reading me. 

Book #3 now up for Pre-Order!

Book #3, 'Over Our Heads' is now up on Amazon for pre-order. It goes live on the 20th, (next Friday).



Link

Allentown

I'll be in Allentown this weekend for a wedding. Flying into Philly and driving up (Joy! Pennsylvania toll roads!).

Because of that, the pre-orders for the next book, 'Over Our Heads' probably won't get set up on Amazon until I get back. The book is done, I just need to send it out to my beta readers and checkers and stuff. Probably do that tomorrow as I want to go over one last piece later tonight.

So, work on Book 4 will probably start tomorrow. Worked on the plot some today, listing all the important things I need to cover. Speaking of covers, I'll probably have that by Saturday.

But I'll be spending most of Saturday in a metal box, flying. Same for a lot of Monday. Flying really isn't all that much fun anymore. If the seats were at least big enough to type in I could get some work done, but I doubt they will be.

Take it as you will...

At this point I've had five different people (three since release) send me a list of typos (or grammar errors) that they have found in Perfect Strangers. There has been about 20 percent overlap, but not one of them found them all. Two of the people (at least) involved are pros.

Then this morning I get an email from Amazon with two new typos that none of the prior five found.

Plus I run the files through two different grammar / typo checking programs before they go out as well.

That's why some typos and grammar errors always slip through, even on books published by the best houses in the business. Then on top of that, there are changing grammar rules. The rules on apostrophes have changed, more than once, in the last fifty years. Think about that. I read a lot of old books (or I used to at least) and the grammar rules in some of them are way different than today. It used to be that if you pluralized a slang or abbreviation, you used the apostrophe, now you don't. And they're now talking about taking it away from certain possessives.

Part of the problem with it, is that it was invented by a typesetter a couple hundred years ago, all on his own. Yes, the apostrophe is the bane of my writing. Because some of the rules I was taught about how to use it, just don't apply anymore. And I think my pinky just loves to stick them in there when I'm not looking. '''''
Dammit!

And then there are the official grammar style books, the three biggest of which don't even agree with each other (much less use the very rules that they espouse).