Podcasts are cool...

I feel like my eyes have been opened. I've found several podcasts that I simply love so far:

Dragon Page Cover to Cover
Dragonhearth - a podcast by Tracy and Laura Hickman
The Survivor Guide to Fantasy Writing

There are more, and I'll post them and talk more about content another time.

Podcasting and a book you should check out... Brave Men Run

I've recently discovered podcasting. I got an iPod for my birthday (actually it was a gift for both my wife and myself, but I really don't think she is going to see much of it ). I've downloaded a lot of podcasts that I have really enjoyed, some from ESPN, some from 1UP and CGW, others from Penny Arcade... and lastly some podcasts done by Lulu.com, the company I'm using to help self-publish my novels.

One of Lulu's podcasts was an interview with Matthew Wayne Selznick, author of Brave Men Run. (yes, men with three names usually indicates a proclivity for serial killing, but he seems like a cool guy). I checked out his site and he has a free audiobook version of his novel on his site. I have already decided to tackle this myself with my own novel... for him it has been a great marketing tool. Time to start researching how to do sound editing!

Check out his site if you get the chance. Brave Men Run is a sort of "X-Men meets The Breakfast Club." As a child of the 80s, I'm enjoying what I've listened to thus far.

I'm hoping he will be willing to share his experiences as a self-publisher that has used Lulu.com; I need all the help I can get.

Someone want to loan me some time?

I simply don't have the time I need to do everything I need to do... nothing new to most of us, but I just wish... ah, just shut up and get back to work.

I'm trying to finish the non-art elements of a content pack for the rpg accessory company I work for, Four Ugly Monsters. I've got to get this done this week, as we plan on releasing this content pack next week. Today, with the help of my wonderful wife, I finished working on a new online store for the website.

In addition I've got to do around 150 pages of edits for my book tomorrow, so I can print out the pages for an editor I have.

Next I have to finish the last couple of chapters of the book. I'm taking off from work this Thursday and Friday to get this done. I've got to finish the first draft by the end of this weekend.

I've also got some things to finish at my 'real' job, including a demo of the testing application I support for a testing group I don't know. Always fun doing that.

Again, nothing out of the ordinary. I've just got to suck it up and do it.

Later.

A Browncoat forever...

Just a quick note to say I'm embarking on another ride... I'm going to be joining a group of rgp'ers that are setting up a game in the 'Verse. Like they say, Find a crew. Find a Job. Keep Flyin'. (Like I don't have enough to do)

Writing a book on publishing my first book

Over the last year I began a checklist of all the items I've done and still have to do in order to even have a chance at making Murder at Avedon Hill a success. This document has developed into a 40 page outline...

So what I am going to do is continue fleshing out this document. It will end up being sort of a diary on self-publishing my first novel. Part diary, pulling in info from blog entries, posts on various websites, and other musings... part "how to", from the point of view of a fiction writer trying to break into the publishing business. Since my day job is that of a QA testing guru, I'm going to break out this diary into 4 sections: Plan, Prepare, Test, and Execute.

I won't make the mistake of trying to sell this as "This is how you can publish and market your book!" This will be a book about how I did it, with the premise that it can help you get organized and see how much goes into successfully publishing a P.O.D. work (And then I can do a "one year later" edition).

Wish me luck!