News and Notices from the Writing Trenches #156…
Isaacson’s Leonardo Da Vinci. Whether you’re like me trying to wash out memories of Brown’s The Da Vinci Code or you’re an art lover interested in the man, Isaacson’s book is a fascinating read. I’ll write a review of it sometime soon. Isaacson’s previous biographies should be enough for you to expect great things, but he far surpassed what I expected. You have here a great story about Da Vinci—the man, his art, and his science, a fellow far ahead of his time. We can forget about The Da Vinci Code now.
What catches your eye? Do you mostly take the advice of friends and family when you select a book to read? Many readers prefer to be a bit more independent. If that describes you, what catches your eye? An attractive book cover, a good summary, a peek inside, or reviews and endorsements? (You can peruse all of that online, of course, but maybe it’s more fun in the aisles of your local bookstore?)
Many readers react to at least some of the above. The writer or publisher must provide ALL of the above for ALL readers. (OK, maybe the “peek inside” is automatic.) We often don’t think that publishing a book is complex, but it is. These items represent one facet of a complex process.
Two confusing labels. Ask ten readers what they mean by “literary fiction” or “classic fiction,” and you’re liable to receive ten different answers—or maybe twenty?
I don’t like the tag “literary fiction.” It’s too often used in opposition to “genre fiction,” as if to imply the latter doesn’t have as much literary value. Of course, that negative for genre fiction is balanced by the negative that literary fiction is often considered a miscellaneous genre where we put any title we can’t classify well.
“Classic fiction” is ambiguous too. It’s too often equated to “old fiction” or, more specifically, “pre-21st century fiction.” I suppose if an old book is still being read (a while ago I purchased an ebook version of A Tale of Two Cities, the only Dickens novel I like), it qualifies as a classic. Yet in art or music, a newly discovered Da Vinci drawing or Bach fugue is automatically declared to be a classic.
What’s your opinion?
Speaking of classics…. I wanted to provide my readers with a link to a Rembrandt painting: https://ijr.com/2014/10/183699-famous-artwork-lost-world-war-ii/ “An Angel with Titus’ Features” is the painting featured in my mystery/thriller Rembrandt’s Angel (Penmore Press). It now only exists as a B&W photograph. The Nazis stole the painting during WWII for Hitler’s museum; it never has been recovered. Neither have the paintings from the Gardner Museum in Boston that are featured in The Collector (Carrick Publishing).
If you see any of these paintings, please let the F.B.I. or Scotland Yard know. The art world will thank you. I’m no art critic, but I’ll thank you too. Recently a Degas was discovered when inspecting a suitcase on a train. Art thieves and illegal art dealers are still in business, following the lead of those old Nazis.
Is IBPA a reader’s or author’s friend? The Independent Book Publishers Association has just come out with nine points to define a “hybrid publisher.” I’m suspicious for two reasons: (1) The points actually define an indie publisher AKA small press. We don’t need more confusion in an industry where Big Five sycophants are out to confuse the public into thinking anyone without a traditional contract from a Big Five publisher is a ne’er-do-well who’s not worth reading. (2) The list of points is approved by the Authors Guild, an organization that works hand-in-hand against independent publishers in favor of the Big Five conglomerates that are out to eliminate all new authors who want to make their voices heard.
I smell a conspiracy here. Readers can be affected because IBPA, Authors Guild, and many Big Five authors work together to reduce readers’ reading choices. And authors are clearly affected. The battle rages on as the Big Five dinosaurs and all their supporters continue to struggle for relevancy at the expense of new voices who want to tell their stories and the readers who want to read them.
Change in my reviewing policy. Many authors return a wee bit to the community of readers and writers by reviewing books (usually avoided by Big Five authors, of course). I “officially review” on Bookpleasures.com where I can choose a book if I feel I can make a commitment to a longer review. I also have the habit of reviewing a book I’ve read for R&R if there’s enough positive things to say about it. These might appear in my blog as a mini-review or a full book review (check out the blog categories “Book Reviews” and “Mini-Reviews of Books”).
I had the policy of reposting my reviews to Amazon if the books’ authors so requested. In my official reviewing capacity at Bookpleasures, that’s part of that website’s pledge to authors, so I’ll reluctantly continue that policy. However, I won’t repost to Amazon reviews of books I read for R&R. Amazon is no author’s friend either, so I no longer want to support their review circus and officious and arbitrary American Idol-like ranking system. Author, if your book is available at some other site and that site allows it, I can repost there (for example, Smashwords). If you’re exclusive to Amazon, sorry; you’re out of luck—you’ll have to be satisfied with a review on my blog.
Reviews of my books. While I offer good sales on Smashwords (and only there, because Amazon doesn’t allow them unless a writer is exclusive), I no longer give away books as a general principle—all my books are priced competitively, even the print ones. That said, you can receive a free copy of a title in exchange for an honest review of the book.
In particular, I’m collecting a list of readers interested in reviewing my new post-apocalyptic thriller The Last Humans (Black Opal Books, an independent small press) when it’s released. My budget for this is limited, though. Query me using my contact page.
Libraries. One place where Amazon fails is distribution. The huge retailer thinks it’s the entire universe for books; they have no distribution network. Smashwords distributes to many other retailers; Amazon doesn’t. Smashwords distributes to lending services; besides Prime, which is a scam perpetrated against authors (you have to be exclusive to Amazon to qualify, of course) as well as readers, Amazon doesn’t. Better still, Smashwords allows authors to offer libraries copies of their books at reduced prices; Amazon doesn’t.
I’ve been a supporter of public libraries since I was a kid. We were poor and I was inquisitive; I became creative because I could read those library books! I don’t know if my own local public library takes advantage of Smashwords, but they should. I’ve donated print versions both locally (most recently, copies of The Midas Bomb, Rogue Planet, and Rembrandt’s Angel) and out West. (Readers, please note. If you find one of my print books battered and dog-eared, let me know. I’ll try to do something about it.)
Reading books make us more human. Readers still frequent their public libraries. Support them.
Freebies. Another way to get free books is to enter one of my contests. See the “Free Stuff & Contests” for some new ones involving Rembrandt’s Angel and Rogue Planet. These are ongoing contests until the number limit is reached, so don’t dawdle.
The Secret Lab (2nd ed). Newly released by Carrick Publishing, this is no longer my book in a sense. My collaborator A. B. Carolan completely rewrote and reedited it. In this sci-fi mystery, four kids living on the International Space Station in the future discover the origins of a mutant cat. (Mr. Paws, the cat, writes the story in the first person, by the way. See his bio in yesterday’s blog post.) They also uncover a conspiracy. Available in Kindle format and print on Amazon, and all ebook formats on Smashwords, this novel is for young adults and adults who are young at heart…and cat lovers too, of course!
Here’s an excerpt from a recent review of the first edition: “I will disclose this: I picked up The Secret Lab because of Mr. Paws, the intelligent cat. Yes, I could not resist the temptation to read the adventure of a sentient, mathematics inclined cat, told by Steven M. Moore. It exceeded my expectations. Mr. Paws is the result of a genetics experiment aboard a facility orbiting Earth in 2147. The cat and his newly found friends, a group of four smart teenagers, find themselves in an intrigue with corporate agendas, young curiosity, dangerous and ethically problematic research, relationships and their difficulties when coming of age. The complexity is enthralling, but the author also makes it easy to follow, using a light, natural style to tell us their story.”–Alfaniel Aldavan, in a Smashwords’ 5-star review
Gaia and the Goliaths. Until March 31, you can buy this ebook on Smaashwords at 50% off. The plot involves a conspiracy (the Goliaths) and its attack against the environment (Gaia). #7 in the “Detectives Chen and Castilblanco Series,” the NYPD detectives get a homicide case involving the murder of an environmental activist. Like many of their previous cases, this one blows up and has international ramifications. Use the coupon code indicated on the book’s page at checkout.
In libris libertas!
