Saturday, March 26, 2011

Ebook cover for my upcomming short story


I want to show of my just created ebook cover for the short story I'm writing. Took me a few hours to make. It was fun doing, playing around with GIMP.


I've meed some alternative versions with blurbs added. The second version is the one with the long blurb above the title and short blurb below my author name.


The third version is with the short blurb above the title and the long blurb under my author name.


The forth version is the one with both blurbs above the title and the author name a bit lower positioned.



I would love to have comments on which version you think the best. With or without blurbs, and if blurbs which one.

Friday, March 25, 2011

"Time Is on My Side"

Time. Who ever said time was on our side? "Time Is on My Side" a song Jerry Ragovoy wrote somewhere in the sixties, the song was made famous by The Rolling Stones in 1964. The song is not about what I've in my mind, but the title is apt to what I've to say, and it's a very cool song. I love it.

As lovely I think "Time Is on My Side" is, time itself, is not on my side. That's the way I feel anyways. You got only so much time to only do so much things. Time is finite and if you waste it, it will never come back, unless you got a time machine and forever life. I don't have those thing. I wish I had, but I don't.

Time slowly slips away while I do my daily chores. The time left to write is minimal at most maybe two hours. This I think is common for many writers with a day job, and most certainly for those with a family, the wife and children also need some time. Everybody wants your time, and it's expected that you give it. Your employer wants you to spend time commuting to work and working itself. (or at least do as if you do) Your wife expects you to do many a chores. Your kids expect you to play with them. Your dog expects you to take him out, actually the dog demands it, else he'll poop and piss your house and you'll be spending time cleaning his filth. Even your own body robs you from time, because it wants to be fed and wants some rest, what's the big deal about sleeping anyways?

If your not careful as a writer, you'll not have much time left to write and promote your work. It takes a lot of time and effort. It's essential to plan your time a little. Set hours you'll put yourself to work. It's essential if you have to jumble many things. Later if you become successful as a writer and earn enough, you may quit your day job, but the management of time stays. The vacuum of the job, the whole swat of 12 hours will need to be filled, and there will be others than just your writing that will demand a share. With more free time, not always comes more free time. The shares just increase and still needs leading.

As a writer be very aware with the time you have and realize that the lack of time means that it takes only one event that can rob you from your writing time and set you back a few days making you miss a self set deadline. For example something like being exhausted and falling asleep while your supposed to write. This happened to me and now I've still not finished the first draft of my short story (close though) while I expected to do so Wednesday and certainly Thursday. Today I wanted to start on the cover, instead I'll be writing, that is after I take the dog for a walk. I really don't want to scoop anymore dog poop.

Friday, March 18, 2011

Short Stories

After publishing Finitum I planned to revise book 2, instead I chose to write a short story. It's been a while since I've written something new and I missed that. I didn't want to go back to the drag of revising. It can be fun at times, but after reading the same story for the tenth time it will get dull and there won't be fun in it anymore. (A dull me makes an unhappy me.)

Now writing a new story is fun. It's been a while I've felt this excited. It gives a kick when a story comes together, slowly forming along the way you thought it to go at first, but still becoming different. The best part of writing in my opinion is creating the story and seeing it come to life.

The short story is about Sgt. Black a space marine in the FCF, stationed on a moon of the planet Ar-01. His unit was ambushed and left him stranded on the moon's surface as the sole survivor. His oxygen supply dwindling he has to make his way to the outpost and exact his revenge for the treachery. Will he ever get there? Will he succeed in doing so? Is all as simple as it seems?

I intend it to be a Sci-fi/horror story. I hope to have it finished by the end of next week. I'll also have to come up with a cover for the book. I plan to release this one for $0.99 on Amazon and Smashwords.

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

My first sale

Today I checked on how my book was doing, and lo and behold I sold one book.

Who bought it? I don't know, maybe someone I know, a friend, family, or a complete stranger that fancied my book enough to buy it.

All I know for sure is that I got one sale and I hope many more will follow.

Sunday, March 13, 2011

13th March Publish Day.

I did it. I put my e-book for publishing on Amazon and Smashwords. It will be available within 24 hours on Amazon, that is if there are no formatting errors. Smashwords I guess will take a little bit longer, by mistake I uploaded the wrong doc file, so I don't think that one will go well trough the meatgrinder.

Soon in a e-store nearby:

Sunday, March 6, 2011

Failed my 6 March deadline

What the title says. No beer for me. I worked all weekend long, the whole Sunday. My eyes are dry, my head aches, and I'm sleepy. I call quits and bury my 6th of March deadline and plant my new deadline 13th of March. Maybe I'll have more luck.

With the added time I'll make sure I'll have the least mistakes possible in my story. I could rush my work now and make my deadline, but I would deliver it with less quality than I intent to.

I've finished my description for my Novel, here it is:

John Lone had to deliver a package to a secluded cabin in the forest, later that day he had an important date planned with his girlfriend Linda.

A simple routine trip he had made many a time turned out bad. Supernatural creatures stalked within the forest for any innocent prey they could devour.

John will have to fight for his live to get out, to get back to society, back to his girl, and his only chance to a happily ever after, but this is no fairy tale.

Saturday, March 5, 2011

Final Cover

I finished my Cover.

I've only got one day left for me to finish my book and put it up to publish. I'll only need to do one more quick read over and if I find minimal (hopefully none) mistakes, I'll be good to go. Well not entirely, I'll need to put everything in the right format for Amazon or/and Smashwords to take them. This all to get to my self imposed deadline of the sixth of march. I boisterously said to my wife that I would not drink one drop of alcohol (I need beer) till I hit that publish button. I'm really stressing to get the deadline.

If all goes well tomorrow I'll be hitting the publish button and in a few days my e-book will be for sale. Then I'll take a week break from writing (or try to) so to freshly start revising book two, which I intend to have ready early may.

Hopefully you'll see this book soon on Amazon, Smashwords, or somewhere else for sale.