Well, I've decided to formally end the latest book giveaway since apparently any superhero theme novel not containing established comic book characters or written by George R. R. Martin is not even wanted for FREE. I also have received no feedback from the half-dozen folks I gave a majority of the ten copies to, leaving me to assume my work must be horrible if the recipients cannot find the time (according to some of them) for reading my 310-page novel. I was also supposed to have two potential interviews by certain recipients, but those offers have also come to nothing so far. I just released my latest novel Sister Helena of the Sword, a little other worlds fantasy I first wrote back in 2005 but never tried selling until a few years later only to be turned down or ignored by every agent contacted and rejected by Leucrota Press (in 2010 but they went out of business the following year), LUNA Books (also in 2010, a fantasy romance imprint of eHarlequin Books), Shade City Press (declined in 2011 after the publisher showed some initial interest, before his company went into eclipse due to some personal problems), Tor Books (rejected in 2011) and Angry Robot Books (in 2012, but was probably not a good fit to their Open Door Month theme of epic fantasy). I have sent the first ten pages to Ace Books recently even though going ahead with self-publishing efforts, figuring if Eragon could go from self-publication to best seller, it would be all right to pursue these parallel endeavors. I can always pull the original CreateSpace edition if Ace wants my novel for their fantasy line.
Due to the novel marketing and revision work, I've had far less time to write short stories (completing only 2 so far versus 45 last year) and have mostly marketed the odd older ones mainly to paying markets (those have been mostly in no hurry to reject or accept my work this year). One rejection was particularly hurtful but not due to the story's quality apparently according to the anthology editor. "Death from the Stars" did not make the cut for Use Enough Gun: Legends of the Monster Hunter III, breaking my streak of appearing in the prior two volumes. Apparently there were not enough future themed monster hunt tales to warrant a section of them, with the book concentrating more on past or present setting tales. It hurt more because I wrote that story specifically for Use Enough Gun, having already written a recent past story and present day story for the first two - and going for a future theme one to create variety to my work.
I am still seeking a full time job after quitting my last part time one due to personal dissatisfaction and my employer's partial dissatisfaction with my work. It's getting harder to find anything good, even more so than during my last unemployment phase drawing benefits. I may go bankrupt someday soon, but am being forced to change residences due to some bad decisions and my own fault. If writing was a divinely-inspired calling then it seems God had truly let me down in the creation and sustenance of a flourishing career, certainly making little of it easy. Then again, there might be some turning point from a seed of effort I have made in the recent past that will yield some advancement. I just don't know, with my faith being sorely tested as a financial abyss looms ever closer. Ace Books says they take up to five months responding to queries, but I was able to submit there electronically (thus choosing them over the other Penguin Imprint DAW Books that took 3 or more months but wanted the full physical manuscript and I need to save money on paper and ink right now).
I plan to soon begin a second web page here (this one a pro site if I can swing the cost) and call it by a more positive sounding label - "The Many Worlds of John X. Grey." This one would showcase my published novels with the possibility of reselling them from CreateSpace with a possible discount on the cover price directly to anyone buying copies online or directing interested readers to other publishers' web pages where my work appears (i. e. Dark Moon Press if they choose to publish Claws of T'birsk and I cannot resell copies on my page).
The only problem looming over any new efforts to promote my work and get it out to the public is the shadow of financial uncertaintly. The Bible claims God will give what is required to those working toward His purposes. I only remain slightly uncertain whether or not writing fiction is my calling to communicate His messages from Scripture and through examples of certain book characters. I admit not all of my books have Christian themes (A Legacy of Blood, Claws of T'birsk, the unpublished A Damsel in Distress saves the Hero and Invasion Bubble of the Eternal War), while others have subtle or more direct ones to the story (Sister Helena of the Sword, The Circle of Light, Worldjumpers, and the unpublished Goram - The First World: The Prophecy of Kolab and The Nightmare of Aarontown). Perhaps God is displeased with either my private behaviors or with my work not being say perhaps inspirational stories for children. I write what I know about and what interests me as a reader, and the latter category does not, or at least I've been given no great inspirational ideas for such stories.
I don't know where I'll be living in a month or if I'll even have a dead end job for survival, but perhaps I will write here or on the main page again when having any news to deliver. Until next time, keep reading someone's writing even if not mine.
Due to the novel marketing and revision work, I've had far less time to write short stories (completing only 2 so far versus 45 last year) and have mostly marketed the odd older ones mainly to paying markets (those have been mostly in no hurry to reject or accept my work this year). One rejection was particularly hurtful but not due to the story's quality apparently according to the anthology editor. "Death from the Stars" did not make the cut for Use Enough Gun: Legends of the Monster Hunter III, breaking my streak of appearing in the prior two volumes. Apparently there were not enough future themed monster hunt tales to warrant a section of them, with the book concentrating more on past or present setting tales. It hurt more because I wrote that story specifically for Use Enough Gun, having already written a recent past story and present day story for the first two - and going for a future theme one to create variety to my work.
I am still seeking a full time job after quitting my last part time one due to personal dissatisfaction and my employer's partial dissatisfaction with my work. It's getting harder to find anything good, even more so than during my last unemployment phase drawing benefits. I may go bankrupt someday soon, but am being forced to change residences due to some bad decisions and my own fault. If writing was a divinely-inspired calling then it seems God had truly let me down in the creation and sustenance of a flourishing career, certainly making little of it easy. Then again, there might be some turning point from a seed of effort I have made in the recent past that will yield some advancement. I just don't know, with my faith being sorely tested as a financial abyss looms ever closer. Ace Books says they take up to five months responding to queries, but I was able to submit there electronically (thus choosing them over the other Penguin Imprint DAW Books that took 3 or more months but wanted the full physical manuscript and I need to save money on paper and ink right now).
I plan to soon begin a second web page here (this one a pro site if I can swing the cost) and call it by a more positive sounding label - "The Many Worlds of John X. Grey." This one would showcase my published novels with the possibility of reselling them from CreateSpace with a possible discount on the cover price directly to anyone buying copies online or directing interested readers to other publishers' web pages where my work appears (i. e. Dark Moon Press if they choose to publish Claws of T'birsk and I cannot resell copies on my page).
The only problem looming over any new efforts to promote my work and get it out to the public is the shadow of financial uncertaintly. The Bible claims God will give what is required to those working toward His purposes. I only remain slightly uncertain whether or not writing fiction is my calling to communicate His messages from Scripture and through examples of certain book characters. I admit not all of my books have Christian themes (A Legacy of Blood, Claws of T'birsk, the unpublished A Damsel in Distress saves the Hero and Invasion Bubble of the Eternal War), while others have subtle or more direct ones to the story (Sister Helena of the Sword, The Circle of Light, Worldjumpers, and the unpublished Goram - The First World: The Prophecy of Kolab and The Nightmare of Aarontown). Perhaps God is displeased with either my private behaviors or with my work not being say perhaps inspirational stories for children. I write what I know about and what interests me as a reader, and the latter category does not, or at least I've been given no great inspirational ideas for such stories.
I don't know where I'll be living in a month or if I'll even have a dead end job for survival, but perhaps I will write here or on the main page again when having any news to deliver. Until next time, keep reading someone's writing even if not mine.