adventures in self publishing

moi50.jpgtoo many blogs?

 

I already have far too many blogs.   I started with one simple little Personal Blog, which led to a spin-off public service Internet advocacy blog, Stop Usage Based Billing,  and then to my political commentary blog,  Oh! Canada, all of which are very nicely hosted on WordPress.com

moonICON.pngbuilding the “Inconstant Moon” blog

Having just ordered what I am sure will be my final proof from CreateSpace, [more than a year later – ak!]  I am in the process of setting up a new blog, dedicated to my debut novel, Inconstant Moon, which will again use the WordPress blogging software [which works a treat] but will this time will be hosted on my own server (that is to say, a dedicated computer that is always connected to the Internet).

 

The primary purpose of the Inconstant Moon blog is to serialize my debut novel.  I plan to begin serialization to coincide with the public release of the CreateSpace book-book version. It would be nice if I can manage to have the ebook formatting & versions ready to go at the same time, but

book-book?

[digression warning]   I know, I know, it sounds like Jacob Two-Two, but the advent of eBooks it has suddenly made it necessary to use qualifiers to distinguish between physical books printed on paper and electronic books published digitally.

 

Because, after all, both are actually “books.”

 

When you look at it critically, “pbooks” would probably be a better word, falling nicely in line with “ebook,” but as I am only a noob self-publisher with a very small following indeed, any term I coin is unlikely to go viral at this point.

 

[ just wait ’til I’m famous… mwahahah / rofl ]

 

In the meantime, “book-book” gets the idea across with no further ado, so that’s the term I’m going with.

 

InconstantMoon200w.jpgback on topic

The Inconstant Moon blog will also have pages containing special features, introducing the characters and their world, as well as glimpses into my own world, with links to self publishing resources &tc I’ve stumbled across during the process of bringing my first book to market.  Because the novel deals with mature subject matter, I’m contemplating adding a front page with a caution.

 

And of course, all along I’ve been blogging about my adventures in self publishing in my personal blog.

about now you’re wondering why I am here…

It’s as simple as giving back.  CreateSpace is a business that is certainly generating revenue, but dealing with it’s human representatives has been extremely helpful.  The level of customer service I’ve experienced is precisely how brand loyalty is built.

 

I have not yet had time to even look into the CreateSpace community boards yet because of all of the other things I’m involved in, but I expect to at the least check things out.  Just hopping around it is easy to see that there is a wealth of self publishing reference material available here.

 

But it only seems fair that I share my CreateSpace adventures on a CreateSpace blog.

 

cdnpoli150.jpganother digression … politics … ewww

While StopUBB is in kind of a holding pattern at the moment partially due to the Canadian Federal election underway, the election means that both Oh! Canada and my Identi.ca and Twitter feeds need content.  Which naturally comes out of my personal time.  At the same time as I’m readying my novel.   Shouldn’t the novel take precence?  My broblem is that it’s all wrapped up together.

 

The biggest part of my politicization is due to my recent awareness of both digital and copyright issues.  Left unchallenged, changes to the law and locking down the digital and internet tools that make self publishing possible could be a serious detriment to self publishing.  So although my novel launch is very important to me, I feel it is equally important to advocate for real net neutrality, so writers can continue to disseminate our work in whatever way we choose.

 

envisioned for >this< blog

Although there will very likely be crossover content between this and my other blogs, I expect to pass along what I learn during my adventures in self publishing with CreateSpace here.   Sharing is good. 

Mike Slauenwhite Cover

lothlaurien posted a photo:

Mike Slauenwhite Cover

Mike Slauenwhite was one of the best fiddle players Canada has ever produced.

I was happy for the opportunity to assemble this CD cover for Mike when he decided to record this brilliant CD.

The photo shows Mike playing onstage with The Barndance.

“Bob Tremblay Dobro” CD cover

lothlaurien posted a photo:

"Bob Tremblay Dobro" CD cover

Although he's been playing 'forever,' and he is described in reviews as a "virtuoso, this album is the first time Bob Tremblay's Dobro magic has been featured on a recording.

Bob Tremblay released "Dobro," his first solo CD in February 2011.

Cover art by Lothlaurien.

Laurel L. Russwurm

lothlaurien posted a photo:

Laurel L. Russwurm

This was the more conventional author photo that was originally planned for the cover.

The novel is set in the fall, with action in the wooded sections of the ficticious Christie University campus.

Since photography is really only a hobby, and I *hate* using a flash, It was a given that the author photo session should take place in daylight out in the woods of Victoria Glen Park, a natural preserve located in Waterloo region along side the Kissing Bridge Trail.

A very old logo

It may look like a new logo but that is actually a very OLD logo. There is so much political stuff happening, not to mention self publishing, that I haven’t time, but one thing I intend to do is to republish Canektion here.

Canektion was a Star Trek & Science Fiction fanzine we published in the 1970’s. It was the official fanzine of the Canadian Trekkies Association which met in the art room at EDSS after school. Art teacher George Caesar magnanimously allowed us to hold our meetings there. We actually convinced the other art teacher, Tom Thirtle, to design us a logo. And he did. Is that ever awesome!

So although the Canadian Trekkie’s Association no longer exists, I thought I’d put the logo here.

Because eventually I hope to republish Canektion here.

If anyone is interested, let me know.


Macleans.ca : Is there a future for Canadian TV?

I applaud the folks at CHEK-TV for taking on their own station. There is no reason why local programming shouldn't work. For all the cries of "Local Programming Matters" there hasn't been any real local programming in Canada in fifty years. The networks ran things by remote control which is why they had no trouble flipping the switch on the little stations during tough economic times. I would suggest that they contact their local community college and perhaps even high school to and look into co-op and/or apprenticeship programs. In the early days of radio and then TV, stations created their own content cheaply by providing a forum for local talent. Check the local music scene, maybe comedy shops, or community theatre. Early TV filmed stage plays for broadcast. Passe? Last year the Stratford Festival's production of "Caesar and Cleopatra" was videotaped as a stage play and subsequently projected for high prices in a limited movie theatre run. Thanks to the possibility of internet distribution, for the first time in decades it is possible for Canadian musical acts to make a career for themselves without attracting big (read american) record labels. The technology has made it possible for them to make and distribute their own stuff. Which should make it easier to both find and promote local music (and visiting acts) on deeply low budget tv shows as in days of yore. Canadian culture could well be coming into its own right now thanks to the modern technologies. Small local stations like this would do well to take advantage. CRTC has long profoundly failed both the Canadian music and tv worlds, and currently they are doing their best to offer up the internet to Bell Canada's control with rulings designed to condemn the independent ISPs to oblivion. As well, the impending implementation of Usage Based Billing will double the cost of Canadian internet access for the exact same substandard service we get now. http://stopusagebasedbilling.wordpress.com/ Sign the petition at http://dissolvethecrtc.ca/