Monday, May 31, 2010
Thursday, May 27, 2010
The Business of Being a Writer
Published in 1982, before the widespread use of personal computers, the Internet, and electronic publishing, The Business of Being a Writer concentrated on writing and selling to the print media--books and magazines. Updated excerpts are now being reprinted in electronic formats on various topics--still focused on those primary areas, but still applicable to the current-day writer.
Theodore Sturgeon called The Business of Being a Writer "the second best reference book a writer can have, after the dictionary."
Harlan Ellison said, "It may not make you a better writer, but it will keep you from being a poorer one."
Isaac Asimov said, "Thank goodness! I am constantly being asked an infinity of questions about the writing business and can never answer coherently. Now I will stamp cards with a stamp that says: READ THE BUSINESS OF BEING A WRITER. IT WILL TELL YOU EVERYTHING, CLEARLY AND INTERESTINGLY. Why on Earth didn't he write the book forty years ago when it would have done me some good?"
The excerpts currently available for purchase are:
A Career in Writing: This excerpt discusses finances, work habits, pen names, and other points an author should seriously consider before starting a career in writing.
Rights and Copyrights: This excerpt discusses the different kinds of rights an author can license, as well as the basic ins and outs of copyright law in the United States.
Even more excerpts are planned. Please stay tuned.
Theodore Sturgeon called The Business of Being a Writer "the second best reference book a writer can have, after the dictionary."
Harlan Ellison said, "It may not make you a better writer, but it will keep you from being a poorer one."
Isaac Asimov said, "Thank goodness! I am constantly being asked an infinity of questions about the writing business and can never answer coherently. Now I will stamp cards with a stamp that says: READ THE BUSINESS OF BEING A WRITER. IT WILL TELL YOU EVERYTHING, CLEARLY AND INTERESTINGLY. Why on Earth didn't he write the book forty years ago when it would have done me some good?"
The excerpts currently available for purchase are:
A Career in Writing: This excerpt discusses finances, work habits, pen names, and other points an author should seriously consider before starting a career in writing.
Rights and Copyrights: This excerpt discusses the different kinds of rights an author can license, as well as the basic ins and outs of copyright law in the United States.
Even more excerpts are planned. Please stay tuned.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Parsina Saga now complete in trade paperback
My Arabian Nights-style fantasy adventure Parsina Saga is now complete. As recounted here, the series has had a complicated publication history--but now, for the first time, all 4 volumes are available at once in a uniform paperback edition.
For those of you who aren't familiar with it, the saga occurs in a world of djinni in bottles, flying carpets and other exotic elements that I always found fascinating, yet which many contemporary fantasy books have completely ignored. The plot concerns a humble storyteller who, through bizarre circumstance, must pretend to be a mighty wizard and journey across the world to prevent the ultimate triumph of evil and, even more important to him, save his daughter from a tragic fate. Along the way he encounters a city of apes, an army of corpses, evil magicians, an underwater kingdom, a dragon demon, and other adventures that are too much fun to list here. I had fun writing the books, and I hope you;ll have at least as much fun reading them.
The 4 books are:
For those of you who aren't familiar with it, the saga occurs in a world of djinni in bottles, flying carpets and other exotic elements that I always found fascinating, yet which many contemporary fantasy books have completely ignored. The plot concerns a humble storyteller who, through bizarre circumstance, must pretend to be a mighty wizard and journey across the world to prevent the ultimate triumph of evil and, even more important to him, save his daughter from a tragic fate. Along the way he encounters a city of apes, an army of corpses, evil magicians, an underwater kingdom, a dragon demon, and other adventures that are too much fun to list here. I had fun writing the books, and I hope you;ll have at least as much fun reading them.
The 4 books are:
- Shrine of the Desert mage
- The Storyteller and the Jann
- Crystals of Air and Water
- Treachery of the Demon King
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Fortune cookie wisdom
I got a fortune cookie with my dinner last night: Your character is your destiny.
That's a frightening concept. I've got over 30 novels--literally hundreds of characters. Looking at it objectively, there are very, very few of them I would like to have as my destiny. Even Jade Darcy, whom I love to death, has had a very troubled and neurotic life. She's great to read about, but I'd hate to live it.
Maybe Herodotus Shapiro. He had a really shitty week just before the book started, but he got to spend a couple of days with Polly and ended up a friend of hers. Yeah, that's something I could definitely live with.
That's a frightening concept. I've got over 30 novels--literally hundreds of characters. Looking at it objectively, there are very, very few of them I would like to have as my destiny. Even Jade Darcy, whom I love to death, has had a very troubled and neurotic life. She's great to read about, but I'd hate to live it.
Maybe Herodotus Shapiro. He had a really shitty week just before the book started, but he got to spend a couple of days with Polly and ended up a friend of hers. Yeah, that's something I could definitely live with.
Saturday, May 1, 2010
The Eternity Brigade in ebook formats
I'm excited and proud to announce that the revised and updated version of The Eternity Brigade--which many people have told me is my finest stand-alone science fiction novel--is now available in multiple ebook formats. For my fans (and since you're reading this blog, you qualify), entering coupon code GK48G gives a discount of $2.00 off the list price. (The code is NOT case-sensitive, and it expires 2/28/2015.) You can even read the first half of the book for free just to make sure you like it. I hope you'll give it a try.
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