Voyager 15th Anniversary Trailer

Celebrating 15 years of the Voyager imprint. Voyager has been publishing the best in SF, Fantasy and Horror books for the last 15 years. We invite you to take your imagination on a journey through our world.

Technorati Tags: "trailer, 15th, anniversary, Voyager

Interview with Frank Hink, author of the Ramion series of childrens books

Watch an interview with Frank Hinks, the author of the Ramion series of books, in which he talks about his latest book The Kingdom Of The Deep

Technorati Tags: author, Books, childrens, Frank, Hink, Interview, Ramion, series

TOC 2010: Skip Prichard, “Are Ebooks Dead?”

Skip Prichard (Ingram Content Group, Inc.), “Are Ebooks Dead?”

Technorati Tags: 2010, dead, ebooks, Prichard, Skip

Re: Let’s Talk About Your Favorite Book!

Here is my Favorite book of all time.

Technorati Tags: about, Book, favorite, Let's, talk

i like harry potter and twilight and mystery books which others should i read?

i love love twilight and harry potter
im not sure what else i should read? any recommendations? i dont really like the whole schi-fi types of books though.
i like mystery type books i also liked books like go ask alice a child called it confessions of a shopaholic ect.

which books should i read?
anyone have any good series i should check out??
thanks

Technorati Tags: "Harry, Books, Like, mystery, others, Potter", read, should, Twilight

What were the old childrens books, where the titles were kids names, and they rhymed?

What were the old childrens books, where the titles were kids names, and they rhymed?
I guess I wasnt clear enough. They were two word titles of a kids name, and both words started with the same letter. Lucky Linda, stuff like that. The illustrations in it werent that great, they were bright colors.

Technorati Tags: Books, childrens, kids, names, rhymed, they, titles, were

Do you Write Short Stories

 If you like me are a member of a writers group, you will probably end up with a lot of very short stories that after a few readings will sit and gather dust in a file. You know the kind of thing, one or two page short stories that are just the right length to be read and discussed in a fifteen minute slot. Even if you are not a member of a group and write on your own, if you love to write, you will produce lots of work that will never be used in the book or anthology that you intend one day to publish.

 What a waste, after all, you did put time and effort into them. I know you liked the writing and enjoyed the response to them from a few others, but it seems a shame for them to sit in a file and not be read. So why not put some of them onto your own website and let people read them for free. People will read them and while they might not make you any money, you will begin to build up a following. This can benefit you in several ways. One, you will get feedback and feedback, good or bad, will help you improve you writing, Two, you will build up a regular readership that enjoys your work and hopefully a ready market for when you finally publish your book. Three, the website is a place to showcase your book. Four, now four is only a maybe. Maybe, if you are good and build enough of a following, you just might come to the attention of a publisher.

You do not need to be computer literate or a wiz kid to have and run your own website. I am the one they wrote the idiots guide for and I am unable to even read it. What I did was to look on the Internet for website hosting and I found loads There are free websites, cheap websites, reasonably priced websites and you makes your choice and takes your pick. The free sites all had banner advertising at the top and strip ads down one side of the page, but they are giving you a free website and they have to make money somewhere. The paid for sites charge you for their services because they do not sell the ad space. So once again it is your choice.

 I looked for the one that in my opinion would be the easiest to use and picked, do your own site. The site is jargon free, easy to use and I can update quickly and easily at anytime. They gave me a thirty day no quibble free trial, which gave me ample time to test everything out, I had my first page up and out there in no time, and I decided to go ahead without waiting for the trial period to end. I pay £58.80 a year, which I think is a very reasonable cost for a very rewarding hobby. After all, most hobbies cost you hundred if not thousands a year.

 If you are worried about your copyright to any material you place on your web pages, you have a right to be worried, for while copyright laws still applies to your material, the very nature of the internet makes it extremely difficult, if not impossible to enforce. Once you publish your page, your work it is out there in the public domain and can be downloaded or copied. Look at all the music and software that is copied.

However, what we are talking about here, is not your novel or anthology, we are talking those hundreds of short pieces that you will never publish, but others may enjoy. You can still put copyright with your name and date to claim the right to your own work. So why not take a chance, get a website put your work on and sit back while your short stories are enjoyed on the World Wide Web. You will be surprised at the number of people that will read them.

 Copyright Fred Watson September 2007

Technorati Tags: short, stories, Write

Paul Levinson: Evolution of Science Fiction

my 6-minute tour of the history of science fiction, from Mary Shelley through HG Wells all the way to the 21st century… I talk about George Melies, Hugo Gernsback, Ray Bradbury, William Gibson, and everything in between in this 2002 interview. The science fiction books I have authored: theplottosavesocrates.com

Technorati Tags: Evolution, fiction, Levinson, Paul, science

Photo-Books on Facebook

Discover the Photo-Books application on Facebook, the easiest way to turn your Facebook photos into adorable pocket-sized photo albums, free to share online, cheap to order and receive at home.

Technorati Tags: Facebook, photobooks

Overcoming the Planning Hurdles When Writing Your First Nonfiction Book

Once you’ve covered the basics of determining who your specific audience is, understanding exactly what they want to read, and knowing what other similar books already exist, it’s time to begin strategizing the business angles of your book. Beginning nonfiction authors frequently err in judgment when it comes to the practical, business, and fiscal components of creating your book.
FAILING TO UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TRADITIONAL PUBLISHING AND SELF-PUBLISHING
In traditional publishing, there are three primary parties involved: the author, the agent, and the publishing company. The author writes the material; the agent acts as the author’s representative and sells the material to a publisher; the publisher is the money behind the project and is responsible for placement of the book in brick and mortar stores as well as online distribution channels.
The publisher also sometimes handles certain marketing responsibilities for the book, including its listing in appropriate catalogues and other resources. The scope of the publisher’s marketing efforts will depend largely on the author’s credentials and renown. If they are already a well-known name with a big following, the publisher will be much more likely to take a risk than they would be for a first-time author with very little name or brand recognition.
In certain cases, the publisher will offer the author an “advance” – money paid to the writer before the book is even completed. This is a gamble, really, on the part of the publisher, because it assumes the book will sell enough copies to both cover the advance and be profitable to the publishing company.
Alternately, when you self-publish, you assume all the risk – financial and otherwise – yourself. The good news is that when you self-publish, you get to do it your way. You select the title. You determine what the cover looks like. And you keep a much greater percentage of the profits. The outlay on your part, however, can be substantial.
Hard costs can involve any or all of the following: ghostwriting, editing, cover design, interior design, proofreading, ISBN, copyright, proofs, printing, binding, shipping, distribution, Web design, e commerce capabilities, marketing, attorneys’ fees. To do it properly, the costs can be considerable. Anyone thinking about writing a book who plans to sell more than a couple dozen copies to family and friends must realize that a book is a business.
While there are no hard numbers available for self-published books, a quick perusal of the article archives at writing-world’s website confirms that between 5,000 and 10,000 books are printed each year by the major vanity presses (a publisher that publishes a book at the author’s complete expense), such as Xlibris, iUniverse, and the like.
FAILING TO UNDERSTAND THAT A BOOK IS A BUSINESS
As mentioned above, a well-written book that will actually appeal to people and sell more than a handful of copies must be treated as a business. This means incorporating all the steps involved in starting any new business. A budget, a business plan (generally speaking, a well-written book proposal will suffice), a Web site equipped with e-commerce, and a thorough marketing plan are a few of the main components involved in a successful “book business.” Our goal here is not to stamp all the enjoyment out of your writing project. Certainly you can and should have fun with your book. But if you have any intent to see it widely read and distributed, you must set out with a realistic attitude about exactly what is involved in taking your idea from conception to publication to dollars in your pocket.
Do not make the mistake of thinking this book will make you rich – the likelihood is that it won’t. That’s not to say you shouldn’t write it, or that your book will not be a financial success for you – but you must be prepared to lay out some serious cash first, particularly for a self-published title. Generally speaking, if you recoup your expenses within the first year, your book has been “successful.” With a great concept, proper marketing, and a real business plan to which you are willing to adhere, you can supersede this goal and actually make money from your book, but it will require a substantial time and energy commitment on your part.
NEGLECTING TO CREATE A REALISTIC TIMELINE
One major place where new authors get tripped up is understanding how long the writing/publishing process takes. First, there are the research components mentioned above. Next, there’s the actual writing process. Unless you are as disciplined as Gandhi, you have to plan for distractions. This likely means creating a dedicated writing space and/or carving out a specified writing time. If you’re not independently wealthy or haven’t already sold your book to a publisher for a healthy advance, chances are you will be writing this book around your existing job and amidst life’s many demands (job, spouse, kids, parents, social commitments, civic commitments, religious commitments, errands, pets, etc.). Oh my goodness . . . where are you possibly going to find the time to write a book?
This is why you absolutely must create a timeline and find a way to carve out dedicated writing time. Otherwise, your book will never take top priority for you. It will always remain just another great idea, a hobby, or something that hovers somewhere on your “someday” list.
How much time you can dedicate to your writing project will differ for each person. But even if you can afford only two hours a week for dedicated writing time, schedule that time. Write it on your calendar or enter it into your PDA. Make a sign for the door: “Do Not Disturb – Mommy’s Wearing Her Author Hat Until 2 p.m.” Get up an hour earlier. Stay up an hour later. Write during your lunch hour. Think about getting a digital recorder and “talking” your book; you can always have it transcribed later. Find a coach or an accountability partner . . . someone who checks in with you once a week to see how much progress you’ve made. Do whatever works for you – but you MUST create a timeline for your writing project and find a way to stick to it.
Once your book is written, though, you’re really only halfway there – unless your only dream was to write it, and you couldn’t give a flying Fig Newton if you ever sell a copy. Most authors do care about selling their work, though. Even if you are the Bob Ross of nonfiction writing, you still must factor in all the components that come AFTER the writing is complete. These include editing, cover design, layout and interior design, proofreading, and printing, to name a few of the basics.
While it’s pretty much guaranteed that your timeline will change, you must have one, if you want to have any idea how all the pieces will dovetail, once the production process gets underway.
Virtually anyone can write a book – it’s true. Seeing to the details, though, will make a huge difference in whether your book sinks or swims financially. Decide before you begin whether you will self-publish or seek a traditional publisher. Treat your book as a business, and create a realistic budget for it. And lastly, create a timeline for the entirety of your publishing project. While there is no way to EVER guarantee which book will succeed and which one will fail, these steps will help assure that your book has a fighting chance for success.

Technorati Tags: Book, first, Hurdles, nonfiction, Overcoming, Planning, writing