Lost In Publication

It's so easy to get overlooked.

With today's world of e-pub, all those monkeys locked in a room with typewriters can have their random whacking packaged into a .doc file and uploaded in seconds. Throw some poop against the wall, grab a camera, then use Photoshop to turn the artwork into a cover and they've got a book. Paste in a back cover blurb like "Ooo eee, ooo ah ah, ting tang, walla walla bing bang" and it's a global best seller about Monkey Witch Doctors.

Or it could sell five copies (one to the monkey's trainer, three to some missing link relatives, and one to the guy who had to clean the wall).

I've written on this blog in the past few weeks about how this has all been a learning experience. The numbers of promotional choices I've made correctly are far outnumbered by missteps and outright whiffs. But that's what I expected.

While writing my book, ABSOLUTION'S CURSE, I had more false starts than every offensive line in the NFL combined. I can't begin to tell you how many times I've leaned back in my chair, folded my arms, and proclaimed "It's done" only to realize later that "It's not."

But you only get one first book release.

It's something I knew would be a big blind swing in the dark with little chance of connecting but if you never step up to the plate then there's no chance of getting a hit.

(Like that? I snuck in football and baseball references. I'll work on adding basketball, hockey, soccer, and curling later.)

I've remained hesitant to throw cash at advertising, organized twitter campaigns, and other such marketing tools. No need to drain the bank account on a few shotgun attempts when I'm not putting together a full attack.

I tried to look at this as if I were the reader. When I flip through Amazon's pages of available books, I look for three things:

1) A story description that interests me - I believe I have that. It interested me enough to spend large amounts of time researching and writing. It's a story I'd like to read.

2) Reader reviews - I don't believe everything I see but they at least give a glimpse into the story. I'm woefully lacking here. If reviews are a writer's lifeblood then I must be embalmed.

I do have a few copies out for review so hopefully I'll have something soon but I guess I thought Review Ferries would sweep down while I slept, leaving nice 4 or 5 Star evaluations with minimal effort on my part. Big swing and miss.

3) The writer's name - I love reading Stephen King, Dean Koontz, Tom Clancy, etc... Those are names I know. Good or bad, I know what I'm getting.

Something I've learned from the past few months is the amount of wonderful writers out there without easily recognizable names that automatically require a press of the "Buy now with 1-Click" button. I'm vying to join that anonymously talented group.

So I think I have number 1, I'm working on number 2, and know I don't have a snowballs shot in H-E-Double-Hockey-Sticks at number 3. (weak hockey reference)

What's next?

Here's my call to arms for ABSOLUTION'S CURSE. If you like the way I write here, if you follow me on Twitter and think I'm at least one half step above that room full of monkeys, please give the link above a look.

I'll have a giveaway on Goodreads from June 7 through July 7, more details on next week's post.

I'll pick a few upcoming days for free downloads on Kindle and ask nicely for anyone receiving these gifts to leave an honest review to help with number 2 (Reader Reviews, not monkey poop).

All this leads to my next announcement. My second novel, ALWAYS REMEMBER ME, is going to my editor today. My goal is to release it in 4th quarter of this year. I hope to create some momentum in the coming weeks, spring boarding off my unsure efforts for ABSOLUTION'S CURSE.

It will be no slam dunk (basketball) and I'll need to finish a third story to go for the hat-trick (better hockey reference) but I'm going to try.

(The fact that I call it soccer and not football is a giveaway that I'd be faking any terms. I don't have a clue what curling's about except they seem to be awfully interested in cleaning the ice with a broom.)

I offer my heartfelt thank you for your indulgence,

Lance (C.L.) Blanton

Blanton's Eleven

I've been writing this blog for three months and haven't made any lists. This must be some kind of  internet record.

Well, I'm succumbing to the urge. This week I turn the blog over to random writing thoughts. These are observations I've written down the past few weeks while staring at my keyboard.

Does this mean I'm already jumping the blog shark? (Please ignore that last statement. It was not an approved random thought.)

1) Cookie Butter. This belongs squarely at the top of my list. Each productive writing session must contain at least one bite of Cookie Butter from Trader Joe's. I'm addicted.

2) Writing Music. ABSOLUTION'S CURSE was written mostly to a soundtrack of "30 Seconds to Mars", "Default", and "Lifehouse" with the occasional "Tears for Fears" thrown in. Since then I've moved to solo piano, mostly David Nevue. For some reason I have a hard time writing when I hear voices outside my head. I think the inner voices get jealous. Now when I hear pianos I have a Pavlovian urge to bang on a keyboard.

3) Playing cards. When I write I have to have a deck of cards to shuffle. When one bends or splits, I throw the offending card away. By the end of a manuscript my stack of cards is almost half the original size. This means I rarely write with a full deck.

4) Writing Distractions. I get distracted by PC games (Civ V, Football Manager, OOTP, Sim City) and now that baseball season is in full gear, Atlanta Braves games. Twitter and this blog get in the way too but at least they are related to writing.

5) Twitter tools. I use Twitter app to manage my feed, Slices for feeds I follow, and HootSuite to manage everything else. Downloaded UberSocial a couple of weeks ago and giving it a trial run. (Takeaway from this line, I over complicate then don't understand why things are so complicated.)

6) Social Media learning curve. I'm still trying to understand retweeting and hashtags. I'd rather take a book to the face than get on Facebook but I may be relenting soon. Google+ is a complete mystery. Maybe Rosetta Stone can come up with a translation program. I'm pretty sure I occasionally violate online etiquette but I try not to make myself sound unintentionally stupid since I'm fully able to achieve absurdity on purpose.

7) Spelling. OMG. You would not believe how many times I misspelled words just writing this blog (including the word misspelled). How bad is it that I use Google as a spell checker? 

8) Writing tools. I use "Scrivener for Windows" for writing. It's a wonderful tool but I only use roughly 25% of its functions. When I write using Word I typically suffer from anger control issues. (Cue Andy Griffith using worty-dirds.)

9) Writing time. I like to write early in the morning but have a hard time getting up. I like to write late at night but typically work makes me tired. By the time the house settles down I'm low on brain activity. Best writing time is when I'm at work. (Takeaway from this line, I need to quit my job and write for a living. I wonder if the nearest overpass gets a good Wi-Fi signal?)

10) MUST MAKE TIME TO WRITE. Excuses about not wanting to get up early or being too tired to write do not move the pages forward.

11) Thank you. For your patience while I develop this part of the game. For making it to the bottom of this list. For being a Twitter/Blog/Online friend.

What writing idiosyncrasies do you have?

 (And look it up, I spelled idiosyncrasies right. At least Google says I did.)

C.L. Blanton

Not So Fast, Not So Furious

The slow build.

That’s how I’ve always looked at life’s more important moments. Take your time. Nothing built to last rises in just one day. Anything worth having is worth waiting for.

This slow build is difficult for someone with patience issues. I've learned to fake nonchalance. Sure I’d love a good get-rich-quick plan to drop wealth and glory upon my deserving head, but I don’t have any plans for that to happen any time soon. Instead I take the slow road.

When I started my business career I didn’t aim for a plumb job straight out of college. I entered low, the banking equivalent of the mail room without actually sorting mail. I worked my way up, sliding from one job to the next until I looked around and realized I’d reached a long ago stated goal.

For me, in my day job, the slow build worked. Sure I was vastly underpaid for a while. Sure others got higher quicker. But I understood my job from the ground up. I earned respect. And that wasn’t by accident or because I didn’t have any other choices. That was how I wanted to begin.

What about writing?

Internet, Twitter, and all other social media landing zones are full of get-rich-quick plans for thrusting your future prize winning missive before the yearning throngs (there’s that word again). I understand their worth. For as little as $15 I can have my link tweeted to thousands of people who otherwise wouldn’t have known what they were missing. They probably still won’t buy my book, but at least they’ll know they’re missing it.

I’m not saying I won’t eventually take a flyer on one of those offers. I’ll keep sending out tweets every once in a while touting my story. I’ll probably have a free day on Amazon to see if Frank (my book’s lead character) can con (he’s a con-man) a few bargain hunters to bite.

And don’t think for a second any of this means I don’t care. I bleed for this book. There isn’t a chapter, page, sentence, or word that at some point hasn’t been agonized over.

Would he really say that? What imagery should frame her reaction? Is this the perfect word to portray his thoughts or that setting?

ABSOLUTION'S CURSE is my youngest child and I've released it to the world. Like any loving father, I want it to do well. I try to stand back and watch it struggle to crawl, find legs, and someday walk on its own. I keep my hands out, ready to offer support or guidance when needed.

Maybe I should do more. Maybe I should just carry my story around on my shoulders, constantly singing its praise, pushing it (dirty diapers and all) into as many faces as possible. Or maybe I should wait and see where it wants to go.

That impatient voice wins at least once a day. I log onto the sales report with a feigned air of indifference but still feel my heart sink when the numbers don’t move.

(Note to Amazon: I appreciate the ability to see sales totals in near real time but I think I’d be better off if you could somehow limit my views since I’m obviously unable to stay away on my own.)

I have to tell myself, “Not So Fast.” Slow down. If I really want the art of writing to become something special for me then take the time to make it right.

I have to remind myself, “Not So Furious.” Don’t let the lack of comments, views, reviews, and sales turn what began as an internal challenge into an all devouring obsession.

The slow build tells me to keep my eyes forward, fingers typing, and face smiling. I’ve reached my goal. What percentage of others in the history of mankind can say they’ve completed a novel?

Everything from here on out is gravy.


Lance (C.L.) Blanton

Trouble with the Learning Curve

Picture Clint Eastwood sitting in the stands, watching Amy Adams and Justin Timberlake struggle to break barriers and open their hearts.

That image has little to do with this week’s message, I’m just a big Atlanta Braves fan and liked the movie.

Looking back at my previous posts helped me identify a few trends.

First off, sometimes I sound a little whiny. I promise it’s not intentional. Please. Please. Please. Don’t stop following me.

Second, they show my struggle to get a handle on this part of the writing game.

This is how I have to attack writing, by taking each step slowly, learning as much as I can at one level before moving on to the next. For the past few years I’ve concentrated on moving my writing from random words strung together with questionable style and bad grammar to plotted stories with coherent flowing meaning and bad grammar.

My learning curve up to this point has been a slow build, known only to me and immediate family. Now I’m out. Now I’m learning in front of an audience (okay, a gathering) (okay, those of you who stumbled into this post because you clicked a link.)

My book, ABSOLUTION’S CURSE, is very important to me. I strongly believe in its core message; the belief that forgiving yourself is more difficult than being forgiven by others.

I’m proud of the outcome from years of research, studying, and bleeding words into a keyboard. Although I still have much to learn (grammar), I’m content with how far I've come.

So where am I now?

Here. Drawing readers to my blog, forming a gathering, building an audience.

My hope is for it to pay off with a few honest reviews posted on Amazon or Goodreads to attract more readers to download my story and fund the purchase of a nice umbrella. (Please see my inaugural post to discover the meaning of that reference.)

In the grand scheme, I don’t know what, if anything, to expect from this release. Maybe something will catch. Maybe I’m building toward future success with my next book. Maybe I’m destined to bang randomly on my keyboard like a room full of underappreciated monkeys.

That’s the trouble with the learning curve. But it can only help to make the next attempts go smother, right?

The tagline of Mr. Eastwood’s movie is “Whatever life throws at you.” That’s how I’m approaching this phase of writing. I’ll take what’s thrown at me, learn, and hopefully apply it to future endeavors.

Keep learning. Keep writing. Keep swinging at curveballs.

Lance (C.L.) Blanton

If You Build It, They Will Follow (maybe)

I'm writing this post at work between meetings so it may seem a little disjointed. This week's subject is "Building a Platform."

No, this isn't a DIY about refurbishing a deck, although I do have a few rails that lean.

Oh look, Red Cross is in the hallway soliciting for a blood drive. I'd like to sign up but don't have time.

Where was I? Okay, this also isn't a how-to step-by-step guide on building a successful social presence. Look at my twitter and blog stats. I'm in no position to tell anyone how-to but you may be able to watch me then point and giggle at things not-to-do.

Oh look, co-workers are lined up outside the cafeteria entrance to collect food and clothes for those less fortunate. I'd like to stop and make a donation but I'm in a hurry.

Sorry, back to my subject. I've given quite a bit of thought to what I should do next. How do I build my followers to 10K and beyond? How do I spit out 20, 30, 50+ tweets a day. How do I get fully involved in as many platforms as possible?

Running from meeting to meeting, passing worthy causes for no other reason than I have pressing matters made me realize something relating to my frustrations in building a social stage.

Everyone has priorities. Everyone's timelines are flooded with information on an ever increasing basis. People, organizations, and groups, all worthy of attention on their own, must compete for eye space.

I may use twitter, or Goodreads, or this blog to jump up and down and yell, "Look at me. I have a book out." I may even throw in a polite, "Please visit my book page on Amazon."

The reality is, my posts flounder for attention in a sea filled with far greater distractions. (Get that? Flounder? Sea?  **lowers head in shame** Sorry.)

I've come to a simple truth.

When I started writing, I did so with the intention of making myself happy, not to grab the attention of the glaring throngs. (Had to double check to make sure I didn't type "glaring thongs." That would just be disturbing.)

 If one or ten or ten thousand others wanted to read my story, that would be great. If no one joined me, that'd be fine too. I write because I have a story inside that wants out.

I must look at social media the same way. There are an endless number of blogs and websites offering advice and help (sometimes for a fee) on how to expand your presence. They offer tips and tools on how to get YOUR MESSAGE in front of as many eyes as possible.

I've spent the last few weeks stressing about followers, worried that I may have violated one of those what-no-to-do rules.

What have I learned?

I have to do this for me in a way that's true to me. I'll use humor. I'll share. I'll grow slowly or maybe not at all. I'll slow down. Give more. Expect less. I'll take a breath. Return to the reason I typed out that first sentence years ago.

Everyone has their own goals. I needed a reminder of mine.

For all who actually read and follow, thank you. I'll keep writing and blogging and tweeting because it's fun. Twitter gives me a chance to fire off some random thoughts that otherwise would have only made me wonder about my sanity. This blog gives me a home base to sort out these unfamiliar voices clamoring for attention inside my head.

So if I still want to focus on "Building a Platform", maybe I'd be better off signing up for blood drives, donating a few cans of food, or just pushing away from the keyboard and pulling a hammer out of the garage. That rail really needs some work.


Lance (C.L. Blanton)