Goodbyes, Taking a Step Back and What Now?

Goodbyes

Over the last year I have been working with a new publishing group North Highland Publishing and have decided  to no longer have my book with them. The reason for this is because I guess I'm a control freak, at least when it comes to my writing. I have decided to take on everything myself and just see how it goes. I want to thank N.H.P for having my work on their website and wish them all the success for the future.

Taking a Step Back

There is so much I want to do to help market my first book but all of it involves money. I currently have no free cash to spare on marketing so have to take a step back from this. It is hard for me to do this as I want to steam roll my ideas forward but I can't. I find this so hard to accept but I must because I have no choice. this is why I must take a step back from marketing. at least for now.
 I want to thank all those who have helped with marketing and brought my book. I cannot express the gratitude I feel for those who have given their hard earned money to buy my book on the sole factor of their faith in me. I am humbled by all the feedback that I have received and all the positive criticism that helps me improve my writing.

What Now?

Well I am only taking a step back from marketing, not writing.

Book two is coming along brilliantly. I am so proud of the way it is developing and I can see how much I have improved in just a year and a half. I am aiming to finish in September and at the latest December.

I am also still waiting to hear back from an agent who asked for unusual fantasy. I should hear back this coming week. I'm hoping my book is exactly what she is looking for because it doesn't get much more unusual than this. If she rejects it I am going to have to seriously re-think the first book as I think the journal style is putting people off, especially the start because it is written in an awkward style. This is because the main character is a child when they start writing the journal and I chose to write it like a child but think people are put off by it.
  I think when I finish book two I will take a lot of time and really read over book one's style etc and see if I feel it is right to change either the style or the beginning chapters or re-write the whole thing (lets hope not) but keeping the main plot the same obviously. I will tackle this bridge when I come to it as the idea of doing it is scary but might be necessary.

I'm also still writing poetry and this is a fun on going project and I love that poetry allows me to create something multi-layered and creative the way I love to.

I guess that's all for now and will update in the next couple of weeks if I had any luck from the agent and if she gave any feedback.

A Bit of Fun - The Sky Marshall

This is just a bit of fun and is in honour of a friend of mine.

The Sky Marshall

The Sky Marshall is soulless, full of scorn.

His origin unknown. Bred of discord.

Maybe on some lofty mountain top born?

His first word? The war cry of death. “Forward!”

Hearsay says he fell from heaven, rejected.

Rumour says he was belched from the 9^th hell.

Truth is. Who knows when? Where? He first fed.

All you need to know is what I will tell.

If he gets your scent he will come for you.

Just one taste of your blood this snake will need.

To send wave after wave of men black through.

So fear this, man? ’cause his deeds you will mourn.

Like his beheading the last unicorn.

Stirling Observer Article

Just went to the shop to see if the article was out and it is!!! I am very happy with the article and thanks to Gregor White for the interview.

If you have read the article and followed the links in the article, Hi! Please look over the archives or leave comments if you wish.

For the first three chapters of my book Free!! go to www.stevenjguscott.bigcartel.com You can also find the book for sale there as well. Thank you for taking the time to take a look at my work and again feel free to leave comment's if you have any feedback or questions.

Two Blurb's which one do you pick??

I am constantly trying to improve the marketing of my work and need your help.
Below are two blurbs I have written. The purpose of a blurb is to capture readers imaginations in the hope it will intrigue them and then they will want to read the book.

I need your help.

Please comment and tell me which one you like the most and would encourage you to read a book if you read that as the blurb?

Blurb One

This is the Journal of Fire and the first of six stories known as the Chronicles of Elementary. It was written on a world similar to your own by a young boy named Dragatu (dra-gar-too).

He was visited by a warrior who miraculously appeared to him out of thin air. This warrior was bigger than any man, wore armour of gold and had a very unique sword. He told Dragatu he was the Creator of the universe.

Because of Dragatu’s courage, strength and desire to help the people the Creator offers him a special gift and tells him to lead the people. Dragatu chooses the gift of the Dragon and this incredible gift allows him to create fire with his thoughts making him very powerful. 

Dragatu is a triplet and his brothers are also offered gifts by the Creator. One chooses the gift of the Unicorn and can commune with nature. The other chooses the gift of the Phoenix and can heal people. With these gifts they are also told to lead the people.

Their family also has to protect and keep secret a unique book called the Book of Prophecy. The Creator told them it can only be read by certain people because it contains powerful information about the future.

However the brothers are very different and tensions begin to emerge about how to lead the people and if everyone should be able to read the Book of Prophecy. These tensions peek and a struggle for power begins…

Blurb Two

The words made no sense to him so he closed the book. Prophecy? More like delusions. He returned to his room and wrote in his journal that the Book of Prophecy had to be a lie. Time past and the memory of what he read faded.

Then one day many years later he re-read his journal and saw that the prophecy had come true. With this revelation he becomes obsessed with getting the book, no matter what the cost…

Join Dragatu in this unique adventure about how the prophecy came true, how he and others gained special gifts of power and how his actions to get the Book of Prophecy changed the world forever...

Please leave a comment as to which you think is the best blurb.

Thank you.

Article Postponed

So the article in the Stirling Observer has been postponed. I will update people when I know when it will be out.

Marketing and Get Rich Quick... Through Poetry??

Marketing

This week another newspaper article should be out (Wed the 8th). This time it is by the Stirling Observer. So if you are local keep your eyes open.

As this is the blog for the week the article comes out some of you reading this may have decided to come take a look because of the article. If so...

Hi  :)

Welcome to my blog. It is an on going project that keeps a record of all that happens to me in relation to my journey to earn a living as an author. Please feel free to look back over the archives and go back to the earliest blog and catch up on all that I have already experienced, learned and achieved.

The Book for Sale and First Three Chapters for Free

If you want to read more about the book the synopsis is below. Then if you are interested please go to www.stevenjguscott.bigcartel.com where you can read chapters 1-3 for free and if you like what you read you can buy the hard copy of the book there. For the ebook go to www.northhighlandpublishing.com

After the synopsis you will find the main topic for this weeks blog.

Synopsis

This is the Journal of Fire and the first of six stories known as the Chronicles of Elementary. It was written on a world similar to your own by a young boy named Dragatu (dra-gar-too).

He was visited by a warrior who miraculously appeared to him out of thin air. This warrior was bigger than any man, wore armour of gold and had a very unique sword. He told Dragatu he was the Creator of the universe.

Because of Dragatu’s courage, strength and desire to help the people the Creator offers him a special gift and tells him to lead the people. Dragatu chooses the gift of the Dragon and this incredible gift allows him to create fire with his thoughts making him very powerful. 

Dragatu is a triplet and his brothers are also offered gifts by the Creator. One chooses the gift of the Unicorn and can commune with nature. The other chooses the gift of the Phoenix and can heal people. With these gifts they are also told to lead the people.

Their family also has to protect and keep secret a unique book called the Book of Prophecy. The Creator told them it can only be read by certain people because it contains powerful information about the future.

However the brothers are very different and tensions begin to emerge about how to lead the people and if everyone should be able to read the Book of Prophecy. These tensions peek and a struggle for power begins…

Hard Copy

www.stevenjguscott.bigcartel.com


eBook
www.northhighlandpublishing.com

Get Rich Quick... Through Poetry??

This weeks main update is about another angle that may help me get notice in the writing community.

I never knew how much money can be made in poetry competitions. Over the past few weeks I have entered a few and prizes range from 100 to 5,000 pounds. This would be an ideal way of not only getting some money from writing, but also my name out there in the writing community. It may then work as a knock on effect so that my book can get some notice as well. 

I am ever the optimist so felt there was no harm in trying as I have some poetry already written and it was easy enough to submit it. I really wish I could put them up here to see what people thought but according to the rules the poetry must not have been put on any internet page like websites blogs etc. Seems a bit strange to me but once I win you will all be able to see them :) and if for some strange reason I don't win (tee hee) I will put it up here for your viewing pleasure.

I think the results are the end of July, Oct, Nov. 

Not much else to report except writing of the second book is moving forward well enough and loving the story so much. I just love writing and creating and every day I hope I get that email from an agent that says they like my work and want to represent me. However as always I can't just sit around so continue to find ways that may get me the recognition I crave so much. Some of these ways to try and get recognition will feature in following updates, so remember updates are usually every Saturday. 

Thanks for reading. 

Rejection, Aggravation, Desperation, Rejection, Consolation

So a lot has been happening recently and even though I tried to take some time out from writing this blog I cannot help myself but keep updating. I just don't want to forget anything or miss something that may be interesting plus I love writing about my adventures no matter how good or bad. So here comes the next update.

Rejection
I didn't get into the university course to study English. It kinda blew my mind to get rejected when I am qualified to do it and tick all the boxes you think they would want from an applicant, but apparently not. It took a few days to get my head around it and have decided to apply for clearing in august and hopefully I will still get in.

Aggravation
As a result of being rejected I got aggravated because I really want to earn a living from writing and want ways to progress in this and university was going to be one of them. A lot of the aggravation came from the fact it is so hard to break into the writing world. I just want the book to fall into the right hands of someone who sees its potential and help me in my journey. I am doing a lot of work myself and I know in time I can move it forward to the point of giving me a living but it will take many years. This is why I decided to try something desperate but may pay off.

Desperation
In a previous update, maybe one of the first, I made a comment that I don't really like how the agent system works because so many good works seem to pass many by. It makes me wonder how are these people qualified to be agents if they miss so many good works. Self publishing has become very big because of this and many authors turn to this and find degrees of success. So in my mind I cannot understand why the agents  don't help these people when they sent them their work.
This is why I stopped contacting agents and just took the marketing on myself. I know agents are helpful because they earn their motivation is from money they gain from a writer so would be motivated by this. They will have many contacts and be able to move a writers work forward at a quicker pace. There are other reasons they can be helpful and this is why, as a result of aggravation and wanting things to move forward at a quicker pace I emailed ten American agents.

Rejection
So far three have already rejected my work and it is hard to stay thick skinned. Having said that it only fuels me more to prove these people wrong and put more effort into getting my book out there so people can read it and judge for themselves. All it takes is one so seven more to go.

Consolation
Thanks to great friends and my motivation/obsession there are plans in motion to move my work forward and I can't wait for this exciting process to flower. I will update at some point in the future what these plans are and look forward to the doors this will open.

As always thanks for reading this and supporting me in my adventure. Also if you have read my book and haven't left a comment on the facebook page please feel free to do so. All feedback is greatly appreciated.