Welcome to Our World-Building blog


Welcome! We weave dreams, some dark, some not, but all fantastic.

We are authors of Fantasy, Romance, and much more. Enter our infinite worlds....

On this blog, our visitors will find advice and opinion from published authors on much more than just world-building. We'll tell you in Craft and Opinion posts what we do, how we do it, and what we think works for us.

Authors with A-names post on the 1st of each month, B-names post on the 2nd, C-names on the 3rd etc.
The 29th, 30th, and 31st are free-for-all days.




Friday, March 12, 2010

Write, Read, Print an eBook

March 7 through 13 is Read an eBook Week. With the week "officially" closing tomorrow, I wanted to encourage readers and writers to keep the spirit of saving trees and promoting technological advances in publishing alive, with the caveat that we not forget the majority of the audience out there.

A fellow author friend (Henry Hermann) has researched some eBook stats for a book on publishing, and shared with me that "saving 3 billion trees a year just from the publishing field alone is a good reason to promote eReading." I'd say I have to agree!

Henry and I share the same publisher, who releases all titles in hardcover. It takes an act of God (or a call from someone high up on the food chain at Borders) to get a title moved to paperback with this publishing house, thus marketing is a wee bit complicated for Henry and I. Try selling a few thousand units of a $30 book in this economic environment. Along came digital literature and the floodgates have opened.

By releasing our titles on Kindle format, our publisher has given our characters new audiences. Our publisher has saved some trees. Our publisher has given us a chance to market in a whole new realm.

If you're a writer seeking a publishing contract, consider the importance of both print and digital rights. I can't imagine a publishing house that doesn't offer both in this climate. Consider the audience(s) that lines both sides of the aisle. There are rabid print-book fans who refuse to discuss eReaders. Then there are rabid digital fans who are selling off their print-book collections to anyone who'll take them (and their bookshelves) to open up the space in their once-stuffy dens. Personally, I would weep for days if any of my books went missing from my beloved bookshelves, whether I had purchased them in digital format or not. I'm still miffed at my ex for taking my Lord of the Rings set, which I bought with my allowance money when I was in junior high.

My point is you want to accommodate both sets of readers. Only 3 to 5 percent of book buyers purchased and downloaded eBooks last year. That means the vast majority of readers are still comfortable with the physical book. Of course that ratio will shift as events such as Read an eBook Week catch on and more people sit on airplanes with their Sony eReaders, Nooks, iPads and Kindles and discuss their merits. As the ratio shifts, savvy publishers and authors will be there to fill whatever need the audience expresses.

From Sandy Lender
"Some days, you just want the dragon to win."
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Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Feeling Green?

Green is breaking out all over and not just because of spring. It's closing fast on St. Patrick's Day. We were in New Orleans last weekend and St Paddy enthusiasts were practicing for their upcoming parades. Apparently it takes practice to find 22 bars--after the first ten. Green beer is the drink of the day and green is the color to wear. 


I thought it was a funny coincidence that The Mystery of the Green Mist not only has green in the title, but lots of green on the cover. And it has a short story by me, that isn't about St. Patrick's Day or any holiday for that matter. But it is in a green book. And this month, it is all about green.


If you'd like to try to win a book that isn't green, stop by the cyberlaunch for The Mystery of the Green Mist and leave a comment for a chance to win. 


Have a little fun and a lot of blarney!
Perilously yours,
Pauline
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Monday, March 1, 2010

A day to say, Yay!

A little off topic but tomorrow is Dr. Seuss Day.

Did you grow up listening to the rhyming stories of a man who had a wicked imagination (any book LOL)? Who was environmental before it was "cool" (the Lorax)?

I sure did. Loved Green Eggs and Ham. If I ran the Zoo. Horton hears a hoo. Horton hatches the egg. The Cat in the Hat. The Grinch who Stole Christmas. The latter remains one of my favorite Christmas specials.

As an adult, I love Oh, the Places You'll Go and its inspirational message.

For years, he's been inspiring younger generations to read and making it wacky fun.

I take off my red striped hat to you, Dr. Seuss. A train, a car, and a fox and a box indeed.

Mechele Armstrong aka Lany of Melany Logen
www.mechelearmstrong.com
www.melanylogen.com
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