I decided lurking around freo trying to fob off an ARC of Hal Spacejock 3 on Ben Elton was a silly idea. (See this post for the background.) So, I employed a firm to do the same job for a bargain AUD $9.75. Yes, for a low nine bucks and change they will hand my books directly to Ben Elton's publisher in Sydney, who will then pack them up and send them to WA or the UK, or more likely just bin them.) I'm happy to share the name of this awesome publicity machine ... they're called Australia Post and they have branches all over the country. Keep them in mind.
(Post office pricing is very strange, by the way. It costs $9.75 to send a parcel weighing less than 1kg to Sydney via road freight, a trip of 5-7 days for your average box. BUT you can buy a pre-paid satchel which will take anything up to 3kg overnight for ... $9.75! Madness.)
While I was posting Mr Elton's books I also sent off all the Hal Spacejocks people won in my recent competition. (It's still open - enter now and your chances of scoring a copy are about 1 in 6.)
I also sent off complete sets to a couple of other big name authors, so their publishers can forward them all over the planet, or bin them. I'm sure the pros get bombarded with books from newbies like me, but what the heck. (Normally my publisher does this kind of thing, but they won't be gearing up for Hal 3 publicity until Oct/Nov. Anyway, I don't let a single day pass without doing something to help my books along.)
Tomorrow I'll be drawing the Hal Spacejock frisbee competition so get your name in now. (Betcha didn't know about that one.)
Simon Haynes is the author of the Hal Spacejock and Hal Junior series (Amazon / Smashwords / other formats)
Wednesday, July 19, 2006
Tuesday, July 18, 2006
I love this bit
Address the editor's final queries, hand in the finished manuscript, and then bask in the glow as 11 months of writing plus 9 months of rewrites draw to a close. That's the best part of being an author: completing something.
I don't sit still for long, and after handing in the manuscript I jotted a few thoughts down for the back cover blurb, emailed the production manager about covers and packed up books for winners in my various competitions.
My publisher has first and final say in all design matters - covers, blurbs, etc - but they do encourage input, and I don't take much encouraging. I was reading Jennifer Fallon's blog post about palm trees which explains the publisher/author relationship better than I can.
Simon Haynes is the author of the Hal Spacejock and Hal Junior series (Amazon / Smashwords / other formats)
I don't sit still for long, and after handing in the manuscript I jotted a few thoughts down for the back cover blurb, emailed the production manager about covers and packed up books for winners in my various competitions.
My publisher has first and final say in all design matters - covers, blurbs, etc - but they do encourage input, and I don't take much encouraging. I was reading Jennifer Fallon's blog post about palm trees which explains the publisher/author relationship better than I can.
Simon Haynes is the author of the Hal Spacejock and Hal Junior series (Amazon / Smashwords / other formats)
Sunday, July 16, 2006
Hal Spacejock winners
A week ago I put a post online offering 10 signed copies of Hal Spacejock, drawing the winners from comments below that post. The response was great, and I wish I had enough books to send to everyone.
In the end I drew 20 winners - 10 here, and 10 the following week. Here are the first ten winners, who should email spacejock at gmail dot com to claim their prize:
Jim C. Hines
Michael Kastler
Laura (Bayre)
Sapphire Writer (Briana)
Martin Livings
'Tech'
Hornblower
Bill Peschel
Ailsa (dragonrider on VO/dragon_crier on lj)
Sharyn
For everyone else, keep an eye on this blog for next week's draw. If you don't win and they do, you might be able to borrow their copy (and not give it back!)
(If I get another 60 comments I'll increase the number of books again, unless they're all the same person ...)
Simon Haynes is the author of the Hal Spacejock and Hal Junior series (Amazon / Smashwords / other formats)
In the end I drew 20 winners - 10 here, and 10 the following week. Here are the first ten winners, who should email spacejock at gmail dot com to claim their prize:
Jim C. Hines
Michael Kastler
Laura (Bayre)
Sapphire Writer (Briana)
Martin Livings
'Tech'
Hornblower
Bill Peschel
Ailsa (dragonrider on VO/dragon_crier on lj)
Sharyn
For everyone else, keep an eye on this blog for next week's draw. If you don't win and they do, you might be able to borrow their copy (and not give it back!)
(If I get another 60 comments I'll increase the number of books again, unless they're all the same person ...)
Simon Haynes is the author of the Hal Spacejock and Hal Junior series (Amazon / Smashwords / other formats)
Friday, July 14, 2006
Why yWriter
There are two kinds of 'writing software'. One is supposed to generate plots and all but write your book for you, which is the silliest idea since battery powered trouser zippers.
The other kind of writing software is just a word processor in slightly different clothing. Instead of keeping your novel in one long file (or a load of chapter files) this kind of writing software organises the books into chapters and scenes. That's all yWriter does.
I'm a programmer, and nobody sits down to write a 50,000 line program in a single text window. You'd be laughed off the planet if you tried, since it would be impossible to find anything quickly. Instead, we work with short code modules, which are held in source files. They show up in a tree view, and you edit a particular module by double-clicking it. The parts make up the whole. It's just so much easier to work on smaller pieces, while still being able to view the whole.
All I did was transfer this method of working to the act of writing a book. Several years back I was getting more and more confused the longer my book got, until I hit the wall at around 25,000 words. I could no longer check previous sections quickly, and splitting the book into chapter files meant I had nineteen copies of Word running simultanously.
A novel consists of chapters and scenes, and if you put the chapters into a tree and break them down further into scenes, you've got a structure the brain can work with. In yWriter you can drag and drop scenes between chapters, move chapters around, and open any scene in any chapter in its own editor window - simultanously.
I've written three novels using yWriter, and when time came to rewrite them for my publisher it saved me weeks of headaches. I used the scene description feature to keep notes about what needed to change, and used the auto-synopsis feature to print off a working framework for the book. AND I used the work schedule to see what I had to do every day to meet my deadline.
I put the software on my website for others to use, but I really don't care whether they write books with it or not. I'm not selling it, I'm giving it away, and I get nothing out of that than even more emails.
Still, it's very rewarding when someone sends me a message to say they're finally getting their novel into shape, thanks to my software. Every one of those makes me smile.
Simon Haynes is the author of the Hal Spacejock and Hal Junior series (Amazon / Smashwords / other formats)
The other kind of writing software is just a word processor in slightly different clothing. Instead of keeping your novel in one long file (or a load of chapter files) this kind of writing software organises the books into chapters and scenes. That's all yWriter does.
I'm a programmer, and nobody sits down to write a 50,000 line program in a single text window. You'd be laughed off the planet if you tried, since it would be impossible to find anything quickly. Instead, we work with short code modules, which are held in source files. They show up in a tree view, and you edit a particular module by double-clicking it. The parts make up the whole. It's just so much easier to work on smaller pieces, while still being able to view the whole.
All I did was transfer this method of working to the act of writing a book. Several years back I was getting more and more confused the longer my book got, until I hit the wall at around 25,000 words. I could no longer check previous sections quickly, and splitting the book into chapter files meant I had nineteen copies of Word running simultanously.
A novel consists of chapters and scenes, and if you put the chapters into a tree and break them down further into scenes, you've got a structure the brain can work with. In yWriter you can drag and drop scenes between chapters, move chapters around, and open any scene in any chapter in its own editor window - simultanously.
I've written three novels using yWriter, and when time came to rewrite them for my publisher it saved me weeks of headaches. I used the scene description feature to keep notes about what needed to change, and used the auto-synopsis feature to print off a working framework for the book. AND I used the work schedule to see what I had to do every day to meet my deadline.
I put the software on my website for others to use, but I really don't care whether they write books with it or not. I'm not selling it, I'm giving it away, and I get nothing out of that than even more emails.
Still, it's very rewarding when someone sends me a message to say they're finally getting their novel into shape, thanks to my software. Every one of those makes me smile.
Simon Haynes is the author of the Hal Spacejock and Hal Junior series (Amazon / Smashwords / other formats)
The Ben Elton campaign
There I was, sipping coffee and watching toast burn, when I suddenly realised how neat it would be to get a copy of Hal Spacejock into Ben Elton's hands. It's a fun book with lots of sly gags, and Ben Elton is a very funny guy. Perfect match.
Okay, so it's not much of a quest, but it's more worthy than three plodding volumes about a farmboy seeking the doohicky of power to defeat the evil Lord of Kardbod.
Now, Western Australia is a spectacularly beautiful state, and as luck would have it Ben Elton lives here part of each year. In case you live somewhere even more remote than Perth (like, Jupiter) Ben Elton is the manic genius behind the best three series of Black Adder, a number of bestselling novels and numerous stage and TV shows.
First obstacle: I don't know Mr Elton.
Plan #1: Dress up in a suit, pin a 'Ben Elton's Driver' badge to my lapel, and wander around Fremantle looking thoroughly lost. Some kind soul is sure to give me directions ('He's in London, ya twit') and then I'd be set.
Plan #2: Walk into the Fremantle branch of Dymocks Booksellers and offer to buy their entire stock of Ben Elton books ... if Mr Elton signs them. No walking around in suits, either. Bonus.
Plan #3: Get arrested for being drunk and disorderly, and name Ben Elton as a witness. Problem is, I don't drink and I'm not disorderly.
Plan #4: Find out where he lives (biggest house in Freo, natch) and heave a couple of books over the wall. Only thing is, if the attack dogs don't get them, the armed guards probably will.
To be honest that all sounds like a load of trouble, and in more ways than one. Inspiration was slipping away until I read an article in this morning's paper: Ben Elton's Get a Grip will be at the Perth Concert Hall, Sunday 23 July, Monday 24 July and Sunday 6 August.
Cool. More options:
Plan 1: Buy a front row seat and bide my time. At the right moment, leap up and yell 'read this, Ben!' and hurl a copy of Hal Spacejock onto the stage.
For: It'd certainly get his attention.
Against: And everyone else's, including security. Plus it might actually hit him, and Hal is a hefty book.
Plan 2: Hang around the stage entrance with a large box of chocolates. Nestled (!) under the top row, a copy of Hal Spacejock.
For: It might actually work.
Against: He might eat the book and read the chocolates.
Once again it sounds like a lot of trouble, involving police, restraining orders and lengthy jail terms. I know all publicity is good publicity, but good for whom? I'm not having my publisher coining it while my royalties pay to have Mr Elton's stomach pumped.
So why not try something a bit more normal and post a book c/o his agent?
For: It's not only easy, it's legal.
Against: I hear his agent doesn't use firewood to warm his house.
Okay, the toast has cooled and so has my enthusiasm. The second cup of coffee has gone the way of the first, I have 300+ pages of red-penned manuscript to transfer into the original Hal Spacejock 3 file and nothing is getting done while I indulge in these flights of fancy. Suddenly I remember an important fact: Authors write, publicists publicise. FACP employs a dedicated professional publicist, an expert at getting media attention.
Time to fire off an email ;-)
Technorati Tags:
spacejock Science Fiction Humour Contest Contests
Simon Haynes is the author of the Hal Spacejock and Hal Junior series (Amazon / Smashwords / other formats)
Okay, so it's not much of a quest, but it's more worthy than three plodding volumes about a farmboy seeking the doohicky of power to defeat the evil Lord of Kardbod.
Now, Western Australia is a spectacularly beautiful state, and as luck would have it Ben Elton lives here part of each year. In case you live somewhere even more remote than Perth (like, Jupiter) Ben Elton is the manic genius behind the best three series of Black Adder, a number of bestselling novels and numerous stage and TV shows.
First obstacle: I don't know Mr Elton.
Plan #1: Dress up in a suit, pin a 'Ben Elton's Driver' badge to my lapel, and wander around Fremantle looking thoroughly lost. Some kind soul is sure to give me directions ('He's in London, ya twit') and then I'd be set.
Plan #2: Walk into the Fremantle branch of Dymocks Booksellers and offer to buy their entire stock of Ben Elton books ... if Mr Elton signs them. No walking around in suits, either. Bonus.
Plan #3: Get arrested for being drunk and disorderly, and name Ben Elton as a witness. Problem is, I don't drink and I'm not disorderly.
Plan #4: Find out where he lives (biggest house in Freo, natch) and heave a couple of books over the wall. Only thing is, if the attack dogs don't get them, the armed guards probably will.
To be honest that all sounds like a load of trouble, and in more ways than one. Inspiration was slipping away until I read an article in this morning's paper: Ben Elton's Get a Grip will be at the Perth Concert Hall, Sunday 23 July, Monday 24 July and Sunday 6 August.
Cool. More options:
Plan 1: Buy a front row seat and bide my time. At the right moment, leap up and yell 'read this, Ben!' and hurl a copy of Hal Spacejock onto the stage.
For: It'd certainly get his attention.
Against: And everyone else's, including security. Plus it might actually hit him, and Hal is a hefty book.
Plan 2: Hang around the stage entrance with a large box of chocolates. Nestled (!) under the top row, a copy of Hal Spacejock.
For: It might actually work.
Against: He might eat the book and read the chocolates.
Once again it sounds like a lot of trouble, involving police, restraining orders and lengthy jail terms. I know all publicity is good publicity, but good for whom? I'm not having my publisher coining it while my royalties pay to have Mr Elton's stomach pumped.
So why not try something a bit more normal and post a book c/o his agent?
For: It's not only easy, it's legal.
Against: I hear his agent doesn't use firewood to warm his house.
Okay, the toast has cooled and so has my enthusiasm. The second cup of coffee has gone the way of the first, I have 300+ pages of red-penned manuscript to transfer into the original Hal Spacejock 3 file and nothing is getting done while I indulge in these flights of fancy. Suddenly I remember an important fact: Authors write, publicists publicise. FACP employs a dedicated professional publicist, an expert at getting media attention.
Time to fire off an email ;-)
Technorati Tags:
spacejock Science Fiction Humour Contest Contests
Simon Haynes is the author of the Hal Spacejock and Hal Junior series (Amazon / Smashwords / other formats)
Wednesday, July 12, 2006
Hal Spacejock Giveaway
Update #3: Although this draw is closed I'm running another one here
Update #2: The draw is now closed. I've listed the second set of 10 winners here
Update #1: I've drawn 10 winners here, and will draw another ten next Sunday.
I just handed in the final draft of Hal 3, and to celebrate I'm giving away TWENTY copies of the first Hal Spacejock book. (Trade Paperback, 393 pages) All you have to do is tell me why you'd like a copy. Saying 'Because it sounds fun' is plenty, and you can quote me on that ;-) (You don't have to register with blogger to post - anon comments are accepted but you should add your name or a nickname to id yourself in case you win.)
Not sure whether you want a copy? Read chapter one online to find out.
Published by FACP, Distributed by Penguin
"Fast, funny, quirky, enthralling comedy adventure"
Tom Holt
This draw is open to all readers of this blog. Each prize includes a signed copy of Hal and worldwide airmail postage. If you already have a copy of Hal Spacejock, you can request Second Course instead
I'll be picking one winner for every ten comments, to a max of ten copies of the book, so it won't hurt your chances if you share a link to the draw
You can also click 'email post' below (see the envelope icon), and specify an address to send it to.
(I forgot to say - you should bookmark this page because I'll be updating it with the selected winners as time goes by. Just right click this link and choose 'Add to bookmarks'. I don't know how long it's going to take me to give the books away, but certainly check back once a week.)
Technorati Tags:
spacejock Science Fiction Humour Contest Contests
Simon Haynes is the author of the Hal Spacejock and Hal Junior series (Amazon / Smashwords / other formats)
Update #2: The draw is now closed. I've listed the second set of 10 winners here
Update #1: I've drawn 10 winners here, and will draw another ten next Sunday.
I just handed in the final draft of Hal 3, and to celebrate I'm giving away TWENTY copies of the first Hal Spacejock book. (Trade Paperback, 393 pages) All you have to do is tell me why you'd like a copy. Saying 'Because it sounds fun' is plenty, and you can quote me on that ;-) (You don't have to register with blogger to post - anon comments are accepted but you should add your name or a nickname to id yourself in case you win.)
Not sure whether you want a copy? Read chapter one online to find out.
Published by FACP, Distributed by Penguin
"Fast, funny, quirky, enthralling comedy adventure"
Tom Holt
This draw is open to all readers of this blog. Each prize includes a signed copy of Hal and worldwide airmail postage. If you already have a copy of Hal Spacejock, you can request Second Course instead
I'll be picking one winner for every ten comments, to a max of ten copies of the book, so it won't hurt your chances if you share a link to the draw
You can also click 'email post' below (see the envelope icon), and specify an address to send it to.
(I forgot to say - you should bookmark this page because I'll be updating it with the selected winners as time goes by. Just right click this link and choose 'Add to bookmarks'. I don't know how long it's going to take me to give the books away, but certainly check back once a week.)
Technorati Tags:
spacejock Science Fiction Humour Contest Contests
Simon Haynes is the author of the Hal Spacejock and Hal Junior series (Amazon / Smashwords / other formats)
Tuesday, July 11, 2006
SLAM!
This is called shutting the stable door before you've bought a horse. Still, it might motivate me ;-)
Hal 4 home page
Hal 5 home page
See my earlier post - you can still vote which order you'd like to read them in.
Technorati Tags: spacejock Writing Science Fiction Humour
Simon Haynes is the author of the Hal Spacejock and Hal Junior series (Amazon / Smashwords / other formats)
Hal 4 home page
Hal 5 home page
See my earlier post - you can still vote which order you'd like to read them in.
Technorati Tags: spacejock Writing Science Fiction Humour
Simon Haynes is the author of the Hal Spacejock and Hal Junior series (Amazon / Smashwords / other formats)
They put WHAT, WHERE?
I get asked this a lot, so I'll explain:
The Hal Spacejock series is only available in Australia and NZ (for now), although places like Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk do show copies for exhorbitant prices. Those copies are shipped from Australia by locals.
In Australia and NZ the book is stocked just about everywhere, from Dymocks to Collins to Angus & Robertson, from Borders to independants and just about every airport terminal bookstore including such places as Hamilton Island and Alice Springs. (No kidding - my brother just spotted Hal 2 there.) Whether you'd want to read a book about an incompetent pilot and his hair raising landings before taking to the skies is another matter.
My publisher DOES have distributors in the UK and US, but are holding back stocks while an attempt is made to sell the rights overseas. As you can imagine, a UK publisher would be a lot less interested in a book deal if copies of the book were already sitting on the shelves in that country.
If you live outside Australia/NZ, the cheapest and most reliable way to get hold of Hal 1 or 2 is to order via the Australian Online Bookshop. Not only do they deduct around 20% of the cover price, but for overseas buyers they also remove the 10% sales tax and charge postage at cost (Economy air is the best deal.) The links are here if you're interested: Hal 1 and Hal 2
Anyway, that wasn't why I posted to the blog, but I never let sticking to the point get in the way of a lengthy post.
What I wanted to say is that the Vancouver Public Library (Canada) now has a copy of Hal 2 sitting on the shelf. Don't ask me how it got there, and don't ask me why they didn't start with Hal 1, but if you live in the area you can probably request it as an inter-library loan and read it for free. (You should also request Hal 1, just to even things up.)
Enjoy!
Technorati Tags: spacejock Writing Science Fiction Humour
Simon Haynes is the author of the Hal Spacejock and Hal Junior series (Amazon / Smashwords / other formats)
The Hal Spacejock series is only available in Australia and NZ (for now), although places like Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk do show copies for exhorbitant prices. Those copies are shipped from Australia by locals.
In Australia and NZ the book is stocked just about everywhere, from Dymocks to Collins to Angus & Robertson, from Borders to independants and just about every airport terminal bookstore including such places as Hamilton Island and Alice Springs. (No kidding - my brother just spotted Hal 2 there.) Whether you'd want to read a book about an incompetent pilot and his hair raising landings before taking to the skies is another matter.
My publisher DOES have distributors in the UK and US, but are holding back stocks while an attempt is made to sell the rights overseas. As you can imagine, a UK publisher would be a lot less interested in a book deal if copies of the book were already sitting on the shelves in that country.
If you live outside Australia/NZ, the cheapest and most reliable way to get hold of Hal 1 or 2 is to order via the Australian Online Bookshop. Not only do they deduct around 20% of the cover price, but for overseas buyers they also remove the 10% sales tax and charge postage at cost (Economy air is the best deal.) The links are here if you're interested: Hal 1 and Hal 2
Anyway, that wasn't why I posted to the blog, but I never let sticking to the point get in the way of a lengthy post.
What I wanted to say is that the Vancouver Public Library (Canada) now has a copy of Hal 2 sitting on the shelf. Don't ask me how it got there, and don't ask me why they didn't start with Hal 1, but if you live in the area you can probably request it as an inter-library loan and read it for free. (You should also request Hal 1, just to even things up.)
Enjoy!
Technorati Tags: spacejock Writing Science Fiction Humour
Simon Haynes is the author of the Hal Spacejock and Hal Junior series (Amazon / Smashwords / other formats)
Damn those forking plots
Early in 2004 I dreamt up a plot for Hal Spacejock 4 involving a large amount of money left to Clunk in a will. (Hence the provisional title - Hal Spacejock Legacy)
The idea was that he'd have to go to great lengths to prove who he was, which would also introduce readers to his forgotten past. There would also be a family who'd inherit if Clunk failed to prove his claim, making them a decent antagonist for the book.
I managed to write about 16,000 words, but unfortunately for Hal 4 (and not for me!) Fremantle Arts Centre Press took on the first three books in the series soon afterwards and all new work ceased while I prepared those for publication.
Despite that, in November last year I participated in Nanowrimo and wrote 50,000 words of 'Hal 4' during the month. I introduced a sub-plot, where Hal and Clunk are hired to transport a concept artist's works across three luxury planets. Clunk is awed by the artist and entranced by his exhibition, and won't hear a bad word against him. Hal is ... Hal, and he thinks art is something you stick on the wall to cover up the stains.
Anyway, the idea grew into a whole series of funny scenes, and there's also a pair of Peace Force officers chasing the criminals responsible for ... but no, that's giving away too much. Suffice it to say I was really getting into a sendup of the whole arty scene.
Then, in December, I stopped work again to rewrite Hal 3.
This morning I glanced over my Hal 4 project in yWriter, and soon realised I had two books in one. (There's a good reason writers should take a rest from their projects. You get a wider view.) I just spent an hour splitting the two plots apart, moving the artist and the Peace Force officers into one book, and the legacy and Clunk's secret past into the other.
My question is, which sounds more intriguing, and which would you rather read first?
Technorati Tags: spacejock Writing Science Fiction Humour
Simon Haynes is the author of the Hal Spacejock and Hal Junior series (Amazon / Smashwords / other formats)
The idea was that he'd have to go to great lengths to prove who he was, which would also introduce readers to his forgotten past. There would also be a family who'd inherit if Clunk failed to prove his claim, making them a decent antagonist for the book.
I managed to write about 16,000 words, but unfortunately for Hal 4 (and not for me!) Fremantle Arts Centre Press took on the first three books in the series soon afterwards and all new work ceased while I prepared those for publication.
Despite that, in November last year I participated in Nanowrimo and wrote 50,000 words of 'Hal 4' during the month. I introduced a sub-plot, where Hal and Clunk are hired to transport a concept artist's works across three luxury planets. Clunk is awed by the artist and entranced by his exhibition, and won't hear a bad word against him. Hal is ... Hal, and he thinks art is something you stick on the wall to cover up the stains.
Anyway, the idea grew into a whole series of funny scenes, and there's also a pair of Peace Force officers chasing the criminals responsible for ... but no, that's giving away too much. Suffice it to say I was really getting into a sendup of the whole arty scene.
Then, in December, I stopped work again to rewrite Hal 3.
This morning I glanced over my Hal 4 project in yWriter, and soon realised I had two books in one. (There's a good reason writers should take a rest from their projects. You get a wider view.) I just spent an hour splitting the two plots apart, moving the artist and the Peace Force officers into one book, and the legacy and Clunk's secret past into the other.
My question is, which sounds more intriguing, and which would you rather read first?
Technorati Tags: spacejock Writing Science Fiction Humour
Simon Haynes is the author of the Hal Spacejock and Hal Junior series (Amazon / Smashwords / other formats)
Monday, July 10, 2006
Mega cool
Planet Fantastic (an SF Bookstore in Perth) just posted a list of the top 50 bestselling authors through their store over the past 12 months.
I'm at equal 35 (with CS Lewis), and if you look at the names below that point you'll see Hal Spacejock 1 & 2 outsold a raft of world famous SF writers. Neat.
Although I'm a local I don't get to that part of town, so it wasn't me ripping the covers off other books or turning mine face out. Credit to the staff though, because I know they mention my book whenever someone is looking for 'something like Red Dwarf or Hitchhiker's guide'
So, here's the list in full:
Planet Fantastic Bestselling Authors (Based on sales from July 2005 to July 2006)
1...Mercedes Lackey
2...Terry Pratchett
3...Neil Gaiman
4...George R. R. Martin
5...David Weber
6...Raymond E. Feist
7...Naomi Novik
8...Alastair Reynolds
9...Peter F. Hamilton
10..Orson Scott Card
11..Stephen King
12..Charles de Lint
13..Stephen Dedman
14..Anne McCaffrey
15..Robert Jordan
16..David Eddings
17..Stephen Baxter
18..Philip K. Dick
19..Richard Morgan
20..Sean Williams
21..John Ringo
22..Terry Goodkind
23..Isaac Asimov
24..Lois McMaster Bujold
25..Arthur C. Clarke
26..Marianne de Pierres
26..Neal Stephenson
27..China Mieville
28..Robin Hobb
29..Elizabeth Moon
30..Dan Simmons
31..Laurell K. Hamilton
31..Shaun Tan
32..David Gemmell
32..Grant Watson
33..Kate Forsyth
34..Fiona McIntosh
35..C. S. Lewis
35. Simon Haynes
36..Alan Dean Foster
36..Garth Nix
37..Robert J. Sawyer
38..Sara Douglass
38..Jasper Fforde
38..Harry Turtledove
39..Katharine Kerr
40..R. A. Salvatore
41..Lee Battersby
42..Iain M. Banks
43..Larry Niven
44..William Gibson
45..Trudi Canavan
45..L. E. Modesit
45..Connie Willis
46..Michael Moorcock
46..Charles Stross
47..John Birmingham
47..Stephen Donaldson
48..Greg Bear
48..John Varley
49..Clive Barker
49..Ray Bradbury
49..Greg Egan
49..Jennifer Fallon
50..Susannah Clarke
50..Robert A. Heinlein
50..Barry Hughart
Technorati Tags: spacejock Writing Science Fiction Humour
Simon Haynes is the author of the Hal Spacejock and Hal Junior series (Amazon / Smashwords / other formats)
I'm at equal 35 (with CS Lewis), and if you look at the names below that point you'll see Hal Spacejock 1 & 2 outsold a raft of world famous SF writers. Neat.
Although I'm a local I don't get to that part of town, so it wasn't me ripping the covers off other books or turning mine face out. Credit to the staff though, because I know they mention my book whenever someone is looking for 'something like Red Dwarf or Hitchhiker's guide'
So, here's the list in full:
Planet Fantastic Bestselling Authors (Based on sales from July 2005 to July 2006)
1...Mercedes Lackey
2...Terry Pratchett
3...Neil Gaiman
4...George R. R. Martin
5...David Weber
6...Raymond E. Feist
7...Naomi Novik
8...Alastair Reynolds
9...Peter F. Hamilton
10..Orson Scott Card
11..Stephen King
12..Charles de Lint
13..Stephen Dedman
14..Anne McCaffrey
15..Robert Jordan
16..David Eddings
17..Stephen Baxter
18..Philip K. Dick
19..Richard Morgan
20..Sean Williams
21..John Ringo
22..Terry Goodkind
23..Isaac Asimov
24..Lois McMaster Bujold
25..Arthur C. Clarke
26..Marianne de Pierres
26..Neal Stephenson
27..China Mieville
28..Robin Hobb
29..Elizabeth Moon
30..Dan Simmons
31..Laurell K. Hamilton
31..Shaun Tan
32..David Gemmell
32..Grant Watson
33..Kate Forsyth
34..Fiona McIntosh
35..C. S. Lewis
35. Simon Haynes
36..Alan Dean Foster
36..Garth Nix
37..Robert J. Sawyer
38..Sara Douglass
38..Jasper Fforde
38..Harry Turtledove
39..Katharine Kerr
40..R. A. Salvatore
41..Lee Battersby
42..Iain M. Banks
43..Larry Niven
44..William Gibson
45..Trudi Canavan
45..L. E. Modesit
45..Connie Willis
46..Michael Moorcock
46..Charles Stross
47..John Birmingham
47..Stephen Donaldson
48..Greg Bear
48..John Varley
49..Clive Barker
49..Ray Bradbury
49..Greg Egan
49..Jennifer Fallon
50..Susannah Clarke
50..Robert A. Heinlein
50..Barry Hughart
Technorati Tags: spacejock Writing Science Fiction Humour
Simon Haynes is the author of the Hal Spacejock and Hal Junior series (Amazon / Smashwords / other formats)
Careering
I emailed Miss Snark with a plea for help earlier today, and while it might seem like an odd thing to be asking about I'd still like to know what she thinks.
Background: Books one and two of the Hal Spacejock series have done quite well. The first has just about sold out and is likely to be reprinted RSN, and the second appears to have sold more copies than the first did after a similar amount of time. Distributors are actively pushing the books into schools as something reluctant boys might choose to read. (They're adult books, but fine for ages 14+. In fact, being adult books with the odd smutty double-entendre makes them perfect for reluctant boys. Girls too, I hasten to add, but boys do seem to prefer the zap-pow-crash-bang of SF space opera. As a side note, more than half the email I get about Hal comes from females.)
Anyway, I've handed in book three pending editorial wrangles (in a nice sense - my editor does a great job of highlighting the flaws which I may be blind to) and that's the end of my current contract.
Onto the question: I believe the books have done well enough for my publisher (or another, if FACP aren't interested) to seek more in the series, but I'm not sure about committing to three more. Logically, you want a contract for as many books as possible, e.g. twenty-five, which would keep you writing from here until doomsday. But from a creative point of view you just have to dread any series which loses the sparkle as each book plods onto the market. That's something I won't be party to, whatever the incentives.
When FACP approached me I'd already written 300,000 words across three Hal books. Each was quite different, and while they underwent a heap of editing before they were published, I had those rough drafts I could point to as a kind of comfort blanket. There they were, and they only needed shaping and polishing. (How much shaping and polishing I'll leave for another post. Suffice it to say I have 3 large boxes full of annotated drafts.)
So, facing more Hal books, where do I turn? I wrote about 60% of Hal 4 during NanoWrimo last year, and I'm planning to return to that novel once final edits of Hal 3 are in. I want to write 50,000 words of Hal 5 during NanoWrimo this year (November), so by the time Hal 3 comes out in January 2007 I should have an almost complete Hal 4 and just over half of Hal 5.
By then I'll know whether Hal 6 is a possibility, or whether I'm just treading water. For now, I think if the subject comes up I'll just stall for time.
(Another side note: If you're reading this as a writer trying as hard as possible to get published, all of the above probably sounds like the most ridiculous thing to worry about. I'm not making any apologies - the challenges you'll face are different when you're published, but they're still challenges and they're still worth talking about.)
Technorati Tags: spacejock Writing Science Fiction Humour
Simon Haynes is the author of the Hal Spacejock and Hal Junior series (Amazon / Smashwords / other formats)
Background: Books one and two of the Hal Spacejock series have done quite well. The first has just about sold out and is likely to be reprinted RSN, and the second appears to have sold more copies than the first did after a similar amount of time. Distributors are actively pushing the books into schools as something reluctant boys might choose to read. (They're adult books, but fine for ages 14+. In fact, being adult books with the odd smutty double-entendre makes them perfect for reluctant boys. Girls too, I hasten to add, but boys do seem to prefer the zap-pow-crash-bang of SF space opera. As a side note, more than half the email I get about Hal comes from females.)
Anyway, I've handed in book three pending editorial wrangles (in a nice sense - my editor does a great job of highlighting the flaws which I may be blind to) and that's the end of my current contract.
Onto the question: I believe the books have done well enough for my publisher (or another, if FACP aren't interested) to seek more in the series, but I'm not sure about committing to three more. Logically, you want a contract for as many books as possible, e.g. twenty-five, which would keep you writing from here until doomsday. But from a creative point of view you just have to dread any series which loses the sparkle as each book plods onto the market. That's something I won't be party to, whatever the incentives.
When FACP approached me I'd already written 300,000 words across three Hal books. Each was quite different, and while they underwent a heap of editing before they were published, I had those rough drafts I could point to as a kind of comfort blanket. There they were, and they only needed shaping and polishing. (How much shaping and polishing I'll leave for another post. Suffice it to say I have 3 large boxes full of annotated drafts.)
So, facing more Hal books, where do I turn? I wrote about 60% of Hal 4 during NanoWrimo last year, and I'm planning to return to that novel once final edits of Hal 3 are in. I want to write 50,000 words of Hal 5 during NanoWrimo this year (November), so by the time Hal 3 comes out in January 2007 I should have an almost complete Hal 4 and just over half of Hal 5.
By then I'll know whether Hal 6 is a possibility, or whether I'm just treading water. For now, I think if the subject comes up I'll just stall for time.
(Another side note: If you're reading this as a writer trying as hard as possible to get published, all of the above probably sounds like the most ridiculous thing to worry about. I'm not making any apologies - the challenges you'll face are different when you're published, but they're still challenges and they're still worth talking about.)
Technorati Tags: spacejock Writing Science Fiction Humour
Simon Haynes is the author of the Hal Spacejock and Hal Junior series (Amazon / Smashwords / other formats)
Saturday, July 08, 2006
Well-earned success for friends
This follows on nicely from my post a couple of days ago, where I spoke about the magic ingredients which go into a successful writing career. (That's hard work and persistance, if you weren't paying attention.)
Well, here's proof.
First, Karen Miller's Kingmaker/Kingbreaker duology is a gripping fantasy tale which has been storming bookstores across Australia and NZ. In a very smart move, Orbit Books has snapped up the UK publishing rights and will release the books there in 2007.
Second, and hot on the heels of that announcement, Orbit Books has also signed Glenda Larke's fantasy series 'The Mirage Makers'. This series debuted in Australia recently and has been doing very well by all accounts.
So, well deserved success. And when you hear great things about these authors, don't kid yourself it all happened overnight. Read their blogs and websites, and you'll see years and years of hard work and setbacks. Bet they're not thinking about that now ;-)
It's also a reminder to Australian writers to look in their own backyard. Many Aussies reach out to overseas publishers, thinking their local market isn't worth the bother. On the contrary, a good reception here might very well hasten your move into the UK and US.
Technorati Tags: spacejock Writing Science Fiction Humour
Simon Haynes is the author of the Hal Spacejock and Hal Junior series (Amazon / Smashwords / other formats)
Well, here's proof.
First, Karen Miller's Kingmaker/Kingbreaker duology is a gripping fantasy tale which has been storming bookstores across Australia and NZ. In a very smart move, Orbit Books has snapped up the UK publishing rights and will release the books there in 2007.
Second, and hot on the heels of that announcement, Orbit Books has also signed Glenda Larke's fantasy series 'The Mirage Makers'. This series debuted in Australia recently and has been doing very well by all accounts.
So, well deserved success. And when you hear great things about these authors, don't kid yourself it all happened overnight. Read their blogs and websites, and you'll see years and years of hard work and setbacks. Bet they're not thinking about that now ;-)
It's also a reminder to Australian writers to look in their own backyard. Many Aussies reach out to overseas publishers, thinking their local market isn't worth the bother. On the contrary, a good reception here might very well hasten your move into the UK and US.
Technorati Tags: spacejock Writing Science Fiction Humour
Simon Haynes is the author of the Hal Spacejock and Hal Junior series (Amazon / Smashwords / other formats)
Friday, July 07, 2006
And the rewards ...
Forget the money and keep your fame. This is what motivates me (Received via email):
I just wanted to say thanks for writing the best damn books ever. I had never read a book in my life until I read Hal Spacejock (and I'm 15 years old). We've only just got the second book in at the local library but I am eagerly awaiting your other books.
I replied with thanks and a short list of authors writing SF and Fantasy humour, because once someone's been sucked into reading ONE book they might try a few more.
Technorati Tags: spacejock Writing Science Fiction Humour
Simon Haynes is the author of the Hal Spacejock and Hal Junior series (Amazon / Smashwords / other formats)
I just wanted to say thanks for writing the best damn books ever. I had never read a book in my life until I read Hal Spacejock (and I'm 15 years old). We've only just got the second book in at the local library but I am eagerly awaiting your other books.
I replied with thanks and a short list of authors writing SF and Fantasy humour, because once someone's been sucked into reading ONE book they might try a few more.
Technorati Tags: spacejock Writing Science Fiction Humour
Simon Haynes is the author of the Hal Spacejock and Hal Junior series (Amazon / Smashwords / other formats)
How to get published and have a successful career
Here's the surefire path to a successful career in writing:
1) Churn out approximately one million words of fiction. This is your practice session. Can be short stories, stillborn novels, crappy stories you just can't finish, fan fiction, anything. Blog posts and email don't count towards the total, but they're all good practice for typing what you mean to say and learning to use the language professionally.
This is going to sound harsh, but if you don't care whether your emails and blog posts are grammatically correct and reasonably free of typos, then you may not care enough about the language to be a writer. Take a minute to think about the impression you're leaving with the people you write to. They will probably be the first you tell about your book, and if they're used to shoddy grammar and typos in your emails they might jump to the conclusion that your book is more of the same.
(I just know there's going to be a typo or a grammar issue in that paragraph, even though I've read it nine times. When a writer gets up and makes a point about the language, it's only natural that they screw up in the process and make themselves look like idiots. In my defence, I just spent 8 months editing and revising an 80,000 word manuscript and only got 5 hours sleep last night.)
2) Write a good strong book and polish it well. Sometimes it's hard to spot the flaws in your own work, so ask first readers to pick holes in it. Accept their comments gracefully, because if you argue they won't make any more. And if you're not going to listen to them, why ask them to read it in the first place?
Years ago I read something for a contact of mine, and I did a thorough job on it, too. I ended up with several pages of queries, but every point I raised was argued down to the wire, until eventually I gave up. That author wasn't after feedback, they just wanted kind words and a pat on the back. The experience wasn't a complete waste of time because it taught me how tough life is for editors, and it taught me to explain to readers what I needed from them.
3) Query agents (At least 100 before giving up on that novel) Boy, did I get this one wrong. I thought 'No unsolicited submissions' meant they didn't want to hear from people they hadn't asked to submit work to them. No wonder I gave up looking for an agent so quickly.
What it actually means is they don't want your manuscript or even the first three chapters. They just want a one page letter telling them about you and your book. They will get in touch if they want to see a partial (sample chapters)
(By the way, 'No unsolicited queries' means they don't want to hear from you at all.)
For fiction, you don't query agents until you have a finished manuscript.
And a timely reminder: Never pay an agent Agents take a cut from the publisher's payment to you. You don't pay them up front for anything.
The other reminder: If the agent suggests an editor who will help tidy up your manuscript for a modest fee, say no thanks and find another agent.
4) While doing 3), do 2) again
You're a writer, not an envelope stuffer. If you do get published, you'll discover that your editor is interested in your current book but everyone else wants to know what your next project is. So make sure you have one.
Now repeat 3-4 until you get an agent. If it takes you two years you might have 2 or 3 completed novels, and they get better the more you write.
Repeat 2 until the agent sells your book
If you DO get an agent your best bet is to write more books. If they discover they can't sell the work they signed you up for, they might have better luck with your next project. It might take them 12 months to give up on the first book, so wouldn't it be great to have another to offer them?
Repeat 2 until the agent and/or publisher ditches you.
If agent, find another one. If publisher, let your agent find another one. You should be writing.
Skipping any of these steps will reduce your chances considerably.
Glenda Larke suggested another step... READ READ and READ some more. How can you possibly hope to write a publishable manuscript if you're not absorbing others just as fast as you can?
So much for my ideas. What pointers can YOU share with people reading this blog? Comments below.
Technorati Tags: spacejock Writing Science Fiction Humour
Simon Haynes is the author of the Hal Spacejock and Hal Junior series (Amazon / Smashwords / other formats)
1) Churn out approximately one million words of fiction. This is your practice session. Can be short stories, stillborn novels, crappy stories you just can't finish, fan fiction, anything. Blog posts and email don't count towards the total, but they're all good practice for typing what you mean to say and learning to use the language professionally.
This is going to sound harsh, but if you don't care whether your emails and blog posts are grammatically correct and reasonably free of typos, then you may not care enough about the language to be a writer. Take a minute to think about the impression you're leaving with the people you write to. They will probably be the first you tell about your book, and if they're used to shoddy grammar and typos in your emails they might jump to the conclusion that your book is more of the same.
(I just know there's going to be a typo or a grammar issue in that paragraph, even though I've read it nine times. When a writer gets up and makes a point about the language, it's only natural that they screw up in the process and make themselves look like idiots. In my defence, I just spent 8 months editing and revising an 80,000 word manuscript and only got 5 hours sleep last night.)
2) Write a good strong book and polish it well. Sometimes it's hard to spot the flaws in your own work, so ask first readers to pick holes in it. Accept their comments gracefully, because if you argue they won't make any more. And if you're not going to listen to them, why ask them to read it in the first place?
Years ago I read something for a contact of mine, and I did a thorough job on it, too. I ended up with several pages of queries, but every point I raised was argued down to the wire, until eventually I gave up. That author wasn't after feedback, they just wanted kind words and a pat on the back. The experience wasn't a complete waste of time because it taught me how tough life is for editors, and it taught me to explain to readers what I needed from them.
3) Query agents (At least 100 before giving up on that novel) Boy, did I get this one wrong. I thought 'No unsolicited submissions' meant they didn't want to hear from people they hadn't asked to submit work to them. No wonder I gave up looking for an agent so quickly.
What it actually means is they don't want your manuscript or even the first three chapters. They just want a one page letter telling them about you and your book. They will get in touch if they want to see a partial (sample chapters)
(By the way, 'No unsolicited queries' means they don't want to hear from you at all.)
For fiction, you don't query agents until you have a finished manuscript.
And a timely reminder: Never pay an agent Agents take a cut from the publisher's payment to you. You don't pay them up front for anything.
The other reminder: If the agent suggests an editor who will help tidy up your manuscript for a modest fee, say no thanks and find another agent.
4) While doing 3), do 2) again
You're a writer, not an envelope stuffer. If you do get published, you'll discover that your editor is interested in your current book but everyone else wants to know what your next project is. So make sure you have one.
Now repeat 3-4 until you get an agent. If it takes you two years you might have 2 or 3 completed novels, and they get better the more you write.
Repeat 2 until the agent sells your book
If you DO get an agent your best bet is to write more books. If they discover they can't sell the work they signed you up for, they might have better luck with your next project. It might take them 12 months to give up on the first book, so wouldn't it be great to have another to offer them?
Repeat 2 until the agent and/or publisher ditches you.
If agent, find another one. If publisher, let your agent find another one. You should be writing.
Skipping any of these steps will reduce your chances considerably.
Glenda Larke suggested another step... READ READ and READ some more. How can you possibly hope to write a publishable manuscript if you're not absorbing others just as fast as you can?
So much for my ideas. What pointers can YOU share with people reading this blog? Comments below.
Technorati Tags: spacejock Writing Science Fiction Humour
Simon Haynes is the author of the Hal Spacejock and Hal Junior series (Amazon / Smashwords / other formats)
Monday, July 03, 2006
Just Desserts Just About
The final draft is DONE.
This is my THIRD go at Hal Spacejock Just Desserts, the third book in the Hal Spacejock series, which means I've put more work into this thing than most authors put into an entire fantasy trilogy. Each time I've torn the plot apart and started again, and this time I believe I've got it right.
Only 3 people have one of these...
The first version was a political satire. The second had less of the politics but not enough of anything else to replace it. This one has zero politics and a load of the Hal & Clunk goodness people have come to expect. It will undergo tweaks (particularly the very last chapter) but at least my publisher now has something to print. And only 7 days past my deadline.
In September 2005 this was a 'finished' book, and I've spent most of the past nine months rewriting it. Twice. Over the past three months I've done nothing but eat, sleep and write. After all that work, I sincerely hope it meets expectations.
Technorati Tags: spacejock Writing Science Fiction Humour
Simon Haynes is the author of the Hal Spacejock and Hal Junior series (Amazon / Smashwords / other formats)
This is my THIRD go at Hal Spacejock Just Desserts, the third book in the Hal Spacejock series, which means I've put more work into this thing than most authors put into an entire fantasy trilogy. Each time I've torn the plot apart and started again, and this time I believe I've got it right.
Only 3 people have one of these...
The first version was a political satire. The second had less of the politics but not enough of anything else to replace it. This one has zero politics and a load of the Hal & Clunk goodness people have come to expect. It will undergo tweaks (particularly the very last chapter) but at least my publisher now has something to print. And only 7 days past my deadline.
In September 2005 this was a 'finished' book, and I've spent most of the past nine months rewriting it. Twice. Over the past three months I've done nothing but eat, sleep and write. After all that work, I sincerely hope it meets expectations.
Technorati Tags: spacejock Writing Science Fiction Humour
Simon Haynes is the author of the Hal Spacejock and Hal Junior series (Amazon / Smashwords / other formats)
Friday, June 30, 2006
Extendare
This is what you do when your latest draft is 98% complete and you 'just need a few more days'. Particularly when the deadline is already as late as it can possibly be without throwing the release date off. Do you dare ask the editor for an extension?
I realised just four days ago that I needed another week to finish Hal 3 off properly. Yes, I'm a perfectionist and yes, I'm a procrastinator (never a good combination) So, I called my editor and she offered me another seven days before I could even start begging. Phew.
Anyway, the bits and pieces are flowing together nicely and I'm so-so-close to finishing this one off. I'm really looking forward to working on Hal 4, which will be the first new Hal novel without a previous version to work from. Alas, only the first three books are under contract, but if everyone buys Hal 3 when it comes out that state of affairs should change rapidly.
Technorati Tags: spacejock Writing Science Fiction Humour
Simon Haynes is the author of the Hal Spacejock and Hal Junior series (Amazon / Smashwords / other formats)
I realised just four days ago that I needed another week to finish Hal 3 off properly. Yes, I'm a perfectionist and yes, I'm a procrastinator (never a good combination) So, I called my editor and she offered me another seven days before I could even start begging. Phew.
Anyway, the bits and pieces are flowing together nicely and I'm so-so-close to finishing this one off. I'm really looking forward to working on Hal 4, which will be the first new Hal novel without a previous version to work from. Alas, only the first three books are under contract, but if everyone buys Hal 3 when it comes out that state of affairs should change rapidly.
Technorati Tags: spacejock Writing Science Fiction Humour
Simon Haynes is the author of the Hal Spacejock and Hal Junior series (Amazon / Smashwords / other formats)
Monday, June 12, 2006
Good luck, Socceroos
It's 32 years since our one and only appearance at the World Cup. 32 years ago I was a five-year-old cowering behind the sofa while Dr Who played out on our black and white telly. Tonight I'll be chewing my nails just as hard, but this time I'll be in front of the sofa.
So, lay on the munchies and the caffeine drip and fingers crossed for a good result!
Update:
YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES!
Simon Haynes is the author of the Hal Spacejock and Hal Junior series (Amazon / Smashwords / other formats)
So, lay on the munchies and the caffeine drip and fingers crossed for a good result!
Update:
YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES!
Simon Haynes is the author of the Hal Spacejock and Hal Junior series (Amazon / Smashwords / other formats)
Monday, June 05, 2006
Hal three: wheee!
Some of you may be aware that an early version of Hal Spacejock Just Desserts (Hal 3) was released under the Bowman Publishing imprint in 2003, but you may not realise that only 100 copies sold before Fremantle Arts took on the series. (Incidentally, if you spot one of these, grab it.)
Well, I've been rewriting Hal 3 for FACP since September last year, and over the past few weeks all that hard work has started to pay off. Any of the 100 people who read the Bowman edition would hardly recognise this book, since half the plot has been dumped along with two major characters. (Not Hal and Clunk!) I've
The problem was that the original book was a political satire, but it wasn't particularly satirical. The first character I chose to dump was a political leader with all the personality of ... a political leader. The other was his advisor, who if anything was even more boring.
Another problem was that while Hal and Clunk faced numerous challenges, none of them rated much higher than getting a puncture on the way to your own wedding.
I thought the book hung together pretty well, but each time I had a discussion with my editor I came up with ideas further and further from the original. Hence the lengthy rewrite, which has lasted 7 months on and off.
So, is it better? In a word, yes. The new major character only appeared in two chapters of the original, and even then they only have the name in common. (And I'm about to change the surname, too...) At least fifty percent of the plot is completely different, and I doubt many scenes will survive in their original form.
That's the beauty of rewrites, which is what this somewhat rambling post is all about. Yes, it's hard to hack into your cherished paragraphs, scenes and chapters, and it's doubly hard to lose gags and jokes you once laughed over. But the finished product is all that counts, and if you bear in mind I spent eight months writing the original, followed by three months editing, and have now spent seven or eight months stripping it down and doing it all over again, that's one hell of a lot of work for a book you'll probably devour in two days.
Remember that next time you're moaning an author got it all wrong ;-)
Simon Haynes is the author of the Hal Spacejock and Hal Junior series (Amazon / Smashwords / other formats)
Well, I've been rewriting Hal 3 for FACP since September last year, and over the past few weeks all that hard work has started to pay off. Any of the 100 people who read the Bowman edition would hardly recognise this book, since half the plot has been dumped along with two major characters. (Not Hal and Clunk!) I've
The problem was that the original book was a political satire, but it wasn't particularly satirical. The first character I chose to dump was a political leader with all the personality of ... a political leader. The other was his advisor, who if anything was even more boring.
Another problem was that while Hal and Clunk faced numerous challenges, none of them rated much higher than getting a puncture on the way to your own wedding.
I thought the book hung together pretty well, but each time I had a discussion with my editor I came up with ideas further and further from the original. Hence the lengthy rewrite, which has lasted 7 months on and off.
So, is it better? In a word, yes. The new major character only appeared in two chapters of the original, and even then they only have the name in common. (And I'm about to change the surname, too...) At least fifty percent of the plot is completely different, and I doubt many scenes will survive in their original form.
That's the beauty of rewrites, which is what this somewhat rambling post is all about. Yes, it's hard to hack into your cherished paragraphs, scenes and chapters, and it's doubly hard to lose gags and jokes you once laughed over. But the finished product is all that counts, and if you bear in mind I spent eight months writing the original, followed by three months editing, and have now spent seven or eight months stripping it down and doing it all over again, that's one hell of a lot of work for a book you'll probably devour in two days.
Remember that next time you're moaning an author got it all wrong ;-)
Simon Haynes is the author of the Hal Spacejock and Hal Junior series (Amazon / Smashwords / other formats)
Monday, May 29, 2006
Major Hal Spacejock review
It's always nice (and usually quite a surprise!) to see genre books reviewed in mainstream newspapers. Today's edition of the West Australian (Monday 29th May 2006) has a nice big article on my struggle to get into print, along with a flattering and very positive review/spoiler-free synopsis of the book.
I'm still working hard on Hal 3, and sometimes I really feel like I'm out of the loop when it comes to feedback. Once I hand in the final draft of a Hal Spacejock novel it's all in my publisher's hands, although I do attend any number of promotional and speaking events to help move things along.
However, actual info on number of books sold across Australia and New Zealand in the last day, week, or ten minutes (demanding, me?) isn't available. There's no real guide to how well it's doing, and so a writer's job is to bury themselves in the next book and forget all about the last.
But where's the fun in that? Where's the fame and fortune when you're always working on the next book and never stopping to enjoy the success of the last one? Hah - welcome to the real world of being a published author. Write, revise, submit. It doesn't stop just because someone selected one of your manuscripts, not if you want to make a career out of it.
I firmly believe you need four books in the market before anyone really notices you. Whether that's a trilogy plus the first book of the next series, or four singles, I think readers want to see how committed you are to providing them with ongoing material before they'll dive into your world.
Of course, once you've hooked them you're set, unless you get big-headed and start ignoring your editor. Trace any author's career and you'll often find later books getting bigger and bigger, looser and looser, as their editors cease to have the input they used to. To me, the worst career move for any author is to believe they're now good enough that no editor should touch their work. Well crap to that.
If you're wondering where to put your time - marketing or rewriting - my advice is to invest it in making the book better. Once it's out there you can't change it, and if you write good books word of mouth will generate more sales than any marketing by the author.
Simon Haynes is the author of the Hal Spacejock and Hal Junior series (Amazon / Smashwords / other formats)
I'm still working hard on Hal 3, and sometimes I really feel like I'm out of the loop when it comes to feedback. Once I hand in the final draft of a Hal Spacejock novel it's all in my publisher's hands, although I do attend any number of promotional and speaking events to help move things along.
However, actual info on number of books sold across Australia and New Zealand in the last day, week, or ten minutes (demanding, me?) isn't available. There's no real guide to how well it's doing, and so a writer's job is to bury themselves in the next book and forget all about the last.
But where's the fun in that? Where's the fame and fortune when you're always working on the next book and never stopping to enjoy the success of the last one? Hah - welcome to the real world of being a published author. Write, revise, submit. It doesn't stop just because someone selected one of your manuscripts, not if you want to make a career out of it.
I firmly believe you need four books in the market before anyone really notices you. Whether that's a trilogy plus the first book of the next series, or four singles, I think readers want to see how committed you are to providing them with ongoing material before they'll dive into your world.
Of course, once you've hooked them you're set, unless you get big-headed and start ignoring your editor. Trace any author's career and you'll often find later books getting bigger and bigger, looser and looser, as their editors cease to have the input they used to. To me, the worst career move for any author is to believe they're now good enough that no editor should touch their work. Well crap to that.
If you're wondering where to put your time - marketing or rewriting - my advice is to invest it in making the book better. Once it's out there you can't change it, and if you write good books word of mouth will generate more sales than any marketing by the author.
Simon Haynes is the author of the Hal Spacejock and Hal Junior series (Amazon / Smashwords / other formats)
Wednesday, May 03, 2006
Andromeda Spaceways now also available as a PDF
Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine #22 is out now in an easy electronic version.
Containing all of the content of the issue except for two stories which are exclusive to the printed issue, the pdf of e-ASIM #22 is available for AUD$3 or US$2 (Paypal only) from our website
That's an awful lot of ASIM for a small amount of change, and it won't take up any room on your bookcase!
e-ASIM #22 is an e-xperiment to gauge the popularity of an electronic version of the magazine - if it proves popular we will do this with future issues, and may be able to offer an e-subscription option in addition to the print subscription.
This issue contains:
Fiction
"The Sun King," Adam Browne
"Blake the God," Lee Battersby
"Marco's Tooth," Trent Jamieson
"The Last Cyberpunk," Will McIntosh
"It's Only Rock and Roll," Hannah Strom-Martin
"Mail Chauvinism," G. Scott Huggins
"Tiny Sapphire and the Big Bad Virus," Josh Rountree
"The Once and Future Creepy," Andrew Hindle
"Love in the Land of the Dead," Shane Jiraiya Cummings
Non Fiction
Feature Article by Cory Daniells
Interview with Trent Jamieson
Reviews by Cherie Priest, Tansy Rayner Roberts and others.
Cover by Conny Valentina
(to read "Black Box," by Miles Deacon, "Western Front 1914," by Peter Friend or "MarsSickGirl" by Jennifer Pelland, you can still buy a print copy of ASIM 22 at www.andromedaspaceways.com)
Check out a review of this issue at Tangent Online
Simon Haynes is the author of the Hal Spacejock and Hal Junior series (Amazon / Smashwords / other formats)
Containing all of the content of the issue except for two stories which are exclusive to the printed issue, the pdf of e-ASIM #22 is available for AUD$3 or US$2 (Paypal only) from our website
That's an awful lot of ASIM for a small amount of change, and it won't take up any room on your bookcase!
e-ASIM #22 is an e-xperiment to gauge the popularity of an electronic version of the magazine - if it proves popular we will do this with future issues, and may be able to offer an e-subscription option in addition to the print subscription.
This issue contains:
Fiction
"The Sun King," Adam Browne
"Blake the God," Lee Battersby
"Marco's Tooth," Trent Jamieson
"The Last Cyberpunk," Will McIntosh
"It's Only Rock and Roll," Hannah Strom-Martin
"Mail Chauvinism," G. Scott Huggins
"Tiny Sapphire and the Big Bad Virus," Josh Rountree
"The Once and Future Creepy," Andrew Hindle
"Love in the Land of the Dead," Shane Jiraiya Cummings
Non Fiction
Feature Article by Cory Daniells
Interview with Trent Jamieson
Reviews by Cherie Priest, Tansy Rayner Roberts and others.
Cover by Conny Valentina
(to read "Black Box," by Miles Deacon, "Western Front 1914," by Peter Friend or "MarsSickGirl" by Jennifer Pelland, you can still buy a print copy of ASIM 22 at www.andromedaspaceways.com)
Check out a review of this issue at Tangent Online
Simon Haynes is the author of the Hal Spacejock and Hal Junior series (Amazon / Smashwords / other formats)
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