Currently, Extinction Chronicles is safely housed in the Bloomsburg Public Library. The head librarian opted to purchase the book for the library. Due to his kind nature, I donated The Tequila Diaries:Organ Donor to the library. I also have Organ Donor in the Tamaqua Public Library.
Most of the libraries in the area have been very receptive to having my books in their collection. There have been a few places that didn’t want my book. The reason they stated was that the book wasn’t on the New York Times Bestseller list. I found this kind of strange. Especially since I live locally, I thought they would like to help support a local artist. It kind of figures because the place where I live doesn’t even have a bookstore in the town. It’s an old burned out coal-mining region that is kind of stuck thirty years behind the times. Well, maybe not that bad but hopefully you get the picture.
So, as of now my books are in two public libraries in North Eastern Pennsylvania. As I write more books I don’t think I will bend over backwards to get them into public libraries. Well, maybe some of them but not the places that weren’t particularly friendly to me.
Monday, November 21, 2011
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Thoughts on the .99-cent Ebook
Ah yes, the .99-cent Ereader. I’ve done some research on this topic. I haven’t necessarily dug deep but just cracked the surface of the phenomenon. Unfortunately, I’m a little late to the party, as the .99-cent ebooks have flooded the market. I guess writers tend to throw their books out there at 1.99 or 2.99 to avoid the .99-cent tag. However, I want to take a stab at the .99-cent market.
My first book I tossed out there at $9.99 for the Ebook and now I see that mistake. So now, I’m going to release that .99-cent ebook. I hope my endeavor stands out amongst the sea of titles in the simple fact that my work has gone through the editing process. Line edited at least, as that’s what fits in my budget for now.
I’ve read that so many of the .99-cent debacles are unedited and poorly written but writers have been able to make money tossing the stories out there. I’m not banking on making a million dollars but I have a goal set and if I don’t reach it then I’ll chalk it up as a total failure. Hopefully, the story will stick as I feel it is extremely original. Sometimes, these days being original doesn’t equate to making money. Now that is a topic for another blog post altogether.
I keep hearing that the .99-cent ebook has hurt traditional publishing. Sometimes I think that I in a way that may be true but people still like to read paperbacks and hardcover books. I look at the .99-cent ebook as a way for new writers to break into the industry. Anything that supports that kind of creativity and a possible means for an income in an uncertain economy is okay in my book. Usually, in a situation like this people who end up losing money from a new technology or product are the one’s that complain ala the record companies at the beginning of the digital revolution.
Well, the digital revolution is here for books as well. I feel it’s the companies and business models that will learn to adapt to the new technology are the ones going to be successful. Just look at the Borders vs. Barnes and Noble scenario. I believe Barnes and Noble jumped on the Ereader bandwagon with the Nook compared to Borders failed embrace of the digital model.
Anyway, Ebooks are here to stay and the .99-cent story isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. Prices may eek up over time every so slightly but they will still be around. Maybe forcing out print books altogether, just like the 8 track, to tape, to CD, now to digital…
My first book I tossed out there at $9.99 for the Ebook and now I see that mistake. So now, I’m going to release that .99-cent ebook. I hope my endeavor stands out amongst the sea of titles in the simple fact that my work has gone through the editing process. Line edited at least, as that’s what fits in my budget for now.
I’ve read that so many of the .99-cent debacles are unedited and poorly written but writers have been able to make money tossing the stories out there. I’m not banking on making a million dollars but I have a goal set and if I don’t reach it then I’ll chalk it up as a total failure. Hopefully, the story will stick as I feel it is extremely original. Sometimes, these days being original doesn’t equate to making money. Now that is a topic for another blog post altogether.
I keep hearing that the .99-cent ebook has hurt traditional publishing. Sometimes I think that I in a way that may be true but people still like to read paperbacks and hardcover books. I look at the .99-cent ebook as a way for new writers to break into the industry. Anything that supports that kind of creativity and a possible means for an income in an uncertain economy is okay in my book. Usually, in a situation like this people who end up losing money from a new technology or product are the one’s that complain ala the record companies at the beginning of the digital revolution.
Well, the digital revolution is here for books as well. I feel it’s the companies and business models that will learn to adapt to the new technology are the ones going to be successful. Just look at the Borders vs. Barnes and Noble scenario. I believe Barnes and Noble jumped on the Ereader bandwagon with the Nook compared to Borders failed embrace of the digital model.
Anyway, Ebooks are here to stay and the .99-cent story isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. Prices may eek up over time every so slightly but they will still be around. Maybe forcing out print books altogether, just like the 8 track, to tape, to CD, now to digital…
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Work on the Horizon...
After the early part of 2012 I will have three books or stories available to the public. I have set a goal of around twenty works ranging from short stories, novellas and possibly one novel or maybe two. Depending on the success or lack of it that number may change. Currently, I'm working on a collection of short stories that belong to a book called The Tequila Diaries. I plan to release a series of shorts from The Tequila Diaries and finally a hardcover which will include the previous released stories and a few more. Inbetween The Tequila Diaries I plan to release a stand alone novella or other short stories. The current piece that is going into production now is called A Breath Before Sunrise.
A Breath Before Sunrise is a 25,500+ word novella that is an expansion of a short story called The Observer, which can be found in Extinction Chronicles. If all goes well I plan one more story in the world created from The Observer before moving on. A Breath Before Sunrise is my longest work to date. In writing the piece I was able to allow the characters to grow in a more organic matter opposed to the quick characterizations found in my short stories. The result is a more satisfying piece with a story that contains a larger scope and it comes across as less ambigious.
If all goes well the next entry to The Tequila Diaries will be a story roughly called A Vote To Kill. The work takes place in the near future after the lingering effects of a failed global economy play havoc with society. The main character is a reformed computer hacker who's life is about to turn on end.
So, as you can see I'm starting to build a library of work. In a few years I should have enough work to where I can feel comfortable but currently I'm trying to get pieces out there as quickly as possible. Time is an issue as well as what is in my budget considering I am independent.
A Breath Before Sunrise is a 25,500+ word novella that is an expansion of a short story called The Observer, which can be found in Extinction Chronicles. If all goes well I plan one more story in the world created from The Observer before moving on. A Breath Before Sunrise is my longest work to date. In writing the piece I was able to allow the characters to grow in a more organic matter opposed to the quick characterizations found in my short stories. The result is a more satisfying piece with a story that contains a larger scope and it comes across as less ambigious.
If all goes well the next entry to The Tequila Diaries will be a story roughly called A Vote To Kill. The work takes place in the near future after the lingering effects of a failed global economy play havoc with society. The main character is a reformed computer hacker who's life is about to turn on end.
So, as you can see I'm starting to build a library of work. In a few years I should have enough work to where I can feel comfortable but currently I'm trying to get pieces out there as quickly as possible. Time is an issue as well as what is in my budget considering I am independent.
Talking about my first book and second book.
Extinction Chronicles is my first book. It is a collection of six short stories. The first four are designed for independent reading but connect and form one larger story called Hazel, like the eye color. Extinction Chronicles is horror that kind of goes back to its early creature feature roots.
The prose can come across a bit purplish and flowery sometimes but I kind of prefer that style. It allows me to have some fun with description. The writing in Extinction Chronicles is thesaurus heavy at times. I wrote the stories in a very skeletal form and decided to throw in unusual words to create a melody of sorts within the paragraphs. I often think Extinction Chronicles has some great paragraphs that just scream to be read aloud.
The Teuqila Diaries:Organ Donor is a sharp contrast to my first work. The cover is black opposed to the white cover of Extinction Chronicles. I didn't offer any of my artwork to Organ Donor but opted for images courtesy of thinkstock. The prose is a bit less purply although there are one or two paragraphs where I go off on a tangent. Organ Donor is a concise story topping off at about 12,000 words. It's dark and very depressing in a way. Then again the tone fits the title.
One thing I struggle with in my writing is putting in an ending that could be classified as happy. In my first two books the endings are very harsh and bitter. Something just bugs me about happy endings. They bore me as a matter of fact.
The prose can come across a bit purplish and flowery sometimes but I kind of prefer that style. It allows me to have some fun with description. The writing in Extinction Chronicles is thesaurus heavy at times. I wrote the stories in a very skeletal form and decided to throw in unusual words to create a melody of sorts within the paragraphs. I often think Extinction Chronicles has some great paragraphs that just scream to be read aloud.
The Teuqila Diaries:Organ Donor is a sharp contrast to my first work. The cover is black opposed to the white cover of Extinction Chronicles. I didn't offer any of my artwork to Organ Donor but opted for images courtesy of thinkstock. The prose is a bit less purply although there are one or two paragraphs where I go off on a tangent. Organ Donor is a concise story topping off at about 12,000 words. It's dark and very depressing in a way. Then again the tone fits the title.
One thing I struggle with in my writing is putting in an ending that could be classified as happy. In my first two books the endings are very harsh and bitter. Something just bugs me about happy endings. They bore me as a matter of fact.
Introductions!
Hello there! My name is Jamie Horwath. I use my real name as I'm not one for that anon thing people go so crazy about. Anyways, I am an independent writer. Currently, I have two works available for sale.
Here----->
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=jamie+horwath&x=17&y=15
My work isn't only there. You can find my books via a host of online retailers and at a local bookstore in my area of the country.
I am working on a third piece. It should be due out next year around February or March. The third piece is my longest work, a novella, with a word count of around 25,500. The work will be available on kindle and other Ereaders for .99 cents.
The previous works that I have released are in the horror/sci-fi genre and consist of a collection of short stories. My first book, Extinction Chronicles, is made up of six short stories.
Here is a review for my first book from Forword Clarion Reviews.
"ForeWord Clarion Reviews
SCIENCE FICTION
Extinction Chronicles: Includes the Hazel Short Story Collection as Well as the Observer–A Stand Alone Short
Jamie Horwath
AuthorHouse
Three Stars (out of Five)
It is always exciting to discover a new voice in the science fiction and fantasy genres. Rare is the writer who can splice the Lovecraft Cthulhu mythos with 1950’s Cold War fear and our twenty-first century worries of terrorism, xenophobia, and climate change the way Jamie Horwath has in the short story "Hazel," which is part of his collection of short stories, Extinction Chronicles. "Hazel," as well as the dystopian short story, "The Observer," and the clever reboot of the werewolf mythos, "The Blood Harvest: Any Town USA" each examine a variety of horrific ways in which mankind is in the crosshairs of annihilation.
Extinction Chronicles shows great potential that is only limited by lack of editing. The overall punch of the stories is lessened by spelling and grammatical errors, and over-the-top purple prose that screams author intrusion. Even with such flaws, readers will still get sucked into the heart and marrow of each story. "Hazel," the longest story in the collection, is a Lovecraftian nightmare wedded to the environmental disaster theme. Divided into four sections, Migraine, Bar Flies (this title contains a witty double meaning), Sub Blackness (cripple words), and Dwellers From Within, each story or vignette appears to be unrelated. The author weaves them together around his protagonist Kaley Walls.
The story begins when Kaley wakes from a nightmare with a seemingly innocuous migraine headache. She sets into motion a chain of events that changes her life and impacts all of humanity. The opening paragraph contains a sentence that demonstrates some of Horwath’s
powerful descriptiveness and lyricism. He writes, "Her shadow flickered in the anemic moonlight." The crafting of such an effective and haunting sentence allows readers to share Kaley’s nightmare. But the same story also has a sentence that reads, "Laugh, why would I laugh I’m hear to help you." The misspelling of the word "hear" is a mistake that would have been found and noted in the proofs by an editor. Again, the sentence above about the anemic moonlight is gorgeous and descriptive in its simplicity and musicality. However, Extinction Chronicles also contains sentences that are clunky, full of author intrusion, bizarre similes, and metaphors that are more distracting than functional. Horwath writes, "The sound began to trip the light fantastic toe with Klein’s fading tone. Only to cast off the fading feeble attempt with an intimidating try at a diabolical click of social prepossession." The meaning of the entire quote is unclear. Proper editing would have pointed these mistakes out as well.
Regardless, of the misspellings, typos, ambiguous sentences, and other short-comings, Horwath’s writing has some of the poetic prose of Ray Bradbury, the characterization skills of Stephen King, and the succinct narrative abilities and eclectic humor of Joe R. Lansdale and Clive Barker.
Lee Gooden"
As you can see a lack of editing hurt my work. In my second book I did have a third party editor look over my work. The review of Extinction Chronicles has taught me never to release work without at least line editing. Anyways, I think that's a good start to things. I'm not a really dedicated blogger but I'll see how things go. You can always visit my website http://www.jamiehorwath.com/ if you would like to learn more about my books.
Here----->
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=jamie+horwath&x=17&y=15
My work isn't only there. You can find my books via a host of online retailers and at a local bookstore in my area of the country.
I am working on a third piece. It should be due out next year around February or March. The third piece is my longest work, a novella, with a word count of around 25,500. The work will be available on kindle and other Ereaders for .99 cents.
The previous works that I have released are in the horror/sci-fi genre and consist of a collection of short stories. My first book, Extinction Chronicles, is made up of six short stories.
Here is a review for my first book from Forword Clarion Reviews.
"ForeWord Clarion Reviews
SCIENCE FICTION
Extinction Chronicles: Includes the Hazel Short Story Collection as Well as the Observer–A Stand Alone Short
Jamie Horwath
AuthorHouse
Three Stars (out of Five)
It is always exciting to discover a new voice in the science fiction and fantasy genres. Rare is the writer who can splice the Lovecraft Cthulhu mythos with 1950’s Cold War fear and our twenty-first century worries of terrorism, xenophobia, and climate change the way Jamie Horwath has in the short story "Hazel," which is part of his collection of short stories, Extinction Chronicles. "Hazel," as well as the dystopian short story, "The Observer," and the clever reboot of the werewolf mythos, "The Blood Harvest: Any Town USA" each examine a variety of horrific ways in which mankind is in the crosshairs of annihilation.
Extinction Chronicles shows great potential that is only limited by lack of editing. The overall punch of the stories is lessened by spelling and grammatical errors, and over-the-top purple prose that screams author intrusion. Even with such flaws, readers will still get sucked into the heart and marrow of each story. "Hazel," the longest story in the collection, is a Lovecraftian nightmare wedded to the environmental disaster theme. Divided into four sections, Migraine, Bar Flies (this title contains a witty double meaning), Sub Blackness (cripple words), and Dwellers From Within, each story or vignette appears to be unrelated. The author weaves them together around his protagonist Kaley Walls.
The story begins when Kaley wakes from a nightmare with a seemingly innocuous migraine headache. She sets into motion a chain of events that changes her life and impacts all of humanity. The opening paragraph contains a sentence that demonstrates some of Horwath’s
powerful descriptiveness and lyricism. He writes, "Her shadow flickered in the anemic moonlight." The crafting of such an effective and haunting sentence allows readers to share Kaley’s nightmare. But the same story also has a sentence that reads, "Laugh, why would I laugh I’m hear to help you." The misspelling of the word "hear" is a mistake that would have been found and noted in the proofs by an editor. Again, the sentence above about the anemic moonlight is gorgeous and descriptive in its simplicity and musicality. However, Extinction Chronicles also contains sentences that are clunky, full of author intrusion, bizarre similes, and metaphors that are more distracting than functional. Horwath writes, "The sound began to trip the light fantastic toe with Klein’s fading tone. Only to cast off the fading feeble attempt with an intimidating try at a diabolical click of social prepossession." The meaning of the entire quote is unclear. Proper editing would have pointed these mistakes out as well.
Regardless, of the misspellings, typos, ambiguous sentences, and other short-comings, Horwath’s writing has some of the poetic prose of Ray Bradbury, the characterization skills of Stephen King, and the succinct narrative abilities and eclectic humor of Joe R. Lansdale and Clive Barker.
Lee Gooden"
As you can see a lack of editing hurt my work. In my second book I did have a third party editor look over my work. The review of Extinction Chronicles has taught me never to release work without at least line editing. Anyways, I think that's a good start to things. I'm not a really dedicated blogger but I'll see how things go. You can always visit my website http://www.jamiehorwath.com/ if you would like to learn more about my books.
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