Blogging All About It

[C.W. LaSart]

I talk about the lessons I've learned from my first full year in the publishing business http://www.cwlasart.com/?p=1068Thought it might be helpful to aspiring writers.

[ozmosis7]

I try to circulate my stuff in, although I try to stay away from being the sort that promo-posts something every few minutes. You have to find a comfortable medium that isn't offensive, otherwise no one will ever check your links out. That being said, my list is likely shorter than many here. I also keep links on my website, regardless of what I do post wise.

What I have found as the most interesting self-promotional tool is a digital copy on the phone. Not every publisher I've dealt with has given these away to the author for free, but I use the ones I have like a business card. Sometimes people remember a title easier than the authors name. It has worked out pretty well for me thus far, so I thought I would share.

Anyway, great article, Ken. And, gratz on the recent publications.

[Kenwood]

Thanks, Richard. And sorry about the rejections. If it's any help, some of our published authors were rejected more than six times before we accepted them. And some have been rejected more than six times since. =) We're equally opportunity dream-crushers.

Anyway, the promoting thing baffles me. I know some people out there tend to spam us all, but most authors I know rarely post about past work. It's like it doesn't exist outside their bibliography link. It's a strange practice.

[RichardThomas]

Great article, Ken. I could support Shock Totem MORE if you'd just take one of my damn stories. SIX rejections so far. Just kidding, I love you guys and always toss out your name as a top magazine and press when my friends are shopping their work. I know that every time I publish with somebody, I do my best to not only support and promote THAT issue, with my story in it, but to keep supporting and promoting them, indefinitely. I want that publication to grow and do well, because it only reflects positively on me. AND, because I respect and enjoy that publication. There are so few "professional" horror magazines out there, ST is really one of the few that is doing it right. So, why wouldn't I support you all, in general, in addition to supporting you if I published with you. Any author that DOESN'T support and promote ST after getting accepted is selfish, stupid, and a bad promoter. (re-posted at Eyesore, too)

[Kenwood]

I talked a bit about supporting/promoting in this blog post:

http://www.eyesoretimes.com/2011/12/...n-bedpost.html

Particularly why so many authors fail to support the publishers who publish them, thus, in a certain regard, fail to promote their own work.

[ozmosis7]

Also...

I believe it is only a certain level of membership at the website that gains access to these stories. They are pretty big on protecting stories and keeping them available to send out elsewhere.

I've joined their crit group there, and never had an issue. This would likely be a level below the crit group access, so that those stories cannot be viewed (as it was last year).

Ed also allows everyone to edit their own posts, so once the contest is over you can delete the posts contents. Its a pretty good time.

I probably also should mention some pretty high-level authors have competed in the past. It provides quite the competition if you like that kind of thing as i do.

[ozmosis7]

This one works a little different. Only those who submit vote for anonymous writers. The top 10 move on to the publisher vote. Its kind of fun, as you get a lot of anonymous feedback. No names are revealed until the end. And there is no running count to keep tabs on really.

[C.W. LaSart]

Put up a blog post about a yearly writing contest. Be sure to stop by and read the details, as this is a pro-paying sponsor.

http://kennethwcain.wordpress.com/20...t-at-cafedoom/

Cool, but I refuse to do another voting contest-makes me obsessive! LOL

[peteOcha]

Put up a blog post about a yearly writing contest. Be sure to stop by and read the details, as this is a pro-paying sponsor.

http://kennethwcain.wordpress.com/20...t-at-cafedoom/

Sounds pretty cool, thanks for the heads up!

I'm swamped with work at the moment so I probably won't have time to put together something for this. I do have my story that I submitted to the CD contest here... Although a serial killer story isn't really all that scary...

[ozmosis7]

Put up a blog post about a yearly writing contest. Be sure to stop by and read the details, as this is a pro-paying sponsor.

http://kennethwcain.wordpress.com/20...t-at-cafedoom/

[C.W. LaSart]

http://www.cwlasart.com/?p=508My weekly blog-I always forget to post it on here

[Ben Staad]

I've just posted my review of Stephen King's latest offering, MILE 81.

Thanks for the review. I've read a couple of reviews on this so far and they all share similar points. I think I will put my 300 pennies back in the jar and (like you said)wait for this in SK's next collection.

[Kealan Patrick Burke]

I've just posted my review of Stephen King's latest offering, MILE 81.

[Mac Campbell]

Shit - I wrote that post twice. I didn't see it first so I wrote another version. Sorry about that. It's been a very long day.

[Mac Campbell]

As for me, I have a blog and I put my short fiction on it. I think it's a fine way to introduce people to one's work. I take my inspiration from Peter Watts and Davids Moody and Wellington. I've got several novels on the back burner, but they all need work. The on-line stuff keeps people interested and hopefully it will lead to something down the road.

I have five stories up now, with a lot more to come. My goal is to show that I have a kick-ass story collection, and that it must follow that my novels would be equally as good.