Announcement: My new novels should be available from any webseller or can be ordered from any brick and mortar bookstore. Information can be found at www.ancientlight.com. Check out my novels--I think you'll really enjoy them.
Introduction: I wrote the novel Aksinya: Enchantment and the Daemon. This was my 21st novel and through this blog, I gave you the entire novel in installments that included commentary on the writing. In the commentary, in addition to other general information on writing, I explained, how the novel was constructed, the metaphors and symbols in it, the writing techniques and tricks I used, and the way I built the scenes. You can look back through this blog and read the entire novel beginning with http://www.pilotlion.blogspot.com/2010/10/new-novel-part-3-girl-and-demon.html.
I'm using this novel as an example of how I produce, market, and eventually (we hope) get a novel published. I'll keep you informed along the way.
The four plus one basic rules I employ when writing:
1. Don't confuse your readers.
2. Entertain your readers.
3. Ground your readers in the writing.
4. Don't show (or tell) everything.
5. Immerse yourself in the world of your writing.
All novels have five discrete parts:
1. The initial scene (the beginning)
2. The rising action
3. The climax
4. The falling action
5. The dénouement
The theme statement of my 25th novel, working title, Escape, is this: a girl in a fascist island nation will do anything to escape--a young cargo ferry pilot not following the rules crashes on the island.
I'll make a slight digression because I'm developing advertising and publisher materials for my newest completed novel, Lilly. Here is the cover proposal for Lilly: Enchantment and the Computer.
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| Cover Propsal |
The next step is to build the marketing information you will use to present your novel to publishers and to the public. Here is an outline:
Title of Work:
Lilly: Enchantment and the Computer
Author(s) Name:
L. D. Alford
Type: Either Screenplay or Book
Book
Length: Either # of words for books, or # of pages for screenplays
105,300 words
Keywords and Market Focus:
Fiction, Washington State, Tacoma, Spanaway, Seattle, Computer, Pacific Lutheran University, Hacker, goddess, sushi, Redemption, kami, Japan, Shinto, torii, Shrine, engineering, math; will fascinate anyone interested in the spiritual, mystery, and suspense—will appeal particularly to those who enjoy historical mystery and suspense novels.
Genre:
Fiction Suspense
Synopsis: Approximately 500 Words
Concept of the Work: Approximately 250 Words
Registration: WGA, ISBN, or Library of Congress, Write the number.
None
Other Information: If you have more work, a website, anything interesting and professional, especially any awards or recognition.
Other Information: If you have more work, a website, anything interesting and professional, especially any awards or recognition.
Khione:
Enchantment and the Fox www.GoddessNovel.com, a
graduate student discovers a demigoddess in modern Boston.
Aksinya:
Enchantment and the Daemon www.AksinyaNovel.com, a Russian
princess calls a demon to protect her family.
Dana-ana:
Enchantment of the Maiden www.Dana-ana.com, the mystery
of Dana-ana Goewyn.
Hestia:
Enchantment of the Hearth www.EnchantmentoftheHearth.com,
the misadventure of archeologists in modern Greece.
Antebellum www.AntebellumNovel.com the mystery
of a house that has been missing since the American Civil War and the girl who
is called to it.
The Second Mission www.TheSecondMission.com is a
historical fiction novel about ancient Greece
Centurion www.CenturionNovel.com published
January 2008 and Aegypt www.AegyptNovel.com also published in
January 2008 are historical fiction novels from OakTara Fiction www.OakTara.com
The
Chronicles of the Dragon and the Fox is a science fiction series published by OakTara
Fiction
The
End of Honor (published, July 2008) www.TheEndofHonor.com
The
Fox’s Honor (published Oct 2008) www.TheFoxsHonor.com
A
Season of Honor (published Nov 2008) www.ASeasonofHonor.com
Ancient
Light is a suspense series published by Broadstreet, Eleutheria, September 2014
in a three-in-one www.AncientLight.com.
Aegypt
(second edition published by OakTara Fiction, 2014) www.Aegypt.com
Sister
of Light (published by OakTara Fiction, 2014) www.SisterofLight.com
Sister
of Darkness (published by OakTara Fiction, 2014) www.SisterofDarkness.com
More
information is available at www.ldalford.com
L.D. Alford has more than 40 technical papers published in international journals on flight test, military policy, flight safety, space, and cyberwar. His military aviation writing is featured as Military Aviation Adventures on www.wingsoverkansas.com. Reviewer’s quotes.
Registration: WGA, ISBN, or Library of Congress, Write the number.
None
The publisher wants this information (if it exists) so they can look up the novel (book) and see it's copyright history. This isn't necessary for your novel, but if you have it, the publisher wants it. Enough of that.
Other information is a very important part of the marketing material. Your author information told the publisher a little about you--what the publisher wants to know is your writing and publishing history. If you have none, don't be afraid to say so. If you have written other works and novels, here is the place to tell a publisher. If you write a blog, that is great information for a publisher. I didn't include my blogging information--I thought there was enough. I wanted to excite a potential publisher with the breadth and scope of my writing. I wanted them to have a taste of my experience. Other information potentially gives a publisher other places to look at your writing and your experience with writing. This is why this is the place for all things web related. Note that every entry has a website attached to it. A potential publisher can go out on the web to see my other writing. If they don't see something that interested them in the "other" list, they might see something on the web that excites them.
You should also note that my "other information" includes multiple websites. If you don't have a website, you need to get at least one. You can get a free website from many places. You can get your own dot com site from Go Daddy or other web hosting companies. If you don't have a website now, get one right away. Put your ideas, writing, and information out there. See my websites for ideas and information.
At this point everything I'm doing with and for this work is about marketing to a publisher and building a website.
More tomorrow.
For more information, you can visit my author site http://www.ldalford.com/, and my individual novel websites:
http://www.aegyptnovel.com/
http://www.centurionnovel.com
http://www.thesecondmission.com/
http://www.theendofhonor.com/
http://www.thefoxshonor.com
http://www.aseasonofhonor.com
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