Douglas Smith's blog

Playing the Short Game #30: Publishing a Collection

Amazing Stories logoPart 30 in my continuing "Playing the Short Game" series marketing and selling short fiction at the Amazing Stories site is now up. In this post, I discuss how to put together a collection of your short fiction and how to market a collection. I only have two more posts before I wrap up this series. You can check out all the posts in the series at this link on the Amazing Stories site.

Interview and a Chimerascope review

My second collection, Chimerascope, is still generating interest and reviews. Writer Kristene Perron (Warpworld series) recently posted a review of the collection, and a short interview with me on story structure and plotting, on her website here.  Here are some extracts:

Chimerascope, a collection of speculative fiction short stories, enchants, horrifies, enlightens, and mesmerizes. Through each tale, no matter the tone or subject, Smith connects the reader instantly with his characters and they are as unforgettable as they are diverse. From the broken and twisted (Jason Trelayne of “Scream Angel”, John Bishop of “Memories of the Dead Man”) to the ethereal and innocent (Asai of “The Red Bird, Big G of “Going Harvey in the Big House”), these characters step off the pages and become real.

 

Another of Smith’s strengths is structure. I’m in awe of his ability to choose just the right voice, POV, and timelines for his stories. He includes enough details to show the reader the depth of each world without bogging down the story in description. No matter how short the story, their worlds feel fully formed. ...

 

If you love speculative fiction, short stories, and masterful storytelling, Chimerascope needs to be on your bookshelf.

Thanks, Kristene!

Aurora voting closes soon! Get your ebook copy of my story

The voting for the 2013 Aurora Awards closes September 13, so this is a good time to remind you all that my short story "The Walker of the Shifting Borderland" is on the final ballot. Your support by way of a vote for "The Walker..." would be truly appreciated.  If you nominated anything for the Auroras this year, then voting is free for you.

You can download a copy from my online bookstore in any of .mobi (Kindle), .epub (every other ebook reader), or PDF formats.

"A very different sort of tale. ... A cosmic story of gods which seems to be inspired by the works of Michael Moorcock, and I think he would not be ashamed of it."  —SF Crowsnest Reviews

 

"A tale of epic love when a mortal gets caught between a battle of the gods. Smith reminds us that we have the potential to change the world around us and that self-sacrifice can be a means of making the world around us better." —Speculating Canada

How to Vote

To vote, go to the Aurora site at http://www.prixaurorawards.ca/Membership/index.php.

If you've registered in the past to nominate or vote for the Auroras, you can simply sign in with your email address and your 4-digit society number. If you've forgotten your society number, just click on "Forgot your Society Number?" link and follow the instructions. 

The Auroras now require a registration fee of $10 each year, which allows you to both nominate and to vote for the stories that make the final ballot.

If you nominated something this year, then you've already paid the 2013 $10 fee, so voting is free. 

If you've never registered before, click on "Register" under "Become a Society Member," and complete the registration form. Once you've registered or logged in, click on the "Pay Now" button and you'll be taken to a PayPal screen. You don't have to have a PayPal account to pay this way! Just click on "Don't have a PayPal account?" and you'll have the option of paying by any form of debit or credit card. Still with me? Once you've paid, you'll be taken back to the Aurora Award site.

Once you're registered and paid, you can click on the "Vote Now" button to access the online ballot, or click on "Mail-in ballot form" if for some reason you want to go snail mail. "The Walker of the Shifting Borderland" is listed under "Best Short Form -- English." The ballot pages contain instructions for how to vote, but basically you put "1" for your top choice in a category, "2" for your second, etc.. You don't need to vote in all categories, and you don't need to vote for multiple entries in a category.

Note that this year, the Aurora committee is providing a "voter's package" containing the majority of the nominated fiction works in a variety of downloadable formats. You'll be able to access the voter's package once you reach the ballot page.

Any Canadian citizen (not necessarily living in Canada) or permanent resident may vote for the Auroras. The voting period closes Friday, September 13, 2013.

Thanks again for any consideration!

Chimerascope ebook on sale again this weekend only

If you're a Kobo user (or use any ereader that takes epub files), my collection Chimerascope is on sale this weekend only for 30% off in the Kobo store. Chimerascope was a finalist for the Sunburst, Aurora, and CBC Bookies awards. Just use the code "Get30now" at checkout. The sale will only be promoted to Kobo readers in the UK and Australia, but the discount code will work for anyone no matter where you are in the world. One use per customer. Sale ends at midnight Aug 27 EDT. Enjoy!

Where Do We Go From Here?: Career progression (continued)

Amazing Stories logoThe next post in my continuing "Playing the Short Game" series marketing and selling short fiction at the Amazing Stories site is now up. This week, in part 29, I look at some of the paths a writer might choose for their short fiction career (or paths that your career might pick all by itself). And special bonus points for anyone who leaves a comment correctly identifying the inspiration for the title of this week’s post. You can check out the earlier posts in the series at this link on the Amazing Stories site.

Playing the Short Game: Parts 24-28 are now up

I'm a tad behind posting updates about the blog series that I'm writing at Amazing Stories on how to market and sell your short fiction--and more. I'm now dealing with a another set of topics on what can happen (and what you can make happen) after you've started to sell your stories.  Here's an update on the latest posts over the recent weeks:

  • Part 24 – Let the Band Ring Out and the Banners Fly: To promote or not to promote
  • Part 25 – A Writer’s Magic Bakery: Selling your stories again (and again, and again…)
  • Part 26 – Bonjour / Hola / Ciao: Selling foreign language rights
  • Part 27 – Bonjour / Hola / Ciao: Selling foreign language rights (conclusion)
  • Part 28 – Cool Stuff That Might Happen (or Not): Awards, Best of Anthologies, Movies

Check them out and please feel free to leave comments or questions.

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