03/20/2012 • 3:28 PM 0
Via Scoop.it – Writing and reading fiction
I’m running a little promotion today and anyone who helps out will get a coupon tomorrow for a free copy of my novella, The Dangerous Kind. Kevin Smith fans will especially like this promotion, but I’ll let The Inimitable Tony Collett explain it from his blog. If you aren’t that my little promotional deal, there’s a much more important one you should consider, too. Check out Tony’s blog for more on that. Thanks!
Filed under: publishing
03/19/2012 • 12:45 AM 0
Last week I talked quote trailers. Here’s a fresh one for a different book: Sex, Death & Mind Control. If I had to do it again, I’d change the title. Why? Because I’ve run into a startling number of people who expect it to be porn or too violent for them (not that there’s necessarily anything wrong with that, but it’s not porn and it’s not even gory.) It’s twisty and weird and fun and you don’t see the groin punches coming. I ran into similar problems with another title, Self-help for Stoners. I write suspense, but my titles are obviously missing that mark.
I blame myself because I don’t have an intern around the office to accuse of incompetence and inadequate pencil sharpening. Oooh, but if I did…er…anyway, perhaps the quote trailers will change potential readers’ expectations. Download a sample from Amazon here or from Smashwords. I’m everywhere, and yet nowhere. I’m a riddle inside a paradox wrapped in a burrito. Which is a problem from a sales perspective but I’m confident my readership will find me. And if not, I’ll just have to suit up in my cape and cowl and go hunt them. By night. In a car with a jet engine that can turn into a submarine. The usual lengths authors have to go to find readers.
Now off to interview some intern candidates to see how tolerant they are to screaming fits, being called Alfred and cleaning up bat guano. The lair is looking untidy.
Filed under: book trailer, ebooks, Publicity & Promotion, publishing, What about Chazz?, Amazon, E-book, quote trailers, Robert Chazz Chute, Sex Death & Mind Control, Smashwords, Trailers, YouTube
03/18/2012 • 12:22 PM 0
Via Scoop.it – Writing and reading fiction
Writer Wordart (Photo credit: MarkGregory007)
Not everyone respects writers enough to pay them for their work. Writers are sometimes at the bottom of the list of who gets paid. The light, heat and phone bills get paid on time, but writers? Not necessarily. Yet “content provision” is supposedly the basis of the publishing business. Editors and publishers can’t moan on at length about their respect for the written word if they don’t have respect for the people who come up with those words. Then there’s the “paying your dues” defence, but the people who ask that tend to ask that sacrifice of everyone. Click the link for a humorous rant on a subject that isn’t so funny. ~ Chazz
Via preposteroustwaddlecock.blogspot.fr
Filed under: Intentionally Hilarious, publishing, Useful writing links, Writers, getting paid, ray garten, tips for publishers, tips for writers, writer, writing
03/16/2012 • 1:04 AM 2
Many regular readers expect a new podcast from me right about now. Since my throat has closed up and I’m currently absorbing oxygen through my pores, there’s no podcast this evening (though if you missed any, they can all be found at AllThatChazz.com.)
Twisty and twisted. Click the pic for more.
From the NSFW category, erotica author Eden Baylee asks me some piercing Proustian questions and I give some earnest, logical and scatological answers. Not only is it not safe for work, it may not even be safe for your living room. Click here, read there and have a laugh.
Over at The Raven’s Quill, Krista Walsh gives a lovely review of Sex, Death & Mind Control.There are allusions to Dr. Hannibal Lecter. She’s beguiled, so I know my experiments with mind control really are working. See what the fuss is all about and read the review on her site.
Recently, RaeBeth McGee interviewed me at The Writing World. I’m all about the pithy answers about writer’s block, verisimilitude and my enemies will get a clue as to where to search for the hidden secret to my weaknesses! Enjoy in a click.
A new cover is coming for The Dangerous Kind. This time it will be pretty since Kit at KitFosterDesign is pinch hitting for me. It will be more effective because the new cover will include a happy endorsement from a bestselling author.
If you don’t have a Kindle, but still want The Dangerous Kind edition with the vintage cover, you can get it on Smashwords here. I’ve had great reviews of this suspenseful novella. You could be the next happy reader to review this claustrophobic story of greed, betrayal and inner demons in the Maine woods. (Still for just 99 cents! Couch change!)
I shall be podcasting again when my throat is no longer full of razor blades. For now, I think you’ll find these links plenty entertaining. For me? Each of these links taste like affirmation of me as a writer and acknowledgement that I’m a player…excuse me, that should be playah. And all that tastes like chocolate croissant. My thanks to Eden, Krista and RaeBeth! That was fun!
I have major announcements cooking, so stay tuned.
Cool stuff is coming your way.
Related articles
Filed under: All That Chazz, ebooks, My fiction, publishing, reviews, self-publishing, short stories, What about Chazz?, Eden Baylee, Kit Foster, Krista Walsh, Not safe for work, Podcast, Raven's Quill, Sex Death & Mind Control, Smashwords, The Dangerous Kind
03/13/2012 • 4:15 PM 5
Don’t feel bad if you’ve never heard the term “quote trailer”.
I just made up that term up yesterday at about the same time I created my first one.
What’s a quote trailer? See the post below this one for my example, but basically it’s a short trailer that hooks new readers with intriguing quotes from your book. 
You could add in a short description of what the book is about if you like. Do more of that and you push the book promotion spectrum toward a book trailer. I’m not saying you shouldn’t try making a book trailer, but book trailers are notoriously difficult to do well.
My problem with most book trailers is that they are almost always too long and underproduced. We are a cynical audience, accustomed to slick Hollywood graphics created by professionals. When we see a cheap book trailer, it’s usually a long commercial. If it were on TV, you’d change the channel or you’d hang in there just to laugh at the clunky acting and low production values. Occasionally, some book trailers rise above average. Scott Sigler made a competition out his book trailers. Amateur and student filmmakers rose to the call at no cost to Sigler. Better, all the contest submissions went up on YouTube so readers and new readers could vote for the winning book trailer. The contest became a free book promotion proliferation tool.
A quote trailer sets your Unconscious Expectations Bar (I just made that up, too) back down to limbo level so you can easily step over it. Take a look at the post below this one and you’ll see what I mean. Nothing fancy. It was quick and fun to put together and if the words whiz by a little too quickly for anyone, they can always pause it. Better too fast than too slow. I don’t go into too much detail because this is just an invitation to go to my author site to learn more. I’m not getting sucked into a big pitch for one book on this video project. It’s designed to tickle your brain to check out all my books. Please, resist the urge to put up ten minutes of quotes. I dared to go as long as one minute in my first quote trailer. Instead of hoping someone will sit still for a long video, I’ll create a bunch of short ones for all my books over time. You may want to consider doing the same.
Filed under: book trailer, Books, Publicity & Promotion, What about Chazz?, What about you?, Writers, writing tips, book, book promotion, ebooks, publicity, quote trailer, quotes, Robert Chazz Chute, YouTube
03/12/2012 • 7:26 PM 3
More quotes from Self-help for Stoners at Quotations Diary.
Or just jump to Smashwords, Amazon.com or find Robert Chazz Chute wherever the cool ebooks hang out.
If you love paperbacks and only read in paperback and hate ebooks with the burning passion of 1,000 suns, then this is just for you, my Amish friend!
Please and thank you!
Filed under: All That Chazz, authors, DIY, ebooks, publishing, What about Chazz?, @rchazzchute, allthatchazz.com, ebooks, Robert Chazz Chute, Self-help for Stoners quotes
03/11/2012 • 2:29 PM 0
Via Scoop.it – Writing and reading fiction
Scott Turow’s argument, I think, looks like it’s going to be on the wrong side of history and is on the wrong side of technological innovation. But will the Department of Justince agree? Konrath and Eisler break it down as only they can in this post from A Newbie’s Guide to Publishing. (Read the original link from Turow, too! The split amongst the commenters on the original is quite instructive in that it’s often snark vs. reason.) ~ Chazz
Via jakonrath.blogspot.com
Filed under: ebooks, publishing, self-publishing, Amazon, anti-trust, collusion, Konrath, monopoly, Newbie, publishing, Scott Turow, Turow, United States Department of Justice
03/08/2012 • 12:55 PM 0
Via Scoop.it – Writing and reading fiction
Seth Godin tells us writers aren’t going to make a living. Jane Friedman’s blog shows some of the fallout. It’s nuclear. Click the link and brace yourself. ~ Chazz
Via janefriedman.com
Filed under: publishing
03/08/2012 • 12:17 PM 4
I came across another one of those lists that tell you about common errors that lead editors and publishers to reject manuscripts. But this post isn’t about those lists. This post
manuscript (Photo credit: El Chupacabrito)
isn’t about manuscript tips. It’s about snark. Have you noticed these lists about what you shouldn’t do are sometimes devoid of gentle correction, kind suggestions and sweet-natured guidance? Sometimes some editors and agents strike a certain tone that suggests that somebody needs a vacation from reading the slush pile.
No wonder agents and publishers have such a hard time finding good manuscripts if they’re too eager to put manuscripts down. When I worked at Harlequin evaluating manuscripts, I had to read the whole book, write a summary and a full report. I wasn’t allowed to reject manuscripts with any of the caprice I was tempted to wield. But I was never snarky about it. Being impolite to the group that supplies the crux of the cash flow would have been considered unprofessional. As agents become ever more irrelevant, are some (I emphasize some!) agents becoming more cynical and even more rude? As Shrek said to Donkey, “You’re goin’ the right way for a smart bottom!”
Sometimes unsolicited submissions were irritating, but I never whipped myself into a froth and climbed up into active dislike of writers. Read some agent blogs and you’ll find a few who have become cynical, hate their jobs and seem to hate you. Reading manuscripts takes time and some agents have decided to blame you because bad manuscripts are a part of their job that sucks. As if we all don’t have something about our jobs we like least. For instance, it’s tax season and any day now my accountant will ask if I have readied a pile of paperwork I haven’t even begun to think about and I will threaten to claw out my eyes if she doesn’t leave me alone until I call her instead of the other way around.
Of course, times have changed in publishing. No editor is interested in developing your manuscript (as happened with Stephen King to some extent and to Harper Lee to a huge extent.) Don’t get me wrong. I’ve met nice people in publishing. Nice is the norm. Smart is the norm. It’s just that the nasty ones are so much louder and more memorable.
Filed under: agents, DIY, Editors, manuscript evaluation, publishing, self-publishing, Writers, writing tips, Slush pile, unsolicited submissions, writing
Winner of Writer's Digest's 2014 Honorable Mention in Self-published Ebook Awards in Genre
The first 81 lessons to get your Buffy on
More lessons to help you survive Armageddon
"You will laugh your ass off!" ~ Maxwell Cynn, author of Cybergrrl
Fast-paced terror, new threats, more twists.
An autistic boy versus our world in free fall
Suspense to melt your face and play with your brain.
Action like a Guy Ritchie film. Funny like Woody Allen when he was funny.
Jesus: Sexier and even more addicted to love.
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