C h a z z W r i t e s . c o m

Let us welcome Sam out of the pen name closet. I’m thinking of going deeper into that pseudonym closet with some new work. What are your thoughts on pen names?

Filed under: publishing

Filed under: publishing

It’s amazing how something old, small and simple can catch on. Ideas turned into action can be very profitable. Sometimes it’s the small ideas that are overlooked that pack the biggest punch.

Tom Papa is a comedian who has appeared on The Joe Rogan Experience podcast several times. He mentioned that he makes his own bread using 100 year old yeast. That’s a yeast people keep alive, much like a pet, except you turn it into bread and eat it. (Think about that bit of weirdness a moment before you spread peanut butter over some toast.) The idea caught on and Papa got a lot of people interested in making their own bread. A chore became a phenomenon which turned into a thing. Then it went viral.

Or consider Dwayne Johnson AKA The Rock. He’s a huge and charming superstar. The Rock gets up really early every day to work out. That one lifestyle choice has become part of his brand. He’s inspired millions to do the same and now has an alarm clock app to get fans and followers to start their day early and right. Check it on his Twitter feed here.

You don’t have to start with an audience of millions to do something that catches on, either. Jeff Sanders has been very successful in a similar vein with The 5 a.m. Miracle. Motto: “Dominate your day before breakfast.” Mr. Sanders helps entrepreneurs use their time more productively with the simple idea that you can get more stuff done before everyone gets out of bed to interrupt you. (I’m boiling it down a bit much, but you get the idea.)

Tim Ferriss made a big deal out of making your bed in the morning. His thing is finding ways to hack life and do everything faster, easier and with the minimum effective dose of effort. If you don’t already own the 4-Hour Work Week, c’mon! Where you been?

Believe it or not, a World Planking Championship is a thing and yes, you can buy t-shirts and hoodies telling everyone you torture yourself using gravity.

Examples of harnessing the power of simple are everywhere. Remember when the word staycation became a thing? We couldn’t afford to go anywhere, so put up a hammock in your backyard instead of flying to the Bahamas. Bam! A thing!

What’s next? A popular return to canning vegetables? Speed reading competitions? Sidewalk climbing for fun, fitness and profit?

See my previous post (below) on the big idea behind writing short stories.

Writers can often come up with a high concept for a book by smashing together pretty simple ideas. Vampires that sparkle and vampires that definitely do not, under any circumstances, sparkle? Books emerged from each premise. What about cozy mysteries where the protagonist is a chef, works at the yarn barn or sells tea? These are tropes and niches that have turned into profitable books. 

It annoys me when I hear agents reject a book premise because it is “too clever.” It sounds anti-intellectual and personally, I love clever. However, boiling your plots and plans down to simple ideas that work for wide audiences is a strong bet. For an in-depth discussion of tropes that work (and what can blow up in your face like wet dynamite), catch the frank, fun and breezy discussion between Simon Whistler and JA Cipriano on Episode 149 of the Rocking Self-publishing Podcast.

Have a think on it. And tell us, what’s your next million dollar big little idea?

~ I’m Robert Chazz Chute and I’ve got ideas big and small. Check out the really good ones in book form at AllThatChazz.com.

Filed under: publishing

Have a free book on me. Murders Among Dead Trees is free this weekend.

If you listened to the SPRT interview with Michael Anderle on Thursday night (link below in the previous post) you know that one of his marketing strategies is especially killer: Write short stories in the same universe as your series. This is a really cool idea I’m excited about.

Aside from keeping you up in the Amazon algos, you can give readers more appetizers to the full buffet that is your wonderful work. I love this idea and will definitely do it. I love short stories and it’s a time management treat to be able to create a story in short order and give readers something they can enjoy over their lunch hour.

I’ve gotten away from writing huge books. The Robot Planet Series is quite long, but it’s made of four fast-paced novellas. I enjoy writing and reading a book of around 50-60,000 words. If you’re writing epic fantasy, readers seem to prefer longer works, but that’s not a rule. Readers are more flexible than the rules writers often repeat to each other. What they want is a good story above all, so tell a good story. Worry less about preconceptions around word count. Avoid too much throat clearing and story flab and bingo! Readers who matter, the ones who get you, will approve. Publishing more often increases your visibility. Thankfully, it doesn’t have to be a tome that could stop a bullet.

I have two short story collections, Self-help for Stoners and Murders Among Dead Trees.  I honestly didn’t think I’d write another short story collection. However, if I write a bunch of short stories within the universe of a series, I can see repackaging them down the road so they’re all in one collection. The point of the short stories, prequels and side bets is to gather new readers to my series, of course. However, this strategy can also lead to more real estate on sales platforms and more opportunities for readers to grok the juices from my brain meats.

Bam!

~ I’m Robert Chazz Chute and did I mention Murders Among Dead Trees, my suspenseful collection of awesome, is free this weekend? Yeah. I think I did. Here’s that link again, in case you missed it.  You can check out all the awesome at AllThatChazz.com.

Filed under: publishing

Authors argue about whether writing fast is a virtue. I won’t blog about that today because, frankly, the argument seems to boil down to, “I hate you if you don’t write precisely as fast or as slow as I do.” No time for that. However, I do have two useful links for those who enjoy the writing and marketing pleasures of speedy production.

Last night, Michael Anderle spoke on the Self-publishing Roundtable about his astounding productivity and stellar results. He also talked about the uber-robo-tech that could help you optimize your books and sell, sell, sell. My nipples got hard about his short story strategy, too. Bonus: I start the interview with some helpful advice about targeting the most cooperative murder victims. Go SPRT!

Watch the entire interview with Michael here.

Next? Hey! It’s May 20! Time to plot what you’re going to accomplish in June. (Don’t invade Poland.) Instead, it’s time to write another book, right? Boost your efforts with a creative jet pack by joining JuNoWriMo. Write at pulp speed and proceed apace. JuNoWriMo harnesses your cooperative, hopeful and competitive instincts. Writing doesn’t have to be lonely. You can have social support and not fall into the sad, dark and solo cliche that is my usual writing life.

Join JuNoWriMo here and let’s get cracking on that life we meant to have. Yeah! Damn skippy!

~ I’m Robert Chazz Chute. Check out my books at AllThatChazz.com. Then buy and read every single one within the next two weeks or something terrible will happen to this ant I have in a jar. I’ll be watching. Don’t call the police if you know what’s good for the insect.

Filed under: publishing

I have a lot of pipe bombs in the fire, but lately I’ve been thinking more about how I should be doing less. I have great enthusiasm for my writing projects, but everybody needs balance. I need to find my tipping point without falling on my face. I want to read more and write more and do a bit less of just about everything that’s not related to ink.

I’ve written a lot about stress and time management for writers. Those topics are in my wheelhouse professionally. Lately I’ve been feeling that I’ve let myself down on this score. How many flaming swords can I juggle before I start to blame myself for all the fiery death and chaos around me?

Amid my multiple jobs, each day’s time constraints and chauffeuring kids thither and yon, I haven’t made time for one of my greatest pleasures. I used to eke out time to read so much, no matter what. I’d read ten books at a time. I’d dive in and not come up for air for hours. I love to read. How come I don’t do what I love? How did that become such a low priority? (Oh, right. The pursuit of money and working myself to death. Right….)

Has the internet whittled my attention span down to nothing? If that’s the case, I can only imagine I can get it back with a bit of practice. It’s time to get back to my first love. Now that I’ve identified the problem, I have to take steps to change. (Otherwise this is just whining and whining is not sexy.)

I hereby resolve that I will read more. And not something I have to read, either! The only homework an adult should have to do is taxes and that’s it! I will continue to read for research, of course, but that won’t count toward my goal of a couple of novels a week.

I want to read fun books. I want to read fiction that’s not needed nor prescribed, but for my own sake. I want to be selfish about my reading time again.

My tolerance for bad books is much lower than it used to be. I don’t have time for bad books so I’m more prone to abandon books than I used to be. What I really want is to read something that makes me want to slow down so I don’t get to the end too fast. We can only read a book the first time once.

The best things I learned about writing came from William Goldman. I want that joy of discovery again. I’m going to get my attention sp — SQUIRREL!

I’m Robert Chazz Chute. I’m on the Self-publishing Roundtable podcast tonight at 10 pm EDT. Pop by and meet our guest, SF writer Michael Anderle. We laugh. We cry. We plot world domination.

Failing that, come see me at AllThatChazz.com.

Filed under: publishing

One of my four jobs is to work with Kit Foster at Kit Foster Design. He’s an award winning designer who really knows what he’s doing. (You can check out Kit’s portfolio of designs by genre here.) He’s also one of my best friends though we’ve never met in person.

Occasionally, authors request that their print designs include the price on the back cover. To each his or her own, but I can’t recommend the practice. It’s a bit outdated now. Actually, I don’t think setting the price on the cover was ever a good idea. Here’s why:

1. This choice limits the author’s flexibility. If you want to change the book’s price, your stuck with the old one until you contact the designer, get the change made, upload again, get your proof from the printer and ship anew. These logistics are easily avoided by not including the price on the back cover copy from the start.
2. Jacket prices are also a nuisance for booksellers who have to cover up the price with a sticker. Booksellers, not publishers, should set the price at whatever they see fit so they can sell books. Booksellers don’t necessarily agree with the suggested retail prices and that price can vary widely over the life of the book depending on its success.
3. Aesthetically, I prefer book designs with no trace of commerce and numbers about them.

Your mileage may vary, but do consider leaving off the price on your next paperback or hard cover. It’s a good way to stay limber in the marketplace.

~ I’m Robert Chazz Chute. I broadcast from the crystal ballroom high above Downton Abbey at AllThatChazz.com. Come for a visit. 

Filed under: publishing

When they speak to each other, comedians refer to all non-comedians as civilians. We aren’t in that treehouse club. I suppose every professional community has a bit of Us and Them shorthand when they talk in private. Writers do, too. I confess, I don’t know why it’s imperative that I write books obsessively, but I don’t really understand people who don’t share my pathology.

When I meet people who aren’t interested in writing books, I envy them a little. I think I’d have more time to exercise if I weren’t a writer. I’d have more time to do lots of things theoretically, though almost everyone seems to struggle with time and energy management.

But that’s not the crux of the writer’s curse. When we aren’t writing, we feel like we should be doing so. When we are writing, we wish we were doing something else. Not for long, though. As soon as we get sucked into our own creations, writing is just fine. I like the way writing makes my brain feel. I love to tell stories because I get the same pleasant cognitive dissonance a reader feels: I’m in a comfy spot with a book but at the same time I’m the bad thing with a sword or gun confronting Something Very Bad. Writing and reading is an escape and everything I write is ultimately about escape. It’s fun and it’s mine more than a movie could ever be.

The trouble comes knowing that there’s always more to do and the tasks never end. Everyone can relate to that, of course. Who doesn’t feel time pressure? I’m not a precious princess in that regard. We all have too much to do and never enough time to sit down and read (or write) a book.

What’s different for us as writers?

For one thing, a work of art is never done. It can only be abandoned. Old saying and still true. When I stack a cord of wood, it’s a chore I can strike off my list in short order. A note on the to-do list that reads, “Edit book,” is much more intimidating. When will that be done? Who knows? It might be a light edit or I might do a major rewrite.

I love to write, but there’s a lack of satisfaction that comes with what we do. Writing is sisyphean. It’s tempting to tinker with a book forever, especially since hitting publish and setting your baby out into the world alone can be so scary. 

The life of a book can be short or long, but we have limited time. Each exciting new project is also an opportunity cost. Each book written means another book is left unwritten. We have to choose wisely before our time runs out.

We have to make sure we live now, too. Don’t put off all your living until later. Later might not be there when you arrive where you were supposed to meet it. Travel when you can. Love more and make love more. Try to be social if you can stand the company. Take the time to do the important things, like crushing your enemies and drinking their cerebrospinal fluid from their hollowed out skulls. Like dat.

Write bigger and live larger and you’ll have fewer regrets when you finally put down your sword and your pen.

~ I’m Robert Chazz Chute. Please do check out my suspenseful hullabaloo at my newly redesigned author site: AllThatChazz.com. AllThatChazz.com, where we spin the platters that matter on the wheels of steel. This, my friend, is the adventure that never ends.

Filed under: publishing

At the beginning of this year, I got horribly ill. It started with the flu. That was bad, but it passed. My cough AKA The Cough? That stayed and took up residence, knocking over furniture, peeing in the corners and making a mess. Apparently when you cough for two months straight, your lungs get angry at you and The Cough perpetuates itself out of spite. I managed to write another novel while I was sick (although I had to pause to cough between keystrokes.) That crime novel is in the editing process. (Yay! A new Hit Man book and fans of Jesus Diaz will find this one quite a surprise. Lily Vasquez is back and she’s badass.)

Then something much worse than The Cough happened. Maybe it was the illness or me feeling sorry for myself or Mercury was in retrograde or some damn thing as yet unmeasured and unknown. After I wrote the crime novel, I wanted to write another new book but found I could not. I didn’t have anything new to say. I was not motivated. After more than twenty books, I thought I was done.

Depression descended. I snuck off in the middle of the day to see Batman V Superman and, of course, that didn’t help at all. If anything, it made things worse. That movie monstrosity cost millions upon millions and none of that money was for me. Outrage! I really thought if I’d written and directed BVS, I could have saved it. Maybe not. Like I said, I couldn’t write a damn thing, anyway.

Two weeks passed and I still didn’t have a new book in the works. I have several in various stages of production on the editing end. I didn’t have any enthusiasm for new drafts or editing, either. And still with the coughing. I was pretty broken up about this. If I’m not a writer, who am I? It’s all I ever wanted. I know, I have other roles and parts to play in life’s drama, but writer? That’s my identity, man! That role informs all the other things I do.

Darkness descended. I didn’t know what to do but sleep too much, cough some more and wait. That’s all I really had to do. Wait. A tiny glimmer arrived. An image came to mind of a man in a suit, very MIB, trudging through a destroyed city.

That’s all it took. I wrote another novel. Two novels, two months. Not bad (and one of them is especially good!) Yes, just like children, we all have favorites, whether we admit it or not. Note: if my kids read this, totally kidding, guys.  [wink]

My point is, I’m feeling better. The coughing passed. My energy is coming back. The words are spewing and they keep coming. I’ve had this experience of a dry creative well before. I’d forgotten how disastrous it feels.

Next time it strikes I’ll try to remember it doesn’t mean this is the end. It means I need a refreshing vacation or at least to take a rest.

I’m back now, more determined than ever that 2016 is going to be a breakthrough year.I’ll get into the reasons why that may be another time (or on an upcoming Author Strong podcast with Mat Morris and Nancy Elliott. Talk soon!

~ Robert Chazz Chute writes suspense of all kinds when he’s not coughing. Check out the author site at AllThatChazz.com.

Filed under: publishing