Something New for Authors: Merchandizing

In the past I have written about how amazing the internet now is for the creative class. I have followed many different individuals over the last decade and a half on the internet, and some have risen to insane levels of stardom. And they all started with a small following to some videos posted online. My personal favorites are Lindsey Stirling, Scott Kurtz, and Mike Krahulik and Jerry Holkins.

That is not a ranking in any sort of way of how I feel about them. My love of each comes from a different part of the creative persona that is me. As hilarious as it sounds - I possibly found all of them within mere minutes of each other. I can't confirm that but I came across them all during a distinct period of my college life.

I had purchased the MMO Heroes Online - and inside was a comic that Scott Kurtz had done. I enjoyed it more than game and began following him online. Shortly after I probably came across Penny-Arcade - the creative child of Jerry and Mike. I tend to binge-read a new comic that I find so chances are I stayed up all night reading both online comics.

Lindsey I found perusing the precursor of YouTube. It was a video of her dancing about playing a song of her own on an electric violin. It was love at first site. Stringed instruments are my favorite type of instrument to be played as their sound is, well, exquisite to my ears. If your song has them in it I am already a fan. Lindsey is a talented woman and I am very glad to see she has gone from that living room and moved on to things like, I don't know, National Television appearances and World Tours. Both pretty epic. I would settle for just one, but both? Goddamn!

What does this have to do with authors? Well it matters because there are a lot more ways for artists to get themselves in front of audiences. That is competition. These artists are all creating more than just a single item for visual consumption, they are branding themselves and getting other ways of engaging audiences. This means that if writers are going to maintain the same involvement they are going to have to adapt and do the same thing.

Authors need to find ways of getting in front of more than just an audience of individuals who read books. They need to find ways of getting people to come back again and again when they show up at conventions. This means that instead of just writing a story - we have to create other items to go with our world.

I am already preparing to do this myself. Once I get a bit more money in - I will be ordering the first in a series of collectors pins that compliment my book series. I am toying with the idea of creating my own audio book so that I can offer my story in another format. Eventually I will digitally paint a full world map for my book - I already did so on paper with colored pencils to great success. Hell - I am even planning on ideas for t-shirts and small posters for my fans to purchase. I will hopefully help use this as a way to re-engage my readers between books, and help draw people in to the books as the audience builds.

I am not a marketing genius - if I was I would have been on The Colbert Show before it ended. What I do know is that the creative class includes Authors - and if we don't keep up with those who are doing more and more to engage the audience we all vie for, we will be left behind. Get out there, make some doodles for symbols or images from your stories. Create a map of your fantasy world. Your future success may just depend on it. 

Book Review: A Ruby for Victor

Tonight I am going to write about a book that is not my own (please hold the gasps of surprise).

At a recent function for local Authors I made the acquaintance of Ronald C Tobin - another intrepid writer in the world of fantasy. We spoke for a few minutes and soon realized that we shared the same publisher! Long and the short of it we decided to exchange books and read what craziness the other was putting out into the world of printed word!

The first in his own multi-book series, A Ruby for Victor is not my usual forte for reading. It is a modern tale of vampires and their intrigue. It has a fascinating take on the "Vampire Mythology" that I enjoyed. He tosses in other familiar yet still fresh ideas that flesh out the story that allows the reader to find something to latch on to. In one way or another some measure of vampire knowledge (or lack there-of) gives you a starting point you can work from to get into the story.

Monsieur Tobin does a handy job of creating a structure that these vampires exist within that does not feel forced. Though at times it is quick paced with how quickly it introduces new characters and reveals the varied histories at work - the characters seem to keep up and do not lose pace with what is going on.

I feel my only valid critiques is that much of the character thought and feeling are not left to the reader to understand and comprehend on our own. We know exactly what every character is feeling and when - simply because it tells us so. This is not wrong - I am a person who guards his feelings and thoughts more closely than anything, so for me it feels odd that others would be so exposed.

If you need something new to read, and enjoy a solid Vampire story (that is leading to many more I hope after talking to the author directly) I suggest you pick this one up. 4/5 stars.

Would you like to be in a Book?

Good evening folks - I hope your days have been fun. I have been hard at work writing this week and am glad to say I should have another chapter of the sequel to Empires Awakening complete very soon.

I have also recently been given a list of local media contacts I need to work through. Hopefully with all of this, I can soon get myself promoted to a point where I can begin to do Wizard World Conventions - and really make this book thing take off. Taking my book out there to the audience has always been the goal.

Something you should be aware of that I have coming up.

July 28th - Barnes and Noble has this as the date of availability for Empires Awakening. I will be checking out my local store to see what copies they will have on hand. Expect to see me photo-bombing my own book in public. If anyone else can check their local bookstores and do the same - I will post the picture on this blog and on the Facebook page.

August 16th - I will be attending the Summer Author Event at the Phoenix Art Museum. I am going to be on hand to sign and sell copies of my book. If you bring one you get elsewhere - I will sign it to you. There may also be a chance I will discuss what I have planned for some characters in the next two books.

Lastly - I am going to hold a contest. I am going to offer a chance for a few people to become characters in the story I am sharing with everyone in these books. This is what it will take - to enter. Go to the Empires Awakening Facebook Page and invite your friends to like the book page.  Take a screen shot and send the pictures to MasterOfTheron@gmail.com and I will enter you into the contest. Get someone to buy a copy and post a picture with it - and that character will be given a major role in the story.

Depending on the response I get I will up the number of character spots I will be seeking to fill. So please - get those requests sent. You could soon become one of the heroes of Theron! Please remember to include your information for me to contact you later.

I will update more later, have fun everyone!