Monday, October 25, 2010
MileHiCon Day 1
Friday was the start of MileHiCon. We spent the first few hours getting checked into our room, and then the Con. After that we just hung around for a while talking to old friends we hadn't seen in a year or so.
My first panel was titled "Small Press & Ezines: Finding the new Markets." There's always at least one small press panel at MileHiCon, and I seem to almost always be on it, but that's ok. It's a fun topic. On this panel we had Betsy Dornbusch, Ron Sering, David Lee Summers, and James Van Pelt. It was a good panel, and we talked about a lot of different things, but like many panels, we only had 50 minutes, so we couldn't go into as much detail as we would have wanted. On James Van Pelt's blog http://jimvanpelt.livejournal.com/294443.html, he mentioned that he thought we may have glossed over the e-book versus print book numbers, and I would tend to agree with him. A lot of times for a small press author, a shift of 30 or 40% in either direction is actually only a few books. Looking back, I agree with Jim that I wish we would have gotten into that more.
Immediately after my panel were the opening ceremonies, which were lead by toastmaster Paolo Bacigalupi, and with a theme like Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy (this was MileHiCon 42, after all) we were in for a great time. The Con was set to be demolished in 48 hours by a Vogon Destructor Fleet.
We closed out the night by going to the Floatilla, which is handmade boats raced in the pool. Not the most exciting part of the weekend, but the kids seemed to enjoy it...at least until they got too tired to keep their eyes open.
I'll report on days two and three later...
My first panel was titled "Small Press & Ezines: Finding the new Markets." There's always at least one small press panel at MileHiCon, and I seem to almost always be on it, but that's ok. It's a fun topic. On this panel we had Betsy Dornbusch, Ron Sering, David Lee Summers, and James Van Pelt. It was a good panel, and we talked about a lot of different things, but like many panels, we only had 50 minutes, so we couldn't go into as much detail as we would have wanted. On James Van Pelt's blog http://jimvanpelt.livejournal.com/294443.html, he mentioned that he thought we may have glossed over the e-book versus print book numbers, and I would tend to agree with him. A lot of times for a small press author, a shift of 30 or 40% in either direction is actually only a few books. Looking back, I agree with Jim that I wish we would have gotten into that more.
Immediately after my panel were the opening ceremonies, which were lead by toastmaster Paolo Bacigalupi, and with a theme like Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy (this was MileHiCon 42, after all) we were in for a great time. The Con was set to be demolished in 48 hours by a Vogon Destructor Fleet.
We closed out the night by going to the Floatilla, which is handmade boats raced in the pool. Not the most exciting part of the weekend, but the kids seemed to enjoy it...at least until they got too tired to keep their eyes open.
I'll report on days two and three later...
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Ready for the con
The oldest's fever has broken, and we also went to the Dr. for Rebecca today, and she said that it's not likely that she will go into labor this weekend, so it looks like we're ready for MileHiCon.
This will be the first year that we stay in the hotel, and the girls are really excited about it. I think it will be a good thing for Rebecca too, so she can retreat to the room if she gets too tired...which she usually is.
Hope to see some of you at the things I'm doing. Of course, if you see me Saturday night, I will probably be pretty worn out as I have quite the schedule for Saturday...but I'm happy with it. I think we've figured things out well enough that it shouldn't stress Rebecca too much...at least we're hoping...
This will be the first year that we stay in the hotel, and the girls are really excited about it. I think it will be a good thing for Rebecca too, so she can retreat to the room if she gets too tired...which she usually is.
Hope to see some of you at the things I'm doing. Of course, if you see me Saturday night, I will probably be pretty worn out as I have quite the schedule for Saturday...but I'm happy with it. I think we've figured things out well enough that it shouldn't stress Rebecca too much...at least we're hoping...
Monday, October 11, 2010
Book orders
I've had a few people e-mail me about where to get my books before MileHiCon starts. I will be bringing a few copies of most of my works with me, but if you wanted to order something ahead of time, here are some links for you...
Seedlings on the Solar Winds
The Ephemeris Science Fiction Role Playing Game
The Opium of the People
Lowering One's Self Before Fate
A Problem in Translation an illustrated short story book
Future Syndicate an anthology that I edited
The Martian Wave Issue 1 a magazine that I edit
Wondrous Web Worlds Vol. 9 The best of Sam's Dot's webzine anthology that I also edit
Seedlings on the Solar Winds
The Ephemeris Science Fiction Role Playing Game
The Opium of the People
Lowering One's Self Before Fate
A Problem in Translation an illustrated short story book
Future Syndicate an anthology that I edited
The Martian Wave Issue 1 a magazine that I edit
Wondrous Web Worlds Vol. 9 The best of Sam's Dot's webzine anthology that I also edit
Sunday, October 10, 2010
10/10/10
Everywhere I look on the internet today people are talking about 10/10/10 and how significant it could be. It seems like over the last few years, I've been seeing a lot more of this, and the answer to 10/10/10 is the same as it was for all of the other significant dates we've seen of late...no, it has no significance. Numerology is just mumbo jumbo like most other mystical ideas.
First of all, not everyone on this little planet of ours uses the same calendar, so the date is actually different in some parts of the world.
Second of all, the calendar we currently use is pretty arbitrary. It was started on a certain day, which actually is not all that important in the orbit of the Earth around the sun.
There seems to be this growing need to believe that our lives are somehow connected to something mystical, and I really don't understand it. The simple fact that humanity evolved is pretty amazing in and of itself, and we don't need to attach mystical meanings to everything that happens. As a society, we should have evolved beyond that need long ago. That sort of need is based in the "reptilian" parts of our brain, and it's these parts of the brain that teach us to fear the "other," and also leads us blindly following leaders, even if they may be bad for us.
It's time for humanity to put mysticism aside, and actually move towards the future instead of tying ourselves to the past, a past that we should really not be taking pride in...
First of all, not everyone on this little planet of ours uses the same calendar, so the date is actually different in some parts of the world.
Second of all, the calendar we currently use is pretty arbitrary. It was started on a certain day, which actually is not all that important in the orbit of the Earth around the sun.
There seems to be this growing need to believe that our lives are somehow connected to something mystical, and I really don't understand it. The simple fact that humanity evolved is pretty amazing in and of itself, and we don't need to attach mystical meanings to everything that happens. As a society, we should have evolved beyond that need long ago. That sort of need is based in the "reptilian" parts of our brain, and it's these parts of the brain that teach us to fear the "other," and also leads us blindly following leaders, even if they may be bad for us.
It's time for humanity to put mysticism aside, and actually move towards the future instead of tying ourselves to the past, a past that we should really not be taking pride in...
Friday, October 08, 2010
My MileHiCon schedule
Don't Panic! The MileHiCon 42 schedule is now out, and I'm going to be a busy boy. So, make sure you know where your towel is, grab yourself a Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster, and join me at any or all of the following:
Fri. 6 pm: Small Press & Ezines: Finding & Dealing with New Markets
Sat. 10 am: A reading of the 1st chapter of Red Moon Rising
Sat. 11 am: Book Signing
Sat. 12:30 pm: Speed Date an Author
Sat. 4 pm: DM Bootcamp
Sat. 5 pm: A game of Ephemeris in the gaming area
Sun. 4 pm: Villains: An Author's Best Friend
This looks like it will be a great con, so hope you can all make it!
Fri. 6 pm: Small Press & Ezines: Finding & Dealing with New Markets
Sat. 10 am: A reading of the 1st chapter of Red Moon Rising
Sat. 11 am: Book Signing
Sat. 12:30 pm: Speed Date an Author
Sat. 4 pm: DM Bootcamp
Sat. 5 pm: A game of Ephemeris in the gaming area
Sun. 4 pm: Villains: An Author's Best Friend
This looks like it will be a great con, so hope you can all make it!
Sunday, October 03, 2010
The Diplomat's and Explorer's Sourcebook
For those of you playing the Ephemeris RPG, the Diplomat's and Explorer's Sourcebook is now available...
http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product_info.php?products_id=84383
And remember to stop by our discussion board to talk about the game...we are very interested in hearing from other players...
http://www.nomadicdeliriumpress.com/ephemeris/main.htm
The link for the board is towards the bottom of the page.
http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product_info.php?products_id=84383
And remember to stop by our discussion board to talk about the game...we are very interested in hearing from other players...
http://www.nomadicdeliriumpress.com/ephemeris/main.htm
The link for the board is towards the bottom of the page.
Saturday, October 02, 2010
September recap
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Ultrasound at 34 weeks
We went for an ultrasound this morning. The tech of course can't give us any info, so we'll find out if everything is ok when we go to the Dr. on Thursday. The baby is currently weighing in at 6lbs. 10 ozs. plus or minus 1 lb., and it looks like it's in the right position.
So, here is the baby...
So, here is the baby...
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Banned books week
Banned Books Week starts today, and I think everyone should go out and read a banned book this week. Here's a great list of books to start with:
http://www.ala.org/ala/issuesadvocacy/banned/frequentlychallenged/challengedclassics/index.cfm
I don't necessarily have a problem with people trying to keep books with excessive sexual content in them away from children. We wouldn't let our kids read those types of books, but it's our decision as parents to keep them away from our children. The biggest problem I see is that most books are banned not because of sexual content, but rather because they portray political or religious ideas that are frowned upon by certain conservative groups. To me, this is misguided. If we are to survive as a nation, then we must have access to books that show us how things could be. 1984 or Brave New World are not advocating the types of societies they portray, but rather they are warning us about the dangers we could face if we continue down the road we're on. These books shouldn't be banned for this...they should be praised!
Do yourselves a favor and read a banned book this week. Meanwhile, I'll continue to write material that could be banned. Let's face it, if The Opium of the People had ever become a bestseller, it sure as hell would have been banned, and when Red Moon Rising comes out, it will probably ruffle a few feathers as well.
And all I have to say to that is..."So What?"
http://www.ala.org/ala/issuesadvocacy/banned/frequentlychallenged/challengedclassics/index.cfm
I don't necessarily have a problem with people trying to keep books with excessive sexual content in them away from children. We wouldn't let our kids read those types of books, but it's our decision as parents to keep them away from our children. The biggest problem I see is that most books are banned not because of sexual content, but rather because they portray political or religious ideas that are frowned upon by certain conservative groups. To me, this is misguided. If we are to survive as a nation, then we must have access to books that show us how things could be. 1984 or Brave New World are not advocating the types of societies they portray, but rather they are warning us about the dangers we could face if we continue down the road we're on. These books shouldn't be banned for this...they should be praised!
Do yourselves a favor and read a banned book this week. Meanwhile, I'll continue to write material that could be banned. Let's face it, if The Opium of the People had ever become a bestseller, it sure as hell would have been banned, and when Red Moon Rising comes out, it will probably ruffle a few feathers as well.
And all I have to say to that is..."So What?"
Reviews
This entry is geared more towards readers than writers and editors, but I think most writers and editors would agree with what I have to say.
When a reader finishes a book, the most important thing they can do (especially if they liked it) is go to Amazon, or any other site, and review the book. Reader reviews do more to help a new book than any promotion, especially with small press titles. With large presses, a new book might have a couple of months to gain a following, but in the small press, the time is much shorter, and all small press writers are dependent upon people reviewing our work. Sometimes even a bad review can help, but obviously we prefer the good reviews. If a potential reader can read a well thought out review from an objective reader, they're much more likely to take a chance on a small press book. Most readers assume that if it's small press, the author must not be very good, but this isn't always the case, and a well thought out review can convince them to buy the book.
I think it's also important to actually review the book...not just rate it. Giving a book a star rating without saying anything about it doesn't really help...especially one and five star ratings because that just makes other readers think that someone was either being a prick (one star rating) or is a friend of the author (five star rating).
Those are just my thoughts on book reviews, so if you've read something that you liked recently, please go and review it. One review can do a lot for a small press author and several reviews can make a career...so help the small press writer out, even if it's not me...
When a reader finishes a book, the most important thing they can do (especially if they liked it) is go to Amazon, or any other site, and review the book. Reader reviews do more to help a new book than any promotion, especially with small press titles. With large presses, a new book might have a couple of months to gain a following, but in the small press, the time is much shorter, and all small press writers are dependent upon people reviewing our work. Sometimes even a bad review can help, but obviously we prefer the good reviews. If a potential reader can read a well thought out review from an objective reader, they're much more likely to take a chance on a small press book. Most readers assume that if it's small press, the author must not be very good, but this isn't always the case, and a well thought out review can convince them to buy the book.
I think it's also important to actually review the book...not just rate it. Giving a book a star rating without saying anything about it doesn't really help...especially one and five star ratings because that just makes other readers think that someone was either being a prick (one star rating) or is a friend of the author (five star rating).
Those are just my thoughts on book reviews, so if you've read something that you liked recently, please go and review it. One review can do a lot for a small press author and several reviews can make a career...so help the small press writer out, even if it's not me...
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Clarification on The Baby Game
As many of you know, we're holding a little contest to guess the date of birth and the weight of our little one, but we've had a few questions about the contest, so I decided to clarify them here. First of all, in order for an entry to be considered, it must be made at:
http://jalanerwine.blogspot.com/2010/06/baby-game.html.
The criteria for winning:
Only guesses that get the date right will be considered. After that, whoever is closest to the baby's weight will win. If things are still tied, whoever guesses the baby's gender correctly will be the winner.
All entries must be received by October 15th...and there is no entry fee.
Hope that clears up some of the questions.
http://jalanerwine.blogspot.com/2010/06/baby-game.html.
The criteria for winning:
Only guesses that get the date right will be considered. After that, whoever is closest to the baby's weight will win. If things are still tied, whoever guesses the baby's gender correctly will be the winner.
All entries must be received by October 15th...and there is no entry fee.
Hope that clears up some of the questions.
Saturday, September 18, 2010
An Ephemeris Discussion Board
We've created a discussion board for players to talk about the Ephemeris RPG, and to see what we're up to. If you're interested, you can find it in the links area at http://www.nomadicdeliriumpress.com/ephemeris/main.htm
I'm not really sure how much interest there's going to be in the board, as we certainly aren't one of the BIG games out there, but there does seem to be a growing interest in the game, so we figured it was worth a shot...
I'm not really sure how much interest there's going to be in the board, as we certainly aren't one of the BIG games out there, but there does seem to be a growing interest in the game, so we figured it was worth a shot...
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Ephemeris is a bargain book at Amazon
Apparently the core rulebook for the Ephemeris RPG is currently a bargain book at Amazon. This means that you can get the book for $2.96 at the moment. The rulebook is over 400 pages, and it has everything you need to start playing the game.
I'm not sure how long this sale will last, so if you want a cheap copy of the core rules, you need to act soon...
Ephemeris at Amazon
I'm not sure how long this sale will last, so if you want a cheap copy of the core rules, you need to act soon...
Ephemeris at Amazon
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Kindle price increases
Apparently Amazon is reorganizing their royalty structure. As a result of this, the price on two of my Kindle titles, Seedlings on the Solar Winds and The Opium of the People, will be going up tomorrow (9/15). Right now, they're priced at 99 cents, so it's really a great deal, but obviously you need to order soon...
Seedlings on the Solar Winds
The Opium of the People
Seedlings on the Solar Winds
The Opium of the People
Monday, September 13, 2010
A sale, a sale
Recently I posted that I'd written a YA SF short story, and it was the first short fiction I'd written in quite a while. Well, I just got news that the story has been picked up for the April 2011 issue of Beyond Centauri. This will be my second appearance in this magazine...and I know people might find it strange that I sometimes dabble in YA SF, given the type of stuff I usually write, but whatever outlet the muse wants, it gets...
The Ephemeris Supplement Bundle
There's now a bundle of e-books available from DriveThruRPG that are a must have for anyone currently playing Ephemeris. You can order The Ephemeris Supplement Bundle at http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product_info.php?products_id=84030.
Included in this bundle are:
Ephemeris: Critters and Pests
The Expanded Ephemeris Equipment List
Necessity's Call
The Ephemeris Species Compendium
The Law Enforcer's Sourcebook
The Scientist's Sourcebook
The Soldier's Sourcebook
The Trader's Sourcebook
All of these are available for just $25. If you already own the Ephemeris core rulebook, then this will be a great addition to your game.
Included in this bundle are:
Ephemeris: Critters and Pests
The Expanded Ephemeris Equipment List
Necessity's Call
The Ephemeris Species Compendium
The Law Enforcer's Sourcebook
The Scientist's Sourcebook
The Soldier's Sourcebook
The Trader's Sourcebook
All of these are available for just $25. If you already own the Ephemeris core rulebook, then this will be a great addition to your game.
Sunday, September 12, 2010
School fundraising for the kids
Both of our girls recently got their fund raising kits for their school. They seem to do this a couple of times a year. This year the oldest came up with the idea that I have lots of friends on the Internet, and I should see if they wanted to buy anything. I tried explaining that many of my friends have kids of their own, and I also tried to explain that money is very tight for everyone right now, but neither of them would be dissuaded...and it is very hard to say no to kids when they try so hard...
So, if anyone is interested in buying items to help my kids' school, here are the links to do so...
http://www.eZfundraising.com/customer/customer.asp?evtId=81064&parId=140630
http://www.eZfundraising.com/customer/customer.asp?evtId=81064&parId=140708
We do ask that if you're going to buy more than one item, to please split them between the kids because if you have kids, you know what's it's like if one gets more of something than the other does.
Also, all orders have to be in by September 20th. I don't know why they don't give us more time on this.
Thanks for reading this...
So, if anyone is interested in buying items to help my kids' school, here are the links to do so...
http://www.eZfundraising.com/customer/customer.asp?evtId=81064&parId=140630
http://www.eZfundraising.com/customer/customer.asp?evtId=81064&parId=140708
We do ask that if you're going to buy more than one item, to please split them between the kids because if you have kids, you know what's it's like if one gets more of something than the other does.
Also, all orders have to be in by September 20th. I don't know why they don't give us more time on this.
Thanks for reading this...
Saturday, September 11, 2010
I said short fiction!
Since finishing my last two novels, I had decided that I wanted to spend some time working on short fiction...so why is it that I find myself plotting out a new novel today?
Stupid brain!
Stupid brain!
Sunday, September 05, 2010
Share and share alike
I've now made it possible for readers of this blog to share my entries on Facebook, Twitter, or wherever else they might want to. So, if you think I've actually managed to say something that others might be interested in, or if you think some of my work looks interesting, please feel free to use those share buttons...
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