I'm a Published Author! Now What?

What's Next for the Newly Published Author?

     So you just got your fist book published, congratulations! You achieved what so many others have tried to and what so many are still trying to. You put in the countless hours of research and writing and you kept going. Publishing a book is something to take pride in but once all the confetti falls and the fireworks cease to brighten the sky... now what?

     Sure there will be book signings, social media tours and interviews but you'll find out soon that you are only good as your latest book. Your fans will blow through what took you months maybe even years to write and publish in a matter of a few days. They'll send you letters and you'll be just as excited to read them as they were to write them. In those letters they'll ask you when your next books is coming out. 

     That's when things will really start to sink in and the truth that "Content is King", will hit you. The truth is you can do as much networking, socialmediaing and promotion for your book as you want but the fact is that you need to keep writing. Readers will come and when they finish and love your first book they will look for your next book, and the one after that, and the one after that. 

     It's an amazing thing to have so many people interested in your writing and flattering when they ask you if you can write faster. Now as an author your job is to provide content and more content and more content. Once your published the answer on what to do next is simple, do what you do best and write. After all this is what you do/want to do for a living. 

Writing vs. Reading

Should I Read as Much as I Write?

     I know that I'm going to get strung up for saying this. I have only found a few authors that agree with me so let me start by telling you what I am NOT saying. I am not saying that you need to stop reading or that reading is bad or that you can't become a better writer by reading. I think reading is a great tool to use to increase one's vocabulary, imagination, and writing style.

     Now with that disclaimer out of they way I have found that I get a lot more out of writing than I do out of reading. No, stop, put down your torches and pitchforks. I'm not hating on reading but I am saying that to get better at anything you need practice. Writing is no different, You can read a thousand books but if you never pick up a pen/write on a keyboard what good is it going to do you?

     I've found good balance for myself with reading 10% to 20% of my time and writing 90% to 80% of my time. To get good at anything you need to practice, practice, practice. For me it was easy to justify to myself that reading was "work" and making me better. However, myself and others have seen huge advancements in my writing from book to book. Use reading as a tool but not at the expense of writing. Don't neglect the very thing that will make you a better writer.

     

The Elite Series Audio Books!?

The Elite Series Goes Audio

     I'm no sure what I've done to be so blessed but I've decided to just be thankful. I was contacted this week with the opportunity to turn The Elite Series into audio books. This is a great opportunity and needless to say I jumped at the offer. The contract was signed and we are now in the process of converting The Elite Series from print to audio.

     The Elite Series is now contracted for not only a multi-book deal and movie option but for audio books as well. The interesting thing about all of this is that when I first started writing The Beast Within I just wanted to tell a story. Don't get me wrong I absolutely would love to see a movie and audio books come from this but that wasn't my initial intention. Fourteen months ago when I quit my day job to pursue a career as an author I just wanted to write. 

     The reason I'm telling you this is so you can be encouraged too. Whatever your dream is focus on that one thing and beat it into submission. Everything else will come. Focus on what you can control, be positive and relentless and it will happen. This is true regardless if you're a writer, musician, business professional or entrepreneur. Remember; "The main thing is to always keep the main thing the main thing."

Bad Land

Bad Land

     My next book, Bad land has just been signed by my publisher for release. Bad Land is a stand alone book separate from The Elite Series. As it begins the cover art and editing phases I wanted to give you a behind the scenes look on how it got started.

     Early March myself and a friend of mine who is in the film industry came up with a story that is very loosely based on actual events. The plan was that I would write the book and script and that he would get it into the right hands of the movie making juggernauts as well as film a trailer himself. 

     Well six months later it's still coming together. The book is going to be published and the script is written. As Bad Lands enters the pre-production phase, with a shooting date set for late 2013, I wanted to give you the tagline and synopsis for the book. Hope you enjoy.

Tag Line:

Unless someone is brave enough to strike the first match, the night will be forever dark.

Synopsis:

            At only twenty-three Marshall Montgomery is the youngest reporter to have every worked at his newspaper in Los Angeles county. His life has been his job. But something is about to happen that will force him to confront the painful memory of his sister’s death and open him to a world very much apart from his own.

            A young girl has been found dead in Wakan Canyon. A place Marshall will discover has a past filled with violence and bloodshed. Hundreds of years ago Native American’s fought over the land and even today lives are being taken to protect a secret.

            Deep within the canyon there is a power that has been hidden by generations of the area’s inhabitants. In the canyon there is a dark force that has corrupted every single one of its owners since the beginning of time. Now, trying to discover the truth, Marshall finds himself caught in a web of lies, manipulation, secrecy and death.