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Discussion: What to Expect for Your First Book

First Book

Today’s topic comes from QSFer Beth Brock: What should new authors expect from their first few books? Emotionally, who their first readers will be, and expectations from their editors. It’s a great question. I just got through my first two stand-alone releases. And while they were not, technically speaking, full-blown books (they were novellas), most of the same things apply. I learned a lot this first time around. I learned that some publishers have a more thorough editing process than others. I learned that a large part of the marketing process falls on the author’s shoulders, especially when you’re working … Read more

Announcement: Off World, by Jonah Bergan

Off World

QSFer Jonah Bergan has a new sci fi book out: What really brought Taine to that backwater little world? Taineís a hunter. Heís a red-skinned and black-eyed Lowman by nature, and a hunter by trade. Some hunters work in flesh, others in secrets, and some few work to set right whatís been set wrong. Itís a big galaxy and thereís always plenty of work for a hunter like Taine, so you got to wonder, what with all that at his feet, what really brought Taine to that backwater little world? Off-World is a M/m science fiction action/adventure set in F/m … Read more

Discussion: Effective vs. Ineffective Social Media Marketing

Social Media

Today’s topic comes from QSFer Ruff Bear: “Some people post daily in book promotion and reader groups. Others only post to promote when something is happening (new book, cover reveal, sale, etc.). Many groups allow unlimited or one-a-day posting, while QSF and a few others have a day of the week set aside for promotions. Is posting to FB groups worthwhile? How do you get noticed when so many others are doing the same thing? How do posts to groups measure up compared to posts to your personal or author’s pages? To other social media channels (Twitter, LinkedIn,etc.)? Is participating … Read more

Announcement: Clashing Tempest, by Brandon Witt

Clashing Tempest

QSFer Brandon Witt has a paranormal/fantasy re-release out: Finn de Morisco knows he is walking into a trap when he enters the Vampire Cathedral to rescue his sister Cynthia. Aided by Schwint and his other sister, Caitlin, he intends to free Cynthia and avoid enslavement. But when he confronts the master of the Voice that has tortured him, Finn faces a grim choice: compromise his soul or lose his family. For centuries members of the Chromis tribe have disappeared, and Brett Wright is on a quest to discover the fate of the captive mers and to stop the abductions. Despite … Read more

Announcement: Sealed by Magic, by A. Catherine Noon and Rachel Wilder

Sealed by Magic

QSFers A. Catherine Noon and Rachel Wilder have a new paranormal book out: Seattle has been at peace since before it was founded on the banks of the Puget Sound. The war between the witches and the snake shifters ended and they now live separate lives. Generations of distrust have kept them separated, until Ari Fitzgerald meets sexy Zachary Bennett, a young witch from the Queen City Coven. Ari is the son of the lamia king. He needs to find the source of the black market trading in lamia venom before any other snake shifters are hurt, or worse. The … Read more

Creating Engaging Dialogue

Dialog

Today’s topic comes from QSFer Allison Mann: how to build engaging dialogue. fun? witty? suspenseful?how to build engaging dialogue. fun? witty? suspenseful? Dialogue is at the heart of most stories – if you can pull off a natural dialogue, you can keep your reader engaged in the story, and provide insight into your characters without having to say “Character a likes toast.”: Millicent’s hand hovered over the plate for a moment. “Oh, I haven’t had a piece of toast since I was a child,” she said, willing her hand to return to her lap. “But it looks soooo good. Is … Read more

Announcement: Parliament of Twilight Episode 2, by Dani Hermit and Nevi Star

Parliament of Twilight Episode 2

QSFers Dani Hermit and Nevi Star have a new paranormal book out: When faced with terror and assassination attempts, the men of the Parliament of Twilight must show what they are made of. Will Brodie be able to save himself from the very real horrors of a haunted house on the fake ghost hunting show? What about the wheelchair bound assassin known as Night Owl? What is he going to do with this new partner and a mission that could prove to be impossible? Can Julian find a way to feed his demanding nature that doesn’t involve Marius smuggling prostitutes … Read more

Why Does it Matter if a Character is Gay?

Jonah Bergan bw

It’s a fair question, I suppose. It’s a fair question for those who feel that their own sexuality is somehow unimportant or is some manner disconnected from their identity. It’s a fair question for those who feel that anyone’s sexuality is an aberration or distraction from their true being. I for one don’t feel that is the case, but in this age where the mere mention of a difference between us is held up as an example of someone’s political agenda, I understand how it could seem to be a part of that and how, in order to protest the … Read more

The Midweek Mingle: A Question of Barriers

Just like last week, this isn’t going to be so much of me trying to give advice. This is something I hope we can talk about, and something I hope I can get people thinking about. I’ll return to your regularly scheduled programming after I get back from Sasquan (Wish me luck that I won’t die!). Now, I’m not exactly an old hat in the industry. I’ve been at it since 2010, and I’m embarrassingly young to be an SF/F writer (No exaggeration: it embarrasses me. I have to imagine most 23 year olds don’t just hope to suddenly be … Read more

Announcement: Allyn and Ransom, by Edward Kendrick

Allyn and Ransom

QSFer Edward Kendrick has a new paranormal detective story out: Young adults are missing. Something socialite and red wolf shifter Allyn Warwick and his sister are unaware of until Allyn’s ex-lover, police detective Ransom Carlyle, interviews them because they were at one of the social gatherings when a young man disappeared. Will Allyn and Ransom–who is an alpha gray wolf shifter–be able to put aside past differences to solve the case, and can they do so without letting the world know they are both shifters? Or will trying to work together–if they survive their hunt to begin with–destroy their slowly … Read more