tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57570493355400130372024-03-05T03:44:28.107-05:00Author Blog of Shaun J. McLaughlinShaun J. McLaughlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00854114857595821800noreply@blogger.comBlogger19125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5757049335540013037.post-19337592825321885862019-05-21T07:14:00.000-04:002019-05-21T07:14:28.527-04:00Thanks to the Custodians of History<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
My new book on “Pirate” Bill Johnston (due out this year) would not exist without the dedication and generosity of the custodians of our history—those people who work in libraries, archives and regional museums.<br /><br />In 1973, the curator of the Thousand Islands Museum in Clayton, New York, responded to my written request for information on Johnston by mailing me 120 photocopies—the complete serialized biography of Johnston published in the Watertown Daily Times in 1938-39.<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />In the last 10 years, I have found bits and pieces of the Johnston puzzle at museums and historical societies in Kingston, Brockville, Prescott, Oswego, Watertown, Cape Vincent, Clayton, Alexandria Bay, Ogdensburg and probably others I’ve forgotten.<br /><br />As I chased down leads in the months leading up to writing the biography, the custodians of history came through again with crucial documents.<br /><br />The Charles B. Sears Law Library at the Buffalo Law School sent me copies of hard-to-locate pardons of Johnston by President James Monroe.<br /><br />The Chicago History Museum has a collection of documents from US General James Wilkinson, one of Johnston’s commanders in the War of 1812. In their online document list, I spotted an item stating to be an invoice from Bill Johnston. I emailed the museum asking if I could purchase a copy. They sent a copy, no charge.<br /><br />In addition, I must thank the helpful people at the Queens University Archives in Kingston, Ontario, for access to the Burleigh fonds and the Cartwright papers. Thanks also to Library and Archives Canada in Ottawa for providing rare documents related to the War of 1812 and the Patriot War.<br /><br />Thanks to all the custodians of our history, you guard our past.<br /><br /><br /><br /></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer"><p>-------</p>
<p>My novel Counter Currents is available in paperback or as an e-book.
See <a href="http://www.raidersandrebelspress.com/p/where-to-buy-our-books.html"> my blog page. </a> </p></div>Shaun J. McLaughlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00854114857595821800noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5757049335540013037.post-74065928106366572972019-05-16T09:43:00.000-04:002019-05-21T07:24:51.004-04:00Genesis of the Bill Johnston Biography<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
The genesis of my soon-to-be published biography of "Pirate" Bill Johnston occurred in 1973 when a journalism prof at Humber College in Toronto told his students to write a 5000-word feature article on any historical topic. <br />
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While browsing through reference material at Toronto’s central library in those pre-Google days, I first read about Bill Johnston. One reference mentioned the Thousand Islands Museum in Clayton, New York. I sent a letter (email did not yet exist) requesting additional information. The curator responded with 120 photocopies—the complete serialized biography of Johnston written by John Northman and published in the Watertown Daily Times in 1938-39. (No longer available.)<br />
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I completed the assignment and received an “A.” I pasted the photocopies into two large folios and set them aside, knowing I would need them some day. That was a rare bit of valuable foresight on my part.<br />
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They remained unopened for 37 years until I created my history blog on Pirate Bill Johnston in 2010. Those same yellowed pages provided important glimpses of Johnston’s life for this biography.<br />
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Between 2009 and early 2019, I added to my store of Johnston information. Much of the new information came from online sources. I augmented the research in the field, including visits to Watertown, Cape Vincent, Clayton, Alexandria Bay, Ogdensburg, Kingston and Prescott, plus kayak excursions in the Thousand Islands. <br />
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The biography has details no one has written before, and it debunks several significant mis-facts that dominate materials written by earlier historians. You can read about those bloopers on my Bill Johnston blog.<br />
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So, the roots of this new book stretch back 46 years to a time when I had a full head of long hair and we all composed on an unforgiving metallic beast called a typewriter.</div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer"><p>-------</p>
<p>My novel Counter Currents is available in paperback or as an e-book.
See <a href="http://www.raidersandrebelspress.com/p/where-to-buy-our-books.html"> my blog page. </a> </p></div>Shaun J. McLaughlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00854114857595821800noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5757049335540013037.post-21237766715800703702019-01-15T08:54:00.000-05:002019-05-16T09:44:33.482-04:00Pending New History Book<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Updated May 2019</span><br />
In early May 2019, I signed a publishing agreement with a US publisher, Beacon Publish Group. They agreed to publish my biography of “Pirate” Bill Johnston. I don’t have a release date yet, but will let you Bill Johnston fans know.<br />
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The working title is:<br />
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<b>Chieftain of the Thousand Islands<br />The Life and Legend of Bill Johnston</b><br />
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I began researching Johnston in 1973—not to say I worked on it every year since. I have been active in building up my info since 2010.<br />
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The contents of the book go far beyond the material on my history blogs. It provides detailed evidence of his spying and scouting work for the Americans in the War of 1812. It expands on the circumstances of his arrest in 1813. There are more stories about his "quiet" years between 1814 and 1838, and more about his long retirement years.<br />
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The contents show where other historians have gone wrong, why they are wrong and how they made their mistakes.<br />
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I have written material on Johnston before. That includes a history book for the History Press, now Arcadia, <i>Patriot War along the Canada-New York Border</i>. Johnston appears in the book due to his heavy involvement in the Patriot War. I also maintain a <a href="http://www.piratebilljohnston.com/" target="_blank">history blog on Johnston</a>.</div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer"><p>-------</p>
<p>My novel Counter Currents is available in paperback or as an e-book.
See <a href="http://www.raidersandrebelspress.com/p/where-to-buy-our-books.html"> my blog page. </a> </p></div>Shaun J. McLaughlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00854114857595821800noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5757049335540013037.post-58164230987133900292014-11-08T09:21:00.000-05:002015-11-22T17:32:08.189-05:00Novel: Dark Southern Sun<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<i>Dark Southern Sun</i>, the second novel in the Ryan's Journey series, is now available <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00PCMB01E">as an ebook on Amazon</a> and <a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/523967" target="_blank">Smashwords</a>, and as paperback at Amazon, CreateSpace, and <a href="http://www.raidersandrebelspress.com/p/where-to-buy-our-books.html" target="_blank">elsewhere</a>. For a pictorial guide, see the novel's <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/smclaugh2/dark-southern-sun-a-novel/" target="_blank">Pinterest board</a>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzOP1pfxcN4Trn2ITroGLIAnnoXxZrN2DPJJ0Ab7zyDVHYrBjBbbtYy98h4LmPtxlFF0x-a6rKEb9bdHf7ImulntugPcAKWLs9CXMAFFcp0LGiSY3cklXvV6guQHPyiWCVPpt4iju9_F5Y/s1600/front-cover-sample.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzOP1pfxcN4Trn2ITroGLIAnnoXxZrN2DPJJ0Ab7zyDVHYrBjBbbtYy98h4LmPtxlFF0x-a6rKEb9bdHf7ImulntugPcAKWLs9CXMAFFcp0LGiSY3cklXvV6guQHPyiWCVPpt4iju9_F5Y/s1600/front-cover-sample.jpg" width="210" /></a></div>
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<i>Dark Southern Sun</i>, picks up where <i><a href="http://www.raidersandrebelspress.com/p/novel-counter-currents.html">Counter Currents</a></i> left off and takes place entirely in Australia.<br />
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It is a tale of love, friendship, and honor in the goldfields of old Australia. Ryan washes up on the southern shore of Australia near death in 1845. Rescued by two Wathaurung native children and nursed to health by their parents, his life and theirs are entwined through good and sorrow for the next ten years. Set against the historical backdrop of Australia’s formative years, Ryan witnesses the displacement of the Aboriginal people, and he faces the chaos of the world’s largest alluvial gold rush and the bloodshed of Australia’s only armed uprising. Throughout, two very different women—one white, one black—tug at his heart as he struggles from penury to prosperity. As he rises in social esteem as an astute businessman and cunning street fighter, Ryan creates two bitter enemies—one white, one black. In time, they set aside their vast racial and emotional hatreds and combine forces. Can Ryan survive their vicious attempt to destroy him and save the good life he has built?<br />
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The cover art is by Wathaurung elder Marlene Gilson, who also reviewed the novel for cultural accuracy.<br />
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Tags: #HistoricalFiction #Adventure #HistoricalRomance #Australia #HistoryAustralia</div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer"><p>-------</p>
<p>My novel Counter Currents is available in paperback or as an e-book.
See <a href="http://www.raidersandrebelspress.com/p/where-to-buy-our-books.html"> my blog page. </a> </p></div>Shaun J. McLaughlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00854114857595821800noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5757049335540013037.post-36687987928311249052014-03-30T18:40:00.000-04:002019-05-13T10:45:01.672-04:00Seven Best Writer’s Resources to Come By Email<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Updated May 2019</span><br />
I am stingy with my time. In trying to live a full life and write a book or two a year, I rarely indulge in prowling the Web for useful stuff. At the same time, I know I must stay current on the craft and business of writing and indie publishing. How do I reconcile temporal frugality with the need to know?<br />
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Answer: Let people who are better informed than I am feed me news and information.<br />
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I subscribe to writing resources that email me full text or summaries of stories posted on their blogs and websites. Below is a list of my seven favorites. In all cases, they have a mechanism to subscribe to their email news feed. Just fill in the simple form, follow the instructions (usually they send an email confirmation) and let the world come to you.<br />
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<a href="http://www.indiesunlimited.com/" target="_blank">Indies Unlimited</a> offers everything an indie author needs to get noticed, develop one’s talents and engage in the indie author community. IU provides a daily digest of four to six stories with links to the complete blog post.<br />
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The <a href="http://www.thepassivevoice.com/" target="_blank">Passive Voice</a> is an aggregator. Your humble host, Passive Guy, presents a daily gleaning of useful information by other writers covering: the traditional publishing industry, the indie publishing industry, legal news affecting writers, and more. Passive Guy scours the Web so you don’t have to.<br />
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David Farland’s <a href="http://davidfarland.com/category/for-writers/" target="_blank">writer's advice blog</a> is strong on the writer’s craft. An author and writing coach, Farland is generous with his knowledge. When you sign up, you will receive one or more articles weekly on being a better writer.<br />
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The blog of Irish writer <a href="https://davidgaughran.com/blog/" target="_blank">David Gaughran</a> provides writing and self-publishing advice for writers. He is a bit of a guru when it comes to the intricacies of Amazon's KDP platform. Since up for new posts by email.<br />
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<a href="http://kriswrites.com/" target="_blank">Kristine Kathryn Rusch</a> is an accomplished multi-genre author who shares her insights and her stories. Expect several posts weekly. Usually once per week, Kristine treats her subscribers to a complete example of her magnificent fiction. We should all write so well!<br />
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<a href="http://accrispin.blogspot.ca/" target="_blank">Writers Beware</a> is a must for anyone venturing babe-in-the-woods style into publishing. Victoria Strauss shines “a bright light into the dark corners of the shadow-world of literary scams, schemes, and pitfalls.” The site exposes the trolls and gremlins of the publishing world. The weekly posts also provide writing advice, industry news and commentary.<br />
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<a href="http://writerunboxed.com/" target="_blank">Writer Unboxed</a> presents a daily article on the craft and business of fiction. Most articles are guest posts; so, you expect a wide variety of topics and points-of view.<br />
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<div class="blogger-post-footer"><p>-------</p>
<p>My novel Counter Currents is available in paperback or as an e-book.
See <a href="http://www.raidersandrebelspress.com/p/where-to-buy-our-books.html"> my blog page. </a> </p></div>Shaun J. McLaughlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00854114857595821800noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5757049335540013037.post-59084345883202911092014-02-10T16:48:00.000-05:002014-02-14T09:46:42.464-05:00Scribophile: Best Peer-to-Peer Writers' Resource<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<i>This is the second installment about indie author
communities I find valuable. These are places where you can hone your craft
and/or contribute to bettering our profession. </i></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Updated Feb. 14, 2014</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.scribophile.com/" target="_blank">Scribophile</a>, online since February 2008, is a friendly and
effective peer-to-peer author critique resource. It bills itself as an “online
writing community that provides serious feedback for serious writers.” Basic membership is free. A premium membership is available
for an annual fee. It provides extra services and privileges.</div>
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Members accumulate “karma” points by critiquing the work of
others and then use those points as “currency” to post their own work for
review. Unlike similar peer-review sites that seem to allow vague and brief
critiques, Scribophile requires a minimum word count to get any points and adds
extra points once you pass the minimum. </div>
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The site focuses on fiction in all genres in all lengths
from flash to novels. (One must submit long stories and novels in installments.)
The site also hosts author discussion groups on a range of topics and writing tips from pros.</div>
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Before I launch into a new fiction project, I always spend
some time at Scribophile critiquing short stories. I find this sharpens my
writing skills, while it also lets me share my experience and knowledge with
others. I also submit selected segments of a short story or a novel as I go
along to make sure I am achieving what I intended. The quality of the feedback
never disappoints me.</div>
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Alex
Cabal, the omnipotent administrator, says: “I'm most proud of the great
community we've managed to nurture here. Scribophile would be nothing without
the kind, generous, friendly, and talented people that make Scribophile their
online home. Our volunteer moderators take great care in making sure the
environment stays polite and helpful, and all the work we've put in to growing
the community has really paid off with a place where everyone feels comfortable
sharing and learning about writing.”</div>
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Follow them on Twitter at @scribophile.</div>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer"><p>-------</p>
<p>My novel Counter Currents is available in paperback or as an e-book.
See <a href="http://www.raidersandrebelspress.com/p/where-to-buy-our-books.html"> my blog page. </a> </p></div>Shaun J. McLaughlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00854114857595821800noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5757049335540013037.post-46815835989133453042014-01-30T08:51:00.000-05:002014-01-30T09:22:14.598-05:00Indies Unlimited: Top Site for Indie Authors<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<i>This is the first installment on indie author communities I find valuable. These are places where you can hone your craft and/or contribute to bettering our profession.</i><br />
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If I had just one indie author site to subscribe to, it would be <a href="http://www.indiesunlimited.com/about/" target="_blank">Indies Unlimited</a>. This site, which began in October 2011, offers everything an indie author needs to get noticed, develop one’s talents and engage in the indie author community.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>The site has a huge following for its daily lineup of articles that include:<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>flash fiction writing contests</li>
<li>tips from writers about the craft and the tools of the trade</li>
<li>info on our industry</li>
<li>book briefs and sneak peeks</li>
<li>opportunities to announce your books, video trailers and blogs</li>
<li>community connections for beta readers</li>
<li>and more</li>
</ul>
Indie author Stephen Hise and award-winning novelist Kat S. Brooks administer the site. They write many of the articles along with a stable of regular contributors. IU gladly accepts guest posts, but they must meet the site’s high standards—they will not post substandard material but often give tips on how to improve it. (As a guest contributor, I can attest to their professionalism and helpfulness.)<br />
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Each post encourages comments from readers, which often adds value to the post. You can visit the site but I recommend you subscribe to their email blurb. Follow them on twitter at @indiesunlimited.<br />
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When asked what they are most proud about, Kat said: “We take satisfaction in knowing we are providing a service that is valued by the community of indie authors.”<br />
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<div class="blogger-post-footer"><p>-------</p>
<p>My novel Counter Currents is available in paperback or as an e-book.
See <a href="http://www.raidersandrebelspress.com/p/where-to-buy-our-books.html"> my blog page. </a> </p></div>Shaun J. McLaughlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00854114857595821800noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5757049335540013037.post-174280310642017492013-08-18T08:01:00.000-04:002014-11-08T09:23:13.785-05:00Counter Currents Gets Silver Medal<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<i>Counter Currents</i> is the 2013 silver medal winner for Historical Literature Fiction – Modern (set 1500-1940 AD) awarded by Dan Poynter's <a href="http://globalebookawards.com/2013-global-ebook-awards-winners/" target="_blank">Global Ebook Awards</a>. This is the first novel by Shaun J. McLaughlin.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj679TwOq4-PyXNPxhsQvwpogMsHe1W5NyNrkk3eNtKSTXQ750wgMhF2wS8WHnoRR4vLEtvgZiKZ3mRvgCSDT46k6dMgIAC2jJDuNr2IDlEr-JyZGuD6iXOXy2wrFLG2wDm0nI0vI4pZXyg/s1600/GEbA_Silver.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj679TwOq4-PyXNPxhsQvwpogMsHe1W5NyNrkk3eNtKSTXQ750wgMhF2wS8WHnoRR4vLEtvgZiKZ3mRvgCSDT46k6dMgIAC2jJDuNr2IDlEr-JyZGuD6iXOXy2wrFLG2wDm0nI0vI4pZXyg/s320/GEbA_Silver.png" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer"><p>-------</p>
<p>My novel Counter Currents is available in paperback or as an e-book.
See <a href="http://www.raidersandrebelspress.com/p/where-to-buy-our-books.html"> my blog page. </a> </p></div>Shaun J. McLaughlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00854114857595821800noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5757049335540013037.post-42035958176126180462013-07-07T16:18:00.001-04:002013-07-07T16:18:36.667-04:00Get the Correct Words for a Historical Era<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
When I wrote my previous novel, Counter Currents, and while I write its sequel, I often stop to check if words I use are true to the era in which I set the story. I feel I must do more than engage and entertain my readers: I must not misinform.<br />
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Most important to me are the verbs and nouns I choose for narration and conversation. I strive to make sure those words were part of the common vernacular in the story’s era.<br />
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Sound difficult? Not so much!<br />
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<a name='more'></a>Thanks to the benevolent geeks at Google, there is an app for that. It’s called Google Books <a href="http://books.google.com/ngrams/" target="_blank">Ngram Viewer</a>. In 2009 and 2012, Google created databases of words in all its digitized books, and organized those words by the year of publication.<br />
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To use it, simply enter the case-sensitive word or phrase to search for, set a year-range, select the corpus and click the search button. Ngram Viewer returns a graph of the usage as a percentage of words in the selected corpus.<br />
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Here are a few examples of how I used Ngram Viewer to improve the historical accuracy of my novels.<br />
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In my 2012 novel Counter Currents, set in 1838 North America, I wanted to serve the protagonist a lunch of shepherd’s pie. So, I entered the food name, set the time span from 1825 to 1900, and picked the American English corpus. (I used a 75-year range to learn when the term came into use if outside of my story’s era.)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-9U1e9M5YMaECt3RMvOraoS3MQ0_sw9Ga-NK93KNQQfjjN1HCGAz23Z8JrORAOYcQiXsiV6pEfShGNIkG_JmAdFAb_c9ramtM8CeVf_AorlaImOHHQQ5OOjNEUTVGDJI4ZMkXDQnQqxyo/s1600/ngram-pie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="ngram viewer example" border="0" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-9U1e9M5YMaECt3RMvOraoS3MQ0_sw9Ga-NK93KNQQfjjN1HCGAz23Z8JrORAOYcQiXsiV6pEfShGNIkG_JmAdFAb_c9ramtM8CeVf_AorlaImOHHQQ5OOjNEUTVGDJI4ZMkXDQnQqxyo/s400/ngram-pie.jpg" title="" width="400" /></a></div>
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The result shows that shepherd’s pie did not appear in books until about 55 years later, and even then, rarely. This technique is handy for verifying food, clothing, people’s names, and manufactured items.<br />
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Ngram Viewer can also help with regional dialect. In my current sequel to Counter Currents, set in 1845-1855 Australia, I want to include some Aussie slang. I entered “billabong” (a term for a type of creek) in Ngram Viewer. No luck. That word doesn’t appear until after 1880.<br />
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The Ngram Viewer also lets you use the best word if several are available. In my sequel, my protagonist agrees to get married. Which is the best word: “engaged” or “betrothed”? I used the British English corpus as the most likely to reflect nineteenth century Australian English.<br />
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To graph more than one search term, separate each with a comma.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim279jaNIWTD0lWa8Pp71_fZ6ZN8cdLEYkDm-faXHwlyNsnQ44_kTPScPLGOyK-yMzwH0Ld58AbxNpt63R4cu4TIDnYn34-4siOjBI-NvKG2l7I4N6VLNdyuxfBgMQXxC4UmMmSxyuH0Wy/s1600/ngram-engaged.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="ngram viewer example" border="0" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim279jaNIWTD0lWa8Pp71_fZ6ZN8cdLEYkDm-faXHwlyNsnQ44_kTPScPLGOyK-yMzwH0Ld58AbxNpt63R4cu4TIDnYn34-4siOjBI-NvKG2l7I4N6VLNdyuxfBgMQXxC4UmMmSxyuH0Wy/s400/ngram-engaged.jpg" title="" width="400" /></a></div>
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This graph shows that both words are valid but books used “engaged” more often in that era.<br />
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In English, you can use just about any noun as a verb. Before you do, make sure the spoken language in your historical era used that verb form?<br />
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Ngram Viewer can graph the same word used as different parts of speech. You just add one of the many available tags to your search terms. (Click the About Ngram Viewer link at the bottom of the Ngram page for details on the many tags and other advanced features.)<br />
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In this example, I add the tags _NOUN and _VERB to the word “impact.”<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim35lkBZZKBUVY-u_Mi2hi_tQdfpRviHfXtjpd4fr8RGcccPXmsU-dbPBiCMwGwXbov_AinIxUAERbxy9hmHaaSgHdP_pWMBaDS7UAjLboQKocCDSBABvYgaoIkY9aAXCfHXzcR6uSZkio/s1600/ngram-impact.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="ngram viewer example" border="0" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim35lkBZZKBUVY-u_Mi2hi_tQdfpRviHfXtjpd4fr8RGcccPXmsU-dbPBiCMwGwXbov_AinIxUAERbxy9hmHaaSgHdP_pWMBaDS7UAjLboQKocCDSBABvYgaoIkY9aAXCfHXzcR6uSZkio/s400/ngram-impact.jpg" title="" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
This graph shows that books did not include “impact” as a verb until the 1870s, and very rarely compared to the noun form.<br />
<br />
The corpus list provides several choices for English books—all English books, British English for books printed in the UK, American English for books published in the US, and just English fiction books—plus seven other languages. (Use the 2012 versions without the dates, not the 2009 versions: the 2012 scans contain fewer spelling errors.)<br />
<br />
Pick the English corpus that suits your geographical location to help refine your word selection. For example, Ngram Viewer shows that American books used the word “boss” as a noun sporadically in the eighteenth century, but English books used it throughout that period. (I entered “boss_NOUN” in two separate searches using a different corpus.)<br />
<br />
If a word sounds like slang, or inner doubts nag me (always trust your intuition) or I are faced with several synonyms, I use Ngram Viewer. It takes just seconds.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer"><p>-------</p>
<p>My novel Counter Currents is available in paperback or as an e-book.
See <a href="http://www.raidersandrebelspress.com/p/where-to-buy-our-books.html"> my blog page. </a> </p></div>Shaun J. McLaughlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00854114857595821800noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5757049335540013037.post-91080247326066342842012-12-03T20:04:00.002-05:002016-11-30T12:02:21.812-05:00Researching My Novel: Dark Southern Sun<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Writing authentic historical fiction, I
believe, requires research. Such novels cannot be constructed
entirely from fiction. My research for the sequel to
<a href="http://www.raidersandrebelspress.com/p/novel-counter-currents.html" target="_blank">Counter Currents</a> took me to southeast Australia.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
I need to walk the ground or paddle the
waters where my novels take place. The contours of the land, the
shape and color of the trees, the scents on the wind, the sounds of
birds and insects are all important ingredients of a compelling
story.<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
The sequel begins on the coast of
Australia southwest of Melbourne. So, I visited Victoria state's
picturesque Great Ocean Road to walk the beaches and stroll in the eucalyptus forests.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
The story is also set northwest of
Melbourne during the Australian gold rush in the 1850s. For that, I
visited Ballarat and area where much prospecting and mining took place.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
On my travels, I saw many of the
“supporting cast” of Australian characters: kangaroos, wallabies,
and koalas.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyEstkmmfJKBss4-R5ZTjfuJJauJgvM3fuUR-ZvUi__1uUPAOFJge2xEUvWijIICT7gSvHPjaC-yBTKY3PkhmniQmmlN3UQ1GaII7Biqtba4NF9DvCU9cD9yCyLUbYzZL4zbT4JvZmwpvC/s1600/koala.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyEstkmmfJKBss4-R5ZTjfuJJauJgvM3fuUR-ZvUi__1uUPAOFJge2xEUvWijIICT7gSvHPjaC-yBTKY3PkhmniQmmlN3UQ1GaII7Biqtba4NF9DvCU9cD9yCyLUbYzZL4zbT4JvZmwpvC/s320/koala.JPG" width="167" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An Authentic Character</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
In addition, I have read extensively on
Australian history, including biographies of 19<sup>th</sup>-century
characters. I contacted an elder of the Aborigine tribe featured in the book to make sure I captured the culture correctly. What all this means is that this sequel gives readers a
real taste of the Australian frontier as the complex story of
struggle, loyalty and love unfolds.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
P.S. If anyone wants to read about my
travels to Belgium, Nepal, Cambodia, and Australia, visit my <a href="http://big60tour.blogspot.ca/" target="_blank">travel blog</a>.</div>
</div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer"><p>-------</p>
<p>My novel Counter Currents is available in paperback or as an e-book.
See <a href="http://www.raidersandrebelspress.com/p/where-to-buy-our-books.html"> my blog page. </a> </p></div>Shaun J. McLaughlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00854114857595821800noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5757049335540013037.post-18848496841350556392012-10-28T13:45:00.001-04:002012-10-28T21:56:27.876-04:00Many Literary Awards Exclude Indie Authors<div class="MsoNormal">
In the past, I often bought books that won or were
shortlisted for one of the major English language literary prizes. Not any
more. When I became an indie author, I began to boycott such books because many
prize-granting organizations specifically exclude self-published authors. How
can you claim to award the best if you exclude vast numbers of authors?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a name='more'></a><br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Here are three examples:</div>
<ul>
<li>The annual winner of the Man-Booker prize receives £50,000.
Their web site says it is open to “any full-length novel written by a citizen
of the Commonwealth, the Republic of Ireland or Zimbabwe,” but they exclude
self-published books.</li>
<li>The $70,000 Giller Prize is given to a “full length novel or
short story collection, written by a Canadian citizen or permanent resident of
Canada.” Nominees must be submitted by a publisher and the web site states “No
self-published books shall be eligible.”</li>
<li>The Governor-General’s Literary Award, presented annually by
the Canada Council, presents $25,000 prizes in several categories for works “written,
translated or illustrated by Canadian citizens or permanent residents of
Canada.” Again, the books must be submitted by a traditional publisher:
self-publishers are prohibited.</li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
In contrast, the venerable Pulitzer Prize does not exclude indie
authors. The $10,000 award is open to authors who are US citizens, and to
non-US citizens who write about American history.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Anyone looking for an inclusive, author-friendly process could emulate
the Hugo Awards for science fiction and fantasy. Books are nominated by fans
and winners voted on by all members of the World Science Fiction Society, not
an elite committee. There are no citizenship restrictions on authors.<br />
<br />
I think I'll buy some sci-fi soon.<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<h4>
Canadian Angle</h4>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Being Canadian, I have a beef with the publishing
establishment behind this country’s big awards. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The Giller Prize and the Governor-General’s Literary Award
seem designed to promote established Canadian publishers, not authors. How
ironic, when most of Canada’s publishers are foreign owned. And this
exclusivity seems to do little good. In October, Vancouver-based Douglas &
McIntyre, publisher of the 2010 Giller Prize-winning novel, <i>The Sentimentalists</i>, filed for
bankruptcy.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
While I admit there is a legion of self-published authors of
dubious talent, many are as good as those chosen by publishers. There is a simple
way to open the door to indies. Self-published authors work closely with
independent bookstores to get their books to the public. The bookstores are
capable of vetting the work of indie writers and could be trusted to nominate
worthy contenders.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer"><p>-------</p>
<p>My novel Counter Currents is available in paperback or as an e-book.
See <a href="http://www.raidersandrebelspress.com/p/where-to-buy-our-books.html"> my blog page. </a> </p></div>Shaun J. McLaughlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00854114857595821800noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5757049335540013037.post-30699486496559213722012-10-23T12:27:00.000-04:002012-10-26T09:12:50.845-04:00Make Sure the World Can Buy Your Ebook<div class="MsoNormal">
Recently I advised self-published authors to <a href="http://www.raidersandrebelspress.com/2012/10/indies-should-publish-on-all-platforms.html" target="_blank">diversity their ebook formats</a>: I said go
beyond Kindle to include sellers who offer the epub format. Here’s a further
tip for my American colleagues: diversify your epub vendors to make sure your
foreign fans can buy your books.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<a name='more'></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Recently I tried to buy another book in the <a href="http://www.frankfiore.com/from-the-chronicles-of-jeremy-nash/coming-soon/" target="_blank">Nash series</a> by
American thriller writer Frank Fiore. His books sell on Amazon and Barnes &
Noble (BN). I browsed to BN for an epub version. I found Fiore’s books,
selected the Nash box set, clicked Buy Now, and filled out the extensive
purchase form. At the end of all that, the site flashed this message:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: red; font-size: 10.0pt;">You must have a
credit card billing address within the US or its territories, including US
Military sites, to receive this item. We currently do not support non-US
billing addresses.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
How parochial! How completely unfair to authors! There is no
excuse for a vendor to ignore the world market other than lack of vision.
Amazon and <a href="http://bit.ly/VMBPpz" target="_blank">Apple iBooks</a> use international portals to service customers. Kobo doesn’t care as
long as you have a valid credit card.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As I have said before, the best way to diversify is to use
Kindle Direct Publishing for sales on Amazon and Smashwords for epub creation. Smashwords
makes your ebook available to Apple, Barnes & Noble, Sony, Kobo, Diesel Books,
and others. That way, your buyers never hit a purchase wall.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sell to the world, not just your home country.</div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer"><p>-------</p>
<p>My novel Counter Currents is available in paperback or as an e-book.
See <a href="http://www.raidersandrebelspress.com/p/where-to-buy-our-books.html"> my blog page. </a> </p></div>Shaun J. McLaughlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00854114857595821800noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5757049335540013037.post-80776792020210204732012-10-09T10:54:00.000-04:002013-02-22T10:09:21.692-05:00Indies Should Publish on All Platforms<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal">
We indie authors work hard to coax readers to buy our books.
When even a trickle of sales of an ebook is cause for euphoria, it astounds me
that so many authors ignore nearly 40% of the American ebook market and the majority
of the Canadian market. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<a name='more'></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Many indie author sites promote ebooks and give readers
chances to get free samples. Far too often the ebooks are available only
through Amazon. The Amazon format is proprietary and plays only on a Kindle
device. Sure, you can read a Kindle book via a special app on your laptop or
smart phone, but that ignores the millions of ereader users.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The non-proprietary format epub is readable on the Kobo (my
choice), Nook, Sony Reader, Apple devices, and via apps on third-party
platforms. Together they claim a very large segment of the US market and a
majority of the Canadian market.<br />
<br />
Extra tip: Also <a href="http://www.raidersandrebelspress.com/2012/10/make-sure-world-can-buy-your-ebook.html" target="_blank">make sure that your epub choice is available</a> beyond your borders.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
According to “<a href="http://libraries.pewinternet.org/2012/04/04/part-3-americans-and-their-e-readers-and-tablets/" target="_blank">The rise of e-reading</a>,” by Pew Research Center in April 2012, the Kindle has
62% of the American market. The Nook has 22%. The rest is shared by Kobo, Sony,
and other platforms. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
While the Pew study stated that Kobo had just 1% of the US
ebook market, <a href="http://www.ipsos-na.com/news-polls/pressrelease.aspx?id=5596" target="_blank">a 2012 study by Ipsos Reid</a> says Kobo has 46% of the Canadian market, where it was
invented. (The Canadian market is one-tenth the size of the American market.)
In Canada, Kindle came second with 24%, followed by Sony at 18%. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“<a href="http://shop.oreilly.com/product/0636920022954.do" target="_blank">The Global eBook Market</a>”
by O’Reilly Media says ereader use outside of North America is less popular but
growing. In the UK, for example, Kindle has 14% of the ebook readers, Sony has
6%, the Apple iPad and iPhones have 17%, but 45% of people still use their
desktop or laptop computer to read ebooks. The study notes that Kobo is
grabbing global market share by creating localized versions for foreign
languages. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It is easy to diversify your ebook format. Like most
authors, I use Kindle Direct Publishing for sales on Amazon. But, I use
Smashwords for every other ebook vendor. If you follow the Smashwords style
guide exactly, the conversion process works every time.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Smashwords
will also make your ebook available to Apple, Barnes & Noble, Sony, Kobo, Diesel, and others,
if your manuscript and cover are professionally produced. Thanks to Smashwords,
readers can find my first novel, <i><a href="http://www.raidersandrebelspress.com/p/novel-counter-currents.html" target="_blank">Counter Currents</a></i>, at all those locations and more. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Unless you have signed up for
Amazon’s KDP Select, which demands exclusivity, diversify your ebook format to
maximize your sales.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<i>A post similar to this first appeared at <a href="http://www.indiesunlimited.com/2012/10/08/format-diversity-can-lead-to-higher-sales/" target="_blank">Indies Unlimited</a>.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer"><p>-------</p>
<p>My novel Counter Currents is available in paperback or as an e-book.
See <a href="http://www.raidersandrebelspress.com/p/where-to-buy-our-books.html"> my blog page. </a> </p></div>Shaun J. McLaughlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00854114857595821800noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5757049335540013037.post-80556512962052624732012-07-28T12:08:00.001-04:002013-02-12T10:51:12.955-05:00The Adult Content Dilemma<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
My first novel, <a href="http://www.raidersandrebelspress.com/p/novel-counter-currents.html" target="_blank">Counter Currents</a>, contains one nude swimming scene (pretty tame stuff) and one explicit sex scene. The latter is not gratuitous--it is a natural evolution of a relationship between two characters in the story. I included it because I wrote the book for well balanced adults.
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
But, that one scene makes the book "adult content." That means my novel will not show up on book searches if users of a site, such as Smashwords, have the "adult filter" on. That may reduce sales.<br />
<br />
As an experiment I wrote a companion novel, <a href="http://www.raidersandrebelspress.com/p/novel-islands-of-love-and-war.html" target="_blank">Islands of Love and War</a>, that tells the same story, with the skinny dipping scene intact but not the sex scene. The latter is set up but leaves the details to the reader's imagination. This version also has 10 fewer minor characters, a slightly different ending, and is 10,000 words shorter. I posted it at Smashwords and Amazon.com and am actively promoting it.<br />
<br />
Will this change increase sales?<br />
<br />
I will update this blog with the experiment's results later.</div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer"><p>-------</p>
<p>My novel Counter Currents is available in paperback or as an e-book.
See <a href="http://www.raidersandrebelspress.com/p/where-to-buy-our-books.html"> my blog page. </a> </p></div>Shaun J. McLaughlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00854114857595821800noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5757049335540013037.post-53088294799925639302012-07-19T21:23:00.001-04:002013-02-12T10:50:04.850-05:00Make Paperbacks Part of Your Sales Plan<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal">
For my first self-published novel, <a href="http://www.raidersandrebelspress.com/p/novel-counter-currents.html" target="_blank">Counter Currents</a>, I decided to include a
paperback version as well as an ebook. I used CreateSpace with excellent
results. Some of the pros, such as John Locke (author of <i>How I Sold 1 Million eBooks in 5 Months</i>), advise us not to bother—it's not worth it, they
say. Respectfully, they're wrong for two reasons.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<a name='more'></a><div class="MsoNormal">
It is worth it emotionally. While I am an ebook fan, I
still enjoy the tangible and tactile reality of a printed book. I feel proud when I see mine in a reader's hands or on a store shelf.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It is worth it economically. I have not sold millions
like Mr. Locke. (I am close to the statistical average I wrote about in <a href="http://www.raidersandrebelspress.com/2012/05/one-leaf-in-forest-screaming-for.html" target="_blank">my last post</a>.) However, o<span style="background-color: white;">ver 70% of novel's sales so far have been in paperback; the rest
are Kindle or ePub format. Of the confirmed paperback sales (not including
books on consignment), over 80% were purchased through independent bookstores.
The remainder were bought online. I have sold almost as many paperback copies as ebook copies on Amazon.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Once again, I urge indie writers to <a href="http://www.raidersandrebelspress.com/2012/03/symbiotic-nature-of-indie-books.html" target="_blank">create relationships with neighborhood bookstores</a>. Get your paperbacks in a few retail outlets within driving distance and then promote locally. Participate in author events at those stores. You will be glad you did.</div>
</div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer"><p>-------</p>
<p>My novel Counter Currents is available in paperback or as an e-book.
See <a href="http://www.raidersandrebelspress.com/p/where-to-buy-our-books.html"> my blog page. </a> </p></div>Shaun J. McLaughlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00854114857595821800noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5757049335540013037.post-39008896533007014542012-05-29T12:08:00.000-04:002013-10-10T08:31:09.826-04:00One Leaf in the Forest Screaming for Attention!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Updated October 2013</span><br />
Imagine you are one leaf in a forest of 10,000 trees. How do
you get noticed? That is the challenge each new indie writer faces.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Here are some sobering stats found on blogs and news
websites:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<ul>
<li>In 2011, Amazon had 950,000 ebooks for the Kindle, out of a
total of about 1.8 million titles.</li>
<li>Almost 2.8 million non-traditional books, including ebooks
and print-on-demand paperbacks, were produced in the United States in 2010
(says Reuters).</li>
<li>US publishers of all types produce over 300,000
traditionally published books per year with about 210,000 more in the UK.</li>
<li>In October 2013, the American ISBN agency Bowker stated that 391,000 self-published titles were added in 2012, a 59% increase from 2011.</li>
</ul>
The world is awash in books with more every year.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<a name='more'></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Mark Coker, founder of the ebook aggregator Smashwords, says
ebooks are immortal: they are not stale-dated like printed books. So, each
year, each ebook must fight for recognition with an ever larger horde of
competitors.<br />
<br />
Here are other sobering statistics from a recent study (<i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0085M7KIU" target="_blank">Not a Gold Rush</a></i> available on Amazon) of 1007 self-published authors from the Taleist blog:<br />
<ul>
<li>The average self-published author sells 100 to 150 copies per book.</li>
<li>Half of the authors studied earned under $500 in 2011.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The indie publishing world has many sources of advice on
steps you must take to market your book and develop author recognition. These
include: </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<ul>
<li>Start a blog or website and post often.</li>
<li>Develop a Twitter following and tweet often.</li>
<li>Create a Facebook author page and update often.</li>
<li>Submit guest articles to other blogs and e-magazines.</li>
<li>Get your book reviewed.</li>
<li>Get yourself interviewed.</li>
<li>Advertise on Goodreads or Kindle Nation.</li>
</ul>
These may work, assuming you offer professional content. Just as likely, they will have no measurable effect. The trouble is,
when every writer uses the same marketing techniques, the effect is muted. Unless
you jump on a new marketing technique early, you may be wasting your time.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In fact, the
Taleist study found that the authors who
market the least write more and make more money. As counter-intuitive as that
sounds, it bears wisdom.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If you examine the writing careers of million-selling indie
writers like John Locke and Amanda Hocking, they did not hit big on their first
book. They used successive books to build a fan base.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For most of us, we write for the art and not for the money.
Maybe more writing and less marketing is the route to take. And remember, even $500 is better than the $0 you get when rejected by a traditional publisher.<br />
<br />
For other perspectives on this issue, see:<br />
<ul>
<li><a href="http://jakonrath.blogspot.ca/2012/07/zero-sum.html" target="_blank">Joe Konrath's blog</a></li>
</ul>
<br />
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer"><p>-------</p>
<p>My novel Counter Currents is available in paperback or as an e-book.
See <a href="http://www.raidersandrebelspress.com/p/where-to-buy-our-books.html"> my blog page. </a> </p></div>Shaun J. McLaughlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00854114857595821800noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5757049335540013037.post-25642726538420884322012-03-23T21:06:00.001-04:002013-12-31T17:30:14.915-05:00Symbiotic Nature of Indie Books<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Updated December 31, 2013</span><br />
After just a couple of months as an indie author, I groked an unspoken truth that any author needs to know who still wants to sell paperbacks (along with their e-books). Your best friend is the independent bookstore owner, and you may be that owner's edge against the big book chains. Eighteen months later I am even a bigger believer.<br />
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Canada's only large bookstore chain, Chapters-Indigo, does not carry books by indie writers in the chain. (Individual stores can arrange for consignment sales with an author.) Most indie bookstores I cold-called about stocking my two books have said yes. Several offered to host an event.<br />
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The relationship is symbiotic. The author gets a venue for book sales. The bookstore gets something the chains do not have: good books by new authors that people are curious about. <br />
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Since March of 2012, Mill Street Books in small town Almonte, Ontario (pop. 4200), has sold a combined total of 115 copies of my three books. It helped that I promoted the books and book launches locally, mostly through Facebook. But we both did well--that is symbiosis.<br />
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Caveat: You need professional quality books and an understanding of the bookstore industry. Be prepared to do much leg work visiting each store. Stay in your region where you are known. You won't get rich, but you'll get satisfaction.</div>
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<p>My novel Counter Currents is available in paperback or as an e-book.
See <a href="http://www.raidersandrebelspress.com/p/where-to-buy-our-books.html"> my blog page. </a> </p></div>Shaun J. McLaughlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00854114857595821800noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5757049335540013037.post-70455489540883845732012-01-22T21:30:00.002-05:002012-08-02T10:54:26.770-04:00New Publishing Paradigm Unfolds as ForetoldIn January 2012, the flagship in Canada's fleet of traditional publishers became a small cog in a foreign business empire. Random House, a subsidiary of the international publishing conglomerate Bertelsmann AG, bought out the remaining shares of McClelland & Stewart. (The purchase passed federal government scrutiny, proving that Canadian culture gets less protection than Canadian potash.)<br />
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Publishing is a business and the M&S purchase was part of a relentless aggregation of imprints by big media firms. Big media firms love to acquire control because control begats power—or so they think. If you are an independent author or publisher, you should cheer the demise of M&S. The publishing world is unfolding as it should. <br />
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The economic theories of Harold Innis state that, when media power concentrates in the hands of a few, somewhere in the hinterlands new competitors with new technology will appear to challenge the media oligarchy and eventually become the new heavyweight. Since Gutenberg's printing press made scribes obsolete, one new technology after another—printing press, telegraph, radio, television, Internet—has emerged to challenge its media predecessors. <br />
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Small publishers are already appearing who create books electronically or via print-on-demand. While many traditional publishers and agents don't even accept e-mail submissions from authors, the new e-book writers and publishers are building up ever-increasing market share in the book word by embracing e-publishing. <br />
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The best years are ahead.<br />
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For interesting viewpoints on the subject of the changing publishing world, check out:<br />
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<li><a href="http://blog.nathanbransford.com/2012/08/were-moving-from-world-of-gatekeepers.html" target="_blank">Nathan Bransford's blog</a></li>
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<p>My novel Counter Currents is available in paperback or as an e-book.
See <a href="http://www.raidersandrebelspress.com/p/where-to-buy-our-books.html"> my blog page. </a> </p></div>Shaun J. McLaughlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00854114857595821800noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5757049335540013037.post-30019537748933641532011-12-20T12:04:00.005-05:002019-05-13T10:26:46.994-04:00Books on the Raider and Rebel Theme<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Updated December 2019</span><br />
Shaun J. McLaughlin began this blog/website to promote his writing and to engage readers and fans.<br />
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The books described on this blog deal mainly with 19th-century history, either fiction or non-fiction. A major theme is Canada-US border wars and skirmishes, such as the War of 1812 and the 1838 Patriot War.<br />
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Shaun is not limited to history. He has or will offer stories that are science fiction or contemporary fiction.<br />
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<div class="blogger-post-footer"><p>-------</p>
<p>My novel Counter Currents is available in paperback or as an e-book.
See <a href="http://www.raidersandrebelspress.com/p/where-to-buy-our-books.html"> my blog page. </a> </p></div>Shaun J. McLaughlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00854114857595821800noreply@blogger.com0