Why don't I ever get any models painted? Well, this is a big reason right here...
My "Fugitive Fiction Revolution" is nearly complete! For those who haven't been following, this isn't some mad scheme to overthrow the establishment, it's mostly just me and FF making some adjustments and getting everything the way I want it.
I was drawn to the above image to be the face of this post. It's a classic of the French Revolution, certainly, but what else is there about it...? Maybe it's the bare-chested Amazon warrior who's leading the charge over the bodies of their oppressors? Kinda cool.
Anyway, some more revelations to go with my Revolution:
1. Part of the reason for this FF Rev is coming back and getting things right the second time. (And in some cases, maybe there will be a third time, but I hope that won't be necessary.) I don't blame myself entirely for this, it goes with the territory. Just over a year ago I decided to take Fugitive Fiction forward on my own as a self-publishing publisher. It was (and still is, and will continue to be) a learning experience. But some of what I have learned is that I really should to "do things right the first time." Put out the best possible product NOW, not come back and fix it up later. So my intention from 2014 and moving forward is to do just that: invest the time, sweat, blood, and dollars necessary to make a superior product the first time. (I like the think they were relatively superior before too, just not as good as I could make them.)
2. I have to make a deal with myself, as the Revolution closes up, that I will move forward. Most artists would probably agree that you can keep coming back to the same story, painting, sculpture, drawing, song, whatever, over and over again and each time make tiny changes to suit your mood at that time. No work of art is ever quite finished -- or at least, all works of art can go on being incomplete and updated and improved upon by the artist forever. I have this problem. So I need to declare (and hereby do so) that with the resolution of the Revolution I intent to MOVE FORWARD. No more tweaking these same projects over and over. Time to make NEW art, tell NEW stories.
3. That said, I also have to be realistic. I literally have over 20 books in mind right now. But I am also an active duty Naval officer (and the military, as any service member can tell you, is not just a job and is more than a career -- there is no starting and quitting time, there is only what must be done, no matter the hours and requirements). I am also a full-time husband and father, and have several other aspects of my life I'd like to spend some time in. So for me to think (as I kinda did not long ago) that I can churn out two or three books a year is pretty damn ridiculous. Until such a time as my gracious readers can support me full-time, my writing time must be carved out of the rock face that is my life. So I have to be patient and dedicated and I have to be satisfied with a realistic goal: one book per year. That may even be more ambitious than my free time allows, but that's my goal.
4. That also includes time spent trying to market and be out in Cyberspace hobnobbing with virtual people and the like. I feel at this point that I'm enjoying only a marginal gain from the hours spent trying to to be a social butterfly online. If I had more time it would certainly be an important aspect to getting out there and joining the indie author community and hopefully attracting readers and fellow writers to check out my wares. But given my time limitations, spending two hours screwing around online is two hours I'm not writing new material, and that's not helping a damn thing. I vow to improve my computer time discipline and focus on what's important. That also means pruning down the sites that I put cyber-hobnobbery into. Basically, for me, my blog(s), Goodreads, and maybe Facebook seem to be the 20% effort that I might get 80% back out of (Goodreads most of all, though I have yet to truly explore all of its great potential). So there we go: cut the crap, spend time writing, not surfing the web, checking email, or looking for comments/reviews. Yes, marketing is important, but I need more material to market, not more marketing for my current meager lack of material. As successful writers have been saying everywhere, the best way to market your current books is to write more books. So let's get to it.
5. I have struggled to figure out a fair and logical "pricing theory" for my works, and I continue to do so. (See the "Blue Falcon" and "Space Ghost" pricing models.) So after even deeper soul-searching, even greater research, I have come up with a new, "final" pricing theory to go with the FF Rev. As far as catchy labels, I could go with either the "Revolutionary Pricing Model" or the appropriate "Minute Man Pricing Model":
word count
|
price
|
up to ~ 20,000
|
$1.49
|
20K – 80K
|
$2.99
|
80K+
|
$3.99
|
| collections | maybe more... |
6. I'm also seriously considering The Great Consolidation, in which case my two blogs would become one (and I've always liked the sound of "Brink's Chaos Theory" more than "jdbrinkfugitive.com" -- though the eggheads say you should have your name in it if you want people to find it. Well, Brink is, right?) and my two Facebook pages would become one, which is a grand idea because I never liked the idea of getting on Facebook in the first place. In fact, becoming a writer people can find is the ONLY reason I did so, so... Really liking this merger idea, this simplification of my life.
7. ...Okay, there is no seven. I just thought this image was cool (found it while surfing for pretty pictures to use for this post). Kudos to it's creator.
7 1/2. Seven-and-a-half is that I've just received the paperback proofs of the new Tarnish with super-cool, matte-finish cover and they are AWESOME. (This picture, however, is not awesome.)
Did you get this far? GOOD FOR YOU! You should be rewarded, eh? Well then, I'll tip you off to the paperback giveaway happening on Goodreads right now for the new edition of Tarnish with super-groovy new cover art. Check it out and get registered to win.
Finally, if you're still reading this: THANKS! And leave me a comment, share your own thoughts!
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