I am under no illusions about the nature of the climb ahead of me to get Persistent Spirit and the rest of the Table Rappers series published and out on bookshelves. (Why I have swung a u-turn back from online publishing to traditional publishing is for another post.) ---- All rights reserved. nd.com Read on...

The chances of me landing an agent without already having some kind of publishing deal, or at least an offer, is very slim. But not impossible. A superb post on advice in finding a literary agent can be found on Neil Gaiman’s site.

It has to be the right one

Last weekend I waded through a database of Literary Agents and was surprised how straightforward it was to filter out those clearly not suitable for my submission. It took about 3 hours of research to pin down three possible candidates, carefully assessing the requirements and tone of their websites, and, of course, their current author list.

The principle criteria for me is to find an agent that understands a long running series of connected novels and associated online and offline elements. One that will respect my career experience and how that can be applied to promotion ongoing is also important.

This begs the question: If I get an offer from a agent who I feel does not properly fit those criteria, will I turn down the offer?

I hope the answer will be: yes, I will walk away for a more appropriate deal. But unless I am actually in that position, I don’t think I can make that decision ahead of time. There is too much to weigh-up.

Waiting for rejection

Sending the three submissions in the post this afternoon was an interesting experience. There is no nervousness, no fears, no nail-chewing whilst listening for the rejection letter response to pop through the letterbox in six to eight weeks.

Thankfully, the notion of rejection is something I came to terms with very early on, when I began venturing into writing. Fear of professional rejection is irrational and as a guaranteed stepping stone on the usually long, winding path to be published, is something no-one can side-step.

I do not lack confidence in my work. I know there is an audience for it, and I’ll just keep hammering at doors until I find someone who understands where that audience is.

What’s next?

Agents, like publishers, quote around six to eight weeks for a response. I’ll not confuse the issue by submitting to more agents in that time, but may make some direct to publisher submissions if I feel it is necessary.

Work on the final chapters of Persistent Spirit continues, and work on the second book, A Shot in Time, is accelerating in the background with story structure and planning starting to kick-in when there’s the time.

This one will be an exciting project for me coming to a new novel after my experience with the first – there will be less mystery, and less trying to work out just how to make it happen. This is a good thing because the story is promising to be more complex being split into two distinctly different locations (I’m not giving anything else away on that, it’s a surprise!).

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In addition to completing the final chapters of Persistent Spirit, I am in the process of the third draft of the first ten chapters. These will be off to some enthusiastic friends for proofing. ---- All rights reserved. nd.com Read on...

The opportunity to submit to a publisher has motivated me to start the third draft before the second is properly complete. Opportunity is never a bad thing, but timing could be better.

It is good to re-visit these early chapters after anything up to a year since I last read them. It has been a satisfying experience re-reading work and genuinely liking what I have written. The text is fairly straightforward, and I think the characters are colourful. But what will other people think?

Questions, questions

I have a number of questions I am hoping my initial proof readers will be able to answer

Too much or too little information?

Getting the balance just right between how much information to reveal at a particular point in the story, against how much to leave out, is a constant struggle. The author, of course, knows all about everything, making it virtually impossible for him to spot gaps in a reader’s understanding of what is going on.

Most importantly, I need to understand what questions a reader might have at the end of each chapter. Controlling that flow of information and maintaining high anticipation, whilst feeding just enough to allow the reader room to take guesses as to future developments (deliberately misleading them up the wrong alley, of course!), is vital in maintaining page-turning momentum. 

Is the dialogue believable without being tedious?

I have stopped reading books where the dialogue has such high realism that exchanges between characters are tedious and mundane. I have also stopped reading books with such condensed dialogue that it is difficult to grasp true character, motivation and relationships. 

Is there enough description of the settings?

Again, a tricky balance between too little information about an environment, leading to incomplete imagery, against too much that threatens the intended pace of the storytelling.

Does the text flow?

I have consciously written in a late Victorian / Edwardian language style, with a little more colour than modern texts, and indulging in long, run-on sentences. 

When creating the audio book version of this novel, I was able to intone my own rhythm to the words. my concern is whether I have been able to apply a similar rhythm to the written version.

I should be afraid, right?

In the back of my mind a voice keeps repeating that I should be afraid of the moment of letting my work out there for other eyes to see. But I am not at al concerned, in fact I am struggling to hold back.

This may come down to having already released the work into the world as an audiobook. Having received very positive feedback over the past year, reminders when episodes are released late, and the audio downloads (several thousand each month and growing). 

That is certainly a significant element in building confidence, but there is something deeper, stronger and more personal wrapped in this project. I have been with these characters and this story, in its various guises, for so many years now. I have no doubt it is something that could find enough of  an audience to make a successful series of books. 

Does that sound arrogant at this stage? I hope not. Confident, yes, but I am under no illusions as to the tree root riddled path before me. But I remain confident that I have a good chance to get this work published. Far, far worse has found its way into print.

For now, it is time to get some real world feedback and make TableRappers into something people will buy, read, enjoy, and thirst for more.

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Book one is in the early stages of its third draft. Well, to be more accurate, it’s second novel draft as the physical second draft was written with the serialised audiobook in mind. Confused? No matter, so long as I can keep track! ---- All rights reserved. nd.com Read on...

In October last year I announced the title of Book 6. The announcement defined it as Book 5, but since that time I have restructured the sequence of books following the current unfinished Persistent Spirit.

Here is the list of books as it stands today:

1. Persistent Spirit
2. A Shot in Time
3. The Casebook Files: Volume 1
4. The House of Mrs. Benson
5. The Diabolical Seven
6. The Casebook Files: Volume 2
7. They Wear Black

There you have it, book 7, entitled “They Wear Black”. I’m giving nothing away of it’s content at this time as to have any relevance a number of events planned throughout several of the other books must first be permitted time to play-out.

As I have described in the past, titling a novel – or any project for that matter – solidifies it in my mind and enables me to attach and organize ideas around it. The title brands the concept, and offers me the bare-bones upon which to gradually nurture the flesh.

What is notable about this plan is the appearance of a “casebook” volume every third book. These casebooks will each contain a number of short stories, some set before the events of Persistent Spirit, some intertwined between all the above books, and a few set well after this period.

They provide an opportunity to explore additional scenarios, different times and societies, and help to complete some of the unanswered questions regarding Keynes’ past which are deliberately omitted from Persistent Spirit in particular.

Persistent Spirit re-write

Persitent Spirit is currently undergoing a re-write of the initial ten chapters – while simultaneously completing the final few chapters. These will form a submission to a publisher who is experienced with publishing series works in addition to individual novels.

I have no hopes, fears, or expectations regarding the submission, but there is always a lingering optimism that someone will enjnoy the work enough to want to work with me in bringing TableRappers into print.

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When a new user signs up at TableRappers.com, one of the questions in the online form asks where or how they discovered the audiobook. Aside from those I know personally, almost all the remaining have discovered it through hearing about it on another audiobook or show, and hearing one of the audio promos. I can also direct relate the frequency of promos being played elsewhere with increases of media requests for the audiobook.

I remember a discussion with a podcaster a year or two ago (in the podcasting dark-ages) related to him receiving absolutely no spike in downloads after having his show mentioned and promo played on Adam Curry’s Daily Source Code. Similar stories were abundant at the time and the idea of reaching new ears through other shows dulled somewhat in my mind. That has changed, and here’s why I think the audio promos worked…

Drama!

The TableRappers promos are dramatic. That’s fairly easy to create with an audiobook thriller immersed in the paranormal with a good sprinkling of conspiracies and intrigue, but I believe the promo must be much more emotive than a simple “this is what my show is about, please come listen”. Demand the listener’s attention and insist they are missing something if they do not at least take a bite and taste your show. Listening to online audio shows is a passive activity, so you must get the listener motivated.

Be strategic

Spread the word across many other shows at around the same time. A listener who hears your promo just once within their favourite show will likely not act on it. Have them hear the same promo again (and again) in different shows at around the same time, and you have a greater chance of capturing their curiosity. All you can do is encourage them to take the bait, after that it is down to other factors as to whether they subscribe or listen beyond the initial taste.

Get the show’s host to mention yours

Build a rapport with the show host who wants to play your promo so that in addition to the promo itself, the host provides a brief endorsement. This may only be an intro, or could be a full-blown review of your show. However much they do, their personal mention draws their audience’s attention to your product much more effectively.

Don’t let them down

Keep your promo relevant to the theme and style of your show. The promo generates interest, but if the new listener’s expectations are dashed by inconsistent styles of promo and actual show, it is going to be very difficult to retain them beyond the first few seconds. If your show diesn’t have “drama”, you may feel this conflicts with the first point. In which case, boil your message down to what is truly compelling about your show – there must be something!

Make your show intro count

New listeners will make a decision on your show within the first few seconds – make them good! You’ve god the to take a bite, now hook them in good and proper. This is one of the primary reasons I decided to get into the story are quickly as possible with the Tablerappers audiobook and not have me waffling on before the story begins each episode.

Go get ‘em

Audiences are growing but unless you are taking positive action to reach them, they might as well be living on another planet. Audience growth is hard work and sometimes does not feel as though it is worthwhile the effort. But even from early on in this space, audience growth was a matter of getting in people’s faces, and the archaic notion of “if I build it they will come” (something, sadly, too many established and new show producers still believe!) is well and truly dead and buried.

Play one of my TableRappers audio promos on your show and I’ll play yours on a future episode of both TableRappers, and Minor Technicality.

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TableRappers is set in the Edwardian period, starting in 1903. Even during early development I found adding a little Edwardian flourish to the text helped the general ambiance of the story. My confidence in this grew after reading G.W. Dahlquist’s The Glass Books of the Dream Eaters – a novel set in a pseudo-Victorian age, with a narrative very much styled in the colourful language of the time. When reading that book, I realised writing style and setting can be made to enhance one another.

After over 80,000 words of my first novel now complete, this colourful, style has become almost second nature and has made the process of writing the story much easier. Long, run-on sentences, indulgent metaphors, and often less than concise descriptions help to solidify the setting, while sending the more modern, tightened rules of concise writing off on a long deserved holiday in the sun. It is a fun way to write and offers a playground with few boundaries.

Here comes the ‘but’… I am far too accustomed to it.

I have other books I want to write that are most certainly not set in the same period. The available time aside, the one psychological obstacle I have in preventing me making a solid start on one of those projects is the difficulty in switching to a more modern and concise writing style. I’ve tried it, and it’s downright painful.

Here’s hoping I can un-learn the Edwardian flourish so I’ll not have to set everything in 1903!

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The Large Hadron Collider – is it about to send us all into another dimension? Two weeks tasking the joys of small town American life, the trouble with guns, the trouble with parking charges, and the trouble with not getting around to talk about Delia Smith.

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Promos from TableRappers and The Chillcast
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