Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Werewolf Gunslinger: All Hallows Chapter 1 concept art

Werewolf Gunslinger: All Hallows is the novella follow-up to my werewolf gunslinger short stories available for free on Smashwords.com here. I am producing a pen and ink drawing for each chapter similar to the format of one of my favorite books, A Night in the Lonesome October by Roger Zelazny.

In Chapter 1, one of the protagonists from my novel, Lucifera's Pet, makes an appearance. This was the first rough sketch I did of the scene:




I played around with a few things and decided to add a doorway to show the point of view of the unlucky individual who encounters the vampiress. Here is my final sketch:




When I get around to inking this piece, I'll post that here as well.

Feedback is greatly appreciated!

Thursday, September 16, 2010

Werewolf Gunslinger: All Hallows Chapter 2 concept art

One of  my favorite books of all time is Roger Zelazny's A Night in the Lonesome October. Each chapter is preceded by a quirky drawing by Gahan Wilson foreshadowing action to come.

I have always wanted to follow that concept, so that is exactly what I am doing with my upcoming Werewolf Gunslinger novella/anthology. Here is the art for chapter two. I am planning approximately twenty chapters so there is lots of art to come.

Feedback is greatly appreciated.

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Review - Business Plan: Building Brand Identity as an Independent Author by Jess C. Scott

When a large manufacturer brings a new product to market, you can bet that they have researched customer tendencies and market conditions and have mapped out every leg of the process. Starting out as an independent author is no different; at least it shouldn’t be if the author ever plans to make money from his or her art.

In her well written three-year business plan, Jess C. Scott gives an overview of the growth of independent publishing as well as outlining her reasons for choosing the indie path over traditional publishing. She analyzes her own book catalogue as well as the market segments she targets in her writing. Citing her own real-world examples, Scott outlines a low-cost plan for building awareness of her author brand and connecting with her audience. She also clearly defines her three year sales and financial goals.

Being a self-published author myself, I was very impressed by Ms. Scott’s plan. Her goals are realistic and her methods are easy to understand and utilize by anyone who wants to publish their own work. This book is an excellent example for independent authors of how to get started and succeed in making money with their craft.