I was thrilled to be asked by the team of Sophie Yorkston and Gerard Huntman to provide the cover for Edition 22 of their long-running (and award-winning) SQ Mag speculative fiction ezine. Here's what I came up with:
SQ Mag is published by IFWG Publishing Australia, it's a donationware ezine featuring short stories from Australian and New Zealand writers - I often see familiar names of SpecficNZ members.
Read Edition 22 of SQ Mag online or subscribe today and you can choose the format which suits you best. It's free to join!
New Zealand Books, Authors Interviews, Tips and Tricks for Writers
Interview with Victoria Nelson author of 'Romana'
I've been very fortunate to work with Californian author Victoria Nelson on a few projects, and I was delighted when Victoria asked me to do the artwork (following her design) for the cover of her novel Romana, which I know has been a labour of love for her over the past five years.
Please
tell us a little bit about yourself:
By
profession, I'm a freelance writing and research tutor. I never
thought of myself as a creative writer since I believed my talent was
for research and writing about Literature. I surprised myself,
however, when I began writing my first stage play, L. is forSayers, in 1998 followed by a screenplay, Jack Marlin, PrivateEye: The Case of the Barbary Blackbird, two years later, both of
which I completed and self-published.
The funny thing is that my
family always told me my imagination and temperament would make me a
good novelist, but I never bought it. Then, unexpectedly one day, in
came the muse—it spoke and I wrote. In terms of Literature and
storytelling, however, my research background proved to be
providential since one needs to conduct a fair amount of research in
order to write a credible, satisfying story. It also makes the
difference in being able to show rather than tell.
Looking back, I
can see that I have always been involved in writing of one type or
another, but I did not presume to think of myself as a writer, not
until my family began using the term. For me, writing entails a lot
of responsibility since words have a major influence on shaping
people's worldview and influencing their actions.
You
mentioned that you write about Literature. Can you tell us a little
more about it?
I
am including here the titles of the articles I have published
beginning with the most recent. I believe that when a person is drawn
to the study of Literature, he or she wants to explore a variety of
genres. I suppose this remark leads us to ask what is Literature? The
simplest definition I can think of is writing (novels, plays, poems,
essays etc.) that serves what Socrates has termed "The Good."
I am especially interested in foundational works. In other words, I
want to study the same books that served as the inspiration for my
favourite authors.
For example, C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien were
great fans of Rider Haggard whose work inspired the creation of
Indiana Jones. I too am interested in Haggard and plan to write a
piece on his dealing with subterranean themes.
- "Dark Journey into Light: On the Road with Jack Kerouac." Saint AustinReview. (November/December 2014).
- “Burnett, Grahame, and Barrie: Neopaganist Idealism during a Golden Age.” Saint Austin Review. (March/April 2011).
- “Don Quixote: Madman or Mystic.” Saint Austin Review. (May/June 2010).
- “Teaching Ian Fleming’s James Bond Thrillers from a Catholic Perspective.” Saint Austin Review. (May/June 2008).
- “Walker Percy’s Love in the Ruins: Moving beyond Paradise to the New Jerusalem.” Saint Austin Review. (May/June 2008).
- “Rosemary Sutcliff’s Arthurian Trilogy.” Saint Austin Review. (December 2002).
What
genre, and what is Romana about?
The
story is about a quest and is medieval themed rather than a strict
historical account. One person put it very nicely when she said my
book is more about how things should have been, could have been,
rather than how they were. Yet, I believe we can't just say the
Middle Ages was this and not that. History unfolds on a continuum and
is being made as we speak. One of my favourite passages of fiction
that best describes my own values and motivation for writing is from
Tolkien's Return of the King where Sam sees the light of a
lone star shining down on the smoking ruins of Mordor and
The beauty of it smote his heart, as he looked up out of the forsaken land, and hope returned to him. For like a shaft, clear and cold, the thought pierced him that in the end the Shadow was only a small and passing thing: there was light and high beauty for ever beyond its reach.
I
believe the Middle Ages, in spite of warfare and politics, was like
any other time in history—there is always a good side to people
who, in spite of the times, retain their humanity and seek to defend
and preserve it in others.
What
type of Reader is likely to enjoy this story?
Fortunately,
I have had good success with people from all walks of life enjoying
my story. I think one of the reasons for this is that I strive to
make my writing accessible to everyone no matter their taste in
Literature. My motto for writing is to make people feel good about
themselves and the world they live in—in a word, to give them hope.
I try to communicate this idea in everything I do ranging from
editing students' papers to storytelling.
Surely, people who are
interested in the Middle Ages might relate more easily to the story,
but I have written it with a diverse reading audience in mind. Books
similar to Romana are the ones which have nurtured my own
inspiration and whose authors have served as my mentors. Some of my
favourite examples include C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, Dorothy L.
Sayers, and Ian Fleming.
Where
did the idea for the story come from?
Apart
from an ongoing fascination with everything Medieval, some of the
early chapters were inspired from RP gaming and my interest in
swordsmanship. In the beginning, it was not my intention to write a
book, then one day I realized I had enough material for a full-length
novel. The ideas just kept coming. It was as if I was taking
dictation from my characters. And I discovered that the more rounded
the characters, the more animated and articulate they become.
One of
the most delightful things about creating characters is to hear the
way they speak to one another. One asks a question and the other
answers, and sometimes it happens so fast, I have to laugh and write
fast to keep up with their antics. I also learn from them. When faced
with a difficult task, I sometimes ask myself how would one of my
characters handle such and such a circumstance. Lewis and Tolkien
both shared that they wanted to write the kind of books that they
themselves would enjoy reading. I believe my story has its roots in
this same sentiment.
What was your favourite and least favourite part in researching
for the novel?
My
favourite parts of the research had to do with learning bushcraft and
outdoor living. The Internet provided me with invaluable information
on everything I wanted to know about survival in the wildness. It
also enriched my outlook on life and fostered a more intimate
connection with nature. As part of my research, I reread Sir
Gawain the Green Knight, both Tolkien's and Simon Armitage's
translations, paying close attention to the descriptions of the
landscape and accounts of field dressing. In terms of hunting and
field dressing, it was amazing to learn how little has changed over
the centuries.
I also read Hilaire Belloc's, The Path Rome
which chronicles the author's walk from France to Rome and has
beautiful descriptions of the people and natural landscape
throughout.
I
can't really say that I had a least favourite part of the research
since I enjoyed the entire venture. The book itself was my own
personal quest. But to be fair, there were some parts that were more
challenging than others. The two most difficult challenges involved
creating a variation in food and landscape. I remember once reading
about how Ian Fleming's publisher told him that James Bond could not
always be eating scrambled eggs, toast, and coffee, which was one of
Flemings' favourite meals. This advice led to the books' more
affluent (shaken not stirred) fare later on.
For my story, I
researched medieval cookbooks and films in addition to the literature
of the time after which I added some touches of my own that I
believed were entirely possible, and will continue to use in the
second volume. In terms of varying the landscape, the work of
creating no two sunrises or sunsets the same really took me to task.
Why
did you decide to venture into self-publishing?
One
reason I decided to self-publish was because I had been turned down
multiple times or simply ignored by publishers for other projects.
Looking back however, I am grateful since venturing into
self-publishing has provided me tremendous scope for controlling
every aspect of my work.
What
has been the hardest part with promoting your work?
I
believe one of the hardest parts of promoting my work is keeping
one's mind on the task at hand while waiting for the book to sell.
Equally difficult is the job of encouraging people to buy the book,
read it and recommend it to their friends. When I really feel down
about people not buying my books, I picture Miguel de Cervantes
unjustly sentenced and sitting in jail, penniless, a family to
support, and the author of one of the greatest books of all time.
Aside from your question, let me add that when I first graduated with
my masters in English Literature, I was at a loss for what to do
next. I had been working as a private tutor, primarily for
international students, which I still find very rewarding. Yet, I was
in a kind of circling and hovering pattern trying to stay a step or
two ahead of the bailiff. In desperation, I immersed myself in
Cervantes' novel Don Quixote and had a revelation, a kind of
inner vision; I saw my life as a puzzle floating around my head in a
million pieces and reading Don Quixote brought all the pieces
together in a beautiful whole.
I believe this is what convinced me of
the healing, life-affirming power of Literature and of wanting to
promote my work for that purpose.
What
tips would you give to others considering self-publishing that you
wished you knew when you started?
The
first tip is to make every effort to ensure that one's punctuation
and grammar is correct since revisions can be very costly and
compromise one's credibility. The second tip is to be careful of
having too high an expectation. We all need some type of expectation
and motivation to keep us going. I think that the greatest motivator
for beginning and finishing a writing project is to believe with your
whole heart and soul that what you have to say has some value. But it
saves a lot of heartache not to have too high of an expectation that
a book will sell. Unfortunately, writing is rarely the magic bullet
for paying the bills (as a rule). However, I believe if we write for
the love of the craft, and to help people to feel good about
themselves and the world they live in, we begin to move on the right
track.
Where
can we buy your books?
My
books can be purchased through Amazon.com and CreateSpace Direct, also in Oakland California they're availble at BlackSwan Books 4236 Piedmont Avenue.
And there's also a Facebook page for Romana.
Thanks so much for sharing your writer's journey with us, Victoria, I wish you (and Romana) all the best :)
Interview with author Patrick G Cox
Author, Patrick G Cox, is a veteran of the indie publishing scene and I've had the pleasure of working with him a few times, most recently when custom-designing the cover for Pat Cox's latest book, Harry Heron: Midshipman’s Journey.
Q: What is Harry Heron: Midshipman’s
Journey about?
The basic story is about two boys from
very different social backgrounds growing up, but there’s quite a
bit more to it than that. To start with they’re Irish, and though
Harry’s family have some connections, they aren’t in possession
of wealth and ‘office’. Ferghal, Harry’s companion, is the son
of his father’s Head Groom and a Roman Catholic in a period and a
place when being a ‘Papist’ barred you from a lot of things.
As a ‘younger’ son, Harry knows his
inheritance will be limited, so he faces the choice of Law, Army or
Church for his future. He chooses the Navy, and Ferghal is determined
to follow. Thus their ‘growing up’ takes them to London, where
Harry must first find a patron and sponsor, then to a ship. With the
Peace of Amiens, they transfer to another ship and find themselves
sent to Australia and thence to India and Arabia. Adventure is
lurking for them at every turn until the ship turns for home again
and a resumption of war with France.The story is also an
‘introduction’ to a future world Harry and Ferghal could not have
imagined. In the final chapters the reader is given a hint of that
future when they meet one of Harry’s descendants, now the Captain
of a Starship as he contemplates a replica of the memorial brass
dedicated to the memory of Harry and Ferghal.
Q: What sort/age of readers would
most enjoy it?
I would really like to think there is
something here for readers of all ages, but realistically, I would
guess, since it is the ‘introduction to a longer story arc that
takes us (and Harry and friends) into the far future, that it will
appeal most to Young Adults, those who like ‘historical’ settings
and science fiction - because that is where this story is going after
this book.
Q: The Napoleonic 1800s is a popular
era for historical writers, what is it about this time that draws you
as a writer to it?
Probably because it was an era in which
men achieved massive feats with only their own muscles, ingenuity and
resources to help them. It was an era in which the ‘reach’ of
authority vanished at the horizon, once you were out of sight, you
were own your own.
Reading the journals of Captains and
officers from that time, you get a real sense of the freedom of
action they enjoyed. They didn’t have some politician in constant
contact trying to micro-manage world shaping events on the other side
of the globe. Each Captain was, in effect, a ‘king’, the ruler of
everything and everyone on his ship, and he had to be a diplomat as
well, representing King and country in distant lands.
Communications were slow, it took
almost six months to send a letter to India for example, and almost
the same to Australia. By the time someone in Whitehall or
Westminster heard of some event on the other side of the globe, some
local commander had either dealt with it, or fallen victim to it. I
sometimes think things worked far more effectively than they do now
as a result.
What draws me to it, and I suspect
other writers, is that it is so rich in larger than life characters.
Many of them not from rich and powerful families. A lot, like
‘Captain’ James Cook (his actual rank was Lieutenant), self-made
men in command of small handy ships that kept the trade routes open,
carried orders to and from the grand fleets and in between achieved
some remarkable feats of navigation.
Q: I understand this novel was
released some years ago, but has now gone through a complete rewrite
and edit. What gave you the push to take on such a big task?
It started out as an attempt to get the
original available to readers on Kindle and other e-formats. It was
one of my first attempts at a novel and, as Janet Angelo, my editor
and publisher, of IndieGo Publishing, quickly pointed out, it had a number of ‘structural’
problems. She felt, and I’m sure she was right, that the
combination of the longer science fiction sections with the historic
parts created a number of problems for readers. Those who like
‘historic’ settings and stories would not identify with the
‘scifi’ bits and vice versa. She also pointed out that, though
there was a good story, it lacked any purpose other than to be an
introduction to a future story.
So she persuaded me to write a new
start to the book, going right back to Harry’s childhood. Which
took me back to Ireland in the 1790s and all the unrest and upheaval
of that period that culminated in the two failed French invasions and
the bloody uprising that paved the way for the ‘troubles’ still
plaguing that beautiful country. With that done, it was time to look
hard at the ‘scifi’ element, and in the end I retained only a
fraction of it, right at the end, to link this story to the books
which follow it in the series. The result is, I think, and I hope
readers will agree, a very good story and a good book.
Q: As someone who is a pioneer in
self-publishing, what recent changes have you seen that benefit the
self-publishing/indie author?
Funny should ask this, I was just
reading something about the way the whole publishing industry is
changing. It has certainly changed since I first published this book
- under a different title I must add. Self-publishing isn’t an
‘easy’ option. For one thing you are venturing a substantial
investment in your work, and secondly, selling isn’t just a
question of putting the book online or even, if you’re lucky, into
shops. There are a lot of sharks in the self-publishing ocean as
well, and you do need to make sure you know what you’re buying into
when you sign a deal with someone.
Something else to be aware of is that
‘Print on Demand’ cannot compete with traditional printing in
terms of pricing. Typically a PoD book will be priced at twice that
of a traditionally printed copy. That means your book is unlikely to
compete on the shelves of a book store with a Best Selling author’s
book from a Traditional publishing house. But, this is where
e-formats help. In electronic formats every playing field is level.
A word of caution though - if you want
to sell further books, make sure the formatting, editing and
presentation is first class. There are a lot of badly written, badly
edited and badly formatted ‘books’ available - and they drag
everyone else down.
What has improved, in my view, is there
is now more awareness of the pitfalls among would be authors, and
there are resources and services available to ‘independent’
authors to get their books polished, edited and hopefully ‘sold’
to a publisher. I have benefited from having an editor with a
publishing background on my side. Plot problems, typos, gaps in the
story are all things a good editor flags immediately, and as an
author, I can address them. This is something that is lacking in many
‘packages’ sold to self published authors.
Ironically, as self-published authors
are cleaning up their work, polishing it and making sure it is
‘quality’, many of the traditional publishers seem to be
slipping. Maybe it is because I am now conscious of the problems in
my own books, I find I’m spotting typos, grammar errors, and other
problems in traditionally published work. I’ve even seen glaringly
mislabelled captions, entire pages repeated and passages misadjusted
in books by famous authors. I’m told this is because many
publishers now don’t employ separate ‘proof readers’, but leave
it all to an ‘editor’ who may be engaged in dealing with four or
five books at the same time.
Q: What tips would you give to
others considering self-publishing that you wished you knew when you started?
Get an editor. Listen carefully to what
they say about the problems, and the improvements they suggest.
If
you’re using a historic setting, research it. There’s nothing
more irritating to many readers than inaccuracy when writing about
historic events. Even details of uniforms and ranks are essential,
and even modern ships take weeks, not days, to cover long distances,
and sailing ships a lot longer. Many years ago I was completely put
off the writing of a very good author, by one simply glaring error -
he had a sailing ship cover a distance of some four thousand miles
round the Cape of Good Hope to reach an island in the Atlantic in a
few days.
Write the story, and then edit, edit,
edit. Sometimes you really do need to ‘kill’ some beloved part of
the narrative you’ve created, simply because it is too long, or not
relevant. Then choose your publishing package very carefully. You’ve
invested a huge amount of time and effort into creating the book,
invest some money into getting the best package - and then be
prepared to ‘market’ it. That takes a lot of time and effort, and
sometimes money. There are something like 2 million new titles
published each year, getting noticed takes a lot of effort, and it
doesn’t happen overnight.
Q: Can you tell us in on your next
writing project?
With pleasure. I have three in hand,
two complete - one, also set in the 19th Century and twenty years
after Waterloo is with my publisher at the moment - and two more
being edited and polished. The book currently going through the
pre-publication process is set against the background of the Thames,
and the trading barges that carried the goods and some would say the
wealth, of Britain to and from London and the crowded shipping in the
Port of London. It has crime, corruption, hardship and courage. The
research for it was an eye-opener in many ways. I’m hoping to
follow this with another 19th Century set novel also revolving around
the Thames and the East End of London.
Q: Where can we buy your books?
The books are on sale through any good
bookstore, Amazon, Amazon UK, Barnes and Noble and other online outlets, including of course my publisher IndieGo Publishing
In electronic formats, it is also available from iTunes, Kobo, and Google Books. A full list with the links is available on my website harryheron.com
In electronic formats, it is also available from iTunes, Kobo, and Google Books. A full list with the links is available on my website harryheron.com
Happy reading!
Article on Cover Design
Today I'm sharing some advice on Cover Design Essentials (in my opinion) over on the blog of kiwi writer Darian Smith,
please check it out the article A Book By Its Cover
please check it out the article A Book By Its Cover
"Ice Escape" by B.Hale
I met Dunedin author Beatrice Hale last year at a talk on publishing ebooks, we had a great chat about writing in general, and I was tickled pinked as they say when she trusted me to create the cover for her first venture into writing for children.
I'm thrilled to be able to let everyone know that Beatrice's debut children's book, Ice Escape, has been released released this week via Smashwords.
Here's what Beatrice had to say about working with me,
Please check out Ice Escape on Smashwords , and an interview with Beatrice, HERE.
I'm thrilled to be able to let everyone know that Beatrice's debut children's book, Ice Escape, has been released released this week via Smashwords.
Here's what Beatrice had to say about working with me,
"Kura Carpenter has an uncanny ability to read an author's mind, and design a cover which best depicts the story and bring out ideas behind the story. I enjoyed working with Kura enormously, every conversation produced a good result, and the finished product is superb. Eyecatching, riveting, and evocative! Thanks Kura. Let's get on with the next one, please. " - B.Hale, author of Ice EscapeOne of the things that I'm sure kids (and their parents) will like about Ice Escape is it's actually based on a real life story. I think it would be perfect as part of a school project: read the novel and then research the real events. Sounds like an A+ waiting to happen.
Please check out Ice Escape on Smashwords , and an interview with Beatrice, HERE.
Interview with Dunedin Author RL Stedman
I custom designed the ebook cover for RL Stedman's re-releasing of her award-winning novel "A Necklace of Souls" late last year, and today I'm pleased to take time and chat with her about writing.
Kura: What
genre, and what is A
Necklace of Souls
about?
RL: A
Necklace of Souls,
a fantasy, is set in a parallel world. It's about a Princess, called
Dana, her friend Will, and the necklace that protects their country.
Without the necklace, their land would be overrun by an evil
Emperor; the necklace is their protection and its wearer the
Guardian. But Guardian's do not live long; eventually, the necklace
takes its wearer's heart. In A
Necklace of Souls,
Dana is to be the next Guardian.
What
sort/age of readers would most enjoy it?
Ages
13+ . It seems to be enjoyed by two groups - fantasy buffs of any
age, and teens aged 13+. If you enjoy fairy-tale retellings,
dystopia, or epic fantasy, you'll probably enjoy Necklace.
Where
did the idea for the story come from?
A
dream. A cliche, I know, but true. I had an image of a girl fighting
in a forest. I wanted to know more about her, so I wrote her story.
In a sense, the whole book leads up to that one scene.
Which
character do you most identify with and why?
Probably
Will, the other protagonist in Necklace,
is my favourite. He's had to overcome hardship, he's resilient, he's
a survivor. He also has a very interesting view of the world. I
enjoyed writing from Will's point of view more than Dana's.
What
was your favourite and least favourite part in researching for the
novel?
Favourite
was researching sword fighting and martial arts. I loved watching all
these amazing videos on you tube. You can access some of these videos
from my pinterest board.
My
least favourite is still the proof reading. I hate proofing.
A
Necklace of Souls
was initially published after winning a novel writing competition -
the Tessa Duder Award for YA fiction - what
tips/advice would you offer other writers entering the same or
similar comps?
Competitions
are good if a) they come with a review or a critique or b) they
aren't too expensive! They also provide a good discipline - nothing
like a deadline to get you writing :)
Tell
us about the award A
Necklace of Souls
won.
The
Tessa Duder Award for YA fiction is sponsored by Storylines. It
carries a cash prize and offer of publication by a major publisher -
in my case, HarperCollins NZ.
You
have to be unpublished, resident in NZ (the criteria is on the
website) and the work has to be a full-length novel suitable for a YA
audience. Storylines sponsor a number of awards each year. I won in
2012 and was also shortlisted for the Tom Fitzgibbon Award (for
middle grade fiction, ages 9 - 13) in the same year. Winning the
Tessa Duder Award gave me a foothold into publishing and an
understanding of how the process works that I would have never had
otherwise. I am a huge supporter of Storylines; they are an amazing
institution.
After
success in mainstream publishing, why did you decide to venture into
self-publishing?
I'm
interested in self-publishing because I like knowing I'm writing
directly for my reader.
Self-pubing allows me to present work that I think is innovative and different
without having to jump the very very time consuming hurdles of slush
piles and acquistions meetings. (these can take a year. I'm not
kidding. Twelve months for a rejection is not at all uncommon).
Personally, I think self-publishing will end up dominating the
mid-list; the statistics certainly suggest that market share of
self-pubbers is increasing.
It's
slow to be accepted in New Zealand but it's becoming more accepted
overseas.
What
has been the hardest part with promoting your work?
Time.
And money!
What
tips would you give to others considering self-publishing that you
wished you knew when you started?
Don't
expect to get rich overnight. If you get any sales at all, you're
doing well. it's a very crowded market. Unless you're lucky or
famous, I think best to aim for breaking even at about 5 years.
Quality
is absolutely paramount. Reviewers are much much harder on
self-published work than on work coming through a trad house. You
have to prove yourself with self-published; trad work already has a
brand supporting it. So you must write the best work you possibly
can.
Formatting,
proofing, printing, distribution are a steep learning curve. And you
need to be comfortable on a computer.
I
have more tips set out on my blog, which you can access through my
website: RLStedman.com
I've
published two works - A
Necklace of Souls
and Inner
Fire.
Later this year (2015) I hope to bring out A
Skilful Warrior,
the sequel to Necklace. It's darker than Necklace, because in it my
characters, Will and Dana, have left their country and have to cope
in the wider world.
If
time allows, I'd also like to bring out Ghost
School.
Shortlisted for the Tom Fitzgibbon Award in 2012, Ghost
School
is a crazy middle grade adventure about friendship, ghosts and
technology. I'm looking foward to that one!! I'm also working on
another YA, called Chasing
Harsh Light,
but that won't be ready for absolutely ages.
Where
can we buy your books?
Inner
Fire is
available on order at bookstores in New Zealand and available through
Amazon.
A
Necklace of Souls can
be spotted in the HarperCollins version at Paperplus and can be
purchased on Amazon
I
will be bringing out a print version of Necklace
in a few months, which will also be able to be purchased through
Amazon and Book Depository, so watch this space.
Thanks for
taking the time to answer my questions, it’s been a pleasure
chatting today.
And
for everyone out there you stay up-to-date by following
RL
Stedman
on Twitter
at
@rlstedman and on Facebook
A Necklace of Souls - RL Stedman
Happy New Year! I'm very pleased to be able to share the new book cover I custom-designed for A Necklace of Souls by local Dunedin author RL Stedman (whom I hope to interview during February.)
The cover design project of A Necklace of Souls was completed late last year, and the novel is available now in ebook format HERE.
More details about RL's award-winning writing can be found through her website and see the great reviews of ANoS on the Goodreads page, so go become a fan, because I know I am :)
The cover design project of A Necklace of Souls was completed late last year, and the novel is available now in ebook format HERE.
More details about RL's award-winning writing can be found through her website and see the great reviews of ANoS on the Goodreads page, so go become a fan, because I know I am :)
"Kura did a great job of designing the book cover for A Necklace of Souls, even giving me coffee to keep me sane and being patient with my indecision. Kura understands what designs will sell; in less than 30 days, e-sales have been steadily positive." - RL Stedman, author of A Necklace of Souls
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