Signal Boost: Mammon: A SciFi Trilogy About a Different Sort of Apocalypse

Author and friend of the Study Robert Kroese has a new trilogy to offer you.

Here's the pitch:

One man has a plan to save America from the brink of financial doom. But when the plan goes awry, the sky will fall.

Mammon is a planned trilogy of near-future science fiction novels that revolve around an effort to wrangle a priceless asteroid into Earth orbit--and the devastating aftermath of the plan's failure.

The idea for Mammon came from news stories about the Psyche 16 asteroid, like this one claiming that it contains so much precious metal that it could "make everyone on Earth a billionaire." Such claims are ridiculous hyperbole, of course: first, metal that you can't get to isn't worth anything; and second, if you could get to it, such an abundance of precious metals would cause the price to crash. Still, it makes for an interesting mental experiment: what would happen if the supply of gold, platinum, and other metals was multiplied tenfold or more? Who would benefit? Who would suffer? Just how catastrophic would such a shock to our economic system be?

The good news? It's already funded. This project raised $10,000 in five hours. That means it's happening and you're save to pile on at this point. Getting the first book digitally takes a $6 pledge, and the entire series in digital is a mere $20; if you prefer to read electronically, you know that's a great deal, especially as you're not having to deal with DRM. Physical copies start at $25 for a signed paperback of the first book. Hardcovers are available.

Take a look at the rest of the Perks available. Some of the things that other authors break out into separate offers are things he rolls into package deals, like being in the book somehow. The upsell is not empty; you're getting personal attention, which means time from the author, and Kroese wisely values that highly as he knows what he's doing and he keeps busy putting out product.

I'd say this is as safe as crowdfunds get, so I recommend that you give him a chance to sell you on his trilogy.

Signal Boost: "The Cosmic Courtship", by Julian Hawthorne

The folks at Cirsova have decided to do another recovery project. This time they aim to recovery and republic "The Cosmic Courtship", by Julian Hawthorne.

To quote the project:

While most are at least somewhat familiar with Nathaniel Hawthorne as one of the great American authors, less well known is that his son, Julian Hawthorne, was an incredibly prolific writer in his own right. Julian wrote on a wide variety of subjects, ranging from literary analysis of his father's works to poetry to period romances and adventures. Late in his career, Julian even dabbled in the emerging genre of Science Fiction [Hugo Gernsback had only recently coined the awkward term "Scientifiction" when this story was first published.]

The Cosmic Courtship was serialized in Frank A. Munsey's All-Story Weekly across four issues, beginning with the November 24, 1917 issue and running through the December 15, 1917 issue. While this story has been in the public domain for some time, it has never been collected or published elsewhere until now.

Cirsova Publishing has partnered with Michael Tierney and Robert Allen Lupton to preserve this story for posterity and ensure that it is not lost to future generations.

This is a worthy project, so I have pledged to it. It's already well past its goal; it's going to happen, so you're safe in backing this project and now we're only dealing in Stretch Goals- and if the next one --$8K--gets hit then backers get digital as well as physical copies and a copy gets donated to Project Gutenburg to further ensure that this tale remains available to future generations to enjoy and learn from.

There's more; click on the image to go to the project page, read the additional Stretch Goals and pledge your support. Remember that this is aleady a done deal; you're getting a copy if you put your money down, so this is now about making bigger things happen.

The Business: Business of Writing Podcast Talks BookBrush

Quote: "Kathleen Sweeney from Bookbrush shows us how to use the latest features to make animations and book trailers in minutes. Creating professional book marketing materials has never been easier. Capture the eye of a potential reader then help them discover you as the next author they need to read."

This episode is more on the marketing end of the publishing business, and it aimed squarely at Indies like myself and many of my peers. With each development of tools like this, it becomes easier to compete at a level of presentation that normies are long-accostumed to thanks to OldPub's practices, and not only to meet those expectations but to surpass them.

The interface reminds me of those used for Print On Demand merchandise companies like Teespring or Redbubble, so it would not surprise you to see that this has a free account level with paid premium options. The sites' features aim to address an indie author's needs for print, ebook, and audiobook marketing. This includes boxed sets and trailers. This is the game-changer that they claim it is, as it means that--again--the indie author can do more for himself and do so in the manner that gets, keeps, and closes sales with the vast sea of normies that make up your prospective buyers.

It's no surprise that BookBrush is pushing their presence by doing podcast appearances like this; they stand to benefit by getting the word out and showing prospective clients how they solve very real problems that indie authors have. This may not be enough for you, but I bet you know someone for whom this will do the job, and I also bet that you'll find more than a few publishers using this site to streamline their marketing workflow. Even if you opt against using it, it doesn't hurt to be familiar with it.

This episode is about 40 minutes long, so it's doable over a long lunch or a lengthy commute. Good luck out there.

The Business: #20Booksto50K Talking Covers With Jeff Brown

Craig Martel & Michael Anderle of #20Booksto50K interview cover artist Jeff Brown the other day. If you're getting into this business, either as a prospective client or as an artist, this is worth your time.

Jeff is not a cheap artist. He makes it clear with his price signals that he recognizes both the value of his skill and that of his time, but he's also not a wanker that pulls up the ladder behind him because he's using some of that time to pass on what he learned to those coming after him. That's not just a class act. That's how you build and sustain a body of practical knowledge across generations.

Buried within this conversation is a key takeaway for new folks: the cover is about prospective buyers. It's not for the audience; they're invested already. It's not for the writer, editor, or publisher either. It's purely about sales, and sales means appealing to your targeted buyers as best you can. This is its own problem to solve, as author and cover artist David Stewart explained this past week at his YouTube channel, which is why knowing whom the cover is for matters.

You can make that cover that maximizes appeal to prospects and still do whatever, but the former trumps the latter every single time. All that matters is that the prospect sees what he's looking for on your cover at a glance. No hiding shit in small print, no too-busy covers, none of that. Go study successful book covers, movie posters, etc. if you have to look at a thing to learn how to do it; it's how I came up with my Must Haves for Star Knight covers.

Yes, you still have to do your part if you're the writer and not the cover artist in this arrangement, but the cover makes certain that maximum eyeballs get on your work. That's why this is worth your time. Any additional insights? Put them in the Comments.

The Business: "The Business Of Writing" Talks Audiobooks with Audiobook Man Luke Daniels

Today's post is another Business of Writing podcast episode, focusing on audiobooks. Goes about an hour. If you have observations that I missed, drop them in the Comments below.

I agree that audio has a good future going forward, but I don't think that writers should favor audio--or write for audio--over their home medium. It should be treated like any other media adaptation: a secondary, and unstable, source of additional revenue for the work you produce. It's just that, like merchandise, it is now possible for writers to assume full control over a secondary income stream so it makes no sense to leave that money on the table.

The Business: "IP For Indies" with Margarita Coale

"The Business of Writing" posted this podcast episode today talking about IP law as it pertains to indepdenent writers. Folks who've been in the game know the basics by now, but due to the changing marketplace and indies' abilities to make the most of their IP it's worth keeping abreast of what is actually practical to know. For new folks, this sort of stuff is vital lest you get ripped off or undervalue your work.

Signal Boost: "Combat Frame XSeed SS" Now Live On Indiegogo!

The Dragon Award winner Brian Niemeier is back with the next episode: Combat Frame XSeed: SS!

For those needing the transcript:

Space is a graveyard

They came to destroy us ...

... Now they're humanity's only hope

The Guardian Angels race home to confront a traitor. Instead, disaster forces them into a savage battle with an invincible enemy bent on Earth's annihilation.

Can Jehu Red lead his team to victory over a power even greater than their XSeeds? Or will humanity burn on the funeral pyre of history?

If you like Super Dimension Fortress Macross and Mobile Suit Gundam, you’ll love the gripping continuation of #1 best seller Brian Niemeier’s Combat Frame XSeed saga! Back the project now and read the book before anyone else!

Featured perks include:

• A digital copy of Combat Frame XSeed: SS for all backers! Need to catch up? That's OK. All perk tiers also include the new series' 1st book, Combat Frame XSeed: S!
• Be in a Book: Become a canonical XSeed character!
• Build-a-Mech: Make your mark on combat frame evolution with your own mech design! This fan favorite goes fast, so claim yours while availability lasts!

Back it now.

Brian's nailed the Real Robot subgenre, and successfully blended it with Clancy-style technothrillers and truly alien invaders from beyond. The campaign includes not only Perks to get you up to speed with what's going down in XSeed: SS, but you can get a full series catchup in ebook form very cheap. Take a look at the Perk list and you'll see that Brian's very good at getting new folks up to speed and delivers massive value for your money. This will be the 5th book in the series now, so you'll have plenty to read while you wait for the finished product to arrive in your inboxes, be it electronic or hardcopy.

Yes, I am one of Brian's editing clients, so I am biased in his favor, but one you read his work you'll share my enthusiasm for everything he's written. This is a sure bet. Back it today.