I Think I Hit Snooze Too Many Times

Captain's Blog

Stardate: ....... **NOTE: GOOGLE "CALCULATING STARDATE" BEFORE PUBLISHING POST**

Months Since Last Blog: >7

Excuses: Between 0 and 1

Greetings! If you've forgotten about little ol' Josiah Upton, you have every understandable reason to. Things have been pretty quiet on this end, but that doesn't mean I've been sitting on the couch the whole time. Occasionally I'll sit in front of my computer screen, too, and try to finish writing Daughters of Decay, the sequel to last summer's Sons of Sludge.

And speaking of S.O.S., this weekend marks the one year anniversary of its release! *modest, off-key fanfare* If you've put off reading this harrowing teen zombie novel, it's available in both digital and paperback on Amazon. And if you feel inclined to leave a quick review on Amazon, I won't stop you. Swimming in a sea of millions of other e-books, any support given is much appreciated.

Seriously, whenever I log in to my author account and see a new sale or review, I drop my bowl of Reese's Puffs on the keyboard.

Anyway, back to Daughters of Decay. The sequel I was hoping to release right about now, except I'm only a little over halfway done with the first draft. Now I'll be lucky if I put it out in time for my new goal, which is the end of the year. So what's happening that's making it take so long?

Life is what's happening. Nothing crazy - no deaths, no births, no major financial setbacks. Just everyday life. I still work a regular job, I still have three young and wild boys to raise, one of which just barely learning to walk. I live close to extended family, and I'm married to a wife that I actually enjoy spending time with.

By the end of the day, I don't have the time, creativity or energy to climb up the stairs to my "office", sit at the desk, and make up stories about other people's lives. A lot of times I just want to crash in front of the TV and watch other people's made up stories. To be honest, I'm fine with that. It's an exhausting period in life.

But that doesn't mean I've stopped completely. Zaul and Genny still live on in my mind, and their story isn't finished yet. This is what's coming in Daughters of Decay:

Having sacrificed his freedom for Genny's future, Zaul Jarreux faces the dismal remainder of his existence locked up in a federal Hybrid Reanimate Containment Facility. But Genny won't accept this as the final fate of the undead boy she loves. While Zaul interacts with other higher-functioning Hybrids in an exclusive collective known as the Brains Club, Genny looks for a way to get him out of the facility, finding help from an unlikely ally. The clock is ticking, though. Cogs move within the APA machine that will affect the Hybrid population on a national level, and the virus in Genny inches her closer to becoming one of them herself.

Supporting characters Gordon, Gibbs and Dalton return, as well as the psychotic Caesar, who is looking to make Zaul's life in containment more of a hell than it already is. I decided to do something a little different and write it in a dual narrative, alternating between Zaul and Genny's perspectives. I've had to channel my inner angst-filled teen girl for that. I've seen the multiple narrative approach work in other books, so I hope this will go off without a hitch. Release date? A Halloween launch would be awesome, but closer to Christmas is more realistic. Santa Claus better deliver on that.

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off on a vacation to see Awolnation in San Antonio. This is the part where I usually promise to make more frequent posts in the future, but I just couldn't live with myself if I hurt you again. *puts finger on lips* Shhh, Shhh.... Don't speak. It's better this way.

(This post brought to you by Reese's Puffs™)

Sequelus Maximus

Ever heard the phrase, "You can't have just one"?

It implies that the first "one" was so good that another is desired, if not at least warranted.

However, in regards to our entertainment world and the sheer volume of sequels that abound within, that isn't always the case. Often the deciding factor of whether a second (or third, or fourth, or ninth...) installment will go into production relies entirely upon the success of the previous. It doesn't matter how crappy it was, or if no one with any discerning tastes liked it. The question is usually: Did it bring in the big bucks?

This is never more true than in the world of film. I can't tell you how many times I groaned and rolled my eyes when I heard that yet another Transformers: Age of the Moon Revenge was greenlit. It doesn't matter that the critical reception of the franchise has consistently dropped since its inception. People are willing to pay, and Michael Bay and the studio are willing to oblige.

It's not exactly the case when it comes to novels, though. I myself have no publishing deal, and by no means am I an expert on the field, so take what I say with a skeptical grain of "Well-what-do-you-know?" salt. But from what I've read, book sequels are often outlined at the beginning. The publishing company has a certain amount of faith in an author's ability to deliver on a series, a contract is drawn out, and the subsequent books come out on schedule, regardless of the first one's critical or commercial success. However, if your first one was a disappointment, a certain amount of marketing power may be withheld from the sequels (like, all of it).

So, why am I talking about this? What does this have to do with Josiah Upton's diminutive catalogue of literary endeavors? In case you're wondering, I am not producing a Hollywood blockbuster, nor am in contract with a publisher.

It's because I'm writing the second installment in my Sons of Sludge series, tentatively titled DAUGHTERS OF DECAY.

And in regards to a sequel, the above rules don't apply to me. I am just another one of thousands of independent authors - some successful, many more who aren't - that get to make up my own rules. My decision to write a sequel isn't based off what my contract requires (I don't have one), or whether my first one was successful (it really hasn't been). I do it because I want to. I do it because I feel I need to.

I can't have just one.

A few years ago, I was all but certain I would write a sequel to Float. I had preliminary plot points set up, I had an overall direction I wanted the series to go. But then the book went nowhere on Amazon, and I abandoned that idea to take another stab at getting an agent, using a different manuscript, Sons of Sludge. That didn't work either.

Around this time I realized that Float was a starter novel, a valiant effort with good intentions, fueled by a passion for telling (what I still believe to be) a unique story. Any thoughts of writing a sequel for it were scrapped, and the overall concept was to be reborn into a new young adult fantasy manuscript, The Singing Stones.

Yet another attempt at snagging that elusive agent and publishing contract, I went to work crafting my own fantasy world. I filled it with all sorts of characters, both brave and despicable. I drew up a basic outline for the whole series. I wrote about 20,000 words of a first draft.

And then I watched Lord of the Rings again.

By far my favorite work of fantasy, I found too many parallels between that epic story and mine, too many common themes and elements. I almost felt like I was ripping off the master, J.R.R. Tolkien. I had to stop. It wasn't going to work.

All the while, my thoughts and heart kept going back to Zaul. His story felt full and real and solid. It was molded over two years of writes, re-writes, rejection and doubt. And while no book is without flaw - and obviously I'm biased to my own work - it seemed like my best story, the one most worthy to be read. That story isn't finished.

There is no guarantee that completing the series will pay off on Amazon, and it almost certainly won't get me an agent or publishing contract. But there was never a guarantee in the first place. There never will be. And if I must write, I'd rather do it with a story and characters I believe in. Something I believe others can believe in.

And I can't have just one.

Paperbacks and Promos!

It's been a little longer than I originally anticipated (by about 2 months), but I finally got around to putting Sons of Sludge into paperback, utilizing Createspace's print-on-demand format. I got the proof copy last week, and I must say, physically holding your own book in your own hand is a powerful thing. It's something that I wondered whether I would ever experience.

But to be honest, it doesn't quite fulfill the usual author's dream of seeing their work in print. There was no literary agent deal, no publishing contract. No advance on royalties, or promises of marketing, or scheduled interviews with magazine editors. This was a completely independent venture.

In fact, I could have alternated between the words "boner" and "fart" for a few hundred pages and Createspace still would have made it available, as long as they get their money. In other words, anyone that calls themself an author can do what I did. Furthermore, if I had to pick between paperback sales and Kindle sales of S.O.S., I'd pick Kindle, because I get back a MUCH higher royalty per sale, even though its paperback counterpart is more than double the price.

So why did I do it? Channels. I'm trying to open as many channels as I can for people to find my work. E-book, paperback, blog... I'll even come over to your house and read you my book at bedtime (Okay, maybe that's going too far).

And in this world of increasing digitization, where the purchases of independent novels on Amazon are overwhelmingly the Kindle versions, many people still like to flip the paper pages of a book with their own fingers, just like nearly all of us did for the better part of our lives. I know... what a bunch of weirdos, right?

Anyway, the Sons of Sludge paperback is available now at Createspace (LINK), but if you're planning on getting it, I suggest waiting a few days until it's available on Amazon (LINK), that way it can boost my sales ranking, which is muy bueno.

And if you're one of those people that don't mind reading a great zombie book on a screen, this next part is for you:

Just in time for Halloween, the Kindle version of S.O.S. will be available for FREE download, starting Thursday October 30th through Saturday November 1st!

The first time I did a free promo for Float, I experienced a bounty of downloads, and I suspect this time around will be even bigger. Make sure you take advantage of this promo, and tell all your reading friends to as well. If they come up with an excuse, slap them, and tell them that it is a FREE Kindle book. Repeat the slapping, if necessary.

On my next post I'll be filling you in on what I'm currently writing, and how it will most certainly affect your marriage/socio-economic status/very soul. Don't be a stranger.

Sending Out An S.O.S.

Wipe the blood off your phone or iPad, and get your undead fingers ready for screen tapping, because the Summer of Sludge is about to begin. In just a few days (on 06/05/14) Sons of Sludge will be launching on Amazon.

But what does it mean for a book to "launch"? Simply put, it is a release, just like the opening night for a movie or the grand opening of a new store. But the reason I use the term launch instead of release is because it is a more active word. I don't just want to release this story, I want to propel it forward past the millions of books already available. I don't just want to "put it out there", I want it to explode in the faces of potential readers.

With the way Amazon works, every author wants their title to be in the top 20... or even top 100. When you're there, browsing readers who aren't exactly sure what they want to try out can see your book, possibly click on it, and maybe even choose it.

And there's more than just the Top 100 list of every Amazon book available. There's Top lists for sci-fi, romance, political, self-help, horror (that's me!), young adult (me again!), etc. Find yourself in any one of those lists, and your chances of gaining new readers dramatically increases. But being absent from them, however, might ensure your book is never found.

More sales leads to more exposure, which leads to more sales, which leads to... You get the idea.

So how does one land a coveted spot in the Top 100 of anything? It's not so much the total number of sales over the entire time your book is available, but rather a healthy spike within a concentrated amount of time, particularly in a day. Between selling 5 everyday over a month (total 150), or only 100 for the whole month, but all on a single day, you'll want to get that single day pop.

That's what a launch day is all about, and that's where you come in.

If you have zero interest in getting your hands on this book, fine. Not everyone likes the same kind of book, not everyone has enough free time to read, and not everyone likes to read books from a screen. I get that, and I'm not trying to pitch to uninterested readers.

But if you are planning on reading Sons of Sludge, I humbly suggest/recommend/insist/demand (don't make me make you!) downloading it on the launch date, 06/05/14. This increases the chances of putting it in any one of those Top lists, and kicking off the Summer of Sludge with a bang.

If you don't own a Kindle, and you've never downloaded an ebook from the Amazon Kindle store, the steps to getting S.O.S. are as easy as human-brains pie:

1. Get an Amazon account. It's free and only takes a few minutes to set up.

2. Get a Kindle Reading App. There's one for nearly every device imaginable (smartphone, tablet, Mac or PC), and it's also free and only takes a few minutes to set up. Here's a link: CLICK THIS. Then you just sign in using your Amazon account (see Step #1).

3. Get Sons of Sludge. It'll be $3.99, it's a great summer zombie read, and you'll be helping out your favorite indie author (me again!).

I'll see you on 06/05/14!

The Summer of Sludge

The wait is almost over, and then the Sludge will be upon us. After more than two years of writing, re-writing, editing, querying, agent-talking, more re-writing and more querying, SONS OF SLUDGE will finally be available on June 5th, 2014.

It's about damn time.

For too long I've been aching to let people get their hands on this young adult zombie book, because I am so proud of it, and I believe in the story and characters so strongly. I held off in hopes of getting that elusive literary agent, of landing that publishing contract, and at certain times it almost felt like that could happen. Unfortunately that wasn't in the cards for Sons of Sludge, but thanks to the current tools at the fingertips of today's independent author, this story that I love won't suffer a quiet, anonymous end at the bottom of a drawer (or on my hard drive).

And with the current state of publishing and literature, who knows? More and more writers are releasing their work independently, retaining all rights and creative control, and some are even making more money than if they had a traditional publishing contract. Will that be my reality? Hard to say. To be honest, Float came to a rather early dead-end.

To ensure a successful launch for Sons of Sludge, I employed the work of a professional designer for the cover artwork, and I must say I am rather pleased with the results. There's a few websites that I will be sending this book to, looking to see if they can drop a review for me (and when the book launches, you can leave one too *wink wink*).  I also plan to make this book available in print through Amazon, though this might not come to reality on June 5th.

So mark your calendars (for June 5th), and stay tuned for more updates, up until the SONS OF SLUDGE launch date (which is June 5th), and prepare for a Summer of Sludge (starting June 5th). I can't wait to let you read it!

P.S. - JUNE 5TH

Contests and Self-Evaluations

"Good evening, and welcome to Josiah Upton's first blog post in 2014. For more, we go to Josiah."

Thanks, Josiah.

Looking back on 2013, it was both exciting and depressing. Exciting, because of the acceptance of Time Stops in an online journal, and also the slightest taste Sons of Sludge gave me of the world of traditional publishing, from actually being in talks with a real literary agent. It's the farthest I've made it to date.

And depressing, because the aforementioned novel did not actually project me into said world of traditional publishing, and S.O.S. still remains unpublished, unrepresented, and largely unread, except for a select few test readers. Also, I didn't actually write a new novel in 2013. Yes, considerable work was put into rewriting S.O.S.'s ending, resulting in what I believe to be a better, stronger story. But no new projects were started.

So what's on the menu for 2014? I'm glad I asked.

I sent a few updated queries out for S.O.S. back in November, which so far have yielded nothing, so my attention for this novel has turned to the 2014 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award. The contest itself has yet to be announced (stirring up much anxiety on the message boards, since last year's contest was announced the December before), but I have my pitch, excerpt and manuscript ready to go when it does. Wish me luck!

Another thing on my mind is my first novel, Float. I started reading it again, and have made a startling discovery: It's not as good as I remember.

*gasps from the studio audience*

When I started writing, I heard people talk about the "starter novel", the first manuscript from a new author that, in almost all cases, finds zero success. I resolved myself that I wouldn't fall prey to this statistic, that Float was incredible and worthy of best-seller status, and any agent or publisher who passed on it was a fool.

I guess my eyes have changed. Maybe it's from the process of writing and rewriting S.O.S. to appeal to a specific agent, or perhaps having a better sense of what readers want out of a book, having read many more books myself than before I started. But I can now see its flaws more clearly, and realize the difficulty of finding an audience for this type of story. I understand how readers might not feel engaged, if they aren't musicians themselves.

Do I still think it's good? Of course I do, I wrote the damn thing. And I believe the support and enthusiasm that my friends and family offered was genuine. I still believe the premise is rather original (as original as anything can be nowadays). I still love the characters, and the journey that it takes the reader on. And I still think it's better than some terrible books I've had the displeasure of reading, ones that somehow made onto the shelves.

I'm less biased though, now. I can see it for what it is... *sigh* A starter novel.

But that makes me worried. What if the same is true about Sons of Sludge? What if, a few years from now, I feel the same way about that? What if I enter it into the ABNA contest, and it doesn't even make it past the first cut? I can't answer that question right now. I'm too close, too invested in this story at the moment. I guess time will tell.

But what of the future of the Float series? I said before, I still think the premise is unique, but perhaps my execution was at fault. It seems the vast majority of young adult readers are female, and therefore the genre has much more female protagonists than male. This puts Float (and even S.O.S.) at a disadvantage. The first change is to create a female hero, one I hope my maleness won't taint. (Note to self: Don't immediately describe the character's boobs.)

Also, setting Paranormal Music in a modern setting, with electric guitars and rock/metal bands, is exciting (especially for a guitar-playing, rock/metal fan like myself), but that admittedly limits the readership appeal. For a new setting, I turn to my undying love for the fantasy works of J.R.R. Tolkien, and am putting the Paranormal Stones in a different world, wielded by skilled singers. Swords, horses, monsters, evil kings... all that jazz.

So if the hero is now female, and is on a completely different fantasy world, and all other characters have been removed, is it still Float? For the most part, no. The only thing remaining is the Stones, and even their number and properties have been altered. In most ways, it will be a brand-new book, with a brand-new name.

Much of 2014 will be devoted to building this world, its characters, their quests, and the relationships between them. I've already laid out a very basic outline, and have all of the Stones, and many of the characters, identified. How long until the first book is written? I don't know. I'd like to say before the end of the year, but I'm not sure. Especially since I'll be having a new and utterly adorable baby boy arriving in April, in addition to the two wild ones already under my charge. The life of this author will be just that much more hectic.

So I say again, wish me luck...

Time Stops (and The Elation of Submission Success)

NO.

Ever since I started my pursuit as a writer almost three years ago, I've been told "no" almost as much as when I was a little kid, begging for unwarranted toys or candy in a store.

Of course, it never comes across so bluntly as a simple En-Oh. It's usually something along the lines of "Thank you for sharing this with us, but unfortunately we don't believe your story is quite right for us..." Either it's something like that, or in many cases, there's no response at all. But however it's said (or not said), it all still means "No".

Now, I understand agencies and publishers aren't out to dash my dreams. I know they're extremely busy and can't respond to everything personally. I also haven't been in this game very long, and haven't been rejected nearly as much many of my other fellow aspiring authors. But simply put, being told "no", time after time, sucks.

But then someone says "yes"...

A few months ago, while I was waiting to hear back from an agency regarding my revised manuscript for Sons of Sludge (which ended up resulting in another "no") I was at a loss for how I should proceed in the meantime. I've always heard people encouraging writers to never stop writing, but I wasn't quite sure about what to write. My wife suggested that I work on some short stories while I passed the time, and the product of this endeavor was two short tales about teenagers with reject superpowers.

After I finished the first one, Time Stops, I sent it to a handful of literary journals, not expecting much more to come from it, other than the standard rejections I was so used to receiving. And while I did receive some, one particular website sent an email that had never before graced my eyes. They actually said yes. I'd just lost my submission acceptance virginity. And it felt good.

Lunch Ticket, an online literary journal from the MFA community of Antioch University Los Angeles, will be featuring Time Stops in their December issue, which can be viewed HERE. I hope you enjoy it!

And what of my other writing endeavours? While I rejoice in this small victory, my work in the world of literature (or whatever you deem my stories as) is far from over. I've submitted my other short story, The Taxidermist's Daughter, to some journals, hoping to start a winning streak after this isolated incident. I've also sent revised queries for Sons of Sludge to some agents. If nothing comes from that, there's an online novel contest next year that might prove interesting. But whatever the case, this isn't the last you will hear from Josiah Upton, the Amateur Writing Bandit!

And to all my friends and family, thank you for your support. Many of you have expressed enjoyment in my writing in the past, and now having a complete stranger say it's worthy to be read by other complete strangers only affirms your sentiments. I hope to never disappoint you!