Just thinking.

Just digging through some old files and I came across another book that I'd started after I'd finished Marysvale. When B'lue, and a few others found out that I'd stopped writing Alyth in favor of something else, I had a mini riot on my hands. In my defense, I didn't think anything would happen with Marysvale. I didn't even know if Marysvale was good. I believed it was, but I didn't know for sure. I mean, everyone thinks their kids, and books, are the cutest. Anyway, It got me thinking, which I know can be dangerous, but I'm not ready to give up on it just yet. I enjoy it, especially without distractions, and especially in Moab in the winter. I know what your thinking. "Does everything break down to Moab?" Why yes, yes it does. Although, I'd accept a few other southern Utah destinations in place of Moab, but I digress. So, what was I thinking about? Well, I'm not sure what to make of this whole writing experience. It definitely is a stretch outside my comfort zone, which is good. I suppose it's like anything when you're trying something new, it has its ups and downs. I don't know where this writing thing will take me. I've committed to finishing up the Marysvale series, but after that I'm not sure what I'll do. There are days where I long for the simplicity of the way things use to be, meaning I actually have free time, but I also love creating, getting positive feedback, and meeting people who enjoy the story. I think I'll continue writing, at least for fun, perhaps I'll share them when I'm done. I have three more stories building in my head and I have to keep shoving them out of the way so I can finish Alyth. Quite frankly, I'm okay with whatever God has in mind for me...or at least that's the way I feel today.

Just Writing

I'm home writing Alyth and looking out the window upon a very dismal day. I miss Moab. It's usually sunny and dismal free, even if it is cold. The camera at Red Cliffs Lodge is showing gorgeous red rock just begging to be hiked or ridden all over, and they sky is sooo blue. The sun is just setting, bringing to life that deep red color. I love it. Okay, this isn't what I really wanted to talk about. So, back on topic. I'm well over half way done, in fact I only have about a third left of Alyth to finish. What I find interesting, is that I've written two thirds of the story, but I'm at a point where I though it would only take a few chapters to get to. I'm on Chapter 19 if you counting...assuming the chapters stay intact at their current breaks. So does that mean that I'm not really two thirds done? Is it going to be longer than Marysvale? I was thinking it was going to be a few thousand words shorter, but now I'm not sure. And last time I added in all the change requests to the Marysvale manuscript, I added nearly 10,000 words! In case you're wondering, the average length of a novel is roughly between 80,000-120,000 words. This is generally speaking. It varies depending on who you are and what category you write in. Marysvale clocked in at 101K words after editing.

How many books?

So, how many books are going to be in the Marysvale series? Well, I don’t know exactly. When the concept of Marysvale came to me, I always thought that I would just write the story. If it took one book, then that would be it, if it took four, then it would be four books. I’ve always had it in my mind that I wouldn’t try to drag things out in the interest of just creating another book to sell. I also wanted to make sure that things clip along and that the books don’t get muddled down in boring things that don’t advance the plot. At least that’s my goal and I think I kept true to those goals in Marysvale. I was concerned about the parts when John was in the forest both on his way to Sarah’s, and to Marysvale. I didn’t want it to feel like the never ending journey. So far, Marysvale feels like it’s going to take three books to tell the story. Why yes, I do know how it ends, and the major plot points in between. And no, I won’t tell you.

Marysvale is available!!!

Yep, that's right, my first book is available for purchase. You can get by clicking here. It's also available for the Ipad, Kindle, and just about any ebook reader. The ebook for Barnes and Noble might not be available yet, they are slow. Ditto for getting the print book through them. As for walking into a book store, I doubt that anyone has it yet. However, my distributor partners with Ingram, so just about any book store should be able to get it for you. Between now and January, it should become available locally through Deseret Book, Smiths, and Costco. In January I will be doing book signings at some of these locations. However, I'd love to come do a signing and talk to your book club, if you would like me to. I even got a hair cut! And I promise to shower. I might even bust out the cologne that B'lue bought me. Oddly enough it's called Blue.

I have a huge favor to ask of you all. When you buy Marysvale, and if you like it (which you will), please recommend it to your friends though a facebook, or blog post. And if you purchase it from a website that allows reviews, please take the time to write one. I can't tell you how much I appreciate it. The only way Marysvale will grow is by you through word of mouth...And someday I hope to be able to purchase a Cafe Rio pork salad from the proceeds...Or perhaps my very own private island, or an under water marine base, I can't decide between the three.

The flavor of Marysvale.

In light of the interest Marysvale is generating, and its eminent release, I thought I'd tell you a little more about it. What's its flavor is, genre, etc... Marysvale is a paranormal novel. I didn't know what that category is either. Paranormal novels usually fall under fantasy. Did I loose your interest? Some people don't like fantasy. But stick with me, it's not what you think. Paranormal stories happen in our world, everything is as we know it to be. We don't have six moons, elves, dwarfs, or the kingdom of Gondor. Gravity still tugs on my gut. Cheesecake still aids the gravitational pull on my gut, and so on. However, there is something supernatural about these stories. Say, like vampires. Vampire novels are paranormal. Marysvale is paranormal because it has a monster problem...Soulless beasts that the protagonist thinks only exists in nightmares.

Marysvale takes place in a setting similar to the puritan/early colonial days era. I didn't nail down a time frame, because it's not historical fiction. I didn't intend for it to be. The language my characters use is not authentic; their mannerisms are also not authentic, but they aren't too modern either. If they were authentic, Marysvale wouldn't be an easy read, and it is. It's a fast paced story that clips along with lots of action. It contains the building of friendships, a budding romance, and a bit of mystery. The female characters are every bit a part of the solution, and were not written to be damsels in distress. The story is also clean, although there are some intense parts. I try to convey the horror, without the gore. Marysvale is a perfect story for your Halloween fix.

Marysvale Cover

Here is my book cover. I came up with the idea, and everyone liked it. So, the graphic artist put it together. The original flower proof was made of metal and iron, but it didn't have the desired effect. Some other concepts were batted around. When we saw this rendition, everyone said, "That's it." I think this one is much more...Striking? Intriguing? Creepy? I can't think of how to describe it, but it captures the essence of the story.

News

It's getting close! Just a few more weeks until Marysvale is available. I have, what I consider good news, although some may consider it a bit of a delay. My book will be ready to purchase the beginning of October. However, I'm not sure in what book stores you'll be able to physically go in and pick up a copy, at least not until January. Here's the deal. I carry as much weight in the publishing industry as a gnat, maybe less. Our advertising budget isn't much better. So, I'm told that all the 900 pound gorillas are all competing for your glorious holiday dollars and using what weight they can throw to get it. This tends to make if difficult for an unknown, such as myself. I know, it's a shock for you all to find out that I'm an unknown, and at the risk of bursting your image of me, I have to confess it's true. It's hard for an unknown to get shelf space, ad space, etc.. In January, they've all blown their ad money, and book stores are looking for fresh stuff. I've been told that quite a few new authors have had success at that time.

Our plan is for a rolling start. Ingram is one of my distributors, so you should be able to walk into just about any book store and ask them to get it for you in October. But then, if your going to do that, why not just order it through Amazon? Of course, you could support your local book store, which is the method I prefer. But it may be a pain to wait for them to get it in, so I'll understand if Amazon is your thing. In January it will be more widely available.

So, how is this good news you ask? Well my loyal followers, it's because I was sooo stressed out over October. They want me to do at least 3 signings a week, or as many as I can do without ending up in the corner and wrapped up in a blanket chanting "All work and no play makes Jared a dull boy." It's not that the book signings are worrying me, its the book signings, on top of work, and on top of getting book 2 finished, on top of all the other life stuff, that worries me. Putting those signings off until January means I'll have three months to finish Alyth. Thereby, removing one thing from my plate so I can enjoy the fun of meeting you all.

Silent as the Grave

This blog has been intentionally silent. I've been more busy than ever. I leave work, come home and work on book stuff until I go to bed. It's tiring, but fun. Give me a few weeks, and I promise the blog posts will increase with more interesting stuff. I'm excited to share more of my journey with you.

Hello, are you still with me?

So, I've been neglecting my blog, but it's not on purpose...Okay, it is, but for good reason. I've been very busy, and something may be afoot in Marysvale. By the way, there really is a place called Marysvale and yes, I've been there. It's a dinky, dusty, little town with two motels, two restaurants, and a few gift shops. It's really just a staging point for ATV's to go exploring. Someone once told me that the mountains above Marysvale are beautiful. I would have argued otherwise, that is, until last week. I finally took the drive from Beaver UT over the mountains to Marysvale, and I must say...Awesome! No, I really mean it. It's my new favorite place. The mountains up there, once you get past the dry desert, are gorgeous. They look like the mountains of Colorado. Pines, aspens, elk, lot's of lakes, open fields and meadows full of boulders. I highly recommend taking that drive. I should warn you, once you go past the ski resort, yes there is a ski resort above Beaver, who knew? Anyway, once you go past it, the roads turn to dirt. It's well maintained and passable in the summer by just about any normal vehicle. The last few miles has wash boards. So, it's probably best to leave the Maserati at home.

Oh, I'm way off topic again. So, something may be afoot in Marysvale, and once that something is final, as in official, too late to back out, and after I've had that "Oh crap! What have I gotten myself into?" moment, I'll let you know what it is. The one thing I've learned in business, is, that until something is done, it's never to late to fall apart. Besides, at this point it may just be wishful thinking, and in the book world it takes forever for anything to happen. I think world peace may be achieved before some agents make up their mind.

A consumer's advice to the publishing industry.

I’ve been thinking about the much bemoaning going on regarding the state of the publishing business. In fact, there is so much gloom on some agent’s blogs that I don’t bother following them anymore. I don’t know all the ins and outs of their complaints, but in a nutshell, there is concern over the future of the business. There’s concern about what eBooks and free books will do. They want everyone to buy hardcopy books and that’s it. And they want to keep charging the same prices as always, featuring the same authors as always. Or, if they do sell eBooks, they want to charge the same price as hardcopies.

The market is changing, and some want to hang onto the way things are. The story of Blockbuster illustrates the downfall to this stick-in-the-mud business model. Blockbuster comes in and drives almost all the small video shops out of business. They were the king, the 900 lb. gorilla. Now they’re just a chimp. What happened? For one, they didn't embrace the changing market. They fought hard to hang onto the existing business models. They squeezed every penny possible out of the customer. Along comes Netflix, and what did Blockbuster do? They laughed, ridiculed, and continued on with the business of charging way too much for a movie, and hitting us with late fees. Netflix, on the other hand, grew until Blockbuster grew scared. They tried some lame, half-hearted attempt to compete, but were finally forced, kicking and screaming, to adopt the Netflix model... a little too late. Now all the gadgets are steaming ahead with Netflix streaming, not Blockbuster movie rentals. This story plays out over and over again-- such as your local mega phone company losing customers to cell phones, Skype, Google voice, Ooma, Magic Jack, etc. And what do the phone companies do? Business as usual. You can see my Ooma post for more about the phone companies. Big video and big phone had the market. They could have developed these innovative solutions themselves and retained market share; but instead, they hung onto the norm.

From my perspective, there are many interesting similarities between the movie business and the publishing business. Corner bookstores gave way to large chains, large chains are now challenged by online retailers, online retailers are seeing the beginning challenges in free books from Google and the likes. Small publishers gave way to large ones; large ones, although still kings, are seeing the seeds of another challenger: self publishing and, again, Google.

For the record, I, for one, welcome our Google overlords and the great, free products they’ve addicted me to. Off the record, I get a bit nervous about Google: their lack of privacy, how much information they have access to, and control of the information we see.

Back on topic... So what does all this change mean? Well, it means I’m excited. I see opportunity in change, even if that change is scary. I think there are golden opportunities for forward thinkers in the industry. I don’t know how all this will shake out and who will win; but as a consumer, I have some ideas about what I’d like to see. People want more for less, or if they pay full retail, then they want something more thrown in. Maybe do like some movie studios are doing with the DVD, where you can just purchase the basic, cheap DVD or, for a little more, you can get the DVD, Blue ray, and a digital copy for your mobile movie player. For books, why not do the same? Use basic eBooks for low cost, or even give away free eBooks with supported advertising embedded. With the full priced book, you could give the interactive eBook with interviews from the writers. How about links in the text, where you click and it takes you to what the author was thinking when he wrote that section, or what inspired him to write that. Perhaps even photographs, or links to Google street view, where the reader can see the locations written about. For a few bucks more, give them the audio book too. Yes, I know these things cost money to produce, but figure out a way to develop them cheaply. Quit paying for high priced actors for the audio book, and get some talented college theater students to read the book. Some of them would probably do the whole project, including production, for a few thousand dollars and name recognition. And for heaven sake, quit getting one reader for all the parts! Men do not read in convincing women’s voices and vice versa. At the very least, it should be a man to read the male parts, and a woman to read the female parts.

Here’s another idea. Self publishing is growing whether you like it or not. It’s too easy for anyone to do in this technological age; and you’re leaving money and a valuable service on the table. I see opportunity for a reputable publisher, or agent house, to be innovative. You don’t have to completely sell your soul and publish any crap thing that comes across your desk. But why not create a product line where you accept things that are relatively well written, with solid plots, regardless if they tickle your fancy or not? Offer them a pay service where it will be professionally polished, packaged, and distributed through online resources. You could do different levels of that service, from basic to advanced. For promising books, where you may not pick them up for normal publishing, you could offer a discounted service (and thereby limit out-of-pocket expenses) and, in turn, take a small percentage of sales.

Some of these ideas may or may not be worth much. My point isn’t necessarily to sell these particular ideas, but for agents and publishers to stop whining and get creative. Business is tough…period. The dynamic innovators will take the gold, the ho-hums will stay in business, and the lethargic will dwindle into irrelevance. One last note. Why isn’t the publishing industry advertising its products as a whole more? Reading has to be one of the best values in the dollar per hour of entertainment equation. A movie for me and my wife, in admission alone, is the price of a book, and all I get is about an hour and a half of entertainment. A book will cost the same price, but gives us roughly six to eight hours of entertainment. Four hours of skiing with my daughter will cost me about $175 for lift tickets, equipment rental, transportation, etc. Do you get my point? In a recession, people are trying to get the best value for their money. What better value is there than a book? Why not drive the market for it?

This is still on.

Okay, I really do have things I want to write about. I even have a real post almost written...Honest! It's just, with spring in the air and all, the hills are alive with the sound of Yamaha. On not an entirely unrelated topic, my butt is sooo sore. That WR450 seat is such a cruel mistress. (Just to tide you over until I can post a real post. Why yes, I do count my last posts as real posts.) Anyway, you can cruise on over to my website www.jaredsouthwick.com and read chapter one of Marysvale. There's a link to it at the bottom of the Marysvale tab. I know, you never would have found it without that little bit of info. No need to thank me.

Ooma Follow Up

Please excuse my current tech kick, but I've had quite a few people ask me more about Ooma phone service.

Life three weeks after installing Ooma is good. Though, not perfect. I've had a few issues. One, I purchased the Ooma handset, and a few times it lost communication with the Telo base station. All of my normal cordless phones would ring, but not the handset. When I pick up the handset to dial out, it seemed fine. The second issue I've had is changing how long Ooma rings before the answering service picks up. I've tried changing it to two rings, even one. No matter what I choose, it rings a little over 4 rings. Maybe it's a premium feature?

Overall, the quality of service is good, though not quite as good as a normal land line. My subjective opinion says it's about 90% as good, but not any worse than a cell phone. For those who use Google voice, it works good. The only issue I have is it shows my Ooma number on caller ID, not my Google number. I think that, too, may be remedied with a premier subscription. http://www.ooma.com/media/press-releases/ooma-adds-features-enhance-google-voice™-experience

In all, for $11 a year, it's worth it. If you can live with the quality issues of a cell phone, then you shouldn't have any problems with this device.

Ooma

How would you like to pay $12 a year for your home phone service, including long distance? You’re thinking, “Yeah right I’ve heard that before. I’ll have to use my computer as my phone. Right?” Nope, you don’t. “Then I have to plug my phone into my computer, install software, and pray it all works.” Wrong again. So, what is it? It’s called Ooma. “Did you just cuss at me in Portuguese?” No, I have no idea what Ooma stands for. Ooma is a VOIP phone (Voice over IP). In other words, it uses your internet connection to make calls. “See, you lied to me! I told you I had to use a computer in some way.” Now calm down, don’t let the blinking lights and electronics scare you. If you already have an internet connection, then this is easy to do.

Let me backtrack. I’ve been looking at a way to politely tell Qwest to go away. It’s been coming for a long time. I have the most basic phone service imaginable. Caller ID is the only thing I have. No voice mail, no call waiting, no long distance. On top of that, I had to pay extra for them to do nothing! That is, not to print my name in their phonebook. With modern times and technology, in my opinion, they charge way too much.

It’s taken me a while to switch because I haven’t been impressed with the competition. Vonage’s price wasn’t low enough for me to make the switch. Magic Jack is cheap, but I have to plug it into my computer. And from those who do have it, it doesn’t seem very reliable. It probably isn’t Magic Jack’s fault, but it does rely on the stability of your computer. Your kids could get on and mess it up; it may get stuck on a patch; someone may accidentally turn it off. You see the problems.

Ooma is different enough to get me to switch. The only possible drawback is the $249 price to buy the equipment. Best Buy had it on sale for $199 at the time I wrote this article. There are two Ooma devices to choose from: the Hub and the Telo. The Telo is the newer of the two, but also the least proven. I went with the new one because of the future updates, such a Google voice integration. The hub will probably go away soon, and there probably won’t be any future updates for it. If you’re into product packaging, the box was nice looking and had a high quality feel. There aren’t a lot of components, basically the device itself, a power cord, phone cord, and Ethernet cord to plug into your internet connection. The instructions are easy to understand; they use diagrams and large print. The set up was easy, basically register your device online, plug everything in as per the instructions, and off you go.

They’ve put a lot of thought into making it easy. All the phone updates and new features happen automatically. No downloading new firmware or software and installing it; it does it all on its own. No messing with Ip addresses to manage the device. You simply sign onto your My Ooma web account to manage it. You don’t even have to do that if you don’t feel like it. However, in there it gives you options, like changing how many times it rings before the answering machine picks up, and the ability to add a phone number to forward calls to if the device goes off line, such as an internet outage or power failure. You can always buy a UPS battery power supply to keep the device up in case of power failure. There are some advanced features you get if you sign up for a premier account, which will cost you $9.99 a month, or $119.99 a year. You get a choice between a free handset or free call porting of your old phone number, both are roughly a $50 value. With the premier service, you get call forwarding and a second phone line, so your spouse or teenager can’t tie up the phone, unless of course they both use it at the same time. There are even black lists. Ooma will block telemarketers for you; they call it a community black list. There is a separate, personal black list you can individually add numbers to. Both lists allow you to choose one of four options: Send to voice mail, Call blocked message, Number disconnected message, or continuous ring--they hear nothing but ringing, you simply hear nothing. The last free feature of note is HD voice when calling to another Ooma device. Not sure what that really buys in practicality, I mean it’s not like your voice is going to magically get more seductive, or change from monotone to stereo.