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Post by garyweston on May 5, 2015 9:20:06 GMT -8
CP. I still have reservations about incomplete submissions like chapters. How about a compromise? People wishing to add a first chapter must also offer a complete work? That might work. I see no reason why anyone would be interested in a collection of unfinished bits and pieces. I know I wouldn't.
A two month deadline should be ample to allow writers to finish off any work in progress. any more than that could become tedious. Good to set a goal. I'll have published the new book I'm working on by then, so there's no excuse.
Title could be set nearer completion. Perhaps reflecting the smash link? Something like "A bunch of smashies?" Just a thought.
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Ria Stone
SWF Writers
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Post by Ria Stone on May 6, 2015 10:29:30 GMT -8
CP. I still have reservations about incomplete submissions like chapters. How about a compromise? People wishing to add a first chapter must also offer a complete work? That might work. I see no reason why anyone would be interested in a collection of unfinished bits and pieces. I know I wouldn't. A two month deadline should be ample to allow writers to finish off any work in progress. any more than that could become tedious. Good to set a goal. I'll have published the new book I'm working on by then, so there's no excuse. Title could be set nearer completion. Perhaps reflecting the smash link? Something like "A bunch of smashies?" Just a thought. I do understand your concerns. Let's see: Here's how I see the process so far:
Submission due date - not decided yet
Review of submissions
Suggestions or change
Title selected
Cover Art supplied
Submissions formatted into one document
Pre-publication publicity
Submission to SW
Post publication publicity
Updates on status
So far, we have two submissions. I know that many of our SWF writers have work they could submit, so we do need to give the submission process enough time for other writers to make their submissions. I think we need to decide on the minimum number of submissions we need in order to publish. Obviously, the quicker we get submissions, the faster the process will go. Regarding the Chapter issue, I don't see it as a problem with SWF writers submitting a chapter from their published works. I would leave it up to the authors to make any offers to our readers. This can be done at the end of the chapter where the author has added their contact and link info. I don't think the anthology will be made up solely of Chapters. To me, what is important is that we get a mix of submissions. SWF writers are a diverse group, we want to highlight their talents. |
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chelsfield
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Post by chelsfield on May 11, 2015 0:51:03 GMT -8
Thanks for thinking through the various steps, CP. Regarding length and number, I just did a quick search to see if there are any standards and came across this site: Fiction Factor: Word Count. It's not authoritative, but it gives some useful guidance, I think. Based on what is recommended for a short story, maybe 10-15 stories would be appropriate? Regarding title, I think that 'Smashwords Forums Authors' should figure into the subtitle at least. I think this is an excellent opportunity to demonstrate the quality and diversity of Smashword publications, to do some marketing for the forum, to prove to the nay-sayers the Smashwords does quality |
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serbanvcenache
SWF Writers
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Post by serbanvcenache on May 11, 2015 1:50:13 GMT -8
Thanks for thinking through the various steps, CP. Regarding length and number, I just did a quick search to see if there are any standards and came across this site: Fiction Factor: Word Count. It's not authoritative, but it gives some useful guidance, I think. Based on what is recommended for a short story, maybe 10-15 stories would be appropriate? Regarding title, I think that 'Smashwords Forums Authors' should figure into the subtitle at least. I think this is an excellent opportunity to demonstrate the quality and diversity of Smashword publications, to do some marketing for the forum, to prove to the nay-sayers the Smashwords does qualityAgreed. And here's our title (if you all agree) - Tales From Indies. Hopefully, we'll be able to get Coker to help us out with the promotion. PS: I googled the title and there's a podcast site called Tales From The Indies, but it's about indie wrestlers, not authors. So we're covered. |
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Ria Stone
SWF Writers
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Post by Ria Stone on May 11, 2015 4:01:13 GMT -8
Thanks for thinking through the various steps, CP. Regarding length and number, I just did a quick search to see if there are any standards and came across this site: Fiction Factor: Word Count. It's not authoritative, but it gives some useful guidance, I think. Based on what is recommended for a short story, maybe 10-15 stories would be appropriate? Regarding title, I think that 'Smashwords Forums Authors' should figure into the subtitle at least. I think this is an excellent opportunity to demonstrate the quality and diversity of Smashword publications, to do some marketing for the forum, to prove to the nay-sayers the Smashwords does qualityAgreed. And here's our title (if you all agree) - Tales From Indies. Hopefully, we'll be able to get Coker to help us out with the promotion. PS: I googled the title and there's a podcast site called Tales From The Indies, but it's about indie wrestlers, not authors. So we're covered. CP and Serban, excellent suggestions. CP- 10 - 15 submissions sounds like a good goal. I will look at the word count and give that some thought. My instinct to to go for 7,000 or less word count, meaning not a "long" short story. But, I feel we also need to be flexible. CP and Serban - good title ideas, so unless there are objections, etc. The working title is: Tale From Indiesby Smashwords Forum Authors
It occurred to me that not only will the anthology be a "Marketing" tool, but it will also inform us all how to market the anthology as a group or as an individual. What I mean by this is: Let's get creative, let's think outside the box regarding marketing the anthology. With an anthology that covers diverse styles, genres and topics, we have a wider audience to pursue. We can share our marketing experiences. For example: I have already put up a post on my blog and am working on a special mailing list to solicit submissions from authors I know or have met. Plus, I have tweeted about SWF. I plan to post a call for submission on Writers Forum and other sites. |
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Ria Stone
SWF Writers
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Post by Ria Stone on May 11, 2015 7:09:56 GMT -8
ANTHOLOGY UPDATE:Tales from Indies by: Smashwords Forum AuthorsSeeking Short Stories and Chapters should be 7,000 or less.Format: Submit in Word doc format, standard formatting, Times Roman 12 pt, Flush left Deadline: August 1, 2015 Anticipated publication date: October 2015 Send submissions to Ria Stone at ria.stonemail@gmail.com
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Post by Julie Harris on May 11, 2015 13:12:31 GMT -8
And for the cover of the collection, what do you think about a collage of each story's cover?
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chelsfield
SWF Writers
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Post by chelsfield on May 12, 2015 0:59:32 GMT -8
Hi all
'Tales from Indies' is great. We also get the the browse factor from those whose first impression is that the book is about 'the Indies'.
I wouldn't say 'by Smashword Forum Authors'. I think it works better if that info is contained in a subtitle: Tales from Indies: 10 (or whatever number) stories from the Smashwords Forum. The by-line for an anthology goes to the editor, in this case Ria.
This begs a question: if the content is from members of SWF, then there should be no need to trawl for stories from anywhere but here--the Forum. If we are looking for authors on other websites, Ria's for example, we may get quite a few submissions from SW and non-SW authors, but aren't we just looking for SWF authors? Something to think about.
Also, I personally am not comfortable with "7000 or less". This will invite too many problems in quality and quantity (of pages). It certainly create more work for you, Ria, in terms of selection. we began by trying to put a shape and parameters to this work, and word count is where you start. A good chunk of words will also help to separate bad from better, and better from best. Remember, we do want to demonstrate quality. Just my two cents.
Speaking of which, Ria will you be doing the proofing as well? If you want some help on this side, I am only too happy to lend a hand. This area is one where SW authors have been slammed the hardest, so we have to get it right. This is not to say we will do people's work for them. If you get a manuscript that is fairly to completely unintelligible because of grammatical errors or lack of proofing, then I think it has to be 'de-selected' from the start.
Again, just suggestions....
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chelsfield
SWF Writers
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Joined: Mar 28, 2012 3:07:24 GMT -8
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Post by chelsfield on May 12, 2015 1:05:19 GMT -8
And for the cover of the collection, what do you think about a collage of each story's cover? Hi Julie An interesting idea, but might require a bit more work than a straightforward cover page. Also, what about those stories submitted which do not have a cover (perhaps because they have not been published yet)? I think of one I am working on at the moment: if I submit in time, and if it is selected, it most likely will not have a cover. |
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chelsfield
SWF Writers
Posts: 700
Joined: Mar 28, 2012 3:07:24 GMT -8
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Post by chelsfield on May 12, 2015 1:12:46 GMT -8
Thanks for thinking through the various steps, CP. Regarding length and number, I just did a quick search to see if there are any standards and came across this site: Fiction Factor: Word Count. It's not authoritative, but it gives some useful guidance, I think. Based on what is recommended for a short story, maybe 10-15 stories would be appropriate? Regarding title, I think that 'Smashwords Forums Authors' should figure into the subtitle at least. I think this is an excellent opportunity to demonstrate the quality and diversity of Smashword publications, to do some marketing for the forum, to prove to the nay-sayers the Smashwords does qualityAgreed. And here's our title (if you all agree) - Tales From Indies. Hopefully, we'll be able to get Coker to help us out with the promotion. PS: I googled the title and there's a podcast site called Tales From The Indies, but it's about indie wrestlers, not authors. So we're covered. I was thinking the same thing, about Coker support/promotion/review. I think we have to make sure we have a very good product before approaching him... |
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serbanvcenache
SWF Writers
Posts: 712
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Post by serbanvcenache on May 12, 2015 1:54:36 GMT -8
Yes. I agree that we shouldn't be too rigid about word-count. As for SWF author participation vs Non-SWF authors, it's still open for debate. Julie Harris, for instance, no longer uses Smashwords per say. I think Ria's Non-SWF authors that she wants to introduce into the Anthology can always register an account on this forum. We need all the word of mouth we can get. As for the cover, my two cents is that we need a unique look to it, a look that's able to catch the eye. It doesn't have to be representative of the individual stories, rather it should show the collective aspect of our work. We can only decide what that collective aspect is, after we know the selected stories.
Just as an example of what I mean by 'collective aspect', we could have a cover which depicts two hands upon each other - each hand with a different texture and colour-palette (think fire and ice), upon a backdrop of wood and parchment.
And yes, we definitely need to have a good product ready before we contact Mark Coker from all the sides.
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Ria Stone
SWF Writers
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Post by Ria Stone on May 12, 2015 7:33:05 GMT -8
Hi all 'Tales from Indies' is great. We also get the the browse factor from those whose first impression is that the book is about 'the Indies'. I wouldn't say 'by Smashword Forum Authors'. I think it works better if that info is contained in a subtitle: Tales from Indies: 10 (or whatever number) stories from the Smashwords Forum. The by-line for an anthology goes to the editor, in this case Ria. This begs a question: if the content is from members of SWF, then there should be no need to trawl for stories from anywhere but here--the Forum. If we are looking for authors on other websites, Ria's for example, we may get quite a few submissions from SW and non-SW authors, but aren't we just looking for SWF authors? Something to think about. Also, I personally am not comfortable with "7000 or less". This will invite too many problems in quality and quantity (of pages). It certainly create more work for you, Ria, in terms of selection. we began by trying to put a shape and parameters to this work, and word count is where you start. A good chunk of words will also help to separate bad from better, and better from best. Remember, we do want to demonstrate quality. Just my two cents. Speaking of which, Ria will you be doing the proofing as well? If you want some help on this side, I am only too happy to lend a hand. This area is one where SW authors have been slammed the hardest, so we have to get it right. This is not to say we will do people's work for them. If you get a manuscript that is fairly to completely unintelligible because of grammatical errors or lack of proofing, then I think it has to be 'de-selected' from the start. Again, just suggestions.... Hi Chelsfield: Thanks for the suggestions. I am very open to suggestions. I believe in group collaboration, it can make a better product. I will try to address all your suggestions. Revision 1 Tales from Indies from: Smashwords Forum Personally, I prefer by Smashwords Forum Authors, it just sounds more personal to me. Chelsfield, I welcome your editing help and I agree, we should not do the author's work but we should evaluate each submission on its merits and maybe we'll find a diamond in the rough. I will not be the only editor, others have offered their help which I will need. We can make a list on the copyright page giving credit to all the people who helped put the anthology together. I would prefer that my name is not prominent. Regarding solicitation of submissions from outside SWF. I felt that by going outside SWF, we may gain more members and advertise the existence of SWF which could help us all in terms of more eyes on SWF. Plus, since we only have two submissions, I felt it was necessary to go outside SWF to try to get other submissions. I see the SWF anthology as an opportunity to advertise SWF and SWF authors. Word Count - what word count would you suggest, Chelsfield? I am open to your ideas. I thought if I said 7,000 or less, we would get "short" stories. At the moment, we don't have a problem with excessive submissions. Also, based on your suggestion, we put a limit on number of pieces, 10-15, in the anthology. It's good to discuss these details. Thanks. |
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Ria Stone
SWF Writers
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Post by Ria Stone on May 12, 2015 7:35:23 GMT -8
And for the cover of the collection, what do you think about a collage of each story's cover? Hi Julie An interesting idea, but might require a bit more work than a straightforward cover page. Also, what about those stories submitted which do not have a cover (perhaps because they have not been published yet)? I think of one I am working on at the moment: if I submit in time, and if it is selected, it most likely will not have a cover. Are you suggesting an interior cover for each story? Hmmm, Serban offered to do the cover art for the anthology. I think I will let him address the development of the anthology cover art. But, the idea of each story having its own cover is an interesting idea. |
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serbanvcenache
SWF Writers
Posts: 712
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Post by serbanvcenache on May 12, 2015 9:28:57 GMT -8
Hi Julie An interesting idea, but might require a bit more work than a straightforward cover page. Also, what about those stories submitted which do not have a cover (perhaps because they have not been published yet)? I think of one I am working on at the moment: if I submit in time, and if it is selected, it most likely will not have a cover. Are you suggesting an interior cover for each story? Hmmm, Serban offered to do the cover art for the anthology. I think I will let him address the development of the anthology cover art. But, the idea of each story having its own cover is an interesting idea.Yes. That can be implemented without too much hassle. Obviously, they won't be big as 1600x900 for the sake of not making the epub/pdf/mobi too large. But a small to medium size would be alright in my opinion. Concerning submissions, if we're too short on nr, I could always submit a sample chapter from my Of Hate And Laughter novels - if that is permitted, of course. |
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Post by garyweston on May 12, 2015 9:35:47 GMT -8
My two cents worth.
First, this is an ebook. Word-count doesn't matter. I have a couple of books (box sets) over 750 pages long if they were printed. That's the beauty of ebooks! Therefor length of story doesn't matter either. PERCEIVED value for money for a paid ebook or if a freebie, the investing of time spent by a reader is what makes a reader pick a book.
Internal covers would be a waste of time / space.
BUT!!!!
My main issue would be the setting up of gatekeepers. I have been a part of the Indie revolution for many years and applaud the fact that my gatekeepers are the readers. I gave one Kiwi bunch a very hard time for thinking they should be gatekeepers of writing quality for promoting Kiwi writers, which I was at the time. Guess what? I'm still writing and as I predicted, they didn't even get off the ground.
If I have to subject my work to an editorial committee, I'll be no longer interested. I await the flack!
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