Update for Various

1. The e-book sellers have sent the word down that book covers will be required to be at least 1400 pixels or so, way up from about 500 pixels. Apple may be driving this, but Amazon is also on board. I've got to believe that the iPad, especially the new one with HD (retina display) is the reason. E-book readers will want to see a larger book cover than the little thumbnail image they now see. Apparently, the old covers won't be required to be changed, but I will endeavor to send in a larger image for each of mine. It will take a little extra work, since I don't have the original larger one, especially for my first Zombie book.

2. The draft of Book 4, my second Zombie book, is at 30,000 words now and moving along.

3. My third painting exhibition just finished up on June 30th at the Taunton Art Association. I had some positive comments about the Misty Woods in the Morning and the Seggreganset #2 painting. I will be fixing my signature on the latter as it should be less of a distraction (smaller, less angled per a constructive comment by an experienced painter).

4. The blog is approaching 4000 page views.

Alien Contact : Titan is Published on Barnes and Noble

Smashwords has sent the ebook through its channels and Alien Contact : Titan now is published in the Barnes and Noble online bookstore. I'm waiting for it to appear in Apple, my biggest retail seller. It is showing, of course, on Amazon, since I publish directly to Amazon.  If it hasn't shown up in Kobo, Diesel, and Sony, it will soon.

My fourth book is in process, about half way through the first draft. It is a ZOMBIE book. You can follow the number of words I produced on a daily basis by the little graphic to the right - see Word Count with the number and date (as of date).

Book #4 (Zombie Book) Status

Well, this is fun. That is, writing about the beginning of the virus that would set the world in motion. So far, I've written 4100 words and cruising along. I do like to present a plausible scenario, so I try to get everything reasonably accurate with the setting, geography, and facts surrounding a hypothetical viral pandemic.

More to come...

I'm Working on Book #4. It's a Zombie Book.

I didn't expect to start on this one so soon. I was researching some of the material I'll need. I like to know how the zombie thing started in my books, so that's where I'm starting. I won't say anything more than that about the plot or subject right now. I have 800+ words so far which is just a drop in the bucket.

Book 3 (Alien Contact : Titan) Has Been Approved for Premium Distribution

...which means that it will be available online at Barnes & Noble, the Apple Bookstore, Sony, Kobo, Diesel and others within a few days to a couple weeks. It is already available on Smashwords and Amazon.

Smashwords often seems to have a queue for this approval process for 'Premium Distribution'. In two of the last three books, I made a special request for 'expedited' approval after the book sat for three weeks or so in a 'Pending Approval' status (in this case since about May 5th). I knew it would be approved since it passed the 'autovetter' process and didn't have any format issues. That's what can hold up things. Some people just need a little prompting.

Book #4 Will Be a Zombie Book

It won't be a sequel to 'Flatline Virus'. I've begun the plot development research and character lines.

Massasoit Arts Festival 2012

Today, two of my paintings were exhibited along with about 70 others. I didn't win anything, but I did feel pretty good about how my work compared with the others on display. I agreed with the jury's decision for top honors. I did notice a higher than average number of people who stopped and looked at my iguana painting which I named 'Liz Odd'. It is different than most others. It's one of my best works so far.

I may enter next year. It was fun trying. I'd like to think my work will get better.

Early 'Alien Contact : Titan' Sales from UK

I'm happy to see that early sales of Book 3 are coming in from the UK. Bo, the Titan Mission's Astrobiologist, is the main character from the UK in the book. He's a likeable character. Very bright with a good sense of humor. He plays an important role at the end.

Alien Contact : Titan [Book 3] is Published!

I have uploaded the final edit of 'Alien Contact : Titan' to Smashwords and Amazon. Both are in review now. Smashwords is my distributor who will distribute the book to Apple, Barnes and Noble, Sony, Kobo and others. An image of the book is on the right of the blog. It is priced, like my others, at $2.99.

Description....

Two Titan missions followed the successful manned exploration of Europa in 2135. The 'First Contact' there engendered great enthusiasm for more exploration and discovery. Several of the most advanced technology-rich nations followed with manned flights to worlds in the solar system where life might exist.

Both the Chinese and the joint US/UK missions found life on Titan. Or it found them.

Meanwhile on Earth, the world's top two superpowers, US and China, were close to an armed confrontation relating to claims made on the Republic of China, formerly known as Taiwan.

Captain Ray Haskins of the joint US/UK mission to the Saturn moon, Titan, was the father-in-law of the captain of the other Titan mission, one from China. Ray hadn't seen his only daughter in 10 years. His son-in-law was the reason why.

The setting has the makings of a chilly family reunion on Titan, almost 900 million miles from earth and 290 degree below zero...an unforgiving father-in-law, an insensitive son-in-law, and an unusual cast of alien life forms, one of which may bring about the end of the human species.

Book 3 is being edited....It's Finished...except for the editing (duh)

Yep, it's finished except for the editing. And the title. And the description I need for the retailers.

Retail Book Sales by Channel for 20012 So Far

I thought I'd report my retail sales of books by channel thus far for 2012:

Apple Bookstore - 46%
Amazon - 22%
Barnes & Noble - 25%
Kobo - 5%
Sony - 1%
Smashwords - 1%

For the first time, Barnes and Noble shows more sales than Amazon. I can't be sure if the time frames are equivalent for each since I receive Amazon's results directly and the rest are reported to me through Smashwords, my distributor. Still, it's a change. Apple continues to outsell them all. I keep the pricing the same across all channels, so that doesn't account for any of the difference.

Book 3 is Moving Along - Word Count is Past 20,000

I've been concentrating on painting lately, but writing has been on my mind. I got to a point in the plot where I wasn't fully satisfied with its direction. So, I've slept on it...and slept on it. Slowly, it began to gel and now I'm writing again. You can follow the words written in the 'Book 3 - Word Count' box down to the right on the blog. I've been able to keep up more than a 500 word a day pace. I don't expect this to be as long as the zombie book, but the conclusion should satisfy all or most.

I still don't have a title yet, but I've been working at that, too. It would be nice to call lit something other than 'Book 3'.

When Is the Painting Finished?

Until I started to paint, I didn't think this would be an issue. When you're satisfied that you've painted what you intended, then the painting is finished, right? Not really. From the beginning, I've found myself going back and touching up, fixing areas I wasn't satisfied with. Or adding detail I thought the painting needed. Or changing a shade or adding a tone. At any rate, it seemed that I'd never finish anything. Then I decided to sign the painting. That would finish it. Not really. I found myself going back and changing things after I signed it. I recently heard this is not that unusual. Picasso would not feel at all uneasy to change something on a signed painting even years later, even after he sold it.

There is a time when you wonder if you're finished. I usually wait for a few days, checking the painting out daily to see if it 'needs' something changed. At some point, I just sign it and that's usually the end of it. I've come to grips with the feeling that I won't be happy with each and every painting I do, even after going back day after day and making changes.

At one point early on when I sarted, I decided to take all the paintings I didn't feel comfortable showing to anyone and cut them up into two inch squares. I took these and made a collage which did give me some satisfaction with an image which was more pleasing than any of the ones I cut up.

Entering the Massasoit Arts Festival Juried Competition

I am entering the Massasoit Arts Festival juried competition in the acrylic painting category. I had to send in a CD with three images (1 for $10 entry fee or 3 for $24). There is a pre-judge filter to keep out the riff-raff, I guess. This is all new to me. If I get in, I'll be notified ahead of the May 20th event so that I can bring my framed paintings to the Canton MA campus. The prizes are money. I'm excited just to enter and try. I'm at a point where I feel I'm not at all embarrassed to exhibit my work. I know there are better painters, but the idea of competition feeds the competitive juices in me and helps to fuel the desire to be better. The paintings I entered included: 1) Eye Site (close up human eye); 2) Tracks of Pompeii's Past; and 3) Liz Odd (the iguana painting, not just the one of an eye, but the whole iguana). I'm placing prices of $200 on each.

Milton Museum of Art Annual Juried Competition

Tomorrow I am sending my entry into the above competition. This will be my first juried competition ever. I'm not sure what my expectations should be, although the requirements suggest a little more experience than I have (at least exhibiting experience). I am submitting an Artist Bio, Artist Statement, an Exhibit Resume along with the Submission Form and images of four of my paintings. The entry fee is $30. The First Place winner will have his own exhibition in the Sep/Oct 2012 timeframe. Six Runners Up will be able to participate in one of two joint exhibits; one in Jul/Aug, the other in Nov/Dec timeframe. All of the exhibits will be publicized.