I love it. I'd've preferred to have the title splash diagonally across the page above the airship, and to remove Amazing Wonder Stories, but neither of those were possible with Pulp-O-Mizer's presets. As it is it's mostly what I had in mind.
I'm most of the way through Fifty Writers on Fifty Shades, and get this: the two most thoughtful, well-written, and filler-free essays I've read within were by writers named Sassafras Lowrey and Sinnamon Love. Clearly, being judgmental about people's chosen names makes an ass out of u and me.
I don't have any writing news, except that I got a rejection for a literary story - shrug - and found another market to which to submit it. And summarily did. And I'm hearing a few things here and there from friends about KUFC as they read it. All are gratifying, some are thought-provoking. Love love love feedback.
It's not yet 8:30 here, and if anyone else reading this is on the West Coast, and you have the capacity, try this to get you through humpday morning.
11 comments:
Very cool cover!!! Seems like a neat program! I have to warn you about the book-I have been insanely busy, so it's going to take me a while. (In just the past three days I have the caterer, the plumber, the mechanic, the florist, and nine student conferences on top of regular work, plus planning a couple of things for V-day... It's been sort of crazy lately and I've been dropping into bed exhausted at night.) I'm excited for it though!
No worries.
Highbinder? Seriously? 1) the name means nothing in our lexicon, which makes it 2) unmarketable. You do realize that writers need to be able to actually sell their ideas. The days of the public just recognizing great writing for its own sake are long gone. What's the concept? KUFC? Is that underground fried chicken? 3) the tag line is simply horrible. The corporation is the enemy and a lover who left her for.... God I couldn't even finish typing that crap it was so bad. Bor-Ring. 4) Don't quit your day job. That's not an insult, just an observation. I know all your friends and family support you and your dream, but the truth of the matter is that you simply cannot write professionally. It's an ugly truth, I know, but the truth nonetheless based on my reading of your blog. I know, I know you'll have umpteen reasons to disregard my so called flaming, or your (very few) followers will surround you with hugs and encouraging words, but if it were me I'd like to hear the truth. Even if it hurt. And the truth is your entire masturbatory post about that horrifying sentence from your underground Kentucky fried chicken novel is bad in every single permutation you displayed. There's no voice. No character. It's nothing but a series of sentences that tell a cold emotionless blow-by-blow. /wrists
Thank you for your input.
1) I suggest you have a look at pulp covers of the 40s and 50s, which is what that deliberately over-the-top tagline is emulating.
2) Witty as your translation is, KUFC stands for Kickass Urban Fantasy Chick, which I've explained several times on this blog. The word "highbinder" did have a couple of specific meanings in the 20th century - you can look it up - but I've endowed it with a different meaning to indicate the uniqueness of my main character's skills. My hope was to make people intrigued to learn what the word means, which I suspect is not a terrible marketing strategy at all. It's worked well for a brand like, say, Oreo, or for a book like, say, The Hobbit. (Naturally I don't put myself in Tolkien's company; it's just an example.)
3) I have written professionally. I have been paid for fiction and nonfiction, and I am a professional editor as my day job. So your opinion, whoever you are, is obviously worth less, purely on a monetary basis, than that of the people who've hired me and bought my work. Since I've only included mere sentences and paragraphs of my actual work on this blog (which is a blog, after all, not a glossy magazine), I can understand how you might draw the conclusion that I'm not an especially good writer. Maybe if you paid me $7.99 for a copy of Highbinder, you could prove yourself right. (Or wrong?)
I didn't say "flaming", you did. But you have flattered me quite a lot by becoming the first outright flamer on this blog. I appreciate your attention.
To my very few followers: please do not surround me with hugs and support. I couldn't really care less.
(Couldn't care less about whether I'm defended; of course I care about your hugs.)
Hey - Anonytard - Do tell me...were the following in our lexicon before they made zillions?
-Terminator
-Hunger Games
-Blade Runner
-...I could go on...but GTFO. Let me guess...you are writing a book, and you are really, really, really hoping to get it published...and you are reading Writers Digest and anything you can get your hands on...and you are learning about phrases like 'marketable' and 'lexicon' now. Guess what? Authors don't compete with each other, since everything is up for grabs.
I suggest you go play on Smashwords, 'cause with a piss-poor attitude like that, that will be your only outlet. GFY!
Thanks for your support, M. Those were some of the examples I couldn't think of quickly enough. Don't forget space marine! :)
Well, unlike the HumanDildobot, I actually read it. And it was AWESOME!!!
Sorry, I feel late to this party. Here's my $0.02:
I had the exact opposite reaction to Anon up there...I'd have picked this up off the shelf. I'd probably have walked to the cash register with it. If it was a Kindle book it'd have been "one-clicked" almost instantly.
Everything Anon didn't like, was pretty much what would have drawn me to it. Because I like fiction, and I'm smart enough to parse the fictional pieces into a fictional story. If that's not your thing, you might be in the wrong dojo. Just sayin'.
As an aside, I've had some troll-esq comments in the last couple of years, but this person seems a bit harsh AND more than a bit cowardly. If you're gonna rip, have the balls/ovaries to own your snark.
Also, I apparently suck and can't figure out how to reply to posts properly.
Thanks for your perspective, BP. See, Anon, different strokes for different folks; some people like pulp covers.
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