Smoking

From the sharp and spiky can come true beauty.

It’s been a rough start to the year, and I had been hoping that 2020 would be a better year than 2019. I am asthmatic, and I found it difficult to cope with the smoke from the bushfires. However, I wrote a story for an anthology that is raising funds for the Fire Services, and it was accepted. So, I have a paranormal romantic story in ‘Burning Love and Bleeding Hearts’. This is my second acceptance for a story with a romantic theme … and I really thought I couldn’t write romance. To be truthful, it never gets too hot or heavy in my flings in the genre. I’m just glad I was able to turn days of smoke into something to fight fires.

 

Organising a Book Launch

Most of the authors with Councillor David Morrison of Ipswich (our local member). Missing is Jo Sparrow (who was working) and Susan Ruth (ill health).

Last week, my writing group held a book launch for our anthology. When I was a baby writer, I didn’t really think much about book launches. If I did think about them at all, I thought they were arranged by the publisher as a favour to their writer; sort of a pat on the head and a ‘well done’ occasion. How wrong could one woman be?

The book launch is a celebration, in the sense the book debuts in the real world. You get to show off the culmination of everyone’s efforts. However, it is also the main thrust of the marketing campaign.

Our launch wasn’t as polished as the infographic above. We did post pictures of the cover online and had a cover reveal event. The writing group did have a big say in the final version of the cover, and we did a themed party for the launch (I made comet-decorated muffins).

This the first launch where I was part of the planning committee and not just an attendee. It went very well, from my point of view. Every new experience adds to my learning curve. I am toying with the idea of self publishing a book next year, mainly to add to my experience in the publishing field. You learn best by doing, making mistakes, and having surprising successes.

 

Random Images from Brisbane GenreCon 2017

It might not be blood, but at least it is sparkling. Amanda Pillar as a non-sparkling vampire.

Alex as Godzilla – Tokyo would be happy to be attacked by this ‘monster’.

My beloved Megasaurus as Umbridge from Harry Potter.

Aiki Flintheart as a Mod. Gorgeous, as always.

A rare sighting of Sean Williams with hair.

 

 

Steampunk Sunday has hit a milestone.

I run a site on Facebook called Steampunk Sunday, Queensland Australia. Today, it reached 2000 likers. It was my birthday on Monday, so I am calling this my present from the Steampunk community. I love you all!

Celebrating 30 years of (official) Steampunk

Celebrating 30 years of (official) Steampunk

K. W. Jeter coined the term ‘Steampunk’ in a letter to science fiction magazine Locus, with the letter printed in the magazine’s April 1987 issue. It was meant to be a playful, tongue-in-cheek term for the genre. It stuck!

Steampunk was around long before 1987, but its birthday is this month. Let’s celebrate!

Any Suggestions or Requests?

Is there anything you would particularly like to know about when it comes to Steampunk or Writing? Please feel free to ask.

As well, I have a Facebook site: https://www.facebook.com/lynne.lumsden.green

A twitter Account: https://twitter.com/gammagirl62

And a Pinterest Account: https://au.pinterest.com/gammagirl1906/?etslf=8031&eq=Lynne%20

 

You looking for me?

https://www.facebook.com/SteampunkSunday/

https://twitter.com/gammagirl62

Cogpunk Steamscribe in civilian clothing.

Best Photobomb EVER

Best photobomb ever, Supanova Gold Coast 2012

The Australian GenreCon 2015

All hail to the organisers, guests, participants, and the volunteers who made GenreCon such a brilliant learning experience for me and all the other attendees. This was my first GenreCon, but it certainly won’t be my last. Rooms full of genre writers? This is most certainly my tribe.

As a few highlights as to what gems were shared:

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tlC_gMnduoU
• We make ‘monsters’ by denying them a reflection (another way of explaining ‘The Other’.
• Point of Sale reviews are vital for both ebooks and traditional books.
• Editors read manuscripts outside of work hours and are unpaid for this reading!
• Online interactions should be 80% Personality and 20% Promotion.
• A lot of lawyers become genre writers – but not necessarily in the crime fiction genre.
• Always be your best self online and know when to step away from the keyboard.
• Finish the damn book (apparently I am not the only one who gets separation anxiety).
• No one has ever hurt their ‘brand’ by keeping quiet.
• With banter, what isn’t said can be just as important as what is said.
• Invitation is better than obligation when part of a community.
• Find the online media you are most comfortable with – don’t aim to follow everything.
• Be passionate (Am I passionate enough?)
• 60% of sales on Amazon are romance books of some sort or another.
• As a writer, you have to have many income streams to make a proper living.
• In the USA, writers are expected to produce Two books a year, in Australia it just one.(Smaller Market)
• If you are going the Indie publishing route, have three books ready for three close launches to build up your readership.
• A good book always beats good marketing in the long run.
• Google uses 57 indicators to know what you are going on your computer.http://www.rene-pickhardt.de/google-uses-57-signals-to-filter/
• If all your characters are speaking in the same voice, they are speaking like you.
• Even though statistically most publishers have a 50/50 gender breakup in their stable of science fiction authors – on bookshop shelves there is usually less than 40% women represented. True story.

Volunteering for the Writing Community

As frequent readers of this blog might guess, I am a strong believer in giving back to the community. Since I am still unemployed (alas) I have volunteered to help out at my local writing festival (yay). My excitement and enthusiasm for the Brisbane Writer’s Festival reminds me of my first writing conference, now over ten years ago.

At that first conference, I felt like I was ‘cheating’ to be there. I hadn’t started my writing degree, and I only had one or two serious writing credits. What I found was my tribe, and I felt more at ease in the group than I had ever felt anywhere before. I got them; they got me.

Since then, I have discovered pop culture conferences, which are another part of my tribe. However, as much as I enjoy Supanova and its ilk, nothing has quite the same buzz as a writers’ conference. I have volunteered at ‘Voices on the Coast’, which is for YA and Children’s authors, and at Reality Bites, the conference for creative nonfiction writers. I always learn something new at every conference, even if it just about just how friendly the Australian writing community really is. As an attendee or as a volunteer, writing conferences energise and inspire me.

I love hearing about other writers experiences with the writing process. If there is one thing I know, it is that no two writers have exactly the same process.

This festival, I am in the Green Room team. This means I have to rein in the fangirl and remain completely professional for the talent. They are the stars of the show, and my job is keep them happy and unstressed – well, as unstressed as you can be when you know you are about to front up to an auditorium full of excited festival attendees.

If you are one of the lucky people coming to the Brisbane Writers Festival, you are in for a real treat this year.