Tag Archives: self publishing

How the West Was Zombed – Reblog

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Howdy 3.5 Cowpokes.

I’ve come along way this year.  Still much more to go, but I’m 40,000 words into a novel and that’s the farthest I’ve ever come on a book idea before.

I may have a chance at actually getting this thing out to the masses, to Amazon, in the hopes of expanding my website’s readership from 3.5 to 30.5 readers.

It has also been interesting to look at the characters, where they started, and how far they have come as well.

So for those 3.5 readers just tuning in, I will start today by reblogging a few chapters and will keep up with the reblogging from time to time so anyone interested can check it out and give me their feedback.

Thank you and hopefully the world will enjoy this novel enough to get the Mighty Potentate off my back.

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All Hail the Mighty Potentate.

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Ask the Alien – Happy Anniversary Bookshelf Battle Blog

By: Alien Jones, Intergalactic Correspondent

 

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Alien Jones aka “The Esteemed Brainy One”

Greetings Earth Losers.

Two years.  Hard to believe it.  Two years ago this month, Bookshelf Q. Battler was stuffing his pie hole full of disgusting Taco Bell burritos when the idea to create the Bookshelf Battle Blog was born.

He’s come a long way since then and I must be honest, it came as a great surprise to me when my exalted ruler, the Mighty Potentate, assigned me the burdensome challenge of helping this nerd get his writing career off the ground.

I still remember how the conversation went:

MIGHTY POTENTATE:  JONES!  You are to aid the Chosen One in his efforts to become a successful writer!

ALIEN JONES:  But Potent One, I’ve read his lousy blog and honestly, isn’t there a more realistic task?  Perhaps there’s a black hole I could close?

MIGHTY POTENTATE: Alien-who-wants-to-be-vaporized-sayswhat?

ALIEN JONES: Wha..oh!  You almost got me there, Your Potentosity.  You are truly the craftiest of all potentates.

For those new to the 3.5 reader club:

  • The Mighty Potentate oversees a mind-boggingly vast empire of planets.
  • He despises reality television and fears if it goes unchecked, humans will spread this dreadful art form across the cosmos, replacing the MP’s much loved scripted programming.
  • The Potent One has seen in a vision that BQB’s writing will one day cause all humans to reject reality television.
  • Ergo, I am stuck as BQB’s advisor until he writes a novel so expertly crafted that it motivates all humans to reject shows in which brainless celebrities are followed around by cameras for no apparent reason.
  • So in other words, I’m BQB’s advisor forever.
  • Oh, and if BQB does not write such a novel before he kicks the bucket, the Potentate does intend to invade earth, strip it for parts, and resell it on the intergalactic real estate market.  The Moloklaxons have already shown an interest but you know, they’re not considered the a-holes of the universe for nothing.

BQB, on behalf of the Mightiest of Potentates, I’m glad to see you have made so much progress on your novel, How the West Was Zombed.

Cowboys.  Zombies.  Love.  Romance.  Daring do.  Werewolves.  Vampires.  Could use some aliens but eh, nothing is perfect.

Will this be the novel that hooks humans on a higher form of entertainment?

Well, I’ve read it and…hey, let’s just say if you want to be the one who informs the Mighty Potentate…be my guest.  I just hope you don’t mind being vaporized.  The MP gets a little testy when he doesn’t get his way and he has a hair trigger when it comes to his vaporization cannon.

Honestly, I was a little bummed that BQB put Undersiredverse on the shelf for now.  It’s not like I utilized astounding time travel technologies to beam adventures from 3000 AD (which as you know, isn’t here yet) into BQB’s brain so he could write about them.

And I won’t even take it personally, since I had a significant role.  I’m sure BQB will write this book eventually.

Really, what does it matter?  Even if BQB does finish Undersiredverse, and even if he swings a movie deal with Hollywood, the CGI alien that plays me will never be nominated for an Academy Award.

That’s ok though.  I’ve grown used to speciesism.  Even so, I can’t help but notice a lack of aliens when it comes to Academy recognition.   #OscarsSoHuman

For the 3.5 of you who enjoyed my columns, I apologize for not being around as much this year.  It’s not by choice.  There’s been a nasty trade intergalactic dispute over the price of irregular pants.  War has broken out.  Several planets have been decimated.  It’s very tragic.  I’ve been spending my time dousing water on that hot fire, leaving BQB to work on his zombie novel.

So in the meantime, dear humans, please provide BQB all the advice you can on his Zombie Western.  I don’t want to say that the better this book is the less likely you’ll become the Mighty Potentate’s hairless ape slaves but…well…yeah I guess that’s what I’m saying.

But forget that.  You’re helping me when you help BQB.  The sooner I can drop this assignment the better.  I’ve got too many plates to spin as it is.

Oh, and you can still feel free to ask the alien a question.  I won’t get to them as quickly this year, but assuming your questions meet BQB’s rigorous standards (usually, that it was written by a human using words) you’ll get a plug for your book or blog.

But keep in mind it’ll take awhile.  Sad to say, I’m not sure I’ll be able to check back in again until this summer.  That’s how complicated this irregular pants fiasco is.

What can I say?  An Esteemed Brainy One’s work is never done.

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Some Thoughts on Zombie Western

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Hello 3.5 Readers,

BQB here.  I’d like to take a minute to thank you fine readers for encouraging me to keep hanging in there with How the West Was Zombed.

The year is still new, we’ve yet to hit March, and this is the first year where I’ve stayed true to at least one resolution: write a novel.

As for my other resolutions, I’m still freebasing cookies and Coca-Cola non-stop, so those are out the window, but the “write a novel” resolution is on track.

I’ve achieved a couple of personal first:

  1.  First time I’ve broke 30,000 words on one novel without throwing in the towel.
  2. First time I’ve completed not one but four parts – i.e. logical sections of a book surrounding something that must occur for the story to progress.
  3. First time I’ve ever seen light at the end of the tunnel.  This rough draft could actually get finished.

It hasn’t been easy.  Part of my problem has been I’ll write for awhile, then come to a conclusion that changes must be made, and then I’ll rewrite rather than continuing to write.  But often when you do that, you’ll find that even after you revise the first part, you’ll need to go back and rewrite some more.

It is hard to keep going when you know changes must be made.  I feel like a marathon runner and every time I see a need for change it is like a new pebble fell in my shoe.  I want to stop, take a seat on a bench and shake out all the pebbles but I know if I do I’ll just lie down on the bench, fall asleep and not finish the race.

I must keep running, no matter how many pebbles collect in my smelly running shoes.

I’m further excited for my sequel ideas.  I’m trying not to get too far ahead of myself, but if all goes well, I foresee Calamity Jane vs. Zombies in the second novel and Wyatt Earp in the third novel.

All three will be tied in to an ongoing cowboys (and girl) vs. the evil vampires of the Legion Corporation, their lackey werewolves, and most importantly, their dumb zombies.

This is a rough draft.  I thank you all for helping me out with your feedback.  When I’m done I’d like to write a second draft and post it on here to see what you think.

Finally, I’ll probably seek the advice of some beta readers and a good editor.  And then of course, a cover designer.

I would love to get three novels out this year and just be like
“Bam, here’s my series!”  That will require life to cooperate and we all know how that works out.

LIFE:  Oh my God!  He’s enjoying his existence!  Quick!  Dump some bullshit on his head!  No!  He’s caring about the world! He’s turning himself into a productive member of society!  Hurry!  Shovel copious amounts of shit on him so he gives up and sits on the couch with a bag of Doritoes all day!!!

That’s how my life usually goes.

3.5 READERS: Oh BQB.  You’re so negative.  Think positive thoughts and positive things will happen.

Yes.  That’s me.  Positivity man.  I can control goodness through my mind.

Anyway.  Thanks.  Keep reading.  I’ll keep writing.  I feel like I’m actually accomplishing something here and may have a shot at getting a book out.

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Pop Culture Mysteries – Interview (Er, Interrogation) of Martin Turnbull

Hello 3.5 readers.

Jake Dashing, P.I. does not interview. He interrogates.  And I’d like to thank Martin Turnbull, author of the Hollywood’s Garden of Allah series and an Old Hollywood expert, for being the first writer to sit under the hot lights.

You’ll find the interview on Pop Culture Mysteries, a website that I’m currently building.  Presently, it really does only have 3.5 readers but with your help, that should change in no time.

Martin’s latest book, Reds in the Beds, is available now on Amazon.

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The Middle Class Writer

Hey 3.5 readers.

Writers.  It seems like they’re even Bohemian coffee shop dwellers, jotting their stories down and never making a cent, or fabulously wealthy bestseller slingers who could write a grocery list on the back of a toilet paper roll and rake in the dough.

In other words, they’re either really poor and their parents are pissed off by their life choices, or they’re rich and the toast of the town.

Will tech make more middle class writers?  Writers who aren’t raking in James Pattersonian/Steven Kingian levels of dough, but aren’t unwashed and destitute either.

Thanks to self publishing, social media, blogging etc they’ve created a fan base and are able to sell enough to live a decent life style.  House.  Bills paid.  Needs met.  Kids and family taken care of.  Parents feel no need to be embarrassed.

Will tech make more and more middle class writers?  Has it already?

Discuss.

 

 

 

 

 

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#31ZombieAuthors Remix

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I’m thinking about inviting the 31 Zombie Authors back in October for another round of interviews, but this time, not in response to a zombie apocalypse in East Randomtown, but to help promote a book about zombies authored by yours truly.

Oh, that would mean I’d also have to write a book about zombies.

I enjoyed last October – it was a helluvalot of work but people enjoyed it.  It might be less work this time around since I’ve found 31 zombie authors willing to talk to me now.  (Assuming they’d still want to talk to me.  They might be too busy fending off their own zombies.)

Then I thought about writing a book about vampires instead and doing a vampire author interview promo.  It’d be a month of vampire interviews to promote a vampire book and the host would be Count Krakovich, Asshat Vampire. 

(By the way, I’m thinking Count Krakovich should be an A-Hole Vampire instead of an Asshat Vampire.  Fell free to weigh in on this very important matter.)

I like Halloween and Halloween related blog activities I suppose, but the big thing is I’d have to write a book…about either vampires or zombies.

And also I have Pop Culture Mysteries to think of.  The big lesson I learned last year was to stop spreading myself so thin, that I need to have FEWER projects in the works and to spend MORE time on them to develop higher quality.

Less is more, as they say.

What say you, 3.5 readers?

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Amazon Dash Buttons

Have you seen these, 3.5 readers?  Sticky back buttons.  Put them around your house.  When you’re out of detergent, paper towels, gatorade or what have you, just press the button and Amazon will charge you and send you some.

Super convenient or the start of the rise of the machines?

Could this work for self publishers?  Every author sends their fans a button.  Push it when you’re ready to buy the author’s next book.

 

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James Patterson Master Writing Class

Hello 3.5 Readers,

BQB here. Thinking about taking James Patterson’s Master Writing Class. 

Master Class is a website in which celebrities teach classes in their respective fields. So far they have James Patterson teaching writing, Usher teaching performance and Dustin Hoffman teaching acting.

The Patterson class comes with videos, materials, lessons, etc.  Obviously, its pre-recorded material. James Patterson isn’t going to get online live and teach you individually or anything.

100 bucks. On the one hand its a lot, on the other hand, its fairly reasonable when its something you enjoy.

Con – Not sure I have much time to devote to it. I barely find time to write as it is.

Here’s a review of the class by the blog Writing Unboxed.

If you’ve taken it, I’d love to hear from you. If not, check out the above info and let me know what you think.

Sincerely,

Bookshelf Q. Battler

World’s Greatest Nerd

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Where to Find Bookshelf Q. Battler

FACEBOOK1371251154

Bookshelf Battle Page 

Pop Culture Mysteries Page

TWITTER

Bookshelf Battle – @bookshelfbattle 

A new Pop Culture Mysteries Twitter handle that I’m not sure what to do with yet but feel free to follow it. – @popculturemyst

Google Plus 

+BookshelfBattle

Wattpad

@bookshelfbattle

Those are “my big four” i.e. the social media sites I’ve found to be most responsive. Facebook unfortunately seems to be “pay to play” whereas Twitter seems to be the most helpful.

Wattpad I’ve found to be helpful for my writing process.  I’ll write my first draft in a Word document, then rewrite it and post it on Wattpad and get reader feedback.

By the way, 3.5, any help you could give me would be appreciated. Please consider sharing your favorite Bookshelf Q. Battler post on your favorite time wasting social media outlet.

Believe me, your friends will find it more interesting than that picture of your lunch.

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Happy New Year, 3.5 Readers

Hey 3.5 Readers.

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Bookshelf Q. Battler

Well, that was 2015. A whole year’s worth of blogging. As Alien Jones broke it down for us, blogging once a day and being active on social media does make a difference.

I’m at a critical mass point where I have to shift my focus from daily blogging to book production.  One of the hardest lessons I had to learn this year was there just isn’t time to do everything. I have to pick and choose between my story ideas and stick with my decisions, seeing them through to the end before starting something new.

I do love daily blogging, but I think the only way this whole nerdy enterprise remains sustainable is to get some books out there.

And sadly, that means I can’t blog everyday, which after doing it everyday for a year, is going to feel weird.

But don’t worry, I’m not going anywhere. I’ll still check in, just not as often and ultimately, I have to write less in order to write better, if that makes any sense.

In the meantime, I have over a thousand posts on here. Read them. Check them out. Consult with Alien Jones and the other interesting people who stop by.

Thank you for your support, 3.5 Readers.

Sincerely,

Bookshelf Q. Battler

World Renowned Poindexter, Reviewer of Pop Cultural Happenings and Champion Yeti Fighter

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