Like Glass No Longer a VHP Title
The title pretty much says it all; officially, as of today, Like Glass will not be published by Vanilla Heart Publishing. I will continue to distribute it via the current channels (i.e. Amazon and CreateSpace) at least until the first of the year, though I’m unsure whether I will continue to pursue it after that.
I’m at work right now, so I can’t really discuss the subject too much; suffice to say that it’s better for all parties involved that the novel finds a different home.
I would like to sincerely offer my thanks and gratitude to Kimberlee Williams, the editor at VHP, for the time and effort she and her staff put into what work had already been done on the novel, and for putting up with a rather tedious client. I’d also like to once again thank Mary Quast, the author who introduced me to VHP in the first place; even though it didn’t work out, it was still a wonderful experience that I wouldn’t have had without your assistance.
Okay, back to the rat race.
–Matt
Podcast: Free Short Stories
Why you might want to consider giving some of your short stories away for free…
Free Short Stories (~6:30)
Also, the link to J. Kaye’s Book Blog, where Like Glass is the subject of their noontime chat today, is http://j-kaye-book-blog.blogspot.com/. Stop by and check it out!
Choices and Dreams
Had kind of an interesting day at work today. Well, the last half of it was interesting; the first half bored me to tears.
First, we had an office party. We have them pretty much every month, to celebrate the birthdays for that month — it’s pretty cool. If nothing else, it’s an excuse to get away from the monitors for a little while.
This time though, they were celebrating because, aside from the birthdays, we just had our big trade show — RSNA — and our product was a big hit. I sat out most of the fireworks leading up to the trade show for personal reasons, so I kinda kept my distance throughout. Didn’t really feel like it was my thing, you know? Honestly, it felt kinda sad, watching every one else celebrate and feeling (entirely of my own volition, I assure you) a little left out.
Anyways, after that, my manager calls me in to talk to me. He’s been wanting to talk to me ever since I returned, so I was curious as to what exactly it was about. Basically, it was an “are-you-sure-you-can-do-this-job-we-need-you-to-be-focused” kinda talk. After that, I started feeling a little more in the game, you know? I mean, I wasn’t chomping at the bit to get working or anything, but it got me going a little.
See, both of these are related in my mind. The party was kinda something I always wanted to be a part of. I always wanted to be the corporate kinda guy, where you do trade shows and you work long hours and everything. Then you celebrate with the staff on a job well done. The lecture, well, I never really expected to have such a talk. I always expected myself to be on top of the game, if that makes sense.
And I know I could be. This’ll probably sound pretty damned arrogant, but I know I could be a damned good coder there if I wanted to give the effort.
The problem arises in my writing. I want to give my effort to that. I want to devote my time and energy to working on characters and plot sketches and stuff like that. I don’t want to be the corporate kinda guy anymore. I don’t really care about getting an office or anything like that anymore; I’ve … well … honestly I gave up on that dream, because it just didn’t seem realistic, knowing myself the way I do.
And the time that I’ve spent in the past couple of months pursuing the writing gig, well, that was wonderful. That felt real. That felt like I was being authentic, being honest with myself, instead of trying to be something I’m not. It was hard work, but it was effortless and honest hard work.
So where do I go? Love or money, the eternal question… Not that I really need to be asking it right now anyways. The answer is pretty obvious at the moment: there’s too many bills that need to be paid, and I’m not making a dime at the pen yet. But still, now I’m in a position to get/have a dream I used to have, when it’s no longer the dream I want.
What would you do, in that situation? Pursue the old dream, because it’s pretty much already there? Or would you puruse the dream you have at the moment? I always hear people talk about “always follow your dreams”, but I can’t say I’ve ever heard any advice on what to do when your dreams change…
Anyways, it’s bedtime, so I’ll catch you on the flip side.
–Matt
Day Job and A Little About Shattered
In the past few weeks, I was lucky enough to spend some time pretending to be a “full-time” writer: get up, write for a while, try to take a nap, try to arrange marketing, try to take a nap, write for a while, so on and so forth. It was pretty damned nice, but, as with everything that’s enjoyable, it had to end, and I’m back to the day job now.
Well, temporarily, at least 
I’m still hoping that the re-release of Like Glass and the release of Shattered will change that (hoping, not expecting). So, I’m considering it “long-term temporary” for now.
Speaking of Shattered, I’m still waiting to hear back from my early reviewers on that one. Trust me, as soon as I have something to post about what they say, you’ll hear it (well, read it). I guess that it’s about the right time to tell you more about it, since the story line itself probably isn’t going to change much in whatever drafts are left to work on.
If you don’t already know, Shattered is the sequel to Like Glass, and it picks up the story of our “hero”, Rob, a few months after Like Glass ends. Without going into too many details (because they’d not only spoil Shattered, but possibly Like Glass as well), Rob takes back to music with much more passion this time around. Things don’t go that great though, as he’s forced to deal with fun stuff like depression, suicide, and the death of a close friend.
Remember, if I’ve said nothing else about the book, I’ve said it’s supposed to be darker than Like Glass…
Anyways, I need to start getting ready for the grind again. Make sure to pick up your copy of Like Glass, now with a 20% discount throughout the end of the year, when the first edition will not be available anymore. Catch you on the flip side.
–Matt
Shattered Finished; Now What?
Okay, so it’s been a while since I’ve done much posting here, but I hope you’ll understand: Shattered is now finished. I know I briefly mentioned this before, but the rough draft has been given it’s first editing pass and I’m trying to figure out what to do with it next. It hasn’t technically been accepted by the publisher yet, but since Like Glass was only accepted a couple of weeks ago, I’m not in too big a rush to get it taken on yet.
So, that begs the eternal question: what’s next? Honestly, I’m not sure. I have another book in the “Rob Jackson” universe in mind, but I’m thinking I may want to take a break from him for a little bit and see what other trouble I can stir up. I have a couple of other ideas I’d thrown around for a little while, I might take some of them out and dust them off.
Something else I’ve been wanting to try my hand at is writing a supernatural thriller, following in the footsteps of one of my inspirations, Stephen King. I’ve done some minor works that I’m quite proud of, and even started a novel of that nature that I got distracted from (I’ve looked back at it since then, and trust me: it’s a good thing I got distracted from it…).
The only problem is, as strange as it may sound, it’s more difficult for me to come up with something completely crazy and unfounded in reality — like a book about ghosts and vampires and monsters — than it is to write something that may be happening next door. It’s not impossible, just not as easy to make sure it’s real enough to where the reader can get into the story.
I know, I know. Supernatural stuff isn’t supposed to be real. That’s kinda the point. But it still needs to be real enough to where the reader can believe in it to some degree.
Anyways, I think we’re getting a decent storm building around here, so I’d better tie this off before the power goes out and I lose my internet connection. Make sure to keep an eye out for further details on Shattered though!
Like Glass Video Trailer
Thought I’d share the official video trailer for Like Glass with you. You can also check it out at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZ5Cwmk8htA. Thanks to VHP for producing it!
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZ5Cwmk8htA[/youtube]
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Big News for Shattered and Like Glass
Alright, it’s been some time since I’ve posted anything here, but trust me: the wait was worth it. I’ve got some big news for you today, a couple of items, and they’re mainly what I’ve been waiting for before posting again.
Before I start though, a quick FYI: the matthewcory.com domain is down for the moment. I’m working on getting it back up as soon as possible, but until then you’re stuck with this
Okay, first bit of real news: Shattered is done. Well, the rough draft is, at least. It’s printing as I write this — hard copy is so much easier to edit. It’s a little shorter at the moment than I’d hoped for, but it ended where it was supposed to end. I’m sure it’ll shrink and grow during the editing process, so I’m not worried about it. Nevertheless, no more updates on Shattered saying “It’s coming along.” It’s a total of 38 chapters (or 37 and an epilogue; I haven’t quite decided yet), and I’ll be editing them chapter-by-chapter, so any updates should really have some kind of progress marker in them.
Anyways, that ain’t nothing. Here’s the real big news. Are you ready?
Like Glass has been picked up by Vanilla Heart Publishing and is tentatively scheduled for a Spring 2009 release date! You can check out my own page at their site by going to http://www.vanillaheartbooksandauthors.com/Writings.html (it’s at the bottom of the page). There you can find info on the book, links to a video trailer, and links to a Cafe Press store where you can get shirts and coffee mugs and all sorts of cool Like Glass gear. (I’ll soon have the links here as well; my brain’s still a little fried from my writing marathon today to finish Shattered.)
I’d like to give a big thanks to Mary Quast, a fellow VHP author who introduced me to them. I was actually giving up on trying to push the book when she contacted me, and I sent my query on a whim. Thanks Mary!
Trust me, there’ll be further news as events warrant, but for now I’m going to take a bit of a break.
New Site Up!
Just wanted to let everyone know that there’s a new “official” site, specifically for the writing junk. You can find it at http://matthewcory.com/ (yes, it feels pretentious to me too). There’s not much there yet, but stop by and say hello. I’ll be moving most of the content regarding my works over there during the next week or so, and I’ll be posting regular updates on Shattered and whatever else I’m working on there as well.
Just FYI.
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Podcast: Rough Drafts and Editing
Got a new podcast for you this morning. A bit of an update/clarification on what’s going on around here, and we do a bit more emphasis on the whole “Let Yourself Write Crap” mantra from the other day.
Bit of an Update/Rough Drafts and Editing (~9:00)
[podcast]http://www.chocolatefordogs.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/Rough_Draft_and_Editing.mp3[/podcast]
It Ain’t Easy….
A lot of times when I first tell someone that I’ve written a book, I get the same response: “Well, you’ve done the hard part, now you just have to sell it,” — or some variation thereof. It seems to be a common perception that, because everyone wants to write a book but can’t get it out, the creative process must be the hardest part.
I like talking to people about the book, but I do want to get one thing out of the way once and for all: Writing the book was one of the easiest things I’ve done in my life. It was time consuming, and in some ways even a little painful, but putting the words to paper just came naturally, as I’m sure it does for a lot of writers.
Selling it, on the other hand…
If you’ve never tried to start a business from scratch, you probably won’t understand what’s so hard about it. I know I didn’t — send out a few emails to agents or publishers, and bam! You’re an overnight success. Well, you’ll get a couple of rejection letters, but bear with them and, if there’s any advice in them then take it and move on. Simple, right?
Yep, that’s what I thought when I started this game, but, in case you haven’t made the connection yet, I want to let you in on a little secret: it ain’t that easy.
I’ve had times in my life where I was unemployed, beating the pavement in a suit and tie with a stack of resumes in one hand, trying to find anyone that would hire me. That was pretty rough stuff, but it’s a walk in the park compared to trying to convince someone to take the time to read a book. Seriously, have you ever tried walking for a few miles, in desert heat, a black suit, and dress shoes? Not pleasant. But you do what you gotta do.
I’m taking a similar walk right now, though I’m finding a lot more closed doors than there were that summer I needed a job. And I’m probaby making it harder on myself, because — to keep with the analogy, kinda — I’m also holding up a sign to the street saying “Will work for food.” Okay, that might be a bit of an overkill, but I’m trying to get my foot in the door on one side and sell the book to the general public on the other. All without a budget or a clue.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m having the time of my life; it’s a strange mix of misery and ecstasy, waiting to see what each day brings. For the most part, I guess I’m looking to apologize in a way, or at least seek understanding, from some people I’ve surely annoyed over the past couple of weeks.
I’ve been trying to push Like Glass harder than anything I’ve ever done, and in doing so, I’ve probably pushed it a little too hard in some areas. And if I’ve come across as pushy, or needy, or even desperate, I’m damned sorry. There isn’t anyone else out there doing the work for me though. There isn’t a marketing company trying to get the book in a radio spot or a newspaper spot. No one’s putting displays up at Barnes and Nobles with a rose on a black background. It’s all me, and I can only think of so many avenues to go that seem viable and modestly simple before I start repeating myself in the same venues. As I write this, I can’t even budget a few bucks for a simple pay-per-click campaign.
Damn, I hope I don’t sound like I’m asking for pity here — I’m not. Like I said, just seeking some understanding from anyone I might’ve pissed off recently. Anyone else who’s tried to sell a book, or start any kind of business from the ground up surely understands. There isn’t anyone else out there who gives a crap whether you sink or swim, so you got to fight for yourself. If you’re lucky enough to have something to back you — a publisher, a bankroll, whatever — then you can rest a little bit. If not, you start to get that wild look in your eyes wondering what the hell you’re doing wrong, hitting the refresh button on your web-visit stats hoping for that one visitor who might actually buy it. It’s terrible, but exhilirating at the same time.
Okay, I hope that makes sense somehow. If not, well, I got it off my chest a little so I can relax for a while
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