Writer's Grove

Cover Update and a Public Appearance Thingy

WELL!

Things are happening.

Though I can’t share what I saw because it just wouldn’t be fair, my editor sent me something that the cover artist is working on and it is jaw-droppingly cool! These days the cover artists often use photographic models on which to base their digital illustration (think Gail Carriger’s books, see this cool video on how they made the cover for her third book), and so to get themselves ready for the photo shoot they’ll construct whatever props and doodads they feel necessary for verisimilitude. What I got to see today was one of the props created for the shoot, and I cannot describe how awesome it is to see something I imagined come to life like that! I have been doing a happy dance for three hours and I think I’ve lost a couple pounds.

By the way, for a fun look at how urban fantasy covers have changed, check out this neat survey and this other article from Orbit books.

In other news, I’m going to be making my first “public appearance,” which is such a douche-y phrase that I can’t say it without laughing. But nevertheless, here it is: I’ve been asked to speak at a Writer’s Workshop on Saturday, October 9 at the East-West Exchange on 100 N. Tonto Rd. in Payson, AZ, from 1-3 pm. It’s sort of a whirlwind tour of getting published for aspiring authors, though of course I’m going to be focusing a bit on urban fantasy in particular. Come on by if you can make it, they have a great little coffee bar in there (it’s an indie bookstore) and I’ll hang out for a while.

The program will include how I discovered a niche in the market and rushed to fill it, followed by what I hope is a mildly inspirational story of how an unknown schmoe with zero connections in the industry got a three-book deal with a major publisher. I’ll walk people through the process, from market analysis to writing the book to sending out queries and landing an agent, and then discuss what I feel are some demands in the fantasy market (both urban and epic) that aren’t currently being supplied. There will be a Q & A afterward so that you can stump me.

And someday, when I can, I’ll post REAL COVER ART and I cannot wait!