The Cat Factor: The Next Step

The Cat Factor: The Next Step: Great day yesterday! ...Except for the fact that my Chrome didn't let me use the Facebook chat, post or comment... But that problem's fix...

Read what Andrei has to say and follow our adventure!

A quest into the digital art world and a message from my writer

Message from my writer

 

So! We made some great contacts today: very talented local young men and women who are offering their services in regards to our need for a book cover. We'll be receiving their sketches and get back to you, and them - of course! - sometime next week. I wish I could hire all of them because they are original, gifted and deserve to shine and be rewarded, but sadly we have a limited low budget...

I hope nobody will hold a grudge; by the time the next book will be ready for print, we should be well prepared to purchase their services at a decent price and not ask for freebies. I also hope that we made friends today and not just business associates, and I intend to promote you guys in the future. All of you!

Deea and I have been thinking about a couple of side projects and meeting these wonderful artists gave me an idea. We'll reveal them soon enough, but until then, let's pick a cover!

On a personal level, I want to thank them for their prompt response and professional attitude, and hope that I can meet them all for a drink and a chat when I get back. Special thanks to our friends, Malice Bathory and Scufitza Rosie, for advertising for us and getting us in touch with these wonderful folks!

 

Andrei

 

And may I add a short PS: more news to come and a choice to be made! I can't wait!

 

Don't forget to check our page for details! The Angellove Society will soon disclose the artists' names who made it to the shortlist for the cover design of Crux!

 

Andreea

 

 

Pass me a note!

What? If last week we didn't play, it means we won't get to play at all? No way!

Creative Writing Exercise on the loose! And this one's easy...

We're in class together in highschool. Pass me a funny, short, secret note about how hot is the new Math teacher!

Winner gets promotion and lots of fun! Note me away!

 

Go to The Angellove Society Facebook Page and leave your note in a comment under the photo

 

 

 

Your post will be seen by more than 1000 people and fans so get creative and win!

Poets of the world, unite!

So what, you think you got away with it? No way! This week's Creative Writing Exercise is about... Poetry! Yes, you've heard me. So since the book blurb scheme wasn't so much on your taste, let's try less serious and go for funny.

So the challenge is: write a short poem (4 to 6 verses), with or without rhyme, your personal choice, that can turn easily into a tune or at least can be hummed around the house. 

Go to the Angellove Society's Facebook Page here and leave your poem in a comment below the photo! It should be fun and the winner gets his / her name by over 2000 writers, editors and readers! Don't be shy!

What say you? Sing me away!

No pain no gain

So what I’ve been up to lately?

Blurb-ing. Writing the synopsis for Crux. The third or fourth time. Cover letter-ing. It’s my job and I love it.

Queryshark has been my Bible for the last few days. Read that site top to bottom.

I am submitting the manuscript, that’s what I do. Or at least I am gathering a list of publishing houses that seem open to my kind of approach and Andrei’s writing style. And publish Fantasy, which a dear friend of mine called “the hardest genre to sell in the world”. Thanks, J, I will shake your hand after I send you a copy signed by the author! Seriously now, J thinks I am a rockstar in agent-ing. We’ll see about that.

So I actually found a few interesting guys. Independent and not among the dinosaurs that make you wait between 6 and 9 month for an answer, if ever. Four to six weeks seems like a vacation. Publishing Perspectives is a great place to dwell. You can find almost anything there. Pred Ed too and of course, Facebook. My very best playground. Oh, and LinkedIn. My other favorite happy place.

Research is a bitch.  Be there 100 houses, each and every one has different rules: you’re an author, query us! Riiiiight! So here it goes: some want TNR, 12, 1.5 lines, a query no longer than a page. Others ask for half page at 2 lines. Other font, other page format. It’s either doc. or rtf.  for the manuscript. It’s either the entire manuscript, or the first three chapters, or the first 50 pages. Ok, NUMBERED, I got it! Header containing info about the author. Or not. It’s either with or without author biography. It’s either with or without detailed marketing strategy from the author. Tell us the approximate number of words in the book. Give the exact number of words. And so on. I don’t actually mind doing this. It has a perverted sense of fun in it. Wonder if Hemingway had to go through all this, though…

Smart as I am, I asked the opinion of several published writers about the query. The answers don’t match. At all. My query is good. Of course it is, I wrote it. “But then… I think you should add more of… “ Or…”You know… it needs more feeling”. Great, load the query with feelings! But don’t load the synopsis with anything. No. That is forbidden. The synopsis is a cold statement of facts.

Why can’t publishers agree already? What’s with all these guidelines that make an author dizzy? I mean, and this is a legit question: say an author struggled for a year or two or five to finish a novel. After all his / her pain and work and sweat and soul breaking, he / she actually have to go through this mind blowing process? And market the book alone? And stumble upon vanity press? And publishers who ask money just because he / she wrote a book? When do the writers write anymore?

Self-publishing you say? Over my dead body!

Oh holy ghosts of Shakespeare and Dostoievsky! Nowadays they’ll never get published! Queryshark would just ravish them!

So I’m following my hunches. I’ll have one or two reviews more before actually sending the cover letters and queries and bits of the manuscript to the selected houses.  I’m not taking any chances. This book will get published. Traditionally. In good taste. With royalties. With a contract. Old fashioned!

In the mean time, I made public this week’s Creative Exercise. *Huge grin on my face. Check the Page. Win the contest!

Who is Scott Kuhn?

The Angellove Creative Writing Exercise Winner, of course!

Scott gave us the best cliff-hanger in the competition. Here it is:

"BING-BONG" I hear someone ringing my doorbell. I get up and dust the cheetos, I ate while watching Twilight Zone,off my hand and onto my Levi Jeans. The show's theme song plays and the credits start to roll as I rise to my feet , making su...re to pick-up my pistol. "BING-BONG" The doorbell rings once more. "Hold your horses!" I yell. I reach my orange, dusty right hand out and grab the doorknob. Again, The doorbell rings. "BING-BONG" I open the door, holding my Glock 9mm firmly in my left, undusted hand, hidden behind the door. I slowly turn the brass knob. The door flies opens and then, suddenly ..."

Scott is a self-employed entrepreneur from Pennsylvania and if you want to know more about him, go check his Facebook Page, he does share lovely quotes!

Scott's name and info was mentioned in 15 Facebook groups of writers and he himself took some pride in being the winner.

So if you want to have fun with us, get creative and be promoted, just tune in on Thursday's Competition! It's getting more challenging by the minute so get your pens and papers and be ready for a new literary adventure!

 

Cliff - hanger

Feel like getting a little creative? Well then! You all know the rules: answers in a comment below the photo on the Page! Best contestant gets a round of applause and finds his/her name on our Page, blog and other networks!

Today's exercise is:

Write a cliff-hanger for a story, no matter what genre. No more than a paragraph. It must end with the line "and then, suddenly..."
We don't want to know what comes after "suddenly" but we do want an intriguing, thrilling and mind blowing cliff-hanger for a story.

So get your beautiful minds up and running and let the games begin!