F. P. Dorchak

Speculative Fiction (New Weird) Author

Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award Contest

Starting A New Novel

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Heading Back Into The Woods.... (By Anne LaBastille, 1938-, Photographer [NARA record: 1422473] [U.S. National Archives and Records Administration] [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons)
Heading Back Into The Woods…. (By Anne LaBastille, 1938-, Photographer [NARA record: 1422473] [U.S. National Archives and Records Administration] [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons)
As I finish up Voice and consider which new novel to start, many thoughts run through my head. On the one hand, there’s the part of me that just chompin’ at the bit to get ready to start…then there’s this other voice that questions: can I do this again? Will it be as good as my previous efforts?

What do I want to spend the next two-three years of my life working on?

Yes, three years.

I write novels part-time, since I hold a day job. Now, I’ve managed to whittle a little off that over the years, so it’s more like two-and-a-half years, and I haven’t worked anything brand new start-to-finish since ERO, so, really, who knows how much more effective I’ve become. Voice, set to be released this summer, was originally written in 1997-1999. So, in the interests of readers like Mandy and Edie, I’m going to try something a little different…if it pans out. I’m going to try to do a little outlining. I’ve tried this before, and it failed. And by “failed” I mean I began just staring at blank screens and sheets of paper. It became too much like my tech writing life: work. So, I’d been blocking the outlining effort. Once I realized that and just organically began writing…just sitting down to the keyboard and writing whatever came to me…then it all worked.

So…I may try a hybrid approach and see how it goes…if it goes any faster. I know, technically, it shouldn’t be about getting things done faster…as long as the quality doesn’t suffer…but I really would like to get more efficient at putting books out! So, let’s look at it as being more efficient. When it’s all said and done, I figure were I to write full-time it would take me about a year to write what now takes me two-three. And, I really do like living the lives of most of my characters (not the bad guys/gals) and the story itself, so I’m really not in any huge hurry….

…in fact, as I write this…perhaps it’s become more of a habit than a necessity. After all, for most of my writing career the goal has always been to get a novel, any novel—just one—out there, for chrissakes. But, now, since I’ve gone full-monty Indie and have four-soon-to-be-five novels out, there is no urgency to hurry…to kill myself as it were…in getting these books out there.

And, if I (or my readers) really get antsy to release new work, I can always compile my better short stories and publish those…which is something I’ve considered over the years. That may very well happen, especially the more I think about it.

So, for now, I’m mulling over which project to start next. I think I know which one I’ll start…have actually begun looking back into it (it’s already partially begun, back in 2011, actually), but getting Voice out is still consuming my time and efforts (have to complete the back cover copy, incorporate Mandy comments, get the cover art done, format it for e-book and trade paperback—and keeping up with blog posts!). And, once I get it out there, I’m going to do my best in better promoting it and my other works. I know, all the traditionalists scream I should have already been doing all that months ago, but I never make things easy on myself and I hate being told what to do. I’m just me…trying to squeeze in writing and promotion into all the other things I have to do in a day…with little-to-no-real-budget. So, it is what it is, maaan. And the good thing about Indie publishing is that no matter what you do or don’t do, a book is not going out of print unless the world ends or the publishing arms goes under. So, new is new to readers who discover a book at the onset of its release…or years later. It really doesn’t matter. And I want to enjoy my life and significant other rather than burning the midnight oil and killing myself trying (like I used to) to complete a novel then hit every frigging promotional/marketing milestone dead on. I’ll get to it when I can physically get to it.

So, I guess I answered my own questions, huh?

Oh, by the way, I’ll be at the following events in Colorado Springs and Denver this year:

Colorado Springs Pikes Peak Library Publish Your Own eBook Panel, October 10, 2015

Denver’s MileHiCon47, October 23-25, 2015

I may be contacted at fpdorchak at fpdorchak dot com for review copies, interviews, speaking engagements, and whatnot. If you want some cover art.

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Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award Contest

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Well the contest everyone loves to hate by the company everyone loves to hate has opened its entry period February 16 – March 2, 2014, for the 2014 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award Contest (ABNA).

It’s open to all unpublished and self published, English language novels. The contest will remain open until March 2, or 10,000 eligible entries have been received. Entrants can log into CreateSpace.

There will be one Grand Prize winner, who’ll receive $50,000, as well as four First Prize winners, who’ll receive a publishing contract from Amazon, and an advance of $15,000.

The categories are general fiction, mystery/thriller, romance, science fiction/fantasy/horror, and young adult fiction.See the Official Contest Rules for more info, and the prizes page for, you know, prize stuff, et cet.

You can only enter one manuscript per category.

The Uninvited and ERO can fit into two categories. Am I gonna enter?

Plan on it.

UPDATE Feb 22, 2014:

Upon reading the Amazon contest contract, I noted a curious clause, called the “Moral Rights” clause. It kinda disturbed me. It states that we waive all moral rights, which means the rights of attribution and integrity. Here’s  a link describing said clause, and below is a response from a fellow writer/publishing lawyer, Susan Spann, who has graciously allowed me permission to post her response:

“I’ll pipe in from the publishing lawyer’s perspective.

‘Moral rights’ are more important abroad than they’ve traditionally been in the U.S.

The right of attribution means the author’s right to have his or her name associated with the work. That’s critically important, but generally dealt with elsewhere in the contract (with U.S. Contracts, anyway).

The right of integrity is the right to prevent ‘mutilation or alteration’ of the work. Again…important to most of us, but dealt with in a section usually titled ‘editing.’

Ultimately, moral rights are the right of the author to have his or her name associated with the work and to prevent non-permitted changes to it. Most of those rights are addressed elsewhere in U.S. contracts, and many publishers do ask for waivers of moral rights. Most authors just don’t notice them lurking in the legalese. That said, there may well be other rights-grabs in the Amazon rules that warrant attention.”

But, you have to enter the contest, stay with the contest, then win the contest to even be considered for/get an Amazon publishing contract, which means you have to abide by giving up all moral rights to even get the publishing-your-book contract where “all this” would “be handled.” And by who—you? Better get an agent…but, of course, that’d be too late, since you already gave up your moral rights by entering and staying with the contest contract.

Read that contract. I am/still going over it.

So…I’m considering withdrawing from the contest. I’m perfectly content with the result of my indie releases, and was just looking to gain a publishing house, so I didn’t have to pay out money to publish. It appears…TANSTAAFL…still applies.

Additionally from Susan:

“Normally a moral rights waiver is pretty clear. The language will be something like ‘Author waives all moral rights in and to the Work.’ That clause may stand alone, or may lurk elsewhere in the document. Generally speaking, though, the language is actually going to use the words ‘moral rights.’

The true lurker versions of this language get rid of the moral rights piecemeal (which is more common in the U.S.). The words ‘Publisher has the right to edit the Work, and the right of final approval over the form and content of the work’ are essentially a waiver of the moral rights against defacement and alteration – because the author is giving the publisher the final right to edit and approve the work. Where the author requests additional language that says ‘provided that Publisher’s changes may not substantially alter the substantive content of the Work,’ the author is rescuing some of those moral rights — the ones that deal with substance and content.

The same is true of the attribution right. When the contract states that the Publisher ‘will’ credit the author as author of the Work on the title and verso page, that’s a protection of the author’s moral right of attribution.

In one sense, this has become a lesser issue in the U.S. because we deal with the individual rights that make up “moral rights” separately in our standard contracts.

Also, this clearly needs to get into my #PubLaw posts somewhere. I’m not sure I’ve done one on moral rights.

I used to teach this as part of the intellectual property and copyright courses I taught at the law school level, and I can tell you it gave new lawyers issues too.”

Susan also had issues with other parts of the contract that gave me increased pause for thought. For instance, the Grand Prize winner’s grant of rights in all forms and formats doesn’t terminate like the other “levels-of-winners” do. And there’s no specifics about when the “all forms and formats” runs out.

So, given I no longer have an agent, and given all the terrific info Susan—a publishing lawyer—gave, I’m withdrawing my submission.

Thanks, Susan, for all your advice and information!

Disclaimer: And, just to be clear, Susan did NOT recommend any course of action to me (she did not recommend I withdraw in any way, shape, or form), this is all and totally MY decision.

Be[ a]ware.

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