Pimp your own Stuff Thread

[chopemon]

I only read for about 15 minutes a day on my way to and from work so it's taking me a while to get through it but I am really enjoying your novel Sketcz!

I really like the dialect and colloquialisms, they add a real flavour and character to it. I'm up to chapter 3 and the story is picking up nicely. I don't want to say too much more because there are specific things I want to praise but they would be spoilarz.

Excellent work!

[Dogg Thang]

I've ordered one of the new Kindles and, while I've got one book lined up first, I'll be getting Sketcz's book and checking it out for myself. Looking forward to it. Better be good! *shakes fist*

[Sketcz]

I'm making no promises to anyone.

I only read for about 15 minutes a day on my way to and from work so it's taking me a while to get through it but I am really enjoying your novel Sketcz!
I really like the dialect and colloquialisms, they add a real flavour and character to it.

Really? Fantastic. That's a tremendous relief. Tremendous. LITERARY RULES #14, #28, #30, and #119 state you should never misspell words, use foreign accents for English, foreign words instead of English, or make words up. (which is odd given Harry Potter's tremendous success, then again Rowling did struggle to find an agent at first).

I broke all of the above rules and had a lot of fun doing so. EG: Rifleductor = train conductor who carries a rifle. Also, Afrika spelled with a "K", because the world has reverted to a more untamed version of itself. I should probably do some blog entries explaining the symbolism behind things.

If you've made the 3 chapter hump I reckon you'll make it to the end. Take your time, and if you finish and like it, pop a review on Amazon.

[noobish hat]

What writer doesn't make words up? That doesn't even make any sense.

[Sketcz]

There's isn't actually a rulebook, I was joking - but I've read a lot of author's and agent's advice (The Writers' and Artists' Yearbook is full of good essays), and they all recommend avoiding inventing words which don't exist.

Of course the Strugatsky brothers, Terry Pratcher, William Gibson and JK Rowling had great success inventing fictional words - and in Gibson's case several of them entered common parlance. This advice, which seems to be quite common, is probably given to prevent people making a mess when writing. Some high-fantasy I've unreadable due to the moonspeak it uses (one book I saw even included a picture dictionary of custom drawn "runes" by the author, which expected you to match these up for the chapter names).

Of course the other unwritten rule of writing is: if you understand the rules by all means break them.

EDIT:
Just remembered where I heard some of this. Allow me to draw attention to points 5 and 6.

From the always excellent George Orwell:

1) Never use a metaphor, simile, or other figure of speech which you are used to seeing in print.

2) Never use a long word where a short one will do.

3) If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out.

4) Never use the passive where you can use the active.

5) Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word, or a jargon word if you can think of an everyday English equivalent.

6) Break any of these rules sooner than saying anything outright barbarous.

[noobish hat]

I'm afraid I don't understand the rules, unless they pertain only to literary fiction. I don't think there's a science fiction or fantasy writer who's ever lived that hasn't made up words.

[charlesr]

"The book of dave". Rubbish. But, anyway, that respelled loads of stuff. Reaaallly badly. Made me want to poke his eyes out. Unlike "Feasum Endjinn" which did it so well that after a short while you didn't notice.

[noobish hat]

What the hell. This is the man who invented Newspeak. Isn't this some kind of paradox folding in on itself and bending the universe and now my brain has melted and is coming out of my ears.

[Sketcz]

What the hell. This is the man who invented Newspeak. Isn't this some kind of paradox folding in on itself and bending the universe and now my brain has melted and is coming out of my ears.

I know! Doubleplusgood, innit?

[Brad]

@Sketcz - What's the best way to buy this for use on a Sony reader?

[Sketcz]

Hmm, an excellent question.

Amazon supplies it as a PRC file for use in Kindle and devices which can read PRC. So the iPad has an app that reads PRC files. I've also got a Kindle reader on my PC, which downloads the PRC files to a folder. As far as I'm aware Amazon put DRM on their ebooks, though on Retro Gamer's forum Antiriad2097 mentioned he was going to rip out the DRM in order to put on his Sony Reader. I think he's intending to convert it to whatever alternative format is preferred.

I've no experience with the Sony Reader I'm afraid. But Amazon allows you to download a free sample of the book (Chapter 1 and some of 2) in PRC format, so if you're going to experiment with getting it to work, you could start with the freebie.

Alternatively, if you like you can PayPal me the cost of the book as it is on Amazon (?1.70) and I can email you the PDF I made for a book reviewer (the Sony reader accepts PDF, right?).

[kryss]

You should publish it on Smashwords as well, then it would go to Kobo, Sony, Diesel, Apple, etc. Only issue is that you have to jump through some hoops to avoid paying tax in the US (as that's where the site is based). Otherwise IRS takes 30%...

[vanpeebles]

There's isn't actually a rulebook, I was joking - but I've read a lot of author's and agent's advice (The Writers' and Artists' Yearbook is full of good essays), and they all recommend avoiding inventing words which don't exist.

Of course the Strugatsky brothers, Terry Pratcher, William Gibson and JK Rowling had great success inventing fictional words - and in Gibson's case several of them entered common parlance. This advice, which seems to be quite common, is probably given to prevent people making a mess when writing. Some high-fantasy I've unreadable due to the moonspeak it uses (one book I saw even included a picture dictionary of custom drawn "runes" by the author, which expected you to match these up for the chapter names).

Don't forget Anthony Burgess!

[Brad]

Thanks Sketcz. PDF isn't a great format, even on a Sony. Pages turn faster if you use other formats. However, your sample chapter idea sounds like a plan.

Edit: That worked fine once I'd figured out where Kindle for Mac had put the file. There seemed to be superfluous dots scattered about but they're there in the original in the Kindle reader so I guess that's just a style thing. I'll give the sample pages a go tonight and if it's good you can buy that yacht tomorrow mate.

[chopemon]

Sketcz, what's the dilly-yo with releasing a book on Kindle? Can you just write one and submit it or does it have to come from a publisher?