Editing, writing, and guess which of my characters is back?
On Tuesday I got back the edited manuscript for the second Area 51 Nightstalker book. We’re not sure whether we’re going to title it The Book of Truth or The Book of Secrets. There is some concern that the latter might be connected to that movie that came some years ago and I think that’s valid. How many of you remember that and do you think it would cause confusion?
I remember when The Rock was first published, it was the same year as the movie The Rock, with Sean Connery and Nicholas Cage (say, isn’t he in that Book of Secrets movie too?). There was confusion selling the foreign rights because of that. The Rock is one of my all time favorite books. It started with my wife and I sitting at lunch and her mentioning her ex’s brother-in-law in the Air Force was going to be stationed in the middle of Australia and I, brightly, saying: Isn’t there a big rock in the middle of Australia. Such is brilliance launched.
But every book does start with just a single idea. I remember that moment of conception of all my books.
Besides having to do the rewrite on the Book of Secrets (or Truth), I’m well into, tada, big reveal, the 7th book in my Green Beret series. Yes, Dave Riley is back. And he’s meeting Horace Chase from Chasing the Ghost.
Riley is retired, living on Dafuskie Island in South Carolina and Chase arrives on Hilton Head to claim the house his mother left him in her inheritance. A beautiful woman shows up in Chase’s driveway, then there’s the Russian mob, kidnapping, gun battles and lots of mayhem. I’m building the series in a new direction, with Riley and Chase and assembling around them a team of misfits and rogues that will hopefully go forward in a lot of new books. I love the idea of this team of civilians who form their own kind of A-Team. Their medic is an old flame of Chase’s who is a vet now on the island. Except it takes him a while to recognize she no longer has interest in men. Duh. They have a Gullah who Chase played with as a child as their local intelligence; and an ex-Ranger, Gator, who is their weapons man. He’s a little crazy. Hell, they’re all a little crazy which makes for a fun write and a fun read. This book will be published 7 May.
Jen is having a fit over title for this. I want to title it: The Green Berets: Chasing The Lost. Because the main plot line is they’re trying to find a kidnapped boy. She’s not big on it. Any thoughts? She wants just Chasing (one word). Ie she want to dump the THE for some reason. Cover art or something.
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I’m writing differently now than I used to. You figure I had to learn something after 50 manuscripts or so. The biggest thing is I really feel like I’ve found my voice. It was hit and miss for a long time. In Area 51 Nightstalkers I think you can clearly see the snark and the omniscient view.
On other fronts, last week I had my great NY expedition where I went back to West Point for the first time in decades. It felt different than before. I remember driving up the Hudson as a cadet, I’d get a feeling of dread as I got closer to the Academy. Especially those Sunday evenings, coming back during the gloom period (which is this time of year at the Academy). Now I felt a certain distance. Also, I think my experiences in Special Forces and making my living for the last 20 years as an author have shaped me.
Friday, I fly to Chicago for Love is Murder Conference, which is an interesting name for a writers conference since in most of my books, love ends up with murder. I used to joke that if characters had sex in my books, the woman had to die right afterward. For two reasons: so the hero didn’t have to make small talk. And so he could avenge her death. The perfect date.
Anyway, I’ve written over 5,000 words today, and my brain is mush. I think there was something I wanted to say, but can’t remember. My nephew’s dorm at UT lost power so he just came over to spend the night. And Gus and Becca are freaking out because it’s dark and there’s someone else in the house.
Off to calm down my raging beasts.
It won’t be hard. Just bring treats.
Posted on January 30, 2013, in Write It forward and tagged Area 51, Bob Mayer, Green Berets. Bookmark the permalink. 11 Comments.
The movie to which you are referring was actually called “National Treasure: Book of Secrets.” You could call your book “Nightstalkers: The Book of Secrets” and I think you’d be fine. “The Book of Truth” sounds like—and, in fact, already is—a book of revelatory religious (supposed) profundities. [“Book of Truths” by Joseph Babinsky]
Worry less. Write more.
Best wishes,
Peter Spenser
http://www.peterspenser.com
“Anyone Can Make a Kindle Book”
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007F14XM8/
Yes– I was abbreviating it for focus. My book would actually be Area 51 Nightstalkers: The Book of Secrets, which is a mouthful.
Not to your fans. They will be O.K.
As for your new readers who are just starting up with you: when you’re an author with a large catalog, a very distinguishing title is helpful to them, so they get the book that they’re looking for… the right book in the right series.
At least it’s always been helpful to me.
That is an issue– I often get email asking which book to start with, which is a conundrum. In traditional publishing, they DID NOT want to list books as 1, 2, 3, etc. in a series. The reason for this was that when a new print book was published and racked it was featured. They wanted you to buy THAT book. Even now with digital, if I put out Green Berets 7, which technically the book I”m writing is, I want people to buy it, not necessarily go back to #1. The books stand alone in terms of plot. There are character arcs through the series.
Right now, an issue is Nightstalkers is actually starting a new series. But on UK Kindle, the first Area 51 books is #2 on the scifi bestseller list (behind Les Miserables???) and Nightstalkers is back there around #25 with almost all the other Area 51 books ahead of it. It’s nice that the books are selling, but in a way it’s hurting Nightstalker sales, although my goal is to really break that series out after two or three titles.
I think there are three really important factors in a decision like this. One, fans are willing to pay more for the “latest” in entertainment. First-run movies, video games the day they are released, shows opening on Broadway, hardback bestsellers. Two, the person who reads the first ebook in a series is far more likely to buy and read book 2 (if it is available as an ebook) than anything else. Three, because your marginal cost of production is zero, the price of an ebook should fall as it sells more.
Taking those factors together, I would recommend pricing the latest book in a series at your top price. As an example, let’s say $7.99. A pricing strategy might look like this:
# of books in series (current), price of book 1, 2, 3,
1, $7.99
2, $6.99, $7.99
3, $4.99, $6.99, $7.99
4, $2.99, $4.99, $6.99, $7.99
5, $2.99, $4.99, $4.99, $6.99, $7.99
6, $2.99, $4.99, $4.99, $4.99, $6.99, $7.99
Obviously, there are many variations on this. If you are totally unknown, putting out book 1 and book 2 at the same time and making book 1 free forever can make a lot of sense.
“Green Berets: Chasing The Lost” I like. Makes me think, who’s lost, why, and do I want them found? Just “Chasing” makes me ask; chasing what? Which may be Jen’s intention. Your readers aren’t going to care what you title a book. A new reader might be confused. This is all just my humble opinion.
Upon seeing the proposed title “The Book of Secrets”, the movie with N. Cage was the very first thing that popped into my mind. Strongly suggest a different title.
Looking forward to the upcoming Riley/Chase novel.
I appreciate it. As far as pricing, we’ve just lowered our prices across the board and will most likely keep them capped at $4.99. The first book will be $2.99 and sometimes .99 for specials.
I think Jen is right–title needs to be
Chasing (something)
She’s having a fit over an image I just sent her for cover that I really like.
Also I think Book of Truth will will win out for Nightstalkers
When Bob sent me the image I thought he was joking, I just replied with “um…” but when he chose not to respond back, well I knew he wasn’t kidding.
I’m not having a fit. I’m slightly terror stricken. But I will say this, Bob always has interesting ideas and I will always work with them. Every once in a while, I’m right and he’s wrong. But I have this really weird feeling….this won’t be one of those times…
As far as title goes, well, for some reason I’m stuck on things like Chasing Lost, or Chasing Dead, or maybe Chasing Skeleton…
One thing is for certain, I’m so totally stoked for this book. We we started talking about putting these two characters together, I knew it would be magic…now to just get cover and title right. We’ll get there. We always do. It might take a few bitch sessions in email, but we do our best work when we’re pushing each other.
Pricing: I did a major study of pricing over the last year. I broke it all down in charts and graphs (gave Bob a headache, as I often do) and I’m not a fan of the price tier. I do think first in a series at lower price or having a lost a leader, but after that, readers really like consistent pricing across the board.
And I personally prefer Book of Truth.
Chase is moving to the east coast? So we’re never going to find out who Sylvie was really working for? We lose the landlady, too?
But we get Riley and a Gullah. That’s cool. Actually, I love the idea of a sandlot A-Team.
Chasing the Lost… If you make it just Chasing Lost, it sounds like something to do with that TV series (you know the one). Titles give me a headache. Just put your moniker on it under whatever title you pick, and we’ll find it. Of course, you’re wanting to spread your web…
At least these days, you can drive onto the campus and nobody is going to pounce on you to demand your homework.
You could call the book: The Green Berets: Chasing (Insert name of kidnapped boy). So if the name of the boy was Adam it would be: The Green Berets: Chasing Adam. It has a certain simplicity. Just a thought.