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Post by Bainespal on Jan 24, 2011 15:37:21 GMT -5
I'm currently reading Furries of Calderon, a mainstream high fantasy novel, the first of the Codex Alera series. There is no map in the book. I like to see maps of secondary worlds, especially when places and geography are frequently mentioned, as they are in Furries of Calderon. So, I googled "Codex Alera Maps" and ended up on Jim Butcher's website (even though it doesn't seem to have a map!). To get to the point, I found an article on the website in which Butcher shares his own experience in "breaking into print." I thought this would be of interest to many of you, especially those looking into the secualr/mainstream market. So, here's the link: www.jim-butcher.com/jimJim Butcher demonstrates how effective meeting agents/editors in person can be: |
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Post by beckyminor on Jan 24, 2011 20:31:30 GMT -5
That pretty much says it all right there, doesn't it.
"Pre-published authors, get thee to a conference" seems to be pretty solid advice.
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Post by morganlbusse on Jan 25, 2011 11:09:04 GMT -5
Another great thing about conferences is not only do editors and agents meet me, I am able to meet them. Someday if my work is picked up, I want to like the person I work with. Websites do not provide that personal interaction. Only conferences.
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Post by j2starshine on Oct 25, 2011 15:18:08 GMT -5
Good stuff. Thanks for posting!
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Post by Divides the Waters on Jan 30, 2012 18:19:42 GMT -5
Does anyone else find it vaguely insulting that publication is not based solely on the merit of the writing, but upon the happenstance of whom you happen to meet and at what time?
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Post by Kessie on Jan 30, 2012 22:19:04 GMT -5
Divides: Well, sure, but a lot of people get jobs that way. Networking!
Someday I'll be able to do all this footwork. Right now I'm still in the process of writing those first lousy novels and getting them out of my system. Good practice. :-)
Also, how is Furies? My hubby's been chewing through the Dresden books like mad and we're just waiting on the last one from the library. I've stood in the library and looked at the Furies books and wondered how they were.
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Post by metalikhan on Jan 31, 2012 12:15:00 GMT -5
Does anyone else find it vaguely insulting that publication is not based solely on the merit of the writing, but upon the happenstance of whom you happen to meet and at what time? Maybe, but I also think God may have orchestrated the happenstances. I noticed in a review someone complained about how prevalent the Christian values were in the Dresden books even though the MC is not Christian. Phrases & words like "holier than thou" and "preachy" were used. Sounded to me like ol' wizard Dresden pricked someone's conscience -- and in a wildly popular, secular arena. Debatable quality of writing aside, I'm cheering Butcher on for presenting the Christian values in his series.  |
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Post by Kessie on Jan 31, 2012 17:08:01 GMT -5
Metal: There's actually a whole Christian character and his family who moves in and out, hassling Dresden about not marrying his girlfriend and asking him to not swear. He and Dresden get into some interesting discussions, Dresden himself being a skeptic. But the other character (Michael Carpenter) is a Paladin and he's AWESOME. If Butcher isn't a Christian, he knows them and respects them. (I read an interview where Butcher said he'd grown up doing all kinds of youth missions and things with his church, so he may or may not be.)
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Post by Bainespal on Feb 2, 2012 22:52:02 GMT -5
Recommended if you like sword-and-sorcery style action. Some good worldbuilding. Some annoying scenes. Will you read my long review (link) of the novel that I put up on Amazon? I actually submitted that review to Strange Horizons for publication, but they didn't take it. Of all the things I've written, I'm fairly proud of this review. For my part, I decided to read Furies of Calderon last year after a recommendation from a friend who liked both the Codex Alera series and the Dresden series. I decided to try Furies instead of Dresden, because I enjoy high fantasy (the alternate-world kind) the best. But from what I've heard since, Dresden sounds pretty good. Perhaps I'll read it someday. |
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Post by Kessie on Feb 3, 2012 9:26:15 GMT -5
Well, I don't know what name you posted under or how many stars you left, so it's a little tricky to find your review ...
Also, why do the negative reviews leave spoilers? I'm interested in reading the book and I don't want spoilers!
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Post by Bainespal on Feb 3, 2012 10:01:38 GMT -5
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Post by Kessie on Feb 3, 2012 13:08:43 GMT -5
Ah, good review. Now I'm really curious about it. :-) I'm interested to see how someone can write fantasy without doing the whole "overblown prose" thing, a la Hobb, Jordan, Weiss/Hickman, Martin, etc.
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Post by Bainespal on Feb 3, 2012 17:11:54 GMT -5
I'm interested to see how someone can write fantasy without doing the whole "overblown prose" thing, a la Hobb, Jordan, Weiss/Hickman, Martin, etc. You think Jordan's prose is overblown?  I haven't read Martin or Weiss/Hickman, but if there's one fantasy author whose prose I could describe as "overblown," it would be Brooks. Here's a good review I read of Furies of Calderon, from the blog Refracted Light: www.refracted-light.dreamhosters.com/?p=126 |
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I haven't read Martin or Weiss/Hickman, but if there's one fantasy author whose prose I could describe as "overblown," it would be Brooks.