Clint Gaige

Nanowrimo...next up Nanoedmo

2005-11-28T23:32:00.000-05:00

Wow...exhausted, sleep deprived and enough nicotine and caffeine to stock a small country, but the novel is finished. The word count capped of 66,796 words. Now, its time to finish the edits from my last novel. I have my editor's notes and am working dilligently on that book. Its nice to be able to step outside the story that has consumed me for the last month.

We also have November's numbers to post later this week. It has been a good year for Quiet Storm Publishing. Whew...no sleep for the wicked.

Back to the grind.

Writing

2005-11-08T12:17:00.000-05:00

So, this blog was supposed to be more than just our sales numbers but boy have I been busy lately. Just a lot of things all going on at the same time.

I'm an idiot. I'm participating in NaNoWriMo again this year. Trying to stay on deadline while running a publishing company is a bit daunting, but I'm enjoying the book I'm trying to write. I'm a little over 19,000 words right now. So, I'm ahead of the curve, but god forbid a few busy days pop up over the next few weeks.

I also just received my next manuscript back from my editor. So, I'm torn. I want to get this new manuscript written during this month, but my editor offered some very exciting ideas for the already finished manuscript...leaving me in a quandry...what child do you take care of?

Meanwhile, my daughter walked into my office and looked at me with sad eyes and said, "would you watch Teen Titans with me?"

Guess which child one? :)

Teen Titans was pretty good.

Now, I have to get back to the drawing board. LONG exhale. I'm going to try to get this NaNoWriMo manuscript written a little faster so that I can get my finished manuscript actually finished.

Now, that covers the writing part of my life. Now, lets talk about the idiot who decided to take ISBN's to 13 digits and to make it retroactive...UGH! It wouldn't be so bad if certain organizations had their act together, but my God getting answers regarding ISBN lists is like pulling teeth. We paid for our new ISBN list three weeks ago(and we paid to rush it 2 day). Do I have it? No, that would be too easy, that might require customer service on some level.

Longer exhale. Right now, this month's releases are covered but I need them for next month. Kinda hard to get a book reviewed if you don't have the ISBN...GRRR...

October's Sale

2005-11-05T17:09:00.000-05:00

Sorry for the delay in posting our new numbers for October. I took a short vacation and am also participating in NaNoWriMo again this year.

Octoberr Sales

We're proud to list our Top Ten Selling Books for October

OCTOBER'S TOP TEN BOOK SALES FOR QUIET STORM PUBLISHING
#1 CHESAPEAKE CRIMES II anthology edited by Donna Andrews and Maria Y. Lima
#2 JINGLE’S CHRISTMAS by Randy Rawls
#3 CHILDREN OF THE DREAM by Mary Triola
#4 CHESAPEAKE CRIMES I -anthology edited by Donna Andrews
#5 MATTERS OF THE BLOOD by Maria Y. Lima
#6 MURDER IN METROPOLIS by Lonnie Cruse
#7 MURDER BEYOND METROPOLIS by Lonnie Cruse
#8 THE COLOR BLIND DETECTIVE by Bill Capron
#9 NORTHCOAST SHAKEDOWN by James R. Winter
#10 IDENTITY CRISIS by Debbi Mack

Year to Date Top Ten Book Sales for Quiet Storm Publishing

#1 JAY WALKER BOOK ONE by Grant R. Philips
#2 NORTHCOAST SHAKEDOWN by James R. Winter
#3 CHESAPEAKE CRIMES II, anthology edited by Donna Andrews and Maria Y. Lima
#4 MERLIN'S DOOR by Mary Triola
#5 MATTERS OF THE BLOOD by Maria Y. Lima
#6 THE VISION by C.L. Talmadge
#7 WICKED AND THE DEAD by Robert Weibezahl
#8 JINGLE'S CHRISTMAS by Randy Rawls
#9 ROAD DAWGS by Clint Gaige
#10 CHESAPEAKE CRIMES I ,anthology edited by Donna Andrews

OCTOBER'S TOP SELLING EBOOK AND AUDIOBOOKS

#1 ROAD DAWGS (AUDIO) by Clint Gaige Read by Clint Gaige
#2 NORTHCOAST SHAKEDOWN (AUDIO) by James R. Winter Read by Clint Gaige
#3 JINGLE'S CHRISTMAS by Randy Rawls
#4 NORTHCOAST SHAKEDOWN by James R. Winter
#5 THE SHADOWLANDS by Michael S. McGowan
#6 BETNONI'S PROPHECY by Elizabeth A. Merz
#7 THE COLLECTIVE by Kerry Downing
#8 DEATH WARMED OVER by Cindy Daniel
#9 ADVERSE IMPACT by Philip Tomasso, III
#10 CAROLINE ROSE by Mary Triola

Year to Date Top Ten eBook and Audiobook Sales for Quiet Storm Publishing

#1 ROAD DAWGS (AUDIO BOOK) by Clint Gaige Read by Clint Gaige
#2 THE COLLECTIVE by Kerry Downing
#3 THE FOURTH BRANCH by Josef Wilson
#4 THE SHADOWLANDS by Michael S. McGowan
#5 DEATH WARMED OVER by Cindy Daniel
#6 BETNONI’S PROPHECY by Elizabeth A. Merz
#7 ADVERSE IMPACT by Phillip Tomasso, III
#8 COBO’S QUEST by Elizabeth A. Merz
#9 CAROLINE ROSE by Mary Triola
#10 NORTHCOAST SHAKEDOWN by James R. Winter

September Sales

2005-10-02T16:07:00.000-04:00

September Sales

We're proud to list our Top Ten Selling Books for September

SEPTEMBER’'S TOP TEN BOOK SALES FOR QUIET STORM PUBLISHING

#1 NORTHCOAST SHAKEDOWN by James R. Winter
#2 THE WICKED AND THE DEAD by Robert Weibezahl
#3 THE COLOR BLIND DETECTIVE by Bill Capron
#4 IDENTITY CRISIS by Debbi Mack
#5 THE VISION by C.L. Talmadge
#6 CHESAPEAKE CRIMES II anthology edited by Donna Andrews and Maria Y. Lima
#7 JAKE’S BURN by Randy Rawls
#8 MEMORY OF A MURDER by Earl Staggs
#9 CHILDREN OF THE DREAM by Mary Triola
#10 JINGLE’S CHRISTMAS by Randy Rawls

Year to Date Top Ten Book Sales for Quiet Storm Publishing

#1 JAY WALKER BOOK ONE by Grant R. Philips
#2 NORTHCOAST SHAKEDOWN by James R. Winter
#3 MERLIN'S DOOR by Mary Triola
#4 THE VISION by C.L. Talmadge
#5 MATTERS OF THE BLOOD by Maria Y. Lima
#6 WICKED AND THE DEAD by Robert Weibezahl
#7 ROAD DAWGS by Clint Gaige
#8 CHESAPEAKE CRIMES I, anthology edited by Donna Andrews
#9 CHESAPEAKE CRIMES II, anthology edited by Donna Andrews and Maria Y. Lima
#10 CHILDREN OF THE DREAM by Mary Triola

SEPTEMBER’S TOP SELLING EBOOK AND AUDIOBOOKS

#1 NORTHCOAST SHAKEDOWN by James R. Winter
#2 JAKE’S BURN by Randy Rawls
#3 THE SHADOWLANDS by Michael S. McGowan
#4 BETNONI’S PROPHECY by Elizabeth A. Merz
#5 COBO’S QUEST by Elizabeth A. Merz
#6 THE COLLECTIVE by Kerry Downing
#7 ROAD DAWGS (AUDIO) by Clint Gaige Read by Clint Gaige
#8 FOURTH BRANCH by Josef Wilson
#9 CRESTFALLEN’S WIDOW (AUDIO) by Simon Wood Read by Clint Gaige
#10 HUMAN CONDITION (AUDIO) by Clint Gaige Read by Clint Gaige

Year to Date Top Ten eBook and Audiobook Sales for Quiet Storm Publishing

#1 THE COLLECTIVE by Kerry Downing
#2 ROAD DAWGS (AUDIO BOOK) by Clint Gaige Read by Clint Gaige
#3 THE FOURTH BRANCH by Josef Wilson
#4 THE SHADOWLANDS by Michael S. McGowan
#5 DEATH WARMED OVER by Cindy Daniel
#6 BETNONI’S PROPHECY by Elizabeth A. Merz
#7 COBO’S QUEST by Elizabeth A. Merz
#8 ADVERSE IMPACT by Phillip Tomasso, III
#9 CAROLINE ROSE by Mary Triola
#10 DEGREE OF RISK by Josef Wilson

August Sales

2005-08-27T22:39:00.000-04:00

We're proud to list our Top Ten Selling Books for August

AUGUST’'S TOP TEN BOOK SALES FOR QUIET STORM PUBLISHING

#1 JAY WALKER: THE CASE OF THE MISSING ACTION FIGURE by Grant R. Philips
#2 LOOKING UP by J.M. Kearney
#3 MATTERS OF THE BLOOD by Maria Y. Lima
#4 MEMORY OF A MURDER by Earl Staggs
#5 WICKED AND THE DEAD by Robert Weibezahl
#6 IDENTITY CRISIS by Debbi Mack
#7 NORTHCOAST SHAKEDOWN by James R. Winter
#8 ROAD DAWGS by Clint Gaige
#9 CHILDREN OF THE DREAM by Mary Triola
#10 CHESAPEAKE CRIMES II anthology edited by Donna Andrews and Maria Y. Lima

Year to Date Top Ten Book Sales for Quiet Storm Publishing

#1 JAY WALKER BOOK ONE by Grant R. Philips
#2 NORTHCOAST SHAKEDOWN by James R. Winter
#3 MERLIN'S DOOR by Mary Triola
#4 MATTERS OF THE BLOOD by Maria Y. Lima
#5 GREEN STONE OF HEALING by Candace Talmadge
#6 ROAD DAWGS by Clint Gaige
#7 WICKED AND THE DEAD by Robert Weibezahl
#8 CHESAPEAKE CRIMES I, anthology edited by Donna Andrews
#9 MURDER BEYOND METROPOLIS by Lonnie Cruse
#10 CHILDREN OF THE DREAM by Mary Triola

AUGUST’S TOP SELLING EBOOK AND AUDIOBOOKS

#1 ROAD DAWGS (AUDIO BOOK) by Clint Gaige Read by Clint Gaige
#2 THE FOURTH BRANCH by Josef Wilson
#3 DEATH WARMED OVER…COMING SOON by Cindy Daniel
#4 THE SHADOWLANDS by Michael S. McGowan
#5 COBO’S QUEST by Elizabeth A. Merz
#6 THE COLLECTIVE by Kerry Downing
#7 CRESTFALLEN’S WIDOW (AUDIO) by Simon Wood Read by Clint Gaige
#8 BETNONI’S PROPHECY by Elizabeth A. Merz
#9 AMONG THE ROSES (AUDIO) by Clint Gaige Read by Clint Gaige
#10 ADVERSE IMPACT by Phillip Tomasso, III

Year to Date Top Ten eBook and Audiobook Sales for Quiet Storm Publishing

#1 THE COLLECTIVE by Kerry Downing
#2 ROAD DAWGS (AUDIO BOOK) by Clint Gaige Read by Clint Gaige
#3 THE FOURTH BRANCH by Josef Wilson
#4 DEATH WARMED OVER by Cindy Daniel
#5 THE SHADOWLANDS by Michael S. McGowan
#6 BETNONI’S PROPHECY by Elizabeth A. Merz
#7 ADVERSE IMPACT by Phillip Tomasso, III
#8 COBO’S QUEST by Elizabeth A. Merz
#9 CAROLINE ROSE by Mary Triola
#10 DEGREE OF RISK by Josef Wilson

COMING IN SEPTEMBER

A SAYING AMONG SOLDIERS by William Saffell

NCAA Ruling and Political Correctness

2005-08-13T12:05:00.000-04:00

Well, the NCAA has taken one more step toward eradicating the Native American face from our culture. I know people's feelings were hurt by the use of their heritage as a mascot, but did they really accomplish anything here? Essentially they gave the white man one more reason to turn a deaf ear to the slow eradication of the Native American culture. If there is one thing history teaches us it is that the best way to eradicate an entire race is to remove all mention of it.

Granted the Seminole spearing the 50 yard line was over the line, but why was naming them after such a proud tribe insulting? When will the Irish argue against Notre Dame's team name? Couldn't that be insulting to passive Irishmen everywhere? When will the Celts rise up in anger over the use of their name in Boston? It won't take long for PETA to argue that you can't even name a team after an animal. If political correctness has its way we will soon be cheering on the Detroit Blues vs. the Washington Maroons (or, morons if Snyder still owns the team in this distant future).

Mascot names are not meant as an insult, they are meant as a form of respect. If just one young boy studies the Seminole tribe with interest because of the naming of the team, isn't that worth a little misplaced pride?

The ruling should have required these teams to have mandatory classes for the players so that they could learn about the tribes they were representing.

Now, everything I've just said should be thrown out the window for the Washington Redskins. That does not celebrate anything but a racial slur. If a name should be changed, that's the one.

In this NCAA ruling, I am not quite sure what was won.

Printers and Distributors...state of the industry

2005-08-12T22:28:00.000-04:00

Man, this business is going to give me a heart attack. One more reason to keep at the diet, my job is trying to kill me.

We utilize print on demand as a technology. Pretty simple, right? Well, it gets more complicated. You see, Ingram, our distributor also owns our printer. Easy enough, you might think, you'd be wrong. You see, our distributor sends back returns that are supposed to come back to us so that these returns can be resold. Apparently, our last batch of returns were destroyed but they are still charging us for them. Mind you, I have no proof there ever were returns without getting them back in my hands.

It seems a little shady that the distributor could simply send back phantom books and charge the small press for the books to boost their affiliate's bottom line. I have no way of knowing if the books actually were returned. It does strike me as odd that according to our report Ingram returned books at the same time they ordered new copies????

And, the book industry big wigs wonder why this business is failing...its simple, mismanagement. When the larger publishers can consider a 50% sell through a success, it sets a very tough standard for small presses. Then, when those larger houses buy space pushing small presses right off the shelves they essentially strangle the industry at its roots and then wonder why the industry is getting stagnant. Where is all the new talent?

Unless building readers becomes the focus of the book industry (and I mean from the publisher right through to the bookseller), I fear that we're going to push ourselves out of business all the while blaming everyone else.

I shake my head whenever I hear one writer claim their genre is better. What the hell does that matter when the readers are disappearing? That's like jumping out of a plane claiming your parachute is better despite it not opening. Writers are NOT in competition with each other...we are in competition with video games, or new DVD releases, or the also stagnant music business. We are in competition with alternate forms of entertainment, it is that simple.

We have to get a hell of a lot smarter if this industry is going to survive.

July's Sales Numbers

2005-07-27T16:24:00.000-04:00

We're proud to list our Top Ten Selling Books for July.JULY'S TOP TEN BOOK SALES FOR QUIET STORM PUBLISHING

#1 CHESAPEAKE CRIMES II anthology edited by Donna Andrews and Maria Y. Lima
#2 IDENTITY CRISIS by Debbi Mack
#3 THE WICKED AND THE DEAD by Robert Weibezahl
#4 CHILDREN OF THE DREAM by Mary Triola
#5 THE COLOR-BLIND DETECTIVE by Bill Capron
#6 JAKE’S BURN by Randy Rawls
#7 NORTHCOAST SHAKEDOWN by James R. Winter
#8 CHESAPEAKE CRIMES I anthology edited by Donna Andrews
#9 ROAD DAWGS by Clint Gaige
#10 SHADOW OF THE DAHLIA by Jack Bludis

Year to Date Top Ten Book Sales for Quiet Storm Publishing

#1 NORTHCOAST SHAKEDOWN by James R. Winter
#2 MERLIN'S DOOR by Mary Triola
#3 JAY WALKER BOOK ONE by Grant R. Philips
#4 GREEN STONE OF HEALING by Candace Talmadge
#5 ROAD DAWGS by Clint Gaige
#6 MATTERS OF THE BLOOD by Maria Y. Lima
#7 MURDER BEYOND METROPOLIS by Lonnie Cruse
#8 WICKED AND THE DEAD by Robert Weibezahl
#9 CHESAPEAKE CRIMES 1 anthology edited by Donna Andrews
#10 JAKE’S BURN by Randy Rawls

JULY’S TOP SELLING EBOOK AND AUDIOBOOKS
#1 ROAD DAWGS (AUDIO BOOK) by Clint Gaige Read by Clint Gaige
#2 THE SHADOWLANDS by Michael S. McGowan
#3 THE FOURTH BRANCH by Josef Wilson
#4 COBO’S QUEST by Elizabeth A. Merz
#5 NO TIME TO MOURN by Tim Wohlforth
#6 DEATH WARMED OVER by Cindy Daniel
#7 CRESTFALLEN’S WIDOW (AUDIO) by Simon Wood Read by Clint Gaige
#8 BETNONI’S PROPHECY by Elizabeth A. Merz
#9 HUMAN CONDITION (AUDIO) by Clint Gaige Read by Clint Gaige
#10 CAROLINE ROSE by Mary Triola

Year to Date Top Ten eBook and Audiobook Sales for Quiet Storm Publishing

#1 THE COLLECTIVE by Kerry Downing
#2 ROAD DAWGS (AUDIO BOOK) by Clint Gaige Read by Clint Gaige
#3 THE FOURTH BRANCH by Josef Wilson
#4 DEATH WARMED OVER by Cindy Daniel
#5 BETNONI’S PROPHECY by Elizabeth A. Merz
#6 THE SHADOWLANDS by Michael S. McGowan
#7 ADVERSE IMPACT by Phillip Tomasso II
#8 CAROLINE ROSE by Mary Triola
#9 DEGREE OF RISK by Josef Wilson
#10 COBO’S QUEST by Elizabeth A. Merz

Why I do this...

2005-07-18T17:45:00.000-04:00

Warning, this is a bit mushy...very much a love letter to books and writers...

Well, it certainly isn't to get rich. I jumped into the deep end of publishing before I realized I didn't really know how to swim yet. That was a long time ago and the first thing I learned was either you learn to swim very quickly or you sink like a rock.

I'm pleased to see Quiet Storm treading water and occasionally even doing a flip coming off the diving board these days.

The truth is, I love books and I love working with creative people. That comes from my Father, a long time musician and radio guy. I have always been around creative people and the few times I ventured into the real world, the mindless clock watching scared me straight. I just like being around creative types and books...ah, books. Isn't there just something magical about the very pages that contain the keys to a new world? It is the coolest thing in the world to me. I even love the smell of fresh ink on paper.

But, above all, I love the people. This last weekend I had the pleasure of being a part of a signing at Mystery Loves Company in Baltimore (if you haven't been, go...if you have been, go again). What a wonderful store full of suprises. I shouldn't tell you this because I intend on picking it up myself, but they have a hardcover of Touch by Elmore Leonard. I have an autographed trade paper, but I have to have the hardcover...it is an affliction. Anyway, back on track, I had the opportunity to just hang out and chat with a number of our authors; Jack Bludis, Maria Y. Lima, Tony Cheatham, James Winter, Josef Wilson and debut author Debbi Mack! This is why I do what I do. These are the reasons. Talking to Jack about his Shamus nomination and his grandkids was great fun. Discussing television series with Maria was costly (now I have more shows I have to go buy). James flying in just to hang out with us and sign some books. Josef Wilson, and old and very good friend, commented on how far we've come which felt great to hear. Tony Cheatham was just an infectious ball of energy and incredibly well versed in this genre. For the cherry on top handing Debbi Mack her very first copy of her brand new book was as the commercials say, priceless.

There are hard times in every industry and every job. There are days I hit my frustration point. There are days I wonder why I did this...but, it always comes down to the people. I just remind myself that I wouldn't have it any other way. I mean, what a treat it is to read a No Time To Mourn by Tim Wohlforth before anyone else can or, to be one of the first to get to read Second Hand Goods, the follow up to Northcoast Shakedown early. I honestly believe that I have the coolest job on the planet, second only to Tom Waits and maybe Dave Matthews (have you seen the DVD portion of his new album? How cool is that record studio they built?) :)

Writing and Publishing

2005-07-11T03:14:00.000-04:00

Man, time is scarce. I have been torn in multiple directions lately. I have a story that just wants to be told so I am busy working on that adding about 2,000 words a day, if all goes well. I had plans to produce and direct a film this summer but it looks as if I may have backing to produce a limited run short film series, assuming money men like the script and story arc and they have to believe they can get a return in their investment in the DVD market...essentially, they want to air it on indie television stations (more in the US then you might think) and then sell it on DVD. The schedule will be like a television series but it would be monthly instead of weekly. I am also recording my novel for audiobook AND as if that wasn't enough stuff going on, I am running a publishing company.

Luckily, we have some incredibly strong staff members that make a lot of this possible.

We have a team of incredible editors and proofers.

I am still doing most (99%) of the cover art because, quite honestly, I enjoy it. And, cover art is a great way to cleanse the creative palatte, as it were.

It has been a good month so far. Sales are strong. Quiet Storm was at 187% of business plan. Which helped pick us up from May, which was one bad month (amazing that one bad month can take months to recover from in this business). We are at 56% of our yearly goal which is fantastic.

eBooks are building in numbers and Audiobooks are getting mixed reviews which, is why we start with my books when we do something new :). If you have any comments about our Audiobooks (currently, only available at Fictionwise.com) please email me. We are very interested in making that as strong a product as possible. Feedback is helpful. You can hear Chapter One of my book, Road Dawgs, for a penny.

We are also actively working on building our Library relationships nationwide. Lots going on, the year is only half over but we're trying to ensure we close the year out with a bang!

June's Sales Numbers

2005-06-27T17:12:00.000-04:00

We're proud to list our Top Ten Selling Books for June.

June’'s Top Ten Book Sales for Quiet Storm Publishing

#1 Shadow of The Dahlia by Jack Bludis
#2 Road Dawgs by Clint Gaige
#3 Jake’s Burn by Randy Rawls
#4 Murder Beyond Metropolis by Lonnie Cruse
#5 Jingle’s Christmas by Randy Rawls
#6 Round Up by Tony Cheatham
#7 Children of The Dream by Mary Triola
#8 The Wicked and The Dead by Robert Weibezahl
#9 Matters of The Blood by Maria Y. Lima
#10 The Color Blind Detective by Bill Capron

Year to Date Top Ten Book Sales for Quiet Storm Publishing

#1 NORTHCOAST SHAKEDOWN by James R. Winter
#2 MERLIN'S DOOR by Mary Triola
#3 JAY WALKER BOOK ONE by Grant R. Philips
#4 GREEN STONE OF HEALING by Candace Talmadge
#5 MATTERS OF BLOOD by Maria Y. Lima
#6 ROAD DAWGS by Clint Gaige
#7 MURDER BEYOND METROPOLIS by Lonnie Cruse
#8 SHADOW OF THE DAHLIA by Jack Bludis
#9 CHESAPEAKE CRIMES 1 anthology edited by Donna Andrews
#10 JINGLE’S CHRISTMAS by Randy Rawls

JUNE’S TOP SELLING EBOOK AND AUDIOBOOKS

#1 BETNONI’S PROPHECY by Elizabeth A. Merz
#2 ROAD DAWGS (AUDIO BOOK) by Clint Gaige
#3 ADVERSE IMPACT by Philip Tomasso
#4 THE COLLECTIVE by Kerry Downing
#5 DEATH WARMED OVER by Cindy Daniel
#6 KYUSHU BLUES by William Saffell
#7 PAWNS by Michael S. McGowan
#8 CAROLINE ROSE by Mary Triola
#9 AMONG THE ROSES (AUDIO BOOK) by Clint Gaige
#10 ROAD DAWGS by Clint Gaige

NEW RELEASES FOR JULY

CHESAPEAKE CRIMES II an anthology edited by Donna Andrews and Maria Y. Lima

IDENTITY CRISIS by Debbi Mack

LOOKING UP by J.M. Kearney

MEMORY OF A MURDER by Earl Staggs

Let the Flood Gates Open

2005-06-21T20:51:00.000-04:00

Well, we re-opened to submissions yesterday. Today, we're swamped with submissions from authors. There must have been a number of authors just watching our submission guidelines because it was like the dam just broke.

Let there be reading material. Unfortunately, we're rejecting nearly everything. Our rejection rate is right about 99% right now. We're still looking but it really has to knock our socks off.

Its a shame because we're saying no to some good material.

I wish we had unlimited resources so that we could be a little riskier in our selection process.

If you're an author looking for a publisher, remember, rejection isn't personal!

Good Luck.

Reviews, reviews, reviews

2005-06-14T12:57:00.000-04:00

I should start this by saying, I LOVE reviewers. I really do. Anyone who takes the time to read a book and post their feelings about the book both good and bad deserves praise...it is too often a thankless job.

Today, I'm a little peeved at one reviewer in question. I won't name any names and I won't mention any publications.

The reviewer loved the book and for that I am grateful. But, they commented on two things...editing and publicity. Now, editing, is a fair comment. Its all part of the product. She caught 6 typos in the book and felt that was too many. I don't actually agree, but I live in the real world. As a publisher I have to continually balance the cost of manpower to proof a book over and over and over again. Eventually, someone has to say, "get it into print." That someone is me. We do give our authors a final proof to catch anything we missed, but typos are never the author's fault at least according to this reviewer. I tend to think it falls on all of us and the blame should be shared but 6 typos in a 250 page book is not unreasonable from a business perspective...the author in me disagrees but I'm running a business. Ironically, the reviewer had a typo in her one page review of the book, but it was an ezine and easy to fix the review (the typo is no longer there, they corrected it after I helped them proof the review).

I would also add that I don't think I can pick up any book I own and not find at least six errors and I own a lot of books. As I said, editing is a fair attack. I can live with that. The buck stops with me.

What bothered me was the reviewer said that we did not support our authors with publicity and the only way she found out about the book was at a conference. First of all, author panels at conferences are one way of reaching readers...but, that aside, we do work VERY hard to promote our authors. For this particular book, we ran print ads, we ran television and radio ads. We sent out ARC's. I think its presumptious and unfair for reviewers to assume that because they haven't heard of a book the publisher has somehow not tried to publicize the book.

I also found it insulting in this day and age when larger presses are doing less and less...and we're trying to do more and more, that we were put down in a review for not supporting our authors. I hadn't heard of a major book from a major publisher until it was nominated for an Edgar...does that mean there was no publicity? No, it means I just missed it. I certainly wouldn't call out the publisher in a review.

May's Sales Numbers

2005-05-29T13:47:00.000-04:00

May's Top Ten Book Sales for Quiet Storm Publishing

#1 Matters of the Blood by Maria Y. Lima
#2 Road Dawgs by Clint Gaige
#3 Chesapeake Crimes anthology edited by Donna Andrews
#4 Northcoast Shakedown by James R. Winter
#5 Sara's Search by Jan Christensen
#6 The Shadowlands by Michael McGowan
#7 Death Warmed Over by Cindy Daniel
#8 Round Up by Tony Cheatham
#9 Shadow of The Dahlia by Jack Bludis
#10 Jay Walker Book One by Grant R. Philips

Year to Date Top Ten

#1 NORTHCOAST SHAKEDOWN by James R. Winter
#2 MERLIN'S DOOR by Mary Triola
#3 GREEN STONE SERIES by C.L. Talmadge
#4 JAY WALKER 1 by Grant R. Philips
#5 MATTERS OF BLOOD by Maria Y. Lima
#6 ROAD DAWGS by Clint Gaige
#7 CHESAPEAKE CRIMES anthology edited by Donna Andrews
#8 MURDER BEYOND METROPOLIS by Lonnie Cruse
#9 MURDER IN METROPOLIS by Lonnie Cruse
#10 DEATH WARMED OVER by Cindy Daniel

This is also our first month selling eBooks and Audio shorts (we will be expanding to Audio full length shortly). Our first month has been an incredible success. Here is a list of our top ten selling eBook\Audio. We will break the lists up when we have enough product in both formats. You'll see my name a lot, that won't consistently be the case, whenever we dive into something new, I always use my own work as the guinea pig.

#1 THE COLLECTIVE by Kerry Downing
#2 CAROLINE ROSE by Mary Triola
#3 AMONG THE ROSES Audio Short by Clint Gaige
#4 TWO BITS by Clint Gaige
#5 DEGREE OF RISK by Josef Wilson
#6 ROAD DAWGS by Clint Gaige
#7 KEROUAC CHRIST by Clint Gaige
#8 MERLIN'S DOOR by Mary Triola
#9 DOGMATIC SIBLINGS Audio Short by Clint Gaige
#10 FOURTH BRANCH by Josef Wilson

Drum Roll Please

2005-05-23T18:14:00.000-04:00

We're proud to announce a new partnership with Fictionwise.com. We are partnering up with Fictionwise to provide eBook and Audio versions of many of our titles.

You can check out Quiet Storm's available titles here

We're incredibly excited by this new partnership and will be adding titles all the time.

Studio Time, Studio Time...and more studio time

2005-05-22T12:04:00.000-04:00

Quiet Storm is actively pursuing audio books. Since, my background is in radio and voiceover work, I headed off to the studio to record. I'm pleased to say, I haven't entirely lost my skills in the booth. We recorded 25 pages in 3 hours and then spent an hour editing it, mixing it down and getting it ready for both mp3 and Redbook CD production. Its quite an investment of time, but the end product is going to be pretty good, I think...Of course, I'm essentially praising myself, not sure how detached I'm being :) Now, we have to see what happens with the final production.

Sales will determine the future of Audiobooks with Quiet Storm. They take a lot more time to create and more money. Creating and stocking audiobooks essentially costs 10 times what formatting and stocking a hardcover book. Now, the upside is that once the up front cost is paid for, buying more copies is less expensive, much less.

Wear Words

2005-05-10T09:06:00.000-04:00

So, I'm sitting here with some actual spare time the other day. I had no idea what the hell to do with myself, so I started thinking of outlandish ideas that should never be tried. Well, I came up with one...the problem is, I had more spare time. Which means, I had just enough spare time to talk myself into trying this new idea that should never be tried :)

Wear Words was born. I'm going to give this a shot on a small scale and see what happens. Essentially, this is about putting my shirt where my words are. Quiet Storm Publishing is going to enter a new market...flash fiction on clothing.

Take a look at our prototype here http://www.cafepress.com/quietstormbooks/606561 this is a short story of mine titled Rough Around The Edges. The story starts on the front of the shirt and finishes on the back.

We'll see how bad an idea this is soon enough, but I thought I'd share.

Now to write promotional material that makes it sound like this was a brilliant idea that I truly think will work...(its all about the marketing).

Press, a mixed bag

2005-05-04T11:29:00.000-04:00

I have found it harder and harder to talk about Road Dawgs in the press. This is the first book written since the death of my son and while its a valid topic for interviews it is hard to keep talking about it in public forums. Interviewers want to know details and how I managed to keep writing after tragedy. Its hard to talk about it.

I guess the truth of the matter is, giving up would have been easier. It was hard to actually want to do something like write...writing seemed so very trivial. It was my daughter who kept me going. During the worst of it my wife was nearly comatose...I remember my daughter climbing up on her lap and saying, "Mommy, just be." I remember thinking about the depth of the well that brought that little nugget to the surface in a two year old little girl.

Its both easier and harder while time passes. My daughter looks quite a bit like her brother...ironically, she is now older than her "older" brother. She never knew him but competes with him anyway. She continually compares herself to him (without our encouragement). In fact, I try to never compare them...which, may be why she does it on her own. I have gotten to the point where I can not think about him for a bit, but I always feel guilty when I realize what I've done.

It isn't a question I will ever really get out from underneath...I try to remind myself that the real goal should be to show people who have lost someone that there are going to be days worth living again, even if it doesn't feel like it.

How ironic, I am posting on a blog about my frustration about dealing with loss publicly...Oh well, the topic is already on the table, I guess I might as well address it.

Top Ten Selling Books

2005-05-02T17:51:00.000-04:00

This seems like the perfect place to list our top three selling books for April were;

MERLIN'S DOOR by Mary Triola
JAY WALKER: THE CASE OF THE MISSING ACTION FIGURE by Grant R. Philips
SARA'S SEARCH by Jan Christensen

Top Ten Selling Books to date for 2005 are;

NORTHCOAST SHAKEDOWN by James Winter
MERLIN'S DOOR by Mary Triola
THE VISION: BOOK ONE OF THE GREEN STONE SERIES by Candace Talmadge
JAY WALKER THE CASE OF THE MISSING ACTION FIGURE by Grant R. Philips
MURDER BEYOND METROPOLIS by Lonnie Cruse
MATTERS OF THE BLOOD by Maria Y. Lima
MURDER IN METROPOLIS by Lonnie Cruse
ROAD DAWGS by Clint Gaige
CHESAPEAKE CRIMES edited by Donna Andrews includes Agatha Winner Elaine Viets
DEATH WARMED OVER by Cindy Daniel

Agatha's

2005-05-02T08:02:00.000-04:00

Congratulations to our Agatha Winner!!

Best Short Story - Elaine Viets, "The Wedding Knife" (from CHESAPEAKE CRIMES)

That was some nice news on the heels of the release of Chesapeake Crimes II coming out next month!!!!

On the Stereo

2005-04-27T21:07:00.000-04:00

We've caught up for the most part. New releases scheduled for next month include;

The Wicked and The Dead by Robert Weibezahl
The Color Blind Detective by Bill Capron
Identity Crisis by Debbi Mack
Chesapeake Crimes II an anthology edited by Maria Y. Lima and Donna Andrews

We're also excited to announce a new partnership with Fictionwise.com, we are going to be releasing our books in ebook format and have teamed up with Fictionwise to make them available. We're excited by this new opportunity.

Now, that most of my work is caught up, I can get to some of my own work. I'm working on a script titled, Drawing Dead. I have actors ready to go and locations all worked out. So, we're hopefully going to be filming in July.

My Grandmother's 90th birthday is coming up. I am looking forward to going up to see her. I am also making it a working vacation. I have a buddy who owns and runs a professional recording studio up there. He and I are talking about recording some of my short stories up there. That should be fun.

Nice Review

2005-04-10T11:55:00.000-04:00

Its always nice to get some good news...

First, "The Girl in Apartment 2A" by G. Miki Hayden, Dime, and edited by Babs Lakey was nominated for a Derringer!

Second, Quiet Storm Author Jan Christensen was nominated for a Derringer as well for her short story "Up in Smoke"

Third, I received this great review for my latest, Road Dawgs!

"There is a lot going on in this story, but the key element at heart is the fragile bond between parent and child. This emotional topic cleverly weaves its way into the entire story and leaves you anxiously awaiting the climax. Though you do bounce from character to character, the shifts are fluid and never interrupt the book’s flow. Clint Gaige is an author to watch."

-Tracy Farnsworth, Roundtable Reviews

That's a pretty good day!

Reviews and such

2005-03-25T05:31:00.000-05:00

So, I've been reading up on a number of lists and blogs about book reviews and the like. I'm always amazed when authors seem somehow surprised how much politics are involved with reviews. I think that many authors are on one side of the curtain and are always somehow surprised when the wizard is revealed. It is a little sad to witness actually. The vast majority of authors get into this business a little bit naive. You have to be ready for the reader who hates your work...it is going to happen.

Before I ventured into publishing I spent my time in the trenches of the media. Every media company approaches their day dedicated to spin and maintaining itself. I have seen news stories killed because the story was about a large advertiser. I've seen positive reviews given to restaurants that increase their ad spending. And, I have seen music get more spins with enough product support by a label (not payola, but giveaways).

The only advice I can give is to ALWAYS consider the source. You can not stop someone from writing their opinions about your book, but you can be judicious with where you send review copies. And, lets not forget, negative reviews sell books too. That may be the most important thing to keep in mind.

This is covered in much more detail http://www.sarahweinman.com/confessions/2005/03/who_should_revi.html

Sarah really does a great job of discussing this issue.

Consistency, that's the key

2005-03-22T06:26:00.000-05:00

You know, it sure is a good thing that I update this regularly. Its been a busy month. We have quite a number of new titles coming out in the next few weeks.

Chesapeake Crimes II, edited by Maria Y. Lima and Donna Andrews
Matters of the Blood by Maria Y. Lima
Wicked and The Dead by Robert Weibezahl
Death Warmed Over...Grand Opening (paperback) by Cindy Daniel

I have also been in negotiations with producers to write and direct a movie of my own. Its an odd situation for me...as a publisher, finding money for my writing projects has never been a huge problem assuming my work gets the greenlight from my editor and marketing director. This whole film world is so much fun...always need the money guys. Despite the fact that I'm bringing a full editing suite, multiple cameras and a number of actors to the project...money is still required to make the world turn.

I'm excited though. It doesn't hurt that the "money custodians" seem to enjoy the premise of the script and the concept. It may be bad luck to discuss anything about this before its finalized but it seems to be moving forward despite all efforts to undermine it.

I also have two graphic novels in process. The good news is that I'm not handling the artwork. Tony Miello, a talented artist, is handling the artwork for Two Bits...a graphic novel version of my 2003 novel. We are also creating Making The Mob, a graphic novel based on the film I wrote and directed in 2000.

On top of all of this, I have been busy promoting my latest novel, Road Dawgs. Breakthrough Promotions has pulled out all the stops. They continue to amaze me!

Media Circuit

2005-02-08T16:57:00.000-05:00

Wow...been busy. I've been on the interview circuit the last few weeks and have enjoyed it quite a bit. Its rather nice to sit down and talk with interviewers who have really enjoyed my latest book, Road Dawgs. I have to admit, it feels great!

Then, back to reality, work. We've been busy getting Quiet Storm over the hump the last few weeks. It doesn't help that the company that hosts our website is changing servers, which makes it very difficult to update. I'm really proud of my staff of editors. They have been working non-stop to get books ready.

We have new releases for March almost ready for release.

Next month you can expect to find...

Grand Opening (A Death Warmed Over Mystery) by Cindy Daniel
Wicked and The Dead by Robert Weibezahl
Round Up by Tony Cheatham
and
The Shadowlands by Michael McGowan is scheduled for next month as well (I jumped the gun on an earlier blog and said it was coming in February, mea culpa).

We are also busy working on finishing up the audio book for DIME (which is severely overdue, long story). Let us just say that voiceover artists can occasionally be unreliable.

My next novel heads off to my editor this week. Hopefully, it will pass inspection. How ironic, I own a publishing company but I still have to deal with rejection. Every once in awhile, its tempting to throw some weight around, but if I would do that, I might as well just self-publish the book, which would betray everything Quiet Storm is supposed to be about. Besides, how could I, in good conscience, reject other authors if I could just bully my own work into print. So, in case you were wondering, I have to bite fingernails too :)

Someone asked me today how I have the time to blog...I smiled and said, "if you saw how bad I was at updating my blog, you'd understand where I find the time."

My apologies to readers for the lengthy delay in updates.

Websites...

2005-02-08T10:25:00.000-05:00

Just a quick update...Quiet Storm Publishing's website is just temporarily down. No cause for panic. Bill has been paid...we're not having any trouble. It may be something I caused. I was in the site updating pages and I may have clicked something. We're waiting for an update from customer service, now.

Clint

Interviews and on the road

2005-01-24T21:50:00.000-05:00

Wow, its tough trying to handle publicity for your own book and running a publishing company. The last few days have been very full of radio interviews from around the country...its very gratifying to hear that interviewers have loved the book so much. Although, I am also torn, because time spent on my books is time not spent on the company. Its exhausting but the good news is that we're getting ready to add on an assistant to help make sure everything runs smoothly.

We've been really busy looking over proofs for our January releases and getting them ready.

I've also been in the studio recording...audio books are a lot of fun, but also a very long process. I enjoy the process quite a bit.

As a side note, take it from me, P.J. Nunn and Breakthrough Promotions really do a fantastic job. I have been a client for a little less than a month and they have lined up almost a dozen quality interviews!!! I don't hand out praise very often unless I believe in the outfit, this group has earned it many times over!

The New Year

2005-01-13T08:49:00.000-05:00

First of all, we closed out the books on 2004 and I am happy to announce that the mystery anthology Chesapeake Crimes was our top selling book of the year followed VERY closely by our first young adult release Jay Walker: The Case of the Missing Action Figure!

Now, coming out this month from Quiet Storm Publishing...

Mystery
Shadow of the Dhalia by Jack Bludis (printed in limited release last year)
Road Dawgs by me (printed in limited release last year)
Jingle's Christmas by Randy Rawls (printed in limited release last year)
Murder Beyond Metropolis by Lonnie Cruse (printed in limited release last year)
Northcoast Shakedown by Jim Winter

Horror
The Shadowlands by Michael S. McGowan

Fantasy
Green Stone of Healing by Candace Talmadge

This new year is shaping up to be an exciting one.

We are also hoping, if all goes well, to have the audio version of DIME available!!!

Back in the Saddle

2005-01-03T18:38:00.000-05:00

I'm back in the saddle and enjoying being back at work. We had a long break but it really got me ready to get back at it. We have a bunch of books coming out this month and are busy working. I'll post more soon.

The 19th

2004-12-17T12:48:00.000-05:00

Its funny how your mind works. I am blindly pushing through my weeks. December is usually a month that I try to put blinders on anyway. But, I would be remiss not to mention the 19th. Quiet Storm Publishing owes its creation to December 19th, although, I wish there had never been a reason for it.

December 19th, 2000, Timmy, our son, was killed in a sledding accident during a quiet snow storm. Here we are 4 years later and I miss him terribly, but I think he'd be proud of what we created in his memory. He'd be nine this year.

While I am incredibly proud of Quiet Storm Publishing, I still wish there had never been a reason to create it.

Happy Holidays

2004-12-17T12:38:00.000-05:00

I'm busy working these next few days so that I can take some time off for the holidays. I'm looking forward to the new year. We have quite a few things in place to make next year even more successful for our authors. That feels good.

We're getting ready to close the books on 2004. The numbers look great. We're actually sitting at 200% of last year's sales numbers and with our advertising plans for next year, we're expecting to increase exponentially next year as well.

I am starting on a new book during my break. I'm hoping to put in 20-30k during the break because when I come back on January 2nd there won't be a whole lot of time for my own work for a few months until after Malice. These first six months are going to be quite hectic and I have to find time to promote my new novel, Road Dawgs. I signed up with a publicist to assist me with my promotion next year so that I'm free to worry about our authors.

I'm also looking forward to spending Christmas with my daughter. She's five, so Christmas is going to be quite magical for her this year. She has decided that we're building gingerbread houses on Christmas Eve and we'll eat them on Christmas day.

Happy Holidays to everyone. I doubt I'll have time to update this until after the first of the year. BE SAFE!

Whew...

2004-12-13T22:13:00.000-05:00

This last weekend was nice, a bit of a weekend off for me. Every once in awhile you just have to get away from the craziness and breathe. This weekend was one of those weekends. I spent quite a bit of time not thinking about anything related to the book business. Although, that only lasts so long, I began thinking of things Quiet Storm Publishing can do to help our authors be successful next year. Good ideas can also get the momentum going too.

I also started interviewing authors for our new radio show, Inside The Dustjacket, to begin airing on Richmond, Virginia radio station WHAN. We spoke with authors Mary Triola, Josef Wilson and Donna Andrews. These interviews will make up three different shows. This should start airing next Monday at 6PM on WHAN. We'll also post excerpts on www.dustjacketpromotions.com

I picked up a copy of Mellencamp's Words and Music this weekend and I am enjoying the great collection of music everything from Jack and Diane to Walk Tall!

This would be great if it wasn't for...

2004-12-09T04:01:00.000-05:00

I love the book business. It would be a great business if it wasn't for the (insert four letter word of your choice and then add '-ing') book business.

We're at the end of the year and planning for next. We're really excited by our list but the business has me trying to reinvent the wheel. I love when we're told one thing and then something else entirely happens.

We're working with new printers and learning their processes and boy, let me tell you, its not an easy thing to do. We're completely retraining our formatting staff to meet the needs of the new printers and learning new programs...Adobe InDesign is a pain to learn but fun. We're slowly shifting from being a POD printer to a more standard press, which is no easy feat.

And, authors, god bless them, tend to assume the world revolves around them. Not all of them, just a handful. This variety tends to ask the same question over and over again and despite getting the same answer, they ask again. Don't get me wrong, being an author myself, I understand this problem. And, I am sure editors that I've worked with at magazines and in house all feel that I am the same way :)

We have a rule here, I don't work with "yes men\women". I prefer a good healthy fight to just getting my own way. I make decisions on every title we publish, with one exception, my own. For my books to get a green light requires an agreement by our marketing director and my editor that the book is good enough. Before you ask, I have had books rejected by my own company and let me tell you, that is a kick in the teeth.

2005 is going to be an interesting year. Quiet Storm Publishing is going to refocus on the mystery and speculative fiction markets. We will also be running television advertising in a number of markets. Not to mention, I will be hosting a new radio show, Inside The Dustjacket, starting in two weeks on WHAN AM in Richmond, Virginia.

As always, it will be a challenge, but we're looking forward to it.

2005 isn't looking bright

2004-12-08T19:42:00.000-05:00

First of all, I have to share this little fact from a query I opened this afternoon. The author made it a point to tell me how many millions of copies he could sell personally and how the world would welcome his fresh voice. Of course, he misspelled the title of his own book twice, not to mention about a dozen other words he mangled. How can these people honestly think that kind of crap is going to cut it in a professional letter?

Second, a new program that Borders Books and Music is trying out made its way to me. This program is actually quite frightening. Apparently, Borders has decided it is time to become what they have purported to despise, a POD publisher, only worse. Their plan is to offer printing packages at their stores nationwide. You can buy the cheap-o version which gets you nothing but books. Or, you can buy a professional model where they'll even give you an ISBN (mighty big of them), sell the books on shelves ONLY in the store you order it in. What is wrong with this picture? Is this is their new local author program? Will event consideration favor those that buy this program? I can't help but think this has to be a conflict of interests on some level.

Essentially, for years, Borders has been telling small press publishers that actually have editors that there isn't room for their authors on Borders shelves, or in their stores for signings. However, what they are saying now is if you spend enough money for the privilege, they'll hook you up. This isn't just a rumor either, they have already started this in a handful of markets.

Its amazing how writing is starting to feel like the oldest profession although, even whores make the lion's share of what they invoice and they never have to worry about returns.

Pet Peeve

2004-12-06T16:13:00.000-05:00

This goes for just about everyone in the business, but specifically writers.

I always chuckle when I hear writers at conferences worry about the "trends". What is the latest trend? What trend is out there that will allow me to cash in and make millions? Should I write a progressive cozy without a cat? Are cats out, are dogs in? What about a pet mouse? Should I give up on hardboiled? Should I write romance? What if I wrote a book to capitalize on The DaVinci Code's success?

First of all, lets get one thing straight. If you want to worry about trends, worry about this one. Fewer and fewer people read every year. Our school systems are not building reading programs, they are pumping out and graduating students based on classroom size. Who cares if they appreciate books! So, if there is a trend to concern yourself with, that would be the only one.

As for the rest, it is important to understand that there is a publisher for every niche, whether its popular or not. We made a decision when we started Quiet Storm Publishing to pass on most genres. Nothing wrong with them, we just didn't feel that our readers were qualified to make judgments on those genres. So, we play to our reading strengths; Mystery and Speculative Fiction. Since I make the final decision on every book we publish and I prefer hardboiled writing, we tend to publish harder boiled work. Its a natural fit. I prefer to publish and support work I believe in.

My background is in marketing and identifying trends. So, I can attest that trends are important, but it doesn't help to blindly say the words without understanding what they mean.

In publishing a trend is built based upon buying habits. Next year's trend is nearly impossible to predict with ANY creative venture. The reason is simple, people's taste change based on how their world is looking at that particular time. That doesn't mean there isn't still a market for the work, it just means getting to that market is a little harder. Major houses work on the oatmeal theory, if they throw enough stuff against the wall, something is bound to stick. However, as a writer, trying to figure out what will stick is silly.

You have to keep in mind that the current trend is just that...a CURRENT trend. If you are writing a book NOW to meet that CURRENT trend, by the time you are finished and sending it into publishers to read odds dictate that it will no longer meet the current trend.

The only advice I can give writers is this...write what you believe in. Trying to sell it is much easier when you believe in it.

This is what I'm talking about

2004-12-03T16:44:00.000-05:00

This puncuates my point perfectly. I haven't even been able to BLOG the last few weeks. Its funny, I left the fast paced world of Marketing for a slower lifestyle, Publishing (insert cannned laughter here).

I'll tell you though, for my griping, it is incredibly satisfying to see authors you believe in selling books in large quantities. And, that is really why I got into this business to begin with. I started a publishing company because, damnit, I believe in writers. Who knew that would make me the oddball in this industry? We're lucky enough to work with some really talented authors like; Jack Bludis, Jim Winter, Chris Freeburn, Lonnie Cruse, Tim Wohlforth and a slew of others...I'm not intentionally leaving anyone off but our list is too large to list every name. I just happened to have these authors books in front of me.

I think to be truly successful in this business whether you're a publisher or a writer, you have to give a damn about the words. You have to respect what it is we do. The bigger names excluded, a typical mid-list author busts their butt for months writing and editing a book for mass consumption. If they're lucky, they may get a return of $10k-30k for their trouble. If that doesn't deserve respect, I don't know what does. In most cases, they make even less. Not to mention the time they spend away from their family promoting their work. Its quite a sacrifice that too many readers take forgranted. Of course, that works both ways...writers have also been known to take their readers forgranted.

My new year's resolution is simple. My goal is to get the word out on our authors and help build up their sales numbers. I hope to make sure they are as successful as they can be.

I am proud to say that I met the NaNoWriMo deadline with four hours to spare this year!!! Now to edit it :)

Climbing a Mountain

2004-11-19T04:41:00.000-05:00

A friend once asked me what writing a book was like. I told him its like climbing a mountain only to realize halfway up you didn't bring the right equipment. That's how I'm feeling right now. I've written 33,000 words in 19 days and I am worried that the story is going to conclude just short of 50,000 words. That's what I get for studying minimalists.

You know, it is very difficult to write novels and try to run a publishing company. The last 19 days I have found myself writing in 250-500 word increments. I do whatever is needed in between phone calls, orders, formatting, talking authors off the ledge. What was I thinking when I decided to be both? I'm joking. I don't think you get to choose whether or not you write, either you have stories to tell, or you don't.

Which brings me to my pet peeve of the week. Query letters! Query letters are an art form, why do so few authors study the art? I receive query letters that actually say, "Dear Publisher, I wrote a book and I think its good, do you want to see it?" I'm serious, that query was a direct quote minus the book title from TWO different queries from TWO different authors! It is astonishing to me how very few writers take this industry seriously. Unfortunately, I think that lack of professionalism has been partially created by these publishers who promise the world for a small price of oh, say, $99 to $1500.

I think it has just become too easy for writers to get their work into print, so why bother treating it like a profession when the industry itself gives the illusion of promoting unprofessionalism.

Oh well, its late and I have a huge slush pile of bad queries to reject. If I'm lucky one will be well written enough to read seriously.

What NaNoWriMo Teaches You

2004-11-12T12:10:00.000-05:00

NaNoWriMo is a great teaching tool. Essentially, it is a relentless taskmaster that requires your full and undivided attention for thirty days. Writers, me included, tend to get a little lost in the craft and can sometimes get ahead of themselves with their writing. It is far too easy to place your talent (whatever amount you have) ahead of the actual story. But, with NaNoWriMo, there is no time for your talent's ego to get in the way.

The writer is regulated to playing the boy with his finger in the dyke holding back the overflowing water. Its an odd realization that by eliminating time, as it were, you are essentially serving up a stronger story and stronger characters.

Don't get me wrong, a thirty day novel has MANY problems that need to be worked out in the editing process, but essentially at its essence is a stronger piece of storytelling because I lack the time to get in my own way.

You'll have to excuse me, I am having a rather Zen moment...it will pass.

Writing, writing and more writing

2004-11-12T01:14:00.000-05:00

So, I'm working on this new novel which also happens to be a HUGE departure for me. I figured what better way to get the first draft down than to participate in NaNoWriMo. For those of you who don't know what I'm talking about. NaNoWriMo is slang for National Novel Writing Month. Every year, thousands (if not hundreds of thousands) of writers sit down and struggle to write a 50,000 word novel (novella) in 30 days or less.

There is nothing quite like working on a novel with Mr. Time sitting back with a drummer and a whip yelling, "Row!"

There is no time for block, or any pleasantries at all. Its all about writing. I recall seeing my daughter briefly this month, but not for very long. I took this morning off to play with her since she was out of school. We built a tent and had a good time. When it was bed time I looked at my computer and said, "why do I do this again?"

Of course, once you get back into the rhythm, you remember why you do what you do. Now, I have to get my butt back to work and close this. No more distractions! I swear the Playstation just came on by itself, I had nothing to do with it.

New Novel

2004-11-11T20:26:00.000-05:00

I'm working on a new novel while dealing with publishing issues...man, can this just be a frustrating mesh of details. I spent most of the day on the phones with bookstores. We have some authors setting out to sign books, so we had some orders. We also have been working to build relationships with some indie bookstores. Very busy time of year, essentially, we're gearing up for next year.

So, now I'm trying to focus on the novel, now that the phones have stopped ringing. Hard to switch gears. I've been listening to Linkin Park hoping to jar myself out of "professional publisher mode", but it hasn't been working. So, then I turned to Madden 2004 and discovered my inability to turn that game off. So, I asked my wife to hit the power button while I was playing.

Now, I'm busy at work...not really, right now I'm using this blog as a means to avoid the actual writing part. Okay...time to hit the power button.

About Time

2004-11-10T19:26:00.000-05:00

Well, its about time that I get on this blogging bandwagon. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Clint Gaige. I am the Publisher of Quiet Storm Publishing, I am a novelist, short story writer and screenwriter. I am also a husband and most importantly, a father. It is a hell of a thing to balance all of that. Each one of my duties could easily be a full time job. I suppose this is what it is to have that drive to write. Even though all common sense tells me that writing is the most expendable of my jobs, it is the one that I just can't turn my back on. I just can't stop writing even if it means less sleep or less leisure time. The only thing that writing is not allowed to interrupt is being a father.

I was blessed to have a top-notch Dad, who set the bar pretty damn high. So, I am going to spend the rest of my life playing catch up in that department, but there are worse problems to have.

I'm not a great spouse. I know that, but my wife doesn't point it out too often :) She tends to pull back her comments and occasionally just sends a look my way and then rolls her eyes and laughs. I'm a lucky man though. It would be far too easy for her to point out all my faults and allow them to come between us, but she accepts me...which, I think is about all we can ask for in a life partner.