Eric Dulin's Blog

FREE chance to win $10 Amazon Giftcard!
http://www.ericdulin.com/giveaways.html

To promote Redemption, Book 2 of the Deus Ex Machina Series (To be released May 20), I am hosting a giveaway of Condemned (Book 1), early copies of Redemption, and a $10 Amazon Gift Card! It currently holds 4.2/5 Stars on Amazon.com.

Click the link above to enter!

Synopsis:

Imagine waking up covered in blood. 
Without knowing where you are. Who you are. 
Hunted by a team of the deadliest soldiers in the galaxy. 
This is the nightmare Arigus Vanes faces. Sheltered within the chassis of a powerful Guardian battlesuit, Arigus has no idea who he is or what happened when he wakes up at the site of gruesome murders. Government Enforcers storm in, and he flees for his life into Kingston, an enormous underground city on the industrial planet Korscia. Thrown into a world of thieves and murderers, he befriends a woman and her subservient android whom prove invaluable to helping him uncover his shrouded past while surviving the present. Together, they unearth secrets about Arigus and his assailants that had been hidden from the galaxy. The twisted truths connecting them together.

But some secrets are meant to be buried.

I'm planning on running constant giveaways of ebooks and signed print copies of all of my works from time to time! Currently, I'm running a giveaway for Condemned, which ends 3/31/13!
It's free to enter. Just go to the Giveaways tab at the top of this website and 

I published my second novel, Nightfall, on Amazon along with the Eric Dulin Collection: Short Stories and Poems. These are both $.99 each.

As of 9AM today, Condemned is ranked on Amazon Best Seller Kindle:
#7 Science Fiction Adventure
#12 Science Fiction (Overall SF)
#26 Action and Adventure (All fiction genres)

It recalculates every hour, so it will vary as time passes.

Condemned, published by The Lost Sanctum, is available as of today and will be a great gift for this holiday season! 
http://www.amazon.com/dp/0615727638

"An enthralling piece of epic science fiction."
-Larks Fiction Magazine

(The Amazon page doesn't include a cover because Amazon has a short delay in uploading covers. The cover will look like it shows below)

Please like my page on Facebook @ facebook.com/EricDulinAuthor
or visit deusexcondemned.weebly.com for more information.

Your support is greatly appreciated, and thank you for your time.

As of today, Condemned is now availible on Amazon and CreateSpace! Order through amazon.com if you plan to write a review, and order through CreateSpace if you don't plan to write a review.

Here are the links:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/0615727638  (If you want to write a review, which is greatly appreciated)
 https://www.createspace.com/4052715 (If you don't want to write a review)

I've analyzed the writing and publication processes in the "Writing Tips" section, but now I'm going to go more in depth on solely the publication process for young writers especially.

1. Write the Manuscript
Seems simple. But get behind a computer and try typing up 70,000 words on top of life. Not as easy as it seems. I am a relatively fast writer and "thinker". I can come up with a plot and general story quickly and go with the flow. But even for me, this take takes around 50 hours.
Note: 70k isn't the only novel size, however, young writers shouldn't write over 100k novels. It's too big a risk in the publishing world, and 70k keeps you "thick" and isn't a risk, as 50k could make you out as a "short writer". This is generally speaking: there are always rare exceptions.

2. Edit the Manuscript
Obviously the 70,000 word manuscript probably isn't going to look all too great right after you're done. I personally wait a few weeks, even a month, before touching the book again and going through from the beginning. You can self edit the first draft, chopping off plot and fixing what errors you find. But I'd highly recommend a "pro" editor before you even consider showing it to the world. This isn't cheap, but if you purely self edit, everything falls upon you.

3. Submit to Agents
You then make a short query or "sales pitch" letter that you send to literary agents. These are essentially "middle men" that connect you with publishers. They're extremely helpful in securing deals, and NEVER pay for one. They take commission only, a modest 15%.
Note: You can submit straight to publishers. But it's tough to really stand out from the others. Agents will usually help edit/perfect your work as well.

4. Well...It's one or the other
You either make it or you don't. If you don't make it: try again. If you do get an agent, they'll take you to publishers. Again, you either make it or you don't. Self publishing is a new viable option, IF your work is exceptional. 

5. Marketing
Whether you're traditional/self published, MARKET. You don't need publishing permission to market, start now long before your work is complete. (Just make sure you complete it.) Here are some good ways:
Make a website. (You're looking at one.)
Build up an audience through Facebook and other Social Media. (facebook.com/ericdulinauthor)
Post on writer websites, blogs, ect and include URL/Information. Just follow regulations, and don't go overboard.
Adwords by Google, pretty neat. Gotta spend money to make money.
Contact Local Libraries/Schools to have book signings.

6. Do it
It's a lot of work, but it can be done. So far my time tally goes like this: 
Traditional = 9-12 Months+
Self = 2-4 Months+

Hope this helps you young writers out. It's a tough world.

All that's left for me to do is finalize the cover and one final round of editing. If you have any questions about me or my novel, feel free to ask!