Alan Scott's Blog
February 26, 2018
Free Giveaways – A Painful and Costly Lesson
I have to say that whilst I do not get many reviews, the vast majority of the ones I get both on Amazon and Goodreads are positive.
Now, I fully accept that not everyone will like my novels and there will be people who will leave negative reviews and that is just part and parcel of writing and publishing your work.
For clarification - For me there are three different kind of reviews:
1. The Positive Review – Always good to have and it lets you know you are going in the right direction. However, don’t let them go to your head.
2. The Negative Review - Everyone who creates anything will get one or more of these. Most aren’t worth the time they take to read. Some are so back they are funny. However, don’t take them to heart.
3. The Constructive and Honest Review (Good or Bad) – This review is worth its weight in gold, because it is constructive and allows you to grow as a writer. These are the ones you need to read.
Anyway, I placed “Echoes of a Storm” in a Goodreads free Giveaway and started out with a 5 Star no written text review. I was very happy.
Then came the next three bad reviews all of which had a common thread – This is not my type of book and it’s written in a style I hate. Which lead to a couple of 2 stars and a DNF (Did Not Finish)
As you can imagine, I was slightly upset. To try and understand what went wrong, I talked with the people who left feedback and out of this discussion came something positive.
The revelation that my “Blurb” was not very good. It failed to give readers the information they needed to make a well informed choice.
It has been a painful and costly lesson.
I’ve rewritten the burb for Echoes, Scions and Dark. Hopefully they will now better reflect the novels, and allow the reader to make a better choice.
Enjoy your reading
Alan
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Echoes-Storm...
Now, I fully accept that not everyone will like my novels and there will be people who will leave negative reviews and that is just part and parcel of writing and publishing your work.
For clarification - For me there are three different kind of reviews:
1. The Positive Review – Always good to have and it lets you know you are going in the right direction. However, don’t let them go to your head.
2. The Negative Review - Everyone who creates anything will get one or more of these. Most aren’t worth the time they take to read. Some are so back they are funny. However, don’t take them to heart.
3. The Constructive and Honest Review (Good or Bad) – This review is worth its weight in gold, because it is constructive and allows you to grow as a writer. These are the ones you need to read.
Anyway, I placed “Echoes of a Storm” in a Goodreads free Giveaway and started out with a 5 Star no written text review. I was very happy.
Then came the next three bad reviews all of which had a common thread – This is not my type of book and it’s written in a style I hate. Which lead to a couple of 2 stars and a DNF (Did Not Finish)
As you can imagine, I was slightly upset. To try and understand what went wrong, I talked with the people who left feedback and out of this discussion came something positive.
The revelation that my “Blurb” was not very good. It failed to give readers the information they needed to make a well informed choice.
It has been a painful and costly lesson.
I’ve rewritten the burb for Echoes, Scions and Dark. Hopefully they will now better reflect the novels, and allow the reader to make a better choice.
Enjoy your reading
Alan
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Echoes-Storm...
February 16, 2018
Congratulation to the Giveaway Winners
Just a quick post to say congratulations to the winners of the Echoes of a Storm ebook giveaways.
I hope you enjoy the book and that you will be kind enough to leave an honest review.
Also, please feel free to ask any questions about ‘Echoes’ or any other of my books. I am more than happy to them.
Enjoy your reading
Alan
I hope you enjoy the book and that you will be kind enough to leave an honest review.
Also, please feel free to ask any questions about ‘Echoes’ or any other of my books. I am more than happy to them.
Enjoy your reading
Alan
February 13, 2018
Can a hetrosexual male write a story about a gay man?
Its LGBT month in the UK and I would like to ask two simple questions
1. Can a heterosexual male write a story about a gay man?
2. Does it actually matter what sexuality the writer is, as long as they are true to their characters?
The short story "Tea" is my answers both questions.
The story of ‘Tea’ is about a six hundred year old werewolf having tea with a seventy year old gay tailor. However, that is just the story it’s not what the book is about.
The book is about – Being old, living with the choices you make through your life, unusual friendships, family, being brave, hiding what you are from the world and loneliness.
UK link
https://lnkd.in/g-gCh8X
USA link
https://lnkd.in/g5UgMdf
1. Can a heterosexual male write a story about a gay man?
2. Does it actually matter what sexuality the writer is, as long as they are true to their characters?
The short story "Tea" is my answers both questions.
The story of ‘Tea’ is about a six hundred year old werewolf having tea with a seventy year old gay tailor. However, that is just the story it’s not what the book is about.
The book is about – Being old, living with the choices you make through your life, unusual friendships, family, being brave, hiding what you are from the world and loneliness.
UK link
https://lnkd.in/g-gCh8X
USA link
https://lnkd.in/g5UgMdf
February 5, 2018
Hello
To tell the truth, I never know what to say in these blogs. However, I’ve just placed ‘Echoes of a Storm’ on the Goodreads giveaway, so I thought I had better say hi.
If you have any questions about the book or the characters please don’t hesitate to drop me a line.
Hope you enjoy the story and I would be very grateful for any honest reviews
Alan
If you have any questions about the book or the characters please don’t hesitate to drop me a line.
Hope you enjoy the story and I would be very grateful for any honest reviews
Alan
February 19, 2015
A Full Manuscript request for' Echoes of a Storm'
As you know I have been sending 'Echoes' out to various publishing houses and guess what? I've had a full manuscript request from the second company I sent it to : )
Obviously, I am grinning from ear to ear : ) but under all that excitement I am telling myself to calm down as there is a long, long way to go and the chance of rejection is still very high.
However, for tonight only I am just going to enjoy the fact that I got a Full Manuscript request. Below is the email and for fairness sake I have blanked the company name.
From: Editors xxxxxxx
Sent: Thursday, February 19, 2015 12:41 PM
Subject: Full-Manuscript Request
Thank you for sending us samples of your work.
I am pleased to inform you that after careful consideration XXXXXX editorial section would now like to view the full manuscript of your work.
Please send the full manuscript to us as an email attachment in Microsoft Word format to our email address: editors@xxxxxxxxxxxxx.com please send your full manuscript as a complete file as opposed to sending chapters individually.
Alternatively, you can send your manuscript to us in hardcopy, and preferably also on disk in Microsoft Word format. However, should you wish, you are welcome to send your work as a CD or USB without a hardcopy or as hardcopy without a CD or USB.
If you are going to submit by post please include an SAE should you wish your work to be returned to you at any stage.
Thank you for your patience during this process. We look forward to hearing from you in due course.
Yours sincerely,
Editorial.
As always I will keep you informed
Alan
PS still smiling.
Echoes Of A Storm
Obviously, I am grinning from ear to ear : ) but under all that excitement I am telling myself to calm down as there is a long, long way to go and the chance of rejection is still very high.
However, for tonight only I am just going to enjoy the fact that I got a Full Manuscript request. Below is the email and for fairness sake I have blanked the company name.
From: Editors xxxxxxx
Sent: Thursday, February 19, 2015 12:41 PM
Subject: Full-Manuscript Request
Thank you for sending us samples of your work.
I am pleased to inform you that after careful consideration XXXXXX editorial section would now like to view the full manuscript of your work.
Please send the full manuscript to us as an email attachment in Microsoft Word format to our email address: editors@xxxxxxxxxxxxx.com please send your full manuscript as a complete file as opposed to sending chapters individually.
Alternatively, you can send your manuscript to us in hardcopy, and preferably also on disk in Microsoft Word format. However, should you wish, you are welcome to send your work as a CD or USB without a hardcopy or as hardcopy without a CD or USB.
If you are going to submit by post please include an SAE should you wish your work to be returned to you at any stage.
Thank you for your patience during this process. We look forward to hearing from you in due course.
Yours sincerely,
Editorial.
As always I will keep you informed
Alan
PS still smiling.
Echoes Of A Storm
October 13, 2014
I've finally got a No.1 book in the UK
Its taking me 3 years but I finally have a No.1 book in the UK.
The book in question is my short story "Tea" and it got to No.1 on Amazon under the well known category: - Kindle Store > Books > Gay & Lesbian > Fiction > Horror.
I just cant stop smiling : )
Alan
Tea
The book in question is my short story "Tea" and it got to No.1 on Amazon under the well known category: - Kindle Store > Books > Gay & Lesbian > Fiction > Horror.
I just cant stop smiling : )
Alan
Tea
June 1, 2014
The Storm Series – The end
With the publication of “Tales of Salvation and Damnation” I have finally finished the Storm Series, a project I started just over six years ago.
It’s actually a very bitter sweet moment. On one hand I have had done what I set out to do, which was to write dark fantasy tales aimed at adults, whose plotlines and story arc’s reflected the audience they were aimed at.
However, now it’s finished, I will miss writing Twever the Magnificent and Ardo and the chaos they create, I will miss writing the deep pain that hide behind the arrogance of Solomon Pace, or the struggle of Nathanial West trying to be the best father he could whilst battling the beast and devil within him.
I can honestly say that I am now a far better writer than I was when I started the series, and that I have learned a lot about myself, writing and the need to keep notes, lots of notes, as you write; especially as your character list grows!!!
The question I have been asked the most is – “What is the Storm Series about?” the simple answer is “Relationships” but that is only the simple answer, you will have to read the books for the full and complicated answer.
So what next? Well I need to finish the “Y front” series (that’s my sci-fi books) and I have a couple more ideas for various books.
Alan
It’s actually a very bitter sweet moment. On one hand I have had done what I set out to do, which was to write dark fantasy tales aimed at adults, whose plotlines and story arc’s reflected the audience they were aimed at.
However, now it’s finished, I will miss writing Twever the Magnificent and Ardo and the chaos they create, I will miss writing the deep pain that hide behind the arrogance of Solomon Pace, or the struggle of Nathanial West trying to be the best father he could whilst battling the beast and devil within him.
I can honestly say that I am now a far better writer than I was when I started the series, and that I have learned a lot about myself, writing and the need to keep notes, lots of notes, as you write; especially as your character list grows!!!
The question I have been asked the most is – “What is the Storm Series about?” the simple answer is “Relationships” but that is only the simple answer, you will have to read the books for the full and complicated answer.
So what next? Well I need to finish the “Y front” series (that’s my sci-fi books) and I have a couple more ideas for various books.
Alan
March 12, 2014
Female Characters in Fantasy Novels
In ninety percent of Fantasy and Sci-fi books, there only ever seem to be three types of heroine:
1. The one that screams a lot and needs to be rescued a lot (not very heroic, but helpless women draw the heroes to her).
2. The five-foot nothing, smart sassy one, who, with a suitable quip, can kill five hundred heavily-armed and armoured six-foot deadly killers in two seconds flat.
3. The muscle-bound broadsword wielding one who will happily do battle in an armoured bikini, regardless of the weather conditions or practicality.
There is nothing wrong with any of the above, and many good books include them; however, I wanted to write my female heroes as, well… real woman. So, I looked at fictional characters - such as Judy Dench’s “M” in the James Bond films, real life characters such as Margaret Thatcher, and various women that I know - to be my inspiration.
Queen Alexandra Peterson - My Female Hero
The Early Years
Not a lot is known about the early years of Alexandra. All we really know is that she was forced into an arranged marriage at a young age to King Hamish Peterson, who once famously said, “If I can’t fight it or romance it, I’m not interested in it” (or words to that effect). Although King Hamish was not deliberately cruel or aggressive to his Queen, Alexandra felt alone and unloved in her marriage as her husband waged war, hunted, and claimed his royal prerogative on the willing women of the kingdom.
Because of her husband’s behaviour, Alexandra had a brief affair with her bodyguard, Nathanial West. As a result of that affair, she fell pregnant. Luckily, King Peterson thought Alexandra was pregnant via him and the resulting daughter, Princess Kathleen, was raised as his heir.
King Peterson then died from plague, leaving an unprepared Alexandra widowed and Kathleen seemingly fatherless.
To Be a Queen
With the death of her husband, Alexandra had to learn quickly. She was a single mother ruling a small kingdom in a violent and dangerous world. By necessity, ‘duty to daughter and realm’ became the basis of her reign as Queen, which she firmly ingrained in her daughter’s education and everyday life.
Being a widowed Queen, there were many suitors trying to claim her hand in marriage. It was while she was trying to fend off these unwanted attentions that she first showed the steel within her - by unleashing her Dev’ver bodyguard, Nathanial West, in his werewolf form upon an aggressive suitor (see the short story ‘A Mere Woman’ in Tales of Solomon Pace for full details).
Echoes of a Storm
At the start of the book ‘Echoes of a Storm’, we find Alexandra having just survived an assassination attempt on her life and the life of her daughter. This attack causes her to make a hasty decision that comes back to haunt her later on in the book.
Throughout the novel, Alexandra shrugs off her youthful ideas and becomes a powerful and confident woman, a determined Queen who can protect her daughter and kingdom from the evils of the world. This determination to protect her daughter leads to the dramatic ending of the book.
Summary
I have tried to write Alexandra as a real woman who does not need to be rescued every five minutes, does not wear skimpy outfits, and uses her assassins, armies, and generals to fight her battles, but does not shy away from using a sword or knife in defence of her daughter and kingdom.
My hope is that I have written a strong female character in a fantasy setting to whom women can relate, giving the fairer sex the respect they so richly deserve.
Alan
1. The one that screams a lot and needs to be rescued a lot (not very heroic, but helpless women draw the heroes to her).
2. The five-foot nothing, smart sassy one, who, with a suitable quip, can kill five hundred heavily-armed and armoured six-foot deadly killers in two seconds flat.
3. The muscle-bound broadsword wielding one who will happily do battle in an armoured bikini, regardless of the weather conditions or practicality.
There is nothing wrong with any of the above, and many good books include them; however, I wanted to write my female heroes as, well… real woman. So, I looked at fictional characters - such as Judy Dench’s “M” in the James Bond films, real life characters such as Margaret Thatcher, and various women that I know - to be my inspiration.
Queen Alexandra Peterson - My Female Hero
The Early Years
Not a lot is known about the early years of Alexandra. All we really know is that she was forced into an arranged marriage at a young age to King Hamish Peterson, who once famously said, “If I can’t fight it or romance it, I’m not interested in it” (or words to that effect). Although King Hamish was not deliberately cruel or aggressive to his Queen, Alexandra felt alone and unloved in her marriage as her husband waged war, hunted, and claimed his royal prerogative on the willing women of the kingdom.
Because of her husband’s behaviour, Alexandra had a brief affair with her bodyguard, Nathanial West. As a result of that affair, she fell pregnant. Luckily, King Peterson thought Alexandra was pregnant via him and the resulting daughter, Princess Kathleen, was raised as his heir.
King Peterson then died from plague, leaving an unprepared Alexandra widowed and Kathleen seemingly fatherless.
To Be a Queen
With the death of her husband, Alexandra had to learn quickly. She was a single mother ruling a small kingdom in a violent and dangerous world. By necessity, ‘duty to daughter and realm’ became the basis of her reign as Queen, which she firmly ingrained in her daughter’s education and everyday life.
Being a widowed Queen, there were many suitors trying to claim her hand in marriage. It was while she was trying to fend off these unwanted attentions that she first showed the steel within her - by unleashing her Dev’ver bodyguard, Nathanial West, in his werewolf form upon an aggressive suitor (see the short story ‘A Mere Woman’ in Tales of Solomon Pace for full details).
Echoes of a Storm
At the start of the book ‘Echoes of a Storm’, we find Alexandra having just survived an assassination attempt on her life and the life of her daughter. This attack causes her to make a hasty decision that comes back to haunt her later on in the book.
Throughout the novel, Alexandra shrugs off her youthful ideas and becomes a powerful and confident woman, a determined Queen who can protect her daughter and kingdom from the evils of the world. This determination to protect her daughter leads to the dramatic ending of the book.
Summary
I have tried to write Alexandra as a real woman who does not need to be rescued every five minutes, does not wear skimpy outfits, and uses her assassins, armies, and generals to fight her battles, but does not shy away from using a sword or knife in defence of her daughter and kingdom.
My hope is that I have written a strong female character in a fantasy setting to whom women can relate, giving the fairer sex the respect they so richly deserve.
Alan
March 2, 2014
Tea II has been released
Tea II concludes the story of Shadow Killer (Werewolf) and his unusual, and platonic friendship with an old man called Samuel (A Tailor). The tale is set exactly one year after ‘Tea’, on the coldest and darkest night of winter, and by the end of the night their relationship will have changed forever.
I’ve written this story to say thank you to all those people around the world who downloaded ‘Tea’. ‘Tea’ It is by far my most successful short story with over 800 downloads across the world, and when on promotion constantly makes it into the top 10 of gay fiction
Both short stories (Tea and Tea II) are set within the dark fantasy world of The Storm Series Trilogy and can be read in conjunction with the trilogy, to obtain extra background information, or alone just as two short stories.
Dedication
To all those people who downloaded ‘Tea’ around the world and Bookbee from Canada who gave ‘Tea’ very nice review on Goodreads – Thank you, Bookbee
I’ve written this story to say thank you to all those people around the world who downloaded ‘Tea’. ‘Tea’ It is by far my most successful short story with over 800 downloads across the world, and when on promotion constantly makes it into the top 10 of gay fiction
Both short stories (Tea and Tea II) are set within the dark fantasy world of The Storm Series Trilogy and can be read in conjunction with the trilogy, to obtain extra background information, or alone just as two short stories.
Dedication
To all those people who downloaded ‘Tea’ around the world and Bookbee from Canada who gave ‘Tea’ very nice review on Goodreads – Thank you, Bookbee
January 26, 2014
I Have Passed The 5000th Download Mark
I Have Passed The 5000th Download Mark
It has taken me 20 months but I have passed the 5000th download mark for my books.
I have to admit to having a huge smile on my face : )
The breakdown of downloads by country is:
USA = 3'664
UK = 925
Germany = 293
Canada = 54
Japan = 27
France = 17
Italy = 15
Spain = 7
Brazil = 5
India = 2
Australia = 2
Mexico = 1
Total = 5'012
As always the definition of a download is - someone has either downloaded a free copy of the book, bought a copy or used Amazon Prime to borrow the ebook.
Alan : )
http://www.alankscott.com
It has taken me 20 months but I have passed the 5000th download mark for my books.
I have to admit to having a huge smile on my face : )
The breakdown of downloads by country is:
USA = 3'664
UK = 925
Germany = 293
Canada = 54
Japan = 27
France = 17
Italy = 15
Spain = 7
Brazil = 5
India = 2
Australia = 2
Mexico = 1
Total = 5'012
As always the definition of a download is - someone has either downloaded a free copy of the book, bought a copy or used Amazon Prime to borrow the ebook.
Alan : )
http://www.alankscott.com
