Wednesday, December 21, 2011

The Rock 2012 Preview




There are so many previews to announce that they’re like gifts under a Christmas tree. But basically, each new feature is a step up in our game to better help you find your way to publication or market your titles.

First off, we have to say that there are MORE agent and editor interviews in the queue than last year! Apparently, they just love our let-your-hair-down, kick-your-shoes-off style of blogging.

Now, try this on for size:

Incite...

Got a story with strong inciting incident? Show us. You've got 5 minutes to tell your tale. Start by giving us your first sentence. An audience will vote if they want to see more. Then give us a paragraph. Voting will judge who will go on to do a live presentation at Mercury Café in Denver on Wednesday February 29th. You can bring on actors to read your piece. Do a power point. Do a media presentation. Make us cry. Make us laugh. Most of all, inspire us. We’ll pass the videos of the winners and runner ups on to agents and editors!

The Rock is also pleased to announce the addition of a local attorney to our staff. Matthew Swihart, Esq., will provide legal insight and advice on a monthly basis. In January, Mr. Swihart will tell us a little about himself and explain a few basic copyright issues.

This Crazy Business: agents, editors, and other publishing industry professionals will be given a topic ranging from Amazon, to hooks, to authors who have pop star status. Then the pros will weigh in. Like a live panel at a conference, each topic will have at least three different perspectives that an author can stash in his or her tool box.

Denver Comic Con! The Mile High City will host its first giant comic book convention in the summer of 2012 and several Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers urban fantasy authors will be guest panelists there! Our own Tamela Buhrke is on the convention staff and will be supplying the latest and greatest updates.




E.C. Stacy unveils Meet the Reader. Want to know what’s selling and why? Let’s go directly to readers; to bloggers who read thousands of books and ask what’s hot and what’s not. If you’re published, these postings will be a great way find review blogs for your titles! If you’re still experimenting with genres, Meet the Reader promises to be a one-stop shop to best get in touch with the market.

Three Authors, Three Questions – bestselling authors will be asked a triad of in-depth questions about the road to publication and the responses might surprise you!

Publishing options. There are so many ways to get published now. Each has its benefits and drawbacks. I thought I'd feature one each week: Traditional, indie options, small press, ebook publishing companies, Amazon, Smashwords, warnings against the vanity presses, how to tell the difference between a small press and a vanity press, how mid-list authors can benefit from having indie publications, how indie publishing can lead to traditional publishing contracts, how to do it wrong and mess up your career through indie publishing, and highlight changes in the publishing industry as they come out.

Plus more humor!

And there are projects in the works even bigger than these that will be announced by next fall!

We’ll be closing shop until January 2nd. From all of us on Chiseled in Rock, Happy Holidays. See you next year!

Gusto Dave

Janet Fogg

Karen Duvall

Tamela Buhrke

Pat Stoltey

J.A. Kazimer

Matthew Swihart, Esq.

4 comments:

J.A. Kazimer said...

Yeah!!!! So excited for all the upcoming events and blogs! Welcome aboard, Matthew (he's a great guy, no kidding a lawyer who rocks!) Happy Holidays to all the rockers, you've done a hell of a job this year. This is the first blog I open in the morning!

Chris Devlin said...

Great plans for the new year. Hope it all goes smooth as stone.

Patricia Stoltey said...

I've contacted my first round of authors for the "Three Authors, Three Questions" series and I'm so excited! They all said yes!!

J.A. Kazimer said...

Hey Pat, any hints as to who you've got lined up? This is going to be a great series.