Good things have been happening around here, but I have not been able to get out of my writing funk. I don’t have writer’s block. I know what I want to write, but can’t get motivated to do it.
We had our roof fixed yesterday. Been putting that off for a while. We had vacation first. You know, priorities.
Got a new 60 inch TV. I don’t watch it much, but the RS is stoked. He’s soldering circuit boards on the old one so we can fix it up and pass it on to our daughter’s family.
Our new washer and dryer is coming Saturday. I’m stoked about that. My noisy old dinosaur is being replaced by a top-of-the-line LG front loader. Seriously, it was a Mother’s Day present. I really needed something like this when I had kids in the house. But that’s the problem with life. It’s like the old man who drives a convertible. When you can finally afford it, you really don’t need it. I’m happy, though. My comforters will fit in there with a set of sheets.
About the writing thing. I’ve queried 50 agents and only heard back from six. Five nos and one yes. I couldn’t accept the yes. Just not the right fit. It’s far more frustrating than any writing issues I’ve encountered. I really don’t have the patience for this. I’m back to thinking self-publishing is the way to go. More work, but different type of work that seems to move me toward quicker progress. I’m giving the agents I’ve already queried thirty more days.
I’m writing to my publicist today. I want her take on the marketing we can do while in preparation. I plan to have it loaded to CreateSpace first, and let them do the KDP file. I don’t think it’s going to be as much trouble as the last book. It’s a simple file without parts, handwritten letters, or fancy fleurons. I’ve got to get the front and back matter ready.
I’ve been trying to come up with an imprint name. If I self-pub the first, I will likely self-pub the rest of the series. I like the idea of having my own imprint name with a cute logo. Tim Baker’s BlindoggBooks is the inspiration. He was a Seeing Eye dog trainer for a while and someone called him the blindogg guy. I think it’s cool. It helps with branding.
Animals are always a cute way to go because you can make cartoon images to represent your books. Mine, being regional Florida fiction, could use gators, birds, fish, or sharks. Plants can be animated also, like palm trees. We like boats. Leisure Lagoon, the nudist resort in the book, might could be worked into an imprint of some sort since it will play a part in most every book in the series. I’d need to make a logo for it. I dunno.
I’m open to ideas and suggestions. Something that would look good on swag and T-shirts.
My husband suggested FatCatBooks. It’s cute, but cats aren’t my favorite animal. I kinda like GatorBaitBooks, but have no idea how to illustrate that concept. A guy fishing with a chicken on his line and a gator jumping up to grab the bait. Probably would go over too big with the vegans.
It doesn’t have to end with the word “Books”. It can be “Press”, or something else creative. The more simplistic the better, nothing too complex.
The series is about a loner P.I. who reluctantly teams up with a brassy transgendered exotic dancer to solve Florida crimes, many of which originate from a fictional nudist resort…or thereabouts.
The books are tentatively titled, Naked Alliances, Naked Malice, Naked Truth, and Naked Justice.
I have a Naked Eye logo on the book cover to represent the series, but I’m not all that impressed with it as a book publishing imprint.
There are other social issue books and a psychothriller set in GA that will be published under the same logo. So something including the word “southern” or “Deep South” might work.
Just throwing some ideas around. I’d like to see if there is any interest from the social media community. If something clicks, I can always go to Fivver for a drawing.
Come up with some ideas and if I pick yours, I’ll send out an Amazon $50.00 gift certificate.
S.K. Nicholls 