Why I Always write, "Award Winning SciFi novel" when I advertise

Why I always write, “Award Winning SciFi novel” when advertising

I am very happy that self publishing has become easier on the internet these last 3 years.  First I spent money on two different types of edits.  The first one was a 7 page report on the structure of the book, characters, plot, setting and so on.  The other was a line edit.  The line edit was twice as expensive as the seven page report around $600.  For me it was worth it.  Grammar is like a second language to me or fourth.  I barely passed high school English but I loved telling stories.

Once I got the book back I thought I was done and ready to publish.  The first time I got a proof back from lulu the writing was so small I couldn't read it.  So I hired Angel editing to format it($100).  Once I got it back I found a grammar mistake or an extra word on every other page.  I beleive this to be the editor's fault but I know that most books need proof reading after its been edited.  I had an over qualitfied friend do the proof reading for me for free.  It took almost three more months to correct.  He had a day job and did the proof reading on the side.

I then put it out there with a publishing package from lulu, at the time $100 deal.  This put me in all the online publishing stores. After all this I am still on the shelf next to other books that might have printed their first draft and have never seen an editor.

I figure the best way to shine a spot light on my scifi action adventure novel was to enter it in a contest.  I made sure the contest people had a good reputation and has had other contest in the past couple of years.  I also checked out the winners of past contest to see how they were doing now.  I wanted to make sure they were legitimate.  My new problem was what if my book wasn’t as good as I thought it was.  I paid $50 to enter the contest.

In 2009 my scifi book, Lord Skyler and The Earth Defense Force won Honorable mention in the “Teen” category at the 2009 DIY Book Festival in LA.  I would of went to the awards dinner but the taxi fair from New York to L.A. was a bit too much.

In 2010 Lord Skyler and The Earth Defense Force won best SciFi/Horror novel at the DIY Book Festival in New York City.

  My wife and I went to the Algonquin Hotel in New York City, famed by Dorothy Parker and her writing cronies. I received my award for best scifi/horror book at the DIY Book Festival there.  It was "Thee" moment for me.  Standing in front of other writers in a glorous, elegant room in New York City on West 44th street and receiving my award is a feeling of achievement I won't soon forget.

I sent my book, with its awards attached, out and I still got no reply from agents or traditional publishing houses even though my book has won awards on both coast. 

I am still learning how to shine a spot light on my book so people can see how I crafted a childhood dream space adventure into a book most people say they can't put down until they finish reading it.  I hope when I come out with the Sequel, The Universe Calls it will bring more attention to the first book or maybe you could help them find my book.  Please help me get noticed.  Visit my Amazon web site and "LIKE" my page.  This will help bring up my ranking on Amazon and my book will come up faster on a search for space adventure.  Please read the reviews.

Lord Skyler and The earth Defense Force can be found on 33 online book stores including Amazon and Barnes & Noble

My storefront- http://stores.lulu.com/shotc

Amazon kindle;

http://www.amazon.com/Skyler-Earth-Defense-Force-ebook/dp/B004SI4AR4/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1311866336&sr=1-1

Amazon reviews  http://www.amazon.com/Skyler-Earth-Defense-Force-ebook/product-reviews/B004SI4AR4/ref=dp_top_cm_cr_acr_txt?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1

Constructed Criticism

Constructed Criticism

The first time I sent my Sci-Fi manuscript to get a seven page critique, ten years ago, I was floored and angry.  The things said about my baby.  Through a Writer’s Digest magazine ad I found Jane Rafel, editor.  I chose her because she lived close by at the time in New York.

My first reaction was she doesn’t understand Sci-Fi, which might be true, but she understood the writing craft all too well.  She pointed out the good about the plot before she pointed to the hole in it.  It took me a week of rereading the insults I had paid her for until my ego finally subsided to the facts that she pointed out all too well.

I’ve learned to be careful about criticizing other people’s work.  First off, they could be bigger than me.  I always try to do it with a smile if possible.  I first point out the best thing about the work in question before pushing their ego into the hole of the plot like Jane did.  Jane did end the report on a positive note about the book.  I did finish “Lord Skyler and The Earth Defense Force” and its won a couple awards so far including Best Sci-Fi/Horror novel at the 2010 DIY New York City Book Festival.

 It is necessary to point out the mistakes and it’s natural to feel hurt or anger over an attack on your baby.  I’ve learned to let that emotion happen but only when the person who criticized me is not around.  I realize the emotion is a knee jerk reaction.  It usually takes me a couple of days to put the emotions aside and try to see their point of view and use their critique to polish up my book.  I’ve had many more critiques and I have learned from each one, and yes sometimes they don’t know what they are talking about but most times they do.

Jane Rafel’s two edits on my book were well worth the price in lessons learned on the craft of writing.

I believe I will make mistakes in everything I do and I will smile and learn from them and move forward.

Matt T. Schott

Lord Skyler and The Earth Defense Force

available at Amazon, B&N and 33 other online book stores including my store front at lulu
http://www.amazon.com/Skyler-Earth-Defense-Force-ebook/dp/B004SI4AR4/ref=sr_1_1_title_1_kin?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1326999719&sr=1-1

http://stores.lulu.com/shotc

The Day we all became Human

The one idea I wanted to bring out in my award wining scifi novel was the day the alien Titans invaded Earth to harvest our planet is the day everybody realized that we weren't separate races but we are all part of the Human Race. Its almost like, "I can say that about my brother but you can't say it." type of feeling.
In this time we have now, the Human race doesn't have a goal.  We have fractured ourself's into countries and relgions.  We have to remember before all that we were just Humans.  When Humans ban togeather there is nothing we can't do.  The one thing we have not learned is that we can't force each other to do anything, war on each other is not the answer for Humans to come togeather.  Relgion has too many inturpretations for all of us to agree on.  Humans need an event or crisis to make us come togeather in a common goal to survive.

I would liked to have "Love" bring the Human race together in my book but a couple thousand years since last Monday and it still has not happen.  I quicken the event in my book by having us, me you and everybody else, all hate the same alien race together. Fear, anger and revenge is a strong motivator.  Its not pretty but their is action and adventure. I think more practical too, a matter of survival for the Human race. I think one way of stopping wars on Earth is finding another alien race we can all fear or hate together.

Peace & Love
Matt Schott

Lord Skyler and The Earth Defense Force
A scifi, action, space adventure
available on all online book stores, I hope. 
Available in Paper back or Ebook at,
http://www.amazon.com/Skyler-Earth-Defense-Force-ebook/dp/B004SI4AR4/ref=sr_1_1_title_1_kin?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1325795162&sr=1-1
http://stores.lulu.com/shotc

or on Amazon in Kindle format,
http://www.amazon.com/Skyler-Earth-Defense-Force-ebook/dp/B004SI4AR4/ref=sr_1_1_title_1_ke?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1320661694&sr=1-1

 Thanks for you support
Matt T. Schott

How I published my award winning scifi novel online

It took me 15 years to create, produce and finally give birth to my scifi book, Lord Skyler and The Earth Defense Force. In 2007 I started looking into online publishing. I tried the traditional route and got no reaction except no thanks. I found out I needed a totally finished product before I could publish my book tradtionally or online. So I decided to have my book professionally edited at this time.
Discourage with the traditional route I hooked up with LuLu.com. I found their set up to online publishing was like a smorgasbord of online publishing. I opened an account for nothing and up loaded my book and cover for nothing. I had a copy printed for about $10 and realized I needed to have my book professionally formatted. The print was way to small. I had the book professionally formatted to a 6 x 9 size with all the chapters on the right side and all the numbers and headings looking good.
I read my book and found a mistake on every page. I had a friend proof read the book and I made the corrections, that took two nerve racking months. You understand it took me 15 years to finish, I'm so close I can taste it. Fame and furtune is right around the corner, yea right.
I find now that for a $1,000 to $1,500 somebody will do all that for you. The one thing they don't help you with is marketing.
I enterd my book in 2 contest. Lord Skyler won Honorable mention in the teen category at the 2009 LA Book Festival. It also WON Best Scifi/Horror novel at the 2010 DIY New York City Book Festival. The awards dinner was at the Algonquin Hotel in NYC. A great time had by all.
But still the books were not flying off the online book shelfs. I learned to do free press realeases and my wife hooked me up with a couple book signings but still only a couple books sold here and there.
It is my beleif there is no standard way of promoting an online book except for blogging and networking. Its modern day door to door salesman has become a blog to blog salesman.
Keep in mind that online publishing is still new. Who knows how things are going to go.
Lord Skyler and The Earth Defense Force
http://stores.lulu.com/shotc
http://stores.lulu.com/shotc

Creating a SciFi Universe

I was recently asked how I could keep a whole made up Universe inside my head. First mistake was assuming thats where my brain was. It can be eaiser than it sounds if you know how to use your God like powers.
Its like the saying, "If a tree falls in the woods and no one is there to hear it, does it make a sound?" When creating a scifi universe it does make a sound. As a matter of fact just before the bark hits the grass, the grass changes to a bright, blinding, holy white in fear that spreads around the trees and through the forest floor into the surrounding meadow and across the planet.

When I write I focus on my characters and their reactions the first time through. When I do my first rewrite its like I dropped my characters in a puddle and their universe are the ripples. A scifi universe like any other universe is only as big as the characters can see. I find if I can describe in detail a small part of my made up universe the reader can fill in the rest, actually it becomes his made up universe.
I take my childhood friends and put them on an action adventure that would make Yoda take notice.  Please check out my award winning scifi book
Lord Skyler and The Earth Defense Force
http://www.amazon.com/Skyler-Earth-Defense-Force-ebook/dp/B004SI4AR4/ref=sr_1_1_title_1_kin?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1325966964&sr=1-1
http://stores.lulu.com/shotc
and 33 other online book stores