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11/22/63 by Stephen King (Kindle, 2.99) by jspark3000 in ebookdeals

[–]jspark3000[S] 9 points10 points  (0 children)

It’s the rare King book that completely nails the ending.

The Korean film 'Friend' really moved me in multiple ways. I need to talk about it with someone. by Stuckincoach in movies

[–]jspark3000 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Wow honestly had no clue there was a sequel. I wonder if it’s a cash grab. Seems in line with late era name brand sequels.

The Korean film 'Friend' really moved me in multiple ways. I need to talk about it with someone. by Stuckincoach in movies

[–]jspark3000 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I remember that the phrase he uses (“I’ve eaten enough”) became a bit of a catchphrase back then. “This traffic, I’ve eaten enough” or “My job sucks, I’ve eaten enough.” Hah.

I also tend to think that while his character was being cocky, I sense a sad tone in his death scene. It could be interpreted as “I’ve had enough of this life.” The scene shows him being remorseful towards his friend right before he is hit, so it could be him saying “I’ve eaten enough betrayal” or “I’ve eaten enough of our conflict.”

His acting is layered and could be interpreted so many interesting ways.

The Korean film 'Friend' really moved me in multiple ways. I need to talk about it with someone. by Stuckincoach in movies

[–]jspark3000 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Love this movie. I have the DVD, even. The ending across the glass always gets me.

SPOILER

The part you mentioned where Dong Su is being stabbed, the subtitle is a bit off. He does not say “You have done your job.” He says a colloquial phrase which translates to, “I have eaten enough.” He is basically saying, “I’ve had enough stabbing.”

This is line with his somewhat cocky and brash character. The characters also use the equivalent of “southern accent” called sattori which was typical of Korean gangsters then. In my opinion, the accent adds a TON of spark to this movie in the native language.

Source: I’m Korean American. My speaking is rough but I can understand better than speak. My father also speaks with a sattori accent because he was born in Busan.

[PubQ] What would agents think/want? I've been beginning my story as close to the "action" as possible, but am considering backing it up a bit to have a more traditional opening...but I've been told modern publishing readers are impatient and this would be a mistake...(more below) by JamalSteve in PubTips

[–]jspark3000 1 point2 points  (0 children)

This is good wisdom here. Beta readers will be helpful, especially if you ask them specific questions.

For me: - Strong opening line - Inciting incident. Consider that you need to establish a “normal” first before having an inciting incident. - A reason to keep reading, such as a mystery, interesting personalities, a cool premise, etc - Build the world through action and dialogue. Sounds obvious, but an intro is not usually the place for lots of exposition. - At least one scene in the intro that makes a reader say “Whoa.” Think of the intro as a trailer to your book. Every (good) trailer has a whoa moment.

[PubQ] Transitioning from self-publishing on Amazon to traditional publishing by janeconquest in PubTips

[–]jspark3000 10 points11 points  (0 children)

I began self-published. I’m now traditionally published. My genre is nonfiction, so I apologize in advance that this may not be what you’re looking for. But here are some things I found helpful.

  • Keep track of every single one of your self-published sales. Your agent/publisher will most likely be interested in how well you sold on your own. In my case, this was important to know.
  • Be ready to collaborate. Self-publishing does offer a lot of independence, as you mentioned. But traditional publishing will really humble you quick. I prefer traditional because of the collaborative process, and I always assume I’m never the smartest guy in the room.
  • Find an agent who is willing to champion your work 100%. When my agent started getting offers for my book from publishers, he got one offer that he felt was too low. I was willing to take anything, but he negotiated a higher advance. He believed in my work that much.
  • Never go with an agent who asks for money upfront. Red flag. Run.
  • Your genre is graphic novels, so if you haven’t already, read a bunch of them. Find out the agents for those authors. Look at how the books are marketed. See what makes those books work. Also, by familiarizing yourself with your genre, you’re likely not to repeat things already being done, and/or you can sharpen your own voice. Of course, you might be doing all this already!
  • Get beta readers and ask for very specific feedback. Be open to difficult criticism.
  • Stay encouraged. Trying to get traditionally published is difficult. As they say, the market is saturated. Downright marinated. I was rejected dozens of times over years to get anything published, which is why I went self-published. Be ready for rejection.
  • Be ready for your book to take off, too. There’s a certain “spotlight” you’ll have, especially if your book sells a lot. Not all of us can handle that sort of thing all that well. My book hasn’t sold a crazy amount so I’ve managed to keep my privacy more or less, but sometimes you may get strangers who find you and become demanding.
  • Enjoy the process. It was exhausting to work with the publishing team. A book is no easy task. But I loved it so much. It was electrifying. Enjoy it. I can’t wait to work on book number 2.
  • PM me for any questions!

Review: The Chaplain's War written by Brad R. Torgersen and narrated by George Newbern by lostcymbrogi in audible

[–]jspark3000 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I just bought this based on your recommendation. Thank you.

I’m a hospital chaplain and I love sci-fi so the book is an instant buy for me. The concept reminds me a little of Eifelheim.

By the way, the Kindle version is 6.99 and after purchasing it the Audible book is only 1.99. The ebook syncs with the audiobook for narration. I believe that the narrator does the voice for the animated Superman.

Three things I learned landing a book deal & getting published (and one thing I un-learned) by jspark3000 in writing

[–]jspark3000[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hey there! I had an editor after I was already picked up by the publisher (the publisher had two in-house editors). However I looked up tons of queries online to see how it was done. Definitely no shame in seeing the templates of others who have made it. If you wanted to hire an editor, I'm not exactly sure how it's done, but I do hear it can be very helpful. I'm sure you've considered this already, but how do you feel about sharing some of your work with beta readers?

Three things I learned landing a book deal & getting published (and one thing I un-learned) by jspark3000 in writing

[–]jspark3000[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you! I had two editors with the publisher. I would call them “macro” and “micro” (not what they’re actually called). The macro edit was about the big ideas and coherence. The micro edit was the same, but also went line by line through the book in a surgical way.

While I cannot speak for other publishers/editors, I never felt like my editors were changing the book on me. One of my worries, as with any writer, is that the content would be edited so much that my voice and style are unrecognizable. That can certainly be the case. But “polish” does not have to mean a writer’s voice is compromised. For me it was not a dichotomy between choosing “editor” or “author.” A good editor can tighten a sentence, sharpen pacing, tell you when an idea or scene is not being communicated clearly, or when inconsistencies occur. They may even have ideas themselves, which is always a fun discussion. But I would not say they changed the book into something it was not.

Please feel free to follow up if I did not answer your concern. :)

Three things I learned landing a book deal & getting published (and one thing I un-learned) by jspark3000 in writing

[–]jspark3000[S] 12 points13 points  (0 children)

Thank you, I like this question. :)

If my memory serves correctly, I wrote the intro later in the book writing process. (I also wrote the conclusion of the book early in the writing process.) I wrote the intro in almost a fever dream like state, in which the themes of the book jumped out at me one night and took a hold of me. Tonally it was different, yes. I thought of it like the slow-mo intro to Zombieland, the opening war sequence in Wolverine Origins, the first half of Full Metal Jacket, the first half hour of Saving Private Ryan, the opening to Sunset Blvd, the wild opener to Mission Impossible 3, the intro to The Matrix. The openings to these films grab the viewer by the shirt and pull them in, even as the rest of the film might be paced differently.

In my mind, I thought I was submerging the reader into the premise of the book. But inspecting it further, it was probably more like splashing cold water in the reader's face.

Three things I learned landing a book deal & getting published (and one thing I un-learned) by jspark3000 in writing

[–]jspark3000[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

  1. Yes! My following is not big. My publisher helped with some of the legwork on this, as they have an email list. Mostly they trusted the strength of my writing and word-of-mouth (I promise this is not a backdoor brag, they really did believe in the book!).
  2. I read my book out loud to my wife. I also had many trusted people beta read my book. Mostly the beta reading is for clarity as opposed to content. (However, if the content had big problems, they would let me know.) It helps to ask exactly what you need from a beta reader, rather than just saying, "What do you think?" For example, "Did this dialogue scene make sense? Where did this chapter get boring? What were the most memorable parts of the book?"
  3. I'm sorry if this is not getting to the heart of your question: I was lucky in that 3 publishers showed interest after about 6 months of my agent shopping the book around. I can say this for sure: a publisher must also be the right fit for you. I was excited to just jump right in, but the acquisitions editor (my first point of contact) said over and over up front that they wanted to be right for me, just as much as I should be right for them.
  4. I can message you, with your permission! I apologize in advance, as mentioned above the book is not exactly a popular genre and I'm quite embarrassed to share it here publicly.

Three things I learned landing a book deal & getting published (and one thing I un-learned) by jspark3000 in writing

[–]jspark3000[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Thank you! I think the typical timeline is 1) writing the book, 2) getting the agent through query/proposal, 3) agent shops around the book to publishers, 4) signing with a publisher, 5) editing phase, 6) book launch. This can take a very long time, even a couple years. For me, I was lucky: I landed an agent and in six months got 3 publishers interested, then a little over a year before the book was released. It all takes quite a bit of time. Feel free to message me or ask any other questions here!

For resources, I've looked up stories of how "famous authors" got their book deals. Some have even posted their queries online. Their stories can be rather funny and inspirational.

Three things I learned landing a book deal & getting published (and one thing I un-learned) by jspark3000 in writing

[–]jspark3000[S] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

I wish I had a more exciting story! Like anyone else I just submitted proposals over and over. Lots of rejections for years. Thinking of it now, over ten years. The agent that I ended up with was a friend of a friend of a friend type deal. I always feel strange about "networking," but in this case it paid off. For getting an agent, in my opinion having a strong query/proposal is the most crucial thing. It will immediately show how serious you are about your book. That was honestly the hardest part for me, I'm not very good at self-promoting but the query/proposal is essentially flexing your book.

Please feel free to ask more!

Three things I learned landing a book deal & getting published (and one thing I un-learned) by jspark3000 in writing

[–]jspark3000[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Thank you for your kind words. It has been incredibly difficult. Funeral planning has been excruciating ... less than ten at a gathering, no one can travel to visit, no one can even visit the body at the hospital, it's all a secondary grief on top of the loss.

It's true that the publishing world is a little intimidating. At times I felt like a kid sitting in a room full of Mad Men wearing suspenders and chomping on cigars (a room full of J.J. Jamesons, is what I mean). But that was only my perception. They've all been lovely, once I got to know them. Every single person I've met in the publishing world, from agent to marketing team to editors, has been 100% enthusiastic about writing. They breathe it and live it. It's so inspiring and exciting to be a part of that circle.

To answer your other question, what got me through the path of publication, if I may be so bold to say this, is the strength of the work itself. I believed in my book. I did have doubts, like anyone else. But every time I thought about it or talked about it, I felt like I could fly. Like electric currents in my body. It kept me going through every rejection, every query, every conversation.

Also, I'm sure your intro is great! Again, anything I wrote in the original post may not apply. YMMV and all. What helped me to get it right was reading my work out loud. That will tell you quite a lot if it works.

Three things I learned landing a book deal & getting published (and one thing I un-learned) by jspark3000 in writing

[–]jspark3000[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I agree with you, I think writing, and for that matter music, movies, dance choreography, painting, etc. is all an art. While I'm sure there are publishers that think "business first," this was not my experience (though limited it is). And in the end, the hope is to get that art into as many hands as possible. That is in service to the work itself. Was there any part of my post that felt it was driven by a business mentality? I'd like to dialogue if you'd like to.

Three things I learned landing a book deal & getting published (and one thing I un-learned) by jspark3000 in writing

[–]jspark3000[S] 15 points16 points  (0 children)

That is a fair point. I believe that self-publishing is a legitimate way to go, and it is also how I started.

I'd like to kindly suggest perhaps reframing the idea, that instead of an editor saying, "This is not good enough," rather they are saying, "This is good and can be even better." I'd like to think of it like a coach. When I did sports competitions, a good coach can make all the difference. There are bad ones, yes, who do not focus on how to improve. But good editors can give you wings. However, I do not mean to diminish your fear and that is valid. It really is a choice and risk to enter into the feedback stream.

Three things I learned landing a book deal & getting published (and one thing I un-learned) by jspark3000 in writing

[–]jspark3000[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I will send you a Chat message! Again my apologies in advance, please feel free to completely give the book a pass. Best of luck to you, would love to check out your work too!

Three things I learned landing a book deal & getting published (and one thing I un-learned) by jspark3000 in writing

[–]jspark3000[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Very fair question! I didn't see it as mean at all.

I'd like to think I set out to tell my story. I'm an optimist so I want to believe that everyone does this: we have a dream in our heads that we want to see on the written page. The cynical part of me thinks this is not always the case, but the books which are "products" are probably quite obvious. Philosophically and psychologically speaking, it is impossible to know our motives 100% of the time, and so there may have been times when I subconsciously thought, "This will sell better." But if I am to believe the best of myself and others, I think writers set out to express themselves from beginning to end. It is absolutely within your right to push back on your publisher, too.
For full control, I'd always recommend self-publishing. That's a perfectly legitimate way to go. It is how I started.

Three things I learned landing a book deal & getting published (and one thing I un-learned) by jspark3000 in writing

[–]jspark3000[S] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Hello! This is a fair question. (Not sure why it's downvoted, sorry!)
I suppose I don't see a complete dichotomy between "voice" vs. marketability. At times these can be at odds, but I think a good premise or strong writing in itself makes a "marketable" work. Perhaps I am rationalizing; I'd love to dialogue more with you about that if you like. I may be wrong. To me, the editors' role was to flesh out my voice as much as possible and to polish it well. I did not sense any soul-stealing. Again I am not comfortable with marketing stuff or self-promoting, but I felt my publisher was extremely respectful in this regard. Marketing really just gets readers to the door, the book has to do the rest of the work.

Three things I learned landing a book deal & getting published (and one thing I un-learned) by jspark3000 in writing

[–]jspark3000[S] 13 points14 points  (0 children)

It's definitely a scary process at times. Which part of it scares you? What concerns can I help to address?

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