In this “chapter” of the Desertera Book Club, I recap the theology of Desertera’s creation and provide as much of an answer as I can to a question many readers have raised (and which my friend and fellow author, Jonas Lee, asked after watching the previous Desertera Book Club video)…
For those of you who want an “easy” answer: to the knowledge of the Deserterans, there are no other people left in the world.
For those of you want the full answer, here’s the video.
So there you have it! If you have any other questions about the world of Desertera, anything related to The Cogsmith’s Daughter, or future books in the series, leave them here or on YouTube, and I’ll answer in a future video.
For those of you who have read and enjoyed The Cogsmith’s Daughter (Desertera #1), I’ve started a new playlist over on my YouTube channel called ‘Desertera Book Club.’ I hope this channel can be a forum for you to ask me questions, discuss the series as it progresses, and learn some fun tidbits and behind-the-scenes facts about the book.
The first video is spoiler FREE. It covers the pronunciation of some of the main characters’ names, as well as which names in the novel hold personal significance for me (and now will for those of you in certain geeky fandoms!).
I’m not sure how often I will post these videos on my website, so if you want to make sure you see them all, be sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel.
Thanks for watching!
*Note: The Brisbane Lions is the team that rivals Collingwood. Thought I’d clear that up, lest my Aussie peeps shame me!
Do you have any questions about the Desertera series, or about my process as an indie author? Leave them in the comments!
In this vlog, I discuss my first line edit experience with The Cogsmith’s Daughter (Desertera #1), including: a brief overview of the process, the kinds of comments I received, and how I feel about the experience in retrospect.
For those who dislike vlogs or who are hearing impaired, here is a summary of this video.
My line editor took approximately two weeks with my manuscript. When she was finished, she called me to discuss her notes and comments, her mindset being that A) if she just sent over the worksheet, I’d make my own assumptions about her comments and B) it would yield a more productive conversation than email. I reallyappreciated the phone call, and it was incredibly helpful for me to discuss everything with her. After we talked, she sent me her notes page as well as the comments within the manuscript. I spent about a month doing my revisions based on her comments, then she spent another two weeks doing more revisions, then I spent 10-12 days with my final revisions. She did one final search for a few grammar rules, then passed it along to the proofreader.
Thus far, line editing has been my favorite part of the editing process. It is not as extensive (nor does it feel as artistically painful) as content editing, and it is really fun as a writer to see your work go from just a story to a beautiful, fluid story. I learned so much from this experience, and I already know my writing craft has improved because of it.
YouTube… just let that site register for a moment.
Now, what do you look at on there? Most of the time, for me, I watch a variety of three genres: gamer videos, dub-step dancing and movie trailers. There is an entire world of information, entertainment, nonsense and animal videos. Where does an author / book lover rate in that grand scale of things? Heard about Pluto lately? It’s rather lonely for an author out there right now. Can it change? I hope so. The next generation of authors are going to be more social media cognizant and try to reach as many platforms as they can.
Personally, I have my own channel (equipped with playlists) and I plan on developing it over time to make it something for fans to look at. It currently takes a look at various authors in stages of their careers as an interview. We talk shop and also get to know our personalities on the side. I’ve been able to have all walks of people so far from a best selling author, to seasoned Indies to people looking to publish their first novel. On top of that I am working on a couple of other YouTube projects sharing my experience being an Indie and some book reviews.
Now, think what you could do on channel of your own. What would you want to discuss, share or allow people to see? Even if YouTube is not your cup of tea, imagine completing an interview. As an author, what questions do you love answering? As a reader, which ones do you love reading? The main thing about sharing your personality is to always keep in mind to be you. It might throw your audience for a loop knowing that their favorite horror author loves watching cat videos or that the new YA author on the block wishes they could break dance (ok, that’s me).
The format you choose will dictate how much time you can devote, so pick wisely and don’t strain yourself to get followers. This is mostly for your own benefit at this point, no one else. That being said, if you aren’t on the YouTube’s that often, check out my site. Check out Kate’s site. Check out some fun stuff. I have my favorites below in case you’re curious (don’t judge):
In this vlog, I discuss my first content edit experience with The Cogsmith’s Daughter (Desertera #1), including: a brief overview of the process, the kinds of comments I received, and how I feel about the experience in retrospect.
For those who dislike vlogs or who are hearing impaired, here is a summary of this video.
First, Lynn, the owner of Red Adept Editing, called me to discuss the entire editing process, which was both informative and comforting. Next, Lynn passed my manuscript along to the first available content editor. I got my manuscript back within a week–a surprisingly short amount of time. The content editor went through my manuscript checking for plot holes, character development arcs, dialog issues, etc. The editor then provided me with several pages of notes as well as (hundreds of) comments within the manuscript itself.
On one hand, this process was terrifying, but on the other, I learned so much about myself as a writer, and I know my craft is significantly improved. A takeaway point? Listen to your editor. S/he is there to help you. The criticism will be tough to take, but it’s what you’re paying for and will help you learn. If you don’t want to hear it, just give your manuscript to your mom or spouse or friend and let them tell you how brilliant you are for free.
Kate M. Colby 