Self Published Book Review of the Week: Titus: The Tragic Death of an Emperor

Titus: The Tragic Death of an Emperor

by Leon Newton

This self-published book was recently reviewed by Peter M. Fitzpatrick:

“Your jails are filled with paupers, not criminals, and the gutters are filled with the heads of those who would dare to question the system.”

In an era when American soldiers have given their lives so that Iraqi people can exercise the democratic vote, when questions about Afghani presidential voting fraud get international attention, plays like this one have a special resonance. They do so by reminding us that these ideas and values have been with us for a very, very long time. Set in the reign of a fictional Roman emperor in the first century of the common era, Titus is the story of the fault lines and weakness that ran through the fabric of Roman society after it threw off republican forms of governance and law for monarchical and autocratic ones. Through economy of setting and starkly rendered characters, themes and issues of timeless power begin to emerge into the foreground of the story. Simple sounding ideas like democracy and truth, trust, mercy, justice, and the state find embodiment and representation in this short, two-act drama.

It is not an accident that this first century story of Roman political intrigue and double-dealing should have a mirroring effect for us today. Our very own concepts of checks and balances, separation of powers, term limits, and the power of veto are ultimately derived from the ancient Roman constitution. They had these ideas too. In fact, when we witness such things as pro-democracy protesters being clubbed and killed in the streets of Iran, we see elements of this play being enacted on the stage of life. They are powerful and very much living ideas. The author has done well to render them somewhat larger than life and almost archetypically. Issues such as truth and justice may seem abstract and airy. They are not to those who do not have them. That is perhaps what this play is mostly about. And in a time when torture, terror, and freedom operations are on the tips of all our tongues, it is wonderful that he has done so.

For more information or to order the book, visit the author’s webpage: www.outskirtspress.com/professorleonnewton

Self-Publishing

Self-publishing Manuscript Length Information

As you continue to develop your content, consider your market, and research self-publishing options, it might be helpful to consider publishing standards regarding page count.

The most important thing to recognize is the difference between your manuscript page size (which is most likely 8.5 x 11) and your published book trim size (which will most likely be smaller). Whenever a publisher discusses page count, or per-page pricing, it is based upon the size of the published page.

The most common published book trim sizes are 5.5 x 8.5 and 6 x 9, although many publishers will offer several more options.

If your manuscript is 100 pages long at 8.5 x 11, you probably have closer to 200 pages of finished text when the book is published. The good news is, your book just got twice as long, which in many cases improves the perceived value of your published book. On the other hand, some authors will be surprised when they see pricing based upon 200 pages instead of 100. Be prepared.

Keep in mind that production cost is directly related to page count. The more pages your book has, the more it will cost to print. Therefore, most authors keep their books between 100-300 published pages.

Have fun and keep writing.

Uncategorized

Self-Publishing ask the Book Doctor: POV in Fiction

Q: Can you tell me if editors (and even reviewers) specifically check or look out for consistency of viewpoint in a novel? I have been reading about being consistent with time and with how close you focus with one or many characters, and it seems a little confusing. Is this something I should take a class in? I was just wondering if many published authors keep these things in mind when writing a story.

A: Editors come in many forms. Some simply handle acquisitions for a publisher and do not edit at all, much less comment on viewpoint. Some editors edit for grammar, punctuation, and syntax and do not pay attention to viewpoint. Only an editor or book doctor who also analyzes the content will pay attention to, point out, or correct viewpoint flaws, which certainly should be addressed, because publishers want clear, consistent, and logical viewpoints in novels.

Viewpoint (also called point of view or POV) is a tricky matter. It refers to which character perceives that particular scene—in whose point of view the action takes place.

Consistency is important in that the point of view should be only one per scene (that is, never get into the head of more than one character per scene). You can get into another character’s point of view by starting a new scene.

Your best bet is to use only main characters as point-of-view characters, and the best novels have no more than three main characters. How the time per character is divvied up, though, does not matter. The choice is up to the author.

I think it’s easier to find a book on point of view than find a class that specifically addresses that issue, but no matter how you choose to educate yourself, if you want to write novels, you do need to know about point of view and how and when to use it to its best advantage.

Bobbie Christmas, book editor, author of Write In Style (Union Square Publishing), and owner of Zebra Communications, will answer your questions, too. Send them to Bobbie@zebraeditor.com. Read more “Ask the Book Doctor” questions and answers at http://www.zebraeditor.com.

Self-Publishing Book Review of the Week

Self Published Book Review of the Week: Aurora of the Northern Lights

Aurora of the Northern Lights

by Holly Hardin

This self-published book was recently reviewed by Reader Views Kids:

“Aurora of the Northern Lights” is the story of a young girl named Aurora. Aurora’s parents meet in the cold lands of the Northern Fey.

Grace: “It’s cold and snowy here, do you think this is where the Northern Fey live Mom?”

Ella: “Maybe they live in the North Cold (what Ella calls the North Pole).”

Aurora’s father, William, becomes sick in the cold so her mother, Mistletoe, agrees to move to a farm where the weather wasn’t so cold.

Ella: “We moved but it’s still cold here, just like in Manitowoc.”

Mistletoe and William are thrilled with the birth of their daughter Aurora, and for seven years everything is wonderful. But, then all three of them get sick and Aurora’s parents don’t survive.

Grace: “That is so sad. That’s why we get shots, so we don’t get sick, right Mom? Are her Mom and Dad in Heaven now?”

Aurora feels lost, and when she wanders into town the people of the town shun her. She doesn’t know what to do when suddenly a witch gives her a charm to protect her from harm, and tells her that this is not her true home, she needs to head to the forest.

Ella: “What a pretty necklace!”

She does head to the forest, where she does meet some Fey. But, these are not her people and they too tell her to move on. But, their queen provides her with a nice wool cloak and oak staff for her journey.

Grace: “At least she’ll be nice and warm.”

After traveling through the bitter cold, Aurora is about to give up when she comes upon a castle. When she knocks, the door is opened by Santa Claus.

Grace: “Look Mom, Santa! I can’t wait until he comes!”

Ella: “Don’t forget to put a cotton ball on my calendar so I know how many more days.”

Santa invites Aurora in where she is welcomed by all, but she then sees a woman who looks like her. This woman is so happy to see her, because she is her Grandmother.

Overall I thought that “Aurora of the Northern Lights” by Holly Hardin was a well-written book; the only issue I had was that little Aurora was only seven when her parents died, and she was on her own and shunned by adults. But, it does show children that life isn’t always easy, and even if you are different you can always find people who will love you no matter what.

For more information or to order the book, visit the author’s webpage: www.outskirtspress.com/hollyhardin

Self-Publishing

Self-publishing News: Amazon & State of Colorado

News has surfaced regarding recent legislation involving the state of Colorado and internet retailer, Amazon.com.

Amazon is no stranger to moves like this, which along with the recently thwarted attempt to monopolize the sale of on-demand books through their printers, can be of concern to the rapidly growing self-publishing industry. For all those published and currently publishing authors, self or otherwise, this will have no impact at all on your book pricing and availability.

Have fun and keep writing.

Titus: The Tragic Death of an Emperor

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Aurora of the Northern Lights

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