As a Machine and Parts: a novella (12/2011)


Mitchell, a twenty-something Cougar Cub with Marsha, his midlife girlfriend, wakes each morning, living an ever-thinning line between human and machine. As his literal condition progresses he looses his capacity for human emotion, and potentially with it, Marsha.  As a Machine and Parts is a story of Mitchell’s struggle to discover which assembly line he belongs Read more

I Didn't Mean to be Kevin: a novel (1/2012)


Jackson Jacoby is a motherless twenty-two year old boy with only the support of his crazy ex-military Uncle Marve and a kindred motherless peer named Creg. Creg holds fast to the hope of one day reuniting with his mother while Jackson maintains that his own life is so much better off without all the baggage that comes along with being somebody’s Read more

Charactered Pieces: stories


With Charactered Pieces, Caleb J. Ross presents a varied world of familial discord, one where a dead fetus evokes more compassion than its mother (“Charactered Pieces”);  where two brothers offer the destruction of a family legacy as a birthday gift for their aging father (“My Family’s Rule”); where one brother’s love of Holocaust documentaries pushes his family through the aftermath of his assumed suicide (“The Read more

Stranger Will: a novel


In this novel of impending fatherhood, an idealistic teacher recruits a pliant protégé to join her group of Strangers – a devout collection of kindred minds who have dedicated their lives to cultivating a unique idea of perfection. But joining is easier than Read more

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Study (the world/the craft)

Solarcide interviews me, one of the most interesting interviews yet: The Digital Age of Domestic Grotesque

Posted on November 16, 2011 by Caleb J Ross Posted in Media, Study (the world/the craft) | Leave a comment

Nathan Pettigrew, one of the two minds behind the lit site Solarcide, asked me for an interview a few days ago. This guy knows how to ask questions, ones that not only evoke my own passion for the subject matter but also make it easy for me to answer in a way that is hopefully entertaining for readers.

Head over to Solarcide now. Read the interview. Learn of my greatness.

Here’s a taste of Nathan’s humbling intro:

He’s one of literature’s most lethal rising stars and highly prolific with not one, but four new releases in 2011.

His debut novel from earlier this year, Stranger Will (Otherworld Publications), established Caleb J. Ross as a true talent to be reckoned with. His writing can be described as stylistically beautiful while depicting some of the darkest and most disturbing worlds that fiction has to offer.

Picking up on concurrent themes throughout his work pertaining to family, some have begun to refer to his style as Domestic Grotesque—a genre all his own.

How do readers choose books? [Poll Results]

Posted on October 16, 2011 by Caleb J Ross Posted in General News, Marketing, Study (the world/the craft) | 1 Comment

I’m a data nerd. I’m a spreadsheet and chart nerd. Therefore, I could have made this lede a bit shorter and simply said “I’m a nerd.” Recently, I conducted a very unscientific poll on Twitter and Facebook, asking a general group of readers how they decide what to read when choosing a book.

While this is an admittedly small poll with a slight slant toward people I know, even if tangentially (they are connected to me via Facebook and Twitter in some way), I feel the findings are still valid, at least as part of a possible larger survey. If anyone has the resources to conduct a larger poll, contact me. I’d love to see the data.

Here are the results:

Observations:

  • It has long been said that word of mouth is the best advertising for books, so it is slightly surprising to see “Recommendations” appear 3rd on the list.
  • “Author” being so high on the list is not surprising.  We live in egotistical times. And with the embrace of ego comes the worship of ego.
  • I didn’t think that “Cover/Title/Synopsis” would have been so important.  It is especially interesting that this option was a voter submitted option.
  • “Price” is very far down on the list. In a world of so much free content, seeing that people are still willing to pay for perceived value is encouraging.

Source of story ideas: Infographics

Posted on October 1, 2011 by Caleb J Ross Posted in Study (the world/the craft) | 2 Comments

A question many writers get is “where do you get your ideas?” This question often originates from one of two sources: 1) a desire for a new writer to find that secret arterial idea spring, or 2) a reassurance that the author isn’t insane (I assure you that the idea to embed fingernails into The Bible was not based on an actual event in my life).

The truth is they come from everywhere. A mis-heard conversation, a sudden obsession with a particular song or painting, a dare; these things and more have been sources of my own stories for years. One of the recent areas where I’ve been seeing a lot of potential is infographics.

For those not aware, infographics are basically graphical ways to show data. Data can be boring. Colors and drawings are fun. Therefore, the infographic.

Below (way below, at the bottom of this post) I’ve included one such infographic that I think has some potential. I’ve isolated three of the data points following, and included a few initial thoughts on the possibilities each hold.

That’s incredible. Imagine a what the science of such projection would look like in the hands of a madman. Or, imagine a climatic (though probably funny) scene in which a man stabs a guy and gets hit in the eye with blood.
So, The Matrix was full of shit, then? Still, knowing how little amount of power the brain actually takes to function could make for some interesting machine/man hybrid stories.
Stomach acid harvested for use in either torture or construction. What about when someone is murdered by way of a knife to the stomach? Has acid ever leaked out, leaving a permanent scare on the hand of the killer? Perhaps in your story it has.

Read more

The real questions authors need to ask when deciding between self-publishing and traditional publishing

Posted on April 2, 2011 by Caleb J Ross Posted in Study (the world/the craft) | 5 Comments

With the news of sudden-star Amanda Hocking circumnavigating – and established-star Barry Eisler eschewing -  traditional publishing in favor of self publishing, I thought it important to collect my thoughts on the topic from the perspective of aspiring authors.

Getting a book published is easy. Anyone with $5 and a Lulu account can do it (or for a bit more can go through Createspace, direct to Lightning Source, or any other PoD route). So the discussion for authors must change from how to be published to how best to be published.

Think about it this way, if you are offered a 20% royalty on books sold (which is actually high for most publishers), that means you are giving up on 80% of your potential profit. The truth is when signing a publishing contract you are paying the publisher to sell your book.

Much of the information out there about self-publishing vs. traditional (legacy?) publishing is explained from the perspective of the publishing industry. But what about author?

Below is a straightforward list of things that every author should consider before deciding how best to publish. Admittedly, I haven’t always asked these specific questions myself, but I’m learning. And by proxy (re: reading this blog post), you are learning.

You vs. prospective publisher: Social Media Presence

Ask, does this publisher have more Twitter followers, Facebook fans, or a better established blog than you? Is the publisher actively engaging readers on these various platforms?

Word of mouth sells books. Social presence (particularly online consumer book reviews) is the internet equivalent of word of mouth.  Closely examine, and scrutinize if necessary, your prospective publisher’s social media presence. Spend some time perusing the DIALOG (caps intentional) that the publisher is having with readers.

You vs. prospective publisher: Industry connections

Does the publisher engage in industry events such as the AWP Conference or BookExpo? Does the publisher have distribution relationships that you can’t have? Be careful with this one; distribution is easier today than ever, for both publishers and authors. eBooks can be streamlined by a service like Smashwords. Print book distribution to online retailers such as Amazon and Barnes & Noble is simple when using a PoD services like Lightening Source.

The toughest fight for self-published authors (and most small press publishers) is brick-and-mortar store distribution. Even though “Thirty percent of books are still discovered in the brick-and-mortar bookstore” I personally feel that as eBooks increase their claim in the collective reader conscious store presence will become less and less important.

As the capital-I Industry continues to become the lowercase-i industry, the options available for authors to become an active player are ever-widening. This means that many of the once-sacred insider realms are increasingly more accessible to authors.

You vs. prospective publisher: Advertising budget and capabilities

Do you see advertising for the potential publisher anywhere? Keep your expectations realistic with this one. Very few publishers are going to have hi-profile advertising in magazines and industry trades. Think smaller. Do you see publisher ads at some of your favorite blogs or lit sites? Do you subscribe to the publisher newsletter; how does advertising look there?

I would place advertising capabilities low on the priority list. I feel that because word-of-mouth is the most important form of advertising, paid placement in traditional outlets tends to come across as white noise to most readers. Paid ads are more about branding than converting book sales.

You vs. prospective publisher: Time

Does the publisher have more time than you to sell books? Going it alone, the author will have to dedicate a lot of time to the mundane crap (formatting a book for e-publishing/printing, for just one example). Often, this time component is the deal breaker/maker for an author.

As an author, I would assume that your main motivation with this whole writing thing is to well, write. When promotion and back-end businessy stuff occupies your day, you will be left without any remaining time to write. Then we’re at the circular problem of having dedicated so much time to promoting book number one that you are then left without a book number two to promote.

All authors, whether self-supporting full-timers or career-dreaming hobbyists will be expected to contribute to promotion. But how should your time be realistically divided?

You vs. prospective publisher: Other authors on the label

This one is more of a prospective publisher vs. prospective publisher dilemma. Say you’ve decided that going the traditional publishing route is for you. Now, which one do you choose?

The company you keep can become your most supportive street-team. A rising tide lifts all boats, so to speak. Explore the online presence (and sales data, if possible) of other authors on the label. Do these authors have more readers than you? Could readers of their work be readers of yours? Would you have a drink with these people?

Digest this information. Then ask: Is the prospective publisher able to sell 80% more books than you could without the publisher?

Blogging, Tweeting, and YouTubing from AWP all this week

Posted on February 1, 2011 by Caleb J Ross Posted in Events, General News, Other Writers, Study (the world/the craft) | Leave a comment

Between February 2nd and 5th I will be attending the AWP (Association of Writers and Writing Programs) Conference in Washington DC. During this time I’ll be temporarily relocated.

Check often at the following places, where I (and a team of writers) will be reporting on the happenings at the conference all week. Be sure to subscribe to the blog, YouTube channel, and Podcast feed, and follow the Twitter stream.

My AWP Blog (www.calebjross.com/awpblog)

Expect summaries of panels and daily roundups of general goings-on

AWPtweets (http://twitter.com/awptweets)

As the majesty of Twitter has allowed and encouraged, expect disposable minutia here

AWP Channel (www.youtube.com/awpchannel)

While I would love to upload videos of every reading and panel discussion I attend, I assume AWP would have some copyright issues with that. So, expect instead videos of selected readings and perhaps a few quick interviews from the book fair floor. We’ll see.

The Velvet Podcast (www.thevelvetpodcast.com)

Because The Velvet Podcast isn’t something reserved specifically for AWP (as the above mediums are), expect interviews and discussions that cross from the academic focus of AWP to the noir-lit yet still intelligent focus of the Welcome to the Velvet forums. At least that is the plan. The Velvet Podcast tends to be pretty receptive of almost anything, so, I guess, expect almost anything.

Validating the three publishing options: Traditional, Small/Independent, DIY

Posted on January 23, 2011 by Caleb J Ross Posted in Marketing, Other Writers, Study (the world/the craft) | Leave a comment

Honestly, when in the company of commercial press authors, defending my place as independent press author can be difficult. To those who have “made it” into the commercial presses, I would assume my defense comes across not nearly as articulately and convincingly as I would hope. Afterall, the examples of small press authors immigrating into the world of commercial presses far outweighs the number of commercial authors willing to emigrate to the small press world. The commercial press gatekeeper is much more discriminating than the indies; I understanding the disbelief. I too would go commercial if given the right opportunity.

But things are getting easier. Not only are small press books showing face on historically commercial press-dominated shortlists (the recently announced 2010 National Book Critics Circle award finalists includes quite a few small press titles), but with the help of Jane Friedman the various publishing paths have been defined, and by extension, validated.

In the summary of her Writers Digest Conference 2011 talk on publishing options Friedman very clearly explains what she sees as the basic three options for publishing:

  1. Tradition
  2. Independent or niche presses
  3. Self-publishing/DIY publisher

But more, she outlines the viability of each path and goes even further to categorize according to which path that might suit them best. Her bullet-points follow:

Pros, Cons, and Requirements:

Traditional publishing:

  • It’s a commercially-driven business
  • Competitive – many people are trying to break in
  • National distribution – your work needs to merit that
  • Slower to market (usually)
  • Not the time to experiment
  • Persistence & patience
  • For non-fiction: you need a platform

Small/independent press:

  • Weaker distribution, smaller print run
  • More personal attention, dedication
  • Usually less money
  • Niche marketing – smaller, specialized market; they’re experts in the field
  • More accepting of “art” (could be nonprofit), more service-minded

DIY:

  • Entrepreneurial spirit
  • Direct connections with readership (for sales)
  • Must be comfortable with technology
  • Must enjoy connecting with people (online and off)
  • Requires energy to market and promote

ALL of the options actually require energy to market and promote.

It all boils down to you – your strengths, your work, your readers – to determine what’s best.

Hell, just read the original post. Read more

Social media is a natural fit for authors. Tip your readers!

Posted on January 15, 2011 by Caleb J Ross Posted in Study (the world/the craft) | 4 Comments


When I’m not authoring mind explosions, I spend part of my time professionally involved with social media. One of the items my company stresses with our clients is that social media is not about pushing a message of product, product, product. It’s about engaging with customers and potential customers on a personal level. This means breaking the traditional advertising bullhorn approach of “BUY THIS NOW” with quips about the weather or TV shows, for example (though perhaps still tangentially related to the company’s product line). For most companies, dialog sans advertising is a foreign concept. For authors, this should be easy.

Authors are their books

Authors are inextricably linked to their products in a way that traditional companies are not. Denis Dutton in The Art Instinct: Beauty, Pleasure, & Human Evolution explores the idea that fiction always concerns and navigates three persons, one of whom is the author.

“There is also the transaction between reader and author—the latter understood by the reader as an actual person, the creator of the story, who negotiates between the various points of view of fictional persons (the characters), the author’s own point of view, and the point of view of the reader. These three elements are present in every experience of fiction; in fact, they exhaust the list of operative elements” (pg 124).

Authors control the show by “persuading, manipulating, wheedling, planting hints, adopting a tone, and so forth: whatever will appeal to the reader and create a convincing interpretation, including interpretations of ambiguous events. This makes the experience of a story inescapably social” (pg 125).

The author is always present. This is not the case when, for example, going to a pizza shop; you don’t normally consider the pizza chef when eating pizza, whether consciously or unconsciously. When reading, you do consider the author.

Authors vs. books: one is not more important than the other

The author’s aversion to social media is understood. Most of us like to think of our work not as a product to be sold but as an artifact worth cherishing and that the book should be thought of independently from the author. It’s a simple personal life vs. profession life argument. However, this is a romantic ideal, not a reality.

The truth is our DVD-behind-the-scenes-extras culture has trained us to expect glimpses of the minds behind the art. This expectation should be embraced, not avoided. Would Dostoyevsky fall from his pedestal if he tweeted that he had a particularly terrible sandwich from the corner bistro? Maybe, for some. But I think the number of current readers that would be alienated by this humanization would be offset by a crowd of new potential readers who would be endeared by the man’s personal revelations.

Take Ray Garton (@RayGarton) for example. Here’s a writer I would never have known had it not been for his phenomenal presence on Twitter. He’s personable, rarely salesy, and funnier than most tweeting comedians. I didn’t learn about the author after learning of his books. Instead I got interested in the books after learning about the author, which is a transposition that seems to be more and more common.

How to engage using social media

An article at the London Book Fair site offers this advice for authors looking to engage in social media:

“It’s probably a mistake for authors to be part of more than one network – it’s simply too time-consuming to keep up with several accounts, so choose Facebook or MySpace, but not both. They should also be aware of posting in haste the sort of personal detail that may be repented at leisure, and they should certainly resist the urge to respond to every criticism and to promote their own work at the expense of others. More than one exposé has demonstrated the dangers of that.”

I would agree with all but the first point. There are many tools available to make simultaneously posting to multiple platforms easy (Tweetdeck, Twitterfeed, and RSS Graffiti together will take care of 99% of your cross-posting needs). Besides, not all of your potential readers are on a single network; you should be where your readers are (NOTE: as of this posting, I have actually deleted my MySpace account. Shame on me, I suppose. MySpace caters to MTV watchers, and I don’t think my readers fit that demographic. Now, if The Discovery Channel or the Film Noir Foundation buy MySpace, then I’ll probably be back).

A few more tips:

  • Work humor into your messages. Nothing breaks down defenses quite like humor.
  • Post messages a few times/day if possible. Publish blog posts a few times/week.
  • Leave comments on reader blogs (like this one) and Facebook messages. Re-tweet reader tweets.
  • Your first priority should be engaging with readers. Selling books should be a second or third tier goal.
  • The Simon & Schuster.biz site has many more tips. Go there.

Consider yourself a member of the literary community, not just a content producer

Honestly, when perceived as a gesture of inclusion, the author who doesn’t participate in social media could be seen as a kind of a dick. I don’t want to generalize—there are valid reasons for not participating, of course—but for those authors without a good reason, refusing to interact with readers is like not tipping your bartender.

Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jcroft/

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