THE TUESDAY FILM REVIEW #1 - "STAR WARS EPISODE VII: THE FORCE AWAKENS"

Hi!

So, it's a new year, and one of my resolutions is to utilize this blog more effectively and more regularly than I did in 2015. I want to write something weekly, and have it be something I care about, something I can express an opinion on without causing too much controversy, and, most importantly, be something that you would actually want to read.

It's not been easy, coming up with ideas, let me tell you! It’s much easier writing books!

But, I did have a moment of inspiration, which is why, from this moment on, you are looking at my MOVIE REVIEW BLOG! I'll strive to provide an honest, impartial and informative review of a new film for your enjoyment. Any opinions expressed are my own, and I will refrain from posting any spoilers, so as not to anger the masses.

And now, for the first time in 2016, here's my first review:

MOVIE REVIEW: Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Yes, the much-hyped and long-awaited new addition to the biggest sci-fi franchise in history hit the big screen just before Christmas 2015. Many people were excited. Some people were nervous. A few simply didn't care. Me? I was a bit of both, and definitely cared. Not wishing to make anyone feel old or anything, my childhood consisted of Return of the Jedi playing on TV over Christmas, so that was my favorite growing up. I played Star Wars with my friends in the school playground (I was always Luke Skywalker, and I loved the bit where R2-D2 throws him his lightsaber as they hovered over the Sarlacc pit, so I re-enacted that daily), I had a few of the toys, loved the films, and even owned a couple of lightsabers in my twenties. As I got older, I found more appreciation for The Empire Strikes Back, which is still widely-regarded as the best entry in the series by a long way, but I loved all of them.

Then there was the prequel trilogy... Hmmm. We'll skim over the truly awful Phantom Menace, ignore the mostly-insignificant Attack of the Clones (which was saved only by the Yoda vs. Count Dooku fight, which was awesome) and briefly pay homage to Revenge of the Sith. Again, not the best film. But, having seen the originals many times, witnessing Anakin's eventual descent to the Dark Side, and seeing Vader's mask lowered onto his burnt face was pretty cool, and provided a level of closure for me, as a fan.

So, when the new film was announced, I was nervous. My lightsabers were crossed, hoping for another Yoda, and not another Jar Jar Binks. Confidence was high with J. J. Abrams at the helm. Bit of a weirdo (Lost, Fringe), but someone I have faith in to always make a half-decent film (Star Trek, Super 8), and someone whose occasional shortcomings I can still happily overlook (Mission: Impossible 3).

So, along with my 11-year-old son (who I had spent a year educating in the ways of the Force), I secured two tickets to the opening night in the UK, refrained from dressing up, and settled in for Episode VII: The Force Awakens.

Like so many of us, I had theorized what would happen based on the influx of teaser trailers online, and I'm happy to say, I was wrong on nearly everything! I like being surprised, and this film was just that. A very pleasant surprise. It's Star Wars, like Star Wars should be. Not too heavy on the CGI, plenty of action interlaced with character-driven dialogue and sub-plots, and yes, someone says "I have a bad feeling about this..." which is just ace!

So, the story. (No spoilers here, promise!) We join the action some 30 years after partying with the Ewoks on Endor. The Empire is no more, yet, like an evil phoenix, The First Order has risen from its ashes and is doing much the same thing—being awful to everyone and trying to rule the galaxy. Same old, same old.

There are plenty of new faces—the three main ones effectively being modern-day re-tellings of our old favorites. First up is Oscar Isaac's excellent Poe Dameron, who is this year's Han Solo. A hot-shot rebel fighter pilot, with rogue-ish good looks, a cheeky grin, and wise-cracking dialogue.

Then, we have the Stormtrooper with a conscience, played by John Boyega. A really good performance by him, and despite his character’s beginnings, it doesn't take long for you to genuinely care what happens to him. He's this year's Luke Skywalker, definitely.

And finally, there's the mysterious Rey, the tough-as-nails tomboy who's hotter than you first realize, brought to life by the uber-talented, destined-for-great-things, Daisy Ridley. Not much is known about who she is, but she's this year's Princess Leia, without a doubt.

And that was the first thing that really struck a chord with me—how the film acknowledges the original characters, but gives them a twist for the newer, younger audience. The comparisons are immediate and obvious, but they work. Instead of the kick-ass princess, you have the hard-done-by street kid... instead of the teenager dreaming of escaping his dead-end life, you have one who struggles to accept he's not meant for the exciting one he has. Kids today will relate to these things, yet the film manages to keep the essence of what made the main characters from the classic films so memorable.

We also have the new lovable droid, BB-8, who, like R2-D2 so many years ago, unwittingly finds itself with a garbled message in its memory banks, and in the possession of one of our heroes.

In much the same way that Episode IV didn’t hang about getting Darth Vader on the screen, it's not long before we're treated to our first look at the big bad—Kylo Ren. Let's run through the checklist:

·         Looks cool wearing black? Check.

·         Masked, with scary voice? Check.

·         Mean? Check.

So, Mr. Ren starts out doing everything we would expect, which is nice. We know he's working with The First Order, we know he's looking for something... so far, so Star Wars.

The film moves along at a good pace. Plenty of action and fighting, slowed down by great interaction between the main cast where needed. Then we start getting drip-fed the old-timers, which is where the fanboy in you will get really excited. We first get a look of Han Solo and Chewbacca, which we already knew from the trailers, when Han says, "Chewy, we're home." Harrison Ford steps back into the role like putting on an old pair of shoes—a little awkward at first, but you soon remember how comfortable they are, and you're off and running in no time. It's almost like he's not played any other part since 1983 (and after Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, I bet sometimes Mr. Ford wishes that were the case!). Accompanied by his long-time friend, he effortlessly goes through the motions as the scoundrel looking to make some money, but always ending up owing someone more than he has.

It's not long before a twist of fate puts him and Chewy alongside our new heroes, and they're on their way to see another familiar face, Princess Leia. Except she's not a Princess anymore, she's the General of the Resistance. I won't say too much about her, as her parts in the film are integral to the main storyline, and I don't want to ruin it. Suffice to say, like any couple reuniting after 30 years, her and Han are a joy to watch on screen together.

I don't want to delve into the storyline too much, because a) you've probably pieced together the gist of it from all the trailers, and b) it's hard to do without telling you things you won't know if you haven't already seen it. So I'll leave it there, but will finish by saying it's a pleasure from start to finish, it cues up the inevitable sequels well, and it does nothing more than what it should do—it gives you a Star Wars experience that leaves you wanting to watch it again the moment it finishes.

So, the downsides. There aren't many, but, for me, there are some. They don't take away from the movie as a whole, but they detracted from the experience enough to make them worth mentioning, so here goes.

Princess/General Leia. I'm sorry, but poor Carrie Fisher has had so much Botox, I genuinely thought it was a different actress when she first appeared on camera. We see her go through an emotional reunion, some heartache, some humorous banter, some thrilling, edge-of-the-seat action, and a nail-biting, jaw-dropping finale... and not once did her expression change! Probably because it couldn't. She's the only one who looked like they were struggling to revive their character, because she didn't look like a natural, older version of herself… she looked like she was trying to be a younger version of herself, and it made me not want to see her as much as other characters.

Kylo Ren. This guy starts out as being awesome. His mask is suitably evil, his voice is menacing, his lightsaber is just brilliant… But then he takes his mask off. He's doing something (which I won't detail, but is another obvious and much-appreciated nod to the film's predecessors) and he just takes off his mask. Now, no disrespect to Adam Driver, but... have you seen Harry Potter? Well, Kylo Ren, without his mask, kinda looks like he's related in some distant, in-bred way, to Neville Longbottom. He continues with his evil gestures and scary intentions, but without the mask, you just kinda think... Really? Am I meant to be scared here? When I was a kid, Darth Vader terrified the crap out of me! This guy... you could probably flush his head and steal his lunch money, if he doesn't force-choke you beforehand.

I think he’s another Hayden Christensen—horribly miscast for an important role that could’ve defined the right actor’s career, but is likely to end up ruining it for him. Should've kept the mask on, Kylo!

Captain Phasma. The name might not mean much to casual fans, but I’m referring to the chrome Stormtrooper who has inexplicably developed somewhat of a cult following since their appearance in the trailers. They’re the tall, imposing, assumed leader of the Stormtroopers, and certainly looks the part. However, that part is so insignificant, it’s like it was written in as an after-thought. The character will apparently play a more significant role in later films, but that’s hardly the point. We first see him at the beginning, and they’re all evil and shooty, which is fine. But then we see him only a couple of times after that and, at one point, he’s taken hostage in possibly the most unimposing, least-threatening way imaginable, and he just goes along with it. What the hell?! Oh, and I say “He”, but the character is actually played by a woman—Gwendoline Christie, the tall, sword-wielding blonde from Game of Thrones who protects Sansa Stark. Anyway…

The final thing that annoyed me a little bit is tough to talk about, because it's riddled with spoilers. But I shall simply say this: the way a certain character (who I haven't mentioned previously) was handled could've been done so much better than it was. That's it. I'll say no more. Watch the film, then read this again. You'll know what I mean.

So, to sum up. This is a great addition to the franchise, no doubt. But, forgetting it's Star Wars for a moment, it's simply a great film. It provides everything you would want from this genre, and it leaves you wanting more at the end (with a clear indication it's going to provide it at some point in the future).

Disney are likely looking at the $4 billion price tag George Lucas put on the franchise as a bargain, given that it's already made $1.5 billion, and is on track to surpass Avatar as the highest-grossing movie ever made, ever, in the history of cinema. And that was always going to happen, let's be honest. The hype alone can account for half of the profit, and Disney's expert marketing along the way has secured this movie's place in the annals of cinematic history.

Now go. Enjoy. Even if you don't like Star Wars, it's worth a watch. Though I'm pretty certain after seeing it, you'll want to watch the others.

9 / 10

A great film, and an instant classic. The flaws are minor, and will only grate slightly on Star Wars fans, not movie fans as a whole.

Is there a particular movie you'd like me to review? Just drop me a line by visiting my website, www.jamespsumner.com.

© Copyright James P. Sumner 2016.

AUTHOR Q&A - OCTOBER 2015

So, last month I put the feelers out regarding a Q&A session with yours truly, to see if any of my readers had any burning questions they wanted to ask me. I wasn't sure what kind of response I would get, but I was overwhelmed by how many of you had things they wanted to ask!

I've selected some good ones and answered them below. I'm looking at hosting a video Q&A session on the Facebook page in the future, so I can start working my way through your questions then.

So without further ado...

"Where did Adrian Hell come from? What 'flash' of inspiration made you choose him as a central character?" - Steve F

When I first started playing around with ideas for a novel, I decided the best starting point should be the character. I knew I wanted a strong central protagonist - someone I could potentially base an ongoing series around.  I wanted to create the 'hero' first, and then decide what genre to fit them into.

I began with the name. I wanted a normal, everyday, yet slightly uncommon first name (all the big heroes seem to be called Jack nowadays!), and a punchy, menacing, 'hero' surname. I stared at the page for days until something came to me. And that 'something' was Adrian Hell! Once I had that, the rest just fell nicely into place - what he looked like, what kind of person he was, etc. Like his books, the character seemed to write himself. 

I suppose there was no 'flash', no epiphany or anything, as such - I just started from the ground up, keeping what worked, scrapping what didn't, until I had a guy I liked, and believed I could get other people to like.

And here's an exclusive, little-known fact for you... in Adrian Hell's first incarnation, he was roaming the post-apocalyptic wastelands of a war-ravaged earth, fighting rebels in a kind of 'Book of Eli' meets 'Judge Dredd' setting! 

"There is quite a lot of technical detail in your novels, both with the real technology and also within the fight scenes. Is this knowledge you have already, or is it based on research?" - Steve F

In terms of the storylines, I tend to rely more on imagination than hard fact, but there are elements that I research extensively to ensure there's enough realism in there to relate to. Technology, certainly in the GlobaTech series, tends to be my imaginative extension of things that really exist. Similarly with the geography - when Adrian is somewhere real, like San Francisco or Pittsburgh, I live on Google Maps for weeks, finding routes and locations to use, and making sure it's as accurate as possible. I will sometimes use real locations fictitiously - if there's a bar there in real life, it might be a block of flats in my book, for example. But overall, I like the idea of someone reading the book and thinking, 'That's my neighbourhood, awesome!'

The fight scenes, I really enjoy writing. They look great in the movies, but they're rarely realistic. I trained in martial arts when I was younger and more able, so I've a good idea of what would be effective in a 'real' fight. I wanted Adrian to have believable, gritty, dirty scraps - if you know what you're doing, it will only take a couple of good shots to put someone down, and I like to explain exactly how Adrian does it, to show he is that dangerous. You don't go back and forth, trading punches that, in real life, would break your jaw. Fighting, especially in the situations Adrian finds himself in, is swift and brutal, and you do it to win, not to look good.

"What authors have been your biggest influences?" - Dougie

My first real influence was John Locke. I read the first book in his Donovan Creed series, and I was admittedly hooked. But he inspired me to give it a go myself, because he was the first person to sell a million self-published e-books on Amazon. I enjoyed his books, and still do, but I believed I could do something along the same lines in my own voice - in my own way, that would appeal to people. So I did. I've been compared to him more than once, and that's a real honour. I just wish I had his download figures!

Anyone who writes thrillers would be lying if they didn't at least tip their hat to Lee Child, too. I've met him, and he's a really nice guy, and he could teach a masterclass in writing novels in this genre. His success is without question, and his Jack Reacher series is consistently excellent. He's the benchmark for any author, I think. I've been fortunate enough to draw a few comparisons to him with the Adrian Hell series, which again, is a real honour.

"If you were a character in one of your own books, would you be a tough guy or a clever guy?" - Dougie

This is a great question! With Adrian Hell being in the first person, I like to think guys will sit and read it and picture themselves playing him, going through what he does, seeing it in their heads as if it were a movie. And yes, when I'm writing it, that's pretty much what I do as well! Everyone likes to be the hero. If I was to answer honestly, I would say I'm more like Josh than Adrian. I'd be the smart guy that the tough guy relies on, although I'd like a couple of fight scenes as well!

"Have you ever suffered from writer's block? And if so, how did you deal with it?" - Mel

I think a large misconception with writing, and with authors, is that there are times when we struggle to find things to write. We're never short of things to put down on paper. I can get a handful of new ideas for stories every morning on the commute to work. I have hundreds of concepts, ranging from one-liners to five pages of detailed notes. For me, writer's block is more about the struggle to put down on paper all the notes and concepts I have, to tell the story that needs telling.

For Adrian Hell, and I'll use Deadly Intent as the perfect example, I picked two or three of those concepts to form the basis of his story. Sometimes the combination works, other times it doesn't. The scene in that book where he breaks into the Manhattan apartment and steals the laptop - that took me weeks to write, because I couldn't quite nail it. The location changed, some of the action changed, even a character was re-written... I had to juggle around some ideas before I could make it work. That period of time doing the first draft was pretty painful, but not because of a lack of motivation. It was more because there was too much to write, and I couldn't scale it down enough to work.

"I bet you get asked this all the time, but who would you like to see portray Adrian Hell in a movie? Surely that has to happen!" - Clive T

Not Tom Cruise! Haha!

On a more serious note, yes, that is one of the more popular questions, and I appreciate your enthusiasm for the idea of my work being turned into a movie! I tried to write the character so that everyone would have a different image in their heads as they were reading the books - giving just enough detail to set the scene, but allowing you, the reader, the chance to fill in the blanks. I've had some suggestions in the past - Jason Statham, Chris Hemsworth (Thor), even Bruce Willis! Maybe 30 years ago... no offence, Bruce!

Personally, I tend to have a composite image of Sullivan Stapleton (Strike Back, Blindspot, 300: Rise of an Empire) for the look, and Jensen Ackles (Supernatural) as the voice. I think Jensen's a little too clean-cut and good-looking for the role, but his character in Supernatural sure sounds the part!

"How difficult is it really to write a book? Do you think anyone could do it?" - Claire

I find the actual writing itself gets harder the more you learn about it. But it also gets more interesting. My first draft of True Conviction, way back when, I thought was really easy to get down on paper. I planned it to an extent, but just kind of blurted it out. It flowed quite well, and it took me maybe ten weeks, all in all. But the more I learned about the craft of writing, the harder I found it to get the book down. 

There are rules and techniques and so many tiny little things that, as a reader, you probably wouldn't even notice in a book. But as an author, you know that no word is written without purpose. I use every second I have spare to learn as much as I can about writing, because I'm always looking to improve. When you start to understand why and how the big names like Lee Child, Stephen King, James Patterson do the things they do with their books, you realise why they sell millions and millions. And learning how to do that isn't as easy as you would think.

So, can anyone do it? In theory, yes, anyone can. But can anyone be really, really good at it? No, not without years of practice. I think if you're not prepared or interested enough to dedicate yourself to learning the art of crafting a novel, writing probably isn't for you. It's not something you can really pick up and put down as and when you feel in the mood - it takes a lot of time and dedication. But when you finish your book... my God, it's the most rewarding feeling in the world!

"What's next for you? What are your long-term plans? More Adrian Hell, I hope!" - Margaret

I love writing Adrian Hell. I love the character, and he's the thing that has given me the beginnings of a career. I don't want to put all my eggs in one basket, as they say, but I'm sure there will always be an Adrian Hell novel waiting to be written.

I think my next project, once A Necessary Kill is out there, will be the next GlobaTech book. I really enjoy writing that series, too. I love the three main characters, and having Josh there to back them up is great.

Russell Blake, a very popular indie author, once said the best thing he ever did for his career was write in a different genre, approach a brand new audience. He went for contemporary romance, I think. Me? I don't intend penning the next Bridget Jones or anything, but I have some ideas. I've always liked the post-apocalyptic sci-fi genre, so that's maybe something I'll look at in the future, who knows...

Being an indie means it's about more than just writing - you're a publisher, a marketeer, a web designer and a graphic designer as well as an author. I want to continue growing my brand and my business just as much as I want to write books.

And I intend being around for a good while yet!

"Can we please see more of Willow? She is SOOOOO cute!" - Felicity

Of course you can!

So there you have it - the first Q&A session! Hope you enjoyed the read, and I'll hopefully be running more soon on the Facebook page.

JPS

EXCLUSIVE PREVIEW OF "A NECESSARY KILL"

Happy Friday everyone!

As promised, here is a first look at the latest Adrian Hell novel - the full first chapter of "A Necessary Kill". Please comment and share if you like it!

(WARNING - CONTAINS MINOR SPOILERS FOR "D.E.A.D. TILL I DIE")

***

1.

ADRIAN HELL

APRIL 26TH, 2017

14:05 EDT

The world's gone to shit, and all I did was stand there and watch. Do you have any idea what that feels like? To believe you could've done more to stop something bad happening, but didn't? It's the worst feeling there is, and I wouldn't wish it on anyone.

That was almost a fortnight ago, and since then I've been doing the whole Kung Fu thing—walking the earth, on my own, thinking about shit. Oh, and looking over my shoulder every two minutes, because my paranoia’s working overtime due to the biggest intelligence agency in the world wanting me dead...

I put my hand to the collar of my shirt and reach inside, touching the flash drive I have around my neck, checking for the billionth time it's still there. It contains all the evidence GlobaTech managed to obtain from the NSA's and CIA's servers, and it proves the CIA doctored intelligence reports to frame both GlobaTech and myself—implicating us in the terrorist attack.

Bastards...

And the best part is, not only were the terrorists actually being used by the CIA to orchestrate the devastating attack, but when you follow the information, and the money, it all leads back to one man. Charles Cunningham. The Sixth, if you want to be fancy. And yes, if you recognize the name, it's because it’s the same Charles Cunningham currently sitting in the oval office of the White House. I'm still not 100 percent clear on why he wanted to blow up half the world, but don't worry—I intend asking the sonofabitch before I kill him.

He's got the whole world fooled into believing he's everyone's savior, but secretly, he still has control of the Cerberus satellite, which he told everyone he’d personally decommissioned on account of it being hacked by the bad guys and used to launch all the nukes that caused this shit-storm.

He's still holding us all to ransom, and everyone thinks he's the goddamn hero.

I have had some good news, however. And God knows I've been due some. Josh, along with Ryan Schultz, are pretty much running GlobaTech at the moment, and they've been able to get their hands on some documents that prove Cunningham is behind all this.

Apparently, some engineer that worked on Cerberus unknowingly had classified paperwork that detailed the requests to add in all the hidden extras that allowed 4/17 to happen. And the president put his signature on them. This is great, because if we can prove he knew about the secret stuff inside the satellite, that immediately brings the speech he gave twenty-fours after the attack, where he publicly claimed ignorance of the satellite’s true capabilities, into question. And if people starting questioning that, they’re more likely to pay attention to the evidence around my neck. And slowly but surely, the walls will come tumbling down...

So, as long as the threat of me releasing any of this information to the media is there, it should, in theory, stop them trying to kill me. I just need to stay alive long enough to take out Cunningham and undo whatever plans he’s put in motion. I know I can’t exactly un-detonate a nuke, but at least I can stop him doing anything else.

Well, that’s the plan, anyway. But things like this take time. And patience. And diplomacy. None of which I've had the good fortune to be blessed with.

I know I'm probably the last person qualified to raise an argument on morality, but Cunningham’s a piece of shit, through and through. He painted me as the enemy. He was behind the people I care about getting hurt. And he masterminded the largest terrorist attack in history... There are two Berettas at my back, right now, that have something they want to say to him about all that.

But as I'm sure you can appreciate, this isn't exactly a standard hit. He's the president. He's so well protected, he's the thing people use as a metaphor when they're describing something that's incredibly well protected. And with Josh working his way up the corporate ladder at GlobaTech, he's too visible to risk being seen helping me. He can't afford to be linked in any way to what's about to happen.

I'm on my own. And without his expertise and guidance, I'm literally free to do this however the hell I want.

What could possibly go wrong, right?

I’ve had to drop off the grid, as they say, while I put together a plan. Being at the top of the CIA’s hit list isn’t nearly as much fun as it sounds, and the last thing I need at the moment is those assholes breathing down my neck every five minutes. So, that means very minimal contact with Josh, and absolutely no contact with Tori.

I really miss her.

After that meeting a week or so ago at GlobaTech’s headquarters, I’d said my goodbyes and disappeared. Even Josh doesn't know where I am. I've communicated with him once since then, and that was just so he could tell me about the new information he’s uncovered.

Sheriff Raynor took Tori back to Devil’s Spring, and I asked her to run The Ferryman for me while I was gone. She practically ran the place anyway, so it isn’t much of a stretch for her. Plus, it’ll keep her occupied, so she doesn't drive herself crazy thinking about me and what I'm doing.

She was sad when I left, and I tried to comfort her by saying it’ll all be okay, and that I’ll be back before she knew it.

I hate lying to her.

I'm about to kill the President of the United States. The leader of the free world. That isn't the kind of job you come back from. I know it. Josh knows it. Hell, I reckon even Tori knows it, deep down. But my words of comfort were what she needed to hear, and I left her safe in the knowledge we wouldn't be apart for long, which was what I wanted.

As for me, I've worked my way slowly across the country, and I'm currently basking in the somewhat uncharacteristic heat of Bangor, Maine. Apart from my Berettas and my necklace of evidence, I have only my shoulder bag with me, which contains nothing except my favorite leather jacket, some ammo, and a burner phone.

I've headed to Maine because even I know going after the president on my own is stupid. Usually, Josh and I would take on anyone and everyone together, without hesitation. But Josh isn't here. Not this time. And this contract is big. It’ll be my magnum opus. I guess it could also be my swan song. And if working with Josh all these years has taught me one thing, it’s not to let pride get in the way of a good kill.

So I'm here looking for help.

As time passes, you get to know the people in your line of work. Josh has an entire network of facilitators, all of whom manage the contracts for at least one person like me. But while he knows the guys behind the guys with guns, I know a few of the guys with guns. And I don’t mean to sound elitist, but I've made a point over the years to establish, at the very least, a courteous relationship with a few assassins who, either by my own reckoning, or their justified reputation, I figure will be around for a while. I’m not the only one who thinks I’m the best of the best. I guess you could say my little black book contains the best of the rest.

One guy in particular lives here in Bangor and, last I heard, he was working exclusively for a local mob boss. Like me, this guy would probably be classed as an old-timer. In our line of work, you get that title one of two ways—by being good, or by being smart. You rarely get both. I'm definitely not smart—that’s what I had Josh for. This guy’s a decent professional, but has purposefully kept himself low-key; small-time. He’s never really had his skills tested, so he’s never had cause to evolve or hone his craft. But... the guy’s very, very smart. He’s never taken risks, he’s never splashed any cash, and where possible, he’s opted for exclusivity, which gives him security and protection.

No, I don’t expect this guy to help me. But I reckon he’s a good place to start if I want to find someone who will.

***

So there you have it, folks! I hope you enjoyed this sneak peek, and I hope you'll check it out once it's finished!

Have a great weekend!

JPS

MY LIFE AS AN INDEPENDENT AUTHOR, AND WHAT I'VE LEARNED ABOUT SELF-PU*LI*HING (WITHOUT THE B.S.)

PART II
"VANITY PUBLISHING: THE PROS AND CONS, AND THE PRO'S THAT CON"

 

 

 

Having a finished novel was an exciting thing. I considered myself an author, and I felt a sense of accomplishment that had previously eluded me for nearly all of my life. All the way through the writing process, I told myself I was doing it for me - it was a personal achievement, and incredibly satisfying. I enjoyed telling the stories and I treated it as a hobby.

 

But there was always that... inkling. That nagging voice in the back of my head. "Look at J.K. Rowling," it said. "Look at Lee Child. Look at John Locke." I couldn't shake this idea, this... dream, that my book might actually be good enough to, y'know, make it. To be on sale. To be enjoyed by people all over the world.

 

Nah... surely not!

 

As a newbie to the world of writing, I had a very vague notion of what becoming published entailed. I knew you needed an agent, and it was their job to basically say whether or not your work was good enough. If it was, they contacted publishers like Harper Collins and Bloomsbury and tried to sell them the idea that giving me some money and printing my book so it goes in book stores around the country/world was worth doing.

 

Sounds simple enough, right?

 

I read, and read, and read my book, cover to cover, countless times - making sure it was as good as I could make it. And then I hit the Internet and started looking for an agent. I remember even now the feeling I got when I entered that first search on Google. It was a sense of drowning. There were hundreds... thousands, even! Some of them I'd never heard of; some of them sounded vaguely familiar; the odd one or two were known simply because the people on their client list were famous.

 

I had no idea what I was doing. I picked five or six companies that looked reputable and established, and followed the submission procedure on their site to send them my work. Typically, this requires a covering letter, a synopsis of your work and, usually, the first three chapters or the first fifty pages or something. The process itself seemed straightforward enough, so I spent a weekend submitting to literary agents, which I found exciting and made me feel more like a "real" author.

 

Now, I told myself it would take weeks to hear back, if I heard back at all. And I kind of expected them all to say No. I mean, those fairy-tale stories you hear about, where someone's first attempt at writing a book becomes an international bestseller and they make millions - they don't really happen to normal people... It's a well-known anecdote that J.K. Rowling was rejected by dozens of agents before someone took a chance on her book (some children's story about a boy who's a wizard, or something). But nevertheless, despite all the realism and self-deprecation, I couldn't help but dream. I mean, what if...

 

Which is why when the first rejection came through, I was crushed. No other way to describe it. Absolutely devastated.

 

"Thank you for taking the time to submit your work. After careful consideration, we do not feel it's right for us at this time. Good luck in the future."

 

But I quickly got over it. I mean, they were nice enough about it, and it could just be that they have too many submissions... I read somewhere that most agents get around 2,000 a day, so it's understandable that unless you're quite clearly the next Lee Child, they can't accept everyone.

 

But then I got another. And another. And they all said the same thing. It's like it's a stock answer all agents use, to let you down gently in the vain attempt to not crush your hopes and dreams as they tell you , basically, that your book isn't good enough to make any money.

 

I was mortified. I consoled myself by staying busy, writing the follow-up novel, Hunter's Games. But it still hurt.

 

I took to the Internet once more, feeling desperate to find a way to publish my book. My hobby was becoming more than just a hobby to me, and I wanted the approval of someone other than a family member to tell me what I was doing was any good.

 

Then I found a company. Well, lots of companies, actually. They offered a service, whereby they took the manuscript of your book, got it ready to publish on Amazon, in both eBook and paperback format, designed you a cover, made it look all professional and things, and then released it to the world on your behalf! I can remember the excitement I felt as it became clear that there was a way to get my work out there. And someone could do it all for me for a simple, upfront cost. Some were more expensive than others. Some a lot more. A handful said they reviewed your manuscript and wouldn't accept just any old drivel - fair enough. A small few said they would reduce the upfront fees, but would take a percentage of the royalties you made.

 

ROYALTIES YOU MADE...?!

 

You mean I could get paid? For writing? Holy Repetitive Strain Injury, Batman!

 

So I signed up! I mean, I'd be crazy not to, right? I found this particular company (who I won't name for obvious reasons) who said they would do all of the above for the modest upfront sum of £400. That was a lot of money to me back then. Hell, it's a lot of money to me now. But after an hour-long conversation with the guy, I was convinced it would be money well spent.

 

***

 

Now, I'm going to take a moment from my autobiographical-slash-advice column story to explain what you're about to read. The point of this blog series is two-fold: one - to simply tell my story of how I got into the writing/publishing business to anyone who might be interested, and two - to offer along the way tips, tricks and advice to aspiring authors, from things I've picked up myself on this journey that might be useful... things that I wish I'd known before I started...

 

One of those things is vanity publishing companies. As you're about to find out, my experience was not a pleasant one, and left me with a sour taste in my mouth. In the interest of keeping this blog post useful, as well as honest, I'll do everything I can to stop any personal bias from clouding the information. At the end of the day, simply because my experience was bad, it doesn't mean anyone else's will be. This could be the ideal route for many up-and-coming authors, and if you decide to go down this road, I genuinely wish you all the best. The post is designed purely to give you the full picture - the pros and cons - of choosing this method of publishing.

 

Okay, on with the story...

 

***

 

So, I parted with the £400 and sent my manuscript over to the guy. After a few days, he rang me, having read through it. He said he liked it, but had some suggestions to make it better. I was more than happy to discuss things with him, and I admit that whilst some things didn't make sense, a lot of what he said did. I took his comments on board, made the agreed changes, and he gave it another look. He said it was good to go, and he set about making the cover and formatting it for publication to Kindle, via Amazon. I just sat back, carried on writing Hunter's Games, and waited for Paradise Burns to become a reality.

 

I got the front cover back a week or so later, along with the formatted manuscript, which now had a table of contents, graphics, subsections... the works! I spent time looking at it, marvelling at the fact my novel was being turned into something real - like what other people have. I gave it another once-over, was happy with how it had been produced, so I gave him the OK to publish it.

 

A couple of nights later, about 8pm, I got a phone call telling me to look on Amazon. Excitedly, I do and... BOOM! There it is! My book was on sale! I couldn't believe it. I dropped to my knees and wept with joy. Honestly, I really did! It was an amazing achievement, and I felt so proud.

 

I thanked the guy for all his hard work, and he explained that what he does with his other authors is leave it a week, and then hand over the username and password to the Amazon Publishing site, essentially giving me control over the work. In exchange, he asks for 50% of whatever royalties the book earns going forward. He kind of slipped that one in there. It took me by surprise at first, but then I thought, it's not uncommon, and it's no different than a "real" publishing deal, except I still get a ridiculously high share of the royalties.

 

On a side note, I read somewhere once that, after all the costs of editing, printing and marketing have been taken away, a traditionally published author (the people you see in book stores) makes maybe 10% from an eBook sale, and 5% from a physical book sale. And those rates are being generous. If you self publish, Amazon pay you 70% from each sale! That's assuming your book is priced higher than £1.99 - you get 35% if it's cheaper, which is still good by comparison.

 

So, anyway, I agreed to the 50/50 split on the earnings. I don't honestly know what, if anything, my expectations were for success at that stage - I was just enjoying the experience. I asked if there was any contractual paperwork to sign, and he said no. He just asks for an e-mail saying I acknowledge the verbal agreement between us. Fair enough, I said. So I confirmed that each month, I would transfer 50% of whatever Paradise Burns made over to their account.

 

Let me take another moment to note that, at this stage, I hadn't signed anything officially with the company. The publication of my first book was a one-time thing, in terms of any obligations to the publisher I might have had. It was simply a service that I paid for upfront. And if I ever wanted to publish again, we would start another one-time service. Kind of like when you go shopping. Just because you go into one shop for something one week, it doesn't automatically mean I then have to go in that shop again next week, if I don't want to. That's important to understand, and you'll see why later on.

 

Okay, so, the book was on sale. I immediately took to Facebook, posting to friends and family about my achievement. Loads of people texted me or rang me with their congratulations and promises that they would purchase it to show their support. And they did. I had 30+ sales in the first 24hrs! I could name every single person who had bought a copy, but that didn't matter!

 

The next day, I spoke to the publisher who said we'll be running a promotion on the book. This means that, through Amazon, we'll make it free for 5 days, get it out there in front of as many people as we can, so we can get reviews. He explained it's reviews that help get the book more visible online - what made sense to me at the time. So I agreed with everything he had planned. We discussed keywords - which he explained to me were what helped the book show up in people's searches on Amazon. He put it all in motion and it went free on a Monday morning in late November 2013.

 

It did just under 800 downloads, which I was blown away by. He called to say it was going well - not the best performing promotion he's ever arranged, but it was good for a first run on a debut novel. Great, I thought! I was happy with the numbers. He told me about another author on his books that did 6,000 in his promotion week. That, to me, sounded like the unattainable holy grail of publishing!

He said to sit back and wait for the reviews to come in.

 

A few days past... nothing. Then the odd one trickled in. I think I got three 3* reviews, saying it was an enjoyable read, but nothing much more than that. I was happy - real people were actually reading my book, and they liked it! That's an awesome feeling! And again, it's a feeling that never goes away. Even now, if I receive a 5* review, I do a little somersault inside!

 

But then a few more reviews started coming in. 1* and 2*. Saying how the author and editor should be ashamed of themselves for putting out such an amateurish novel. I think one person actually referred to it as an embarrassment.

 

I was on the phone to him straight away. He tried to reassure me, saying everyone gets 1* reviews - even Stephen King. He said it's purely people's opinion, and I shouldn't take it to heart. And yeah, he was right to an extent. You can't please everyone, and you do have to develop a thick skin for this kind of thing, especially if you're putting yourself out there at the mercy of other people.

 

But, to quote Adrian Hell himself, my spider sense was tingling.

 

They weren't saying it was a bad book, they were saying it was badly edited. And it wasn't just one person's opinion. It seemed to be everyone's opinion. There comes a point where you can't ignore general consensus.

 

So I read the book again. Not on my PC, scrolling through the manuscript like an author. I read it on my Kindle, like a reader.

 

I wept again.

 

It was... well, I'll be honest, it was crap. The amount of spelling mistakes and grammatical errors in there was shocking! If I'd bought someone's book and it was in that state, I'd get a refund. No wonder I was getting those reviews! I was back on the phone, relaying my concerns to the guy.

 

And it was that conversation that signalled both the beginning of the end for Paradise Burns, and kick-started my dislike for vanity publishers as a whole.

 

He said to me that because I'd told him I'd completed an online proofreading course, he didn't commit much time to the editing process, because he assumed I would've done that before I sent it to him.

 

Wow.

 

A publisher said that. An actual person who publishes books for a living told an author that they purposely didn't offer to edit a book before publishing it, because they assumed the author had done that already.

 

I say again... Wow.

 

He went on to say how his full-on editing service was extra, and he assumed I wouldn't want to pay the "big bill" for it. Even at that stage, with my severely limited knowledge of the business, even I knew that writers can't edit their own work. It's not possible. Because my brain knows what the manuscript should say, it will very rarely pick up instances where it doesn't say it properly. I say again, (and this is the first bit of advice I'll give to you), NO AUTHOR CAN EDIT THEIR OWN WORK.

 

Also, he bottom-lined it by saying it was ultimately my decision whether or not to publish. But from an author's point of view, you kind of expect a little guidance at the very least, especially at the beginning. Having read through the book more than once himself, he must've seen at least some of the glaring errors... Why advise someone to publish when the book is in that state?

 

I spent a couple of weeks thinking about it, but eventually I decided to pull the plug. I dropped him an e-mail saying that I understand people have their opinions, but I believe the book is simply not ready to be sold, and I'm making the decision as the author to take the book off sale. I also said I was having a busy time personally, and didn't want to commit to trying again in the future. I admit I mostly said that because I felt awkward essentially telling someone I no longer required their services! He tried to talk me out of it, but my mind was made up. I unpublished the work, and I made sure when the payment came in that I transferred him his 50%, as promised.

 

And that was it. My first venture into the world of publishing didn't end in the fairy-tale I hoped for. For me, I soared to the highest high for a few hours, and then crashed and burned. So I gave up. I kept re-reading the first draft of Hunter's Games, more for something to do than anything else. I had the plan in my head for a third book, but didn't intend writing it at that stage. I was done.

 

And then I wasn't. I had an epiphany, of sorts. I woke up one night, about 4am - my mind working overtime. That guy published my book for me... He's not an author, but he could still publish books through Amazon. There must be a way of doing it, right? He's not a big-time author or one of the "Big 5" publishing houses, so essentially, me and him are no different. If he can learn how to do it, why couldn't I? I don't have to set up as a vanity publishing company, I could just do it for me.

 

And like a dog with a bone, that was it.

 

I spent the next few weeks looking back over my first book. I decided from the get-go that Paradise Burns was, in fact, a really bad title. I wanted to rename it, so it was all mine, and bore absolutely no relation or similarities to the previous version that had been published for me. I spent countless hours re-working the story, eventually adding almost 6,000 more words, which completely changed the dynamic of the book. It felt good. Each read-through was better than the first, and having split my time between editing and researching how to self-publish online, I was very slowly starting to get a feel for how I should be writing the book.

 

I'll skim over the process of the re-launch here, because I'll cover that in a later post. That's where I can really start to impart some knowledge and advice.

 

The final part of this tale focuses on what happened after I re-published my first book, under its new name, Crucible. I received an e-mail. A somewhat disgruntled e-mail, from the guy who ran the vanity publisher I'd used previously. He wasn't happy, and felt deceived - his first assumption being that I simply gave him his marching orders and jumped straight into bed with another company to publish the same book. He started saying how he was going to take the high road by not involving his solicitor about my breach of our agreement. That would be the verbal agreement where I said he could have 50% of whatever Paradise Burns made, which I upheld without question.

 

But that book wasn't on sale. Crucible was on sale, and that's a completely different book. None of the formatting from Paradise Burns remained. None of the graphics. The story had changed enough that it could be justifiably classed as a different story. It was published under a new title, and written under a different pseudonym.

 

I went back and explained literally everything I just said here - I did it myself, there was no deception intended, and there was no obligation on my part to his company. He was paid £400 to provide a service, which he did. I simply chose not to use that service again. Like I said before, using UK supermarkets as a metaphor here - just because I shopped in Tesco one week for my food, it doesn't mean I can't go in Asda the next week, does it? You do what's best for you, and doing it all myself was absolutely the best thing I ever did.

 

The last communication from him came a week before I released Hunter's Games, saying he wished me all the success as a human being. Incidentally, I released Hunter's Games and promoted it myself, and I got 6,500 free downloads in my opening week. Even now, 18mths later, it continues to be my bestseller.

 

The moral of this story is simply this:

 

If you're self-publishing a book, you have two options. One - you can pay someone to do all the heavy lifting for you. Or, two - you can take the time to learn the ropes, and do it all yourself.

 

If you take option one, just make sure exactly what's included in the upfront cost before you hand over the money. Also, check the terms and conditions regarding future obligations you may have to the company by agreeing to work with them. Some people insist on splitting future royalties. There are some that actually say you have to give them the rights to your book. But there's no denying it's easier and quicker than doing it yourself, and there's absolutely nothing wrong with wanting to focus on the writing and have someone else do the rest of it.

 

If you take option two, there's no doubt it can be daunting at first. It's a lot to get your head round, and a lot to think about, and you'll definitely split your time 60/40 with writing - and writing will be worse off! That said, you are not alone. There are countless websites and blogs that offer services and advice that you can use to further your self-publishing career. As I said, despite my bad experience with a vanity publishing service, the guy did give me some useful information. But every single thing they told me, I later found for myself online. For free.  It just takes a little legwork.

 

As you will soon read, going it alone was the best thing I ever did. But like I've said, in this game, you're never alone.

PART III

COMING SOON!

NEW RELEASE INFORMATION

Hi there!

 

I've been thinking of the best way to begin promoting my new book - explain the background of it, what I'm aiming to achieve with it, et cetera. I must admit, I forget about this whole blogging thing sometimes. I figure, if I'm going to sit down and write for an hour, it should be on a book. But I know a lot of authors who swear by blogging as means of communicating with their audience, so I thought I'd do it this way, so I can reach everyone!

 

Okay, the new book... I've been teasing this on and off for months now, but it's finally here!

 

(Cue fanfare)

 

GLOBATECH #1: D.E.A.D. TILL I DIE!

 

So, what's it all about? Well, those of you familiar with Adrian will know what GlobaTech is. And without wishing to give too much about the plot of Deadly Intent away (in case you're not up to date yet), the company plays a fairly pivotal role in the current Adrian Hell storyline.

 

What I wanted to do was expand on Adrian Hell, much in the way that comic books do with their major story arcs. If you read anything from Marvel or DC, you'll know they usually run a main storyline over a period of, say, six months, and expand on that by using different series to tell the bigger picture. These aren't necessarily required reading in relation to the main story, but they're there if you're interested. If that makes sense?

 

The primary focus of GlobaTech #1 is to bridge the gap between Deadly Intent and the upcoming A Necessary Kill. I've done my best to ensure that it can function as a stand-alone title as well, (and moving forward, the series will very much be just that - totally separate from Adrian Hell) but to start with, I wanted to give it some... credibility, and tie it into the current story arc that Adrian's dealing with.

 

I'm well into writing A Necessary Kill at the moment, and I have it beginning with Adrian catching you up, filling in the blanks from the two weeks or so that have past since Deadly Intent ended. One of those blanks, whilst only a few sentences to Adrian, is the main plot in D.E.A.D. Till I Die.

 

One thing the series also does, is dig into Adrian's past a little as well. If you're familiar with Adrian, you'll know he was involved with the D.E.A.D. unit in his early life, and does interact with them briefly in Deadly Intent. It takes what you know about Adrian, and his current storyline, and builds on it, giving you a much broader view of what's going on.

 

Whilst writing Deadly Intent, I created probably more significant supporting characters than in any previous Adrian Hell story, and from the very beginning, I knew I wanted to use them on their own in some way. They might only have had a small part in Adrian's story, but because I spend so much time developing these characters, it's easy to become attached to them. One character in particular, a GlobaTech operative named Ray Collins, is one of the main characters in the new series. You only really get a small glimpse of what this guy's like during his brief interaction with Adrian, but he's tons of fun, and I couldn't just resign him to being a walk-on part.

 

It's been a challenging, but ultimately enjoyable, book to write, and I'm incredibly pleased with it. The final product is an entertaining, action-packed read... arguably a little more OTT than Adrian (if you can believe that!). But that was why it was so much fun writing it - being able to cut loose and go off in directions Adrian can't. The best way I can think to describe it is, this will read like an Adrian Hell novel, but will have the volume turned way up!

 

Hopefully you'll see that as a good thing!

 

Anyway, it's currently off with the editors, and will be made available to my Launch Team in the next couple of weeks (hopefully). The cover art and release date will be communicated to my mailing list in due course, so if you've not signed up already and are interested, make sure you head on over to my website (www.jamespsumner.com) for details.

 

And finally, a bit of an exclusive...

 

(Drum roll, please!)

 

I can confirm that the new title will be available for Kindle... and in Paperback! There may even be a competition run to win signed copies, you never know!

 

Details on that to follow.

 

Right, that's it from me - stay cool folks, and thanks for reading.

 

 

 

JPS