Yes indeed, episode o17 of the free Magic of Eyri Podcast is now online.

Listenotron! ::  Downloaderize!

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In podcast news, I was looking over the download stats yesterday and I saw that so far this month, the first episode of the podcast (A Shameless Summer) already has over 150 downloads.

That’s over 150 people starting my podcast. Over 150 new listeners. Man, that is great.  Will all of them stick around after that first episode? I dunno, but at least they gave me a chance. That reminds me, I need to start advertising online again and soon.

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Speaking of promotion, I decided that I will be going to Penguion 2010 in April.  I contacted them yesterday and hopefully I’ll be on panels like I have been for the past two years. I had a blast last year, as I always do, and I certainly know more about podcasting this time around than last year (I think I had maybe three episodes or so up at that point).

By the Glory of Google, I found audio of me talking about copyrights and self/Internet/guerrilla marketing at last year’s Penguicon.  These were recorded by, and feature, Rick “The Time Traveler” Jackson, who is also president of the Science Fiction Oral History Association.  The audio is hosted on Rick’s website, Brain Plucker.

Copywhat? Copyrights! Open Source Licensing in Literature – we chat about copyright issues, especially when it comes to Internet.

Show notes and Listen :: Download

Selling Your Soul – Marketing Your Work on a Limited Budget – we chat about marketing your own stuff while trying not to break the bank (features Jim C. Hines and David Crampton)

Show notes and Listen :: Download

Guerrilla Marketing — The Art of Self-Promotion – along the same lines of the panel above, but touches on other marketing ideas (features Michael “FREON” Andaluz).  I found this one via some sort of MP3 grabber site (and was alerted by Google), so I have the audio hosted on my site, as I can’t find an entry for it on any of Rick’s websites.

 

 Guerilla Marketing - the Art of Self-Promotion [46:45m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Download

(all audio recordings are © 2009 Rick Jackson)

Give these a listen and enjoy!  I love being on panels and talking about these subjects.  I’ve certainly learned plenty about promotion over the past few years.

Why is it always that things you think will be simple, end up being the  most difficult?

Case in point: for the past few weeks, I’ve been on the search for a battery powered electric timer. I’m trying to get better at my time management skills (when I’m home and just goofing around on the computer), so borrowing a tactic I picked up from a co-panelist (Mary Robinette Kowal) at PenguiCon last month, I decided to invest in a timer to give me some kind of boundaries.

I’m very much a person that thrives with deadlines, due dates and challenges. So, when I have none of those, my mind wanders. A perfect example of this is National Novel Writing Month. I can write 50,000+ words in 25 days while I’m on deadline, but good luck getting me to finish a manuscript on my own after that. Seriously, I hate it.

So, the idea with the timer is I set it for say 20 minutes and force myself to work on (whatever) for that time, or set it and say “I can goof off on the Internet for this long, after that, back to work.”

A great concept. Well, getting the device itself proved to be quite the task.

I wanted a timer with Hours and Minutes, because I’ll have situations where I have a hour or more of ‘free time’ and need to stay on task (say, before band practice). I had a heck of a time even finding a place that had timers with Hours. At last I found what a thought was one of these, but after I got home I realized it was Minutes and Seconds. D’oh. Returned.

Then, I finally found one that had Hours and Minutes.  Got home, tried it out and the screen was screwed up (which I couldn’t figure out until actually using it). Returned.

I know what you’re thinking, “Why not use your oven timer or set an alarm on your cell phone?” A) the oven time isn’t portable B) I like seeing the countdown and also not having to do the math in regards to what time it is when setting an alarm.

After returning the second timer, I at last found one–and I’m using it right now. I have five minutes to go to get this post up, so I think I’ll end here.

That’s right y’all, episode 005 of The Magic of Eyri is now online. Give ‘er a listen.

And some good news–I was checking my Lulu sales today and three copies of The Magic of Eyri were bought in the past week. 2 downloads and 1 print copy–which was ordered in the U.K., very neat. Counting a sale right after my appearance at PenguiCon, that puts me at 4 copies sold in the past month. That’s really great, looks like the podcast is paying dividends.

Here is the final schedule of panels I’ll be on at Penguicon next month. I’m excited. I’m on a bunch of panels that look like fun, and I’m even scheduled for a book signing along with a bunch of other writers. I’m happy that they have a scheduled book signing, since I’ll be on so many panels I don’t know how much time I’ll have to try and sell books otherswise.

And remember–I’ll be giving out free CDs with (at least) the first three episodes of the podcast. Haven’t decided yet if the CD will be data or audio (.MP3s or not).

Click below to see my finalized schedule.

[Read more →]

Here are the panels I’ll be on at Penguicon (May 1st – 3rd at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Romulus, MI). These are tentative as the times have not been figured out yet, so it is possible there will be some conflicts and I’ll have to drop some (hope not tho).

Since I don’t know the days and times yet, I’ll just list them in no particular order (from the penguicon event page):

Can I be your friend? Bringing authors and readers together.
Mary Robinette Kowal
Daniel Hogan
Jim C. Hines
Dr. Philip Kaldon

Facebook, LiveJournal, WordPress, MySpace, Twitter, website, etc. — SF/F/H authors are encouraged to engage in self-promotion on the web. Some, like John Scalzi and Wil Wheaton make it look easy. But where’s the line on privacy and personal details for the authors? And what about fans bent on making the transition to troll or stalker? No one said this was going to be easy.

Copywhat? Copyrights! Open Source Liscensing in Literature.
Eric Raymond
Daniel Hogan
Elizabeth Bear
Rick Jackson
David Crampton

What they are, how they work and things to bear in mind when submitting to traditional publishers and e-publishers. Also – what happens to the rights on my e-blog if I want to publish somewhere else?

Is Audio the New Print?
Rick Jackson
Daniel Hogan

There’s an explosion of audiobooks and podcasts out there. Is Audio supplanting print as the medium of choice?

National Novel Writing Month
Mary Robinette Kowal
Daniel Hogan
Jim C. Hines
David Crampton

Every November hordes of would-be writers as well as established pros unite to attempt to produce 50,000 words in one month. Good idea or waste of time? Does it help or hurt writing? What about the pressures of deadlines in general? Does slow and steady win the race, or does the pressure cooker of trying to produce so many words in the last hour really work?

Sci-Fi/Fantasy – The Perception
Jeff deLuzio
Daniel Hogan

What is the general perception of genre writing? Pro’s and Con’s of Genre writing vs. traditional fiction.

Selling Your Soul – Marketing your work on a limited budget.
Daniel Hogan
Jim C. Hines
Rick Jackson
David Crampton

Websites, freedbies, conventions and business cards – plus anything else we can think of! Ways to help market and promote yourself and your product when you’re strapped for cash!

To See a Universe in a Grain of Sand
Daniel Hogan
Elizabeth Bear
Sarah Zettel
Rick Jackson
David Crampton

Worldbuilding. How to create your universe.

What’s so funny?!
Daniel Hogan
Brian Briggs
Jim C. Hines
David Crampton

Humor in Sci-Fi and Fantasy. Does it work? Why or why not?

Self -Publishing – How to not get totally screwed.
Sarah Zettel
Rick Jackson
Daniel Hogan
Michael Marcus
David Crampton
Megan Rose Gedris
Alex Heberling

Vanity presses are popping up left and right, and a writer/comic artist no logner needs to beg and plead with a publisher to get their work out there. So how to you get your book ready for print? What printers give you the best bang for your buck? How do you get people to notice it? These questions and more addressed.

So, for the moment, I’m on NINE panels. That’s at least nine hours of programming. I actually asked them yesterday to take me off a panel (one about short stories), so originally I had ten hours. Oy. I can handle it tho. I like being on panels. Keep in mind that things could change since the times have not been figured out, that’s why I just signed up for whatever I wanted at first and told them to let me know about any conflicts and I’ll decide what to do at that point.

Looks like I’ll be on a few panels with good ol’ Jim C. Hines (we’ve been on several panels before and even had a signing together once. Check out his new novel, The Stepsister Scheme. I’m not finished with it yet, but I’m enjoying it so far.)

In podcast news, I’ve started working on mixing episode #2. I still haven’t decided when in April I’ll put the first episode yet, but I might wait until mid-April, so I can have something up before Penguicon. Hang in there, loyal listeners.