Just posting that I’ll have a vendor table at Nerd Nexus in Kearney, Nebraska on the 6th and 7th of September!
I’ll let everyone know what my schedule is at the con, but I’ve got a load of my books, and a couple of anthologies that I’m in that will be available.
If you want to pick up a signed copy of any of my books, this is a great time to come by, support a new convention and meet great creators in the midwest!
I’ve even got Moving Target and Easy Jobs with their new covers! Tiffanie Gray did an amazing work with both books!
If you want to learn more about Nerd Nexus please hit their main page or their Facebook page!
It’s true. I’m only held back by the need to sleep, have a day job, physics and law enforcement!
First things first: I’m working edits and story selection for Tales of the E4 Mafia 2, and Butter Bars! Large and (not so) In Charge! These are the next two anthologies from Henchman Press that I’m leading, and so far the stories are hitting all the marks: irreverent, action packed, funny, and, most important, good reads. I’ve even got a story set in my Burn and Bad Karma setting that takes place in the events in Sandblaster written by a friend of mine. It’s got a bit to go, but it is so funny. So, I’ll keep you posted as we get these anthologies closer to the publication mark.
Next, I’m presenting at Des Moines Con! I’ve mentioned this a couple of times, but I’ll repeat here:
On May 31st, at 11 AM, I’ll bein Panel 4 (Rooms 313-314) presenting Fitness for the Time Crunched Creative. This is for anyone in the creative world (fan or creator) who wants to improve their basic health and fitness, but doesn’t have the knowledge of what small changes to make or how to make them a habit so that they keep improving! No one will have to do burpees, but I’ll talk about hydration, better nutrition, sleep, exercise basics and how to make your medical team part of your fitness team.
On June 1st, at 3:45 PM, in Panel Room 3 (Rooms 315-316) I’m presenting Everything I Wish I’d Known When I Started Writing. We’ll cover productivity, editing, the importance of covers, networking and finding your community, building a fan base, and all the questions the audience has. If I can answer it, I will. If not I’ll direct you to other sources who are more knowledgeable.
If you want to see the full schedule of panels and events at Des Moines Con, please go to the Schedule Link!
And, finally, in a move that is terrifying, I’m working on a script and schedule for creating a video channel! This might be a couple of weeks before I have the first video up (I have a lot to learn, including video editing software), but it’s coming soon. Since I’ve posted it on the internet, now I have to do it!
I’ll be hosting a panel on June 1st at Des Moines Con with this title. But I thought I’d sit down and share with you all some of the lessons I’ve learned and things I’m still working through as I develop as a writer, author, editor and understand the fiction business better.
First things first, I published my first story, Easy Jobs, on 13 December 2016. Since then, I’ve published three additional stories, contributed to four anthologies, and edited a military science fiction anthology (Tales of the E4 Mafia) with Henchman Press.
To say the least, I’ve learned a lot.
First, I have to sit my butt in a chair and put works in a document every day. Let me say that again: Work on new stories every day. I have a day job, a house, my wife, my daughter and her kids, and my fitness that all need my attention, but if I want to succeed as an author and writer, I have to create new stories every day.
Second, editors are your friend, even when they say things you don’t like. I’m an adult, and I know my writing isn’t perfect. But sometimes when Krystal, my editor, says somethings wrong, or a character doesn’t have a consistent voice, or I’ve got two characters who sound like the same person, it hurts a bit. What I remind myself of is that Krystal is helping me make the story the best it can be. That’s what we want, as writers. To provide our readers with the best story we can at the point we publish it.
Third, productivity is good, and publishing more is good. I’ve got a series of short stories and novellas on my storage that hasn’t been published anywhere. Some of it helps develop Burn and Bad Karma. Other parts develop the world Burn and Bad Karma live and operate in. One story was a response to a challenge from a romance writer to write a romance story.
Yes, I wrote a romance story. Two people, other than me, have seen Date Night.
What I’m going to do is combine those short stories into anthologies so I can get them in front of people who already like my stories. Because they deserve more stories they like, and I want to write more.
Fourth, marketing my stories is a critical piece of all this. If I can get my stories in front of people who want to read stories like mine, we all win. If the stories are good enough, those readers do two things. First, they become fans, and second, they share my stories with their friends. More people get to read more stories they like, I get to write more stories. Last, those fans might become friends of mine. And who doesn’t need more friends?
Alright, I hope that helps clarify where I’m at, what I’ve learned, and what I’m trying to do as I get better at writing, being an author and learning the fiction business.
Leave a comment about what questions you have for me, and what you want to see more of from me!
Keith Hedger's Home for Fiction 