Blog

By Ian Thomas Healy

I wrote my very first novel wayyyy back in junior high, which would have been cough1985ishcough a few years back. To call it a piece of crap would be insulting to pieces of crap. Fast forward a few years to 2003, when I knew nothing about the publishing industry and thought that a good way to break in would be to write a Star Wars novel (hint: it’s not). I wrote it and sent an email to an editor at Del Rey, which was publishing the Star Wars line. She didn’t have to reply at all, but she did. She said you have to be asked to write a Star Wars novel; we don’t accept unsolicited submissions. I didn’t know I wasn’t supposed to do this, so I emailed her back and asked “what do I have to do to get asked?” Again, she didn’t have to reply, but she did. You have to have written and sold something in a style that is conducive to the style of the Star Wars Universe, and developed a good fan following.

Most writers might have packed it up right then and gone off to watch TV or something. I said to myself “fine, I’ll show her.” And over the next several months wrote an original, epic superhero novel called Just Cause. I completed it in 2004 and started researching how to submit to agents. Eventually, I sent it off to about 140 agents, and was rejected by every single one.

Figuring I had a lot to learn, I kept on writing and going to conferences. I shelved Just Cause for a few years and worked on other projects. Eventually I pulled it out, dusted it off, and cut out about forty thousand words. If that doesn’t make you feel a little faint, then you’re not a writer. I proceeded to write about twenty thousand new words, and thoroughly edited and revised what was left, and renamed it Mustang Sally.

It still didn’t sell.

By then I’d added more to the Just Cause Universe: Jackrabbit, The Archmage, Deep Six, Blackout, and some short stories. The first thing I got published, back in early 2010, was one of those short stories (“Graceful Blur”, now available in my Ebook Store). I consider myself to have been writing “seriously” since 2006 (after attending my first writers’ conference), so it was just about three and a half years from then to publication. Mustang Sally was acquired, along with the rest of the Just Cause Universe series, by New Babel Books. And they renamed it back to Just Cause. The more things change…

I still have that fanfic laying around. I’m thinking about rewriting it into a non-Star Wars setting. If Del Rey happens to contact me, I’ll let them know that if they’d like to contribute to the Just Cause Universe series, they have to have written and sold something in a style that is conducive to the style of the Just Cause Universe, and developed a good fan following.

I’ll enjoy sending that email.

* * *

New Babel Books will occasionally feature guest bloggers and ask our authors to share their history and experiences with our audience. We hope you enjoy this ongoing feature!

Ebooks have become the hot new way to read. Having hundreds of books at your fingertips in a tiny, lightweight device can be a lifesaver, especially if your bookshelves are already overflowing. However, there is a big debate about which is better, a physical book or an e-books? What are some of the main differences between an ebook and a physical book?

Weight

This is a huge issue for many people. Throwing a tablet into your bag is a lot less weight then throwing a physical copy of a book into your bag. Ebooks have more options of books to read, you can easily have over 100 ebooks available to you and can easily switch from one book to the next. You can even purchase ebooks right from your device without having to find a bookstore or wait for a package to arrive in the mail.

Point: Ebooks: 1; Physical Books: 0

Durability

Most e-readers are sturdy little devices, there isn’t too much worry about ripping it in half or anything like that, but there is a great deal of worry about spilling anything on it, scratching the screen, dropping it, letting little ones touch it, etc. With a physical book those issues aren’t very worrisome. You still have to take care of them, but if you drop it, no big deal.

Point: Ebooks: 1; Physical Books: 1

Readability

The biggest complaint (next to the fact that ebooks are killing bookstores) is that reading on that backlit screen can be killer on your eyes. Now, Amazon’s Kindle with e-ink has avoided this problem and to say that reading off of it is not so much different than a physical book, but other tablets do still have the backlit screens which can put a big strain on your eyes after reading for a while.

Point: Ebooks: 1; Physical Books: 2

Ease of Use

One of ebooks greatest advantages is that it the text sizes can be adjusted so that those with vision impairment can read with ease. Many ebooks are even available as audio books making it easy for anyone to be able to listen to the words. Physical books in brail or in large font sizes are usually more expensive, and harder to find.

Ebooks: 2; Physical Books: 2

Cost

Here ebooks really shine. Many books are available electronically for much less than their physical counterparts, after the initial investment. Many classic works that are available electronically are free for download and there are many books that are available for $0.99 or less.

Ebooks: 3; Physical Books: 2

Collectable Value

As much fun as it is to read ebooks, no one is going to walk into your home and comment on your lovely first edition copy of an ebook. And as of right now, there is still no feasible way of an author to sign an ebook for a reader.  These factors make ebooks less of a collectable item than a physical book. A digital copy, no matter the print run, is still a digital copy, it does not retain the value or collectability of a physical book.

Ebooks: 3; Physical Books: 3

In the end, what matters is reading. How you read is really irrelevant. If you like the tactile feel of paper brushing against your fingertips as you slip into a magical world then by all means keep on buying physical books. If the flashing of a screen as it turns pages thrills you then keep on buying ebooks. The important thing is to just keep reading!

Andi the Intern

Thanksgiving; a day made famous by our ancestors who broke bread with the Native Americans who welcomed the pilgrims to their homeland with a feast of caloric goodness. Much like our own families, these groups were strangers who turned into friends while they gave thanks while eating over food they cultivated and prepared. They parted on good terms to go back to their homes for post-feast naps to the background noise of grown men throwing left-over gourds at each other and running (which, as well all know, later evolved into American Football). After their naps, they woke, stretched their arms, and grabbed their weapons and began fighting over the land they felt was rightfully theirs (which, as we all know, later evolved into Black Friday shopping.)

While we at New Babel Books urge you to stop trying to kill your siblings and that over-achieving cousin and to just lay off trying to get that crock pot for $5 at two in the morning, we hope you do find those your family and friends well, enjoy all the traditional Thanksgiving foods, and encourage the well-deserved naps.

We appreciate your support of New Babel Books and want to show our thanks by opening up our eStore this Black Friday with some spectacular deals. You don’t even need to wake up at two in the morning with a weapon to try to fight for it.

Sara M. Harvey’s romantic tale, Seven Times a Woman, will be in the new release line-up alongside Ian T. Healy’s superhero novel, Just Cause. For more superhero pathos, check out Frank Fradella’s new release of Swan Song, the first full-length novel in the award-winning iHero Universe.

The highly-anticipated zombie book, The Apocalypse of Enoch by Shane Moore will also be available for pre-order at a price so low you’ll think the zombies ate our brains.

We’ll also have Frank Fradella’s The Power Within and Sean Taylor’s Show Me a Hero, two iHero omnibuses, and Elizabeth Donald’s short story collection, Setting Suns.

So give thanks for sleeping in, shopping in pajamas, and letting the adventures of books happen in the comfort of your own home while those distant cousins of human kind fight over crock pots.

Cheers,
Dani Burke Fradella

Book pairings have been gaining in popularity over the past few years. When New Babel Books attended FandomFest in July, there was an excellent panel hosted by Jackie Gamber all about pairing tea with your books. However, with Halloween not far behind us, we know you must have piles of candy laying about, right? So, let’s pair chocolate and sweets with books!

Maybe you’re diving into a dark horror novel (maybe you’re holding your breath and anxiously awaiting the release of The Apocalypse of Enoch from Shane Moore) and you’re just itching for the perfect snack to keep you brave enough to turn the page. Worry not, there is a simple answer: dark chocolate, the darker the better. This snacks pairs perfectly with a scary book. There’s no need to worry about a mess, and the dark, almost bitter flavor meshes perfectly with the dark and bitter world of a horror novel.

Maybe horror is not your genre of choice. Perhaps you prefer happier endings, not a problem. Dive into a romance novel (like maybe our upcoming Seven Times A Woman from Sara M. Harvey) and sink your teeth into a chocolate covered mint patty. Mint has long been believed to be an aphrodisiac and it’s sharp cool flavor will keep you calm even through the steamiest of scenes. Or, if you’re feeling adventurous try finding chocolates infused with peppers and oranges, the hot fruity flavor is bound to burn up your mouth just as quickly as love is burning up the heroes.

Or perhaps you’re looking for something a bit different. You dream of heroes saving the world with abilities you’ve never dreamed of (and therefore must have a copy of Sean Taylor’s Show Me a Hero or Frank Fradella’s The Power Within in your hands). In this case, pair with delicious candies like Skittles™. The individual colors, and flavors, like the characters in these worlds each pop individually but still work together to create a masterpiece.

Alright, so, to keep the rest of this short and sweet, here are a few more recommendations for pairing your books with your candy. Just remember to keep your hands clean before you turn the page.

Horror: Dark chocolate
Romance: Mints, fruity or hot blends of chocolate
Superheroes: Skittles™, Starburst™, etc.
Fantasy: Chocolate bars, layered candies
Sci-Fi: Taffy

Until next time!

Andi the Intern
New Babel Books

Happy Halloween from New Babel Books!

Stay safe dressing up as your favorite character or ‘treating’ yourself to a good story!

If you’re over on the left coast this weekend, you’ll probably be one of the teeming throngs attending the Nerdvana that is the SDCC (San Diego Comic Con). Of course, you’ll be missing the real show over in Louisville, Kentucky. The show with all the sexy literarati and kung fu legends. The show with all the horrifically cool people.

FandomFest!

The New Babel crew will be heading up to rub elbows with the likes of John Carpenter (Escape from New York, Halloween) and Henry Winkler (Happy Days, Royal Pains). We’ll also be bowing at the feet of real kung fu masters Jim Kelly (Enter the Dragon) and Bob Wall (Enter the Dragon, Return of the Dragon), as well as people like Billy Zabka and Martin Kove, who played karate masters in the original Karate Kid.

As if that wasn’t enough, we’ll also get to spend time with NBB authors Elizabeth Donald, Shane Moore and Sean Taylor. That’s just icing on a very fantastic cake.

And hey. You can be there, too! In fact, we invite you to come see us at the show and say hi. We’ll have some super-groovy swag to give away, but you’ll have to catch us on one of the panels we’ll be on. Check out the schedule below and make a plan to be where all the cool kids are this weekend. FANDOMFEST!

(P.S. Mention this post and give me the secret phrase “Sweep the leg!” and get a free book or magazine (while supplies last).)

Hope to see you there!

Frank Fradella’s Fandom Fest Itinerary

Friday
6PM / Panel Room B / Adapting from the Page to the Screen…and Vice Versa!
7PM / Panel Room A / Meet the Publishers 3

Saturday
2PM / Panel Room A / Editors-Expectations and Etiquette
3PM / Panel Room B / Literary Underworld
5PM / Panel Room D / Reading (with Sean Taylor)
6PM / Panel Room A / Anthologies
8PM / Panel Room A / The Foundations of Good Publishing
9PM / Panel room B / Urban Fantasy
10PM / Panel Room B / Fight Scenes in Fiction

Sunday
11AM / Panel Room A / Screenwriting
12noon / Panel Room A / Writing Compelling Characters  (M)

Will we see you there? Drop us a line and let us know in the comments!

We tried to hold out. We really did. Even though the books have been available in print for several weeks now, and the digital editions have all been ready for download from Smashwords, we were trying to wait to announce that The Power Within by Frank Fradella and Show Me A Hero by Sean Taylor are both now available! We were waiting because we wanted to be able to link to their respective homes on Amazon, on iTunes iBookstore, om B&N, and points beyond. But we just can’t hold it in anymore.

We make a lot of noise around here about the iHero Universe. We think we have a right to be proud. Since 1999, we’ve been writing literate, thought-provoking, ground-breaking fiction in a shared superhero universe and we’ve made quite a few people reconsider their opinions on the four-color stories they thought they’d outgrown. We think it’s your turn.

When we talk about iHero, we always let people know that we’re a universe that exists in real time. Our characters age and grow old, the veterans retire and the next generation steps up. Now it’s time to give the folks who weren’t there at the beginning a chance to go back and read every story that the iHero founders told in their amazing 12-year run.

Both The Power Within and Show Me A Hero and now available for your reading pleasure. We hope you enjoy your romp through the dangerous and wonderful world we made. If you like them, we ask that you take a moment to review them up on Amazon! Thanks!

All the best,
Frank Fradella
Publisher
New Babel Books