The Adventures of John the Pecan: A Tale of Three Parts by Seth Tomlinson

12/24/2023

Science fiction, fantasy, action and adventure author Seth Tomlinson introduces us to his debut book, “The Adventures of John the Pecan: A Tale of Three parts”:

Charlie Duffer has always been one for adventure. Or so he says. But living in the year 2112, where nobody likes to just sit and talk to each other anymore, Charlie hardly gets an opportunity to test this bold claim he makes about himself. However, after stumbling upon an unexpected new friend in his lonely Idaho town, strange turns of events force Charlie to reevaluate what is and what isn’t reality, both for the outside world and his inner self. Meanwhile, others who hide in the shadows just down the road start to wrestle with their own demons, having to come to grips with the past while keeping up with the unfolding of a local mystery that’s been hidden for a while.
If things on our planet aren’t always what they seem, the same can surely be said about the universe itself. And Charlie and his friends find themselves right in the middle of the confusion, fighting off a corrupt government leader with plans that reach towards eternity on one side, and a darkness created by the sins of the common people that threatens to destroy everything that one of their dear friends loves on the other side. As they make many friends along the way, the fight to figure out the answer to the chaos is not an easy one. And the answer is not what anybody expects.

This story is a somewhat intricate plot with multiple threads. Trust me, hang in there and you will be rewarded with a nice surprise.
This story is also fun; a few kids who become friends and find more friends along the way wind up facing a large conspiracy that threatens the world and other worlds.
I don't want to say any more for fear of spoiling the story.
The author’s writing voice is quite interesting, it is homey and comfortable. I am certain I would enjoy sitting on the porch and discussing books and the world.
It's a good story, I laughed in many places.
You will enjoy it also.

You can buy this book:
https://www.amazon.com/Adventures-John-Pecan-Three-Parts-ebook
https://www.goodreads.com/-the-adventures-of-john-the-pecan

Copyright © 2023 Mark L. Schultz except for the author’s introduction

67 Comments

Seth Tomlinson

12/26/2023 09:38:38 am

Hi Mark! Thank you very much for your kind and very accurate summary of what The Adventures of John the Pecan is all about. I hope that readers' interests are piqued by your review. How are you doing?

Mark

12/26/2023 09:41:22 am

You are welcome, Seth. I enjoyed reading your book, it was fun. I am doing well, thank you.

First question.

Would you mind telling us a little bit about yourself?

12/26/2023 10:04:51 am

Certainly.

I am a college student born and raised in south Georgia (actually from Luke Bryan's hometown) in my third year of university. I am majoring in accounting and minoring in Spanish, and hope to be able to use my Spanish-speaking skills in the future. I enjoy music, attending church to worship God, and any form of writing, whether that be song lyrics, poetry, or books like John the Pecan. I like writing about God and about the wonders and complexities of the world, and hope to be able to reach more people in the future through my writing and language skills.

12/26/2023 12:01:08 pm

You have made good choices for your education and future. There will always be need for accountants and many speak Spanish in the United States.

Like you, I enjoy attending church also.

New question.

Why do you write?

12/26/2023 12:07:15 pm

Thanks, Mark.

That is a great question. I have always loved reading books simply for the feel of holding it, the smell of the pages, and the satisfaction of reading the words. I think the sensory experience of reading contributed to me wanting to write my own story in the future. Part of why I wrote The Adventures of John the Pecan was to fulfill my lifelong desire to write a story, especially since I had had many attempts in the past that didn't get anywhere. But I also discovered a love for words themselves later on, and their ability to poetically convey emotion. That got me into poetry, and combined with my love for music, song lyrics also. I'd say the main reason I utilize these forms of written expression are because they allow me to get my thoughts out to others in creative ways, which is something I have always felt like I had a hard time doing by just simply talking to people. Where my social skills may fail, writing sometimes helps.

12/26/2023 02:26:20 pm

You do have a way with words. Most writers do. I think you are quite a bit like many other writers. I know that many other writers struggle to one degree or another with social interaction. I struggle with that also. We are all disconnected from one another that is one of the major themes in your book. You offer community as the solution to that problem and a good solution it is.

New question.

How has writing changed your life?

12/26/2023 04:45:36 pm

Thanks, Mark. That is exactly right! I would say that writing has not changed my life in many large outright ways, but it has definitely been good for me. As with the author of the Harry Potter series, I also have experienced the sensations of my book characters seeming real. They feel like my friends and family although they live only in my head and my book, and I suppose the heads of those who have read John the Pecan. I am proud of them even though I created them. Writing has also allowed me to get my thoughts out when so many things overwhelm me, like when I write in my journal. As I’ve written, I’ve experienced firsthand how much effort it takes to write well, and that has been good and challenging for me.

12/26/2023 06:45:48 pm

Your experience mirrors that of so many other authors. I have been told by multiple authors that the characters come to life and even get cranky at times when they don't like the progress of the plot or the actions they must take. A few have mentioned arguments they have lost to the characters and being happy about that loss down the road. Some have mentioned discovering a new character that wound up making a big difference in the story.

As a reader, I draw close to the characters also. I get swallowed up by the story in a well-written book.

New question.

Have you ever seen a ghost or had some other type of supernatural experience?

12/26/2023 06:52:09 pm

I totally agree, the characters are everything for me.

Interesting question. I have not. I do not believe in ghosts. I am a Christian, and have never found any logical reason in the Bible or anywhere else to believe that ghosts or anything of the like actually exist. The experiences people claim to have are always intriguing though. I do believe that sometimes there are demons that can confuse people and lead them to believe they saw a ghost. But yes, any supernatural experience for me can be summed up in any of the times that I have felt the Holy Spirit convicting me or leading me to do something.

12/26/2023 08:34:14 pm

I am with you on all of that. I am a Christian also for over 50 years. While I cannot explain many odd events other people report or all of the things I have seen, I do believe that spiritual forces are at work to move us away from a relationship with our heavenly father.

New questions.

What inspired you to write this book?

Why did you choose this genre, or do you feel the genre chose you?

12/26/2023 09:36:59 pm

I am glad to hear your agreement and to know another brother in the faith!

I don't think I can pinpoint one thing that inspired me to write this book, other than my previously mentioned lifelong goal of eventually writing a story. There were so many different things I wanted to express, such as my feelings about the problematic ways high school kids tend to act, my feelings that my generation is the least social generation thus far, and my belief that nothing in life can ultimately satisfy us but God. I wanted to convey a childlike spirit through the events in the book as well as through my tone, both of which were heavily inspired by C.S. Lewis, specifically in The Chronicles of Narnia. I also wanted to go overboard in terms of including bits of different types of action scenes that I have enjoyed watching in movies and T.V. In general, I wanted to express my views and thoughts about the wonders and complexities of life through my viewpoint through a story.
As for the genre, I am not any sort of sci-fi/fantasy fanatic, but I have read a lot in that realm, and some of my favorites come from it. I think it just worked well with the type of crazy, whimsical, adventurous story I wanted to convey to use a plot that was sci-fi/fantasy based.

12/27/2023 09:02:46 am

I am glad we are connected.

Socia media is a misnomer in some ways. Especially if the user foregoes actual human contact in favor of social media. Social media is a dividing influence if not used in moderation. But that is true of nearly everything.

The Chronicles of Narnia are a favorite in our home as well as the homes of our adult children. Lewis was a prolific author writing in many different genres or streams of thought. Not many know he also wrote a sci-fi trilogy, "Out of the silent Planet". Keep in mind he wrote this after his experiences in WW 2, that story is rather prescient in its calculations of societal breakdown.

New question.

Have you ever seen a UFO or UAP, Unidentified Aerial Phenomena?

12/27/2023 10:05:04 am

I couldn't agree more about social media. I am also glad to hear that you and your family enjoy Narnia. Yes, I didn't know about "Out of the Silent Planet" for years until a friend told me about the series. I was surprised to hear about it.
Funnily enough, even though my novel has a lot to do with space and galaxies and spaceships, I do not personally have any experience seeing a UFO. I personally think many of the purported sightings out there are either fake or coincidental.

12/27/2023 12:57:27 pm

I have read Lewis's trilogy at least twice in the previous century, but not recently. I do enjoy the story and the dialogues.

I tell people if they don't have a specific purpose to pursue, they should avoid Twitter because there are a lot of dark corners and strange people.

I think that some of the UFOs are demonic in nature and purpose. Many years ago, a man wrote a book called "Chariots of the Gods". His thesis was ancient UFOs were the gods of past civilizations. Clifford Wilson wrote an interesting rebuttal, "Crash Go the Chariots". You might find it interesting to read.

New question.

How many drafts did your book go through before publishing?

12/27/2023 02:26:45 pm

That is interesting! I definitely agree that some UFO sightings are the work of demons.

My book went through basically one draft, but in one sense two or three. Many years ago I can remember one or two attempts at writing the book, and then I took a break for maybe a couple years until I got to college. The first attempts were unsuccessful, and at one point I had actually "officially" given up on trying to write a story. But then, during the summer after my freshman year of college, I started getting a bunch of good ideas for a way to improve part of the story all at once, and I hurriedly tried to write them down so I didn't forget. Then I worked a few more things out, proceeded to order the events of the story, and then later that summer, I sat down and began writing the book. By about new years, I had finished this draft. Then I got that draft proofread by you, who did a great job, and that is how we have the copy that is now available to buy today.

12/27/2023 04:17:35 pm

That is remarkable, most authors generate anywhere from five to ten drafts. Many have beta readers, maybe a critique group or partner, then editing and finally proofreading. With at least one draft at each step.

So many novice writers never complete the first draft. They have a picture in their mind of all the books they have read and how wonderful they were. The novice compares their incomplete first draft to the published books and are thoroughly discouraged because they don't understand the writing process. Congratulations to you for persevering all the way through publishing.

It was an honor to work with you polishing your story. The genius of it is subtle and I missed it on my first two passes through your book.

New questions.

Who designed the cover of your book? Feel free to drop a link if appropriate.

How many drafts did the cover go through?

12/27/2023 04:27:50 pm

Thank you very much, Mark! Yes, I definitely learned by writing this book how much you have to believe in your ideas and keep polishing them and not worry about the timing of when it will finally form into a book.

We got a digital artist named Gabe Salazar to complete the artwork for the book cover. He is based in Santiago, Chile and his website can be found here: https://www.artstation.com/gaboimpacto

In terms of the words and font and design and all the rest, my publisher, Katie Erickson, designed the cover, on top of doing all of the interior design and formatting. Her FaceBook page can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/KatieEricksonEditing/

I wanted the cover to have a childlike spirit to it, and both Katie and Gabe did a great job. Kudos to them!
The cover went through very little drafts. There were only minor changes to be made, one of which being that I didn't stress at first just how many fireflies I wanted to be flying around in the air on the cover, haha.

12/27/2023 06:36:53 pm

I love the fireflies! They don't exist on the west coast and I haven't seen any in Florida, sadly. I recall seeing them only in Washington DC.

New question.

At first glance, the cover seems obvious, but I frequently miss a detail or two. What do the elements on the cover represent?

12/27/2023 08:07:24 pm

The cover is supposed to be the back porch of Emily and Oliver's house, with all of the kids standing out on it amongst the large group of fireflies. The ocean back behind Emily's house is supposed to be seen in the far distance. I suppose there are no easter eggs or pieces of symbolism on the cover, other than the whole scene itself serving to represent the bond the kids have and their unity together. The one in the overalls is Walt, and he is supposed to be holding a glass of iced milk.

12/28/2023 08:54:11 am

I like the cover, it is unusual in style. It makes me feel like I am part of the group.

New questions.

Was it hard to come up with the title?

What was the process?

12/28/2023 10:24:51 am

That's a funny story. It probably would have been harder to come up with the title if I had written the story and then tried to make a title out of the story. However, I had already had an inside joke with my friends for years, back from the beginning of high school, about a pecan that I kept with me as a "pet" named John, and so I set out from the beginning to write a story called John the Pecan. And then from there, I just came up with a story completely unrelated to that title, and then had to come up with one scene in the story that would somehow make the title make sense. Haha.

12/28/2023 03:07:17 pm

That is funny! Quite unusual also and I love it. So quirky!

Most authors have a concept in mind for a story and develop the title immediately or along the way.

New questions.

Were the character names difficult to develop?

How did you choose them?

12/28/2023 03:30:14 pm

They were not overly difficult to develop, although some were because I am very self-conscious when it comes to coming up with names for people or places. In general, I simply chose names that I liked, some of my favorite boy names and some of my favorite girl names, or ones that I thought would fit the vibe of a character, like for example, the name Arthur for the character Arthur.

12/28/2023 06:03:42 pm

You had an easier time than many authors when it comes to names. Especially when they are writing stories set in the past or a foreign country. The good news is that there are websites devoted to popular baby names by decade and geography, sometimes going back hundreds of years.

New question.

What reality show, current or not, would you like to be on?

12/28/2023 06:13:30 pm

Good question. I honestly do not know that many reality shows, haha. If competition shows count, I guess I would choose America’s Got Talent, because I have a lot of strange and random talents. For example, if you give me a word, I can say it backwards instantly. This probably doesn’t count, but if I could, I’d want to be on Duck Dynasty. That show is very funny to me and the Robertsons are a cool family.

12/28/2023 08:13:20 pm

That is a most unusual talent! I love it! I can't do anything like that at all.

Duck Dynasty is a lot of fun. I would enjoy sitting down and talking with any of that family.

New question.

This the first book you have written. Will you be writing more books, what can you tell us about them?

12/29/2023 02:43:47 am

I do plan on writing more books. I am currently working on ideas for a trilogy that is set in the same world as John the Pecan, around the same time period. If I complete it, there will be references to aspects of John the Pecan throughout the series. It will most likely continue to be sci-fi/fantasy based, and also have a set of main characters that is mostly kids. However, the setting will be more comprised of the beach, and the vibes and aesthetics given off by a beach town.

12/29/2023 08:20:32 am

Your fans will be pleased.

One of the best ways for an author to sell books is to write more books. It seems that many readers want to know if the author has written more than one book. There are probably many different reasons for this perspective, the one that appears likely to me is that the readers want to be assured that there is more than one book to read if they like that author quite a bit.

New questions.

What do you think of the current controversy regarding AI?

Did you use AI in any of your writing, planning or research for your books?

12/29/2023 10:08:07 am

That is interesting.

No, I did not use AI an any part of the book process. I am not fully aware of the specifics of the current AI controversy, but I do believe that some aspects of it are very justified; One of my main concerns is how good AI has now gotten at being able to be used to sound exactly like another person, or to make somebody in a video look exactly like another person. Nowadays, completely fake videos can look extremely real. In a totalitarian state, this is a dangerous idea. And even in our country right now, with political parties already so polarized, the ability to easily make fake videos condemning the other side is not something that will help us become less polarized.

12/29/2023 01:23:05 pm

Amazon now requires authors to disclose if AI was used in the making of their book. I have seen one book that had a strangely worded blurb and the cover looked like it had been created by AI. I didn't see any disclosure for the use of AI last summer when I discovered the book.

Deep fake videos are vile and horrendous! I can no longer trust what I see in videos, especially political videos. The divisions will only get worse, I fear.

New question.

What was the first paying job you worked as a kid and how old were you?

12/29/2023 02:50:33 pm

I totally agree.

To be honest, I have not had that many paying jobs. The oldest one that I can currently remember was when I got paid to rake the leaves in the yard of a lady who went to my church. I think I must have been about 14 or 15 years old.

12/29/2023 05:46:23 pm

That is a pretty good first job. I was picking strawberries at 12. Before that I was selling seeds and greeting cards to relatives and neighbors.

New questions.

Have you done any public speaking?

If so, will you be doing more in the future?

12/29/2023 05:49:07 pm

Those are good first jobs.

I have done a very limited amount of public speaking. I am good at it but simultaneously scared of it. I may have to do some more in the future, though. I did not anticipate just how many people were going to ask for a signed copy of my book and not be joking about it, haha. We have considered just going ahead and doing a book signing. But we'll see.

12/29/2023 08:18:45 pm

Thank you. I learned at an early age that it was fun to sell things.

This sets you apart from many authors. Almost all of the authors I have interviewed are afraid of public speaking. I get it. I am the kid with the severe stammering problem that really wasn't helped by speech therapy. I was as nervous as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs. The good news was I only stammered when I was nervous. The bad news was I was nervous most of the time all through high school.

Fast forward about a decade, I took a Dale Carnegie course in public speaking. I leaned a great deal. The most important thing I learned was to speak publicly only about things that I knew a lot about. The second thing was to speak slowly and pause whenever I felt the tension building in my mouth. The third thing was that the people wanted to hear what I was going to say, they would wait for me to resume speaking and listen more closely. I couldn't fail if I was the expert.

There is no one who knows more about your book than you.

Since you brought up book signings, which are a great opportunity to build a fan base, here is more information.

One of my favorite blogs is about pursuing the local author angle. How to be a marketing star right where you live. A copy-and-paste link or search the title in the box below: https://annerallen.com/2019/08/hometown-book-marketing/ I would add a few tips, seek out literature teachers at the high school and college level to share in their class and there might be a club in the school. Local newspapers are a good resource for an interview as well as local cable access. There might also be a broadcast arts curriculum and/or a club at the high school and college level. Have some questions ready to hand the interviewer if they seem uncertain.

If there are tourist destinations try and place your books with the local author angle. Museums, gift stores, motels, hotels, tourist attractions are all possibilities. Keep a box of books in your trunk. Get a counter-top holder for a few books, paste a picture of the cover on the holder behind the books and put re-ordering information on the back of the holder.

Consider renting a table at a comic convention, county fair, farmer's market or a flea market. Have free swag to hand out such as a bookmark and sell mugs or posters. There are so many ways to be the 'local author' I doubt I have exhausted the list of possibilities.

New questions.

Have you entered any writing contests?

Have you won awards of any kind for your writing?

12/29/2023 10:52:45 pm

Thank you very much for the tips!

I entered only one writing contest, and it was in the third grade. I had to write a short story, and I came up with some random story about some kids finding an arcade game in an abandoned house that sent them to some alternate world when they tried to play it. I either won the contest for my grade, or my whole school, I can't remember.
I have not really won any awards for my writing. Now that I think of it, I actually entered another writing contest in the eleventh grade, but my brother was one of the winners, not me.

12/30/2023 08:29:56 am

Very nice. Writing talent runs in your family.

I have recommended to writers that short story writing contests, especially those that provide feedback from the judges, can help a writer improve their writing skills. I do have a warning, there are a lot of shady contests out there. Some want to extract as much as they can from your wallet, others want to steal your intellectual property. Here is a copy-and-paste link about those things: Beware Bogus Writing Contests! Look for These 8 Red Flags. https://annerallen.com/2019/05/beware-bogus-writing-contests. You can also use the search box below to find the link. There are other blogs I have links for on my Highly Regarded Blogs page.

New question.

Among present or past family members and friends how many are or have been writers or authors?

12/30/2023 11:43:15 am

That is interesting, and a good idea.

I can not think of hardly any family members who are authors. My dad is currently writing a memoir, and has also written song lyrics. One of my older brothers has also helped write music. As for my friends, I can only think of Landon Freeman, a friend of mine who just recently published his debut novel and his planning on writing more. He is actually the reason I found you, Mark.

Here is a link to his book on Amazon. I enjoyed reading it. https://www.amazon.com/Living-Weapons-Landon-Freeman-ebook/dp/B0BTWL7M3B/ref=sr_1_1?crid=NMVU3G1LMY8S&keywords=the+living+weapons+landon+freeman&qid=1703954562&sprefix=the+living+weapons+landon+freeman%2Caps%2C88&sr=8-1

12/30/2023 02:11:16 pm

There certainly is talent in your family. Memoirs are an interesting thing. Part biography and part story to carry the biography and wrap it in a pleasing package. A well-written memoir is entertaining and easy to read.

I proofread Landon's book and enjoyed the story quite a bit. I owe him thanks for recommending me to you.

New question.

I noticed that your book is not in Kindle Unlimited. Is there a reason for that?

12/30/2023 02:15:05 pm

That is a good way of describing memoirs.

No, there is not any specific reason that I can remember for us not putting my book on Kindle Unlimited.

12/30/2023 05:25:33 pm

Kindle Unlimited is a subscription plan. For $11.99 plus taxes a month, you can read as many books as you want. That is a great deal for someone who reads a lot.

The author gets paid a fraction of a penny for each page read. If the reader loves the story they will read to the end. If not, they will move on to another book. It's a very fair way to judge how well the story is appreciated by on section of the reading public.

Amazon paid out more than $49 million dollars globally to authors in KU with qualifying books. That worked out to $0.00458 per page read. There are authors who do well with the KU royalties. I am sure there are those who don't fare as well. Amazon used to require an exclusive contract for authors to be in the KU program. I don't know if that is still true.

New questions.

Have you ever gone through the query process?

Were you seeking an agent or submitting directly to publishers and why did you choose that path?

12/30/2023 06:10:20 pm

Interesting! I may have to consider KU in the future.
I am not familiar with the query process. I submitted directly to a publisher, partly because I was not aware of any other option. I would be open to hearing about other options.

12/30/2023 08:49:33 pm

Before Amazon, there were traditional publishers of all sizes and vanity publishers. There have always been a few bad apples in both of those barrels. Amazon knocked the traditional publishers' apple cart over and smashed it to smithereens. Amazon allowed anyone to publish a book and launched the independent publishing revolution and a little thing called an electronic book.

The TP industry has been contracting ever since. There are only 5 or 6 big TPs left in America. Many TPs of all sizes have disappeared and or been swallowed by a competitor.

There are still TPs left but the numbers are shrinking, their profit margins are so slim they are 1 or 2 failed launches away from lights out. This is why they are not taking chances on most unknown authors and they will do everything they can to maximize their ability to make a profit on a book.

The publishing industry landscape has changed dramatically, there many independent publishing houses, the vanity publishers are still around and a new type of publisher has arisen known as a hybrid publisher. They serve independent authors by allowing them to choose the services they want. The hybrid publishers still expect the author to pay the costs of publishing but that is all they take. The honest hybrid publishers give all of the royalties from sales to the author.

Almost all of the publishers, excluding the hybrids, have their inhouse graphics department, typesetting and page design, editing and proofreading. They pay for all of these things upfront, nothing out of the author's wallet. If they gave the author an advance, that is paid back by book sales. The publisher then gets to keep a percentage of book sales to recoup their costs. If an agent was involved, they get a percentage of book sales also. The remainder goes to the author as a royalty.

I hope that brief survey helps. Some authors think that hybrid publishers are merely vanity publishers in a new coat. With upfront pricing and undivided royalties, I disagree with them.

New question.

Where in this lineup does your publisher fall?

12/30/2023 09:32:27 pm

That is very interesting. Thank you for that synopsis.

Although my publishing was carried out basically entire by one person who I worked with, I would say her services fell mostly in the category of vanity publishing. Although now that I think of it, there may have been elements of hybrid publishing, because at the very start, I do remember choosing some specific ways I wanted to proceed. But from then on, it seemed like a pretty straight-forward process, and I bore part of the cost of the publishing, perhaps even the majority of it.

12/31/2023 08:35:37 am

Most publishers want to see a book sell well even if they are not keeping a percentage of the royalties. Though some vanity publishers require the author to buy a bunch of books from them.

Then there is the issue of copyright and licensing. When an author signs a contract with a publisher, the author is usually granting the publisher a license to publish the book the author has written. This contract is drawn up by lawyers and serves the interest of the publisher first. The publisher now owns the book for a period of time or certain conditions are met such as no sales for 6 months. The publisher, by contract if so written, can require the author to rewrite the book. The publisher can also reject the cover if the author had one made and the publisher can delay publishing for a year or longer if the publisher thinks it will help sell more copies. The publisher might gush all over the author about how much they love the book but in reality, the book is nothing more than a box of cereal is to the manager of the grocery store.

The author loses all control of the book.

This is partly why I recommend self-publishing to authors. The author can keep control of their book and their copyright. The author gets to keep all of the profits from book sales. The downside is the author also has to pay for the necessary services to make their book presentable to the public.

Books can be expensive to publish. Here is another copy-and-paste link about using crowdfunding to gather the financial resources to publish a book or audiobook or hit the search box below: https://kriswrites.com/2020/07/22/business-musings-the-kickstarted-game-changer-part-two/

New question.

What is your publisher doing to market your book?

12/31/2023 09:04:50 am

Thank you for the tips!

As far as I know, my publisher is not currently helping me to market the book. I do think she provides services that are similar to that, but we did not go with them at the time of publishing.

12/31/2023 03:30:47 pm

Most publishers do little more than listing a book on their website. Remember they are cost-cutting! They don't want to invest any more money into a book than needed. That goes for most traditional publishers also, unless your last name is King, Patterson or Rowling. That is one of several big shocks that authors experience when using a TP. The authors are expecting the publisher to do all of that heavy lifting. They used to 30 or so years ago. Not now.

There are a lot of ways to market and promote a book. We have already mentioned hometown marketing. There are many more blogs you can find on my Highly Regarded Blogs page. Hit the search box with promotion or marketing to get a long list.

New question.

You have read a lot of books that have been published traditionally. How do you think your book compares to a book published by a major publisher?

12/31/2023 05:25:10 pm

Oh, well there’s no comparison. Those published by a major publisher that I have read have had more quality design, format, and everything else. I know a lot of people get help from so many different people when they publish, like consultants and beta readers and all sorts of people who are behind the scenes to make the book successful. When you have that many people helping, the book is bound to be higher quality.

12/31/2023 07:21:23 pm

You make a good point. Let me twist that a little bit. Writing the first draft is a solitary experience, no one can help the author get the story out of his head. After that, maybe after a draft or two, most authors will seek out beta readers. Then another draft or two can be followed by a critique group or a critique partner. Another draft or two followed by an editor's tender ministrations. Another bit of rewriting perhaps, then when you think the manuscript is ready to publish send the manuscript off to the proofreader for a final polish. That is the process most independent or self-publishers go through.

Your book is pretty good. Yes, I found spelling errors in your book. I find spelling errors in books by major publishers also. TBH, I find spelling errors in nearly every published book I have read in the last 10 years, around 500 books. Once a year, I have found a book with no spelling errors, for the last 10 years. Spelling is my specialty and I do notice other errors, but the spelling errors jump off the page.

You are right, it takes a group of people to turn an average book into a great book.

New question.

There are many unethical practices in publishing, which one is the most unbearable in your mind?

12/31/2023 10:49:44 pm

Yes. I have won multiple spelling bees in school, haha, and it is still nearly impossible to have no errors by the end of writing a novel.

The first thing that comes to my mind is a publisher changing a part of the design or a part of the marketing in a way that alters part of the aesthetic or goal that the author was going for in terms of the story or the plot. There are obviously the problems related to who pays what part of the cost, and making the write pay too much. But one aspect that sticks out in my mind in particular is the publisher taking too much control of the theme or aesthetic they have in mind for the book and marketing it in such a way that the author did not intend.

1/1/2024 09:58:24 am

Losing creative control of your book is something that many authors struggle with. Yet, many authors continue to submit their book to agents and publishers in hopes of landing a traditional publishing contract. Sometimes it takes many months and hundreds of submissions before the author decides to self-publish.

New questions.

Is there a book that causes strong emotions to come up no matter how many times you read it?

Do you ever read a book more than once?

If so, which one?

1/1/2024 11:31:45 am

That is a great question.
I very rarely read any book more than once, although I have done it before. If I read books more than once often, I would probably have a better answer for which one creates strong emotions in me. I would imagine that if I read just about any one of the seven Narnia books again, there would be at least one passage in them that would create strong emotion in me every time. In fact, I can already remember a part from book 5 doing that. I have to really focus when I read, though, and I guess, ironically, sometimes getting through a book one time feels like enough of an experience that it would have to be a while before I picked it back up again.

1/1/2024 01:43:16 pm

It sounds like reading is difficult for you. It is for a many people. I have a very good friend back in Oregon. He loves reading but his dyslexia is so severe he consumes books by listening to audio books.

New question.

What book has changed your mind about any particular topic?

1/1/2024 02:09:41 pm

Yes. I have to be very focused in order to read.

That is a good question. I'm not sure any book, except perhaps the Bible, has changed my opinion on anything in any major way. I'd say that many of the books I have read have definitely influenced the way that I approach life, and relationships with other people, such as the Chronicles of Narnia, Harry Potter, or the Stormlight Archive series. Then again, to a certain extent, I guess many good books end up resolving in such a way to where part of the story reminds you to love your friends and family and enjoy being around them. In general, I'd say parts of different stories have reminded me to live life to the fullest and to not take the moments I have for granted.

1/1/2024 04:06:09 pm

Some things we all need to keep in mind.

We do like justice served, the good guy to win and happy ever after. We need stories to remind us to strive for these ideals because they don't usually occur by themselves.

New question.

Can you read a book as a reader still or only as a writer now?

Many writers have told me their reading experience has changed because they find themselves picking a book apart to understand why it works or doesn't work.

1/1/2024 04:09:35 pm

That is very true.

That is interesting. I have not read many books since writing John the Pecan, but I have read a few. My experience has not changed drastically as far as I can tell, but I do feel like I find myself seeing how other authors approach their plot, and the things they use to put it together. I think I do think more about pacing now, and about how the author leads the story to the end, and if I think the plot twists were predictable, or if I think the ending was satisfactory.

1/1/2024 06:24:48 pm

It sounds like you have the analytical bug like so many other authors. It is not a bad thing because you are getting experience and that will help you to become a better writer.

New question.

If you could ask every person, who has read your book, only one question what would you ask them?

1/1/2024 07:56:43 pm

Good question. I'll try not to overthink it, haha.

I would ask them: What have you learned about life by reading my book?

1/2/2024 08:46:12 am

That is a good question. Your answer is similar to other authors I have had the pleasure of chatting with. I think every book we read changes us in some way whether noticeable or not.

New question.

Does writing have a spiritual or healing component for you, does it energize you or make you feel tired?

1/2/2024 09:06:45 am

Yes, I definitely think the act of writing is satisfying to me. I think that writing about characters or just describing different settings or aesthetics through words helps me to get my thoughts out of my head in a peaceful and enjoyable way even if what I am currently writing will need to be polished a lot.

1/2/2024 11:48:44 am

Many authors report a similar feeling of satisfaction.

The perfect first draft has never been written and will not ever be written. Every book needs to be massaged and rewritten in parts before it is ready to publish.

New question.

Since a copyright in America lasts for 75 years after the author's passing, do you have a plan for your books in your will?

1/2/2024 11:56:42 am

That is interesting. I do not have a plan yet. I have not thought that far ahead, haha.

1/2/2024 01:23:02 pm

I suspected as much, though I do ask, this relatively new addition to my list of questions, nearly every author and a little more than half have a plan or are working on one.

If you haven't yet, you will want to connect with a lawyer that specializes in entertainment law. I have links to a bunch of blogs about intellectual property rights on my Highly Regarded Blogs page. Put lawyer in the search box below to find them.

New question.

Why is it important for writers to tap into the emotions of the characters?

1/2/2024 01:45:20 pm

Thanks for the heads up!

Good question. I mean, for me personally, I'd say that that is potentially the biggest reason I even write books or have the desire to write books. For me, the characters are so much of what matters. The emotions of the characters often times directly correlate with the emotions that the author feels about things, at least when I write. You can have a good story but have boring characters, but if you have very good characters who are emotionally dynamic and able to have an arc where they grow in a certain way or make you proud throughout the story, you may not care as much about if the plot of the story is perfect or not.

1/2/2024 04:25:29 pm

Carefully crafted characters can make a big difference in the story. As you mentioned, the characters must be emotionally dynamic or authentic to maintain the interest of the readers. Even the antagonist must be fully fledged in the story. If the antagonist was telling the story he would be the hero and struggling with this other person who kept getting in the way much of the time.

One of my clients wrote a blog about creating psychologically congruent characters and provided lots of help and examples on a website he made. You might enjoy the blog. Here is a copy-and-paste link or use the search box below: https://www.wordrefiner.com/guest-blogs/character-creation

Last question.

What software do you use to write and publish your books, and why do you use those?

1/2/2024 04:33:42 pm

Oh, that is interesting! Thank you for the link.

I typed my book on Google Docs. I do not know what my publisher used to publish the book. I have always been much more familiar with Google Docs than Microsoft Word, I reckon because I have used it far more.

1/2/2024 05:30:05 pm

Microsoft Word is mentioned by far more authors than Google Docs. I think MS Word has the largest installed user base around the world. I know it's hard to switch from one platform to another, but sometimes the benefits outweigh the temporary inconvenience of the learning curve.

This is the last day of the promotion and our time has come to an end. I thank you, Seth, for sharing your journey and being such a fabulous guest on the Word Refiner channel. I have thoroughly enjoyed our chat.

Until next time, keep on writing.

1/2/2024 08:10:29 pm

I have enjoyed our time as well. Thank you very much for the advice and the help and the good conversation.

See you next time!

The Adventures of John the Pecan: A Tale of Three Parts by Seth Tomlinson

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