Officially Being Published! :D

My dearest writers, readers, followers, bloggers:
Tonight is a very special night.  Up until an hour ago this night was like any normal Tuesday night --editing, relaxing in bed, talking to friends.  And then the email arrived, the one that changed my life.
It brings me great pleasure to announce to you tonight that Cursed with Power is officially being published.  Old Line Publishing announced their final decision tonight, and I'll be receiving all of the details within the next couple of days.

Many of you have been with me on this journey since the beginning.  Two years ago I began this journey, writing Cursed with Power, posting it on inkpop, and hoping --without any idea--that someday it would make a difference.  I could not be where I am today without all of the support, motivation, and inspiration each and every one of you have given me.
This is truly a dream come true.
I've been reading posts by published authors for a while now, and I always wondered how I would feel if I ever got accepted.  After prancing around my room like a fool, I had to sit down and attempt to not have a heart attack.  I broke down in tears as my friends and fans sent in comments expressing their happiness and excitement.
What truly makes this moment special is that I have all of you to celebrate this experience with.  I plan on becoming much more active with the blog so you can be kept to date with publication, and I will be announcing a contest.  As for the contest, I was thinking of giving away ARC copies of the book or just free copies in general with an autograph --but the decision is entirely up to you!  Let me know what you'd be interested in seeing.
Before this post becomes too long, I do want to leave with this for the night: Never give up on your writing.  People will reject you, criticize you, and tell you you'll never be good enough.  You'll have times where you don't want to write, you lose faith in what you're aiming for, or you wonder why you are doing this to begin with.  I want you to know, though, in the end the journey really is worth it.  This is a dream you can achieve, and if you don't believe that then take it from an eighteen year old girl who's graduating high school in five days.  This is your dream, and don't ever let anyone --including yourself--take that away.

I love you all, and I am so thankful for your support.  I hope that you will continue to support me as Cursed with Power makes its way to bookstores! Will post more soon!
Lindsey R. Sablowski


Be there for the magic: www.themagiciansseries.blogspot.com

Interview with Cassidy Cornblatt, author of A Broken World

Hello everyone, joining us tonight is Cassidy Cornblatt, author of A Broken World.  His newly released book is now available in bookstores and online to purchase; he has been published by Old Line Publishing.  Tonight he joins us to tell us about his journey.  I'll hope you will join me in welcoming him.  Also, please consider taking a look at his book.

1.)    Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

I am finishing up my freshman year at the University of Maryland, College Park, where I am pursuing a double degree, triple major in Biochemistry, Genetics, and English. I recently published my first book, a young adult fantasy named A Broken World.

2.) Your book, A Broken World, just recently has become available for purchase. How did you begin writing the book, and what/who inspired you to pursue writing?

I started A Broken World when I was sixteen, about a month into my sophomore year of high school. I finished it almost a year later. I had previously started a number of novels, but this was the first one I completed. My love of writing began, as is often the case, with my love of reading. When I was younger, I devoured books, especially those of the fantasy genre. Many times I would finish books in less than a day. Soon I began to write the beginnings of stories, but then I would lose interest after a number of pages. With time, however, I began to write more and more until I eventually finished an entire book.

3.) How is A Broken World different from other fantasy books?

A Broken World does contain many of the hallmark features of fantasy: magic, adventure, even a few dragons; however, it is also a social commentary on the corruption of power and the exploitation of natural resources and indigenous species. In addition, it places emphasis on the importance of respect in society.

4.) Could you tell us the background of the language in A Broken World and how you developed it?

The language I developed for A Broken World was the original language of the planet and is used in spells. Originally, I just created a few random words to use in the spells near the beginning of the book, but then I realized it would make sense to develop a full, coherent language. I started by considering the grammatical aspects such as tenses and then went on to create a large variety of potentially useful words. When designing the words, I tried to make most of them evoke the image or feeling of the object or concept they represented.

5.) What are your plans in the future? Do you plan on writing another book?

I am currently working on the first book in a trilogy set many years after A Broken World. I also have a number of other book ideas that I am toying with for the future. In the meantime, I am attempting to publish a few short stories in literary magazines.

6.) What is your advice to aspiring writers? How were you successful with publication?

Never give up on your writing. Finishing a story is hard enough, but getting it published is far more difficult, especially for a first-time author. Make sure your work is as good as you think it can be, and yes, this means a lot of editing and revision. Do not feel down because of a rejection. Everybody gets them. I was rejected by literary agents twenty-eight times, and I was beginning to give up before I finally found a publisher. You have to believe in your work and just keep on trying.

7.) Thank you for taking the time to be with us today. Is there anything else you'd like to say before you go?

I’d just like to wish all my fellow writers the best of luck, and I hope you all take the time to check out my book.

Thanks for joining us, Cassidy!  It was a pleasure to read your book, and I encourage everyone to search it, google it, whatever it takes to join in on the adventure.

Remember to look for A Broken World on Amazon or at Barnes & Noble.

Lindsey R. Sablowski

Be there for the magic: www.themagiciansseries.blogspot.com

Cursed with Power (book 1 in the Magicians series)

As many of you know, Cursed with Power has been on quite a journey with publication.  What I love about the writing community is that we all have our own stories to tell about how we got where we are today, and I want to take the time to share my own.  I'm also encouraging you to post about this on your own blog; share your story with us.

The first copy of Cursed with Power was about as lonely as this cover to the left.  It was lacking a lot, and I'm not talking grammar and spelling errors.  Oh no, when I say the first version was lonely I mean it literally.
Celestria was at first alone in the story.  Léal was barely in the book at all, and while that doesn't such a surprise this next part may be.  Celestria spent the rest of her journey by herself with no one to accompany her --that's right, Alaire wasn't in this version--and certainly no one to inform her of how dangerous Aldemund really was.
Now while Wilhem --you may remember him as Aldemund's "right hand man" and magician--had more lines (of dialog), he wasn't significant in any way.  As a matter of fact, the only significance he had was helping Aldemund track down Celestria.
While I can't tell you how the book ended since I've never been one for spoilers, I promise you the ending was nothing like what it is now.  Celestria lacked depth in character, she had no one to rescue her, and she was indeed very alone in the magical world.
Why does any of that matter?
I'm not rambling.  Actually, this first copy of Cursed with Power was in a way a journey for me to discover myself, not only as a writer but also as a person.  Like Celestria, I was struggling to realize my true powers, to discover my true destiny.  I didn't know where this book was going to take me, who Celestria was, or why I even wanted to write it.  When I finished the first copy, though, I finally understood.  I'm a writer, and it was this passion I discovered while writing the book that made me all that more eager to continue on.

Would Cursed with Power be where it is today had the first book not explored Celestria's inner discoveries?  Who knows, but I believe from Celestria's experiences I realized who I was and the purpose behind writing.

Lately, numerous readers have been saying they feel "close" to Alaire and during his struggles they hope he survives.  For me, I share that closeness with Alaire as well because he is --in many ways--a reminder of how this book transformed into everything it is today.  In a way, perhaps I learned a few things from Alaire.  He not only became a hero for Celestria, but he also became a hero for my writing.

This journey has been frustrating and enjoyable, but I wouldn't dare back away from it.  I'm happy with Cursed with Power, and I look forward to the date when I am able to announce publication.  To my fans on Wattpad, Inkpop, and my fellow bloggers: I am extremely grateful to have you standing beside me.  We're almost there!

So tell me, do you have a character who saved your writing?
Lindsey R. Sablowski

Read the story online:

Cursed with Power

In the darkness they are flames.  In the daylight they are shadows.

Be there for the magic: www.themagiciansseries.blogspot.com

Talking with independent authors

So lately in my search I've been talking to a lot of the authors on Createspace.  Most of the members have already self published or are in the process of doing so.  I thought I'd share a little bit about what I've been hearing, and who knows maybe it can help you out too.

I posted a discussion about how one goes about deciding to self publish, and the responses I received have varied.  What I've been hearing a lot of, though, is to "just do it."  You'll never really know what it feels like to self publish until you actually do it, and unlike waiting a year with a traditional publisher it can be done within several weeks.  (Depending on how long you need to proof for.)
Being overprotective over my book (once again), I asked more questions and waited for answers.  One author said he was with traditional publishers for years, but when he self published his book I Was Blind But Now I See it became a bestseller on Amazon.

Of course, we all realize such luck doesn't come to anyone.  Even so, I think that can be said whether you self publish or not.
I've been hearing all the responses and making a mental check list.  Some of the authors talk about how they love having control, for others it's because royalties... but all of them shared one answer in common: It was a dream.  They could finally say "I've written a book and it's published!"  They finally had a chance at glory to show the world what they have to offer, and if they didn't succeed at first they kept trying until they had it down to a science.

If nothing else, this week has been a week of realization for me.  If you've always dreamed of publishing your book, look into your heart.  You worked hours upon hours; some of us didn't sleep *coughcough me*; others of us worked during any spare time to write the entire book out.  So if traditional publishing is giving you a headache, I'm not going to tell you that self publishing is the only option you have left.  I will tell you this, though: Self publishing can be an answer.
As for me, I've decided if Old Line Publishing isn't in my work I am going to self publish.  I've been querying agents and publishers over six years now (different books, but you get the point).  You know I am not the girl to jump into a disaster without over-thinking it first, but for the first time I actually see another answer to what I desire.  Hopefully all of you, who have been my audience, readers, friends, fellow writers, supporters, and the reason I write this blog, will continue to support me when Cursed with Power is publisher --whether traditionally or independently.
Lindsey R. Sablowski

Read the book online:

Cursed with Power

In the darkness they are flames. In the daylight they are shadows.

Be there for the magic: www.themagiciansseries.blogspot.com

Self Publish or traditional publisher?

If you're wondering where I've been since the last time I posted, this is the question I have been pondering over for months.  (Not that I've been gone for months, but you get the point)  At what point do you decide that you want a traditional publisher or to self-publish?  At what point can you make a decision that is going to have such an impact on your book, your baby, the "child" you've spent years "raising?"
Don't worry, you're not alone.

As you may or may not know, I've recently been debating on whether to self-publish or not.  First, though, let's start with a little back story.  When I wrote my first book, The Magic of Light, I avoided self publishing like the plague.  I couldn't afford to pay the expenses most companies require to even have the book in print, and neither could my family.  I always thought of it as a dead end; self publishing being the last road you would ever want to take, and once you did it you wouldn't ever be able to undo what you had done.
Back then, though, I didn't know what I know today.  I believe a lot of writers don't know this, but self publishing isn't a demon.  If you publish your own book that doesn't mean you'll be looked down on, you're not good enough to be published by a main stream publisher, and your books will never sell.  Look at Christopher Paolini.  Eragon is a worldwide seller, and that's only the first book alone; if you look at his entire series it's amazing to see how far he has come since self publishing Eragon.  A publisher recognized his talent, and who's to say that can't happen to the rest of us?
There's also Createspace, which is run by Amazon.com  I joined about a year ago when I first entered into the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award contest, but since then I've been researching self publishing with Amazon.
Now I know it's not all perfect, but don't worry I've got my pros and cons ready.  (I'll mark those that only apply to Createspace with a *)
Pros:

• *No set up fees: You don't have to put forth any money to start selling your book online.  Of course if you want it sold at Barnes & Noble, libraries, and etc. you do have to pay a fee of $25, but then again it's a little price to pay when everything else is free of charge.
• Full Control: Unlike with a traditional publisher, you have control over what happens with every step of the process.  Fancy fonts, cover design, page numbers, set up of pages... Everything is in your hands.
• *Easy and simple program to prepare your book: You can view how the pages of your book are going to look before you actually finalize it and have it publisher for the world to see.  If there's mistakes, you can fix them.  If you see something you don't like, fix it.  I don't know if this applies with any other companies, but I have looked at the program on Createspace and it's very hands on and easy for anyone to use.
• Paper-back books: No matter who you are, almost every writer wants to be able to hold their book in their hands.  This way you can.
• Online distribution: Whether you choose to sell your books outside of Amazon or not, you're allowed to sell your book online.  These days technology rules, so you have to think what's going to work best.  You can link your book, promote it on your blog --I'm sure you've already seen it before.  It's easy enough to share with your friends a link to Amazon or Barnes & Noble when it's online available to buy.
• Higher royalty: You might already be aware of this, but in case you're not with self publishing you'll make a higher royalty than you ever would with a traditional publisher.  Say you sell your book for $7.99 online.  You would make $2.34 for every copy that sells.  Are you ever going to make that much for each copy with a traditional publisher?  Likes are, you probably won't.  (Not that you can't make a living by being published by a publisher.  Remember Steven King anyone, haha?)
• Unlimited Distribution: Your book is not only sold at Amazon, but it can also be sold at Barnes & Noble, libraries, and other book stores.  (Mind you there is a $25 charge if you want it sold outside of Amazon)  It can also be published for the Kindle (though this is a $69 charge).

• Chance of interesting a publisher: While it isn't likely for everyone that self publishes, it happened for Brittany Geragotelis (author of Life's a Witch), Christopher Paolini (as I already mentioned), and many others.  Brittany's book was actually on Wattpad before she published it, and she's now been offered three book contracts and is selling the rights for it to be made into a TV show.  It doesn't always happen, but it can if your book grabs the attention of a reader. 

• Your name finally out there: Your name will finally be out there in the publishing world.  I recently just read an article where 10 editors were asked at a conference if they would have published J.D. Salinger had he been a new author when they came to him.  All ten said no.  It's scary, yes, but once your name is known publishers, editors, and agents are more likely to gave you a chance.

Cons:

• Failure: We all wonder it... What if my book isn't good enough?  What if the sales aren't impressive?  What if no one buys it?
• Time: Self publishing takes a lot of your own time, and if you're one of the many writers who already have a full time job this might not be the right choice for you.
• *Fees for your own copy: I don't know where else this applies, but if you want copies of your book from Createspace you do have to buy it at the price online.
• Negative reviews: Unfortunately I've seen this before.  Books that are self published sometimes aren't fully edited or the professional look is missing simply because the writer didn't have enough time to work all of those details out.  Keep in mind, readers aren't going to know your story or where you're coming from.  They might not understand why you self published or the fact that you've spent weeks, months, years --however long--working on your book.  If you're going to be self published, be ready.  (Note: Negative reviews are always expected, no matter what choice you make.  Even traditionally published book receive poor reviews.  Steven King has been criticized that his books have "no plot" and focus on "gore and blood."  Even new authors like Leigh Fallon have received negative feedback on their book.  We'll all have to face it at some point or another)

Whew!  There's a lot of factors to look at, and I'm sure I missed several.  Hopefully, though, I went over the main ones.  I'm not writing about this to scare you or convince you there's only "one way" to publish your book.  Actually what I want to point out is that traditional publishing is not the only way you can publish your book, and when I learned that myself I was relieved.  How long have we been hearing this is the "only" way to go?  Do what feels right.  

If you're published, share your story with us :)  I hope was able to help someone out there, and if you haven't made up your mind yet don't worry.  I'm actually still debating about it, and most likely will for a good while.

Lindsey R. Sablowski 

Now read Cursed with Power online:

Destiny may find them, but will it be enough?  Join Celestria and Alaire in the struggle for survival at: http://www.wattpad.com/3571491-cursed-with-power-book-1-in-the-magicians-series

Be there for the magic: www.themagiciansseries.blogspot.com

Self publish?

It's nothing new. Plenty of writers have been self published, and we've all heard the stories.
Recently self publishing has been on my mind a lot. Michael J Sullivan was self published before his "Theft of Swords" was taken up by a traditional publisher. Christopher Paloini self published his book at 18 before "Eragon" became a world wide best selling novel (as well as a series).
How did these authors do it? How can we publish ourself if we don't know what the outcome will be?
You're entitled to your own opinion, but for me I think of self publishing that will either destroy me or bring my dreams to life.
As you all know, I've been on the search for a publisher for over a year now. I've been editing "Cursed with Power" nearly every day, and I've even working to make my query stand out in the publishing world. It's difficult, and though nobody likes to face it there's a 99% rejection rate. I'm not saying it can't be done, I'm not saying that I'm going up on seeking out a traditional publisher, but I will say this...
I have respect for those authors who have taken a leap of faith and self published their work. Especially those who have proven it is worth something.
If any of you have self published, please feel free to comment and enlighten us on your experience. I'm interested in hearing anything you've got.
No, I do not plan to self publish tomorrow, but it is another option if not traditionally published.

Goodbye Inkpop, Hello Wattpad

As many of you already know, inkpop.com is no longer existent.  Some inkies switched over to Figment, the company that Harper Collins is now working with, but you may have also noticed that a majority of us writers moved over to Wattpad.

For those of you who have been following my book, I'm now switching over all of my links to the present and up to date one: http://www.wattpad.com/3571491-cursed-with-power-book-1-in-the-magicians-series
Don't worry, you don't have to be a member to read my book, but if you truly enjoy it and would like to support it please consider joining to vote for it.  (The picture above is actually exactly how it looks on Wattpad)

During the time I've been MIA from blogger, I promise you I have been searching among publishers and agents.  I'm hoping to find a home for Cursed with Power.  You, my readers, have been amazingly supportive.  Even with the change of the book's location on the web, you all have been wonderful and I won't forget that for a single minute.  I am so grateful to you, and so I want to take a minute and personally thank you for everything you have done.  Through the high and low, my readers are the reason I will always continue writing with my heart.

I'm currently seeking out publishers in hope that someone will take in the book.  At the moment I'm simply writing down who to contact, but I plan on waiting a while before I start querying.  There are some edits I have to finish up, and I plan to polish my query and synopsis.

If anyone has a sample of a timeline --some publishers require it--or a self promotional plan please email them to me: my email.  I've been asking my boyfriend, but both he and I have no idea.  (Why I'm asking him when he's majoring in Computer Science is beyond me lol)  I'm a bit at a lost on that one...

Before I go, I want to give another shout out to all of my readers.  Your support gives me hope and the strength to carry on.  Thank you; I love you all :)
I'll try to be around soon again.  In the mean time feel free to look around.
Lindsey R. Sablowski

Be there for the magic: www.themagiciansseries.blogspot.com

Back in the loop

Hello all!
It would be understatement to say it's been a while, and I apologize to all my blogging friends for having neglected you for....however long it has been.  (I honestly don't know!)  The good news is, I'm hoping to keep you in the loop with everything.  Since that's my job and the mission of this blog, I'll do my best to explain where I've been since I last posted.

To no surprise, this book to the left has become quite a dilemma to tend to.  For a time I was searching for a professional editor, but unfortunately at the moment it is too costly for me to afford.  With that in mind, I've had to abandon that hope and return to my original idea: Finding an agent.
I have the final edits set up for my book.  Now the trouble is actually working through them (from the "editing" document to the "final" document).  It's a lengthy procedure, but if you're a writer I don't need to tell you that for you to know what I'm talking about.  Editing has been severely bothersome.  I'll admit I have been somewhat neglecting it over the past couple of weeks, but I promise you in my mind there is nothing nearly as important as this.  (Well, besides living my life, but this is a part of that so you get the point.)

Often, as a writer, I'm asked about how many rejections I receive.  I'll admit to you right now that it isn't pretty.  All of the agents I emailed last year have either a) rejected the book or b) never responded.  As devastating as this is for me, I've forced myself to bear it.  (Mind you I'm not exactly grinning while bearing this burden.)
My hope is that once the final revisions are complete I can query agents and publishers again.  At the moment I know of two publishers at the top of my list who sounded perfect for my book.  Before I send anything out to them, though, I want to make sure I have everything polished, all my T's crossed, and all my I's dotted.  Then and only then will I return to querying.

During the time when I'm not working on some aspect of my book, I've been focusing on school and just life in general.  I'm awaiting an acceptance from University of Maryland Baltimore County and scholarship money.  UMBC is my first choice for colleges, but if that doesn't work out it looks like I'll be joining the University of Notre Dame (seeing as they've accepted me).

If you have any free time, I'd love for you to take a look at Cursed with Power.  It's been coming along, and trust me it's much further than it was a year ago when I started writing it.  Hopefully by March I'll be querying.  Thanks to everyone for the ongoing support!
Lindsey R. Sablowski

Be there for the magic: www.themagiciansseries.blogspot.com