As we’re 33 days out from my own book’s debut, I thought I’d mention 10 other books I’m looking forward to this year. Some are debuts, some aren’t, but all of them are exciting to me. All the links in this in-no-particular-order list go to the Goodreads page; from there you can go to yourContinue reading “10 Books I’m Looking Forward To in 2019”
Author Archives: Michael R. Johnston
Debut Diary, Part 6: ARCs
I am, even as I write this, looking at an Advance Reader Copy, or ARC, of my book. The whole point of this Debut Diary series is to show debut writers not yet at this stage what it really feels like to publish your first book. So how does this moment feel? Well, at risk ofContinue reading “Debut Diary, Part 6: ARCs”
Debut Diary, Part 5: Page Proofs
I received the book design document last week. This is a PDF that shows the book as it will appear in print. My job was to read it through, note any issues, and get them back to the editor. These are also called “page proofs” sometimes. I did find some errors, but they were mine–continuityContinue reading “Debut Diary, Part 5: Page Proofs”
Debut Diary, Part 4: Edits
I’ve been going through the edits on The Widening Gyre, and there is one thing that is true of both teaching and writing: You never stop learning. I’ve learned that I have a bad habit of creating clusters of sentences with the construction “Someone does something AS something else happens.” As my editor said, there’s nothing inherentlyContinue reading “Debut Diary, Part 4: Edits”
The Importance of Local Bookstores for Authors–and the Reading Public
Long ago, in the dark days of my early-to-mid-twenties, I was a bookseller at Books, Inc. in Sacramento. It was an odd job; very “Empire Records”-like in the way the staff interacted. I kind of miss it sometimes, even though I rarely worked more than 20 hours in a week and I had to eventuallyContinue reading “The Importance of Local Bookstores for Authors–and the Reading Public”
On Reviews of My Work, and How I’ll Handle Them.
Sometime in the very near future, reviews of my book will be appearing in the wild. I’ve gotten a lot of well-meaning advice from friends to the effect of “don’t read them.” But let’s be honest, here. I wrote this book. I sent it out for three rounds of Beta. I rewrote parts of it extensively. Continue reading “On Reviews of My Work, and How I’ll Handle Them.”
Grief: It Never Really Ends
My daughter got us to watch a teen romantic comedy, To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before. It was much better than I’d expected, and I actually recommend it if you like such things. There’s a really touching scene where the female lead talks about what it’s like to have lost her mom years ago,Continue reading “Grief: It Never Really Ends”
Fountain Pens
Through several of my friends and classmates from Viable Paradise 17, I’ve gotten back into fountain pens recently. And I keep asking myself why I ever left them. I’ve always loved fountain pens, since I was 15 and I took a summer school course in Calligraphy (what can I say; I lived in Napa andContinue reading “Fountain Pens”
The Widening Gyre Now Available For Pre-Order!
Exciting news! The Widening Gyre, my debut novel coming in March from Flame Tree Press, is now available for pre-order (in some formats)! NB: Only the hardcover, paperback, and non-Kindle ebook are currently available to order. If you want it as a Kindle book or an audiobook, you’ll have to wait a bit longer to pre-order.Continue reading “The Widening Gyre Now Available For Pre-Order!”
Pre-Production Report: The next WIP
I’m currently in “pre-production” on a new-ish project, by which I mean I am engaged in working the kinks out of an idea I’ve been kicking around for some time. In movies, pre-production is when art, financing, casting, etc. are done. The script is finished, then broken down into scenes, and storyboards. Location scouting, costuming,Continue reading “Pre-Production Report: The next WIP”