Tag Archives: promoting

Brutal Light pre-release trailer 2.0, Free Short Story, and Food for Thought

Posted by Gary W. Olson on

Here’s what I’m calling the ‘2.0’ version of the ‘pre-release’ of my book trailer for Brutal Light. ‘Pre-release’ because it contains an enticement for signing up for my e-mail newsletter that expires on 12/1; ‘2.0’ because I’ve incorporated Dawne Dominique‘s great cover art.

(Edit 12/1/2011 — I’ve replaced this with the ‘final’ trailer version, which no longer contains the newsletter enticement.)

The ‘enticement’ is that I will be drawing from the list of those signed up for the newsletter by 12/1 for the following: 1 person will win a signed trade paperback copy of my book Brutal Light, plus an electronic copy in PDF format. 2 second place finishers will get electronic copies in PDF format.

Additionally, anyone who subscribes to the newsletter will get a download link for a PDF copy of The Body in Motion, one of my early ‘science fiction horror’ short stories (revised and hopefully improved). I do caution in the link that it is violent and bloody, and contains mature subject matter (though not presented in excessively graphic form). The only thing I really remember about its genesis was that it was written in the weird, fiery state I was in for maybe a day after reading Harlan Ellison’s Deathbird Stories for the first time, and that the first draft was done in a day, which virtually never happens with me.

And if you don’t like it… hey, that’s okay. Just stay subscribed, as I’ll be making other stories (and other kinds of stories) the ‘free’ enticement in its place as the months and years roll on.

One other note, on another topic: I’ve made it so you no longer need to be registered to this website in order to comment on blog entries. Just enter your name (real or pseudonymous) in the top bar (and the bar below it), then your comment, then the CAPTCHA. At this point, I’d rather make it easier for the casual visitor to drop in and say something, and just take the increased risk of being spammed.

One still another note: while browsing through the site of Bryan Thomas Schmidt, whom I befriended (in the old, pre-Facebook sense of the term) at ConClave, I found the second half of a dialogue between him and another author (Anthony Cardno, whom I have not yet met) that resonated with me. I’ll link to the first half of the dialogue, on Anthony’s site. I encourage everyone reading this to go there, think on what they are saying and how it reflects on your own life and conduct… it’s certainly given me much to reflect on as far as my own is concerned.

Two Writers in Dialogue: A Conservative Evangelical and a Gay Liberal

Behold! The cover art of Brutal Light!

Posted by Gary W. Olson on

Brutal Light Cover
(Click the image for the large version)

This incredible cover was done by artist Dawne Dominique. It’s my first ever book cover… very exciting!

While I’m here, I also now have my panel schedule for Conclave:

The Death of the American Author – Fri 6:30pm-8:00pm – Ballroom 5
Ebooks. Anyone with a computer can format a novel and sell it on Amazon for download. What does this mean for the future of books, for the future of publishing? Why should it matter? Do we need to redefine what constitutes of literature? And will the democratizing of publishing redefine what is what it means to be a writer and a reader?

Self-Promotion and Networking – Fri. 8:00pm-9:00pm – Ballroom 5
It’s not just about the promoting writing, it’s about promoting yourself, whether it’s in search of a new job, or keeping the one you have. What is your digital footprint? How can you clean it up? How can you get people to “like” you online? What are some do’s and don’ts for Twitter and Facebook? How can you build a circle of professional and personal contacts?

When Should a Series End? – Sun 10:00am-11:30am – Ballroom 5
With a new novel in the Harry Dresden series, and an ending of the Harry Potter and Twilight series, the question must be asked: is there some point where a writer needs to close the door and move on? Should Laurel K. Hamilton or Charlaine Harris bring their series to a close? Did Stephen King do one Dark Tower too many? Should 007 put away his Walther PPK and take a desk job?

What Makes A Book Unreadable? – Sun 2:00pm-3:30pm – Ballroom 5
Bad grammar? Bad characters? Bad ideas? Each person has their own ideas as to what constitutes acceptable fiction, but are there some deal-breakers? And do we hold different standards for books based on film or video-games, or other existing franchises? And should we? Should we be more demanding? Or are we programmed to feed at the corporate trough? Is bad literature a statement about our culture? Is it what we deserve?

Hope to see you there!

Brutal Light trailer is GO!

Posted by Gary W. Olson on

The trailer for my upcoming novel, Brutal Light, is now up! Feed your ravenous eyeballs with it!

For those of you who aren’t going to play this right this second… in addition to hopefully piquing some interest in my upcoming novel, this trailer announces that, if you subscribe to my newsletter between now and December 1st, you’ll get a chance to win a signed paperback edition of the book (plus a PDF edition) (with two runners up getting PDF copies).

In other news, it looks like I’ll be on panels at ConClave after all… I’ll post an update when I know dates and times.

Edit 10/6/2011: Updated the trailer link to pre-release version 2.0. Mostly the same as before, but now with the book cover art included!

Edit 12/1/2011: Updated the trailer link to final version, removing the newsletter enticement and updating other text.

Edit 1/3/2017: Updated the trailer link to the post-publicaton, pre-republication version, removing the old publisher citation.