My book, The Underground Dogs, won first place in the Dystopian category in The BookFest awards! Yay!
I was so surprised! I’m so happy! Yay!
If you’d like to check the book out, visit my Amazon page.
I won an award!
Category Archives: The Novel that Will Get Me Published
Professional Review!
Hey everybody!
It’s been a while since I last updated. A LOT of stuff has been going on…
*ehem.
BUT.
Back in April 2020, I entered the Writer’s Digest Self-Published Book Awards. They recently announced the winners and runner-ups. I didn’t win or place, but I got my commentary back and I thought it was really great! So I wanted to post it. š
(Scale of 1-5, 5 being outstanding, 1 needing improvement)
Structure, Organization, and Pacing: 4
Spelling, Punctuation, and Grammar: 4
Production Quality and Cover Design: 5
Plot and Story Appeal: 4
Character Appeal and Development: 4
Voice and Writing Style: 5
Judgeās Commentary: This cover hooked me from the start, as did the blurb on the back. I think the production of this cover design and the inside of the book is well executed and the cover art especially will hook the right readers for this story. I really enjoy this type of fiction in which the setting and characters are at once so relatable and similar, and yet something is very, very, askew in their situations so that you know itās a bit of a problematic situation for them! While this type of alternate America story might be a little close-hitting to the obscurities of our current reality, I didnāt mind reading it and thought it was interesting and clever in the way the plot turns and twists. I would have liked a bit more character development throughout the plot, and to see a bit more of the city and world fleshed out, but I thought the idea of this book was quite interesting. There were a handful of fun moments where things took a turn I was not expecting and I was surprised at how some of the characters responded but in a good way. I like being surprised in that way by stories like these. It was great fun!
Here’s a link to my book if you’re interested: The Underground Dogs by J.C.D. Kerwin
Now I hope to really get moving on completing my other space opera novel and some short stories I have milling around in my head. I haven’t written in a while so I really want to. Maybe this is some motivation I need!
š
Flying High
Hey weberverse,
Iāve got some good news. My short science-fiction-western story, āThe Bounty Hunter,ā is going to be published in the April-ish edition of the sci-fi magazine, Bewildering Stories. How cool is that!? Iām very excited. Iāve sent some other pieces out, too, and Iāve received one āno,ā but am still waiting on others.
Also some cool news. M is going to be designing the covers for my short story collection and The Novel That Will Get Me Published. So once he does that, I am going to self-publish them with Amazon. Iām thinking thatās another spring release. Iām not sure which one Iāll release firstā¦
Iām also on new medicine and itās working really well and I feel great. š In general, I feel really uplifted, positive, determined, grounded, and mindful. I know a lot of it is probably the medicine, but I also hope some of it is how much work I’ve been putting into fighting myself and trying hard to practice mindfulness. I’m also proud of myself for sending stories out and working to get my stuff published. Hurray for hard work and positivity!
Up, up, and away!
Ten Spoons of Spinach
Hey weberverse. How have you been? I havenāt been doing well lately. I havenāt been managing well. It has been a hard fall-now-into-winter. My heart longs for spring.
I do have some cool news about writing. I have a new plan on getting published. I am going to self-publish (yes, like every other Joe Schmo) The Novel That Will Get Me Published and I have several ideas on how to market it/myself. I am hoping a pub. company will get wind of it and then Iāll get offered a contract from that point. Hey, it could happen.
I also have a new sci-fi short story I am working on. The idea came from a co-worker, so Iāll be sure to credit her, but her idea is too good not to write down. Iām going to work on that and add it to my sci-fi collection. Iāll probably self-publish that, too. That way, Iāll have a couple different things for people (soon to be fans, I hope) to read.
I have several new ideas for novels, too. I think I mentioned one of them already, but now Iāve come up with another one. So I hope to be starting work on those, tooā¦
M and my psych have been encouraging me to write more. I havenāt actually sat down and written anything in many, many moons. I suppose I can say half of it is because you never want to do anything when you have depression, but then I guess the other half, is I donāt feel Iām good enough so why bother. I think I talked about that before, too. But right now I just want to finish some stories to read them and make myself feel better. Thatās the whole idea, right there.
So thatās where I am right now. I hope I can start to manage my illnesses better this year and I hope to write and read a lot more. I guess those are my āresolutions.ā
Stay classy, San Diego.
May Update
Howdy.
Something cool happened regarding The Novel that Will Get Me Published. I sent a query and the first 30 pages to a publisher and they asked to read the whole thing. That was pretty awesome in itself. They eventually said no, but it was one helluva complimentary rejection letter:
āThanks so much for sending your full manuscript. The voice still blows me away with its pace and tone. You’ve captured humor and intensity at the same time. Although it is an intriguing concept and a well-written account, I didn’t fall in love with it. I wish you all the best.ā
I was disappointed, of course, but just the fact they liked it so much made me think, āGee, Iām getting really close!ā Bittersweet. It was cool.
Iāve been submitting all sorts of stuff again. Short stories, vignettes, etc. Things that were rejected, Iām turning right back around and submitting to other places. Hash tag determination.
Iāve taken a break from Facebook. Place gets on my nerves sometimes. Gets to me, yāknow? So far I feel better. More time for writing! š
Anyway, the weather certainly helps things, too. Thumbs way up.
Stay cool.
J.C.D. KERWIN 