New Book Updates!

It is a great honor to be asked, "When's the next book coming out?" For those who have private messaged me and commented on social media, I can't thank you enough.

I thought I'd take a minute to tell you where I am and where I hope to be.

My latest project is titled DARKNESS CALLS. Originally titled The Pit of Darkness, this book has gone through quite a metamorphosis (ironic and appropriate, you'll see, when you read the story).

Here's a little "what's it about" blurb:

The woods outside of a small Midwestern high school lead to all sorts of evil and monsters, collectively called the Darkness. The Darkness feeds on children with great energies—webs of light that only it can see. Beyond the woods hides a powerful magic, the greatest secret in the world. The Darkness desires to consume the webs of light and transform itself into the ultimate beast, all the while guarding the one secret that can destroy it.

Christina and Fiara fought the Darkness once before as kids, and although they survived, they certainly aren’t the same. The Darkness destroyed Christina’s family, and it turned Fiara into something not fully human. Now, it temporarily possesses Christina’s body to gather the new kids it needs.

But Christina isn’t having it this time. She refuses to willingly kill for the Darkness, and she manages to break free from its hold on her. She gathers the ones it wanted dead and forms a small army instead. From all the turbulence of adolescence to life’s biggest mysteries, a group of teenagers embark on a quest to save their friends and ultimately the world.

So, just by reading that I hope you will see that I am trying to create something BIG. That blurb represents just the first part of the story, and I've created five parts-- each told from a different character's point-of-view. I have fallen in love with these characters. Christina, Lawson, Angelica, Teddy, Fiara, Elle, Mr. Lee . . once you meet them all, I hope you will love them, too.

When can you expect it?

Well, Rabbit in Red earned tens-of-thousands of readers, and I will always be honored by its success and the fandom it created. I hope all Rabbit in Red fans will enjoy this, but I also hope Darkness Calls brings in tens-of-thousands of new readers.

So, I'm shopping the book around to agents and new publishers. 

In the meantime, I am working my a$$ off on edits. Here's a summary of that, meant to be advice to all you aspiring authors

I finished the first draft of Darkness Calls in summer 2017. I spent the fall of 2017 doing a re-write. I gathered a team of beta readers winter 2017. Based on their feedback, I re-wrote the book again. Then I found a second team of beta readers early 2018. Re-wrote the book again. Now, I'm working with my Rabbit in Red editor Kathy Teel to go over it one more time. Yes, it's another re-write! 

If it sounds like a lot of work, well, it is! But every edit, every rewrite, every revision takes me one step closer to making this my best book yet. I want to give it my best, and that's why I'm providing you with this update. Yeah, I think you may have enjoyed it just fine, if I had published it already. But by taking a little extra time and collaborating with others, I hope you will LOVE it.

Wish me luck, too, please. Some of you may think it's a given that because I'm already published, I will have no problem publishing this one. Unless you self-publish or run your own publishing company, this is a very challenging industry. So, I need your well wishes and positive thoughts!

If I'm "lucky" (and by lucky I mean if I've worked hard enough to make it happen!), I hope to announce a new partnership this summer. Stay tuned, my friends!

Publishing Tips as We Enter 2018

This list was originally published on my Facebook page, but a lot of people seemed to enjoy it, so I'll add it here to the blog: 

As 2018 approaches, I wanted to create a list for aspiring authors. If you write and want to be published, or know someone who does, maybe this simple little list will help provide some insight or inspiration.

1. Do not pay to be published. Pay for a workshop or class and learn about publishing (call your local libraries and community colleges and see what they offer).

2. Do not pay to be entered in a contest. Like #1, there are too many people who take advantage of dreamers. Be cautious and critical when swimming in publishing and literary waters.

3. Read #mswl to get ideas that people want to read. (Take time to know what #mswl means.)

4. Ask yourself: who and where are my readers and how can I reach them? Think WAY outside Amazon!

5. Ask for criticism in the re-writing process. Be open to it. Know that editing and re-writing are the hardest but most rewarding parts.

6. Your BEST friends will always support you, but realize 99% of your social media friends won’t care about your book. See #4.

7. Write because you love it, not for fame or money. You may have great months, and you may be lucky enough to get 15 minutes of fame. But the only thing that is consistent is your own passion. Remember that.

8. Read different genres, old and new, and learn from them.

9. There are a few people with great natural talent, and although I admire that, I don’t think the incredibly talented can teach very well. Learn from those who took an average/above-average talent and made their work highly successful. They’ve got secrets we can actually learn.

10. Collaborate with artists from different mediums. Learn what inspires musicians and filmmakers, and you’ll find new insight and inspiration, too.

Happy (almost) New Year. Keep writing!

Learn more about my series on my website or Facebook page.

The final book in the Rabbit in Red trilogy is now available!

If you want print, call your favorite local bookstore and ask them to order BURY THE RABBIT by Joe Chianakas. I always encourage you to support local.

If you can't, you can order the paperback from Barnes & Noble or Amazon.

Prefer digital? I encourage you to read on the TAPAS app, the best digital reading app, hands down. Go here, and use code JOEC820Z to get 200 bonus coins.

Or get your Kindle copy here.

Capture November's Horror Block!

The month has finally arrived, November of 2016. For this author, this is the month I've been waiting for since June of 2014.

It's time for Horror Block.

And it's a big deal. 

EDIT: See my WMBD TV interview HERE! We break the news that I'm the first United States author to have a book featured in the block!

So what am I even talking about?

First, if you don't know, Horror Block is the hottest pop culture horror box in the world. For $19.99, you get a ton of swag delivered to your doorstep. It's a mystery, too, so you never know exactly what you're going to get. Every month comes with an exclusive t-shirt and fun items that never disappoint. Here are some of my favorites, from pillow cases to art to Funko to autographs to movies to just really unique, collectible items.

And in the November 2016 Horror Block, subscribers will receive Rabbit in Red!

And why am I excited? Well, the dream I had since I started writing Rabbit in Red was that it would be cool enough to be included in Horror Block. I made a reference to Horror Block in chapter one. When I was first offered a contract deal for my series (Feb 2015), I talked to the publisher on the phone and asked her if she thought this would be possible. She chuckled, but-- perhaps to humor me-- said "anything's possible." In the summer of 2015, I tweeted Horror Block and told them about my book. I kept that up for about a year, and-- in the meantime-- did everything I could to promote the book and make it successful.

In the summer of 2016, I received a beautiful message: "We read your book, we loved it, and we're going to need a quote on 14,000-16,000 paperbacks. We want to send your book to all of our subscribers."

Now, I'm spoiling the fact that you get my book, but there will be 4-6 other items in the box. I don't know what those are, but we've been given a preview. Here's what I know.

Horror Block posted the above image on their Facebook page. Could one of those be a hint about Rabbit in Red? In my book, the characters have to reenact the Freddy vs Jason fight as part of a horror competition, and the main character's favorite Christmas movie is Gremlins. I'm guessing we'll get something else from each of those movies, and they've just tied my book in nicely with this month's theme.

In the October 2016 box, they sent this preview:

I'm really excited to see what else will be included in the block with Rabbit in Red!

And, for me of course, it's just a huge accomplishment and honor to be included.

I've been steadfast that there's nothing traditional about publishing anymore. It took a lot of outside-the-box-thinking to be included in the box.

And, of course, I really hope this helps everyone who has helped me. Sure, I want to be as successful as possible, but the ultimate goal has always been to help others. I want to open doors so that I can push some other talented folk through those same doors. That's my dream.

I proposed to Horror Block that we use a new cover. Although we could have used the original, they love their exclusives, so we're using the art from Camron Johnson Illustrations to send a new version of the book to thousands around the world.

I added a couple of promotional pages for the teams that have helped me, including Terribly Happy (who created the awesome song "Enter the Rabbit" for the book), Apartment Two (who took some kick-ass pictures of me for book two's promotion), and Fitz of Horror (who voiced the audio of Rabbit in Red but has been a great friend and constant promoter, sharing the book to his near 100,000 Facebook fans).

It's the collaboration, you see, that I hope not just helps me, but helps all of them, too. And, of course, there's my team at Four Phoenixes Publishing. My hope is that 16,000 plus horror fans will need to know what else and who else publishes with this great team.

I don't know what's next, but it's exciting. I simply thank all of you-- readers and friends-- for supporting me and my relentless pursuit of my dreams, even through lots of rabbit holes.

Now, be sure you subscribe to Horror Block this month. There's a countdown to when subscriptions close on their website. At the time of this post, you have 19 days or until they sell out. Don't hesitate-- order yours now! When you get it in the mail, take a picture and tag me on Facebook.

And if you absolutely can't wait, here's where else you can get the book and connect with me.

Available at Barnes and Noble, online retailers like Amazon, or request a copy from your favorite, local bookstore or library.

You can read it on the app, Tapas!

You can get a signed copy from our Etsy shop.

The audio book is available for those who prefer to listen! Get it on Amazon, Audible, or iTunes!

Follow the author on Facebook or Twitter.

The second book in the series, Burn the Rabbit, is available now, too.

Get Rabbit in Red, the book voted FAVORITE HORROR BOOK OF 2016, today!

Get Lit. with Author John Phillips

In October 2015, I met John Phillips, author of Comfortably Nowhere. Phillips read from various poems and short stories at my Get Lit. night at Lit on Fire Used Books in Peoria. This month, Phillips is the featured author. On Wednesday January 20, you can pop in at Lit. on Fire between 6:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m. to share your work—poetry, prose, song, or any creation. It’s BYOB and offers an incredibly welcoming and supportive atmosphere. Around 8:00 p.m. Phillips will take the stage where he will read original work and offer his insights on writing and publishing.

Phillips read original work at my Get Lit. night in October!

Phillips lives in central Illinois and writes poems and short stories. Most notably, he’s the author of Comfortably Nowhere, which he describes as a screenplay turned novel extravaganza. It’s both comedy and drama, and it’s available for purchase at Lit. on Fire Used Books, so you can snag a copy and get an autograph when you Get Lit.

He enjoys writing comedy and horror, as they can complement one another quite well, although his definition of horror is unique. For example, he describes horror as being stuck in a room with someone who is talking about something very uninteresting (my students can probably relate to that, John).

Phillips is currently working on a short story collection. He has written at least forty stories for the collection and has a few more on the way.

Here are a few additional questions I asked Phillips.

What’s your favorite book?

My favorite book is The Sirens of Titan by Kurt Vonnegut. It has this great absurdist story for most of the book before completely shifting gears towards the end. I also really like Jonathan Carroll's Land of Laughs, which is about a couple who go to the hometown of their favorite children's book author, only to discover a nightmare. Another favorite is Katherine Dunn's Geek Love, which is about a circus which slowly transforms into a cult. I also like the poetry of Charles Bukowski. Last Night of the Earth Poems and War All the Time are some of my favorite books of his.

What’s one of your favorite lines from your work?

"Jeff walked the aisles collecting more worthless crap into his cart. One thought repeated in his mind "Must buy more worthless crap."" From the short story "Blackest Friday," which is about shopping on Thanksgiving.

How did you publish Comfortably Nowhere?

For publishing Comfortably Nowhere, I decided to go the self-publishing route. It just seemed easier as Comfortably Nowhere is actually a screenplay, and I don't really know of too many publishers putting out screenplays for never realized indie films. That and I was really proud of what I had accomplished, and just wanted to share it with people on my own terms.

What advice do you have for other writers?

If another writer asked for advice I'd say the best material you'll write is the stuff you haven't thought of yet. I've found that I very seldom like a piece that I've spent a lot of time thinking about. But for the stuff that just comes to me and I get it down on paper quickly, that's the kind of stuff I feel to be my strongest material. I guess I'm trying to say keep an open mind and never be too precious about your writing, because that can really hold you back.

What advice do you have for those who wish to be published someday?

It's a fight. But it's a fight worth experiencing. It'll not only strengthen you as a writer, but hopefully as a person (as well as provide you with more material to write about).

What’s next on your to-read list?

Next I'm going to read The Manuscript Found In Saragossa by Polish author Jan Potocki. I don't know much about the book other than it's supposed to deal with secret societies, conspiracies and the supernatural, so it sounds like a real winner to me.

What inspires you to write?

Daily events inspire me to write. I'll see or hear someone playing the fool or acting self-delusional and I'll write something satirizing that. A lot of my writing, recently at least, has come from people not realizing how they are acting. Hearing someone express disappointment that there are no stores to shop at on Christmas day or listening to a girl argue with her boyfriend about how "we never fight enough" give me enough material to keep on writing.

What other passions do you have besides writing?

Aside from books and writing I also really like movies. I like art films and foreign films, but recently I've really been into independent horror movies made from the late 1960s to the mid 1980s. There's lots of gory little treasures like "Nightmares In a Damaged Brain," "Don't Go In the House" and "Last House on Dead End Street" made during that time. I also really like world music, starting with early ska and reggae from Jamaica then moving to stuff like American funk and soul music before going out to places like India for psychedelic funk or Nigeria for Afrobeat music.

What’s the hardest thing about writing?

The hardest part about writing is waiting for the idea to come to you. Sometimes it'll come to you quickly, but other times you'll have to wait.

What’s the most rewarding thing about writing?

The idea of creating something that wasn't there before.

Do you have a favorite character that you’ve written? 

I think the characters of Reilly and Oliver from Comfortably Nowhere would be among my favorite characters that I've written. They're both youthful, creative types that work well off each other: Reilly is a writer who doesn't know it yet and Oliver does all these obscure art projects like paint random sayings on realtor yard signs that he's stolen and places them in people's front yards. They’re both such oddballs and you don't know what either is going to do next. Also, there's two characters from a short story called "Babe Beer." Both characters are nothing more than foils to keep the story moving along and they both find out in the end that they are living in a beer commercial. It was really fun writing two characters who were so vacuous.

If you had a superpower, what would it be?

I would choose telepathy. But I would want to have already mastered this ability. I wouldn't want to be driven insane with people's thoughts or anything like that.

You can find Comfortably Nowhere in Peoria at Lit. on Fire Used Books on Main Street, I Know You Like A Book in Peoria Heights, as well as online at Amazon and Barnes and Noble. If you make it to the Get Lit. event, you can get your copy signed!

During the Get Lit. with Author John Phillips event, he’ll be talking about the history of Comfortably Nowhere. It started as an experience with him and a few friends trying to make it an independent film and then becoming the book he published. He will also talk about how much more h came to appreciate writing and literature while working on his book, and how he continued to keep on writing once Comfortably Nowhere was finished and published. He will also be reading some poems and short stories for the event.

RSVP to the Facebook event here, and be sure to share it and invite your friends! 

About me:

Joe Chianakas is the author of the novel Rabbit in Red and is a professor of communication at Illinois Central College. Follow him on Facebook here. 

  

So you want to be published (part one)?

Let's discuss part one of who knows how many parts of getting published.

There are  a lot of great books on writing and getting published. The top two I recommend are Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott and On Writing by Stephen King. If you haven’t read those, stop what you’re doing and get them immediately.

The next thing to consider is the route you want to take to get published. As I see it, there are three good options.

1. Self-publish. Amazon makes this really easy, or so I’ve heard. Self-publishing, I think, is a perfectly credible and acceptable route to go. However, I would only recommend this if you know what you’re doing and you have good connections with others who can help you. At the very least, you’ll need to hire a good editor (or two) and a cover designer. You’ll need to learn how to format, and you’ll need to learn how to market yourself and network with others so that you can actually sell books, if that’s your goal. I’d assume it is, or you could just self-publish your stories on a blog.

2. Find a publisher. These can be large or small, and there are hundreds of publishers out there. Like I said, I see nothing wrong with self-publishing, but if all that work on your own seems daunting, then find an author team. With an author team, you will learn all about good editors, graphic designers, marketing, and many little things within the business. Do you need an agent for a publisher? Only if you’re trying to get published in the big mass market houses like Random House. 

To get your foot in the door, improve as a writer, and learn the business, I’d recommend starting with an indie publisher.

Want to find one and pitch your story at the same time? Friday, December 18, 2015 is the #PitchMAS party on Twitter. It’s a great opportunity to tweet about your story, and maybe you’ll find the publisher that’s right for you. Learn all about that here.

3. Find an agent. This is hard. Really hard. I’m currently un-agented. I came really close to landing an agent, and I’m sure if I had more patience, I’d have one. Here’s how it worked for me: I sent out three rounds of queries. After each round, I revised Rabbit in Red, revised my query, and every single time it got better. During my third round, I actually had several agents request the full manuscript. One almost—no joke—offered me a TV deal, but in the end, it fell through. (Talk about a frustrating compliment!) If I’m being honest, my manuscript still needed work. So I went to an indie publisher—Distinguished Press—where I found the right people for me. My story became the tale I always knew it could become.

So which option is right for you? If you have patience and don't mind waiting years to see your book published, go for the agent. Spend six months or so working on query letters and revising your manuscript. If nothing else, I think that experience is humbling, and you’ll keep improving your story.

Then, if you find one, great! They may—no guarantee—may be able to find you a publisher. 

If you don’t find an agent, then you have to decide if you want to go to an indie publisher or self-publish. For me, the answer was simple. At that time, I didn’t know enough about the industry to be comfortable doing this on my own. I had much to learn. I started submitting to other publishers, many of whom I learned about through events like #pitchMAS.

Fast forward a bit, and I had a contract for a full series. I’ve had the good fortune to work with an amazing editor, have great cover art designed, have a marketing team, and so much more . . . none of which cost me a single cent!

Now, before you submit to any publisher, agent, or consider self-publishing, there are two additional things I would start doing and continue doing:

1. Have a trusted team of readers provide you with constructive criticism on your manuscript. A first draft is never perfect. Neither is a second or a third. If you don’t have the patience and determination to rewrite it a dozen times, you don’t have what it takes for this business.

2. Build your social reach. When it comes to publishing, agents and publishers want someone who can sell. If you were to self-publish and you want to sell, you better have a strong social reach. That means being active on Facebook, Twitter, blogs, and more. It means not having a hundred followers but thousands. This side of the business can be exhausting. Writers just want to write, right? Yeah. But if you want to sell, you better work on your social reach. I’ll discuss this more in a future blog.

So I hope that was helpful. Share this if you think others could learn from it. Comment if you have questions, and I’ll be happy to address them!

And I sure hope you’ll be supportive and pick up a copy of my first published book, Rabbit in Red, today.

You can also find me on Facebook and Twitter, and I have pretty cool website with all sorts of Rabbit in Red stuff. Check that out at www.joechianakas.com. 

Signed, sealed, delivered!

I signed my first official book contract today, and for you wonderful, enthusiastic supporters, I’d like to share some details about the book and this cool opportunity.

One of the things I am most excited about is that I’ve signed not only to a book contract but to an entire series! My proposal was for a four book series, and the fact that a publisher has faith not only in my initial novel but is enthusiastic about my ideas for a major series is mind-blowing!

I’ve kept the details largely quiet about the plot of my book. It’s my love letter to the horror and YA genres, and I’d like to slowly tell you some parts about the story over the next several months to get you excited. I hope you will be as excited as me!

Wildly eccentric and rich Hollywood producer JB has created a horror adventure to recruit passionate and talented youth to re-ignite the industry. He’s offered our young characters an internship, but he doesn’t care for applications or job interviews. Our contestants must solve a number of horror riddles, and those winners are flown to a Hollywood studio that pays tribute to all the horror classics. On location, our contestants initially compete in several adventurous challenges to illustrate their creativity, but the contest takes a dark turn and our contestants will have to fight for their lives.

The real story is about the characters though. We have a boy who watched his father get killed in a home invasion. We have an edgy, brilliant girl who lost her uncle to suicide and tries to teach her younger sister how to be a strong woman and not like the girls in Twilight. They try to understand death through horror, they try to escape life through fantasy, and what they find is more than they ever could have imagined.

I’ll tell you more down the road, and I hope you’ll follow the rabbit with me. What’s this rabbit, you may wonder? Well, the series, as of now, is titled RABBIT IN RED. You horror experts will get that. Tentatively, book one will be follow the rabbit, book two: burn the rabbit, book three: drown the rabbit, and book four: bury the rabbit. 

After initial talks with the publisher, it’s possible we could release book one to the world this October. I would love a release around Halloween. How awesome would that be? You’ll all be invited to a crazy release party, where I’d sign print copies and we’d enjoy some beer or wine together and celebrate. 

I’m proud to announce my partnership with DISTINGUISHED PRESS. I’ve taken a couple of weeks to make this decision after receiving a contract. As hard as it was for me to patient, I needed to do my research, speak with their authors, and ponder my future as an author. I’ve already fallen in love with the company. I’ve spoken to passionate writers and editors who join forces to help one another. It’s a small and selective publishing company with dreams and ambitions that match my own. When passionate and creative talent team together, we can conquer the world. Or at least sell some books.

There are a dozen things I want to tell you about the book and this journey, and I will over time. For now, I’m absolutely thrilled to find an audience for the art that helps me escape from life’s realities, and if I can provide a fun escape or meaningful inspiration to another reader out there in the world, then I will be happy, and that’s all the matters.