eBook Miner discussion

We asked Charles A. Cornell about his experiences with the EBM BOTM Program as the inaugural winner. This is designed to give feedback to authors and readers about his experience with the program. We also hope it encourages more people to participate. You may also leave questions here about the book etc below in this thread.

On a personal note, we loved dealing with Charles, he was a consummate professional and a pleasure to deal with, we have no doubt with his ability and attitude that he can make it as a full time writer in the future. Keep Persevering Charles!

1. Hi Charles, how did you feel when you won eBook Miner's first book of the month competition and by such a large margin?

I was delighted to win because this isn't a specific genre focused group and I was excited that so many people were intrigued by the idea of dieselpunk and willing to try something new. It's a great opportunity for an author to be tested by readers who have such diverse interests and to see if his work stands up to their standards.

2. Do you have any tips for authors who want to nominate their book for this month's book of the month with regards to structuring their pitch etc?

Focus on the protagonist's journey/goal in a simple sentence. Make the readers want to know more. Pilot Ronnie Somerset had 'the fate of a nation in her hands'. The result is to want to know what this means. Intrigue the reader. Will the protagonist be successful in their quest?

3. What does the increase in reviews mean for you as an author?

Reviews are an extremely important part of a writer's feedback. In the not too distant past, traditionally published authors only received reviews from critics in big publications like NYT, USA Today, etc. Before the internet, there weren't forums of readers on such an international scale to provide real time interaction. Writers circles & critique groups are great. Beta readers are a godsend. But there's nothing like getting in touch directly with readers who have the finished product in their hands. This is the proverbial point where the 'rubber hits the road' and you find out if you delivered or not.

Many authors blog about the meaning of reviews and advise authors not to pay too much attention to how many you get, the star ratings, or to obsess over the content. I do agree with that. But I think it's important to realize what an author should really be looking for. If there are faults, point them out. There's always something that can be improved. Authors understand some genres are not everyone's cup of tea. What I look for, what I'm most excited to find, is a comment (could be just a phrase or a sentence) that closes the loop between the author's intent and the reader's understanding. If the reader 'gets' what an author is trying to say then it is a magical moment. It is a very heart warming feeling, after many months of work, if not years, to see if your story has been able to get its message across. This happened with almost every review during DragonFly's BOTM. I'm very grateful to everyone for the opportunity and for your feedback.

You can see I'm very passionate about the 'new age' of author/reader interaction (and hope I've been open & accessible to everyone). I think I'm going to blog about my experiences more and give some more detail to these thoughts for the benefit of my fellow authors and for readers. Please hop over to www.CharlesACornell.com and sign up for the blog or a newsletter. I blog very infrequently (I'm busy writing the sequel to DragonFly!) so I promise not to inundate you with emails.

4. How do you think this program differs from other book of the month programs run by other groups and what do you like about it?

To be honest, neither of my published novels have been selected as a BOTM before. So it's hard for me to judge other programs. If any of you readers want to nominate Tiger Paw in the thriller genre, then please do!

I think it's great that the eBook Miner Group has allowed authors to self-nominate. Some groups don't allow that. As some of the reviewers have said, without the EBM BOTM they probably would never have found DragonFly on their own. There's a lot of choice out there and more novels coming out every day. These kinds of programs are an important part of making connections.

5. How many reviews did you have before the program and how many reviews do you have now?

As of Aug 30, DragonFly now has 34 ratings and 30 reviews. I think the process started at 14 ratings and 10 reviews. So 20 reviews is terrific and I thank everyone! I know there are more reviews still to come. Please, please, please put a few words together for me. Star ratings are great on their own but there's nothing like the added feedback. You don't have to recap the plot (unless you want to). Was there something specific in the story that tickled your fancy? (I call that the magical moment). What did you like the most about the story or the characters? If you liked DragonFly, who would you recommend it to?

6. Would you participate in the program again?

Certainly. I'll be in touch when the sequel 'Spies in Manhattan' is published, hopefully some time in mid-2015.

7. Do you think this program is beneficial for authors and readers?

Any program that can connect a reader directly with an author represents an opportunity for both to experience what writing and reading is all about. There is no middle man, no marketing spin, no walls or barriers in this kind of communication. The author is vulnerable. But it is this vulnerability that drove them to write in the first place. Now, through places like GoodReads, connections can be made that lead to an understanding, that may in turn lead to an idea, that leads to a new story! What author wouldn't want that kind of opportunity?

I'd also like to say that I've 'met' some incredible new people through this program and we have become GoodReads friends. I'm not the one to 'blanket' friend every person who gives me a review. I think there is some feeling that this is disingenuous and will lead to 'spamming' on the part of the author. I'm not like that. But if you would like to friend me, I would be honored to be a part of your reading circle. I'll let you reach out to me. The same applies to Facebook & Twitter, etc. I've got some interesting boards going on Pinterest if you would like to visually see the research I'm doing for my upcoming novels or have an interest in the Art Deco period, punk fiction or retrofuturism. But I'll let you decide.

If it's okay with everyone, I'll open a Q & A thread here regarding DragonFly and you can ask me that question that may still be on your mind about Ronnie, Busbee & Vickie; Nigel & Peter; Affodill, the Druids & the Legion of the Knights of Judah. Where is this world going? What other mysteries lie ahead?

That is perfectly fine Charles, readers feel free to post your questions to Charles below!

Enjoyed the interview as much as I enjoyed the book. Can't wait for more.

Thank you for the feedback Charles.