Rockstar Fantasy

Book Trailer #2 is done (I took about 7-8 hours, LOL):

The Only One

Sneak peek at one of the images I might be using, in the next trailer:



* Hopefully, I'll be able to finish the trailer in 5-7 hours (minimum). I'd ideally like a "rock" sound/feel to this trailer. I've a few selections, but I haven't settled on A Final One just yet, heh.

Literary Snobs

They said that of themselves (rather, the editor of a literary sex magazine I was in contact with). I'd sent in a couple of excerpts from Ed & Julie (I've since changed the title to Wicked Lovely -- it's the second story in 4:Play), in early 2009.

I'm not posting this to "vent" any frustration -- I just enjoy whacking high-and-mighty sorts.

Here's the correspondence, for your amusement + entertainment:

* Note: Text highlighted in this color provide the gist ;)

Alright. I don't think you quite understood my criticisms. We do not like the voice of Ed Drake. This next chapter is just the same. He speaks like a child -- and there are parts that are just nonsensical like: "...I’d pay the bozos inside if I had cash to spare so that I could loan the restroom for a half hour or so." Honestly, I've got to ask: have you ever edited this thing? If we didn't like chapter one, which at least introduces the characters and the plot, why on Earth would we want to publish chapter two, which only makes sense because I've read chapter one. Well, y'know what: we are literary snobs. XXXXXX is a literary, sex & arts magazine. It isn't a print version of literotica. It isn't a print version of literotica. I don't think one of us has read Twilight and I don't think any of us every will, but like Date Movie and Epic Movie and Superhero Movie, we can usually smell crap from across the room. Rule of thumb for something like Twilight; if it's a book that has it's biggest audience among people who never read anything, it's not good, it's grade nine book report pulp.

I wrote that the first bit of Drake you sent us didn't pick up steam and that it was repetative. Rather than take the time to consider these comments, you just sent the next chunk of your story, as much as you could wedge within our word-count guidelines, as soon as possible. And I said we didn't consider your haiku as the sort of haiku we'd publish, and then you just sent us another ten of the same thing. I've got to ask: have you actually read an issue of our magazine? You say you're trying to get as many excerpts published as possible before looking for an agent. To me, that means your just dumping old pieces which have never been edited on as many laps as possible.

I didn't want to be mean, but when you replied almost instantaneously to my letter of last night (note: I wasn't aware at all -- truly) it struck me that you aren't taking us seriously, not our publication or our time. Please do not submit again.

Sincerely,

Mr. "I-am-a-Literary-Snob"

Here's my reply -- wasn't expecting to get a reply (my instincts were right):

Dear (Mr. X),

Most of the time, I know what I'd like a character to sound like, and I have my reasons for it. Not everyone will see eye-to-eye with me on it, and that's no biggie.

Regarding one of my poems, perhaps I should have omitted the word 'haiku' from the title itself, and reverted the title back to its original version (which, with the omission of the word 'haiku', would read "txt-msgs [from one guy 2 another]), so that a certain level of objectivity could be better maintained while reviewing the piece. In your previous mail, you said that I sent "another ten of the same thing". That might be true, but technically, that isn't necessarily true either, because that poem brings together 14 stanzas to form one stand-alone piece. Now whether each individual 5-7-5-syllabled stanza IS a haiku, or not, needn't be an issue, when the poem is taken in its entirety.

As to whether I edited Ed Drake, indeed, I did! As carefully and meticulously as I do with all my other material. A horny teenager isn't going to sound like Shakespeare, and if that's going to ruffle up a few feathers here and there, I am fine with that.

PS: I'm sure William Faulkner edited The Sound and the Fury. As did Bret Easton Ellis, James Joyce, E. E. Cummings, and Emily Dickinson et al., with their respective works.

Jess.

P.S. Got an email from the magazine in June 2009, calling for new submissions.

P.P.S. More feedback on 4:Play on this post.

Inspiration for Playing the Flute

I'd like to write a future blog post on "Book Trailer Tips" -- there are some things I've learned along the way, which might be useful to others who're thinking of/doing the same thing ^^.

Anyway, I just wanted to share/ramble a little, on the inspiration behind Playing the Flute (poem + trailer).

I happened to buy this book when I was 18 years old -- it's one of my most treasured books (along with my collection of Anaïs Nin, D. H. Lawrence, and a couple of erotic art publications -- I've been wanting to add to that collection in the longest time, man):



Love Poems from the Japanese, The Shambhala Library

It's a beautiful, exquisite, gem -- of remarkable quality, and succinctness. The divine simplicity of the short pieces of poetry (no inflated word count to justify the sticker price here) is authentic, uplifting, and speaks directly to the soul.

So...yeah. I wrote Playing the Flute, and a range of freeform haiku (entitled 30 + 2 Haiku, in 4:Play).

I don't know if my chapter of poems was a turn-off to industry professionals, as I've seen variations of the following line on more than a couple of lit agent pages:

"No poetry, please. Poetry doesn't sell."

Okay. So I'm one of those "delusional optimists" that chooses to do whatever they set out to do anyway, regardless of who has to say what, and the pitfalls/obstacles pointed out, and blebbity blebbity bleh.

There are many reasons why I value poetry. Vladimir Nabokov has this to say:

"A writer should have the precision of a poet and the imagination of a scientist."

Which is something I agree with. That's regarding the writerly aspect of myself :)

I've never written a poem in order to sound "smart". I usually like to focus on the content/message, rather than the techniques applied [and that got me into serious hot soup with a self-proclaimed "literary snob" of an editor (names withheld, of course...)].

I think it's the quality of a piece of work that determines if people will like it/be inspired by it/be influenced/etc. Even (or especially, to some) if it comes in the form of a poem.

P.S. A friend asked whether I wrote Playing the Flute. I said yes. And she said, "Oh! It was subtle and different from (the writing style in) your first book!"

I can't and won't disagree with that. Jade Ashton simply has to sound the way that she does in EyeLeash.

Erotic Poem, Book Trailer

Features the poem, Playing the Flute, from 4:Play, and music by the uber talented Kevin MacLeod.

I've 2 or 3 more trailers in mind for this book. This one took a total of about 7 - 8 hours (inclusive of searching for pix, and drafting up the initial concept)...half the time it took for my first trailer ever done for my other book, heh.

I was going for something old world + slightly contemporary, at the same time.

EXCERPTS

+ Here's the first story, Black Velvet.

+ An excerpt of Wicked Lovely.

+ A preview of random pages via Google Books and/or Book Buzzr.

+ Excerpts of 4:Play have appeared in the following publications: Bare Back Magazine, Blink Fiction, Clean Sheets, UnMasked Online, Yellow Mama, The Battered Suitcase/Vagabondage Press, Side of Grits/Rural Messengers Press, Oysters & Chocolate, and Nefarious Ballerina. You may hunt for them on the writing page @ my main website ;)

+ Freebies are below.

* * * * *

'New Order' -- 27 downloads on first day, wow!:



New Order, ebook format on Smashwords.

* * * * *



Appetizers is a sample of erotic/sensuous poetry excerpts. Poetry's good for the soul.

* * * * *

FEEDBACK

Here are some comments I'm gathering, regarding the material in 4:Play.

I'm gonna follow the Nays and Yays sequence, as with the feedback page on my other book, EyeLeash.

* * *

NAY'S

1) "Thanks so much for submitting to us. We have not yet published any single author's collection of short stories. While what your are writing sounds very fun indeed, we must decline as it falls outside of what we publish. I wish you all the best!"
~ Publisher of books in the areas of sexuality & erotica

2) "I’m going to pass on this one. While I can appreciate the structural risks taken, I was looking for a bit more focus in the narrative; also, I thought the tone was a little too casual / conversational at points."
~ Editor

3) "Thank you for submitting your query to xxxxxxxx. I'm not sure yours is quite right for us, however, and I suggest you try to place it with a GLBT publisher."
~ Publisher that seeks "ultra-manly herpes (good grief, I mean 'heroes' -- but I'll leave the typo error as is!)" for their romance lines

4) "Was there an underage (under 18 years old) sexual relationship in the story? Please feel free to re-submit after you've made revisions."
~ Editorial panel feedback

5) "We do not like the voice of Ed Drake. This next chapter is just the same. He speaks like a child...and there are parts that are just nonsensical like: '...I’d pay the bozos inside if I had cash to spare so that I could loan the restroom for a half hour or so.' Honestly, I've got to ask: have you ever edited this thing?"
~ read the full rant from the editor (and my reply) here!

* * *

YAY'S

1) "Congratulations! We would love to publish 'New Order' on Oysters & Chocolate! Wonderful story...(2 weeks later)...What intriguing, beautiful work you do! We would love to publish 'The Only One' on O&C."
~ Samantha & Jordan, Oysters and Chocolate

2) "Hi Jess: Attached please find an acceptance letter for your submission, 'Playing the Flute.' I really enjoyed the sensuality of this short, prose like story."
~ Editor of Unmasked Online

3) "Ms. Scott, thank you for sending your poetry in for consideration. Our editors have looked it over and really enjoyed it. We'd be delighted if we could include 'Wired' in our September issue."
~ Vagabondage Press/The Battered Suitcase

4) "After careful consideration, we are going to pass on 4-Play. As a writer, you will certainly go places. As an agency, we are not quite the right match to represent you, as much as I enjoyed your work. Your scope and style are fresh and interesting. Keep writing. You are sure to find the right niche with the right editor."
~ Literary agency

5) "I am sure I will enjoy your stories if they include yaoi features."
~ DB, blogger/anime-addict

6) "That's the most exciting book ever!"
~ Kevin MacLeod (his music is featured on Playing the Flute)

7) "Progressive (short stories) sounds right to me."
~ York UK, Alumnus

8) Short e-mail correspondence with a reader:

reader:

i liked your poem in bareback (status: married). i find your theory of erotic evolution amusing. what is its provenance?

jess:

thanks! that's actually a "poeticized" version of a short story. i wrote the poem first, then lengthened it later.

i think the theory came about from my own meanderings in the areas of gender/sexuality (the "inspiration" for my just-launched erotic short story collection, 4:Play, i guess). i wanted to sum up my thoughts in an eloquent way :P

reader:

Cool. Thank you.

Gender is a construct. That makes sense.

9) "...These stories are too complex to be called erotic, too creative to be classifiable, too genre-bending to be conventionally published and far too hot for me to handle."
~ Joseph Grinton, April 2010

10) "...I like the reality of [4:Play], and feel it must ring true with audiences, say, under 40. I'm 64 and it rings true with me. America is totally twisted on the subject of sexuality, and I hope the next generations will handle that better than their predecessors. My gen. treats sex as appropriate only for:

• 1) courtship (but abstain!),
• 2) the first year or so of marriage (no longer!) and...most important,
• 3) A marketing and sales device."

~ email from a reader, May 2010

ABOUT

Available in print and digital formats.

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Summary of 4:Play: A contemporary cocktail of erotic short stories

4:Play captures the deliciousness of sexual fulfillment, the adventure of conquest, and the mystery of unexplored territory.

Among these progressive stories, a step brother and sister try to make sense of the sexual love they share; a demure young woman encounters an incubus; and two friends strike up a stimulating discussion that acts as the perfect aphrodisiac.

With a scope and style that is fresh and compelling, 4:Play dives into the depths of navigating gender, sexuality, and the lines of desire.

ISBN: 978-1-4486-4766-8

Why 4:Play is Written This Way

I deliberately wanted to cross multiple genres. I don't believe that a book should be *only* about gay fiction, or *only* about urban fantasy, etc. I'm all for diversity and open-mindedness (however one wishes to define that!).

I elaborate more on the first blog post.

Excerpt(s) of 4:Play:

Note: Excerpts of 4:Play have appeared in the following publications: Bare Back Magazine, Blink Fiction, Clean Sheets, UnMasked Online, Yellow Mama, The Battered Suitcase/Vagabondage Press, Side of Grits/Rural Messengers Press, Oysters & Chocolate, and Nefarious Ballerina.

A preview is available via Google Books.

Excerpt #1

Oh my God.

I drop my program, and I quickly bend over to pick it up.

I want to sneak out with him to the parking lot, under the moonlight, rip his boxers off, have them between my teeth.

He is immaculate, dressed in a white suit, holy-white, of all colors. The lights on stage throw a halo around his chestnut-brown hair, random, sexilicious strands resting upon his eyebrows.

He’s standing directly beneath the center spotlight, like he is the star of the show—he knows he is. He knows, and I know.

But he knows not that I know.

Lean meat and a polished body, bones hardly showing, hardly a drop of fat on him. Cheekbones and a jaw line like they’d been chiseled by a master artisan’s hands. He moves so lightly across the stage, and I think of the Greek messenger god, Hermes, with the swift wings on his heels.

~ from New Order; originally published by Oysters & Chocolate

* * * * *

Excerpt #2

It’s one of those nights. Closed the curtains and locked my room door from the start. Now I’m bringing the lights down a little lower.

This is how I like it.

I look at myself in the mirror. I love having a big mirror. I like the undivided attention.

The gear, the get-up? Nothing too fancy – no leather, feather boas, spikes or handcuffs for me. I saw a couple chained to each other by the wrist with a set of cuffs once. They were making out on the street at night.

I’m standing in a simple white camisole. The only other item I have on is a ruffled leopard thong.

I start thinking of what it’d be like, if there was a boy here.

"Hello, foxy," he’d greet me in a low, smooth voice.

He’d be standing behind, holding my hand, the other circled around my waist.

He would lean in to nudge the loose strands of hair off the back of my neck so he could place the side of his face on the exposed area of skin there. Start kissing, exploring round the neck, gradually going up to the ears. His hands over my milky-white breasts, the tips of his fingers instead of mine, working the nipples, now becoming erect. I see them, hard and prominent against the thin silken fabric.

The first wave hits me, quick as a lightning bolt.

Things...start to spin, a little. What if this wasn’t actually my room? Where would I be? Who would I be?

~ from Black Velvet; originally published as 'Smooth', by Bare Back Magazine

* * * * *

Excerpt #3

rave

acid & candy
are bland & contrived after
the smooth rush of You.

Lock & Key

Hold me down; your eyes
Do it better than cuffing
My wrists to bedposts.

Label-free

Why does it matter
Whether I like boys or girls,
Over genitals?

~ from Appetizers; originally published as 'Haiku', by Clean Sheets

Erotic Short Stories

I'm currently getting started on one trailer, for 4:Play -- A contemporary cocktail of erotic short stories. The title's pretty long, but that's what it's all about.

I learned more quickly with this book (than with my first book), that the mainstream fiction genres are highly "commercially categorized". 4:Play is GLBT/trans*/alternative-friendly (which means it's "Queer Fiction") -- there's sex/ual encounters between straight people (which means it's "General Erotica") -- I take some "structural risks" as put by one editor (which means it's not Mainstreamy enough) -- there's an incubus and succubus (which means there are Urban Fantasy elements) and basically, this erotic collection doesn't fit neatly into any category (as with my debut blog novel, lol).

I deliberately wanted to cross multiple genres. I don't believe that a book should be *only* about gay fiction, or *only* about urban fantasy, etc. I'm all for diversity and open-mindedness (however one wishes to define that!).

I queried about 30-35 literary agents at the time I sent this out (April/May 2009).

Here's one reply I received from a publisher of erotic fiction (Cleis Press):

Hello,

Thanks so much for submitting to us. We have not yet published any single author's collection of short stories. While what your are writing sounds very fun indeed, we must decline as it falls outside of what we publish. I wish you all the best!

Here's one reply I received from an agency (International Transactions). They were very nice:

After careful consideration, we are going to pass on 4-Play. As a writer, you will certainly go places. As an agency, we are not quite the right match to represent you, as much as I enjoyed your work. Your scope and style are fresh and interesting. Keep writing. You are sure to find the right niche with the right editor.

Here's one reply I got about Tongue-Tied, which involves a lesbian succubus. I'd sent in a condensed version of it for inclusion in an anthology:

...Here's something you might try. End the story after about page 9 (the first encounter, when the succubus goes away and thinks about it) and send it out. Rework the ending to be more mysterious. For one thing, it's a bit long as is, and I think it is a complete story in the first 9 pages.

The section after page 9, I thought, was what made the story different. There was that soul-searching element -- I'll let readers decide whether or not that part should have been removed ^^.

An indie author is what I am for the moment, I guess :P

I don't bother with the "stigma" of self-publishing, which still exists among the literary community to some degree (though it's changing). I'd rather focus on writing something good and getting it out on the market. That's all.