Comments on: Guest Blog: Author Julio Vazquez http://www.lulu.com/blog/2010/01/13/julio-vazquez/ Adventures in Self-Publishing Sun, 05 Feb 2012 13:50:39 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.3 By: Allen Smith http://www.lulu.com/blog/2010/01/13/julio-vazquez/#comment-3281 Allen Smith Wed, 03 Feb 2010 03:31:44 +0000 http://lulublog.com/?p=2190#comment-3281 Julio, Thanks for your inspiring blog. I have just recently began searching for the right publishing alternative. After reading quite a few comments from LULU authors it looks like this is the way to go. I write stories for young teenage boys. The first being about two mountain men boys in the early 1800's. They have a lot of fun growing up, and tend to get into a little trouble here and there, though definitely not the same trouble our teens may get into today. But some how they survive the wilds and learn some real life lessons. Here is an excerpt from the book. One evening we were coming home. Red was ahead of me a good thirty yards or so and we were imitating an ole blue jay that had harassed us all day. We were just at the edge of the forest where it thins into a meadow, when I looked up and saw an Arapahoe scout wondering what the Jay’s were fussin about. I let go with Red and I’s prairie hawk scream of warning. Red instantly vanished into the ferns and scrub oak, but that scout must’ve seen his red hair as he let loose an arrow that barely missed Red’s shoulder as he dove for cover. And then Red was gone and me alone with that scout crouching not but thirty feet away. I knew Red was covering me, but it was mighty lonesome sitting there watching that scout. So I taken out my knife and picked up a good sized throwing rock, and waited. Pretty soon Red found his spot and showed face. Right behind me! That scout came out of those ferns like a rabid dog turned loose and I let go of that rock as hard as I could. I didn’t look back to see if I had hit him or not, just turned tail and ran. Red was right behind me hollering “Go Go Go” as if I could run any faster! We never stopped running all the way home. Pa and Red’s dad Jeb were laughing so hard they were practically rolling in the dirt, although I noticed they were outside the cabin with their rifles ready! Pa said we coulda out run an Indian scout. I up and said, “we just did” And that’s when Pa got mad. He said “I told you a hunnert times you can’t out Injun an Injun!.” After that we realized not only were we the hunters, but that we could become the hunted. Hope you like it! Allen Julio,
Thanks for your inspiring blog. I have just recently began searching for the right publishing alternative. After reading quite a few comments from LULU authors it looks like this is the way to go. I write stories for young teenage boys. The first being about two mountain men boys in the early 1800′s. They have a lot of fun growing up, and tend to get into a little trouble here and there, though definitely not the same trouble our teens may get into today. But some how they survive the wilds and learn some real life lessons. Here is an excerpt from the book.
One evening we were coming home. Red was ahead of me a good thirty yards or so and we were imitating an ole blue jay that had harassed us all day. We were just at the edge of the forest where it thins into a meadow, when I looked up and saw an Arapahoe scout wondering what the Jay’s were fussin about.

I let go with Red and I’s prairie hawk scream of warning. Red instantly vanished into the ferns and scrub oak, but that scout must’ve seen his red hair as he let loose an arrow that barely missed Red’s shoulder as he dove for cover. And then Red was gone and me alone with that scout crouching not but thirty feet away. I knew Red was covering me, but it was mighty lonesome sitting there watching that scout. So I taken out my knife and picked up a good sized throwing rock, and waited. Pretty soon Red found his spot and showed face. Right behind me!

That scout came out of those ferns like a rabid dog turned loose and I let go of that rock as hard as I could. I didn’t look back to see if I had hit him or not, just turned tail and ran. Red was right behind me hollering “Go Go Go” as if I could run any faster! We never stopped running all the way home. Pa and Red’s dad Jeb were laughing so hard they were practically rolling in the dirt, although I noticed they were outside the cabin with their rifles ready! Pa said we coulda out run an Indian scout. I up and said, “we just did”

And that’s when Pa got mad. He said “I told you a hunnert times you can’t out Injun an Injun!.” After that we realized not only were we the hunters, but that we could become the hunted.

Hope you like it!
Allen

]]> By: Wilson James http://www.lulu.com/blog/2010/01/13/julio-vazquez/#comment-3280 Wilson James Thu, 14 Jan 2010 09:38:33 +0000 http://lulublog.com/?p=2190#comment-3280 As a Lulu author with a newly established Blog of my own, I really appreciated your guest appearance Blog, Julio. Like you, I stumbled upon Lulu, and it was the best discovery I ever made. The way the Lulu system works, along with the helpful tips and information available on the forums, made it possible for me to see my work in print. I cannot begin to describe the emotions I felt when I held a published work of my own in my hands for the first time. It was certainly one of the defining moments in my life. Like you, Julio, I had written a number of stories over a period of years, but had done nothing with them. I knew nothing about genre, or what kinds of stories were easy to market. I wrote what I wanted to write, for myself. I believe it was Jesse Stuart who wrote, “Write something to suit yourself and many people will like it; write something to suit everybody and scarcely anyone will care for it.” I think that describes the way I feel about my writing. Just over a year ago, I decided to see how possible it might be to self-publish. My idea was not to make a ton of money, but more to share my stores, just in case someone out there might be interested. After looking through all kinds of websites on publishing, I happened on Lulu.com in 2008, and there I stayed. I published the first of my Lulu books, “A Family Legacy: THE WATSON WORKS,” on the last day of 2008. Since then, I’ve followed the publishing of that first novel with seven other books, ranging from 30,000 to 100,000 words. I have listed all of them as Young Adult stories, although some may have cross-over appeal to general adventure fiction. I have kept half of them free to download, just to see what kind of response I could get. Knowing that there are plenty of authors out there with lots of competition for readers, I decided free e-books might be a way of building interest. So, I’ve made Playing the ‘Son’ Card, Playing the Baseball Card, Robert’s Ride, SONS and BROTHERS in SEATTLE (short version), and A Family Legacy: THE WATSON WORKS all free. Very recently, late in December 2009, I followed other advice I’d seen in Lulu forums, and started a blog, and I’ve recently made other efforts to market my books. In the year since I first published on Lulu, hundreds of people have downloaded my books, something that still humbles me and fills me with awe. I keep writing, perhaps because I feel a little more motivated, but mostly because I still have more stories to tell. All of what I’ve achieved in the last year started with Lulu, and I will always be grateful for what the wonderful people connected with Lulu have brought to my life. Happy reading, Wil James As a Lulu author with a newly established Blog of my own, I really appreciated your guest appearance Blog, Julio. Like you, I stumbled upon Lulu, and it was the best discovery I ever made. The way the Lulu system works, along with the helpful tips and information available on the forums, made it possible for me to see my work in print. I cannot begin to describe the emotions I felt when I held a published work of my own in my hands for the first time. It was certainly one of the defining moments in my life.

Like you, Julio, I had written a number of stories over a period of years, but had done nothing with them. I knew nothing about genre, or what kinds of stories were easy to market. I wrote what I wanted to write, for myself. I believe it was Jesse Stuart who wrote, “Write something to suit yourself and many people will like it; write something to suit everybody and scarcely anyone will care for it.” I think that describes the way I feel about my writing.

Just over a year ago, I decided to see how possible it might be to self-publish. My idea was not to make a ton of money, but more to share my stores, just in case someone out there might be interested. After looking through all kinds of websites on publishing, I happened on Lulu.com in 2008, and there I stayed. I published the first of my Lulu books, “A Family Legacy: THE WATSON WORKS,” on the last day of 2008.

Since then, I’ve followed the publishing of that first novel with seven other books, ranging from 30,000 to 100,000 words. I have listed all of them as Young Adult stories, although some may have cross-over appeal to general adventure fiction. I have kept half of them free to download, just to see what kind of response I could get. Knowing that there are plenty of authors out there with lots of competition for readers, I decided free e-books might be a way of building interest.

So, I’ve made Playing the ‘Son’ Card, Playing the Baseball Card, Robert’s Ride, SONS and BROTHERS in SEATTLE (short version), and A Family Legacy: THE WATSON WORKS all free.

Very recently, late in December 2009, I followed other advice I’d seen in Lulu forums, and started a blog, and I’ve recently made other efforts to market my books. In the year since I first published on Lulu, hundreds of people have downloaded my books, something that still humbles me and fills me with awe. I keep writing, perhaps because I feel a little more motivated, but mostly because I still have more stories to tell.

All of what I’ve achieved in the last year started with Lulu, and I will always be grateful for what the wonderful people connected with Lulu have brought to my life.

Happy reading,

Wil James

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