The Next Big Thing

Let me start off by saying I don't typically do these chain letter survey things.  In fact, I generally do not like them and find them to be  waste of time.  That said, when my friend, Steve Wedel, was kind enough to have thought of me as his next in line to keep this particular one going, how could I say no?  I couldn't because Steve has been a long time supporter of my writing and has always given me his time when I asked for it.  And, rumor has it the man can grow a little long in the tooth and form a blood hungry appetite under the right conditions and one shouldn't mess with that, so, after putting this off for way too long, here goes.

Oh, and it seems this survey is meant for book writers and since I don't have a book under way (just plenty of shorts and other smaller projects) for the sake of this survey, I will be referring to my Dark Bites blog..

THE NEXT BIG THING

What is the working title of your book (site)?

Dark Bites.net

Where did the idea come from for the book(site)?

After taking some time to get my personal life in order, I decided it was time to start submitting my freelance work to paying websites again.  Much searching later and I realized that most sites that accepted freelance writers (reviews, interviews  etc) either didn't pay, paid only in contributors copies, or paid a puny enough amount that it just wasn't worth it.  I believe all writers should get paid a fair amount for their work.  So, instead of wasting my time complaining or giving up, I decided to take matters into my own hand and create a site where my payments would (hopefully) come in the form of web traffic, which I hope will eventually lead to some ad revenue so I can offer to pay other contributors for their efforts since, again, there just doesn't seem to be a lot of genre sites that pay writers their due.

What genre does your book (site)come under?

Dark Culture, with a little sci-fi here and there.

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

If you're craving a feast of the dark fantastic, but only have time for a bite, then this haunt's for you.

Is your book(site) self-published, published by an independent publisher, or represented by an agency?

99% all me, except for one guest blog, by Armand Rosamilia.

How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript(um, site?)?

Well, before I started posting new and fresh material, I started posting past interviews, reviews and articles until I built what I considered to be a decent volume of followers/traffic.  That took about a month.

What other books would you compare this story (site) to within your genre?

It's tough to call my site unique since there are so many genre sites out there, each doing their thing, and many doing it very well.  If you like sites such as Hell Notes and Horror World (which I review for) and The Horror Drive In, then I think you'll dig what you find on my site.

Who or what inspired you to write (create) this book(site)?

Simply put, I wanted a home for my writing.  I wanted a home to help promote the writers and film makers I loved.  I wanted a home that I hope will eventually help encourage and reward other writers with a reputable stage to showcase their best efforts, and one where they can get a fair wage.  This seemed like a good place to start.

And this is where I tag someone to carry on the flame of The Next Big Thing.  That person shall be... John Paul Allen because he's a fine supporter of my stuff, a good friend, and a helluva writer.