By Mark Tarrant
Howdy amigo! My wife has been telling me for years to write a journal about writing and I have always said I don’t have time or want to, because who wants to read it? Well, I think other writers or friends might. So I am at my desk with a light cold and thinking today is the day to start. Getting a book out to the public is a weird journey. Maybe this will inspire others, or entertain as much as my book, The Blood Rider. To be perfectly honest I was rereading Robert Rodriguez book Rebel with out a Crew and it was great, so why not do something similar about my Blood and Spurs series? It’s kind of cool seeing who he worked with and spent time with on his journey, maybe mine will be fun too. Writing a book is one thing, selling it and getting folks to embrace the character is another. I am not sure what I will put down on these pages, just what I am doing and where my journey takes me. My wife said I should do a blog, folks seem to like those, kind of like a reality TV show with no pictures right? I think its time I did one.
I guess the first thing people need to know is a bit about me, and then we can begin hitting the blood trail
I am the oldest of three sons, born in 1971 from Lansing Michigan. I grew up in a Christian home with a stay at home mom and a father who owns his own construction business. I grew up loving movies, sci fi, fantasy comic books and Robert E Howards Conan. It was actually my first comic book at the young age of 8.Back then you got like 3 comics for a buck in a sealed plastic bag and it was hard to see what 3 ya got, but I got an one of Conan issue 99 I think. So let’s see, growing up with Heroes in the bible, tons of biblical violence and Conan, I guess I was going to write some weird stuff. The Bible has much head lopping, death, cannibalism and pain, then there is the hope, love and peace, but at a young age, I liked the war stories and heroes the most.
I saw star wars when I was 8 too, and I thought how great it was that you could show someone your ideas on the big screen, and that was when I knew what I wanted to do… Tell stories. I started writing in grade school and in high school wrote a book that was not good. In college I wrote and submitted to magazines and rejection was my dear friend. I was learning. In my twenties and thirties a started to write screen plays seeing how I love films, but nothing ever really panned out and I was just burned out creatively. I had met my wife in College and she put up with all my wild ideas and really never pushed me to give up and toss the dream in the trash. She would read my work and help me. She is good looking to boot so BONUS! Anyway in 2003 Fed up with rejection and not knowing what I wanted to write I was finally hit with something different. Everything has been done! Its all the same, is there anything new, a twist on something a new story to tell? What can I write that is not just something some read before? What can I write those changes a character or place a bit more?
I have always loved monsters since I was a kid and I love westerns, and so one day sitting in my office I was looking at a piece of art of a gunslinger, he was brash cocky and pointing two guns at me. What if he was a vampire I thought? Not you’re clean cut super stud vampire with long hair and beautiful features, Hollywood’s version, but what if he was a drifter, strong, but not perfect, a vampire gunslinger in the Wild West? Well now, um, hey this could be fun. I did some research and no one had done this, making a gritty tough vampire a hero in the Wild West, so I thought lets begin. I also realized one book is not going to make a dent in anything, so being a fan of Conan, and a lot of pulps from the 30s and 40s, I need to make a hero, who I can use in books, or short stories, fun wild adventures, that’s what I really want to write, and others be damned if they did not like them, I liked them, so I began to write them. To this point I have written 4 books a half a dozen short stories about the Blood Rider, and hope to do more. In 2006 I found artists by the name of Michael Graham and he began to flush out our hero “El Diablo Blanco.”
Over the next year I began attending horror and sci fi conventions without the book, just merchandize to get the word out. People were intrigued and curious, but most of them liked the strange idea. How would I get this book out, when getting a publisher is so hard? Why it didn’t stop Robert Rodriguez or Kevin smith with their films, just do it your self, so I did. I sold some things, TV, video games, my old band equipment and with a help from a credit card, I published the book, this is gutsy and reckless, and I would not advise everyone to do it, but I have always taken chances on things, so why is this book any different especially when you love it.
ADVICE TIP
Do your research amigos, I lost a lot of money because I fell short on things, like ISBN, distributing and over all cost and marketing. If this was one book not a series I would not have done it. I am in it for the long haul the next 5-10 years, and you need to know what you’re getting into. Get advice and direction from other publishers and self publishers. It can be messy. Marketing is expensive. Do your homework.
The Blood Rider came to print OCT of 2007, and I have not looked back.. I have been selling well on the website, Amazon.com and conventions too. I ain’t making money, but I am breaking even at times and meeting great folks. Right now I am selling about 10 a week since it came out, and for an unknown author I think that ain’t to shabby. I believe I have a great character and a property to do more than just books. Maybe I can do more with it.
I guess that’s all I can say to start the journey, I will post more every few days about things I am doing or done and the cool folks I meet along the trail. Hope you enjoy the ride.
Mark Tarrant