19 Jan 2012, Posted by caburkes in 40 To Go, Butta, CommonSense Series, eBooks, Novels, Sample Chapters, 0 Comments Tagged ASAP, CRAZY, LOL, TWO
The Return to Writing
By Corey A. Burkes
Well, it’s finally official. Butta‘ is back online for the first time since 2009. New cover, new edit and an eBook as well, which is a new concept as well. Back in 2007, people were just trying to settle on what an eBook was and even then I was fairly certain it wasn’t going to be a pdf, but that’s all we had. Now, if you don’t have your book available for the Kindle, you’re out of the game.
I can also say, generally speaking, that I was out of the game entirely myself. While I was writing a lot for personal ‘other’ projects, I had nothing online for sale since 2009. That’s all changing and I knew it couldn’t really happen until I put the first book out again and started from scratch. Now that I did, after dragging my heels on it for about a few years, it’s done. Smashwords.com, .99 cents. The best part of this is it was a hurdle that I had to get over mentally and it’s done. I feel like I can really get on with the rest of my writing. I think the disappointment I had with things back in 2009 finally passed and, to be really honest, the stuff that went down with Kickstarter, put things back in perspective.
Butta‘, by itself, is not the end all/be all. Just a book that had to go online so I can do other things and leave it alone. The idea of putting a review on the cover was mine. It was one of my first reviews from a major media source and since the story is exactly the same since 2007′s version, why the hell not? It was a long road and I earned it. It was from the Caribbean Life Newspapers in NY.
The cover was designed by me. By this point in my artwork, I’ve gotten comfortable to think it, design it and render it in under 24 hours. While I spent a few years thinking of what I wanted for the new cover and threw out plenty, the moment I said I wanted this online with NO MORE EXCUSES (that I was giving myself), I had a totally new idea for the cover, didn’t even bother to pre-sketch it out. Developed it, rendered and was done in about 3 hours. Normally, the first render is the one I use to check for errors, lightning, etc. Except for the hair, I loved it and just said ‘forget it. Let it go.’. This cover is the first and only version with no tweaking. A first for me … even during the bookcovermodels work.
Considering it’s an eBook, I pretty much jam packed it with extras too. The posters to Butta:WorldWide and the prologue to 40 To Go, the novel … which will be posted soon for free download as well. A novel version of 40 To Go is really a marketing ploy to attract both ways to and from the web series currently being worked on. Let me tell you, the 40 To Go novel has to be the easiest story I can write. First of all, it writes itself. 40 gang members have to die. Tick one off in the most creative action packed way possible. I’m re-writing the book on creative assassination. LOL. Second, it comes pre-packaged with it’s own animated web series. Who can say that? Who??? Unlike the past, I’m not waiting to find out if anyone cares or not. I’m just doing it for the love it and whatever success or failure that comes from it is whatever. If I sell TWO books, I’ll be a rich man and I’m good with it. Seriously. My expectations are so low this time around it isn’t funny. I know I have a lot of readers out there based on downloads of the free stuff I posted, plus reviews of Butta‘ show I know what I’m doing even when the first book was loaded with errors … that’s enough for me to have confidence to just write, be happy and just keep it moving.
Because, frankly, I have a ‘stock pile’ of stuff just waiting to come out. In a minute, it will seem like I just develop this stuff overnight when, indeed, I’ve been sitting on a lot of it over the years. Like a fiendish hoarder. Very little of it is because my stuff is so out of sync with time (as mentioned). I’m telling you … stuff I put out is usually NOT understood until a few years later, and then it’s copied. That gets annoying sometimes.
Which reminds me… I have an email to send to the cast/crew by Saturday regarding 40 To Go. Oh, and in harmony with ‘get ‘er done’, that long await pilot is coming to Sunday.
Yep. That’s Actress Doris Morgado portraying a very important character in the next Butta‘ Novel. As well as Haji Khalid Abdullah. Both esteemed actors and actresses who have been on major Hollywood films. In fact, you’ll see Haji in ‘The BlindSide’ and Doris currently working with ‘The Rock’ Johnson in an upcoming movie titled ‘Snitch’ as well as seen on Army Wives. That photo shoot was great. It’s been a long time coming and I’ve re-dated those posters enough! First it was 2009, then 2010, etc, etc, etc. LOL
What’s happening now is I’m wrapping up the edit of Butta:WorldWide and submitting that to reviewers ASAP because, with or without them, this book is coming out in May 2012 and I’ll officially start writing the third novel the moment it’s released. The third book is called Butta‘: C.R.E.A.M and takes place in Atlanta. Not just because I moved here … well, actually, yes, because I moved here. LOL. I had this CRAZY idea about the Butta‘ gang in the city.
Once I take Tiffany to school I post up the 40 To Go sample chapter and get CommonSense #2 done today finally so I can get on what’s left of the 40 To Go pilot and put that to rest finally. Only to start up again with recording with the crew.
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