About WheelMan Press

We publish speculative fiction and nonfiction by author Gregory Bernard Banks, classic public domain works of speculative fiction which we feel need to be preserved and remembered for future generations. Also, as a proud supporter of Small Press publishers and Independent Authors, we'll also publish guides and manuals to help educate fellow authors and publishers on the ins and outs of the business.

Edward C. Patterson held the first ever Digital Book Signing and Reading last Sunday.

By Sondi Miller
liandanson@gmail.com

On Sunday August 24, 2008, Edward C. Patterson read an excerpt from his New Published Book, Surviving an American Gulag, a live broadcast from a Webinar over the internet.  Invitations for the signing were posted on Mr. Patterson’s forums and sent through email by the Author.

After a rough start, the reading came across clear and well read with a dramatic flair of characterization.  Sgt. Gonvea came across as a pushy no guff drill master while Lenny warmed the hearts of listeners with his simplicity.  Private Gibbs, the protagonist of American Gulag, thrilled the listeners while a voice defined the bewildered character.

The Audience was introduced to Patterson’s other works and had access to a web site where they were able to print a authentic collectible E-Book Cover.  A special discount to purchase Surviving an American Gulag was also offered to those in attendance.

Mr. Patterson was asked questions by the audience through Webinar’s technological features: chat, microphone, and telephone.

Private Gibbs, his favorite character, was based on Edward C. Patterson’s life experiences in the military. A story the military would prefer remain lost.

As an “Indie” or Independent author and traditional author, Mr. Patterson encouraged new authors by telling them to write, write, read, and write some more. Every contemporary author should have a foot in both processes- “Indie” publishing as well as “dead tree” publishing.

He answered the question about his forthcoming book, Turning Idolator, by declaring it will be out in October.

There was such an enthusiastic response towards Mr. Patterson’s reading that a return engagement was scheduled for the following Tuesday evening with an encore reading from Surviving an American Gulag.

For more information on this subject contact: Sandra Miller at liandanson@gmail.com.

For more on Edward C. Patterson and his books, visit his website, Dancaster Creative, at: http://www.dancaster.com/

Edward C. Patterson’s works:

Paperback

Kindle

Posted on August 27th, 2008 by admin
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“Law of the Land” Hits #2

On the heels of having The Summoner hit number numbers 1 or 2 in five Amazon Short categories, today Law of the Land hit #2 in both the Science Fiction and Fantasy and All Fantasy categories.

Very exciting indeeed, and we thank all those who are buying our works.

Posted on July 8th, 2008 by admin
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The Summoner Hits #1 on Amazon Shorts

Today, the Amazon Short “The Summoner” scored it’s highest rankings yet, ranking number 1 in three categories, and number 2 in two other categories, and ranking 22nd overall in Amazon Shorts. The rankings, by category, were as follows:

  • Science Fiction & Fantasy (Overall) - #2
  • All Science Fiction - #1
  • All Fantasy - #2
  • Epic Fantasy - #1
  • Magic & Wizards - #1
  • Amazon Shorts (overall) - #22

It’s very exciting to see one’s work achieving such high rankings, and to know that (hopefully) this means that people are enjoying your work. The Summoner is also available in Amazon Kindle format, and will appear in print in the upcoming short story collection, Into the Every: Tales of Magic and Science, which probably won’t be released until the first quarter of 2009.

Posted on July 6th, 2008 by admin
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The Socialization of Marketing: Don’t Make Customers, Make Friends

In the last week, three of our titles, Phoenix Tales: Stories of Death & Life, The Summoner, and The Self Publisher’s Quick Start Guide, has broken into the top 100 in their respective categories. Although admittedly we are not talking about humongous sales numbers (nor budget-busting profits), sales are sales, and the increased pominence these temporarily high rankings gives our titles can only serve to promote our brand all the more.

I’ve recently begun studying marketing, and am in the process of learning the mindset and methodology that goes into building a brand and promoting oneself and one’s product. As the first book I read, The New Rules of Marketing and PR says, the Internet has changed the rules of marketing, leveling the playing field so that promotion is no longer the dominated by mighty corporations with tons of disposable cash to throw wantonly at the problem. Now the little guy can and often does outperform the big guy, but it takes time, attention, and most importantly the ability to put yourself out there as the face and voice of your product or brand.

People are tired of the hard sell, and of promotions that treat them as if they aren’t smart enough to choose for themselves. The consumer has the ultimate power, and all they want is honesty and integrity, and to feel like they are thought of individuals rather than stereotyped target on carbon copy marketing template. Customers want to not only know you, but if you have knowledge to share, they want and need to feel like you are always happy to provide it to them. It’s not enough to hang an open sign on your door and wait for patrons to come in and visit, now you need to go out on the sidewalk and greet people as they pass by. Engage them in conversation, talk about the things that you have in common, make friends with them, real friends, not the “I’ll be your friend as long as it’s potentially useful to me” kind. You have to love people, and love giving to them. All of them won’t buy your wares today, but some will, and others may return tomorrow, or direct their friends to come check you out. You no longer build a customer base en masse, you build it one person at a time.

I’ve always loved being a part of online communities, and lately I’ve found the Amazon Discussion boards to be a particularly great place to hang out. Lots of great people, especially in the Kindle product forums. I’m sure that the time spent there, particularly getting to know many other authors who are also very giving of themselves, has helped with the sales of my Kindle offerings. But most importantly I’ve made new friends and who knows where such things may lead one day?

The bottom line is to get away from the impersonal corporate mindset or the brute force methodology of marketing that has consumers buying DVRs to skip commercials or cursing every time they receive a piece of unsolicited spam in their inbox. Instead, it’s time to go back to the old fashioned sense of community, the kind you have when you live in a small town and no every resident’s first name. Get to know your customers and let them get to know you. Give of yourself to them in any way you can and they will return the favor in ways that you may not even expect.

Turn your marketing swords into social ploughshares, and in time, you will reap the rewards.

Posted on June 28th, 2008 by admin
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Catching the e-Wave: Has the Time of the Ebook Finally Come?

E-readers have been around for years. From early on, the problem with e-readers always was the fact that they required one to use a proprietary format that one could only use on the purchased device, which were expensive, not easy to use, and which usually became obsolete within a year or so because the manufacturer stopped making them due to low sales. Some recent companies like Microsoft and Sony have come out with devices that seem to have some staying power, but still haven’t set the ebook marketplace on fire. But then came the Amazon Kindle.

Unlike any ebook reader before it, the Kindle offered two main advantages that none of its predecessors could — direct wireless access to content for the device, freeing most users from being tied to their computers; and the power and scope of a major bookseller like Amazon.com to support it. Although they have a long way to go before they can meet Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos’ dream of having every book ever printed available on the Kindle, the impressive lineup of an estimated 125,000 titles currently available from Amazon directly, with sites like Feedbooks.com and Fictionwise.com (owned by Amazon) also supporting the Kindle format directly, the e-reader seems to have already done far more to further the market for ebooks than any other e-reader past or present.

The Kindle’s $359 is pretty steep for many, but the satisfaction rate for the device seems extremely high, far more than I’ve ever directly witnessed for any other device anyway. And the convenience it provides for people like myself, who are disabled and have found manipulating books of any kind increasingly cumbersome over the years, is priceless. I have read more in the last two months I’ve owned the device than I’ve read in years because reading no longer involves wrestling with a book to set it up, or hold it open, or simply find room for it on my bed beside me. And from numerous reviews and forum posts over at Amazon, the Kindle may be the most aptly named device ever created, because it really seems to be re-”Kindle-ing” the reading experience for avid readers from all walks of life.

I originally invested in the device because I saw the passion that so many had for the Kindle, and felt that it was important to get the offerings from WheelMan Press on the rapidly growing lineup of titles available for it. I didn’t want to blindly publish on the Kindle without knowing firsthand how the results turned out, nor be able to provide the best quality reading experience possible. But the Kindle’s usefulness to me has far exceeded my expectations.

While I thnk it’s far too early to say that the Kindle, in its current form, will become THE device which ultimately defines the e-reader market in a similar way that the iPod has defined the MP3 player market, I think it is the beginning. If I have to guess, the Kindle will indeed be the elite and market leader in the e-reader business by its second or third generation, especially when they develop a color screen using the new eInk screen technology, a development that’s thought to be at least three years away. Despite many of the problems with recent actions by Amazon to pressure publishers to use their printing services or risk having their books only available through third party Amazon affiliates, by allowing all publishers to put their content on the Kindle, Amazon has once again opened up an opportunity to level the playing field so that small press publishers can compete with the big boys.

While much is still up in the air and at this point all possibilities are mere conjecture, in my view it’s pretty evident from firsthand interaction with a slew of Kindle enthusiasts who seem to span the rainbow of humanity, there is indded a place for a device like the Kindle, and a broad spectrum of people ready to read their favorite books, newspapers, magazines, and blogs on it. It’s also a prime time for Small and Independent Presses to go after this rapidly growing marketplace.

Give them a good read, and they’ll come back for more, I say.

  • Learn how to publish on the Amazon Kindle here.
  • Read my full review of the Amazon Kindle here.

Posted on June 9th, 2008 by admin
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New “Phoenix Tales” Trailer!

The below trailer was designed via a website called Animoto.

Posted on April 16th, 2008 by admin
Filed under: News | 1 Comment »

The Speculative Literature Foundation announces the 2008 Older Writers Grant

SPECULATIVE LITERATURE FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES THE 2008 OLDER WRITERS GRANT

SPECULATIVE LITERATURE FOUNDATION
PO Box 1693, Dubuque, IA 52004-1693

info@speculativeliterature.org - http://www.speculativeliterature.org/

For Immediate Release February 20, 2008

SPECULATIVE LITERATURE FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES OLDER WRITERS GRANT

The Speculative Literature Foundation (SLF) is pleased to announce that it is accepting applications for the 2008 Older Writers Grant. The grant of $750 is available to any writer of speculative literature of 50 years or older at the time of application just beginning to work professionally in the field. There are no restrictions on the use of the grant money.

The grant will be awarded by a committee of SLF staff members on the basis of interest and merit. Applicants are asked to submit a brief autobiographical statement, a writing sample, and a bibliography. For full details on how to apply for the grant, please see the SLF web site: http://www.speculativeliterature.org/Grants/SLFOlderWriters.php, or email olderwriters@speclit.org. Applications must be received by March 31st 2008. The successful applicant will be announced on June 1st 2008.

—————————————–
PR Contact: Ashley Gronek press@speculativeliterature.org

The Speculative Literature Foundation is a volunteer-run, non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the interests of readers, writers, editors and publishers in the speculative literature community.

“Speculative literature” is a catch-all term meant to inclusively span the breadth of fantastic literature, encompassing literature ranging from hard and soft science fiction to epic fantasy to ghost stories to folk and fairy tales to slipstream to magical realism to modern mythmaking — any literature containing a fabulist or speculative element.

More information about the Speculative Literature Foundation is available from its website (http://www.speculativeliterature.org/) or by writing to info@speculativeliterature.org.

To be removed from the Speculative Literature Foundation press release mailing list please write to press@speculativeliterature.org.

Posted on March 7th, 2008 by admin
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Black History Month Recommended Reading List

The Carl Brandon Society, who is dedicated to addressing the representation of people of color in the fantastical genres such as science fiction, fantasy and horror, has put out a recommended reading list of books for Black History Month. The list is below:

• “So Long Been Dreaming: Postcolonial Science Fiction & Fantasy” edited by Nalo Hopkinson and Uppinder Mehan

• “Parable of the Sower” by Octavia Butler

• “Dhalgren” by Samuel R. Delany

• “My Soul to Keep” by Tananarive Due

• “The Coyote Kings of the Space Age Bachelor Pad” by Minister Faust

• “Mindscape” by Andrea Hairston

• “Wind Follower” by Carole McDonnell

• “Futureland” by Walter Mosley

• “The Shadow Speaker” by Nnedi Okorafor-Mbachu

• “Zahrah the Windseeker” by Nnedi Okorafor-Mbachu

And the 2005 CARL BRANDON SOCIETY AWARD Winners:

• PARALLAX AWARD given to works of speculative fiction created by a
person of color:

“47″ by Walter Mosley

• KINDRED AWARD given to any work of speculative fiction dealing with
issues of race and ethnicity; nominees may be of any racial or ethnic
group:

“Stormwitch” by Susan Vaught

Posted on February 14th, 2008 by admin
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