Tag brett brooks

Two Seconds (a guest blog by Brett Brooks)

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Two seconds.

 

Think about that. Really think about it. How long is two seconds? What do you think you can do in two seconds? Not much, really. But, if you are an author, two seconds is a huge amount of time for you.

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That’s because studies have shown that you have that long to catch a reader’s eye with the cover of your book. We live in a society of instant gratification and short attention spans, and in this modern world if you want to catch the attention of a potential reader you need to have something that they are going to remember.

Cover 1

The success of your novel might be based on the one thing that we’ve all heard before: judging a book by its cover. The design of your cover has to target and carry the appeal needed to pull in your reader before they’ve had a chance to even read a single word of text.

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For this reason above all others, you have to take the time and put the energy into creating your cover that is nearly equal to what you’ve done for the interior. Any writer worth their salt takes time to research their subject matter and make sure that it won’t send the wrong message. Do that same thing with your cover. Look at novels in the same field as yours. Take time to find artists who have the skills to produce professional work. Show it to others who have experience in the field. Get feedback. Make changes.

 

Don’t rush anything. Take your time.

 

You have two seconds.

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Brett Brooks is the author of the Pussy Katnip series, including Red is the Darkest Color and The Devil Was Green. He also wrote the critically acclaimed horror-comedy novel Edible Complex, as well as the fantasy series The Champions of Elan. Learn more about his works at the following links: https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00KVK5WRU or www.publishing.pandahead.com

Brief Book Reviews #1: Edible Complex by Brett Brooks

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Polonius tells us, “Brevity is the soul of wit”, and in our modern society brevity is more important than ever. Especially when it comes to social media marketing and pitching products to a society with a short attention span. To this effect, I have instituted a new series on my blog with the apt, if not-so-original, name “Brief Book Reviews.”

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Sticking with my love of alliteration, I have decided to start this series with author Brett Brooks and his novel Edible Complex.  Everywhere one looks these days, zombies surround us. They’ve become a bigger and bigger part of pop culture ever since George Romero’s original Night of the Living Dead. With the mainstream popularity of The Walking Dead, zombies are enjoying a high-water mark. In fact, Broke Guys Productions joined this craze several years ago when we wrote a feature-length screenplay entitled Night of the Living Rednecks.

In those properties, and in all the best zombie media, the undead are treated as a metaphor. In our version, we’re commenting on the meth epidemic in the Southeast. Kirkman seems to be saying that one should not fear the sheep in society (the Walkers); instead, one should fear the wolves (the Living). In Romero’s sequel, Dawn of the Dead, he’s commenting on out-of-control materialism and consumer spending. Brett Brooks’ novel is no different, yet so different.

In Edible Complex, the zombies are quite peculiar, even finicky creatures. They’re not a fan of human flesh, unless provoked. They possess a herd mentality, following alpha zombies and the trends set by them. One day, the zombies may crave cereal. The next, cabbage becomes popular. This presents a challenge to those tasked with meeting the ever-changing demands of the undead hordes across the globe. With this take on zombies, Brooks’ crafts a wonderful metaphor on modern marketing and how it affects trends in pop culture and consumer spending.

He does so with wicked wit, a clean writing style, and an excellently paced novel filled with characters who are three-dimensional, possessing complex motivations. No one feels like a true villain. Or a real hero. They are people doing their best to follow their inner truths, which sometimes places them at cross purposes with the other characters. The conflicts feel natural, not forced. The same with the plot development, climax, and resolution.

In a world filled with zombie media, be sure to check out Brett Brooks’ Edible Complex for a funny, thought-provoking story in which zombies are not only a reality, but a key demographic.

Edible Complex is available on Amazon (Kindle and Paperback formats) and Audible.