1998 - 02/1998 Meeting
Page Created: 09/18/10. Last Updated: 10/25/10. Last Google Group Page Update: 06/08/08.
CYNTHIA SOROKA
Novels:
The Dark Chronicles: The Beginning
The Dark Chronicles: Red Blood
The Dark Chronicles: Triumph
The Dark Chronicles, the Light Years: Heaven, Hell or Freedom
The Dark Chronicles, the Light Years: The Unknown
The Dark Chronicles, the Light Years: The Will for Change
The Enoch Stone
The author's website is: http://www.thedarkchronicles.com/.
MEETING SUMMARY:
Meeting Date: February 14, 1998.
Meeting Site: Saddle River Valley Cultural Center, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey.
Official Attendance: 15.
Meeting Program: Talk by Fantasy Writer / Self Publisher.
Notes:
Meeting Memories:
Newsletter Account:
The following account is reprinted with permission from THE STARSHIP EXPRESS Copyright 1998 Philip J De Parto:
Fantasy writer and publisher Cynthia Soroka was the featured speaker at the meeting of the S F A B C held on Saturday, February 14, 1998 in the Saddle River Valley Cultural Center in Upper Saddle River, New Jersey.
This was the smallest turnout we have had since 1994. Among the things that worked against us was that the meeting was held on Valentine's Day. It was also the same weekend as the Boskone science fiction convention. Some members always absent themselves whenever we have someone involved with fantasy instead of science fiction. Others decided to pass because they had already heard her give a talk at one or more of the author's bookstore appearances. Those who did show up heard an enjoyable talk by an interesting speaker.
Ms Soroka grew up and still lives in Bergen County. She caught the science fiction bug at an early age. By high school, she was co-President of the school's science fiction club and organized two trips to Lunacon, one of them via school bus.
She was an avid Dungeons and Dragons player in college. After three years of running a game set in a universe she created, she decided that the storyline would make a good novel. Before much longer she had written a book and began submitting it to genre publishers.
It was rejected by one publisher, so she sent it to another and waited for a reply. And waited. And waited. After almost a year had gone, she was informed that the editor who was to read the book had left the company. She would have to wait until the new editor had a chance to read it. More waiting. The new editor eventually rejected it.
Feeling that there had to be a better way, Ms Soroka decided to publish the book herself. She already had a certain amount of experience with printers from one of her businesses. She just needed to learn a bit more.
She studied the science fiction racks to see what she needed to do to produce a book that would fit in with the books produced by commercial publishers. She commissioned a cover artist, designed the cover layout, obtained an ISBN number and bar code, chose a type font, selected a paper stock made out of recycled paper, created a logo for Ariel Star productions, trademarked THE DARK CHRONICLES, copyrighted her books, and so on.
Once the books were printed, she turned her considerable energies to the marketing process. She became a fixture at area bookstores, designing a variety of talks and presentations. This allowed her to appear at the same bookstore multiple times. She continued to write, self-publish, and promote her books. She has not only published five fantasy books of her own, but also two self-help books by her father.
One of her big breaks was striking up a casual conversation at a science fiction convention with Steve Pagel, who was the corporate buyer of sf for the Barnes & Noble chain from coast to coast.
The author had a great many other interesting things to say about writing and publishing. Those who attended were glad they did.