Research is the key. But here is the problem....what research do you rely on? Other authors? Gossip? Your gut? There is not really any right answer that I can give you because the fact is that even good pubs have a few people who don't like them for one reason or another.
But what happens when you know inside info about a publisher that might not demonstrate the best business or security practices? Should you tell? Be a whistle blower?
If you are asked point blank what you know...well, that is a judgment call I guess. I know that if I knew something and was asked I might not give details but I would express my opinion. Would I take it to a public blog where anyone could see it? Propably not because I don't want anyone sueing me. And lets face it. This country has a bad habbit of having LOTS of folks sueing of many reasons, some of which are very minor.
What would you do?
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Conflict
Is it a conflict of interests for an author to be a reviewer/editor/publisher?
All the carrers in the publishing world revolve around eachother. Yeah we all know that, but what happens when they start to overlap? What happens when and author owns a publishing company or a review site and maybe also works for a particular publisher or marketing company? Whose interests do they really have at heart?
I know there are a few authors who also work for pubs. Authors own and run review sites. Writers are also cover artists and marketing managers for other authors, but at what point can they set the jobs aside and do one at a time without and bleeding over? Can they? Maybe.
We all know that things that happen in our personal lives can and do affect what happens in our work. So what happens if an author knows something about another author...and they let it affect how they preform or the decisions they make in their writing based carrer? Does it happen? Sure. We would all like to think that it doesn't but come on. Really?
So what do we do about it? Nothing. While I may have my own opinions about the right and wrong of crossing over into so many aspects of the publishing world, I think that as long as you can put your big girl panties on and look at things as they should be viewed for that particular job...wear all the hats you can handle. BUT if your personal feelings start to sway you...or you start to get bitchy...might be time to shed a hat and give it to someone who can wear it better.
All the carrers in the publishing world revolve around eachother. Yeah we all know that, but what happens when they start to overlap? What happens when and author owns a publishing company or a review site and maybe also works for a particular publisher or marketing company? Whose interests do they really have at heart?
I know there are a few authors who also work for pubs. Authors own and run review sites. Writers are also cover artists and marketing managers for other authors, but at what point can they set the jobs aside and do one at a time without and bleeding over? Can they? Maybe.
We all know that things that happen in our personal lives can and do affect what happens in our work. So what happens if an author knows something about another author...and they let it affect how they preform or the decisions they make in their writing based carrer? Does it happen? Sure. We would all like to think that it doesn't but come on. Really?
So what do we do about it? Nothing. While I may have my own opinions about the right and wrong of crossing over into so many aspects of the publishing world, I think that as long as you can put your big girl panties on and look at things as they should be viewed for that particular job...wear all the hats you can handle. BUT if your personal feelings start to sway you...or you start to get bitchy...might be time to shed a hat and give it to someone who can wear it better.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Cutting
Cutting in line is one of my biggest irks. I have collected my purchases, made my way to the check-out, and waited in line. Then some ass just steps before me and takes my place. What a turd!
Now I am sure that you are thinking...what did you do? Me? I did nothing. As much as I bitch about people being rude, I find it very hard to stand up and say "Pardon me, douche bag, the line is back there".
Now I am sure that you are thinking...what did you do? Me? I did nothing. As much as I bitch about people being rude, I find it very hard to stand up and say "Pardon me, douche bag, the line is back there".
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Personal Space
I am a huge fan of personal space. I don't like to be crowded.
I was in the grocery store the other day and there was this guy behind me with a little basket...You know the kind that you carry in your hand when you have just a few things to get? So there I was minding my own business and this guy gets into line behind me. And gets closer...and closer...and closer. At one point he might have been only about eight inches from my back. Gave me the creeps.
I turned around and glanced at him a couple times and took a few steps forward only to have him close the distance between us again. He kept his little basket to the side so the space that was between us was from body to body and not my back to his basket.
Talk about either a total lack of respect or a perv. I kept waiting for the "acidental" brush against my ass or back but thankfully it mever came. Just the willies while I waited for the clerck to work her way through a huge stack of cupons that the woman in front of me presented at check-out.
Personal space, folks.
I was in the grocery store the other day and there was this guy behind me with a little basket...You know the kind that you carry in your hand when you have just a few things to get? So there I was minding my own business and this guy gets into line behind me. And gets closer...and closer...and closer. At one point he might have been only about eight inches from my back. Gave me the creeps.
I turned around and glanced at him a couple times and took a few steps forward only to have him close the distance between us again. He kept his little basket to the side so the space that was between us was from body to body and not my back to his basket.
Talk about either a total lack of respect or a perv. I kept waiting for the "acidental" brush against my ass or back but thankfully it mever came. Just the willies while I waited for the clerck to work her way through a huge stack of cupons that the woman in front of me presented at check-out.
Personal space, folks.
Monday, June 14, 2010
Reviews?
So, your book has come out. The publisher has sent it out to be reviewed. Now you wait...and wait...and wait..for one, just one. Hopefully more but one is better than nothing right?
What do you put more stock in? Review site reviews or the ones on Goodreads, Fictionwise, ARE and Amazon? At least with review sites you get verbage with the stars (or whatever they use) but with places like Fictionwise and ARE are only scores. Makes you wonder when there is a low score...why?
Not every review site will post bad reviews. Some only post the good ones. HOWEVER, there are those that post it all. Good, bad and ugly. Are these better sites because of their honesty? Or would you rather not get a review at all if it is going to be a bad one?
I am on the fence. Of course I want reviewers and readers alike to think that my book is the best thing they have ever read...but if they don't I would like constructive crit along with the not so great marks.
Is that too much to ask?
What do you put more stock in? Review site reviews or the ones on Goodreads, Fictionwise, ARE and Amazon? At least with review sites you get verbage with the stars (or whatever they use) but with places like Fictionwise and ARE are only scores. Makes you wonder when there is a low score...why?
Not every review site will post bad reviews. Some only post the good ones. HOWEVER, there are those that post it all. Good, bad and ugly. Are these better sites because of their honesty? Or would you rather not get a review at all if it is going to be a bad one?
I am on the fence. Of course I want reviewers and readers alike to think that my book is the best thing they have ever read...but if they don't I would like constructive crit along with the not so great marks.
Is that too much to ask?
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Contests?
Do they really work? I see authors who promo and run contests all the time, what I want to know is how much does it help? Does it really generate sales? Substantial sales?
What about places like Author Island that charge, what I feel in a big chunk of change for us no-money-making e-authors, for their services?
As a reader, places like that rock making it easy to find LOTS of contests to enter in one location but do they really help the little guy enough to offset the cost?
What about places like Author Island that charge, what I feel in a big chunk of change for us no-money-making e-authors, for their services?
As a reader, places like that rock making it easy to find LOTS of contests to enter in one location but do they really help the little guy enough to offset the cost?
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Piracy
Touchy subject, yes? As authors there is nothing worse than knowing that your "baby" is out there being passed around like a hooker at a frat party to anyone who wants her. I have learned that most of the "sharing" sites are out of the US and there really isn't much that can be done to have them take down the material that is in CLEAR violation of the copyright. Sucks but true.
As readers I have heard so many crap line that it makes me sick. One man said something along the lines of..."authors are just bitching because now they can't buy that second house in the Bahamas" ROFLMAO!!! I don't know about you but the first royalty check I got wasn't even enough to fill my car up with gas.
Don't get me wrong, I love writing and plan on continuing to do so, but I know so many other e-published authors just like me. They don't roll in the dough. Barely make enough to scratch by in this economy and then to have someone steal it?
Another woman said that Piracy is no big deal so I posed the question, "What would you do if you were standing in line at the grocery store, waiting to pay for the dinner that you were going to feed your family that night and a total stranger walked up, reached in your purse, took the $ you had in it and walked off?" Her response was that it wasn't the same thing.
I BEG TO DIFFER!!!! I have kids! They depend on me! THIS IS MY JOB!!! and YOU, the pirate, are stealing, literally, the food from my kids mouths!! The gifts from under the tree at Christmas!! DAMN YOU MR GRINCH!!! Have you no shame?
What did my kids ever do to you?
The answer...nothing. And you don't care. Why? Because to you, my kids and I are nobody. You don't know me, you don't live in my life or pay my bills or see the looks on my kids face when the tree only has a few gifts under it on Christmas morning. If you could see that, you would think twice. Do you really want to hurt the kids? Is it really your goal in life to make children unhappy or sad? If you say Yes, then I feel sorry for you.
remember, Piracy of movies or books is illegal. It isn't just some stranger you are hurting, but all those around them who you don't know, and don't care about, but for all you know you are stealing a book written by a single mother who needs that royalty check to put gas in her car to take her special needs child to the doctor. or to put presents under the tree. or for their next meal.
How does that make you feel?
As readers I have heard so many crap line that it makes me sick. One man said something along the lines of..."authors are just bitching because now they can't buy that second house in the Bahamas" ROFLMAO!!! I don't know about you but the first royalty check I got wasn't even enough to fill my car up with gas.
Don't get me wrong, I love writing and plan on continuing to do so, but I know so many other e-published authors just like me. They don't roll in the dough. Barely make enough to scratch by in this economy and then to have someone steal it?
Another woman said that Piracy is no big deal so I posed the question, "What would you do if you were standing in line at the grocery store, waiting to pay for the dinner that you were going to feed your family that night and a total stranger walked up, reached in your purse, took the $ you had in it and walked off?" Her response was that it wasn't the same thing.
I BEG TO DIFFER!!!! I have kids! They depend on me! THIS IS MY JOB!!! and YOU, the pirate, are stealing, literally, the food from my kids mouths!! The gifts from under the tree at Christmas!! DAMN YOU MR GRINCH!!! Have you no shame?
What did my kids ever do to you?
The answer...nothing. And you don't care. Why? Because to you, my kids and I are nobody. You don't know me, you don't live in my life or pay my bills or see the looks on my kids face when the tree only has a few gifts under it on Christmas morning. If you could see that, you would think twice. Do you really want to hurt the kids? Is it really your goal in life to make children unhappy or sad? If you say Yes, then I feel sorry for you.
remember, Piracy of movies or books is illegal. It isn't just some stranger you are hurting, but all those around them who you don't know, and don't care about, but for all you know you are stealing a book written by a single mother who needs that royalty check to put gas in her car to take her special needs child to the doctor. or to put presents under the tree. or for their next meal.
How does that make you feel?
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