How to find the RIGHT publisher

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?

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.

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".

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.