Great article on Stephen King's book On Writing. This terrific, influential book is still helping writers, with some of the best advice you'll find anywhere.
Thanks for the pointer from the Passive Guy, one of the best places to find current info on the publishing biz.
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Monday, May 28, 2012
Happy Memorial Day, Working Holiday
Here's hoping you have a happy and safe holiday.
For many, this is a day of remembrance. I've been thinking of the past year. For it was just about a year ago that my first novel A Memory of Grief got published, first as an ebook, then as a print version.
One year. So much has happened, so much change in that short time. Now I spend most of my free time (this is what's left after my family and my full-time job) writing-- or promoting my writing. For example, this 3-day weekend, I've been working the whole time, while many others hang out and enjoy cookouts with friends and family.
This kind of dedication (obsession) gets a lot done, however. My second novel, A Fall From Grace, has been out for a few months, with the third, A Shadow on the Wall, coming out a few months from now.
Additionally, I've got a number of short story collections out as published books. Different genres, too. I paid attention to the pro writers that told us how to do this.
When I'm not writing, I'm trying to get reviews, dealing with bookstores and publishers, doing research, and contacting other writers. It's a rollercoaster ride, so ya gotta love what you're doing. It's how you go pro as a writer, by continuing to write and always doing more. Tough gig, definitely not for sissies.
But being published sure beats the stuffing out of where I was a year ago. I finally achieved my lifelong dream.
How much has your life changed in the past year?
For many, this is a day of remembrance. I've been thinking of the past year. For it was just about a year ago that my first novel A Memory of Grief got published, first as an ebook, then as a print version.
One year. So much has happened, so much change in that short time. Now I spend most of my free time (this is what's left after my family and my full-time job) writing-- or promoting my writing. For example, this 3-day weekend, I've been working the whole time, while many others hang out and enjoy cookouts with friends and family.
This kind of dedication (obsession) gets a lot done, however. My second novel, A Fall From Grace, has been out for a few months, with the third, A Shadow on the Wall, coming out a few months from now.
Additionally, I've got a number of short story collections out as published books. Different genres, too. I paid attention to the pro writers that told us how to do this.
When I'm not writing, I'm trying to get reviews, dealing with bookstores and publishers, doing research, and contacting other writers. It's a rollercoaster ride, so ya gotta love what you're doing. It's how you go pro as a writer, by continuing to write and always doing more. Tough gig, definitely not for sissies.
But being published sure beats the stuffing out of where I was a year ago. I finally achieved my lifelong dream.
How much has your life changed in the past year?
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Contracts of Servitude
Great post by Joe Konrath about the horrendous contracts forced upon writers by the thugs of the big traditional publishing world. I'm not saying all the big companies are bad, but companies that would force authors to sign contracts like these are people who should-- and will-- be out of business. It's sweatshop labor, taking advantage of people that had little choice.
Up until a very short time ago, these gatekeepers forced everyone who wanted to get any kind of readership to come crawling on their knees in supplication, offering up their work-- for pennies in return, and a bond of servitude. Not a livelihood, mind you, just a treadmill of sweaty cheap labor for the privilege of seeing their name on a "legitimate" book by "a big house." Sure, there were some who profited from this system-- mostly the middlemen.
Thank goodness for the revolution, when the barriers to finding readers are down, and these fat-cats are no longer needed. So long, expensive offices and bloated staffs of New York. Would love to see you all have to get a real job-- especially one where someone else treats you like you treated others.
Wah, some wail. We'll lose the arbiters of quality! Really? It's there in the Indie world of publishing if you take the trouble to find it. New York was not the best judge of quality. When it switched to the profit-above-all methodology, they threw away whatever claim to that they held. And that was years ago. Now they shovel Snookie-memoirs and poorly written bilge, but claim that anyone who publishes outside their system is a heretic.
Yes, there are some good ones. But read the language and terms of these contracts, and then say that what is offered is fair.
From now on, writers-- the ones who produce the actual stuff that readers want-- are the ones to profit from their labor. Viva la revolution!
Up until a very short time ago, these gatekeepers forced everyone who wanted to get any kind of readership to come crawling on their knees in supplication, offering up their work-- for pennies in return, and a bond of servitude. Not a livelihood, mind you, just a treadmill of sweaty cheap labor for the privilege of seeing their name on a "legitimate" book by "a big house." Sure, there were some who profited from this system-- mostly the middlemen.
Thank goodness for the revolution, when the barriers to finding readers are down, and these fat-cats are no longer needed. So long, expensive offices and bloated staffs of New York. Would love to see you all have to get a real job-- especially one where someone else treats you like you treated others.
Wah, some wail. We'll lose the arbiters of quality! Really? It's there in the Indie world of publishing if you take the trouble to find it. New York was not the best judge of quality. When it switched to the profit-above-all methodology, they threw away whatever claim to that they held. And that was years ago. Now they shovel Snookie-memoirs and poorly written bilge, but claim that anyone who publishes outside their system is a heretic.
Yes, there are some good ones. But read the language and terms of these contracts, and then say that what is offered is fair.
From now on, writers-- the ones who produce the actual stuff that readers want-- are the ones to profit from their labor. Viva la revolution!
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
New Story Collection Out!
It's been quiet here at One Rounded Corner-- because I've been feverishly working-- night, day, and in between.
Finished my story Killer Angel, and put the book Apocalypse Tango together-- a 5 story collection of the End of the World.
A few deadly serious stories, and a couple of fun ones.
It's out as an e-book in all formats (print coming soon)- with an awesome cover.
Sample it for free, then get your copy:
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/164257
A little further progress on my Insane Writing Challenge for 2012.
Finished my story Killer Angel, and put the book Apocalypse Tango together-- a 5 story collection of the End of the World.
A few deadly serious stories, and a couple of fun ones.
It's out as an e-book in all formats (print coming soon)- with an awesome cover.
Sample it for free, then get your copy:
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/164257
A little further progress on my Insane Writing Challenge for 2012.
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Good Writer Features
Pete Morin got featured on Indie Exchange today, a very good thing. Pete is the author of Diary of a Small Fish, an excellent book that takes you by surprise. You never thought Boston/Mass politics could be interesting, but Pete is such a good writer, he makes it so. He tells the story of a man indicted for the crime of playing golf!
Oh, yeah, you gotta find out what it all means. It's a great ride.
Oh, yeah, you gotta find out what it all means. It's a great ride.
Sunday, May 13, 2012
Money For Nothing
Great post by April Hamilton on If You're Not Ready To Invest, You're Not Ready To Publish.
On the alarming sense of entitlement she's seeing out there among indies and would-be indies. Idiots who post crappy e-books with no formatting, grammar, basic editing, and usually horrible covers.
But they want a million downloads, and to get rich, even though they haven't even done the basics. They want money for nothing.
It's rather like some dimwit setting up a business without knowing the first thing about business. All you've got is a product, and you think that's all you need.
Well, it's more than that. Creating a good book is part of it, but the packaging is also of vital importance. 99 times out of a hundred (or possibly more) an amateurish cover means an amateurish book. A quick look at the contents will tell you what you need to know.
There's a lot of people calling themselves writers, who shoved out a piece of pony poo without getting even a simple edit. And these fools just muck up the marketplace, because no one will (or should) buy their hastily-extruded end product.
Read the blog post, and do what she says. As a start!
On the alarming sense of entitlement she's seeing out there among indies and would-be indies. Idiots who post crappy e-books with no formatting, grammar, basic editing, and usually horrible covers.
But they want a million downloads, and to get rich, even though they haven't even done the basics. They want money for nothing.
It's rather like some dimwit setting up a business without knowing the first thing about business. All you've got is a product, and you think that's all you need.
Well, it's more than that. Creating a good book is part of it, but the packaging is also of vital importance. 99 times out of a hundred (or possibly more) an amateurish cover means an amateurish book. A quick look at the contents will tell you what you need to know.
There's a lot of people calling themselves writers, who shoved out a piece of pony poo without getting even a simple edit. And these fools just muck up the marketplace, because no one will (or should) buy their hastily-extruded end product.
Read the blog post, and do what she says. As a start!
Saturday, May 12, 2012
Meeting Good Authors
Today our town hosted an event with Tony Horwitz and Geraldine Brooks, a married pair of Pulitzer-Prize-winning journalists-- and now novelists.
They had a terrific forum, where they shared the stage, and "interviewed" each other about the work and the writing process. Then they answered the many questions from the audience.
I was pleased to see they were nice, intelligent, fun. The types you'd like to hang out with, and talk good books and life.
They recommended the work of other writers, so I've picked up some of those recommendations, and more books by each of this dynamic pair.
There are other writers with more ego than talent, who make meeting them a pain-- not so with these two. Makes you want to hear more.
Kudos to the Chelmsford library for hosting this event. I love living in a literate town!
They had a terrific forum, where they shared the stage, and "interviewed" each other about the work and the writing process. Then they answered the many questions from the audience.
I was pleased to see they were nice, intelligent, fun. The types you'd like to hang out with, and talk good books and life.
They recommended the work of other writers, so I've picked up some of those recommendations, and more books by each of this dynamic pair.
There are other writers with more ego than talent, who make meeting them a pain-- not so with these two. Makes you want to hear more.
Kudos to the Chelmsford library for hosting this event. I love living in a literate town!
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