Category Archives: writing/blogging/publishing related

writing, blogging, publishing

The Service Savvy Authors Would Pay For (If It Existed)

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Part I – Nobody wants to read the great novel you wrote:

Without going into a whole history of digital self-publishing, let’s just admit the current situation sucks. Sure there are now self-published e-books regularly featured in The New York Times Sunday Book Review combined e-book and paperback top 25 bestsellers. Yes, there was a write-up in Slate last week on the phenomenal success of Wool, but aside from a very few winners, most authors are losers, and readers aren’t too happy either.
Continue reading The Service Savvy Authors Would Pay For (If It Existed) →

Schrodinger’s Book Review

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The Schrodinger’s Telephone book review is definitely alive, and not dead. You can read it on Big Al’s Books and Pals. For those of you who don’t remember, Big Al’s is a book review site that  went viral a couple of years ago when someone went ballistic over a negative review, and this led to lolz for all.

But Big Al has always been very, very good to me. So go read the review,  and then go buy Schrodinger’s Telephone for less than a buck, or that other one for a little more. It would be great if you could like Schrodinger’s Telephone on Amazon, which will take all of a second, and if so inclined reviews — good, bad, indifferent are always appreciated. Did you know an Amazon customer review could be as short as 20 words?

Don’t read e-books?  Schrodinger’s is a novella, you can devour quickly. It won’t strain your eyes to read it on whatever device you have.

Branding I’m Doing It Wrong

Politics and Culture, writing/blogging/publishing related, ,

Despite the widget above featuring three of my books, and the link on the side to my Amazon author page, etc. etc., most people stopping by this blog have no idea whatsoever that I write fiction. Nor do they care.

I get it. I know why you’re here. (I check my analytics almost as much as I check my book stats.)

Continue reading Branding I’m Doing It Wrong →

I Can Fix Him — New Twists on a Very Old Story

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Once upon a time there was a princess. She was beautiful but lonely. Men were intimidated by her, and women envious. She was pure and virginal. Strange circumstances bring her to a remote castle. A mysterious man visits her at night and they become lovers but she must obey his rule and never look at his face. They are happy, but after a conversation with her jealous sisters in which they imply that he may be a monster, she decides to get a look. She puts a lamp up to him and sees that he’s a god, but the oil burns him and he runs away injured. (What she doesn’t know is that his mother was jealous of her beauty and sent him initially to Continue reading I Can Fix Him — New Twists on a Very Old Story →

Sh*t Your Friends Say When You Tell Them You Self-Published

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Shit your friends say when you tell them you self-published:

“Is it real published?”

“It’s great to have a hobby!”

“You earned what? Do you know how little money that is?”

“No, haven’t got around to reading it yet.”

“It’s not you. I haven’t read fiction in years”

“It’s nice to have dreams, isn’t it?”

“It’s on my list!”

“99 cents? You’re joking, aren’t you?”

“Did you try sending it out?”

“I have too many published books to read.”

“These people are strangers?” (Referring to good reviews.)

“Maybe you should mention it on Facebook.”

“Maybe you shouldn’t mention it on Facebook.”

“People are buying that?”

“400 downloads your first month? You do understand that for a published book that’s nothing.”

“I guess you were really desperate.”

“Isn’t it possible all those agents were trying to tell you something?”

“Now a real publisher will never look at your work.”

“I don’t read e-books.” Then when told it’s in paperback, some other shit.

“You mean like that crazy lady that went viral?”

“For a second, I thought you were serious.”

“I’m so sorry!”