News and Notices from the Writing Trenches #13…
#82: On Wednesday, I tried to comment on one of Joe’s posts at Joe Konrath’s website. Previously, I was allowed to list the URL for my own website or use my Facebook fan page. Now you have to sign on to Google+ (I don’t use Google+ or much of anything of theirs anymore beyond their search engine and Chrome—they’re becoming a monopoly). Conclusion: either Google is being undemocratic and tyrannical, or Joe Konrath has succumbed to the pressures of rampant capitalism. My first suspect is Google since I use Chrome and they obviously know I do. If this keeps up, they can also take their web browser and shove it where the sun don’t shine. If Joe is the guilty party, then shame on him and I’ll ask everyone to boycott his website. In any case, pox on the house of the guilty one—I intend to find out who it is and launch an attack!
It won’t be the first time. When the CEO of GoDaddy published video of his elephant hunt and subsequent butcher job on the carcass, I cancelled my GoDaddy account. It cost me money too, but that’s the way I am. I’ve noticed that during the last two days (Tuesday and Wednesday) GoDaddy has run a full-page ad in the NY Times. Could it be that their business is hurting? I sure hope so.
#83: Since I was in a foul mood respect to the above, you can imagine how I felt when I received an e-mail from the NY Times saying that they were cancelling my subscription. I refer to the Times often in my blog because (1) I read it (both paper version and digital), (2) “it has all the news that’s fit to print” (it really doesn’t, and it is progressively biased), and (3) I receive a steady flow of news bulletins from them (not just them, of course) that often stimulate a blog post. Before COB I received another e-mail apologizing for the error and this morning (Thursday), right there on the front page, was the disclaimer. It was their error—read: some employee’s screw-up.
If he did it on purpose, I’d say fire the bum, just for annoying me and wasting my time. (I tried to call the Times. Guess what? All the lines were busy!) If it was an accident, I’d put him on probation for stupidity—I wouldn’t fire him in this case because accidents do happen. In my old day job, I had bosses who would hit “Reply All” instead of “Reply,” something that often had unintended consequences. Even though I’m a Luddite about many computer skills the average office-worker manages well, I’ve never done anything that stupid. (Of course, my bosses couldn’t write a FORTRAN or MatLab program either!)
#84: Speaking of internet activism and charity work, for years I have supported The Nature Conservancy. This group quietly does a lot more than The Sierra Club, The World Wildlife Fund, and other similar organizations, in that it buys and receives vast tracts of land all around the world and leaves them in a pristine natural state for future generations. Highly recommended…and it makes a good New Year’s resolution to pledge support to this good cause.
#85: One way to get a free copy of one of my books is to write a non-trivial review (for rules, see my “Steve’s Writing” page). However, that takes time you might rather spend reading something else (like another one of my books?). So buy a book and read it (my books are muy cheapos, at least in the eBook versions) and write a one-line interview on Amazon or wherever. Make it another New Year’s resolution. You’ll be helping a struggling writer (namely me) achieve fame and fortune. (I really need neither one, but good karma comes my way when I discover that a reader has been entertained by one of my books—even if you’re checking it out of a library.)
#86: My Facebook friend, formatting and cover angel, and prize-winning author Donna Carrick is giving away her book The First Excellence for a short period. If you want a tremendous book to read, now is your chance. It’s worth reading at any price!
I don’t like the idea of authors giving away anything beyond short stories and excerpts, but many do, especially as a promotional gimmick. I suppose it’s something like freeware or shareware in the software world, but my experience with shareware is the programmer never gets paid for the sweat and time he spent writing the software. I don’t know if this has all changed with the infamous apps for smart phones. The times are a-changin’….
#87: I’ve just started Heat Rises, the third book in the Richard Castle series about Nikki Heat. For those who don’t follow the ABC show, mystery writer Castle hounds (he calls it consulting with) NYPD detective Kate Beckett, who is his model for Nikki Heat in his novels. FYI: the books are entertaining, possibly more so than the TV show (I keep thinking of the main character of the Fox show Firefly).
More fun perhaps is the nagging question: Who’s the ghostwriter who writes the Richard Castle books? According to what I’ve read, ABC admits it’s someone who has appeared on the show. Poker partners of the fictitious Castle are the real James Patterson, Stephen Cannell, and Michael Connelly, so I opted for Connelly who worked as a journalist/crime writer and has an intimate knowledge of police procedures (both Patterson and Cannell are no slouches, but they wing it sometimes, as I do myself). There are other possibilities. Jeannie Ruesch, in her June 28, 2010 blog post, claims it’s the mystery writer Tom Straw. He sure looks like a guy in a non-speaking cameo in one episode.
This is not as burning a question as who is Boston Teran (see my review of his/her/their Gardens of Grief), but it is delicious fun. Whether Richard Castle, the writer, is really Michael Connelly, Tom Straw, or someone else, I’m sure that he’s wondering if the success of the Richard Castle books is due to the ABC series, their real quality, or the mystery about their author. For Boston Teran, who writes books a cut above anything Richard Castle does, my curiosity about him is on overdrive.
In libris libertas….
December 30th, 2011 at 5:37 am
Hi,
I would appreciate if you to read my novel, and give me feedback. My book was rejected by publishers and agents. I strongly believe that every man is gifted to tell a story. This book is now published on a blog. Your visit and comments would provide encouragement, I am sure children in your house would enjoy reading the same. I would like to get this book rated by my readers who appreciate good storytelling. Please visit http://thelordsofkumaon.blogspot.com Thank you.
December 30th, 2011 at 7:19 am
Hello Lords, and thanks for your question.
You first have to jump over a rather low hurdle. Considering the legacy publishing road of yore, it is truly low–no agents or publishers, just KDP and/or Smashwords. In other words, turn your opus into an eBook. Be sure and edit well your MS before doing so and come up with a nice, pertinent cover (necessary even for eBooks). The editing might be very important for you–I detect that you are probably not a native English speaker.
That said, I generally only review for Bookpleasures. I often do self-pubbed works but never fantasy. I realize the line between fantasy and sci-fi is blurry, but I even had to swallow hard to read Harry Potter. However, if you submit your new eBook to Bookpleasures or any of the online reviewers who review self-pubbed books (see the list on the “Steve’s Writing” page), you might pick up some good reviews. Moreover, encourage any of your readers to write reviews of your book. And definitely spend lots of time harvesting good advice about marketing your book and “establishing your brand.” There’s a lot out there (again, see the list on the “Steve’s Writing” page–I’ve even written a few things myself along those lines).
You have made a good start by setting up your blog. I promise to visit that and peek around and am happy to encourage my readers also to do so.
All the best in your writing career,
Steve
December 31st, 2011 at 2:44 pm
Could it be that Konrath has realized that he’s got a wildly popular blog, and that one of the sneaky ways people get their websites in front of each other is to comment on popular blogs? Maybe he got tired of being a matchmaker.
Or it could be just another evil Google plot. You don’t take over the world without a master plan, you know?
Sorry about the NYTimes mess-up. Sounds like a phishing scam, doesn’t it? Lately I’ve been getting emails thanking me for buying a new Mac computer. And so have other people, none of whom have recently purchased any such thing.
My sister gave me a Castle book, saying it wasn’t any good, but maybe I’d like it. It’s around here somewhere. Maybe I’ll read it. Rather like Connelly.
You impressed me just now with your kind and helpful answer to lordsofkumaon. I don’t read stories set in space (too claustrophobic) but my husband does. I’ll give him your book.
Happy New Year!
January 1st, 2012 at 7:32 am
Hi Texanne, in spite of your comments on conservatives and progressives below, I hope you keep visiting.
It always fascinates me on how some human brains are wired with internal contradictions–I guess this is a remnant of our tribal origins where all tribe members had to be fundamentalists…or die. My kind and helpful answer to lordsofkumaon originates in my progressive nature. I always feel my political sympathies are in absolute agreement with my being helpful to people…what’s your excuse?
One of the advantages of writing a blog is that I don’t have to pander to anyone. Next Tuesday watch for my post where I slam Mr. Obama.
As for your comments, I post all here as long as (a) the person says something logical and (b) says it in a way that doesn’t use four-letter words in abundance. Thank you for “joining the conversation.”
And Happy New Year to you too….
All the best,
Steve