I’m working on some promotional stuff and made these using OpenOffice.org. I haven’t a clue how to promote the book except on my websites and a few others that allow debut authors space to brag.
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Month: December 2006
bookmark_borderWhat are They Up To?
Read for yourself, ya lazy bum:
Sophia mentions a cool book in the UK
Irysangel is having fun at work
Kaitiana pitches a fit and has it thrown back at her
Georganna, after a bout with cancer, is back at it pondering the blog-to-book phenomenon and signs of a wannabe
Winston experienced an odd twist of The Birds plot
bookmark_borderWhile on the Subject
I was cruising Victoria Strauss and Ann Crispin’s blog and came across several posts worth sharing.
NaNoWriMo participants and their potential for being scammed.
Because I know that a significant percentage of the writers who participate in writing novels in November, are going to wind up getting SCAMMED in December, January, February, March, etc., when they submit their novels to scam publishers like American Book Publishers, or PublishAmerica, or scam literary agents like New York Literary Agents or Children’s Literary Agency…or any of the dozens of other scam agencies in Writer Beware’s database. Finding scam agents or publishers is far easier than finding real ones. All you have to do is type “literary agent” into google, and the the first entry that comes up is a scammer. Ditto for typing “publisher.’
About lies scammers say about scam hunters
As you might imagine, there are a number of bad “agents” and “editors” who don’t like it when we issue warnings, or allow people to share their experiences. There are many businesses that depend on writers staying in the dark and not learning about what publishing is really like, and what warning signs to watch out for.
Martha Ivery (and all her aliases) has been sentenced
This afternoon in Syracuse, New York, after several delays, Martha Ivery–vanity publisher, fee-charging literary agent, and woman of many aliases–was sentenced to 65 months in Federal prison, plus 3 years’ probation. In December 2005, she had pleaded guilty to all counts of a 17-count indictment: 15 counts of mail fraud and acts against the United States as a principal in a conspiracy, one count of improper use of an electronic access device (legalese for “credit-card fraud not involving the mails”), and one count of false sworn testimony in a bankruptcy proceeding.
The gist of my sharing these links is to push the concept of a writer doing research before they submit or query. Not doing so would be like buying a car without seeing it or reading reviews about it.
My book, Butch Girls Can Fix Anything, is being published by a legitimate publisher, Regal Crest Enterprises. Yes, they use Print-On-Demand (digital printing). No, they are not a “vanity” press nor are they an “author mill”. No, I haven’t paid them any money. No, I don’t have to pay them any money in the future. I researched them as much as I could before I submitted the manuscript to them nearly a year ago.
bookmark_borderFor Good or Evil?
I got the Writer’s Network News paper the other day and finally got around to reading it today. There is a huge article written by Nicki Leone (board president) concerning the Sobol Award and its validity.
Here’s the problem contest in a nutshell:
- Sobol Award will grant $100,000 (and a contract with the Sobol Literary Enterprises, Inc.)to the top winner, $25,000 to the second, and $10,000 to the third prize. Winners 4-10 will receive $1000.
- The registration cost is $85. To be paid only by credit card on-line, non-refundable.
- Entrants reaching a certain level must sign a statement saying something about they will not seek another agent until the contest is over (or something along those lines)
- They are seeking 50,000 entrants, maximum.
- Oh, and the major sponsor/promoter of this contest is Sobol Literary Enterprises, Inc.
Red flags began shooting up almost as soon as the contest was announced. The primary problem with it, the one that has everyone rolling, is that the registration cost is far too similar to a “reading fee”, something no legitimate agency would do. Ms. Leone put it so well in her article:
…a practice that goes solidly against the canon of ethics established by the Association of Authors’ Representatives (AAR). Under the terms of the AAR, no literary agent is allowed to charge a reading fee to look at a manuscript.
Here are some links to further information.
- The Sobol Award site | official rules (subject to change)
- Absolute Write Water Cooler Forum thread on this subject
- Yahoo! News articles
- Victoria Strauss’ thoughts | another Strauss post on Sobol
- MediaBistro’s thoughts
- And last, but not least, is Miss Snark herself going off on this topic
bookmark_borderTaking the Irons Out
I’ve decided I have too many irons on the not-so-proverbial fire.
There is BG1 getting proofed and headed for the presses.
There is BG2, written, trashed, being re-written.
There is BG3, being written.
There is BG4, just got wrote, not finished yet.
Then there is Simple Sarah which was written once (a huge honkin’ thing) and is being rewritten to be three books.
Then there is Centric, being written and researched to death.
Then there’s the numerous short stories I keep piddling around with.
Then there’s my column with EDSToday.
The BG books are all romance. SS is fantasy, Centric is science fiction, and the shorts are all, well, eclectic genres.
Should I continue with the BG books and build a fan base, that is if BG 1 actually sells more than two copies? Or do I get back to the fantasy?
My heart loves loves Simple Sarah. It is a brainy book with philosophy, religion, mechanics, various crafts, and a little bit of romance.
But the BG books are much easier to write. As in, they just come out. I’ve already got the setting done, the characters introduced, etc. Now just to plot, theme, and write ’em, Dano.
I just re-read BG2. Great book! I was disappointed it ended! I re-read BG3 while writing BG4. Another excellent read. Simple Sarah is probably the best work I have done so far with BG2 pulling a close second. Centric just keeps getting researched.
I’d like to pick one and just do it. Just write away. Eeeny Meeny Miney Mo?
bookmark_borderProofing
The other day I rec’d the link to the typesetter’s copy of the book. I finished going through it today and hope to go through it much faster tomorrow. Lorna will be going over it too as well as Sophia.
Most of the changes were little subtle things such as word order. We did a thorough edit but there were still plenty of things to work on. I changed a character’s name. I may change another. I changed the directions when I realized I had them going the wrong way. And I added in an acknowledgment that I had missed the first round. I was waiting to get her credentials and totally forgot. Bad author.
It is amazing how errors stand out when in the book format. I am thinking it is mostly because it is a different layout than what I have been staring at for the past two years. It was like seeing it for the first time. And it was like reading an e-book.
I think that once I finish an edit, I am going to change the format and go over it again. I’d like to see if errors pop out like they did with this.
bookmark_borderWhen It Rains
…it freakin’ pours.
And, sadly, I can’t say it is only raining on me.
My friend Elena has a husband with not one, not two, but possibly three cancers.
Lorna’s father has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s.
My mother had minor foot surgery in addition to something being wrong with her thyroid.
On a writer’s list I am on as part of GCLS, two writers have wiped out on motorcycles (a Triumph and a Harley) and needed surgery. Another wiped out on a motorcycle several months ago and had surgery. Another one had a car wreck a while back and is facing surgery this week. Another found out why she’s been so sick for so long: she’ allergic to almost every mold, including the ones found in food she eats.
An EDS friend’s son has a major brain injury but is finally home.
Seems as though there are more.
Then there’s me. I’ve got some internal stuff going on again, hurt my hip tripping over Sam’s food bowl stand, my sternum is inflamed (what used to be once a year or less is now becoming chronic), I’ve got to get the proofing of the typesetter’s copy done, and Mobius doesn’t seem to be doing well although Joella’s back has healed.
bookmark_borderNo Kidding
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You Are: 80% Dog, 20% Cat |
 You and dogs definitely have a lot in common. You’re both goofy, happy, and content with the small things in life. However, you’re definitely not as needy as the average dog. You need your down time occasionally. |
bookmark_borderPackages Part Two
It finally came this morning. Yes, Sunday morning. Smaller box than I thought but everything was in it. Yay!
Only two more packages and I will be done. Well, except for stocking stuffers. You know, a box of Whitman’s, a toy car or something like that. Little things.
I am lousy at gift wrapping. Last year I cheated and put it all in one bag. I don’t think Lorna appreciated it. This year I have gift bags again but they are re-useable. I may get some shirt boxes. I dunno.
I know what I am getting for Christmas, or at least The Big Gift. I’ve been pestering asking for a digital camera for a while. She handed me a chunk o’ change the other night and said, “I know this isn’t romantic or appropriate but here, go get your camera.” We’ll deposit it in my account and I’ll order it. She hasn’t a clue how to work Amazon or any of the other on-line places. I keep offering to show her and she says no. I think its because then she’ll have no excuse to not get me what I
We don’t put up any decorations any more. We used to, but it just got to be a big pain in the ass. We’ve had the same lights up on the porch for, like, ten years or more. I think all of them are finally gone except for some around one of the corner posts. With all our cats and dogs, a tree just isn’t sane. The year Maggie was a helmet head, she knocked the tree down three times. Zeus, who loved to lay under stuff, would crawl under the tree but when we told him to move, he’d stand up. The cats never really messed with the tree, although they did like the garland on the railings up the steps to nowhere.I’ve got a little witch hazel shrub/tree out front. When it gets big enough, I’m going to wrap lights around it. We’d decorate the ramp and porch except there’s no outlet. I’d love to have lights going down the rails of the ramp.
bookmark_borderHeat Wave!
Hey hey! The temp is finally above freezing!
One of these days, I will invest in a weather station. Our temps are colder than what “they” say. For example, when I let the dogs out for the last time each night, I check the temp from our gauge on the front porch. For the past several nights, it has been below 10F at around 2am. But “they” say we’ve not gone below 15.
Either way, our old old house with its old windows and doors has been a big chilly lately. If the wind isn’t blowing, it’s not too bad. But the wind just sucks the heat right out all the cracks.
OH, and the apple I had this morning had a sticker but no advertising on it.