Sometimes I Just Loathe Writers: Part II
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When we left Dick and Bane, they were in the initial stages of jointly ruining my department’s next issue of Fringe. A few of you guessed at what might happen next, and a couple of you got it right.
Yes, Bane did indeed write back a few days later to tell me that her agent wanted her to “shop” her story “elsewhere.” It caught me off guard … I’d heard of writers turning down acceptance before, but never did I think it would happen to me at Fringe. Especially from someone who really hasn’t published very much. In the words of my Editorial Assistant Anna, “Since when is Bane such a big deal?” Answer: she’s not.
Friday’s Links
We hope you all had lovely Thanksgivings (Thanksgivingses?). WBN whipped up some spaghetti and garlic bread and watched Planes, Trains and Automobiles. No complaints at all.
Now that some of you are back to the grind, here are a few Friday lit links to see you through a yucky workday.
– Is this the end for Cooks Source? Their website redirects to Intuit, which is a good sign. This crazy Judith Griggs lady is still blaming the author–specifically “the harm she has inflicted on others on behalf of her own agenda.” Let us hope that this closes the book on Judith and her mag.
Friday's Links
We hope you all had lovely Thanksgivings (Thanksgivingses?). WBN whipped up some spaghetti and garlic bread and watched Planes, Trains and Automobiles. No complaints at all.
Now that some of you are back to the grind, here are a few Friday lit links to see you through a yucky workday.
– Is this the end for Cooks Source? Their website redirects to Intuit, which is a good sign. This crazy Judith Griggs lady is still blaming the author–specifically “the harm she has inflicted on others on behalf of her own agenda.” Let us hope that this closes the book on Judith and her mag.
Sometimes I Just Loathe Writers: Part I
Sometimes I just loathe writers.
If you’re visiting our blog, odds are that you’re a writer yourself. I don’t mean to imply that I sometimes loathe you specifically. I don’t. We’ve had some lovely times together. Plus, I’m a writer myself, and a cheerleader for writers.
(And yes, I sometimes often always extra-always do loathe my writer self–but that’s a topic for a different blog post. Or for my shrink.)
(And yes, I am an actual cheerleader for writers. The pom-pons, the white tennies, shaved legs, my hair in a bow–but that’s a topic for my shrink only.)
But if you ask my editor self, he’ll tell you that it often seems like writers are out to ruin his life. This series of posts is about two of them in particular. They know who they are.
Friday’s Links
Let’s start this week’s lit links with some nudity–for without nudity, would there even be any literature?
(I don’t know what that question means, but the answer is “Probably.” Or maybe “Maybe”)
– Among this literary agent’s top 10 ways to not blow a sale is “Don’t send nude photos.” The agent, Cricket Freeman, says, ”It’s surprising … how many of us (agents) get nude photos.”
Meanwhile, all across North America teenage boys are putting themselves on a new career path. (Link via @MysticJourneys)
Friday's Links
Let’s start this week’s lit links with some nudity–for without nudity, would there even be any literature?
(I don’t know what that question means, but the answer is “Probably.” Or maybe “Maybe”)
– Among this literary agent’s top 10 ways to not blow a sale is “Don’t send nude photos.” The agent, Cricket Freeman, says, ”It’s surprising … how many of us (agents) get nude photos.”
Meanwhile, all across North America teenage boys are putting themselves on a new career path. (Link via @MysticJourneys)
Write Here
There just aren’t enough places outside the home where a writer can work in peace and quiet. Libraries are loud, cafes are expensive, and Starbucks coffee tastes like ass.
That’s why we at WriteByNight created Write Here. Three times a week we take a break from our writers’ services to provide a quiet space for you to write, read, meet other writers, or just kick back and dream. Coffee, snacks, Wi-Fi, writing prompts, several comfy seating areas — what more could a writer ask for? The best part: Write Here is free and open to the public.
WHEN: Tuesdays, 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.; Wednesdays, 4 - 8 p.m.; Saturdays, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. (Come whenever you like, and stay for all or part of the time)
WHERE: WriteByNight Headquarters, 1305 E. 6th Street, Suite 4
Your Publishing Options: Self-Publishing
Here’s the low-down on the state of self-publishing in today’s market, as articulated by Greenleaf Book Group, LLC.
Self-publishing has gained a lot of momentum in recent years, primarily as a result of decreased production costs and the mass distribution of accessible technologies that make book production simple for the layman. But self-publishing continues to offer authors a mixed bag of costs and benefits. read more
Friday’s Links
– Let’s start where we started last week. Cooks Source issues a statement and fapology (fake apology) on their website. Meanwhile, the Brits are having a ball with this story. It’s also fun to try to find the real Cooks Source on Facebook. I would imagine that this has been the most colorful November in Judith Griggs’ life.
Friday's Links
– Let’s start where we started last week. Cooks Source issues a statement and fapology (fake apology) on their website. Meanwhile, the Brits are having a ball with this story. It’s also fun to try to find the real Cooks Source on Facebook. I would imagine that this has been the most colorful November in Judith Griggs’ life.
Your Publishing Options: Vanity & New-Technology
Last week, Austin’s Greenleaf Book Group, LLC brought us the insider’s scoop on traditional publishing. Here, we present Greenleaf’s thoughts on vanity publishing and new-technology publishing, also known as POD or print on demand.
Vanity Publishing
Another option is to use a vanity publisher. They offer to publish any book, regardless of the quality, for a fee. Instead of an advance, they charge an exorbitant amount and take a 50 to 75 percent stake in the work. read more
Your Publishing Options: Vanity & New-Technology
Last week, Austin’s Greenleaf Book Group, LLC brought us the insider’s scoop on traditional publishing. Here, we present Greenleaf’s thoughts on vanity publishing and new-technology publishing, also known as POD or print on demand.
Vanity Publishing
Another option is to use a vanity publisher. They offer to publish any book, regardless of the quality, for a fee. Instead of an advance, they charge an exorbitant amount and take a 50 to 75 percent stake in the work. read more
Friday’s Links
Before we begin, I just want to clarify: this isn’t a dictatorship. If you come across some links that would look good on this page, by all means send ‘em along to david@writebynight.net.
Now sit down, behave, and read these!
– Let us lead with one of the most ridiculous things I’ve ever seen–a private blog post taken without permission and published in some silly, pointless print magazine named Cooks Source. When the blogger wrote to Cooks Source to ask for reparations, the response from the Managing Editor was, “You should compensate me (for editing and improving the piece)!” I can’t even begin to fit my big head around this kind of stupidity and obnoxiousness. It’s a very, very special kind of stupidity and obnoxiousness.
Update: Here’s a great overview by an uncharacteristically calm Ed Champion. In the piece, he provides a link to the writer’s original post about the incident, which includes a longer portion of the Editor’s ridiculous email.
Your Publishing Options: Traditional Publishing
The following excerpt comes to us courtesy of our friends at Greenleaf Book Group, LLC, a publisher and distributor dedicated to independent authors and small presses, headquartered here in Austin.
The first option is to sell your manuscript to a traditional publishing house for an advance and royalties. The primary benefits of this method are that:
■ Traditional publishing requires the smallest up-front investment by the author.
■ Major publishers have solid, nationwide distribution.
■ Some publishers grant new authors credibility and prestige.
Possessed: Part II
You wanted Steps 2 and 3 to showing your character who’s boss, you got ‘em. (Read Part I here.)
Step 2: Kick that character out of your bed!
Swithin sure had a sense of humor. He loved to wake me up in the middle of the night, pull me from the comfort of my bed and sit me down in front of the computer to work on that unfinished chapter or compose a scene that he simply had to see realized. Funny, huh? It was behavior like this that made perfectly clear which one of us was working the puppet strings.
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