The argument against Agent/Publishers

A few posts ago I lauded a Literary Agency for offering self-publishing services.  Here is a link to a reasoned blog on why agencies should not become actual publishers




Publishing Perspectives

I believe literary agent Jason Ashlock has a perspective that definitely has to be considered.  As in all markets, buyer beware.   "An agent representing a client’s works to licensees cannot realistically maintain his or her unwavering allegiance to that client when the licensee is the Agency itself — however the “digital publishing arm” of the agency is described. "

The race to the finish....

Why is it that the closer I get to publishing a book the faster I want to go?  I know that this "race to the finish" attitude is the reason I would be very, very bad at traditional publishing.  I want it to happen now.  Not six to twelve months from now.  Oh well, I guess I have to live with my race horse mentality.

Put in Your Two Cents

Okay.  So I’ve lapsed back into the publicity world.  One of the things that readers may not know about books in the ever evolving world of publishing is that books live or die on their reviews, and reviews are no longer solely the purview of the New York Review of Books and The New York Times.  In the world of internet publishing, every single reviewer can have an effect on how a novel sells.

When Jeff Bezos first decided that customers, any customers, would be allowed to review product (negatively and positively) on the Amazon site, detractors said that it would have a generally negative effect on sales, but Bezos defended the decision (correctly) by saying that the purpose of a review is to help customers make the best product choice. As far as I am concerned he was spot on.

If I don’t create a quality product, I deserve what I get.  If I make your socks go up and down, tell other people so that they may enjoy my book too.  Don’t be shy.  Go to Amazon.com or Goodreads and put in your two cents!

Punctuation Lesson

Very delinquent (I'm setting up a parallel blog) but I stole this today from FaceBook.  I need to internalize it (my editors would say).  Not the sentiment for I've committed that to heart from an early age, just the punctuation lesson.

The Process of Writing

I've concentrated for the last few months on the process of marketing, or (as it used to be called) selling.  For the past few weeks I have done so so very intensely that it has interruped my writing process.  My back has been out, I've been in a really ugly mood and I haven't figured out why.  Until now, that is.

I am a writer.  I'm not doing what I'm supposed to be doing.

You're about to see a change in this blog (yes again).  I'm going to be writing about writing and the process thereof.  The purpose is to bring me back to home.  To bring me back to where I love to be. 

I wasn't made to sell, I was made to write.