Traditionally Published Authors and Royalties

The post on Kristine Kathryn Rusch's site is here.

Having never been traditionally published, it's only very recently that what a mess royalty statements truly are.  It seems that authors knew their royalties would be off a bit here and there (if they could make sense of those statements).

Except now, it seems the royalties could be way, way off.

The Kindle and Libraries

Real short post today.

I'm sure you've heard this news about how Kindle owners will now be able to borrow library books.  If not, read the NY Times article.

As it says in the article:

E-book use in libraries has been growing at a rapid pace, particularly in the last year as more consumers have bought e-readers.

This is a reversal by Amazon, who, earlier in the year, said they wouldn't allow it.  But now they are.

Not every publisher is allowing this, though.  (Figures.)  Simon & Schuster and MacMillan still won't allow their ebooks to be available, while HarperCollins will only allow their ebooks to be loaned out 26 times before those ebooks expire.  That especially makes no sense to me; if you're going to dip your toe in, might as well duck your whole body in.

Anyway, I think it's a great thing.  The way I look at it, you may sample something and sort of like what you're reading, but if you're not sure, there's a chance you can borrow it from the library instead.  And, as long as whomever you're reading doesn't have their books with S&S or MacM, you won't have to pay a thin dime for their overpriced ebooks.

What do you think?  Good idea?  Dumb idea?  Don't care?

To Be Read and What I'm Currently Reading

I wasn't sure what sort of post to do today, so I figured, what the heck, I'll put out there what I'm currently reading, and what I can remember is in my TBR pile.

Not Fair

Vid Friday is on hiatus again this week.

I did something - not naughty; get your brain out of the gutter ;-) - that I've been putting off for a long time, something I didn't want to do but just had to.

I had to give up critting someone's work.

It's not something I wanted to do, not something I anticipated doing.  But I have to not only think of myself but of the person I'm critting.  It's not fair that I haven't gotten back to his questions about my crits (and I always have a ton of comments, lol).  It's not fair to leave him hanging, when he could be moving forward, making decisions.

And it's not fair to not be editing my own stuff.  See, I've got an increased workload here at work, and it's taking time away from my own stuff.  How could I then continue with the critting, if I don't have enough time for my writing?  Not fair all around.

I agonized over it for a long time, averting my eyes from his emails (not fair), telling myself I'd get back to him in a little bit (not fair).  And what's a little bit?  A day?  A week?  A month?

So I bit the bullet and gave him the bad news.  But I did give him books he might consider, including A Writer's Book of Hope, which really helped me get over my bout of the blues the past week or so.  (Hmm, that might be a good post in itself. :-))  And, no, I'm not going to shill anything in this post; I have that crap in a small box in the upper right of this blog. :-)

I also included a piece of software that touts itself as doing copyediting & proofreading, as far as software can go, that is (beyond Word's spelling & grammar checker, but it's still a piece of software).  Jury's still out on that, but it might be useful (and maybe yet another post, *if* I decide to buy it).

At least now he can move forward with his own story, and I can get back to my stuff - with a good conscience.

Fairness for both of us. :-)

Some Thoughts on Writing

Well, I finally did it.

I decided to register a trade name (fictitious name) with the county I live in.  I paid US$52 to register, was in and out of the County Clerk's office in about five minutes.

Easy.

The name I chose is a slight twist on my maiden name (if I told you what it is, I'd have to kill you ;-)).

March Winds Publishing.

I also have an idea for a logo.

I might make a little.  I might make a lot.  I might not make a damn thing.  All of that is okay; I've chosen my path after taking into account a lot of things, namely my age (I'm pushing 50, even though I don't look it, so says my hubby and others :-)), my health (I had a brain aneurysm three years ago; my left kidney isn't in the greatest shape), and I'm a personal control freak.  I love learning new things, always have, always will.

Again, as I said in previous post, I have nothing against people going via the legacy/traditional route.  Or the e-publisher only route.  As long as people know what's involved and can ask themselves honestly what the best route is for them, then what's wrong with that?

Join the Cult!

This is a cult you can get into...without being brainwashed.  I think. ;-)

Go to the Writer Beware blog below

Writer Beware™ Blogs!: Atlanta Nights, the Movie: From Hoax to Film

to read about it.  You may even consider throwing a few dollars their way.  (I did.  Anything to bring down Publish America.)

Even if you don't kick in a few bucks (and you don't have to), I think this is a bizarre turn of events for the Worst.  Book.  Ever.  Written.

Read the post at the above link, and you'll understand why.

Happy Wednesday! :-)

Pronoun Trouble

Sorry if I haven't been paying much attention to my blog lately; my temp job has kept me very busy the past two weeks or so.

I grew up on Looney Tunes, and sometimes I've scared my husband by knowing what particular cartoon it is just by the music.  No, seriously. :-)

::shrug::  I'm a whack job, so what else is new? ;-)

Anyhoo, this is one of my faves in the Daffy/Bugs/Elmer series of cartoons done by Chuck Jones.  (He did all the Road Runner cartoons until the late 60s, when he'd moved on to doing Tom & Jerry cartoons.)  And, yes, Daffy actually does say, "Hmm...pronoun trouble!" in this part of the clip.

And gets the smell of cordite in his feathers for being anal about English (reminds me of me - minus the cordite, of course ;-)).

Fun, fun, fun!

Red Seas Under Red Skies - A Review

Red Seas Under Red Skies, by Scott Lynch
Spectra
784 pages

If you haven't read the first book, The Lies of Lock Lamora, read that first.

Does this second installment live up to the first?

Dorchester Publishing Boycott - NOT An April Fool's Joke!

I'm taking a break from my Vid Fridays thingie.

Saw this at Anne Marble's site/blog.

Why is there a call for a boycott?