Gross is Better Than Net

So what the hell is silly ol' Nancy talking about, hmm?

Well, between this post on Dean Wesley Smith's site, and this post on J. Daniel Sawyer's site, you'll know exactly what I'm getting at.  And it ain't pretty.  (I could segue into some agents setting up as publishers, but I'll digress at this point...)

Promotion and Readers

There was a discussion over on Dean Wesley Smith's site, in this post, in the comments section.

I found a comment there about readership studies and the effect of promotion on reader's buying habits.  Unfortunately, one of the studies was off limits, and although the commenter remembered a more recent study, she linked to this one, from 2009.

Yes, it's RWA (Romance Writers of America), so maybe their buying habits are skewed in some way, but it's interesting reading nonetheless.  There are several nuggets in the study that are something to think about; not on a day-in, day-out basis, but to kind of tuck away in your gray matter.  (Well, I'll be tucking it away in my gray matter anyway. :-))

Finally...

Slowly I turn, inch by inch...

Oh, sorry, that's an old comedy routine (probably made most famous by The Three Stooges).

Anyway, I finally set up a separate checking account for my own publishing company (lol), March Winds Publishing.  It's with a local bank.  The lady at the bank was very polite and helpful; it's truly free checking.  No minimum that you have to keep in the bank or you get fees - nothing like that.  And I get a debit card with it, too; for me, that's necessary, in that I need to upgrade my laptop very soon.  (I'd like to get it before the Amazon Prime trial runs out.)

Now I've just got to get out of editing the first book, which I'm hoping is the end of this month.  I've already got the idea for the cover, yadda, yadda, yadda.  So many things to think about, but it's fun despite all the headaches. :-)

I'm shooting for my late father's birthday (June 1).  We'll see.

More Writer's Block Stuff - Using Music As a Breakthrough

With a title like that, you can see how much I use the word "stuff," eh? ;-)  And why I named my blog the way I did.  (It was actually part of a challenge to my husband, altho he's a slacker as far as blogs are concerned; YouTube is more his speed, while I'm ::meh:: about YouTube.)

Anyway, found this post through Konrath's blog (in the comments section), and then further looking through the writer's posts.

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?