self-pub author ensures she'll stay that way...

[Stella_Omega]

Just-- wow. Am I ever glad I've never done anything this dumb-- at least, not in public;

Schadenfreude for the win.

 

[sr71plt]

Jacqueline's right about one thing. This will boost her sales.

 

[Stella_Omega]

Something that I noticed; the reviewer tried very hard to make it clear that she does have story-telling skills. Just not writing skills.

And I have to say that her responses were very entertaining, full of character -- and poor grammar and spelling.

She's going into my characters examples files.

 

[xxxleia90]

Wow, I just took the time to sit down and look this over and I must say, the book sounds like it would be an interesting read, but the way the author has decided to act is a giant turn off. Reviewers are allowed to speak how they please, if they don't like something they will not hesitate to share. To expect a review to be absolutely perfect is such garbage, especially if you are a new author. She should have taken this as something to learn from, then as an excuse to bitch. Highly disappointed >.<

 

[Dragonlipz]

Just-- wow. Am I ever glad I've never done anything this dumb-- at least, not in public;

Schadenfreude for the win.

I'm just glad I never did it on the Net........whew, thanx for the laughs, Stella

 

[Kurokami]

Oh man, that's a hugely entertaining way to spend my morning. I'm going to be smiling all morning... Well, until I get to Uni, anyway.

Seriously, though, it's kind of interesting to see a career implode in real time, albeit a sickly and weak career as this one obviously was.

 

[manyeyedhydra]

Ouchies.

Perversely, she'll probably make quite a few extra sales out of that, human nature being what it is.

Not sure the 'insiders' came out of that so well either. A little too much sneering nastiness in that thread for my liking. The kindle has busted the club wide open and they're not too pleased about it.

I'm happy for the Jaquelines to inflict their grammar abuses on the world if it means I can sell my stories as well.

 

[Stella_Omega]

sure, she'll make some sales. but those sales may ensure that she doesn't sell more-- I mean bad writing is funny once, but would you pay for it twice?

The reviewer specifically reviews ebooks. There are no insiders responding to that post that I can see. There's one woman behaving very badly, right in front of many people. You can't really blame them for their reactions, --or maybe you can.

 

[stephen55]

"She carried her stocky build carefully back down the stairs."

"Don and Katy watched hypnotically Gino place more coffees out at another table with supreme balance."


My fiction is atrocious but these sentences actually grate on my nerves as well as my eyes, pained in the extremes of extremity while soothing delicious Mozart wafted gentle more coffees with supreme balance down the stairs with her stocky build hypnotically watched the Greek Seaman.

 

[PublicAffection]

A note to be added to my "things never to do" list.

 

[Stella_Omega]

"She carried her stocky build carefully back down the stairs."

"Don and Katy watched hypnotically Gino place more coffees out at another table with supreme balance."


My fiction is atrocious but these sentences actually grate on my nerves as well as my eyes, pained in the extremes of extremity while soothing delicious Mozart wafted gentle more coffees with supreme balance down the stairs with her stocky build hypnotically watched the Greek Seaman.

pass that joint duuuuude....

 

[manyeyedhydra]

sure, she'll make some sales. but those sales may ensure that she doesn't sell more-- I mean bad writing is funny once, but would you pay for it twice?

The reviewer specifically reviews ebooks. There are no insiders responding to that post that I can see. There's one woman behaving very badly, right in front of many people. You can't really blame them for their reactions, --or maybe you can.

Whoa. I really must get that paranoia under control. You're quite right. I saw a couple of "that's why I don't read/review self-pubbed books" / "professional editors read this and now your career is dirt" comments and imagined it into an army for some reason. There's probably more "Please don't think this is typical of self-pubbing" comments.

I thought the posts saying she'd wreck her sales were a little naive. I had a look on amazon.

She's picked up 61 reviews on amazon, which is quite impressive. Especially considering it's only ranked at 35,000 (My book was around there earlier this week from a whopping 3 sales in the same week). 5,000 on co.uk.

A short term boost, maybe an extra $100 or so. Probably not worth it in the long term for the damage to her reputation.

 

[stephen55]

pass that joint duuuuude....

I can't figure it out, but an old song from my misspent youth just came to mind.

Country Joe and the Fish...

Don't bogart that joint, my friend
Pass it over to me
Don't bogart that joint, my friend
Pass it over to me

Roll another one
Just like the other one
You've been hangin on to it
And I sure would like a hit

Don't bogart that joint, my friend
Pass it over to me
Don't bogart that joint, my friend
Pass it over to me

Rolllllllllllllllll another one
Just like the other one
That one's just about burned to the end
So come on and be a real friend

Don't bogart that joint, my friend
Pass it over to me
Don't bogart that joint, my friend
Pass it over to me

Everybody sing along this time

Don't bogart that joint, my friend
Pass it over to me
Don't bogart that joint, my friend
Pass it over to me

Memories of bell-bottom jeans, atrocious paisley shirts, Lava Lamps, mutton-chops and The Moody Blues accompanied by the wafting blue-grey smoke... but I never inhaled...

 

[LaliaLewd]

She has a Face Book, and it is not private.

http://www.facebook.com/jacqueline.howett

I suppose she welcomes comments there.

 

[estragon]

And people get upset when I drop my quibbles. They even go so far as to trash my stories with 1-bombs. Ah well, more copyediting to do....

 

[LaliaLewd]

And people get upset when I drop my quibbles. They even go so far as to trash my stories with 1-bombs. Ah well, more copyediting to do....

Your stuff is much better, and it's easier to read.

 

[vrosej10]

i recently got into a fight like this with the author of a supposed haiku book who had no clue what he was talking about. I gave it a negative review on Amazon (kind by comparison to reviews given to him by Haiku journals) and he pitched a fit and wrote a whole argument having a wobbly about my review. It was pathetic.

 

[stephen55]

i recently got into a fight like this with the author of a supposed haiku book who had no clue what he was talking about. I gave it a negative review on Amazon (kind by comparison to reviews given to him by Haiku journals) and he pitched a fit and wrote a whole argument having a wobbly about my review. It was pathetic.

Haiku!!

Bless you...

furuike
ya
kawazu
tobikomu
mizu
no
oto

Of course, it sounds so much better in the original Japanese.

古池や　蛙飛込む　水の音


In English...it becomes clear why haiku never caught on over here.

old pond . . .
a frog leaps in
water’s sound

 

[vrosej10]

Haiku!!

Bless you...

furuike
ya
kawazu
tobikomu
mizu
no
oto

Of course, it sounds so much better in the original Japanese.

古池や　蛙飛込む　水の音


In English...it becomes clear why haiku never caught on over here.

old pond . . .
a frog leaps in
water’s sound

I get it and I love that poem but not everyone gets haiku. I love writing them. They are like snapshots in words.

 

[rgraham666]

My sharp eyed wife noted that Ms. Howett also reviews her own stuff on Amazon (since pulled).

 

[Stella_Omega]

My sharp eyed wife noted that Ms. Howett also reviews her own stuff on Amazon (since pulled).

I remember a similarly delightful woman who tried to create internet furor for herself.

She claimed that she wrote better gay fiction than gay men did. She had the reviews to prove it-- written by herself. She had basically plagiarized "Brokeback mountain..."

As I recall, one of her criticisms was that gay fiction had too much sex in it-- wasn't classy. Moron.

 

[Tio_Narratore]

Haiku!!

Bless you...

furuike
ya
kawazu
tobikomu
mizu
no
oto

Of course, it sounds so much better in the original Japanese.

古池や　蛙飛込む　水の音


In English...it becomes clear why haiku never caught on over here.

old pond . . .
a frog leaps in
water’s sound

Why , Stephen? The form evokes a moment, a sensation caught in verbal imagery. Old ponds are different from new ponds, and that difference in aquatic growth, as well as the general state of its flora and fauna, can be felt in the sound it makes. Surely, as a child (or adult), you have thrown stones in ponds and lakes and streams to see and hear the splash. The leap of the frog is the pond's sounding of itself; the haiku evokes that image, and we can each hear the sound in the ponds of our own histories and imaginings.

And, no, you are right, it never really caught on here, save as a jest, but does enjoy some serious devotees and afficionados.

 

[Tio_Narratore]

I remember a similarly delightful woman who tried to create internet furor for herself.

She claimed that she wrote better gay fiction than gay men did. She had the reviews to prove it-- written by herself. She had basically plagiarized "Brokeback mountain..."

As I recall, one of her criticisms was that gay fiction had too much sex in it-- wasn't classy. Moron.

Of course, Stella; don't you know the logic?
Here's the basic version of the syllogism for you:

Men need women for sex.
Gay men don't need women.
Therefore: Gay men don't need sex.

That's why only female homosexuals really have sex; they need women, and women are needed for sex.



And, by the way, have you read that engrossing tale of lesbian lust in suburban dining rooms? You know, "Breakfront Valley."

 

[Stella_Omega]

I've always understood it to be:

Women need men for sex.
Women locked away in harems don't have men.
Therefore, women in harems never even masturbate and never learn about lesbianism, and emerge pure and innocent as the driven snow without remembrance for the women they lived with and loved dearly.

Oh, wait-- that was John Ringo. No, wait-- that was a *coughdozen* female slash writers who really should know better.

What is it with this fetish for innocence anyway?

And, by the way, have you read that engrossing tale of lesbian lust in suburban dining rooms? You know, "Breakfront Valley."

Didn't Bebeslut write that?

 

[Tio_Narratore]

I've always understood it to be:

Women need men for sex.
Women locked away in harems don't have men.
Therefore, women in harems never even masturbate and never learn about lesbianism, and emerge pure and innocent as the driven snow without remembrance for the women they lived with and loved dearly.

Oh, wait-- that was John Ringo. No, wait-- that was a *coughdozen* female slash writers who really should know better.

What is it with this fetish for innocence anyway?

Didn't Bebeslut write that?

Seems likely...

And why is it called "innocence?" The loss of innocence isn't "guilt."
It seems to be more a case of valuing a lack of knowledge and experience, but in any other domain, we call that naiviete, incompetence, or just plain stupidity. I haven't heard anyone praising a doctor for her "innocence" in not learning the nitty-gritty of human biology.
Wait a second...Isn't that what the hairy thunderer demands in the OT? And isn't it the man who says "yes, Sir" and right away,Sir" while the woman eats the fruit of the tree of knowledge? Is there a pattern emerging here, Stella?