Writing Goal for the Day?

[sr71plt]

That's why publishers are good to have if you can get them. They take care of that themselves.

Yep, I wouldn't do it without publishers.

 

[PennLady]

Yep, I wouldn't do it without publishers.

I have a couple of leads on that, and will try to get my material together. I may self-publish to Amazon in the interim, though. It has been so hard to get anything done b/c we've all been varying degrees of sick. I'm keeping PennGirl home today, poor thing looks so pitifully tired. Her pre-school program is only a couple of hours, but I don't think she's up for it.

 

[Angellica1612]

Gosh, Lady P, you need to rearrange your furniture to restore you chi or something, lol. Or everyone go stay somewhere else for a few days till all of you are healthy again. Guess that won't work with kids though. I sure hope you all start feeling better soon. And none of you should get sick again for a really long time, it just wouldn't be fair after all this. You tell the gods or whoever I said so!

 

[lovecraft68]

I have a couple of leads on that, and will try to get my material together. I may self-publish to Amazon in the interim, though. It has been so hard to get anything done b/c we've all been varying degrees of sick. I'm keeping PennGirl home today, poor thing looks so pitifully tired. Her pre-school program is only a couple of hours, but I don't think she's up for it.

Honestly, unless you have a large volume of things you want to publish and you have no concept of how to put together a decent cover, you're better off on your own at Amazon.

Amazon gets 30% how much will the publisher get? You're better off making the money yourself and also what do they do to advertise you?

Not really much more than you can do yourself, by posting your links on your blog, your lit home page your website and if you have a face book. Except for the publishers own website they will not do anymore to market you than you can do yourself.

They are getting money from you for minimal effort. Some publishers I looked at even want the thing edited and formatted before you give it to them. So okay now why am I paying you?

I doubt you will see a difference in your sales without their name behind you.

 

[RjThoughts]

OMG, what is it with publishers and ancillary businesses? Are they buckling down to the "Religious Right"? PayPal "voices concern" over online adult content. Several romance publishers won't show covers. Are we returning to 1952? Let me know, so I can go hide from the villagers with their pitch forks and torches.

 

[lovecraft68]

OMG, what is it with publishers and ancillary businesses? Are they buckling down to the "Religious Right"? PayPal "voices concern" over online adult content. Several romance publishers won't show covers. Are we returning to 1952? Let me know, so I can go hide from the villagers with their pitch forks and torches.

Not sure about the religious right, because in other areas of the country saying god is offending people.

Glad you mentioned "voicing concern" because that's all PP has done so far, they threatened publishers, then started backing off within 48 hours yet sites are still folding.

You know what sickens me? Smashwords has 30K+ indie authors. Coker put a link to a petition on SW's homepage the thing only has 400 or so signatures. That's why the "religious right" or whoever they are can get away with this.

Sheer lack of backbone and conviction from the people whom this decision affects.

I guess being a Satanist might put me on the religious left, or the side that says "Fuck you" instead of "Yes sir"

 

[RjThoughts]

Not sure about the religious right, because in other areas of the country saying god is offending people.

Glad you mentioned "voicing concern" because that's all PP has done so far, they threatened publishers, then started backing off within 48 hours yet sites are still folding.

You know what sickens me? Smashwords has 30K+ indie authors. Coker put a link to a petition on SW's homepage the thing only has 400 or so signatures. That's why the "religious right" or whoever they are can get away with this.

Sheer lack of backbone and conviction from the people whom this decision affects.

I guess being a Satanist might put me on the religious left, or the side that says "Fuck you" instead of "Yes sir"

I find it incredible that, during this time of dwindling books being written and read, people attached to publishing would create a shit storm over "erotica." I do believe in the "Domino Principle:" if erotica is stopped, more genres will topple. Excessive violence and gore in books will go. Alternative history will go.

Censorship should ONLY be practiced by parents and parents ALONE. You have NO right to say what I can let my son read!! Who died and made you the Book King?

 

[PennLady]

Honestly, unless you have a large volume of things you want to publish and you have no concept of how to put together a decent cover, you're better off on your own at Amazon.

Amazon gets 30% how much will the publisher get? You're better off making the money yourself and also what do they do to advertise you?

This particular publisher would take 25% and I would get 75%, which is better than my previous deal. Now, that, I'm guessing, is if people buy directly from this publisher (No Boundaries Press). If the book is sold via Amazon, it would break down differently and I'd have to ask about that.

Also, they don't use PayPal, they use something called Market Stall, I believe.

Not really much more than you can do yourself, by posting your links on your blog, your lit home page your website and if you have a face book. Except for the publishers own website they will not do anymore to market you than you can do yourself.

They are getting money from you for minimal effort. Some publishers I looked at even want the thing edited and formatted before you give it to them. So okay now why am I paying you?

I'm not sure what they do about marketing, but from what I know so far this is a more "serious" business enterprise. They have a staff that includes editors, artists, etc., and my previous publisher was two people. The guy that did the web stuff, and the woman that did the editing.

Publishers, print and e-, have always required that a manuscript be formatted in a certain way, so I don't know why you'd get your back up about that. And as for editing -- these guys will edit, but giving a publisher as clean and well-edited a copy as possible just seems like the smart thing to do. You look better, it's less work for them, and it would mean a quicker turn around to publishing, I'd imagine.

I doubt you will see a difference in your sales without their name behind you.

We shall see, and of course there is no guarantee that they'd publish me anyway, so doing it myself is always an option.

 

[sr71plt]

I find it incredible that, during this time of dwindling books being written and read,

Who on earth told you this was a time of "dwindling books being written and read"?

And I think Lovecraft68 is only posting what he is about publishers because he doesn't have one. My publishers take nearly all of the publishing and housekeeping work off me so that I can write--and deposit a nice amount in my bank account every month.

PL, do try one or two with Amazon on you own (but be sure also to get it on as many distribution sites as your publisher did) and let us know how the experience rates with your publisher experience.

 

[PennLady]

Who on earth told you this was a time of "dwindling books being written and read"?

And I think Lovecraft68 is only posting what he is about publishers because he doesn't have one. My publishers take nearly all of the publishing and housekeeping work off me so that I can write--and deposit a nice amount in my bank account every month.

PL, do try one or two with Amazon on you own (but be sure also to get it on as many distribution sites as your publisher did) and let us know how the experience rates with your publisher experience.

I wondered about that "dwindling" statement myself.

SR, I will do that. I'm thinking it's worth doing on my own if only for the experience of doing it.

 

[RjThoughts]

Who on earth told you this was a time of "dwindling books being written and read"?


And I think Lovecraft68 is only posting what he is about publishers because he doesn't have one. My publishers take nearly all of the publishing and housekeeping work off me so that I can write--and deposit a nice amount in my bank account every month.

PL, do try one or two with Amazon on you own (but be sure also to get it on as many distribution sites as your publisher did) and let us know how the experience rates with your publisher experience.

Personal observations: Dwindling bookstores, smaller book catalogues in the mail and email. I know that the market for short stories is even smaller, magazines aren't publishing them like they once did.

Also, calls for submissions are less as they have been.

 

[lovecraft68]

This particular publisher would take 25% and I would get 75%, which is better than my previous deal. Now, that, I'm guessing, is if people buy directly from this publisher (No Boundaries Press). If the book is sold via Amazon, it would break down differently and I'd have to ask about that.

Also, they don't use PayPal, they use something called Market Stall, I believe.



I'm not sure what they do about marketing, but from what I know so far this is a more "serious" business enterprise. They have a staff that includes editors, artists, etc., and my previous publisher was two people. The guy that did the web stuff, and the woman that did the editing.

Publishers, print and e-, have always required that a manuscript be formatted in a certain way, so I don't know why you'd get your back up about that. And as for editing -- these guys will edit, but giving a publisher as clean and well-edited a copy as possible just seems like the smart thing to do. You look better, it's less work for them, and it would mean a quicker turn around to publishing, I'd imagine.



We shall see, and of course there is no guarantee that they'd publish me anyway, so doing it myself is always an option.

On amazon I would imagine the you/them split is based on the 70% after Amazon gets theirs.

Market Stall? Never heard of them, but wonder if they would be an option for the other publishers. Then again, it's about what people use to pay with as well.

There is a person here who recently started their own publishing company that is interested in my BDSM project, but I am not liking the percentage split, nor the fact that I know where there getting their covers (exactly where I do) and have mentioned that editing expense may have to come out of my initial royalties. Ummm, born at night, but not last night.

 

[RjThoughts]

I might have to retract my earlier comment about dwindling book writing and calls for submissions...

Received an email from a literary club member. It seems that she and a couple of the other "mature" members of the club have received emails from romance genre publishers, asking them if they would like to submit some spicier versions of their work to their erotic imprints.

She told me, and I agree, that this might be a push back against PayPal's "concern" over certain aspects of erotica. What ever the answer is, I have to admit that my observations might have been premature.

(A man just said he was wrong )

 

[lovecraft68]

Who on earth told you this was a time of "dwindling books being written and read"?

And I think Lovecraft68 is only posting what he is about publishers because he doesn't have one. My publishers take nearly all of the publishing and housekeeping work off me so that I can write--and deposit a nice amount in my bank account every month.

PL, do try one or two with Amazon on you own (but be sure also to get it on as many distribution sites as your publisher did) and let us know how the experience rates with your publisher experience.

By your own admission you go with publishers because you don't want to deal with tedious things that more likely than not you are capable of doing yourself, but don't choose to.

That's your choice. The nice deposits could be 25% or so higher if you did do it yourself, but you've said before the money's not a huge concern, but for others it may be.

And a lot of what I am learning about publishers comes from the abundance of articles all over the net expounding the benefits of doing it yourself and how publishers should(and are) getting very nervous.

In fact I am finding it interesting that now that PP is backing off Excessia does not seem so boisterous in the attack on censorship anymore. That's because they and other publishers would love to see SW crash because it would help them. They will ultimately sell themselves out in the hopes to get more people to think they need them.

It's a game on every side. Not needing to make a living off of anything I sell I just assume be the only pocket the money goes into. I give to other charities I don;t need to give to those who don't need it.

Publishers are a necessity is you are speaking of the print "real book" market, but for e-publishing they are not doing a lot more than an individual can do themselves.

And even you agreed with me on telling PL to give it a shot herself on Amazon.

 

[RedHairedandFriendly]

So I managed to work out two stories over the last two days. One eligible for Survivor, one not, but at least I wrote!

I've got a friend looking into publishing ideas/projects, we'll see what happens. I figure if I cross that bridge I'll learn a lot more then, rather than now, though I'll admit, you guys are giving me a lot to think about. So it's nice to see the discussion, though half of it, I won't retain and I'll have to come back and read it again later.

 

[RjThoughts]

Today's challenge words are lace, wood, and hook...

And I immediately thought of vampires. Damn you shlock tween writers!!!

 

[lance gt]

My goal today is to slow down and keep pace with Lit. Submitted ch 4 and 3 isn't even posted yet. I'm 1600 words into 5 and I could have it ready for tomorrow and have 3 in the wings waiting. Well, some readers expressed the happiness at rapid posting and no long delays.

 

[PennLady]

Personal observations: Dwindling bookstores, smaller book catalogues in the mail and email. I know that the market for short stories is even smaller, magazines aren't publishing them like they once did.

Dwindling bookstores don't necessarily mean fewer books. I think it could mean that they are not properly meeting a market demand. People do not want to pay what bookstores charge, and they can go elsewhere (probably most likely to Amazon) to buy them at a lower price. Or, of course, the library to read them at no cost.

I think with the advent of self-publishing, it may be that more books are being written, or more likely more are being published. And I imagine there could be lots of reasons magazines aren't publishing short stories.

 

[PennLady]

By your own admission you go with publishers because you don't want to deal with tedious things that more likely than not you are capable of doing yourself, but don't choose to.

That's your choice. The nice deposits could be 25% or so higher if you did do it yourself, but you've said before the money's not a huge concern, but for others it may be.

But it's not all about money, it's about time and what mine is worth, and what I need to accomplish in the time I have. Just because someone is willing to give up money for time doesn't say anything about them except just that. All of that stuff a publisher does is time I can get back to do more writing.

And even you agreed with me on telling PL to give it a shot herself on Amazon.

Yes, he did, but I'd still rather have a publisher do it. I may do it myself because I don't want the books to be unavailable any longer than necessary when my current publisher closes down, because the publisher I had was not exactly knocking themselves out on promotion so it's not like I'm losing anything there, and other reasons.

 

[Innuendos]

My goal today is to slow down and keep pace with Lit.

I know what you mean, though I'm conflicted. Finally about half-way through the last chapter of my story after hammering out the previous three within a period of a few days. Conflicting sentiment - want to get it done and into the queue with the other three, but there's my compulsion to make sure it ends just so.

 

[soflabbwlvr]

Completed 1200 words on LWTR. I'm having a ball writing this one, but I have no idea which category I'll file this one under. I'm touching a lot of different bases here.

 

[RjThoughts]

Dwindling bookstores don't necessarily mean fewer books. I think it could mean that they are not properly meeting a market demand. People do not want to pay what bookstores charge, and they can go elsewhere (probably most likely to Amazon) to buy them at a lower price. Or, of course, the library to read them at no cost.

I think with the advent of self-publishing, it may be that more books are being written, or more likely more are being published. And I imagine there could be lots of reasons magazines aren't publishing short stories.

Truthfully, I believe it's because we as Americans are lazy, don't want to spend the time reading short stories, rather read about cele-brats and drug-addled "famous peoples."

 

[RjThoughts]

Is wanting to bitch slap book burners a goal?

 

[PennLady]

Is wanting to bitch slap book burners a goal?

Sounds like more of a yearning or aspiration.

 

[sr71plt]

Plenty to keep me busy. Writing a pen name novella, have a habu GM back from the publisher for cleanup, a mainstream book edit has drifted in today, and 13 e-books from 2008 were released back to me by one publisher to review and relaunch with another publisher.