This is another post on the business of writing. Read it here.
Friday, February 18
Saturday, February 12
The Business of Writing
There are some wonderful blogs about the business of writing. I've already mentioned Dean Wesley Smith's blog and Joe Konrath's blog. Thanks to Dean, I've discovered another rich source of information on the state of writing and publishing: The Author's Guild, specifically their series on e-books and the difference between the economics of e-book publishing and traditional publishing.
Here are the Author Guild blogs, in order:
How Apple Saved Barnes & Noble. Probably.
E-Book Royalty Math: The House Always Wins
The E-Book Royalty Mess: An Interim Fix
Enjoy!
Here are the Author Guild blogs, in order:
How Apple Saved Barnes & Noble. Probably.
E-Book Royalty Math: The House Always Wins
The E-Book Royalty Mess: An Interim Fix
Enjoy!
Wednesday, February 9
The Value of an Awesome Critique
I was wondering what I would blog about today -- I'm trying to blog once a day, but sometimes it is hard to find topics. Today I was going through the blogs I subscribe to hoping that there would be an exciting announcement (I'd love to read: iPad 2 on sale tomorrow! But, alas ...) however nothing caught my eye. Then, on the verge of giving up, I thought: Aha! Something very nice did happen to me today AND it has to do with writing. Perfect!
Someone, I won't name names, sent me the most marvelously helpful critique of my current manuscript. It was encouraging but also didn't pull any punches and mentioned areas in the manuscript which could be improved upon. It has made me much more optimistic that my story will be, in the end—and I think this is the highest praise—a good read.
I think that's the sign of a good critique, that it helps the writer make their story better without making them feel that their story is a huge steaming pile of doodoo.
Creating a good critique isn't easy. I've written my share of critiques and it's darn hard. I think it's one of those things that is both a learnt skill and a dark art.
Someone, I won't name names, sent me the most marvelously helpful critique of my current manuscript. It was encouraging but also didn't pull any punches and mentioned areas in the manuscript which could be improved upon. It has made me much more optimistic that my story will be, in the end—and I think this is the highest praise—a good read.
I think that's the sign of a good critique, that it helps the writer make their story better without making them feel that their story is a huge steaming pile of doodoo.
Creating a good critique isn't easy. I've written my share of critiques and it's darn hard. I think it's one of those things that is both a learnt skill and a dark art.
Monday, February 7
iPad 2 Rumor: new iPad to weigh 16.5 oz
I'm chomping at the bit for news about the iPad 2. David Carnoy from cnet reports that, according to a previously accurate tipster, the new iPad shell will be made of a "new material similar to carbon fiber rather than aluminum" reducing the weight of the new iPad from 24 oz to 16.5 oz.
Read the entire article, here.
Read the entire article, here.
Sunday, February 6
Who do you write like?
I just read Amanda Hocking's latest blog post where she embedded a link to a nifty (yes, I said 'nifty'!) internet poll that tells you which famous author you write like. (And of course this is completely true! Or not.)
Here are my results:
I was thrilled! J. K. Rowling is one of my favorite authors.
Here are my results:
I was thrilled! J. K. Rowling is one of my favorite authors.
Most Downloaded Books from UK Libraries
I love the new digital library and have been using it exclusively for the past few months. Here are the most downloaded ebooks and audiobooks in the UK.
Cheers.
Cheers.
Dean Wesley Smith and the New World of Publishing
If you are a writer, or at all interested in the business of writing, Dean Wesley Smith's blog -- as well as Joe Konrath's blog -- is a must read.
Today Dean wrote about writing speed and how that influences which route a writer might be interested in going in -- indie publishing or traditional. It is one of the best articles I've read on the business of writing. His wife, Kristine Kathryn Rusch, has a great blog too and she is currently doing a series about the new world of publishing. Good stuff.
Happy reading. :)
Today Dean wrote about writing speed and how that influences which route a writer might be interested in going in -- indie publishing or traditional. It is one of the best articles I've read on the business of writing. His wife, Kristine Kathryn Rusch, has a great blog too and she is currently doing a series about the new world of publishing. Good stuff.
Happy reading. :)
Friday, February 4
How Apple Saved Barnes & Noble. Probably.
I wish I had thought of that title, but I didn't. It is the title of an article on The Authors Guild website and it is the best article on The Agency Model that I've read.
Friday, January 28
The Jersey Shore
I was riding the bus today and couldn't help overhearing a conversation between two teenagers on the next seat.
I guess that perhaps age, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder.
Picture of the day:
"So!" one of them said, "I watched the Jersey Shore last night."It was the last line there that made me want to laugh. The guys and gals on The Jersey Shore all seem young to me, but I guess not if you're a teenager.
"Yeah?" The other one replied. "I've never seen it. Any good?"
"Well, there's this couple," the first one replied, "Sam and Ronnie, and they had a huge fight. Sam was going to leave the house -- and the show! -- but her roommates talked her out of it. Anyway, Sam and Ronnie were lying under the covers together having a personal conversation -- Sam was saying how sorry she was for getting upset -- it was an intimate moment -- and then there's this other guy in the room! He'd been there the whole time. He said, 'Look, if you guys want to get busy, I can go and sleep downstairs.' Oh my gosh, it was _so_ funny!"
Both girls laughed then the first girl said. "I like watching The Jersey Shore because it's so funny, they're a bunch of old people trying to party like they're teenagers."
I guess that perhaps age, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder.
Picture of the day:
Wednesday, January 26
Skins
I watched the first two episodes of Skins the other day. I thought the show was well put together and was surprised that it was rated so low in IMDB (2/5 out of 10) compared to the British version (8.8 out of 10). Makes me want to watch the British Version!
I'm a big one for titles. If the title of a book or movie doesn't make sense it irritates me and I'll like the book or film less. I know, I'm weird, but there it is. That's one thing that I thought was cool about Skins—"skin" is another name for cigarette wrapping paper but it also refers to teenagers not being comfortable in their own skin. I thought it was clever.
I'm a big one for titles. If the title of a book or movie doesn't make sense it irritates me and I'll like the book or film less. I know, I'm weird, but there it is. That's one thing that I thought was cool about Skins—"skin" is another name for cigarette wrapping paper but it also refers to teenagers not being comfortable in their own skin. I thought it was clever.
Tuesday, January 25
Canadian Heritage and the Legal Deposit
Usually I blog about issues related, however tangentially, to writing and keep my personal life out of it but, today, the two have combined.
"What is so special about today?" you might ask. Well, let me tell you. Today I got an ISBN number for my book, The Sandman. What I didn't know when I applied for the ISBN number is that every publication in Canada—I guess any publication that's assigned an ISBN number—has to be submitted to Archives Canada for inclusion in a vast archive to "collect and preserve the nation's published heritage."
I think it is incredibly cool that my book—which is a retelling of a story my father told to me—is considered part of Canada's heritage. I know, I know, it really isn't that big of a deal, but for some reason I'm thrilled by it.
So, there it is, that's my blog for the day. :)
"What is so special about today?" you might ask. Well, let me tell you. Today I got an ISBN number for my book, The Sandman. What I didn't know when I applied for the ISBN number is that every publication in Canada—I guess any publication that's assigned an ISBN number—has to be submitted to Archives Canada for inclusion in a vast archive to "collect and preserve the nation's published heritage."
I think it is incredibly cool that my book—which is a retelling of a story my father told to me—is considered part of Canada's heritage. I know, I know, it really isn't that big of a deal, but for some reason I'm thrilled by it.
So, there it is, that's my blog for the day. :)
Saturday, January 22
The Sandman: A Maria Ordin Adventure
I just published my first book! I shouldn't say that I've published a book since The Sandman comes to only 4,000 words or so. Oh, and IT'S FREE!
Here's my description:
When I was a little girl my father used to tell me a story every night before I went to sleep. Sometimes he would tell me about his life as a boy growing up in Russia, or about his little red hen who knew how to count, or about his two huge wolfhounds and how they caught rabbits. Other times he would make up stories for me, stories like The Sandman or How the Lion Got to be King. I loved all of his stories and asked him to tell me them over and over again.
A few weeks ago I asked my dad to tell me his stories one more time so I could write them down, but as I wrote a funny thing happened: the stories became longer and new characters sprang to life.
Although I have been careful to keep the main points of The Sandman exactly as my dad told it, I have taken a few liberties with the story, adding things here and there.
For the last few years it has been my passion to take tales I loved as a child and to retell them in contemporary settings and, where possible, include female heroes while preserving the original magic of the story. I'm not going to speculate on whether or to what degree I have succeeded, but if these stories are used to entertain a child before they close their eyes and drift off into the land of sleep then my efforts have been well spent.
You can find the book on:
- Smashwords
- www.silverlandpress.com
- It will soon be up on Amazon and Barnes and Nobel.
Here's my description:
Seven year old Maria and her parents go on a once-in-a-lifetime dream vacation. They have reservations at the best and most expensive resort in the world, the Dolphin Club. Little Maria looks forward to tanning on the warm white sand of the beach and swimming in crystal clear waters of the lake. Then something terrible happens, someone takes away all the sand from the beautiful beach and leaves behind nothing but mud and rock. Will Maria be able to discover the culprit and get the sand back before the Ordin's vacation is ruined?
When I was a little girl my father used to tell me a story every night before I went to sleep. Sometimes he would tell me about his life as a boy growing up in Russia, or about his little red hen who knew how to count, or about his two huge wolfhounds and how they caught rabbits. Other times he would make up stories for me, stories like The Sandman or How the Lion Got to be King. I loved all of his stories and asked him to tell me them over and over again.
A few weeks ago I asked my dad to tell me his stories one more time so I could write them down, but as I wrote a funny thing happened: the stories became longer and new characters sprang to life.
Although I have been careful to keep the main points of The Sandman exactly as my dad told it, I have taken a few liberties with the story, adding things here and there.
For the last few years it has been my passion to take tales I loved as a child and to retell them in contemporary settings and, where possible, include female heroes while preserving the original magic of the story. I'm not going to speculate on whether or to what degree I have succeeded, but if these stories are used to entertain a child before they close their eyes and drift off into the land of sleep then my efforts have been well spent.
You can find the book on:
- Smashwords
- www.silverlandpress.com
- It will soon be up on Amazon and Barnes and Nobel.
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