Bloomberg - Simply Stupid?

Oh, I an so insulted by this bit of trashy journalism on Bloomberg Weakly Business Week. Entitled "Romance Fiction: Getting Dirty in Dutch Country" it was written by some stupid muscle-bound twit with a fatal case of cranial rectal inversion.

The only facts in the article were these:

"In 2009 romance novel sales continued to defy industry trends, increasing to $1.4 billion, up $100 million, or 7.7 percent, from the previous year, according to Simba Information's annual Business of Consumer Book Publishing report. Romance now accounts for 14 percent of all works of fiction sold. Some 75 million people read at least one romance novel in 2009, and it's the top-performing category on the best-seller lists compiled by The New York Times, USA Today, and industry trade Publishers Weekly."

The rest sneered openly about the genre that is making all this money. I won't repeat the mud slung by this fool, but I will quote "Smart Bitches"  who called 'em like they saw 'em. "Every other sentence is a steaming pile of misleading patronizing ill-informed supercilious twatbaggery."

I found this simply insulting P.o.S. by following a link from the outraged Bitches' site. My link is above if you want to leave a nasty note of your own.

In closing I will quote my favorite comment: "It's not everyone that can insult such a wide range of Americans in one article."

If the Bloomberg editors had any brains, they would fire the damn fool.

OMG - 'Let's Do Lunch' is Available in the UK!

I'm so thrilled!


I don't know how it happened, but the monthly report shows that I have a place for UK sales. 

I'm so happy! Not just for myself, but that means that it is going to be so much easier for everyone to sell books. Everyone in the 'Left Autho for Greener Pastures' group has the same playing field.


What a great time to go Indie!
 

"Let's Do Lunch" Available on Kindle

Set off the fireworks!

As of midnight last night "Let's Do Lunch" is available on Amazon.com Kindle.

Now the work begins.

I have written a great deal about the changes to the paper publishing industry. There is one factor common to launching a book in the paper book industry and the e-book industry.

A new author has to promote the book, themselves.

The trick is to do it with a bit of class. I'm going to give it my best shot. Internet advertising is cumulative, not transitive. (I'm going to keep repeating that.)

Luck is always a factor. I hope my Irish holds up.

Wylie Throws Down the Gauntlet!

I saw this on the Financial Times website. Mr Andrew Wylie, agent for some 700 of the literary genre's top names, told Kenneth Li and John Gapper of the Financial Times -

"If we do not reach an accord, Odyssey will grow. It will not publish 20 books, it will publish 2,000 and have outside investors and make itself available to other agents." 

"I am only trying to make a point in order to underscore the importance of getting the right terms with a view to uniting the two [print and digital] revenue streams," Mr Wylie said.

This is after 9 months of discussions with Big Six publisher Random House. It appears that Mr. Wylie has given up on combining digital and print rights for his stable of 20th century authors and author's estates. Instead he formed Odyssey Editions to e-publish his writers and get them an ever-increasing share of the 21th century action. You can find the story here.

I couldn't find the link to the best seller's list - but the word is that the twenty books released by Odyessy Editions are some of the best selling books on Amazon.cm - after only a few days.

Mr. Wylie (e-Coyote) threatens to publish 2000 books total unless the Big Six agree to 'combine revenue streams' publishing these e-book editions 'with an acceptable royalty rate.'

Meanwhile, they've priced the books at the magical $9.99 price that will give Odyssey the 70% royalty. Which yields a whopping $6.99 per book with a possible gross (at a 1000 books a week) of $27,972 per title. Times 20 titles is a whopping $559,440 PER MONTH.

Does Random House know that they are bleeding money? Most of those writers would settle for a fraction of that monthly gross. A 50/50 split wouldn't be so bad, not for Random House or Odyssey Editions.

Of course, I have to ask the obvious question. What's the writer's share of Odyssey's $28k per month? Can't be too bad - nobody has squawked, yet. But you know what the kicker is, don't you?

Every one of those 2k writers could publish via Kindle themselves. They own the e-rights to those books, not Wylie (e-Coyote), not Random House. It sucks to be a Luddite in a digital world.

Wylie (e-Coyote) my hat is off to you.

If any of those 2k literary writers wants help e-publishing a book - let me know. I'd like a piece of the action myself.

Preparing 'Let's Do Lunch' for Kindle Publication

I haven't gotten into details, but I have decided to take the plunge - I'm going to sell "Let's Do Lunch" via Kindle. In fact, I've finished the final draft and am working on formatting. The original goal was to have it posted by August 1st. I'm not sure that will happen tomorrow. I may get it finished, it may take a few more days.

It will be interesting to see how this plays out.

Cynthia has been kind enough to copy edit for me. Joanna has offered to write a review. Madison Woods will do an eleven question interview. There are a couple other bloggers who might give me a plug. There are Kindle boards that promote Indie writers.

The neat thing about internet marketing is that it is cumulative. The more I write about marketing in general, the better known my brand will become and the stronger my overall platform. I don't have to plug "Lunch" everywhere I go - just leave a link in my signature and a page on this blog.

My blog has a daily hit count - every time I post something on Indie publishing my traffic goes up.
This leaves a bigger trail of breadcrumbs in the long run. Kindle books don't go 'out of print' there is no 'deadline' I have to meet, no 'print run' to sell, and nothing in storage except backup files.

The challenge will be record keeping. I may need a schedule of places to hit during the week. Blog post on Monday. Update Facebook page on Wednesday. Stop in to blogs X, Y & Z to see what's happening and comment. If I run a facebook ad, what does that do for sales? If I post to Smashwords - what will that do for me? 

As an opportunity to educate myself - this is cheap at twice the price. I've taken a few marketing/business classes in college, so I've got an idea of how marketing works. I will be able to see on a week by week basis what works and what doesn't because there are weekly reports. Sales up this week? What did I do?

I do want to have a paper copy to give away to friends and family. (Christmas!) But I don't want to sell copies at the flea market. (A vending machine that I can fill with other people's books would be SO cool.)

I've been thinking about this for YEARS, and I've got enough ideas to keep me busy. Of course, if things work for me or not, I'll blog about it - which will push blog traffic up...

So you see, I'm not expecting miracles - just hard work and lots of it.

Stay tuned!

E-merging Markets a Boon for 20th Century Writers

With all the controversy about e-book readers and the Kindle (including accusations that the e-book has killed numerous bookstores) most authors look at e-books as a 'gravy' sales item. The numbers are hard to come by – but the estimates say there are 3 million Kindles and several million smart phones with applets that allow people to read e-books on their cell phone.

E-books are currently just a niche market for genre books and independent authors who are brave enough to self-publish. If you have the sales volume of a J. K. Rowling or Stephanie Meyers – e-book sales would be chump change.

However, there is a genre left out – deliberately, perhaps? – of the e-book market – modern literature. The heavy hitting writers of the 20^th century: Updike, Rushdie, Bellow, Ellison, Mailer and Nabokov; writers didn't have e-rights mentioned in their contracts.

These guys aren't genre writers who kick out a book every few months. They live on royalties for book sales. If they are lucky, it's 25% of the discounted price, minus all the charges taken from the book's gross. Bookstores, returns, warehouses, publishers and agents all get their cut before any money goes to the writer. They must take out taxes, insurance and pay monthly bills but only get paid once or twice a year.

I bet some of them are badly pressed for cash.

Enter Wylie (E. Coyote) Agency, home for 700 of the world's best selling literary writers and e-publishing company Odyssey Editions. Wylie (E. Coyote) started Odyssey to get his stable of the 20^th century's finest a piece of the 21^st century action.

Guess who is screaming bloody murder?

Random House expects them to starve like good little artists, instead of cashing in on a niche market that just might pay some bills. When Amazon.com gave e-books a 70% royalty (for those between $2.99 and $9.99) paid monthly, they handed writers the opportunity to finally make a living at writing.

Of course there is still the question of payment. Will the 20^th centuries finest get a monthly pay check – or will Wylie (E. Coyote) keep them to twice a year? Logically all the money will go to Odyssey Editions on a monthly basis, while the writer's are left with a cut, minus their agent's cut, of the profits.

The coyote's share is going to be a lot bigger than the writer's share.

Too bad they didn't post their e-books on their own.

Kitty Bought an E-book Reader

Since June my family has suffered a series of illnesses, I've been spending a lot of time in waiting rooms and ERs. Usually this drives me crazy, I'm not a patient person. So I decided to buy myself a gift that would ensure I don't pace and drive people crazy.

I bought an E-reader so I will not be caught without something to read. I don't like buying things that I can't touch before hand. That left the Kindle out because you have to buy it to try it. Then too you can only buy books from the Kindle store. Too limiting with all the e-publishers out there. Plus the Kindle is still pretty expensive.

Mom has a Sony, and I like it alot but it doesn't have WiFi. It needs to be hooked up to the pc to download books. That said, I used it for the first week of hospital visits and really like it.

Which leaves Nook and the iPad. iPad is too expensive and it's a first generation device. I don't do first generation anything, not software, not cars, not electronics. I'm not an early adopter. Knock the bugs out of it for a while.

There is a Barnes & Noble in E-town, so I went down to take a look at the Nook. I bought the WiFi version because I have WiFi in my house and it saved me $50. Now for some reason the salespeople didn't think I could connect my Nook to my WEP secured WiFi.

The only problem I had was finding where I hid my WEP key.

What I like is the WiFi and the fact that it will surf to different book sites. The touch screen is handy. (Easier to use than my stupid touch phone.)  I like having different fonts and font sizes. The operating system is Android - that means the possibility of apps in the future. (Kindle App anyone?)

The book selection isn't bad at http://www.bn.com/, prices are a bit high and there aren't a whole lot of back listed books. But unless we are talking Project Gutenberg there aren't going to be a whole lot of back listed books anywhere.

I can pick up Joe Konrath's book from his website. I haven't tried Smashwords or http://www.fictionwise.com/ yet. The magazines and newspapers are all big city, nothing local is available.

Then I tried to go to the Project Gutenberg to fill it up. No luck with that. The books should have downloaded, but I couldn't find them. Same thing with documents. I'd like to try to read one of my novels to see what fonts work the best.

I didn't buy a memory stick for it. I did buy a silicon case and the warranty. Trouble has developed a taste for electronics - notably the cordless phone and my idi10t cell phone which were stashed under the bed.

One of these days I'll rant about my id10t phone. I'm sure that it will be amusing. Meanwhile I've got a series to finish - Karen Moning rocks!

Another Look at Changes in Publishing

I was reading a couple of author blogs this week, ones that really "spoke" to the questions running around my brain on the topic of the changing publishing industry. Thanks to Joe Konrath, Dean Wesley Smith, Mary W. Walters, Holly Lisle and the agent blogs - I am starting to see the publishing industry as not one system but two.

Publishing 1.0 is hard hit by the economy, subject to sweeping changes in personnel, but very much bound by tradition business practices. The Big Six are media conglomerates; a "Twilight" type of book is what they live for, and live on. Spin off merchandise, music sound tracks, items that saturate the market. The feeding frenzy has to be proportionate to the size of the conglomerate. It needs to have the whole hog, not just a bite of it.

Because of this, Publishing 1.0 has dropped the midlist book (with the notable exception of Harlequin.) Therefore, the agents that procure the manuscripts that feed the beast have dropped it as well. The push is for more of the same – more "Twilight," more "Vampire Slayer," more "Killer Thriller" books fed into the maw of the media.

You know, I'm going to put Harlequin in the category of Publishing 1.2. They are more advanced than Publishing 1.0 in so many ways. Harlequin publishes books in paper format – but they have a very large following of reader and writers that are online and active. They e-publish many books – on their website and on http://www.fictionwise.com/.

Publishing 2.0, anchored by Amazon.com, surrounded by multiple iterations. Small publishing companies – often genre specific – notably romance, romantica (sexy stories for women) and erotica.

The quick-minded in Publishing 2.0 have gleefully swept up the midlist. Some of them are making serious money. Ellora's Cave, Black Lyon Publishing, Wild Rose Press and Liquid Silver are all major players in e-romance.

Then there is Amazon, the Kindle e-reader and Amazon Encore Publishing, which looks like Publishing 2.3 to me. Amazon has gone from a bookstore to something bigger and more amazing, into e-books, a venue for self-publishing and now a book publisher.

Each version of publishing has its own rules.

Publishing 1.0 has 'gatekeepers' to keep out the unworthy: Agents troll the sea of manuscripts – looking for the next 'big one' to deliver to one of the Big Six. Lately, the word on the blogosphere is that agents aren't making money like they used to. (Who is?) Either the days of the big advance are over or there are too many agents in the small pond.

Publishing 1.2 has strict guidelines on story structure – but supports their writers and the community of prospective writers. No agents are required for entrance, but some writer's have them. The downside here is that once they buy a book, they own it. Still there are hundreds of writers who work for Harlequin and they write lots of books.

Publishing 2.0 has a bit of an image problem with the Pub 1.0 crowd. They don't pay advances, or too small an advance for agents to shop them, but they have writers and readers galore. There is a lot of money in e-publishing, Ellora's Cave took in 5 million in one year.

I suspect the Pub 2.0 crowd cries about their 'image' all the way to the bank.

Amazon, Pub 2.3, is the Big Player – they have plenty of cash to experiment and lots of bright young men to come up with new ideas for expansion. While they didn't invent the e-reader, they've taken the idea and run with it. Along with Sony and Apple, they are pushing the e-book/e-reader market as far as they can. With several million smart phones that read Kindle – the market is lucrative to say the least.

The Kindle market has thrown open the doors of e-publishing to everyone. An avalanche of writers has come to test themselves. E-publishing has gone from a small pond with six big fish to one of the Great Lakes. The water is deep, and very cold.

The Pub 1.0 predicts that the 'slush pile' (an ocean of manuscripts 99% of it being poorly written) will take Amazon and Kindle down – and e-book sales with it. They insist that only their vigilance has kept this unruly tide from swamping the market with sewage.

If the 'average' Pub 1.0 book only sells 16 copies – while the average self-published book sells 150 copies – what does that tell you? Pub 1.0 is full of bullshit.

E-books are selling at a phenomenal rate on Android App phones and e-readers. Indie authors are surfacing as major players, while midlist writers are scrambling to post their backlists. The Project Gutenberg is posting out of copy write books free. Google has scanned every book they can get their grasping paws on. Market share is soaring by percentage points every quarter.

One (wo)man's bullshit is another (wo)man's compost.

We live in interesting times – get used to it.

The Agent Debate – Part III

New fodder for the agent debate is the pay structure.

A number of agent blogs are kicking around ways for agents to make more money in this dicey economy. Billing for hours and hiking the standard percentage to 20% are ideas kicked around on a number of blogs.

It seems that with fewer books published through traditional means, and lower advances for the books published, agents are also scrambling for ways to pay bills.

Now, my mind comes up with a snappy come back: "don't reject so many books," right off. After all, in my business (IT) the cry for more money is met by: "work harder, stupid." The next thought that crosses my mind is a quote from Peter Cox of Litopia "I went to a conference and there were more agents than writers." That's going to be a problem, too many hungry agents and not enough writers to go around.

Not enough writers? Eh?

Hold it! I don't know about that – the agent blogs lament the sea of manuscripts that wash through their email.

Maybe, it's like the saying "too many lawyers, but not enough good ones."

No matter what my mind conjures up – this Writer's Digest article on the future role of agents caught my attention as a nice sane attitude in a chaotic time. Here's the opening:

"Given the magnitude of change underway in publishing, some have questioned the future role and necessity of the literary agent. Will agents continue to be the middlemen between publishers and authors? Do authors still need agents if they can get discovered or published on their own? Will publishers rely on agents when they can uncover talent through websites like HarperCollins' authonomy.com?"

Rely on Authonomy? (Ascending soapbox, begin mini-rant.) Well there was a shot that went over the bow – so to speak. Okay, four books gleaned from the slush-pile in two years is a 'huge success' to Harper Collins, yeah, yeah, I quoted them myself. Early on there was real talent on the Editor's Desk, unfairly dismissed, (for the record, I'm talking about 'Heart of Rock') which should have been snapped up. (End of mini-rant.)

On the other hand, Dean Wesley Smith posted another viewpoint on his blog. Dean reports hearing more and more "career killed by agents" stories; which prompted his latest post. The comments to his posts are often as enlightening as the article, so do read this one all the way.

The comment below by Laura Resnick illustrates a new trend – more publishing companies are now openly accepting UNagented submissions. (The implied thought is publishers are not finding the fresh voices they want and need, because agents are marketing 'same old, same old' because "it sold last year.") Italics below are mine.

1. #
   Laura Resnickon 06 Jul 2010 at 10:00 am
   
   BTw, catching up on my journal reading, I see that Pyr Books, a respected mid-size sf/f publisher, announced in the April/May issue of the SFWA BULLETIN that it is officially open to UNagented submissions. The key being that an unagented submissions must follow Pyr's guidelines.
   
   I browsed around Pyr Books website, I was intrigued by what I read – which, SciFi wise, hasn't happened in a bookstore in many years.
   
   So what's my point? I'd like to say that there are too many agents and not enough writers to go around; but I'd be blowing smoke out my – rump. Instead, I shall say that the current business paradigm – the 'Agency model' isn't working for many people in the business. Writers, agents, even publishers appear to be chaffing at the constriction of the old – and warily eyeing the new, like a kitty eyes its first moving bug.
   
   (What is that? Does it bite? Could I swat it? Is it tasty?)
   
   Meanwhile, the likes of Dean Wesley "100-books-&-counting" Smith is dusting off his backlist and posting them on Kindle and Smashwords – priced to sell – so his "Magic Bakery" will kick into a MUCH higher gear. (Do the math with the 70% royalty, 50 books selling 10 copies a day at $2.99.) Joe Konrath will rack up over $100k from Kindle, on books he couldn't sell to NY publishers. (Bad economy? What bad economy? These guys are as happy as a duckling in a puddle!)
   
   One man models that "writers don't need agents," the other models "writers don't need publishers." Both are right, because this appears to be the start of a new age.
   
   Do you have a niche picked out yet?
   
   I do.

High Summer

The grass has faded from brilliant green to sun-washed. The horse's shine is muted as well in the glare of the mid-day sun.

It is the time of summer when the lack of rain is felt keenly, even as the air is humid. There are no half-measures in Kentucky weather. This far south of the land of my birth there is no breeze off the lake to temper the heat. The river provides humidity enough to make it feel hotter. The breeze has a hot edge to it that nips the skin.

The rains of early summer are gone. The haying season is in full swing, bales dry in golden rolls or are transported like giant fraying pumpkins in wagons and trailers.

Yet it is beautiful. The trees thrive in this heat - they spread their graceful limbs and their leaves shudder in the hot breath of the wind. Shade is dear, the flies busy and even the rooster is silent in the heat.

I watch the chickens scratch and sunbathe, quarrel and pace the fence, wanting out even in the heat. But I'm going to protect my flowers from their digging. If they would stay in the pasture I'd let them run, but they like my flower garden. They dig at the feet of my day-lilies - the only blooming flower - hidden in the arching leaves.

The steady hum of the AC tells me that it's too soon for evening stables - the chores would be miserable, even the open barn stifling.

But I have errands to run, I must brave the heat.

Happy Independence Day - Hold the Fireworks, Please!

Being in the country, everybody and their...brother has to set off fireworks. Once again I had to stall up my horses so they didn't run themselves to exhaustion.

My horses handled the booming of tank fire from Fort Knox for years with barely a swat of the tail. But the whistle/pop of fireworks drives them crazy. For many years I was not able to offer them the safety of a stall, away from the lights and the noise. They seem to have developed a phobia.

Since we moved here, I've had to lock them down because the damn things were right over their heads. Otherwise they spend the night milling and racing from one side of the pasture to the other in a vain quest for relief.

Once I open the barn door and yell for the old mare, she makes a running dive for her stall. All I have to do is get out of her way, and close the gate. The young mare will stand just outside the barn - snorting and staring at the lights. She doesn't like the fireworks, she twitches and spooks as they go off. I can rattle the feed bucket and after a few false starts she'll go in her stall.

However, the old gelding will stand in the door, looking inside like he's never seen this barn, ever. Mind you, he's the one kicking the door down, insisting he get inside well before noon each day. He's also the one who charged into the barn, stomping my foot and breaking my toe, a couple years back. Maybe the old mare beating him to the barn hurts his dignity so he must stand outside until I put a rope on him. It's not like I have to (or could) drag his 1400 lb carcass into the barn. Any old piece of string will do - preferrably with a bucket of grain shoved under his nose.

It must be the principle of the matter.

Even a sway-backed, knock-kneed old hack has his pride.

In this Corner.....

I opened up the account on Amazon.com, just to take a look. I read the terms and conditions.

I opened up April L. Hamilton's Indie Author's Guide and started reading.

It's all there.

I'm going to do it. I'm going to take that plunge and put "Let's Do Lunch" on Amazon's Kindle store.

Holy Crap!

I must be out of my mind.

Oh, Crap. Now What?

Marked up, high lighted, scribbled on, now a discarded pile of paper. It is the final draft of "Let's Do Lunch" It is sitting on the coffee table and it's staring at me.
What am I going to do with it?
I could send it back out - to agents or publishers in the paper market or to publishers in the e-book market. I could re-post it to Authonomy an spend the next six months chasing the Editor's Desk. (NOT!)
There is a co-op or two where I could post it - experiment with this new arena of e-publishing, blog the results like I blogged ABNA and Authonomy.
Or there is Amazon - Kindle and Create Space.
This is like standing a the foot of the diving board.
Do I or don't I jump?
How should I jump, high, flat, cannon ball, belly flop, swan dive?
How cold is the water going to be?

A Look at Publishing 2010, Sites of Interest

As I travel over the interwebs, looking for the right niche to publish my first novel, I've hit a few interesting sites along the way.

Forward Motion is the best site for beginning or fantasy writers! The support a newbie receives here is unparalleled in my (limited) experience. You have the option of open forums, closed forums, joining a critique circle or taking classes. The site is famous for the "Two-year Novel" course, where the writer learns to build worlds and craft out a novel in two years. New classes begin in January.

Created by Holly Lisle, owned by Lazette Gifford, this site is a great resource. FM was where I discovered the "Writing Breakout Novel" books by Donald Maas, and where "Let's Do Lunch" was beaten into shape.

Authonomy, a primarily British site, is Harper Collins' combination of slush pile and "Survivor." This site promised a lot when it went live, in the way of five books reviewed each month and publishing contracts. While the monthly reviews of the 'Editor's Desk' top five books do occur, they usually aren't worth the six months of read/backing swaps required to get them.

When I joined, in 2009, it was a great place to get feedback from other writers. Now it has devolved into an addicting, frustrating 'time suck' of epic proportions. Your writing career has an equal chance of taking off and vanishing down a black hole.

Harper Collins allows the site to run wild, so the crazies have run off a lot of the serious writers. There are a dozen or so books published as a result of the site, though none of the books that have made the "Editor's Desk" to date have been published by Harper Collins.

Avoid the Forums at all costs…well, visit at your own risk…expect rampant egos, literary and class snobbery, flame wars, racism, sexism, petty deal making, read/backing swap whores, trolls and sock-puppets.

On the lighter side, drunk Brits are pretty darn funny…if you have a twisted sense of humor, and no life, hang out on a Friday or Saturday night. Beware of minors, not everyone is over 18.

Insider's Tip: The ranking system is skewed towards new books. If you upload 10k words and take the book public you will rise fast for the first few weeks. Once the book reaches the top 100 be prepared to live and breathe the site. The longer a book is on the site the harder it is to rise in the rankings. Editors, agents and other publishing insiders troll the top 100 books.

Litopia is another British site but with more of an international flavor.

The podcast, billed as "a Literary Salon," was in two parts, Litopia Daily and Litopia After Dark. Litopia Daily has (sadly) ceased to exist, but Litopia After Dark is still kicking. Litopia podcasts are a great(!!) resource into the confusing and frustrating world of publishing.

I think that Litopia's Writer's Colony is very good, and the forums are very interesting. Somebody running that site doesn't take any crap from the crazies or the trolls.

The downside is both membership and site are a complex series of levels. I haven't been on it enough to understand how you get to post your work for feedback or post a blog.

Authors on Show is a new writer's networking site. A lot of the Authonomy crowd has come here to show case their work and hang out. I'm not active on the site, but I'm backing them as a good solid writer's network.

However, I'm confused by complex interaction of the Authors on Show blog and the dot com site of the same name. The above link is to the dot com. I get the impression that Lorraine's blog evolved into the dot com site and that both are currently active. The dot com site went live only a week or so ago, so I'm sure the confusion will be cleared up in a short time.

New and Interesting Sites:

Writer's Latte is a nice looking beta writer's networking site that could use some support. I like the look and the feel, however there isn't much action as yet. I've got an account and drop in once a week.

Indie Lit Worldwide is an e-publishing co-op site for readers and writers. This is a site to watch as publishing co-ops look to be the wave of the future. As a market, Indie offers to format a POLISHED manuscript into various e-formats and offer the formats for sale.

Only up a month, this is e-publishing site supports various genre and offers a 50% share of sales to writers. This is a ground floor opportunity with only three books currently posted, but a dozen readers are signed up.

I have an account there, and am reading one of the books for review.

LIWW is currently offering to re-format a manuscript into various formats, including Kindle, for free, upon acceptance. Don't assume that a manuscript is automatically accepted. As always, read the contract carefully before you agree to post anything.

This is it for now. I'm going to get back to work on other projects.

Moody Blues at Horseshoe Casino

The guy sitting next to me looked around and chuckled.

"This is the most Vietnam Vets I've seen in one place in a long time."

Well, yeah - there were a lot of men in their sixties standing in what looked to me as 'at ease.' Some with no hair or buzz cuts and some who looked like they hadn't cut their hair since they came back from 'Nam.

It didn't matter, really. The music was absolutely fabulous.

I'm not a big fan of any one band, but I do love richly textured music.

It was a great time.

Confessions of a Chicken Farmer

As a child, I had this dream of owning a farm. At one point it was a horse farm. I would own and breed horses, selling the weanlings, or two year old colts for big bucks. Later, once I figured out just how expensive that hobby could be, I thought about getting a flock of chickens. A couple dozen happy hens, cackling and scratching, producing wonderful eggs and cute chicks.

Reality, unfortunately, is quite different, again.

That's the most interesting part of this post - unless you are interested in economics. Or world building if you want to push this into the context of writing. Or even politics if you are a 'real' farmer.

I just sat down with my receipts to figure out if I'm making any money on my eggs.

The answer is: No, I'm about a hundred bucks in the red.

Mind you, after making the chickens buy their own feed and grit this week I was about $1.50 to the good. That lasted until I found the receipt for the new chicks.

The total bill was $95, or $6.33 per chick.

Mind you, this is 50 dozen eggs. I get between 6 and 8 eggs per day, so we are looking at 75 to 100 days of egg production.

Out of the 19 chicks that Smudge was raising, there are only 14 left. Assuming the chicks that died were the Dominiques I paid for, (Murphy's Law says they were) I lost $31.65 to the rain storm last week. I'm going to need to buy cartons before long, which is another $50 for 100 cartons.

My farmer's market sales for the last two setup days was $9. I made more money selling ducklings at the flea market. However, I'm out of ducklings. The yearling duck hens are lousy mothers. Now what shall I do?

Well, I have an incubator of 36 chicken eggs. Ever heard of 'don't count your chickens before they've hatched?' Ever wondered what it means? Well, the last batch of 46 eggs hatched 6 chicks. Of those 6 and 4 duck-hatched chicks only 5 have survived to 8 weeks of age. (BTW - 1 of 3 chicks is female.)

It looks like I'm going to have to sell babies to make up for my loses. That means my incubator is going to be my money maker, not eggs or dried herbs.

It's a darn good thing I'm not in this for the money. However, it's really interesting to see how this is panning out. I may be able to use this experience later in my writing. Expect to see a novel about a woman struggling to survive in a lousy economy.

Wait, I wrote that novel already!

Okay, I'll have to write another one...hmmmm.

Summer on the Run

There are not enough hours in the day. Even now, the longest days of the year.

The big news is that the Vine Grove Farmer's Market has a new vendor. Eskeridge Farms has joined us. Bee keepers, produce growers and bakers - Vicki and Dale brought their big blue tent and market experience to our little market.

A bit of background, 15 years ago there were ZERO farmer's markets in Hardin county. There were guys in trucks on the side of the road, the Amish and flea markets. Somewhere around 10 years ago, E'town started a farmer's market. But they couldn't get a permanent place to set up until last year when someone built a huge pavilion.

They are a very strict market. But they are the biggest market in our area. The vendors range from beef, chicken and bread to vegetables of all types. I've seen it grown from a couple trucks in the old Walmart plaza to a permanent market.

I started selling at the Vine Grove Farmer's Market last year. I'd just bought my flock of baby chickens so I didn't sell eggs. I  had a couple pounds of peppermint and spearmint that I sold out of the back of my PT Cruiser.

This year, I've got eggs and herbs. I'm not making any money, but sales are steady. (I blew three months earnings on 100 lbs of feed, 1 bag of shell and 1 bag of grit. This is not a big bucks operation.)

I'm talking it up, spreading the word. I take credit for getting Vickie and Dale to join us. They are pleased with their sales, I'm thrilled to have someone to talk to.

In all honesty, I think I will learn a lot from them. They've been at this a couple of years. They know all the local farmer's markets. I think they may spread the word around a bit, maybe get another farm to join the market. (I'd love to see the beef people join us.)

With more families moving in for the Human Resources Center on Fort Knox we need to spread the word.

This could be very interesting.

Dean Wesley Smith and the Agent Debate

Dean Wesley Smith is a long time writer with over 90 books to his credit. Smith writes in various genre, under various pen names. In "Killing the Sacred Cows of Publishing" he makes several points that wannabe writers should consider before they attempt to market a manuscript to anyone, publisher or agent.

Dean's first point: the writer employs the agent. 
The purpose of having an agent is to negotiate the terms of a contract between the writer and the publisher. (If the writer doesn't have a contract, then s/he doesn't need an agent.) Dean asserts that the 'terms of power' switched. Writers are no longer in control of the relationship – the agent is in charge. (Yes, I'm aware that the agent has become the 'gatekeeper' a term that implies the 'unwashed masses' need to be kept from the hallowed halls of publishing. Stay with me.)

Dean's second point: The duties of the agent should not include marketing. He asserts that most agents are editors who have lost their jobs. If said agent was an editor then that person's business relationships are limited to the one or two companies for whom they worked. This rings true, since most agents want to know to whom your work compares and in which genre it fits. (Writer beware, if you don't know the market for your book, you are in trouble.)


Here's an info bite I heard on the Litopia Podcasts – last year, at a British conference, there were more agents present than authors. 

This may look like good news on the surface. Are former editors automatically qualified agents? The modern agent spends their time reading a pile of queries – modern slush piles transferred to them. Agents look for trivial editorial issues to reject a query letter, as former editors they would have exacting standards. Most agents are interested in your qualifications to write the book. There is no certification or qualification to be an agent. Buy some stationary and put your name on it, put up a webpage, and if you want to be a superstar – blog about yourself.


Also, many agents want to know your marketing plan for the book – before they even look at a synopsis. This implies a limited view of the publishing market. Marketing experts in other industries tend to have a broad view of what's 'out there.' Publishing is a rather small industry compared to say – electronics. If the agent doesn't know the market, are they the right person to handle marketing? We don't take our cars to the dentist if they don't start. Agents are for negotiating (large) contracts. No contract? No agent required. If your book needs edited, hire an editor, not an agent.


My point is simple – You know the book inside and out, empower yourself, take control of your career, market your book. You'll save yourself a lot of time, a ton of frustration and maybe some money.

Rand Paul and the Tea Party

Last night, out of curiosity I tuned in to see what Rand Paul had to say.

My first impression: He's even worse than I thought. He doesn't see himself as working for the people of Kentucky. He's a "Tea Party Candidate" through and through.

"Take our government back..." from whom? Rational America just GOT the bleeding wreck back from the "Last Days" crowd. Do we need to hand it back to the very fools who wrecked it? I think not - and I bet I'm not the only one.

It got worse when he appeared on one of my favorite political shows. Even being charitable, Rand Paul is lukewarm on Civil Rights, at best. My depression-born father had more progressive world-views than Rand Paul.

I believe that electing Rand Paul to the Senate would tell the world that Kentucky is politically backward. I, for one, don't think he represents the 'average' resident of my home state.

With that oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico threatening to wreck the eastern coast of both North and South America, the Senate doesn't need a  'tea-brained' senator.

Rand Paul needs to stay on the porch. He's not ready to run with the big dogs of the Obama Administration. 

The 'white sheet' crowd may disagree.


Frak them.

Here Kitty, Kitty, Kitty...

Where has Ms Kitty gone?

I'm knee deep in gardening, buying plants like there is no tomorrow and generally being with Hubby on his vacation.

Quick thoughts - BP is run by idiots, will SOMEBODY start fining those jerks? I will never swim in Gulf Coast waters again. Jon Stewart is the greatest social commentator on TV. Lewis Black slammed Glenn Beck - so toasty!

I'm editing a story about a vet that might sell as YA - maybe.

I'm critiquing a story on Forward Motion, and will be getting some feedback on a story of my own. The process of editing "Let's Do Lunch" is stalled.

I'm lurking on a dozen blogs and spending too much time on Facebook.

That's enough for now.

The Garden has Eyes

Trouble poked his nose in the strawberries today. He pulled back with a jerk and a growl.

I thought I saw eyes looking back at me, something dark squatted in my berry patch.

I'm not one to poke around with my bare hands. I've been surprised by enough toothy critters to be wary. Not that I'm afraid of snakes, just spiders, still why invite a bite?

A snake would have slithered away. I don't know of any large lizards. There are many baby rabbits flooded from their burrows after all this rain. Still, it seems to me that a dog wouldn't be afraid of a baby rabbit.

Of course, my mind leans towards the fantastic: A gnome who made the stone-lined garden his home, or a leprechaun. Something my young terrier wouldn't want to tackle. A gremlin of some kind has taken up residence in my berry patch.

I suppose I could write a story about it. If I wasn't already editing "Lunch" to get it posted to the Kindle, I might take the time.

Not right now. I'm trying to get this story ready.

Maybe later.

Get a Routine? Me?

I always thought that was for - you know - THEM.

I was the free spirit who shuddered at the thought,
I lived behind the Eight Ball, over-whelmed.
Until now, it seems.

Not that I'm one of those awful SCHEDULED people.
I just have, you know, a day set aside for - stuff.

It's just the same day, every week.
It's not a rut.
It's not!
Really!

Antagonists – Identifying and Strengthening

I believe that biggest weakness in both Fantasy and Romance novels today is the Antagonist, or Villain. Poor character development in this area may not be the 'kiss of death,' but it is the 'kiss of mediocracy.'

Which may be a 'fate worse than death.'

Hannibal Lecter, without his Chianti, is just another Leather Face.

I think it is important to acknowledge the genius of Thomas Harris in creating the character of Hannibal. Though I often disparage one-dimensional villains as the type that 'eat babies for breakfast' I do so with a nod to the man who created Hannibal Lecter, because in many respects, Hannibal is so deliciously scary because he's NOT just another Jason or Leather Face.

So, having credited Harris for one of the greatest villains in modern film, we must also credit Anthony Hopkins for bringing this incredible, frightening man to life on the screen. Take your bows gentlemen; I salute your genius, even as I seek to learn from it.

Your Villain may be your best character.

Wouldn't you LOVE to have a villain who stands in a shining spotlight of his/her own; the Master Mind behind it all, who brings your readers back, book after book? I've given it my best shot creating Van Man Go for 'Swallow the Moon.'

I'm not too shy to admit that I had help. Nor am I afraid to admit that I'm going back to the same place to work on my villain for 'Tempest'. Which brings me back to Donald Maas and his 'Writing the Breakout Novel Workbook.'

Maas has an outline specifically for Antagonists. He breaks it down to six steps. (I quote the following word for word.)

Step One: What is your Antagonist's main problem or goal?

Step Two: What does your antagonist most want?

Step Three: What is the second plot layer for your antagonist?

Step Four: What are the five most important steps toward your antagonist's goal, or toward solving her central problem or conflict? A different way to ask this is: What are the five events, actions or high points, with respect to your antagonist, that you could not possibly leave out?

Step Five: What are the three most important steps toward, or away from, your antagonist's greatest need?

Step Six: Using the material from the above steps, outline the novel from the antagonist's point of view.

Mind you, I won't pretend that I follow all of Maas' suggestions. (This is far beyond my abilities at present.) What brings me back to this workbook, time after time, is that he suggests things that I've never considered. These suggestions always challenge me to add more to the story.

I shall close this post with another quote from Maas:

"Conclusion: We are not accustomed to thinking of villains as being on an inner journey, but what human being is not? Humanize your villain. Motivate his actions with kindness. Let her be heroic, helpful, and principled. Hannah Ardent wrote of the "banality of evil." For fiction writers, that means creating, not passionless cruelty but evil that wears a compassionate face."

One day, I will 'break out.' I hope you do as well.

The Great Fence Project

I survived, in spite of the expense - I still have problems writing checks that size.

They did an excellent job. Which was a relief - 'once burned, twice shy' takes on a whole new meaning when it applies to contractors.

Here is the view from the porch. Strong corners and a four panel wooden fence in the front. There will be no more retrieving stray horses in the pre-dawn hours. (Knock on wood.)

We have a hot (electrified) top wire to keep the horses from pushing down the fence or chewing the board fence in front. The wire mesh fence is stretched as tight as piano wire. I'll bet Emma could play guitar on it.

They used a tractor with some kind of hammer attachment to install the fence posts. The ground is soft, so it took only a couple of hammer blows to drive each 8 foot pole 3 feet into the ground. They re-hung the gates on end supports. I doubt the gates will sag in my lifetime.

The view from the porch has changed, and I'm happy to see it. Spring is the most beautiful season. I even love dandelions.

One thing I've missed this year is the vetch flowering. Usually, the rolling fields are painted a lovely red-violet by crown vetch. I can't describe the beauty of it - hundreds of acres of purple rolling hills. It's enough to have me singing 'God Bless America' every time I drive by a field of it. This year there wasn't any. I suppose that all the spraying they do now has killed the vetch.

What a shame.

Poppet Interviews Queen Tantrum

Greetings y'all, I'm back long enough to relay this link for you.

We, the ladies of cyber-space need to stick together, and promote one another's work. This is a two-fer, I get to plug both Poppet and Emma. 

Poppet Interviews Queen Tantrum

This was a revealing look at one of the most interesting ladies I met on Authonomy, by another of the most interesting ladies.

A hard rain and a cold snap has set fence construction back a day. Therefore I had time to track down a Face Book link. I'll update the Great Fence Construction Project when I've got more time. Like when it's over. Until then, enjoy.

I'll be Back - Really

Well, farm life has become a priority for me.

If it appears that I've dropped off the face of Cyber Space, I have.

It started when the neighbor called to tell us that the old gelding was in the neighbor's yard. I'm not sure how he got out of the fence, the old boy wasn't telling.

This week the old fence is coming down - I'm have a heart attack just thinking about it! - So new fence can go up. I've got the round pen to contain the horses. They won't like it - but they will survive for a week in a confined space. Should the mares get cranky they can't corner the old gelding.

 There will be the 'new grass' issue, once the the fence is up. Water to haul and other details to handle.

I'll be back - soon enough.

Spring Chickens

Yesterday was a big day for me. Really, no joke.

My incubated eggs started to hatch, signaling the beginning of spring.

In early March, I brought a bunch of eggs in the house, even though I've had no luck hatching eggs these last few years. I'm serious, I'm talking zero chicks out of five batches.

Last fall, I managed to hatch out a few, but only two survived the winter - both roosters that I gave away. The duck hatched out more chicks than I did.

Yesterday my luck changed. Five chicks hatched out.

Why is this important? Purchasing chicks sets me back anywhere from $3 to $5 per chick. I start with a loss, need to feed them all summer, they start laying in the fall. It takes all winter to make my money back. If I hatch them, I get a head start.

If one of the hens would hatch them, I'd make money. So far, only Smudge has hatched any eggs. She hatched three chicks, three years ago. Not a good track record.

I'm afraid that I picked a breed that isn't very fertile. The Dominique or Dominiker may have fallen out of favor as a production chicken for that reason.

I thought my old rooster was the problem. But he's been gone two years now. His son, Sony, is a fine looking rooster - the current flock of hens is all Barred Rocks. I'm going to have to candle the eggs that are left to see if chicks formed. If I get a lot of 'clear' eggs, I'll know there is a fertility problem. Since this flock of hens is only a year old - I don't really need a replacement flock.

Since they are banded, I can tell the hens apart. It's been handy. I know that Seven likes high places. Six is currently sitting on a nest of duck eggs. If Six keeps it up, I'll give her a nest of chicken eggs. She can try her luck at raising chicks.

I'm not so good at it.

Using Points of View with Restraint

As a reader, I have found that just as too many cooks spoil a broth, too many Point of View characters ruin a story.

Blame my revulsion on over-populated works of fantasy & sci-fi. The flat one-dimensional Point of View characters blurred together. I call them the "Never Ending Story with the Cast of Thousands." I'm talking about five or more volumes with dozens of characters and mind-boggling page counts.

I read one or two books, hoping the writers would either develop or drop some characters. Each book had a couple new, poorly developed, characters to track. I needed a database to keep track of them.

Frankly, it wasn't worth the effort.

One of the joys of reading is finding a character with whom one can relate. That's how I got hooked on 'Harry Potter', even though it is fantasy and YA, the story moved along with a limited number of engaging characters. I could deal with a few PoV shifts to other characters (Snape's subplot rocked!) – but I cared about happened to Harry.

My point is this: yes, it is more difficult to tell the story from a single PoV than it is to hop from head to head. As a result, the book is choppy, even disjointed. Worse yet, a PoV switch can destroy suspense instead of building it. Why expose the plot when you can have the reader biting their nails as they turn pages?

I'm going to plug "Writing the Breakout Novel" by Donald Maas, because he makes a lot of sense. Breakout novels have well-developed characters who have inner conflicts. Sometimes they're forced to do things they would never, ever do, in order to survive.

Breakout novels are carefully populated, each PoV character has their own subplot and story arc. Extra characters are combined creating plot twists. Think about it – take two random characters – combine them in your head. What will this 'combination' character do? How will they react to the conflict of the two roles? If this is not a PoV character, how surprised will the reader be when they discover the second role?

The first draft of "Lunch" had fifteen characters. The final version has nine. The number of 'roles' remain the same. I also cut two Points of View, and most of the third. If I keep in mind that mystery is what the readers doesn't know – then it becomes less tempting to 'tell all' in a story.

I have half a dozen unfinished books on my hard drive. I gave up on most of them because of a lack of plot structure, however most of them included shameless bouts of head-hopping. When I read the best of them, I notice how shallow the main characters are. They are blithely unaware of what's going on around them. Why? I wrote the scene hopping from head to head instead of requiring the MC to evaluate her surroundings or the people in her 'life.'

What a cosmic 'oops' that turned out to be.

Equality for Women - 40 Years Later it's Still a Myth

I opened up my email today and glanced through the news feed. I found this little gem, which brings back many memories.

Sexism At Work speaks of the 1970 'uprising' at Newsweek Magazine. This was a time when women who worked at Newsweek were forbidden to write for the magazine. Called "dollies" they wrote for other magazines, just not the one they worked for.

I'm very happy to see that they have also mentioned "Men with Pens" the founder of this blog found that her income doubled when she assumed a male identity.

Oops - or maybe WTF?

Back when I was a child, I remember my mother railing against the fact that men working in her office made more money. In fact, that was one of several factors that made her open up her own business.

What I've found in my career in IT is that sexism is rampant; subtle but rampant. What has always frustrated me is that young women don't see it. I've watched the few, but brilliant, women I've worked with be passed over for promotion - just as I am. I note it, they don't seem to.

They pat their male collegues on the back, not seeing that they are far more qualified for the job than the person with less time on the job, fewer skills, but the correct gender.

So, for all of my readers who inwardly feel frustrated and can't understand why they hate their job, I give you a website: The Equality Myth. I do this because, my dear reader, you are still being paid about 25% less than the 'other' gender. If you are a writer, it's more like 50%.

Think about it, look around. Pay attention. If this is bullshit, you'll see women in half the management postitions at your job. If this is bullshit, you will earn the same paycheck as your male collegues.

You won't, you don't.

Health Care - the Economy is Counting on Us

I'd never heard of him. I didn't think he was up for the job.
Time has proven me wrong - yes, we are in a recession, but I expected it to be much, much worse. We'll see if we can climb out of the pit dug by the previous administration. (The arrogant and economically clueless who...I'll stop now, before I rant and rave.)
This president has won my trust - I watch him closely, listen to his speeches and track the results of his polices. I will simply post this - an email from the White House because these words are more eloquent than mine.

I wanted to take a moment to thank you directly for the outstanding work you've been doing as part of Organizing for America's Final March for Reform. I can tell you that your voice is heard in Washington every day. I see how your efforts are moving us toward victory.

But I also know that with just days remaining, the final vote is shaping up to be extremely close. Everything we've worked for is on the line, and your voice is needed now more than ever before.

Raise your voice today: We must all speak out together to finish the job.

In these final, crucial days, much more will be asked of us. Our resolve will be tested.

During moments like this, I believe it's important to remember why we have worked so hard for so long. That's why I spoke to the country Monday at a gathering in Ohio and said it plainly: I'm here for Natoma.

Natoma Canfield is like most of us: She works hard, and tries to do what's right. Years ago, she had battled back from cancer, so she always maintained health insurance in case she ever really needed it again. But because of her medical history, the insurance company kept raising her deductible and her premiums.

Last year alone, Natoma paid over $10,000 in monthly premiums and co-pays, while her insurance company chipped in just $900. And then they hiked up her rates another 40%. She simply couldn't afford it -- she had to cancel her policy. That's when she wrote to me. I read her letter, and shared her story with insurance company CEOs as another reason why the system has to change.

That was two weeks ago. Then, just last week, the unthinkable happened: Natoma collapsed, and was rushed to a hospital. It's leukemia -- the cancer has returned. Now she's in the hospital, worried sick not just about her condition, but how she'll financially survive.

So why am I still in this fight? Simple. I'm here for Natoma.

I'm here because of the countless others who have been denied coverage because of pre-existing conditions. I'm here for the small business owners forced to chose between health care and hiring. I'm here for the folks who are forced to watch helplessly as their premiums skyrocket with no reason or recourse.

And I'm here for my mother. She died of cancer, and in the last six months of her life, I saw her on the phone in her hospital room arguing with insurance companies instead of focusing on getting well and spending time with her family.

As I was finishing my remarks Monday, a woman in the crowd called out, "we need courage." She's right.

The politicians in Washington need courage to face down the powerful interests who have held back progress for far too long. And all of us who share this cause need courage to speak up with persistence and clarity in these final days.

I've always found that courage comes from remembering that we fight for something and someone beyond ourselves. It comes from our faith. And it comes from our commitment to those we love.

So please take a moment to remember those who inspire you -- those who give you the strength to march on.

There's very little time left, and still much to do. But I believe to my core in the power of Americans to change history when we put our mind to it. And if you'll stay with us in these final days, I know we can do it again:

http://my.barackobama.com/speakout

Thank you for making it possible,

President Barack Obama

In Search of a Plot Twist

 It was something I tried in "Let's Do Lunch" that went over well with my beta readers. (Bless them!) Just a little twist to get the tension from "Oh Wow," to "Holy Crap!"

It worked. They liked it - I'm hooked. I want to get that "holy crap" reaction a second time with the new WiP - so I'm looking for a good plot twist, or two.

Maybe two - I think - maybe - I've found them.

I'm looking at the central figure in the novel. He's dead - but the story still revolves around him. As I ask myself 'who was Roger Truesdale' I'm getting some answers. A perfectionist, a man with secrets, (who went to great lengths to keep those secrets) a man driven by his environment, blackmailed by his needs and desires, but - it's a big question mark - was he a traitor?

At this point, I don't know. Maybe - which is different from the 'hell yes!' I started with. Now it's Leo who thinks 'hell yes' and the writer who is working on fleshing out a character that she will never, ever use, who is no longer sure.

I love this part of writing - when the plot unfolds and the characters come to life. Sometimes they are meek, and do what they are told, other times they present this writer with challenges. I'm getting my ass kicked by a dead guy who isn't rolling over to play dead - he's fighting to have dignity and purpose.

I'm still not sure if I can pull this off. The plot of this novel is a woven fabric, not a couple of plot threads. Writing a synopsis of this novel is going to be a bitch. A bigger bitch than writing the synopsis for "Let's Do Lunch" which was a nightmare. (I dropped all the secondary plot threads from the one page synopsis - all the 'meanwhiles' looked stupid.)

All this for a few words from a reader - 'holy crap, I never saw that coming.'

Let’s Do Lunch – Discarded Scene

A dozen men and one woman sat in a circle, some in wheelchairs, some on crutches, several were amputees, all were soldiers in various stages of treatment. Some faced forward, making eye contact with each other. A few looked down; others looked away, refusing to make any kind of eye contact.
There was also a tall, thin man in his sixties sitting quietly. He had the dark skin of a man who worked outside. Across from him was the 'hard case' of the crew. Bearded and shaggy-haired Sergeant 'Tag' McTaggart wore old jeans and an Army t-shirt, what he lacked in grooming, he made up for in attitude.
McTaggart understood those reluctant to participate. He understood the despairing ones, too. Out on his own for six months he'd been back twice, once in a coma, once in a straight jacket. The condition for his release included that he come to this group without fail.
"What a crock of shit," the speaker was in a wheelchair. "I'm supposed to LIKE the fact that my career is dead and that the Army that I served life and limb thinks I'm a helpless cripple?"
"Acceptance doesn't mean that you like it." The councilor, a woman in her sixties was a civilian. "You just get on with your life."
"Bullshit," McTaggart said. "I'm going stir crazy. The days drag and the nights are… horrible."
"Then get a job." One of the other men in the circle, named Smith, said. "Stop sitting on your ass. Find something to do."
Smith was dressed in new jeans and a polo shirt. He had been "out in the world" for a year, and they all knew that he was playing stay-at-home Dad for his three pre-school kids. His jeans hid the fact that he was missing a leg.
"Right," McTaggart sneered. "I've spent the last ten years learning how to kill people. That would look great on a resume" He looked around at the group. "Anybody know a Mafia boss who wants a one-legged hit man?"
A couple of the guys snickered.
"You can come over and help me with the kids, anytime." Smith grinned. "You can chase the youngest. She hasn't learned to walk yet, but she can scoot."
"A female that can't outrun him," Rodriguez snickered.
"Smart ass, you find a job," McTaggart flipped him the bird.
The councilor held up her hand, stopping the others from commenting.
"It doesn't have to be a job as a hit man, or the president of some company. Just find something to do."
"How did you survive when you first got out?" McTaggart asked the tall thin man across the circle. "You had a long time in service. There was none of this bullshit back in your day, eh?"
The guys respected the Vietnam Veteran. He'd told his story – Green Beret, POW, married to the same woman since the 1970's, with two daughters. He had no treatment for his PTSD until a year ago. He'd nearly killed two men with his bare hands because of it.
"I did 30 years in the Army, so it was tough," retired Colonel Jim Bennett looked McTaggart straight in the eye. "It got worse after 9-11. I lost my son-in-law at the Pentagon then my retirement money when the market crashed. My pension isn't enough to cover the wife's maintenance." They laughed.
"So I got off my ass. You know, 'suck it up and drive on.'" Bennett showed his teeth in a smile. "Now I work with my daughter. I have a market garden, two acres that I work every day. I'm up before dawn and I work outside, sometimes until dark."
"Sounds like hard work," one of the men said.
"I can take my time," Bennett shrugged. "I tried an office job. I hated it."
"Maybe you can put McTaggart to work." Rodriguez was in a mood for trouble. "I don't think Smith should trust him with his daughter."
They all sat back, inhaling sharply at the insult.
McTaggart stared Rodriguez down, until the other man dropped his eyes, muttering under his breath.
"Hey, I was just messing around."
"How about it, McTaggart?" Bennett broke the silence. "I could use some help."
"Doing what?" McTaggart was curious. "What can I do?"
"Help me plant, help me harvest," Bennett grinned. "It's not rocket science, just gardening."
"What's the matter, afraid to get your hands dirty?"
"I used to work in my Uncle Ray's garden," a double amputee in a wheelchair who hadn't spoken in weeks looked at McTaggart. "I liked it."
Everyone in the group looked from him to McTaggart. 
McTaggart took a deep breath then nodded.
"Okay. I'll think about it."
Rodriguez had to get the last word, but he said it under his breath so only McTaggart heard him.
"Lay a hand on one of Bennett's daughters and you'll take a long dirt nap."
McTaggart snorted - messing with women was the last thing on his mind.

Page 99 – Test Your WIP

I found this on Madison Wood's Blog this morning. She got it from Selestiele who… No I'm not going to trace it back to the original, no time this morning. Maybe later tonight, when I have more time.


This title is based on the belief of Ford Madox Ford: “Open the book to page ninety-nine and read, and the quality of the whole will be revealed to you.”


However – I have it here. Page 99 of "Swallow the Moon" a conversation between June and the mad artist Van Man Go is taking place:

"I never interfere with things that don't concern me." Van shrugged.

"No?" June didn't believe him.

"Don't be a fool, girl. Once Cora gets her fangs in a man – it's over."

"I don't believe you."

"You'll see."

"Are you saying that she doesn't owe you?"

"She owes me," Van smirked. "Big time. But she's dead, I wrote her off as a business loss. I have to move on. Business is business."

June bit her lip and thought fast. She looked around the old building, the skin on her neck prickling with the feeling of being watched. Was it Jake, Cora or some other lost soul? She didn't want to know, not really.

"I think you have more influence over her than you admit."

"I'm flattered," Van leaned back in his chair, crossing his legs. An un-lit cigarette appeared in his hand. He took a deep drag; the end smoldered then burst into flame. "So tell me, if I had the power to have Cora do her – thing – elsewhere, what exactly would you have me do?" The smoke he exhaled had a green tint to it and smelled more like pot than tobacco.

"Have you asked how she got her hooks into your boyfriend?" His eyes looked right through her. "The answer might be enlightening."

"He's just a friend." June blushed, thinking of Eric and his hot kisses.

"Rrright, my mistake." Van flashed his fangs in a smile, cutting it short with a drag on the cigarette.

"You know, the universe runs on free will." Van exhaled more smoke. "People do marvelous acts of bravery or stupid impulsive things that destroy their lives. They lie, they cheat, they kill – they even torture. They do terrible things and justify it later as 'they made me do it.' Free will makes it tricky to sort out bad guys from the good guys."

"Hardly," June retorted.

"Oh, but it does," Van leaned forward. "Motivation is a wonderful thing, makes it all into shades of gray. Good and evil aren't separate items – it's a sliding scale from one extreme to the other."

"What's your point?"

"I'm a businessman; I make deals all the time. Some are on my own behalf, for some I'm merely a proxy." He took a deep drag, leisurely exhaling as he watched her face.

"I suppose I could help you, if you make it worth my while."

"Oh?" Maybe she could get somewhere after all.

"What have you got to trade?"

"Trade?"

"Yeah, trade – business at its most basic. What you are asking for is – tarnished and well used. What have you got of higher value to trade? I think we understand each other. Don't we?"

Authonomy Reeks of Idiocy

All that nice-nice I wrote in "Autho-crack Farewell" forget it. 

I take it all back.

I am thoroughly disgusted with the antics of the trolls and the proliferation of fake identities (aka sock puppets).

The Harper Collins staff may surf the forums and laugh about the situation - but I'm tempted to go to another site's forum and spilled the beans.

I wonder how many hits I would get on - say - Facebook? Ahhh - there's a good place to start. I could route them here to get the hit count.

Signs of Spring

Up and down the Dixie Highway motorcycles zipped or roared as the temps rose above freezing to tremble in the high forties and low fifties.

Stud muffins on their sport bikes popped wheelies like colts rearing up to box. Testosterone fumes  mixed with the smoke from burning rubber.

The mating games begin.

Bundled up bikers hit the pavement on their gleaming Harley bikes - the thunder of the V-twin could be heard for miles before the bikes themselves came in view.

Is it spring yet?

Structure Strikes

When I started writing 'Let's Do Lunch,' ten years ago, I had nice characters, pieces of plot and sub-plots that were very engaging – but after 50 pages the story went nowhere. I had a dutiful daughter, a shy gardener, a snarky sister, a sneaky waitress and a lecherous cook. Certain scenes hinted that the gardener had a crush on Lindsey. Others hinted that the cook was up to no good.

Then I had the 'outline' epiphany at our face-to-face writer's group Bard's Corner. I ran down some 'if/then' statements on the spot. What if the cook was the real villain? What if the waitress had two kids to raise. What if they were moving dope, not just stealing? What if the shy gardener was a soldier just back from Iraq – gravely wounded, shell-shocked but healing, a brave man made shy and self-conscious by war?

From there I created motives, conflicts and back-story for every character. I also made the commitment to one point of view character – this was Lindsey's story.

The next step was a timeline – I picked Derby Day as the start date – the story would end on July 4^th. Everything that was going to happen would take place in eight weeks. I figured my villains couldn't hold on much longer than that. Eight weeks on speed would burn anybody out.

After that, writing was easy.

As I got closer to the end of the first book – I started working on the second. I had a bunch of ideas from the Breakout Novel books and a book on character archetypes & the Three Act structure.

Since I was better educated, I outlined the plot, created the calendar, typed up a few sample scenes. I was ready for NaNoWritMo – though I didn't bother to sign up. I had 25k words by the end of the month because I knew where this story was going, and how to get it there.

The result is 'Swallow the Moon' a paranormal romance, now in its second draft. While the book is short – I think that it will be a publishable length at 55k words.

For the 3^rd book 'Tempest in a Teapot' I'm putting each plot-point on an index card. I have two parallel plot lines (his and hers) that need to mesh. There are two Point of View characters – Wendy and Leo – with all kinds of plots and counter plots swirling around them. It will also get a calendar so I can keep the plot moving.

Why go to all this trouble?

All my research into publishing has shown me that selling one book isn't going to cut it. Nor is it a 'one book a year' business any more, the mid-list is dead. So much has changed in the last 5 years – what a pity that I didn't try to sell the book I wrote 20 years ago.

Staying visible is going to mean a book every 6 to 8 months. Making money is going to mean a back-catalog of 4 books (barring the sale of film rights.)

(BTW - That's a joke.)


 

Autho-crack Farewell

Having a career as a 'published' author has been my goal since I was a child.

Authonomy may have fed the fantasy, but it didn't get me closer to the goal. The time I spent on the site contributed to the loss of my job, conflict with my husband – and my written word count dropped to NOTHING. Sitting at the computer for hours on end has also contributed to my injury.

When 'wasting time on Authonomy' topped my list of self-destructive behavior AND obsessions, I knew that it was going to have to go. Everything that gets between my life and my goals has to go. I can't afford to retreat from reality, today. I need to be responsible.

After weeks of toying with the idea – I made my decision. I took "Moon" private –debated some more – copied my profile, comments, blurbs, deleted "Lunch" – debated with myself – deleted "Moon" and sent the "fatal" email.

To the Authonomy Team: I'm not blaming the site for my issues. 
I'm getting real with myself; my behavior and the site are not compatible. I enjoyed my time on the site. I'm very glad that the site is highly successful in getting books for HC and highly entertaining for the employees.

I've learned a lot on the Publishing DIY forum. I intend to pursue that venue in the future.

Just for today – I have goals. To face life on life's terms, suit up and show up.

I have responsibilities to meet, while I have injuries that need tended. Life is calling – I'm going to answer. I'm not burning any bridges – don't want to – but it's time to move forward.

Later!

The Misplaced Horse, by Connie Downes

Connie Downes was my 'almost' older sister, she was a fixture of my childhood – even though she wasn't a blood relation. So, it is with great pleasure that I picked up this book.

"The Misplaced Horse" is a well-written mystery about the world of horse shows. A woman buys a horse at a show, but doesn't have room for him in her trailer – so she arranges to have the horse transported to a different horse show a few weeks later. But the horse doesn't arrive, so the mystery begins.

There is a lot of back story to this book. On the show circuit horses are bought and sold – a lot. They are swapped, sent to trainers, leased, borrowed, traded and shown by an army of people whose names rarely make it to any horse fancier magazine. This army is divided by breed, within the breed by use – therefore it is no surprise to one in the 'know' that someone would ask a stranger "Hey, can you help me transport this horse from point A to point B?"

What amazes me is that 99% of the time – the horse arrives safely. This story is about one horse that went astray.

Connie was a long time trainer and her horses carried many kids to show after show – consistent performers in a very risky business. I have two of her horses in my barn – my beloved old mare was a drop out – a bucker in a barn full of kid-safe horses. My old black gelding was her prize, until infirmities made him retire – when I fell in love with him Connie was generous enough to give him up. He is my rock – steady and faultlessly trained though arthritis has made him stiff and a bit cranky. Connie gave us his papers as a wedding present.

Connie died February 15^th this year, so there won't be any more novels. But, I will always remember her.

Update on Injury

Hanging in there. Can't write - the laptop is too heavy and sitting up is misery.

However, thanks to Husband, Sister, Parents and Friends everything is going well. Will be back on track in another week or so.

Injured Again

Everything has come to a halt - I'm injured again.

A slip has pinched a nerve in my hip - now I'm down for the count. Don't know how I'm going to get anything done - can't stand, can't walk, can't carry anything.

Hopefully, I'll be back on the job in a week or so.

Authonomy Answers

A number of people have been expressing their concern about the levels of negativity on Authonomy of late. (My two cents worth is posted here.) The community is awash with personalities that conflict and the race for the Editor's Desk takes a toll on the sanity of those with books in range. People are getting discouraged by all the chaos.

However, I found (and lifted word for word) this open letter to the Powers-that-be and a very gratifying reply:

Keefie Boy: There is so much negativity in the forum these days. And with good reason. The system is broken. We have people offering guaranteed backing in return for a backing. We even have people with sock puppets offering 2 for 1. In what way, do you suppose, does this 'flush out the brightest, freshest new writing talent around'?

No, you're right, it doesn't. It flushes out the sneakiest, most amoral people on the site. Maybe you (Authonomy), don't see that as a problem. You published Sarah Palin, so it wouldn't surprise me.

Us boring, normal(ish) people are getting seriously fed up with the fun and games, though. (Okay, I shouldn't presume to speak for the majority (see what a reasonable guy I am?), but I don't think many people will argue with what I'm saying). There's a gazillion threads on here containing proposals on how to fix the voting system. I'd be very interested to see an answer, one way or the other. Is Authonomy happy with the way things are, or are there going to be changes?

The Site Admin answers:

We hear you, and the countless voices that have raised this issue in the past. We are not unsympathetic to the view that the system has its shortcomings, but it is worth pointing out the simple fact that this website has allowed HarperCollins to acquire more titles than any other unsolicited submission system (more announcements soon). It is considered a great success. Other publishers and agents have also picked up authors from the site. All round, that is good for new authors, good for readers, good for publishers and good for the future of authonomy.

But as you know from your long tenure here, we are not averse to change. We have modified the algorithms of the site in the past and will do so in the future, as required. However given the rapid and ongoing growth of authonomy, the implications of any changes are now far more difficult to predict. We have to consider the likely impact in a holistic way, not just with respect to the efficacy of the Editor's Desk. We think about this a great deal and will not be hasty.

authonomy was founded on the principle of giving over control to writers and readers, (albeit in a small way, so far) – the clue is in the name after all – but with this comes a degree of individual responsibility. The general criticisms made of authonomy, editors and other industry gatekeepers is a diversion from the reality that the outcome of the authonomy charts is determined solely by the authonomy users. As a wonderful community full of individuals able to think and express yourselves, to inform, amuse, rant, persuade and cajole, you already have everything at your disposal. This is not an argument against us attempting to improve the site – we will be – but the true responsibility for the success (or failure) of this site will always rest with you all.

We'll gladly accept the accusation of idealism, but ask yourselves, do you really want more rules, more hurdles, more gatekeepers?

Clive


When I put my Tech-hat on I see the point – changing the algorithms of the site at this point could set off rippling aftershocks that make the Starcraft invasion look like a mere traffic issue.

Litopia – another writer's colony – still isn't completely running after a major software update. While the colony appears intact – the 'daily' podcast hasn't happened in over a month. If that doesn't mean serious software issues, I'll eat my laptop.

BTW – did you see that beautiful bold text? It is considered a great success. TaDa – we have arrived at a wonderful (if frightening) conclusion – the system works better than anything they tried in the past. Authonomy has justified itself with just a scant handful of titles.

Hmmm.

Think about it, more titles than ANY previous system; say a dozen "full reads" in a year and a half, minus the ones that got away? This evokes an image of the 'slush pile' a ten-foot high room stuffed to the rafters – with 'Harry Potter,' 'Twilight' AND 'Jurassic Park' (maybe even 'Gone with the Wind') somewhere inside – unread.

Rumor has it, that Authonomy has become Harper Collins' private fish tank – the employees drop into the forums. I'm sure that the water-cooler topics include the latest spats. Since I'm riveted to the site – I'm sure that other's are as well. Facebook doesn't have this kind of entertainment value – a cross between 'Survivor' and 'Idol' with 'One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest' thrown in for spice.

"A great success…" in spite of the flame wars – the whining – the sock-puppets (my biggest complaint is the sock-puppets) and the cast of characters – just goes to show how poorly the old system worked. So the experiment continues –we stumble blindly into the future of publishing.

Authonomy is not the only site of its kind. There are many others, I find them all the time. It is the one where I spend the most time, a little guppy in the big fish tank of publishing.

I'm never going to get any work done at this rate. (G)