Yes I am eyeing this up - it's small neat, useful, and if underpowered can still be converted to a great e-reader/wordprocessor.
And combined with a DSL Linux key that runs inside Windows CE? A clean install everytime if you want. The techie in me is drooling.
Tuesday 21 September 2010
Thursday 2 September 2010
Powerline networking
Networking without wires? This is certainly old news to most, not particularly secure and has some interesting range issues.
Falling in between wireless and old style wired is th new technology that lets you network your PC over your power cables, using the electrical cables already embedded in the walls to run a network. Not surprisingly, as a true techie, I had to try this.
We've got issues using wireless thanks to interference and location, so when we want to run a PC outside the office it has always involved running a long network cable round to where we want to work. Not ideal, particularly with two cats who view cables as long lengths of string. We bought the version with built-in AES, and set up a stand alone network.
The bad? It can't be plugged in to an extension lead. The good? Plugged into a wall it took about 5 seconds to set up. You literally plug an adaptor in to the socket, plug an RJ45 cable into it, and into your network hub/switch/router, plug another one in where you want to run the PC, and put an RJ45 cables from the socket to the PC. Effectively every power outlet in the house is now a network port.
A moment's thought reveals security issues, particularly if you have exterior power sockets or have ring networks shared with another flat*, but these are less than wireless would suffer, and it doesn't replace the need for antivirus and firewalls on the PC. However it removes the need for cables, is slightly more secure than wireless, and is very easy to use.
We're planning on setting it up as a second network, not linked to our main one, for light/fun use on gadgets like consoles which we can't use on the commercial network.
The only problem a real techie may have? Running out of power sockets...We may be doing some more DIY this weekend.
*We checked with one adaptor plugged into the PC first to see if it picked up any other networks. If you think it might, you may want to try this.
Falling in between wireless and old style wired is th new technology that lets you network your PC over your power cables, using the electrical cables already embedded in the walls to run a network. Not surprisingly, as a true techie, I had to try this.
We've got issues using wireless thanks to interference and location, so when we want to run a PC outside the office it has always involved running a long network cable round to where we want to work. Not ideal, particularly with two cats who view cables as long lengths of string. We bought the version with built-in AES, and set up a stand alone network.
The bad? It can't be plugged in to an extension lead. The good? Plugged into a wall it took about 5 seconds to set up. You literally plug an adaptor in to the socket, plug an RJ45 cable into it, and into your network hub/switch/router, plug another one in where you want to run the PC, and put an RJ45 cables from the socket to the PC. Effectively every power outlet in the house is now a network port.
A moment's thought reveals security issues, particularly if you have exterior power sockets or have ring networks shared with another flat*, but these are less than wireless would suffer, and it doesn't replace the need for antivirus and firewalls on the PC. However it removes the need for cables, is slightly more secure than wireless, and is very easy to use.
We're planning on setting it up as a second network, not linked to our main one, for light/fun use on gadgets like consoles which we can't use on the commercial network.
The only problem a real techie may have? Running out of power sockets...We may be doing some more DIY this weekend.
*We checked with one adaptor plugged into the PC first to see if it picked up any other networks. If you think it might, you may want to try this.
Tuesday 31 August 2010
Dragon Cave
Friday 13 August 2010
A flawed business method
An interesting example of a potentially backfiring business method just came up, so I thought I'd run through it. I'm not sure whether it's ironic, or just downright funny.
We were phoning round second hand bookshops to get rid of some books (I've got too many and they've taken over the house).
When we phoned one of the nearer ones we had a very interesting conversation. Apparently, they are having trouble competing with charity shops, so they will only take the best quality books. They only wanted as-new books - which they stated included no signs it had ever been read and no page browning. I did ask how a ten year old book was supposed to avoid page browning: apparently they don't want ten year old books no matter how pristine or rare. Likewise any new books printed on creme, no-go. Unfortunately most people selling books are trying to clear space, not make money.
One big problem with their method: the number of people who go into the store, sell what books they can, and then drop the rest off at the nearest charity shop.
Why am I not surprised the charity shops have a better range of stock? On the bright side, I suppose they must be grateful for the steady supply of good reading copies and brand-new-but-printed-on-creme books that keep coming through their door courtesy of their competition.
We were phoning round second hand bookshops to get rid of some books (I've got too many and they've taken over the house).
When we phoned one of the nearer ones we had a very interesting conversation. Apparently, they are having trouble competing with charity shops, so they will only take the best quality books. They only wanted as-new books - which they stated included no signs it had ever been read and no page browning. I did ask how a ten year old book was supposed to avoid page browning: apparently they don't want ten year old books no matter how pristine or rare. Likewise any new books printed on creme, no-go. Unfortunately most people selling books are trying to clear space, not make money.
One big problem with their method: the number of people who go into the store, sell what books they can, and then drop the rest off at the nearest charity shop.
Why am I not surprised the charity shops have a better range of stock? On the bright side, I suppose they must be grateful for the steady supply of good reading copies and brand-new-but-printed-on-creme books that keep coming through their door courtesy of their competition.
Wednesday 4 August 2010
Mturk - surprisingly good!
At the weekend a friend introduced me to Mturk, Amazon.com's method of taking automation out of simply routine tasks. Effectively you sign in, grab a task off the pile, like "rewrite a sentence" "find a url" etc. do the task and get a couple of cents for it. I haven't blogged because quite simply I've been doing this.
It's easy to use, but you need to have an Amazon.com account. For people outside the US, another issue is that they only pay in US$ Amazon gift cerificates that only work on Amazon.com. As my company sometimes works with partners or clients in the US, these are easy enough to swap (and use to buy hospitality etc) but it might be a problem for people without those links.
On the other hand, it is very easy to use and srprisingly addictive. The pay rate is pitifully low in terms of money/time and it can't support you full time, but its so easy to grab an item off the stack during a lunch hour or a spare moment for a bit extra.
I'll be sticking with this one for a while, I think. And since they don't do referrals you know this is an honest endorsement.
UPDATE: Seriously, change my comment about the amount of money you make from pitiful to pitifully infintesimal. To be quite blunt, four hours work on this makes me less than one of my bukisa articles does every month.... So, if writing a few hundred words, uploading and leaving it earns you more every month than four hours and severeal thousand words of data entry, I know which I'd rather do.
It's easy to use, but you need to have an Amazon.com account. For people outside the US, another issue is that they only pay in US$ Amazon gift cerificates that only work on Amazon.com. As my company sometimes works with partners or clients in the US, these are easy enough to swap (and use to buy hospitality etc) but it might be a problem for people without those links.
On the other hand, it is very easy to use and srprisingly addictive. The pay rate is pitifully low in terms of money/time and it can't support you full time, but its so easy to grab an item off the stack during a lunch hour or a spare moment for a bit extra.
I'll be sticking with this one for a while, I think. And since they don't do referrals you know this is an honest endorsement.
UPDATE: Seriously, change my comment about the amount of money you make from pitiful to pitifully infintesimal. To be quite blunt, four hours work on this makes me less than one of my bukisa articles does every month.... So, if writing a few hundred words, uploading and leaving it earns you more every month than four hours and severeal thousand words of data entry, I know which I'd rather do.
Sunday 1 August 2010
Visa Update
A quick update on the Visa giftcard issue: after four days of searching Amazon.co.uk finally accepted it, so my book is on the way!
Wednesday 28 July 2010
Anatomy of Visa giftcards
Since I got a Visa giftcard from a competition I finally got around to ordering this.
Unfortunately Visa giftcards seem to be a right royal nuisance. Paypal won't take them, the stores here won't touch them because they aren't chip and pin, so now I'm left hoping that Amazon.co.uk will actually accept them. Just to make things even more confusing there's no way to check the balance on it without phoning the states.
All in all, it's rather annoying.
Monday 26 July 2010
Articles, comments, and respect
Over the last few weeks I've had two comments that stood out on my articles. Both of them exemplify why you need to be careful to handle the content with respect, no matter what you are writing about.
The first was a comment by the author on the Michael Jecks lens. As far as I can verify it is genuine, and very flattering. The other is more sombre, on the lens about the Jervis Bay and HX-84.
I think I normally treat my subjects with a great deal of respect, but this was rather a surprise. I knew I was writing about real events and real people, but for some reason I didn't think the subjects of my lenses would ever actually notice them. Since no one has taken offence, I think I have handled the subjects appropriately.
Actually, when I said the subjects of the lenses would never notice them, there is one notable exception: The Lancastria lens. The lens is unaffiliated with the official memorial campaign, but ever since it went up I have got requests from survivors' relatives for contact details for the organisation and ways to trace their family. All you can do in that situation is to pass them on to the official resources who may be able to help.
But it is a reminder, if you are writing online, to remember that the subject of your article, comment or rant may well see it, and why you should treat subjects (especially controversial ones) with respect.
The first was a comment by the author on the Michael Jecks lens. As far as I can verify it is genuine, and very flattering. The other is more sombre, on the lens about the Jervis Bay and HX-84.
I think I normally treat my subjects with a great deal of respect, but this was rather a surprise. I knew I was writing about real events and real people, but for some reason I didn't think the subjects of my lenses would ever actually notice them. Since no one has taken offence, I think I have handled the subjects appropriately.
Actually, when I said the subjects of the lenses would never notice them, there is one notable exception: The Lancastria lens. The lens is unaffiliated with the official memorial campaign, but ever since it went up I have got requests from survivors' relatives for contact details for the organisation and ways to trace their family. All you can do in that situation is to pass them on to the official resources who may be able to help.
But it is a reminder, if you are writing online, to remember that the subject of your article, comment or rant may well see it, and why you should treat subjects (especially controversial ones) with respect.
Saturday 24 July 2010
Sponsored Tweets
One of the newest ways to make money online is SponsoredTweets.
This system is easy to set up if you have a Twitter account. Once set up you review and accept offers from advertisers, and agree the tweet content. The Tweet is sent out automatically through your feed, and you then get paid for clicks. If you want to, you can also use it to promote charities wihout making a profit.
I've been trying this one out. So far it's simple and easy to use, but I've run into a small issue: a sense of ethics. I won't review or endorse a product I haven't used, and many advertisers ask you to do that. I also won't endorse gambling, payday loans or certain other activities. This limits the opportunities considerably.
Also, they only offer animated badges as weblinks, which is why you won't find one on this blog.
In short, if you're an established twitter user, it might be worth giving this a look.
This system is easy to set up if you have a Twitter account. Once set up you review and accept offers from advertisers, and agree the tweet content. The Tweet is sent out automatically through your feed, and you then get paid for clicks. If you want to, you can also use it to promote charities wihout making a profit.
I've been trying this one out. So far it's simple and easy to use, but I've run into a small issue: a sense of ethics. I won't review or endorse a product I haven't used, and many advertisers ask you to do that. I also won't endorse gambling, payday loans or certain other activities. This limits the opportunities considerably.
Also, they only offer animated badges as weblinks, which is why you won't find one on this blog.
In short, if you're an established twitter user, it might be worth giving this a look.
Wednesday 21 July 2010
Charities who get it wrong
When you get to my age, birthdays tend to pass unremarked. After all, I'm a bit old for cake and balloons (well, balloons at least). It was a bit of a shock to find that there is one group who certainly don't think I'm passed the age where a birthday needs to be marked.
A card from family, a couple of phone calls which were nice and otherwise nothing, much as I expected. Then I checked my email.
Nineteen "Happy Birthday" messages from charities, all of which boiled down to "It's your special day - now give us money!" I thought on birthdays people were supposed to give you things, not the other way round?
Instead of ranting about the culprits, I'm going to take the positive step of requesting donations for a charity that didn't spam me and who I do support:
A card from family, a couple of phone calls which were nice and otherwise nothing, much as I expected. Then I checked my email.
Nineteen "Happy Birthday" messages from charities, all of which boiled down to "It's your special day - now give us money!" I thought on birthdays people were supposed to give you things, not the other way round?
Instead of ranting about the culprits, I'm going to take the positive step of requesting donations for a charity that didn't spam me and who I do support:
Monday 19 July 2010
A busy day yesterday
A very busy day doing bits and bobs. There were a few highlights.
Going through boxes from our house move, we found the old mobiles to trade. It was a surprise to find that our local CEX is not only a lot simpler to use than envirophone, they pay more. We also cleared a lot more space.
We also took the chance to visit a market and street fair for a day out, which was fun, but did result in an slightly awkward moment. One of my friends through it would be a good idea to buy these: Giggly Pigs WowWow Sausages. Now, I've tried samples before and they've been hot but managable, so after they got home and cooked, I took a small bite from the offered portion.
OK. The ones in the packet, sealed and wrapped, are several times hotter then I remembered. A few pints of milk and a couple of hours later and my eyes were still watering. That's when we looked up the ingredients: chilli, chilli, and even hotter chilli. And some pork. He's taking a sample into work for a colleague who claims he's neverfound anything hot enough. I'm awaiting the report this evening.
They are nice, if you like hot food, but make sure you have water on hand. Even my Thai-food loving husband had to eat these sparingly!
Going through boxes from our house move, we found the old mobiles to trade. It was a surprise to find that our local CEX is not only a lot simpler to use than envirophone, they pay more. We also cleared a lot more space.
We also took the chance to visit a market and street fair for a day out, which was fun, but did result in an slightly awkward moment. One of my friends through it would be a good idea to buy these: Giggly Pigs WowWow Sausages. Now, I've tried samples before and they've been hot but managable, so after they got home and cooked, I took a small bite from the offered portion.
OK. The ones in the packet, sealed and wrapped, are several times hotter then I remembered. A few pints of milk and a couple of hours later and my eyes were still watering. That's when we looked up the ingredients: chilli, chilli, and even hotter chilli. And some pork. He's taking a sample into work for a colleague who claims he's neverfound anything hot enough. I'm awaiting the report this evening.
They are nice, if you like hot food, but make sure you have water on hand. Even my Thai-food loving husband had to eat these sparingly!
Monday 12 July 2010
Twitter galore! - Twiends & Tweetdeck
I've signed up with Twiends, a system that is supposed to give you a chance to find people who share your interests on Twitter and get "credits" for following them. Fortunately credits are free (and given my experience I would not suggest paying for them!).
My first attempt at using it left me with a lot of marketers who signed up quickly to get my credits, so I turned it off for a while while I browsed and signed up to follow people I was interested in and blocked or reported most of the rest. I was also slightly concerned about the logistics of following that many people back, since a lot of useful posts can get lost in the noise.
This morning I ran into Twiends again. I set up an account for a client, set up one for me, and turned my other one back on. The results were interesting, to say the least. Basically, whole sets of people are using the "follow everyone" option (easily detected as they all signed up for the three accounts simultaneously).
Since huge chunks of people obviously just want a follow-back and credits (I'll point out I'm not involved in Alaskan oil, and leave it at that), instead of wading through all the people following me to see who to follow, I'll leave it a day, see who unfollows because they've already got the credits for signing up, and then go through the remainder to see who I should follow. Since many of these multiple-sign-ups are using systems that automatically unsubscribe people who don't follow back in 24 hours, it should clear a lot of the spam before I have to deal with it.
I don't use auto-unsubscribe, by the way. If I'm following you, it's because I want to hear what you're saying, not because I expect a followback. I wish more people would extend the same courtesy.
My opinion of Twiends? Well, it defintely does what it says, and gets you followers. How interested those followers are in your topics? That varies. So far I have blocked ten, but have left two and followed two more.
And a very big recommendation to Tweetdeck as the best bit of free software I've found this year. Scheduled Tweets, managing multiple accounts simultaneously, and making it really easy to detect spammers. It will get its own entry shortly, but I've been playing with it for a week now and I'm still finding new ways to shamelessly exploit it.
Opinion of Tweetdeck? Get this one: It's free, it does exactly what it says on the tin, and then more.
My first attempt at using it left me with a lot of marketers who signed up quickly to get my credits, so I turned it off for a while while I browsed and signed up to follow people I was interested in and blocked or reported most of the rest. I was also slightly concerned about the logistics of following that many people back, since a lot of useful posts can get lost in the noise.
This morning I ran into Twiends again. I set up an account for a client, set up one for me, and turned my other one back on. The results were interesting, to say the least. Basically, whole sets of people are using the "follow everyone" option (easily detected as they all signed up for the three accounts simultaneously).
Since huge chunks of people obviously just want a follow-back and credits (I'll point out I'm not involved in Alaskan oil, and leave it at that), instead of wading through all the people following me to see who to follow, I'll leave it a day, see who unfollows because they've already got the credits for signing up, and then go through the remainder to see who I should follow. Since many of these multiple-sign-ups are using systems that automatically unsubscribe people who don't follow back in 24 hours, it should clear a lot of the spam before I have to deal with it.
I don't use auto-unsubscribe, by the way. If I'm following you, it's because I want to hear what you're saying, not because I expect a followback. I wish more people would extend the same courtesy.
My opinion of Twiends? Well, it defintely does what it says, and gets you followers. How interested those followers are in your topics? That varies. So far I have blocked ten, but have left two and followed two more.
And a very big recommendation to Tweetdeck as the best bit of free software I've found this year. Scheduled Tweets, managing multiple accounts simultaneously, and making it really easy to detect spammers. It will get its own entry shortly, but I've been playing with it for a week now and I'm still finding new ways to shamelessly exploit it.
Opinion of Tweetdeck? Get this one: It's free, it does exactly what it says on the tin, and then more.
Tuesday 6 July 2010
Today bites
Literally. As if I didn't have enough to worry about with the flat sale and the book deal, my cat just learned to open deadbolts.
The deadbolt he was trying on was too stiff to move fortunately. However when he tried it again he got so frustrated he walked up, rubbed his face on my arm and bit me!
The only time that's happened before I had catnip on my fingers. This time I have no clue, but it got him a tap on the nose and my arm in TCP. Looks like he hasn't broken the skin, but to be honest I'm still rather shocked. It's just so out of character for him.
The deadbolt he was trying on was too stiff to move fortunately. However when he tried it again he got so frustrated he walked up, rubbed his face on my arm and bit me!
The only time that's happened before I had catnip on my fingers. This time I have no clue, but it got him a tap on the nose and my arm in TCP. Looks like he hasn't broken the skin, but to be honest I'm still rather shocked. It's just so out of character for him.
Monday 5 July 2010
Going a bit mad
My nerves are killing me. No matter how many distractions I plan or how hard I work in the garden, I still keep dreaming about rejection letters. My waking moments are filled with worry that the manuscript:
We also hear back today about the flat sale, which is not helping my state of mind. We're at the point of actually pulling out, and that's not something we thought we'd ever say. When the management company, having met the new buyer, requests that we don't sell and let the place ourselves you know it's not just us who think the buyer's being unreasonable. Before we jump through any more hoops there will need to be a show of good faith on their side. I'm even getting money out of savings in case we do wind up having to redo and let it ourselves.
And all of this blows up at 11:00 today.
Update: Oh who didn't see this coming? The flat buyer has now decided that he wants the electrical survey done after all - and while a neutral electrician works on the place and the owners are at work, he and his plasterer can have a look round to price up the redecoration.
No. Not until he buys the flat. It's been gas-checked, damp-checked, prodded, poked and everything else. We've done more than we needed to or were required to. If he wants to redecorate, he can buy it first.
- has been lost in the post
- is stuck in the slushpile
- gets an auto-reject from someone who doesn't realise it was requested
- isn't what they are looking for
We also hear back today about the flat sale, which is not helping my state of mind. We're at the point of actually pulling out, and that's not something we thought we'd ever say. When the management company, having met the new buyer, requests that we don't sell and let the place ourselves you know it's not just us who think the buyer's being unreasonable. Before we jump through any more hoops there will need to be a show of good faith on their side. I'm even getting money out of savings in case we do wind up having to redo and let it ourselves.
And all of this blows up at 11:00 today.
Update: Oh who didn't see this coming? The flat buyer has now decided that he wants the electrical survey done after all - and while a neutral electrician works on the place and the owners are at work, he and his plasterer can have a look round to price up the redecoration.
No. Not until he buys the flat. It's been gas-checked, damp-checked, prodded, poked and everything else. We've done more than we needed to or were required to. If he wants to redecorate, he can buy it first.
Thursday 1 July 2010
Another interesting day - and a reminder
The reminder first, to the person who hooked my twitter and blog up to his jobs feed: I'm off the clock here. Here's a hint: I don't talk about sacrificial ritual, horror, steam engines, aircraft, writing articles, games or publishing at work - I get paid to do work, not fun. Don't expect me to talk security, network set up, user experience or browser issues on here or twitter - I don't work for free. My Twitter doesn't have my name and isn't linked to my email to avoid this conflict of interest, so congratulations on your detective work: it got you blocked and reported, as did your Facebook spam (By the way, I'm not on it).
I would have been less annoyed, but today has not been good.
The boiler's fixed, despite the cats frantically trying to get into the cupboard or up the loft ladder, or investigate the plumbing equipment. Once they started double teaming me I ended up shutting them outside - quite tricky since one can open doors.
Flat buyer discovered that, while my husband may be the type to let him bring his own plumber into the flat unsupervised to perform a "check" I am not. I am not being awkward for the sake of it: one of the easiest scams in the world is for someone with a tame plumber to get them to hit a couple of valves with a wrench and claim it needs repair. It costs them nothing since either the seller repairs it, or the seller knocks the "repair cost" they quote off the price. If the seller pulls out, the buyer looses nothing. I don't think this was the buyer's intent or we would not be proceeding with the sale, but it's an easy one to fall prey to so I am taking the line that his plumber gets access to the flat once he's bought it, not before.
My suggestion was that the estate agent finds a "neutral" third party and accompany them into the flat to perform the checks, while we split the cost. The buyer's request for one check has already been dropped, so now it hinges on the second.
Wedding aniversary coming up and no ideas whatsoever what to do, since all my efforts have been tied up in resolving the above issues.
And finally preorders for the book are slowly picking up. Every time I wonder if I did the right thing, that simple fact makes it clear I did, as did the fact that my existing article royalties can pay the bills.
I would have been less annoyed, but today has not been good.
The boiler's fixed, despite the cats frantically trying to get into the cupboard or up the loft ladder, or investigate the plumbing equipment. Once they started double teaming me I ended up shutting them outside - quite tricky since one can open doors.
Flat buyer discovered that, while my husband may be the type to let him bring his own plumber into the flat unsupervised to perform a "check" I am not. I am not being awkward for the sake of it: one of the easiest scams in the world is for someone with a tame plumber to get them to hit a couple of valves with a wrench and claim it needs repair. It costs them nothing since either the seller repairs it, or the seller knocks the "repair cost" they quote off the price. If the seller pulls out, the buyer looses nothing. I don't think this was the buyer's intent or we would not be proceeding with the sale, but it's an easy one to fall prey to so I am taking the line that his plumber gets access to the flat once he's bought it, not before.
My suggestion was that the estate agent finds a "neutral" third party and accompany them into the flat to perform the checks, while we split the cost. The buyer's request for one check has already been dropped, so now it hinges on the second.
Wedding aniversary coming up and no ideas whatsoever what to do, since all my efforts have been tied up in resolving the above issues.
And finally preorders for the book are slowly picking up. Every time I wonder if I did the right thing, that simple fact makes it clear I did, as did the fact that my existing article royalties can pay the bills.
Wednesday 30 June 2010
What a day!
Today has not been good:
Please let tomorrow be better.
- Routine boiler check: Several hundred pounds in repairs and the plumber coming back tomorrow.
- Flat sale: After all the paperwork & legal checks were done, and the buyer was supposed to sign yesterday, he now wants to ask even more questions. This comes after we've had a trickle of questions one at a time from his solicitor over the last few weeks, and after saying they want a fast sale.We've been ready since end of May - can they get a move on please?
- Garage damage due to broken nails: when we went to repair it the hammer broke.
Please let tomorrow be better.
Tuesday 29 June 2010
This week.
If last week was a rollercoaster, this week can be summed up as worry. I find myself second guessing everything I did last week: Did I address it to the right department? Is it sitting lost forever in a slushpile somewhere? Are they going to be interested? Is it really what they are looking for?
It's ridiculous of course, but knowing that does not make it any easier.
I've done the basic housekeeping, putting a promotion plan in black and white in case they ask, getting twitter and other infrastructure ready for a launch, looking into self publishing and distribution. The fact remains all this work doesn't actually achieve anything until I know where I stand with the book.
They said I'd know in four weeks. I'm hoping it's a yes. I'm also hoping they can make it sooner, since my nerves are shot.
It's ridiculous of course, but knowing that does not make it any easier.
I've done the basic housekeeping, putting a promotion plan in black and white in case they ask, getting twitter and other infrastructure ready for a launch, looking into self publishing and distribution. The fact remains all this work doesn't actually achieve anything until I know where I stand with the book.
They said I'd know in four weeks. I'm hoping it's a yes. I'm also hoping they can make it sooner, since my nerves are shot.
Friday 25 June 2010
The week in summary
As of Monday I had a book deal, at final galley stage. The week in summary:
Monday - Suggestion that they would not be able to exploit publicity/distribution. Offered a release.
Tuesday - Accepted the release. Back to submitting to agents. Arranged a fallback to self-pub just in case.
Wednesday - Contacted an established UK house for permission to submit unagented. Came away with a request for the full*.
Thursday - Checked manuscript, dotted i's crossed t's made sure it was as perfect as possible. Posted it.
Friday - Reading writing forums, extremely frazzled and biting fingernails.
*there are no words to discribe the mix of elation and sheer stark terror experienced at this point.
All I can think now is, please let this work out.
Monday - Suggestion that they would not be able to exploit publicity/distribution. Offered a release.
Tuesday - Accepted the release. Back to submitting to agents. Arranged a fallback to self-pub just in case.
Wednesday - Contacted an established UK house for permission to submit unagented. Came away with a request for the full*.
Thursday - Checked manuscript, dotted i's crossed t's made sure it was as perfect as possible. Posted it.
Friday - Reading writing forums, extremely frazzled and biting fingernails.
*there are no words to discribe the mix of elation and sheer stark terror experienced at this point.
All I can think now is, please let this work out.
Thursday 24 June 2010
An interesting week.
If you'd told me the Monday before last about this week, I'd never have believed you. Try "Rollercoaster" for an example of how I feel right now.
You see my book was let go, not because it got too little interest, but because it got too much. Apparently since the publisher had switched to POD and ebook, they usually do a soft launch and let it build.
Enter me, with experience of marketing my own books, links to distributors, and a lot of media experience, who started gearing up on promo at the start of the week...
There was a bit of a mismatch, to be blunt. On Tuesday my book was released by mutual consent, with the advice that I really needed a print house because of the demand for ARCs and similar.
On Wednesday the manuscript went back out to agents and I got a lead on a publisher. Today I spent getting the whole thing into the publisher's in-house format and submitted it.
Frankly I'm still a bit stunned. Monday morning I was booking promos, now I'm hunting publishers.
But the book, will be coming out, even if I have to self-publish. I've put too much effort into this one to let it sink!
You see my book was let go, not because it got too little interest, but because it got too much. Apparently since the publisher had switched to POD and ebook, they usually do a soft launch and let it build.
Enter me, with experience of marketing my own books, links to distributors, and a lot of media experience, who started gearing up on promo at the start of the week...
There was a bit of a mismatch, to be blunt. On Tuesday my book was released by mutual consent, with the advice that I really needed a print house because of the demand for ARCs and similar.
On Wednesday the manuscript went back out to agents and I got a lead on a publisher. Today I spent getting the whole thing into the publisher's in-house format and submitted it.
Frankly I'm still a bit stunned. Monday morning I was booking promos, now I'm hunting publishers.
But the book, will be coming out, even if I have to self-publish. I've put too much effort into this one to let it sink!
Thursday 17 June 2010
Cats and targets
The cats are at the vets, and not happy about it. We get them back this afternoon, fully recovered hopefully.
Meanwhile I'm back to working on the writing. My sales target for Year 1: 5,000.
It's going to be tricky. Because of the way Bewrite works my access to my standard distribution channels (which got the self-published works sales up into the thousands) is restricted. Therefore it is going to be promotion and marketing that matter.
At the moment I am simply at the stage of telling everyone I know that a book is coming out. The problem is that I find myself running into issues with endorsements and similar because the publisher is in Canada and I am UK based - sending out galleys and such is proving complicated.
On the other hand I have been asked for ideas about the cover, which is also a problem as I frankly have no idea. I'd like to avoid the formulaic aircraft-and-big flame approach.
Meanwhile I'm back to working on the writing. My sales target for Year 1: 5,000.
It's going to be tricky. Because of the way Bewrite works my access to my standard distribution channels (which got the self-published works sales up into the thousands) is restricted. Therefore it is going to be promotion and marketing that matter.
At the moment I am simply at the stage of telling everyone I know that a book is coming out. The problem is that I find myself running into issues with endorsements and similar because the publisher is in Canada and I am UK based - sending out galleys and such is proving complicated.
On the other hand I have been asked for ideas about the cover, which is also a problem as I frankly have no idea. I'd like to avoid the formulaic aircraft-and-big flame approach.
Tuesday 15 June 2010
Testimonials and endorsements.
And now I am on the road, hunting for endorsements and testimonials which can make or break a book. The problem I have is that I got a number of subject matter experts to contibute (and they were extremely helpful, so thank you very much for handling all my endless queries), but these are not necessarily the people you can ask for endorsements.
Very few have a profile in Canada, or even outside aviation in the UK. The one that does has a policy of not endorsing products, after being badly burned some years back. I got the help and sanity check in return for not asking.
So now I’m digging back through my address book to find anyone I know who might be able to help. And on top of this my nerves are kicking in, and the little voice of sanity is busy telling me that I can’t possibly bother anyone important about my little book.
I’m going to, of course. Ater all, all they can say is no, and to get this far towards publication, believe me you get used to hearing “no”. You just can’t let it stop you.
(On the practical side, if you can think of anyone who might be interested, please drop me a note. Bound manuscripts can be supplied if required.)
And don't forget the Gatwick Aviation Museum Open day this weekend! I don't know how I can be thinking about endsorsements, when I'm so nervous I just checked they actually wanted to be mentioned in the thanks.
Very few have a profile in Canada, or even outside aviation in the UK. The one that does has a policy of not endorsing products, after being badly burned some years back. I got the help and sanity check in return for not asking.
So now I’m digging back through my address book to find anyone I know who might be able to help. And on top of this my nerves are kicking in, and the little voice of sanity is busy telling me that I can’t possibly bother anyone important about my little book.
I’m going to, of course. Ater all, all they can say is no, and to get this far towards publication, believe me you get used to hearing “no”. You just can’t let it stop you.
(On the practical side, if you can think of anyone who might be interested, please drop me a note. Bound manuscripts can be supplied if required.)
And don't forget the Gatwick Aviation Museum Open day this weekend! I don't know how I can be thinking about endsorsements, when I'm so nervous I just checked they actually wanted to be mentioned in the thanks.
Monday 14 June 2010
Different markets and promo nerves
With my first publication, it was a small, specialised and generally friendly market: one where even reviewers who slate your work are likely to run into you at the next convention and give some decent feedback, and you spend you time chatting to competitors about joint ventures, successes and ways to promote the entire market. Out in the open market things are less friendly and more competitive. My book is going to be one of thousands published this year, and that means I need to promote it.
As the sort of person who, if I got a chance to shout my name from the rooftops would rather whisper it while hiding behind the chimney, I find self-promotion challenging. It is very difficult to fight the urge to let the book be released, do very little promotion and just say that if it is good, it will sell.
This is how you guarantee a flop. To be honest I suspect that is partly why it is tempting: if anything goes wrong, if my research has failed me, if there is a huge clanger in the plot, if the book is actually horribly written, not many people will see it. Unfortunately it is also how you can guarantee you won't get another book published.
To counter this I keep telling myself that the book deserves better than me hiding under a blanket and pretending it didn't get published. The publisher has sunk significant funds and time into it, in the belief it is a good book and they are counting on it to sell. People don't buy books they've never heard of, and with the book publisher being Canadian that gives me another obstacle to overcome - people in Britain can't order a book they've never heard of.
So I'm compromising: hiding behind my PC screen for the illusion of privacy and meanwhile setting up as much of a web presence as I can and telling everyone I've ever met on any forum that I've written a book. Doing all these wonderful things they keep talking about: book trailers and banners and buttons and blurbs. I can only hope that will be enough.
And here's my gratuitious ad for today: http://www.squidoo.com/Firestorm.
It's my book. It's hopefully great. Please buy it when it comes out.
(Doesn't that sound like a confident, driven, self-promoting author? No? Oh well...)
As the sort of person who, if I got a chance to shout my name from the rooftops would rather whisper it while hiding behind the chimney, I find self-promotion challenging. It is very difficult to fight the urge to let the book be released, do very little promotion and just say that if it is good, it will sell.
This is how you guarantee a flop. To be honest I suspect that is partly why it is tempting: if anything goes wrong, if my research has failed me, if there is a huge clanger in the plot, if the book is actually horribly written, not many people will see it. Unfortunately it is also how you can guarantee you won't get another book published.
To counter this I keep telling myself that the book deserves better than me hiding under a blanket and pretending it didn't get published. The publisher has sunk significant funds and time into it, in the belief it is a good book and they are counting on it to sell. People don't buy books they've never heard of, and with the book publisher being Canadian that gives me another obstacle to overcome - people in Britain can't order a book they've never heard of.
So I'm compromising: hiding behind my PC screen for the illusion of privacy and meanwhile setting up as much of a web presence as I can and telling everyone I've ever met on any forum that I've written a book. Doing all these wonderful things they keep talking about: book trailers and banners and buttons and blurbs. I can only hope that will be enough.
And here's my gratuitious ad for today: http://www.squidoo.com/Firestorm.
It's my book. It's hopefully great. Please buy it when it comes out.
(Doesn't that sound like a confident, driven, self-promoting author? No? Oh well...)
Sunday 13 June 2010
First Novel Nerves
Oh dear. At the moment my brain is working in fits and starts at best. The final version went back to the editor yesterday, and now I am left extremely nervous.
Instead of working on my other novels, I find myself torn between frantic promotion setup and reassuring my cat that he is in fact furry and can purr while trying to relax. I think he thinks I have gone crazy.
The issue is that because I used to write horror, and have a range of non-fiction article out under my name I've used a pen name to avoid confusion. Now I need to consider whether to link all the blogs, videos, twitter etc to a new set of accounts under that name, or whether to add it to my own feeds. Frankly, if I put it solely under my own accounts it will get lost in the traffic very quickly, so I'm currently working on a "best of both worlds" set up.
If my nerves will let me...
Writing presence for now
Also a Youtube, Google site (until the website is set up), and forum are present, although content is limited at this stage.
Instead of working on my other novels, I find myself torn between frantic promotion setup and reassuring my cat that he is in fact furry and can purr while trying to relax. I think he thinks I have gone crazy.
The issue is that because I used to write horror, and have a range of non-fiction article out under my name I've used a pen name to avoid confusion. Now I need to consider whether to link all the blogs, videos, twitter etc to a new set of accounts under that name, or whether to add it to my own feeds. Frankly, if I put it solely under my own accounts it will get lost in the traffic very quickly, so I'm currently working on a "best of both worlds" set up.
If my nerves will let me...
Writing presence for now
Also a Youtube, Google site (until the website is set up), and forum are present, although content is limited at this stage.
Friday 4 June 2010
Dueling expert syndrome
Something I have learned and want to pass on to budding novelists: Once you've done your research and written the book, don't ever, ever, go back for a second opinion. They won't agree. Put two experts and a room and get three opinions (actually about five and a lively ongoing debate in my case).
On the other hand, there is a certain black humour in saying "I just torched a house because it was the only way to make the firefighters happy."
On the other hand, there is a certain black humour in saying "I just torched a house because it was the only way to make the firefighters happy."
Thursday 27 May 2010
And back it goes...
Edits done to the manuscript, and back it goes to the publisher. That was a fairly fast turnaround, but to be honest I've had trouble sleeping since it got back to me, so I've had my head down over the word processor (which promptly broke - thanks Word 2003 for corrupting your template file at just the wrong moment).
I can however reccomend Open Office as a good method of bacon-saving with its useful .odt format. Luckily, the publisher uses it too. Here's a hefty plug for OO - it's easy to use, I picked it up in five minutes, and the XP .doc format option actually keeps the comments and track changes correct when opened in Word.
My thanks also go to Gatwick Aviation Museum for a sanity check on some of the details - I'd got them right, so there wasn't the need for an extensive re-write that I had feared, but the confirmation has saved me a lot of worry.
I can however reccomend Open Office as a good method of bacon-saving with its useful .odt format. Luckily, the publisher uses it too. Here's a hefty plug for OO - it's easy to use, I picked it up in five minutes, and the XP .doc format option actually keeps the comments and track changes correct when opened in Word.
My thanks also go to Gatwick Aviation Museum for a sanity check on some of the details - I'd got them right, so there wasn't the need for an extensive re-write that I had feared, but the confirmation has saved me a lot of worry.
Wednesday 26 May 2010
A harsh review
In a change of topic, after a gentleman on a forum decided to shread some of my other work, I was asked why I took my work being picked apart so calmly. I replied that some of what they say is useful, and feedback whether good or bad is something to learn from.
That's not the whole story. In fact, I've been here before. My first small press book got effectively two sets of reviews. The first type (and there were very few of these) were raving about great ideas. The second set paid attention to editing, layout etc. and were, shall we say, less kind. It was quite a shock, but it was good to get it out of the way early on and get a thicker skin.
And over several books I went from reviews at 2/5 reading "not all the ideas are brilliant." and "a small press book, with small press composition" to 5 star "a superb story, as well as an example of how good this could be." and "truly one of the best in its class."
Now I'm moving into a new area of writing and to be blunt, I expect the same thing. It helps to be prepared to be slated, and it always takes time to build a name. What matters is that I am making the move, and if I let a few harsh critics put me off then I really would not be cut out for writing.
(And if the worst comes to the worst, there's always madeira or sherry to drown the pain.)
That's not the whole story. In fact, I've been here before. My first small press book got effectively two sets of reviews. The first type (and there were very few of these) were raving about great ideas. The second set paid attention to editing, layout etc. and were, shall we say, less kind. It was quite a shock, but it was good to get it out of the way early on and get a thicker skin.
And over several books I went from reviews at 2/5 reading "not all the ideas are brilliant." and "a small press book, with small press composition" to 5 star "a superb story, as well as an example of how good this could be." and "truly one of the best in its class."
Now I'm moving into a new area of writing and to be blunt, I expect the same thing. It helps to be prepared to be slated, and it always takes time to build a name. What matters is that I am making the move, and if I let a few harsh critics put me off then I really would not be cut out for writing.
(And if the worst comes to the worst, there's always madeira or sherry to drown the pain.)
Tuesday 25 May 2010
And the manuscript returns
The first set of edits has come back. To my complete surprise and relief it wasn't one huge block of red ink either. Better yet I agree with most of the changes, or at least can see why they were suggested.
The corrections should be easily made. In general it is punctuation, but there are a few places where it seems I have made a few assumptions based on my own knowledge that readers would not know. A little bit more explanation is called for to clarify these issues.
Hopefully I can get them all done this week and get it returned for a new round of edits.
The corrections should be easily made. In general it is punctuation, but there are a few places where it seems I have made a few assumptions based on my own knowledge that readers would not know. A little bit more explanation is called for to clarify these issues.
Hopefully I can get them all done this week and get it returned for a new round of edits.
Wednesday 19 May 2010
exploding lightbulbs
Last night, at 3 am, we had a power surge. We know we had a power surge due to tell-tale clues, like exploding lightbulbs, fuse box shutting down completely and every circuit breaker and surge protector in the house tripping.
If I sound not particularly upset it's because my night then involved cleaning up, getting the power back, restoring circuit breakers and in general not geting any sleep. Despite cats, a mess, pitch darkness, and other issues the cause was discovered. This morning at 8am I was at the shops to change every lightbulb we had, since the bad batch had been a boxed set. It seems that when they heated up, they shed the glass component and let the filament explode in the air.
Unfortunately, we have also confirmed that one of the cats does have poor eyesight and is genuinely afraid of the dark. When the lights went out, one was running round enjoying the new experience, ambushing feet and playing with her toys. The other one was huddled on the bed until the torch lit, when he carefully stayed inside the small patch of light right by my feet until we got one of the lighting rings back. Poor little beggar.
If I sound not particularly upset it's because my night then involved cleaning up, getting the power back, restoring circuit breakers and in general not geting any sleep. Despite cats, a mess, pitch darkness, and other issues the cause was discovered. This morning at 8am I was at the shops to change every lightbulb we had, since the bad batch had been a boxed set. It seems that when they heated up, they shed the glass component and let the filament explode in the air.
Unfortunately, we have also confirmed that one of the cats does have poor eyesight and is genuinely afraid of the dark. When the lights went out, one was running round enjoying the new experience, ambushing feet and playing with her toys. The other one was huddled on the bed until the torch lit, when he carefully stayed inside the small patch of light right by my feet until we got one of the lighting rings back. Poor little beggar.
Tuesday 18 May 2010
Progress on promos
A very fast response, and I have a demo of a book trailer to review. At 20 seconds it's not long, the concept is very simple, and it's made with stock footage/audio so it's cheap. We've got some time to revise it before the book comes out, but the basics are there. Best of all, it's got the right aircraft in it, and the sounds are close if not completely accurate. (You'd need to be a pedant like me to spot the problem, and after compression it's not going to be audible.)
I'm still investigating review options, and have a few on the table.
Update: Real life gets in the way again, so I'm setting up contacts and listing places at 2am since I can't sleep. Then I'll send them in the morning so that the timestamp shows a more usual hour...
What's really getting to me right now is that I sent off the signed contracts last wek and so far have had no feedback. I know, I'm using Royal Mail, the Atlantic is in the way, volcanic ash has played havoc with airmail, etc. but at the same time until I get either the signed contract back or an email saying they've received it, I don't think I'll quite believe I'm actually going to be published.
I'm still investigating review options, and have a few on the table.
Update: Real life gets in the way again, so I'm setting up contacts and listing places at 2am since I can't sleep. Then I'll send them in the morning so that the timestamp shows a more usual hour...
What's really getting to me right now is that I sent off the signed contracts last wek and so far have had no feedback. I know, I'm using Royal Mail, the Atlantic is in the way, volcanic ash has played havoc with airmail, etc. but at the same time until I get either the signed contract back or an email saying they've received it, I don't think I'll quite believe I'm actually going to be published.
Monday 17 May 2010
Marketing plan
While I wait for the publisher to dot the i's and cross the t's so we can push ahead, I have a few things on the go:
1) Finish another book - manuscript #4, although I have a few ideas drifting around for revisions to manuscript #2.
2) Promotion.
It's a little early to start marketing the book itself, but what I am doing is assessing the best places to send out review copies, gathering media packs and contact details. In general I'm looking less at the book trade and review sites (since the publisher knows what they are doing with those) and more at interest and online groups that would be related to the subject. Since sending out review copies is costly I need to make sure the review copies are carefully targeted.
E-books are easier to send out and remove print and shipping costs, so they do open up other options. Unfortunately they are easily pirated, so it is a case of making sure they go to reputable sites.
Book trailers are useful but costly ($350 for a basic thirty second trailer) so I'm having a word with a few friends in media to see about other options after identifying the best online and offline networks to send it to. There are several media networks and portals I can get banners and buttons onto at low cost, which would also be targeted.
I identified most of these before I submitted the manuscript - now it's just a case of firming up figures and working out which are the best ones to use that will be the most effective with an overseas publisher.
It's worth mentioning that the obvious free promotion areas I have available (forums, websites, personal connections) have already been identified and all I really need is a book to promote on them.
1) Finish another book - manuscript #4, although I have a few ideas drifting around for revisions to manuscript #2.
2) Promotion.
It's a little early to start marketing the book itself, but what I am doing is assessing the best places to send out review copies, gathering media packs and contact details. In general I'm looking less at the book trade and review sites (since the publisher knows what they are doing with those) and more at interest and online groups that would be related to the subject. Since sending out review copies is costly I need to make sure the review copies are carefully targeted.
E-books are easier to send out and remove print and shipping costs, so they do open up other options. Unfortunately they are easily pirated, so it is a case of making sure they go to reputable sites.
Book trailers are useful but costly ($350 for a basic thirty second trailer) so I'm having a word with a few friends in media to see about other options after identifying the best online and offline networks to send it to. There are several media networks and portals I can get banners and buttons onto at low cost, which would also be targeted.
I identified most of these before I submitted the manuscript - now it's just a case of firming up figures and working out which are the best ones to use that will be the most effective with an overseas publisher.
It's worth mentioning that the obvious free promotion areas I have available (forums, websites, personal connections) have already been identified and all I really need is a book to promote on them.
Thursday 13 May 2010
Typical timing
Since the company and publishing contract checks out, I'm taking the deal.
The only problem is that, with typical terrible tirial timing, the printer died right after printing two copies of the contract meaning that I have no cover letter. It will take at least two days to get it fixed, so I'm sending the contracts without one, and dropping an email to let them know.
I'm also starting to get things set up on the marketing side. Until the book's release title is confirmed my options are limited, but I can get blogs and URLs registered for a pen name. I'm also working on a bio, which will be completely accurate to my experience, just with another name on it.
And after having to drop my planned pen name for being too close to another authors, I actually prefer the new one. So far I've counted five aviation shout-outs in it, and I am sure there are more - quite appropriate given what I write.
The only problem is that, with typical terrible tirial timing, the printer died right after printing two copies of the contract meaning that I have no cover letter. It will take at least two days to get it fixed, so I'm sending the contracts without one, and dropping an email to let them know.
I'm also starting to get things set up on the marketing side. Until the book's release title is confirmed my options are limited, but I can get blogs and URLs registered for a pen name. I'm also working on a bio, which will be completely accurate to my experience, just with another name on it.
And after having to drop my planned pen name for being too close to another authors, I actually prefer the new one. So far I've counted five aviation shout-outs in it, and I am sure there are more - quite appropriate given what I write.
Wednesday 12 May 2010
Better late than never
I had a nicely handwritten note from an agent arrive on my doorstep this morning.
Now before you say that I should not have sent to a publisher until I had heard from all the agents I sent it out to, I will point out I sent the manuscript to this one in August 2009 and they say that if you have not heard from them in three months it's a no.
It was a rejection anyway, so it changes very little. They expressed their regrets that despite "strong writing and a good voice" "they could not see a market for my work."
I'm afraid I'm only human. I cast a glance at the publishing contract I'd been about to sign. I looked back at the note. Then I indulged in a quiet snigger.
On a more serious note, thank you to the agent for your time considering the manuscript, for taking the time to write a personal rejection, and for your kind words about my writing. Very few agents do take the time to do this, and it is this sort of consideration that keeps aspiring writers going despite the increasing piles of "no". Unfortunately it does tend to invite more submissions - guess where my next manuscript is going...
Now before you say that I should not have sent to a publisher until I had heard from all the agents I sent it out to, I will point out I sent the manuscript to this one in August 2009 and they say that if you have not heard from them in three months it's a no.
It was a rejection anyway, so it changes very little. They expressed their regrets that despite "strong writing and a good voice" "they could not see a market for my work."
I'm afraid I'm only human. I cast a glance at the publishing contract I'd been about to sign. I looked back at the note. Then I indulged in a quiet snigger.
On a more serious note, thank you to the agent for your time considering the manuscript, for taking the time to write a personal rejection, and for your kind words about my writing. Very few agents do take the time to do this, and it is this sort of consideration that keeps aspiring writers going despite the increasing piles of "no". Unfortunately it does tend to invite more submissions - guess where my next manuscript is going...
Tuesday 11 May 2010
Plants and flat sales and cats - oh my!
Over Worked, Under Paid - Giclee Print
Patterson, Gary
18 in. x 24 in.
Buy at AllPosters.com
Framed Mounted
(I couldn't find one for busy, but this seemed appropriate)
The property sale proceeds apace, and we are hoping to get it done by the end of the month. If we do, it will make things a lot simpler and get another issue out of the way.
Then there are the plants. Oh dear. Once again, the problem is that I know where to start growing things, but not where to stop. In the flat I was limited to windowsills. Here, thanks to foxes and squirrels, I'm still limited to windowsills, but there are more of them and they are bigger. Unfortunately, between lettuces, cauliflowers, broccoli, onions and carrots (and mustard and cress), all the sunfacing ones are already full. I'm trying to persude the other half that a 4 tier indoor greenhouse to get the rest off the floor would be a good idea. We need an enclosed one because the cats decided to climb the shelves.
I have done somehing wrong with the dwarf beans. I planted six which were supposed to grow 15 inches high. Instead I now have eight plants (was nine until Matilda ate one), and the largest is two feet and still growing.
And the book contract? They've come back and said the changes I requested will not be an issue. The problem is I'm not sure how to proceed next - do they amend the contract and resend it? Is the boilerplate signed with an allowance for agreed changes? Do I sign it with my amendments and return it?
In an IT negotiation the agent would handle it, or the party offering the contract, and you'd swap it back and forth. However, I am not familiar with literary contracts or Canadian law, which leaves me at something of a loss.
While I figure out the next move, I'm now costing the marketing plan. The free components are done, but there are always a few pay channels that are worth going down. The only real issue, as always, is making sure you don't spent more on marketing than you would make from sales.
But before I do anything else, step one is definitely going to be "clear anything else that remains in flat".
Sunday 9 May 2010
Contract update
I heard back about the publishing contract. There are issues that the Society of Authors check flagged up, a few of which I'd already spotted and several of which I hadn't. Now I need to carefully compose a letter to go back to the publisher asking about these and suggesting a few alternatives.
The secondary issue is the pseudonym. They prefer authors to use their actual names. Unfortunately as I've already mentioned, I keep my personal and professional lives very seperate. Market the book? Fine. Market the psuedonym as a brand? Fine. Market me? Not fine. To be honest it would actually hinder booksales since that brand already exists and is in a completely different field.
The real issue for me isn't a standard one. Their contract blocks several avenues of marketing I've already identified (which go directly to the book's target audience), and cuts off two routes to market that I've used before successfully. If I'm not careful, it's going to be a case of choosing between a publishing credit or high sales.
Update:
I just checked several other midlist publishers for their method of publication. What is scary is that in many cases I have higher sales with my self published books. The publisher I am looking at actually is one of the better ones for distribution, which is a genuine shock. It seems that we had better distribution for the self-published book than many of the professional houses managed. Seriously, if my self-published book could get onto shelves at two large book chainstores why can't the midlist publishers?
I've sent a few questions back about the contract, but the problem is hitting the right tone. I don't want to be awkward or hard to work with, but I really don't want to get screwed.
The secondary issue is the pseudonym. They prefer authors to use their actual names. Unfortunately as I've already mentioned, I keep my personal and professional lives very seperate. Market the book? Fine. Market the psuedonym as a brand? Fine. Market me? Not fine. To be honest it would actually hinder booksales since that brand already exists and is in a completely different field.
The real issue for me isn't a standard one. Their contract blocks several avenues of marketing I've already identified (which go directly to the book's target audience), and cuts off two routes to market that I've used before successfully. If I'm not careful, it's going to be a case of choosing between a publishing credit or high sales.
Update:
I just checked several other midlist publishers for their method of publication. What is scary is that in many cases I have higher sales with my self published books. The publisher I am looking at actually is one of the better ones for distribution, which is a genuine shock. It seems that we had better distribution for the self-published book than many of the professional houses managed. Seriously, if my self-published book could get onto shelves at two large book chainstores why can't the midlist publishers?
I've sent a few questions back about the contract, but the problem is hitting the right tone. I don't want to be awkward or hard to work with, but I really don't want to get screwed.
Friday 7 May 2010
The joys of editing
That's right, my word count for #4 just dropped. I've worked in two more sections, revised a few for better reading, and my goal is actually further away.
And that's without the complete re-write of the ending a hung parliament requires. Writing is frustrating sometimes.
And that's without the complete re-write of the ending a hung parliament requires. Writing is frustrating sometimes.
Thursday 6 May 2010
Steady progress
Public Service message: It's election day, please get out and vote. We just did, and the polls were rather busy. If you want reasons try http://www.squidoo.com/why-vote for a non-partisan look at the best reasons to vote (and why spoiling your ballot isn't a protest)
On the publishing front I've got five days until I hear back from the contract check service from the Society of Authors. I still can't believe it was only Monday I got the contract offer through, and Tuesday I spent trying to get a contract check set up.
I now have another finished manuscript and need to decide whether to ship it round or let it sit for a few more months and try and work on something else - like not chewing my nails down to the bone. You may have guessed that waiting on this type of contract is quite stressful.
This close to the finishing post, all I want to do is sign the contract, close the deal and get the book published. Don't worry, I know better than to sign anything without legal review. Even so, believe me I really, really, want to.
On the publishing front I've got five days until I hear back from the contract check service from the Society of Authors. I still can't believe it was only Monday I got the contract offer through, and Tuesday I spent trying to get a contract check set up.
I now have another finished manuscript and need to decide whether to ship it round or let it sit for a few more months and try and work on something else - like not chewing my nails down to the bone. You may have guessed that waiting on this type of contract is quite stressful.
This close to the finishing post, all I want to do is sign the contract, close the deal and get the book published. Don't worry, I know better than to sign anything without legal review. Even so, believe me I really, really, want to.
Monday 3 May 2010
Rather stunned - in a good way
I just got a contract through by email. A publishing contract. For novel no 3.
The publisher's assessment is that it has issues (mainly dialog punctuation and a few typos), but a strong story.
Now the good thing about email is that the publisher can't see your immediate reaction (an embarrassingly girly squeal). The other thing is that it allows me a cooling off period to review the contract once the initial flush has worn off.
However things turn out, I now know that I can write something that is on the level to be professionally published. And that is a damn good feeling.
The publisher's assessment is that it has issues (mainly dialog punctuation and a few typos), but a strong story.
Now the good thing about email is that the publisher can't see your immediate reaction (an embarrassingly girly squeal). The other thing is that it allows me a cooling off period to review the contract once the initial flush has worn off.
However things turn out, I now know that I can write something that is on the level to be professionally published. And that is a damn good feeling.
Wednesday 28 April 2010
Slow progress
I've spent the morning trying to move books around, get shelves up, repot plants and tidy up - which means I have got nothing done this week on my novel.
The problem is, I look round at what I have done and it isn't as if I haven't accomplished anything. I just haven't accomplished what I wanted to!
So, here's my new counter and may it guilt me into getting the right work done:
I've also just realised that my numbering is out on the blog, so here's the details:
#1 - complete in drawer 90,000 words
#2 - half finished at 62,000 words
#3 - full with publisher (and that makes me grin like an idiot)
#4 - started for Nanowrimo, now at 64,000 words out of 90,000
The problem is, I look round at what I have done and it isn't as if I haven't accomplished anything. I just haven't accomplished what I wanted to!
So, here's my new counter and may it guilt me into getting the right work done:
I've also just realised that my numbering is out on the blog, so here's the details:
#1 - complete in drawer 90,000 words
#2 - half finished at 62,000 words
#3 - full with publisher (and that makes me grin like an idiot)
#4 - started for Nanowrimo, now at 64,000 words out of 90,000
Friday 23 April 2010
A new unicreature...
I have to say, when I first got the newly released Silver and fully evolved it, I laughed. Some of you can guess why:
Cute isn't he? And his ground crew aren't bad either
Cute isn't he? And his ground crew aren't bad either
Thursday 22 April 2010
And more words
So, while I wait for feedback on No 3, Novel #4 just reached 64,000 words.
I'm trying to do 1,000 words a day. It may not sound like much but it's now at the stage of going through writing linking sections, rearranging events, checking continuity and so on, to make a working first draft. I find myself worried about something I had not considered earlier; the prospect of it going over the 90,000 target.
I also have an interesting problem with the ending, prompted by real events: the election. Large chunks of the book are political satire, taking an even handed swipe at most things. The historical precedent my current ending is based on may become irrelevant on 6th May (the joys of a possible hung parliament). Do I want to write something that could be a period piece before release?
Despite this, the query letter is written and ready for it, but I want to get the mauscript into final shape before I start revising query letters.
Having learned from my last set of submissions, I will probably just send this one straight overseas and see what happens.
I'm trying to do 1,000 words a day. It may not sound like much but it's now at the stage of going through writing linking sections, rearranging events, checking continuity and so on, to make a working first draft. I find myself worried about something I had not considered earlier; the prospect of it going over the 90,000 target.
I also have an interesting problem with the ending, prompted by real events: the election. Large chunks of the book are political satire, taking an even handed swipe at most things. The historical precedent my current ending is based on may become irrelevant on 6th May (the joys of a possible hung parliament). Do I want to write something that could be a period piece before release?
Despite this, the query letter is written and ready for it, but I want to get the mauscript into final shape before I start revising query letters.
Having learned from my last set of submissions, I will probably just send this one straight overseas and see what happens.
Friday 16 April 2010
Another rejection
I have another rejection from an agency. This is a form rejection, so it isn't worth trying to decypher hidden meanings about plot, characterisation etc.
Meanwhile the full manuscript is still across in Canada, with the publisher, hopefully being read and enjoyed. What I really wish I had not read was that it can take three months for editors to get back to authors about manuscripts. I won't have any fingenails left by then!
However novel #3 got a re-edit and a lot of extra writing and is now on 61K. I honestly think it will top out at 90K, but I really am not sure what genre it fits into.
Meanwhile the full manuscript is still across in Canada, with the publisher, hopefully being read and enjoyed. What I really wish I had not read was that it can take three months for editors to get back to authors about manuscripts. I won't have any fingenails left by then!
However novel #3 got a re-edit and a lot of extra writing and is now on 61K. I honestly think it will top out at 90K, but I really am not sure what genre it fits into.
Friday 9 April 2010
A manuscript request
And finally we seem to have progress on the writing front!
Yesterday I got a request for a full manuscript from the publisher looking at one of my novels. After a few moments of complete shock, I sat down to write back. This proved harder than I thought, since the instinctive response is to agree to anything to get one step further towards publication.
Still after some work I think I had a few lines that did not make me look completely insane, and a copy of the manuscript all ready in their house format. It's gone now, out into the ether, and now I just have to wait to hear. And as many authors already know and I just found out: waiting on a response to a full is actually worse than waiting on a query.
Unfortunately I have to admit, after being told repeatedly by various UK agents that there was no market in the UK for the adventure genre, it seems going outside Britain was the right choice. One thing I would be interested in finding out is whether the decline of young men reading and the decline in publishing adventure books (usually targeted towards them) corralates. After all if it does, would that be cause and effect by one upon the other, or a vicious circle?
Yesterday I got a request for a full manuscript from the publisher looking at one of my novels. After a few moments of complete shock, I sat down to write back. This proved harder than I thought, since the instinctive response is to agree to anything to get one step further towards publication.
Still after some work I think I had a few lines that did not make me look completely insane, and a copy of the manuscript all ready in their house format. It's gone now, out into the ether, and now I just have to wait to hear. And as many authors already know and I just found out: waiting on a response to a full is actually worse than waiting on a query.
Unfortunately I have to admit, after being told repeatedly by various UK agents that there was no market in the UK for the adventure genre, it seems going outside Britain was the right choice. One thing I would be interested in finding out is whether the decline of young men reading and the decline in publishing adventure books (usually targeted towards them) corralates. After all if it does, would that be cause and effect by one upon the other, or a vicious circle?
Wednesday 7 April 2010
Hubpages - to write or not...?
I used my old hubpages account at the weekend and set up my first live hub, about USB Cell batteries. This was very much a test to see how it would work.
The good.
It's quick and easy to use - in some ways easier than Squidoo.
The bad.
It's less flexible, with a smaller range of modules and a limited amount of embedding allowed.
The issues
Now to get down to the problem: I do these pages to raise money for charities I support.
Squidoo gives a payment for lenses that attract visitors and a share of affiliate income and the chance to embed donate modules or your own affiliate, while Bukisa gives a straight payment-per-visit for articles. Hubpages does neither - any revenue raised must be raised through membership of affiliate schemes or advertising by the owner. To me this means there's no real benefit to writing good content, particularly as you then have to stuff it full of distracting ads and hope someone clicks on them. If you've been following the blog you know my opinions of Infolinks when they turned up on Squidoo...
For anyone doing this for income, there's a bigger problem: Their affiliate setup only works if you are a US citizen - the UK Amazon account I tried to link does not work as the tags aren't acknowledged. I tried embedding links directly, but apparently that is not allowed by their HTML editor. So far the only one I've got working is Kontera, and that's too similar to Infolinks for my liking.
Would I continue doing Hubpages? To be honest, my initial impression is not entirely positive. I'll probably do a few to promote my articles and lenses from bukisa or elsewhere. They are quick and easy to create but the failure to embed affiliates means they produce no income or charity donation, and I get more traffic elsewhere.
The good.
It's quick and easy to use - in some ways easier than Squidoo.
The bad.
It's less flexible, with a smaller range of modules and a limited amount of embedding allowed.
The issues
Now to get down to the problem: I do these pages to raise money for charities I support.
Squidoo gives a payment for lenses that attract visitors and a share of affiliate income and the chance to embed donate modules or your own affiliate, while Bukisa gives a straight payment-per-visit for articles. Hubpages does neither - any revenue raised must be raised through membership of affiliate schemes or advertising by the owner. To me this means there's no real benefit to writing good content, particularly as you then have to stuff it full of distracting ads and hope someone clicks on them. If you've been following the blog you know my opinions of Infolinks when they turned up on Squidoo...
For anyone doing this for income, there's a bigger problem: Their affiliate setup only works if you are a US citizen - the UK Amazon account I tried to link does not work as the tags aren't acknowledged. I tried embedding links directly, but apparently that is not allowed by their HTML editor. So far the only one I've got working is Kontera, and that's too similar to Infolinks for my liking.
Would I continue doing Hubpages? To be honest, my initial impression is not entirely positive. I'll probably do a few to promote my articles and lenses from bukisa or elsewhere. They are quick and easy to create but the failure to embed affiliates means they produce no income or charity donation, and I get more traffic elsewhere.
Tuesday 6 April 2010
And progress is made slowly...
Over Easter I got two more rejections - one at 1am Easter Sunday. Both were form rejections, so no useful information or advice unfortunately. On the other hand that is the last of the UK ones for that manuscript, so hopefully the genre's not as dead overseas.
I've had the book on the left recommended to me, and when I checked out whether it was good as claimed, I found it was also highlighted on the howpublishingreallyworks blog. Hopefully that's a ringing endorsement.
On the garden front the cress and mustard I grew have gone, and the lettuce is now seriously taking route. I also have seven dwarf bean plants taking over the kitchen.
And on the article front? I've just added another article to Bukisa, and am looking forward to them getting the bugs out of their topic pages, since one of their topics is the GWR. I have also published my first hub on hubpages, but may well not do another one. I'll blog here once I've got my thoughts together on it, but it's another US/non-US issue.
Thursday 1 April 2010
And a happy easter to my readers...
And that's it really. The house sale is progressing slowly, as these things do. I'm still waiting on hearing about the manuscript, and the plants are growing fine. Although the problem with growing cauliflower on a window sill just became apparent - I had forgotten how big they get.
I need a larger windowsill, and someone to eat the cress forest I accidentally grew.
I need a larger windowsill, and someone to eat the cress forest I accidentally grew.
Friday 26 March 2010
It's the waiting that's a killer...
Everything on my life right now seems to depend on waiting. To give you an idea, I am selling a flat and waiting to hear from potential buyers after viewing, waiting to hear interview results, and on top of that I have two novels currently sitting with publishers and agents. So as I checked my email for the third (probably closer to thirtieth) time today, I realised this is getting ridiculous. It's very difficult to work on another novel, when every time the door goes, the phone rings or you even think that someone might have emailed you, you immediately check and *poof* there goes your train of thought.
Since I've now get 42 items on Bukisa and need a break from rewrites, I took some time away from the PC and spent the morning clearing stinging nettles to get the vegetable patch ready for this year. Both because it needed to be done, and because its the furthest away from house and PC I can get without going out. Unfortunately, since I'm waiting on the plants I put in last week to sprout, even gardening now involves waiting!
On the short story front, since a Perfect Set-Up did so well (34 views on Redgage in the first hour) I've starting promoting Escape - Part One.
I just hope I hear something soon on at least one of these fronts as the silence is very hard to bear.
Since I've now get 42 items on Bukisa and need a break from rewrites, I took some time away from the PC and spent the morning clearing stinging nettles to get the vegetable patch ready for this year. Both because it needed to be done, and because its the furthest away from house and PC I can get without going out. Unfortunately, since I'm waiting on the plants I put in last week to sprout, even gardening now involves waiting!
On the short story front, since a Perfect Set-Up did so well (34 views on Redgage in the first hour) I've starting promoting Escape - Part One.
I just hope I hear something soon on at least one of these fronts as the silence is very hard to bear.
Thursday 25 March 2010
Articles and More
After real life got in the way yesterday, I'm now back to writing articles on Bukisa. Porting my old game reviews is taking longer than I thought - not least because my writing style and voice has changed over the years so instead of a direct port, I am re-writing them. Great for search engine rankings and traffic, but not so good for my schedule!
I've also taken a chance and put one of my short stories up. Originally written for a messageboard writing section I thought I might as well see if anyone liked it. In addition, the first part of "Escape" is up - after all if I can use lulu preview and let people read it for free, I might as well let them read it for free on Bukisa and get paid for the views. If enough people ask I'll put the other two parts up there as well, and leave the e-book version for die-hard fans if I have any. (Let's be honest. The way I'm feeling now "Enough people" would probably be one.)
I am still waiting for any more feedback on the novel, although between the article writing, a few real life complications and gardening work I'm not really thinking about it at the moment.
I've also taken a chance and put one of my short stories up. Originally written for a messageboard writing section I thought I might as well see if anyone liked it. In addition, the first part of "Escape" is up - after all if I can use lulu preview and let people read it for free, I might as well let them read it for free on Bukisa and get paid for the views. If enough people ask I'll put the other two parts up there as well, and leave the e-book version for die-hard fans if I have any. (Let's be honest. The way I'm feeling now "Enough people" would probably be one.)
I am still waiting for any more feedback on the novel, although between the article writing, a few real life complications and gardening work I'm not really thinking about it at the moment.
- A Perfect Set Up - short story on Bukisa
Tuesday 23 March 2010
A feline opinion...
Well after all the rejections I took the plunge and went overseas with no.3. Now I'm just waiting to hear back, which is not good for my nerves. The temptation to just stop writing and snuggle in front of the TV with icecream is very, very, strong. However I can't.
I am currently facing a huge clean up job scrubbing the hall clean, and trying not to laugh every time I look at it. This is unusual for me when faced with a huge mess caused-by-cat, but I'm not going mad, honest. Put quite simply:
My cat's just been sick on my latest form rejection letter.
I think she has great taste.
I am currently facing a huge clean up job scrubbing the hall clean, and trying not to laugh every time I look at it. This is unusual for me when faced with a huge mess caused-by-cat, but I'm not going mad, honest. Put quite simply:
My cat's just been sick on my latest form rejection letter.
I think she has great taste.
Monday 22 March 2010
A small problem and an injury
I've been feeling a bit light headed all day. Despite that I got everything done and finally slumped in front of my PC about half an hour ago. Which was when I touched my head and pulled away a red hand. And then I remembered what I'd done at the weekend and that there was a reason I should be taking it easy.
Hearing what I thought was one of the cats getting into a fight, I dashed off to retrieve him. The retrieval was successful, but as I straightened up, hampered by a twenty *ahem* pound cat, I stepped back to keep my balance. Which was when the chestnut tree walloped me in the head as the other cat jumped out of it.
I have a nice raised red line across my forehead, an onimous grey shadow behind it, and apparently scrapes to the scalp which I just found the messy way. The last time I felt this bad I was concussed, and that's still a possibility. In the future I should probably avoid cats and gardens.
What really worries me is that I sent out another submission this morning, and the way I'm feeling I don't think there's any guarantee it's particularly lucid. So to the poor agent out there, if you get an oddly disjointed and outright weird query letter, I apologise.
Hearing what I thought was one of the cats getting into a fight, I dashed off to retrieve him. The retrieval was successful, but as I straightened up, hampered by a twenty *ahem* pound cat, I stepped back to keep my balance. Which was when the chestnut tree walloped me in the head as the other cat jumped out of it.
I have a nice raised red line across my forehead, an onimous grey shadow behind it, and apparently scrapes to the scalp which I just found the messy way. The last time I felt this bad I was concussed, and that's still a possibility. In the future I should probably avoid cats and gardens.
What really worries me is that I sent out another submission this morning, and the way I'm feeling I don't think there's any guarantee it's particularly lucid. So to the poor agent out there, if you get an oddly disjointed and outright weird query letter, I apologise.
Saturday 20 March 2010
Frustrations of writing
There's an issue with novel #3.
And after six months I have an ever growing stack of form rejections. Two more this morning.
And I really don't get it. I'd say it was the writing, but if a professional editor I paid to tear it apart says there's nothing wrong with it (losing himself more work in the process) then it probably isn't. The concept is old fashioned, but then so are adventure stories/thrillers themselves, and no agents have checked whether there is a spin on it.
I'm probably not going to send this out again to another agent, and just let the remaining no's trickle in.
So am I giving up? Not a chance. An agent and a large publishing house would be nice, but there are always other options, and I need to take some time to prioritise those.
On the good side, we just shipped a pile of my earlier books off to the US, so at least I've still got distribution over there.
- I have a complete manuscript.
- My writing group loved it.
- An editor said that he was having trouble editing it because he kept reading it.
- A fan club and regular article readers who liked the concept and signed up to be notified if it was published.
- I have a marketing plan, distribution conections, and links to areas the publishers usually cannot access to promote it.
- I even have people asking about the one to follow it.
And after six months I have an ever growing stack of form rejections. Two more this morning.
And I really don't get it. I'd say it was the writing, but if a professional editor I paid to tear it apart says there's nothing wrong with it (losing himself more work in the process) then it probably isn't. The concept is old fashioned, but then so are adventure stories/thrillers themselves, and no agents have checked whether there is a spin on it.
I'm probably not going to send this out again to another agent, and just let the remaining no's trickle in.
So am I giving up? Not a chance. An agent and a large publishing house would be nice, but there are always other options, and I need to take some time to prioritise those.
On the good side, we just shipped a pile of my earlier books off to the US, so at least I've still got distribution over there.
Friday 19 March 2010
New lenses and updates
I've completed two more lenses, on the Hawker Hunter and Folland Gnat, but have also been having a look at Squidoo's new options for the sidebar.
My Hammond Innes lens have just got a full revamp, including these modules. Overall I'd have to say I like them, although having them show up in the Table of Contents is a little distracting.
Finally I've sent a query off to a US agent. After all, the worst they can say is no. So, fingers crossed. Again.
My Hammond Innes lens have just got a full revamp, including these modules. Overall I'd have to say I like them, although having them show up in the Table of Contents is a little distracting.
Finally I've sent a query off to a US agent. After all, the worst they can say is no. So, fingers crossed. Again.
Wednesday 17 March 2010
Rejection, and a confidence boost?
Another form rejection, so I've sent it out to a new set of agents and cast my net a bit further a field this time. After checking the Association of Authors Agents lists I found four who appear to take this kind of thing - and who oddly aren't in the Writers and Artists Yearbook. So off it's gone and fingers crossed.
On the other hand, my aviation lenses gave me a quick confidence boost when I got an email dropped asking permission to use some of my images for a presentation. This was granted very quickly.
And Gatwick Aviation Museum are looking for a fundraising and media PR person, so anyone based down that way who loves planes and is good at PR, please contact them
Also, a new lens just went up: http://www.squidoo.com/folland-gnat is about the Folland Gnat Light fighter, used by the Red Arrows and in combat by the Indian airforce.
On the other hand, my aviation lenses gave me a quick confidence boost when I got an email dropped asking permission to use some of my images for a presentation. This was granted very quickly.
And Gatwick Aviation Museum are looking for a fundraising and media PR person, so anyone based down that way who loves planes and is good at PR, please contact them
Also, a new lens just went up: http://www.squidoo.com/folland-gnat is about the Folland Gnat Light fighter, used by the Red Arrows and in combat by the Indian airforce.
Monday 8 March 2010
No news is good news?
Anti Stress Therapy - Tin Sign
Buy at AllPosters.com
entries state that they specialise in it...One did stand out however, as being particularly honest right upfront: They said they loved the book but could not sell it because none of the publishers they dealt with would be interested in adventure stories. However if I sold it, I should get back in touch as they would happily take me on as a client. Since agents rise and fall on their authors' reputations and these ones are reasonably established it's the closest thing to a vote of confidence I've yet had, although my nasty cynical side suggests that most companies would be happy to make easy money at the point.I'm going with the good version:
Thanks guys, I needed the boost.
On the other hand, spending the last week dealing with four net scammers, an escaped cat and a nasty computer virus (rogue anti-virus which we suspect was sent by one of the four previously mentioned) has pretty much wiped me out. Can this week be better please?
Wednesday 3 March 2010
An email problem - and technorati oddness
I've just found out that the reason I have not received my emails from several sources over the past few months is that emails through that provider are not arriving. Effectively it is a dead email address.
This took some tracking down as emails sent from my own IP address or webmail address get through. Unfortunately they are the only ones. This has cost me at least two clients, and I am furious. Right now I am trying to recover the situation, but it is likely to cost me more before the end of this month since I can't contact everyone - several people were supposed to send their contact details to that address.
Back to hotmail.
On the other hand, at least I have somewhere to send all my spam. Fortunately I did not use that email address for any manuscript submissions, although my professional memberships all have to be updated.
And on to technorati. For anyone who doesn't know technorati is a rating system for blogs. It rates the blog based on followers, links, and popularity. Rather typically, I've worked pretty hard on this blog, and it has a grand total authority of 1 (one).
My cats' blog (http://stephen-and-matilda.blogspot.com) is at 113. Now I haven't exactly promoted this, and it's just quick stories about the two wannabe rulers of my life.
I'm confused.
This took some tracking down as emails sent from my own IP address or webmail address get through. Unfortunately they are the only ones. This has cost me at least two clients, and I am furious. Right now I am trying to recover the situation, but it is likely to cost me more before the end of this month since I can't contact everyone - several people were supposed to send their contact details to that address.
Back to hotmail.
On the other hand, at least I have somewhere to send all my spam. Fortunately I did not use that email address for any manuscript submissions, although my professional memberships all have to be updated.
And on to technorati. For anyone who doesn't know technorati is a rating system for blogs. It rates the blog based on followers, links, and popularity. Rather typically, I've worked pretty hard on this blog, and it has a grand total authority of 1 (one).
My cats' blog (http://stephen-and-matilda.blogspot.com) is at 113. Now I haven't exactly promoted this, and it's just quick stories about the two wannabe rulers of my life.
I'm confused.
Tuesday 2 March 2010
A week for it?
And on the e-commerce front, I've just had two scammers to deal with in 24 hours. Strangely enough, like most companies, the one I work with does not commit:
1) Customs fraud
2) Postal Fraud
3) Visa fraud
or in fact any form of fraud. So why on earth we'd get requests to do all of the above in one day I don't know. And since I was up half the night dealing with this (so we could report it first thing this morning with evidence lined up), an ill cat, major engineering works, and am very tired, I'd like to get some sleep.
Or good news. Good news would also be very welcome! It might even wake me up...
1) Customs fraud
2) Postal Fraud
3) Visa fraud
or in fact any form of fraud. So why on earth we'd get requests to do all of the above in one day I don't know. And since I was up half the night dealing with this (so we could report it first thing this morning with evidence lined up), an ill cat, major engineering works, and am very tired, I'd like to get some sleep.
Or good news. Good news would also be very welcome! It might even wake me up...
Monday 1 March 2010
Class Two rejection
Warning: post may be severely tongue in cheek in parts.
Wow, I'm so touched. I just had my first class two rejection. For those of you who don't follow the blog that is a ( Lady Bracknell voice ) "How dare you presume to let your trifling little manuscript cross the threshold of our great and glorious agency!"
They were indeed less than polite. My partner is very annoyed. I'm trying not to kill myself laughing, which is apparently an odd response.
You see, it's hard to take it personally. They haven't read the manuscript or synopsis - that's stated clearly and the papers were returned in exactly the same condition and bundle they were sent in so I believe them. From the content of the pithy two lines (personally written, not form letter so they have no excuse) they haven't even read the cover letter. They don't give a reason for the rejection. So what's being rejected?
My writing? They haven't read it.
The idea? They didn't get that far.
The cover letter? They didn't read it.
The genre? They don't know what it is.
Me personally? They know nothing about me.
It's actually quite bizzare. To be quite honest, the most likely explanation for what I received is an agent with a large slush pile deciding to cull it. It's not hard to imagine: the frantic agent, surrounded by piles and piles of unsolicited manuscripts which tower over her, coffee on the small patch of clear desk, grabbing an envelope from the precariously teetering pile, pulling the contents half-out as her elbow hits another pile and sets it rocking, scrawling urgently across the top of the first sheet, and then shoving it back in the envelope and sticking "return to sender" on it as she clutches the piles before envelopes can cascade everywhere...
After doing three hundred of those I can imagine the urge to not be terse, not polite. However, as someone whose business runs on goodwill and excellent customer service, I will also add I'm not impressed.
The only thing I will thank you for is the return of my unused SASE, which will be departing here shortly on its way to another agent. After all, if I let a nasty comment stop me writing I wouldn't be any kind of author at all.
Wow, I'm so touched. I just had my first class two rejection. For those of you who don't follow the blog that is a (
They were indeed less than polite. My partner is very annoyed. I'm trying not to kill myself laughing, which is apparently an odd response.
You see, it's hard to take it personally. They haven't read the manuscript or synopsis - that's stated clearly and the papers were returned in exactly the same condition and bundle they were sent in so I believe them. From the content of the pithy two lines (personally written, not form letter so they have no excuse) they haven't even read the cover letter. They don't give a reason for the rejection. So what's being rejected?
My writing? They haven't read it.
The idea? They didn't get that far.
The cover letter? They didn't read it.
The genre? They don't know what it is.
Me personally? They know nothing about me.
It's actually quite bizzare. To be quite honest, the most likely explanation for what I received is an agent with a large slush pile deciding to cull it. It's not hard to imagine: the frantic agent, surrounded by piles and piles of unsolicited manuscripts which tower over her, coffee on the small patch of clear desk, grabbing an envelope from the precariously teetering pile, pulling the contents half-out as her elbow hits another pile and sets it rocking, scrawling urgently across the top of the first sheet, and then shoving it back in the envelope and sticking "return to sender" on it as she clutches the piles before envelopes can cascade everywhere...
After doing three hundred of those I can imagine the urge to not be terse, not polite. However, as someone whose business runs on goodwill and excellent customer service, I will also add I'm not impressed.
The only thing I will thank you for is the return of my unused SASE, which will be departing here shortly on its way to another agent. After all, if I let a nasty comment stop me writing I wouldn't be any kind of author at all.
Friday 26 February 2010
Nerves - and a quick update
I cracked - or possibly have cracked. At any rate, after a quick chat online about my latest rejection, and a morning spent feeling rather down I took the plunge. I've sent #3 off to the publisher I mentioned.
Now I'm going to spend the rest of the afternoon wondering if I've made a terrible mistake. This is why cats are useful - I just have to wait five minutes and they will do something insane enough, and probably messy enough, to distract me...
Now I'm going to spend the rest of the afternoon wondering if I've made a terrible mistake. This is why cats are useful - I just have to wait five minutes and they will do something insane enough, and probably messy enough, to distract me...
A long pause
There's been a long pause on the agent front since I last updated. This is not to say things haven't been busy - between the cats and a growing ecommerce business, I have not had a lot of time to write.
Today the silence was broken by another rejection. To be honest I'm actually happy to hear something, anything, from the agencies. Have I mentioned before I am not good at waiting? So, while I wait on a few more, I will probably make a few more amends to my covering letter and send it out again. I was considering Queryshark but unfortunately they have a backlog and I'm not sure I have the nerve.
The real problem seems to be genre - not many people write in that genre (the most recent writer I can think of was early eighties). However there is a definite demand for it, due to multiple reprints of books and several forums I am aware of asking for more modern writers in that style and getting quite disappointed there aren't any. Although I am having no luck finding an agency who handles the genre, however, I have been pointed in the direction of a publisher which has launched an imprint for it.
After a few final revisions to fit their house style, I think I might send it straight to them.
Today the silence was broken by another rejection. To be honest I'm actually happy to hear something, anything, from the agencies. Have I mentioned before I am not good at waiting? So, while I wait on a few more, I will probably make a few more amends to my covering letter and send it out again. I was considering Queryshark but unfortunately they have a backlog and I'm not sure I have the nerve.
The real problem seems to be genre - not many people write in that genre (the most recent writer I can think of was early eighties). However there is a definite demand for it, due to multiple reprints of books and several forums I am aware of asking for more modern writers in that style and getting quite disappointed there aren't any. Although I am having no luck finding an agency who handles the genre, however, I have been pointed in the direction of a publisher which has launched an imprint for it.
After a few final revisions to fit their house style, I think I might send it straight to them.
Friday 19 February 2010
Slush piles...
I just got a reminder this morning of another reason not to small-press my book.
Let me state, right here, right now, that I personally never want to deal with a slush pile again as long as I live.
Remember, this was a small press publishing imprint. We didn't just publish what I'd written - we had several authors writing. And this morning, on the vague chance I might possibly restart it, I got my first speculative query. It seems so many people want to get published that even the whiff of a new opportunity and the emails start. I can't blame the writers, (after all I'm doing the same myself) but I also can't accept them. Fortunately, since the company is not currently printing anything, I have a very easy grounds for rejection.
It does make you wonder how many manuscripts some of the big houses receive though.
(And just to make my day better it came just before another form rejection. Just as well it did not come after it - that would have been kicking me while I was down...)
Let me state, right here, right now, that I personally never want to deal with a slush pile again as long as I live.
Remember, this was a small press publishing imprint. We didn't just publish what I'd written - we had several authors writing. And this morning, on the vague chance I might possibly restart it, I got my first speculative query. It seems so many people want to get published that even the whiff of a new opportunity and the emails start. I can't blame the writers, (after all I'm doing the same myself) but I also can't accept them. Fortunately, since the company is not currently printing anything, I have a very easy grounds for rejection.
It does make you wonder how many manuscripts some of the big houses receive though.
(And just to make my day better it came just before another form rejection. Just as well it did not come after it - that would have been kicking me while I was down...)
Sunday 14 February 2010
What was it?
The mysterious package turns out to be not one but two rejections. For some reason the post office had taped them together (!?) so they would not fit through the letterbox. These two were polite, standard form letters with the usual encouragement, but both managed to get name and story title right so that's a step in the right direction.
I did stumble on something in my research which got me thinking. I've seen several blogs where they say that if you get a publishing deal you should go back to one of the agents that rejected you and ask them to handle the contract. Now with some agents I can see doing this, but with others I think I'd rather go to a new agent who hasn't seen it. There are three reasons I would not go back to an agent I can think of:
1) Unprofessional: If they can't get the right rejection slip in the right envelope, for example, are they really likely to be paying the attention to detail that I want from someone working on my book? More importantly, what about the attention to detail for anything involved with a contract review? Working in e-commerce has given me zero tolerance for this type of mistake, since sending the wrong order form or credit card details to a user is an absolute no.
2) Rudeness: "How dare you send your piffling little manuscript to our great and glorious agency?" Personally I haven't run into this one, although there are several online horror stories you can find. Nerves, and total lack of self-confidence, do make me wonder if it's just a matter of time before I get one of these. The problem is you have to wonder who else they've insulted or alienated along the way. If you won't date someone who's rude to a waiter, why work with someone who's rude to aspiring authors?
3) Wrong skillset. One of the most common rejection letters states that the agent doesn't "work in that field" / "handle that type of manuscript". Just because you now have a publishing deal for them to negotiate doesn't change this, or suddenly grant them expertise in a field they've stated they don't know. It would be like hiring a PHP programmer to review Java source code: both programmers know the same logical structures, but the nuances and specifics aren't there.
That said, not going back to one who has rejected you just because they aren't looking for new authors, or aren't taking submissions at this time, would seem rather like cutting off your nose to spite your face. There are a few I'd happily turn round to if I got a publishing deal. Unfortunately the interested publishers are US-based which really narrows my options on UK agents since I'd need one that knew the US market and law.
On a side note if I resurrect my own imprint I'm not paying a third party to negotiate between myself and myself - that contract and licence already exists and the publisher and writer are both very happy with it!
I did stumble on something in my research which got me thinking. I've seen several blogs where they say that if you get a publishing deal you should go back to one of the agents that rejected you and ask them to handle the contract. Now with some agents I can see doing this, but with others I think I'd rather go to a new agent who hasn't seen it. There are three reasons I would not go back to an agent I can think of:
1) Unprofessional: If they can't get the right rejection slip in the right envelope, for example, are they really likely to be paying the attention to detail that I want from someone working on my book? More importantly, what about the attention to detail for anything involved with a contract review? Working in e-commerce has given me zero tolerance for this type of mistake, since sending the wrong order form or credit card details to a user is an absolute no.
2) Rudeness: "How dare you send your piffling little manuscript to our great and glorious agency?" Personally I haven't run into this one, although there are several online horror stories you can find. Nerves, and total lack of self-confidence, do make me wonder if it's just a matter of time before I get one of these. The problem is you have to wonder who else they've insulted or alienated along the way. If you won't date someone who's rude to a waiter, why work with someone who's rude to aspiring authors?
3) Wrong skillset. One of the most common rejection letters states that the agent doesn't "work in that field" / "handle that type of manuscript". Just because you now have a publishing deal for them to negotiate doesn't change this, or suddenly grant them expertise in a field they've stated they don't know. It would be like hiring a PHP programmer to review Java source code: both programmers know the same logical structures, but the nuances and specifics aren't there.
That said, not going back to one who has rejected you just because they aren't looking for new authors, or aren't taking submissions at this time, would seem rather like cutting off your nose to spite your face. There are a few I'd happily turn round to if I got a publishing deal. Unfortunately the interested publishers are US-based which really narrows my options on UK agents since I'd need one that knew the US market and law.
On a side note if I resurrect my own imprint I'm not paying a third party to negotiate between myself and myself - that contract and licence already exists and the publisher and writer are both very happy with it!
Friday 12 February 2010
Another no? Who knows?
I got back from work today to find a slip through the door stating that the postman had tried to deliver something, but it would not fit and was back at the sorting office. As usual for the local post, it had been delivered after the sorting office had closed for the day, so I can't pick it up until tomorrow.
Now we aren't expecting anything so this looks like it's another one of my packs coming back, probably with a rejection. However it got me thinking: I know what a rejection looks like - the pack I sent out shoved into the envelope I included with either a form slip or a personal letter attached stating their regrets - but I have absolutely no idea what an acceptance or request for a full manuscript looks like. Does the agent still return the full pack, or just drop a single letter back requesting a full printout and keep the query for their records? Do they email? I honestly have no idea, although I'd love to find out!
This is a really odd situation for someone with books in print. Seriously, if anyone out there would like to let me know or drop a comment, my nerves would thank you.
Meanwhile I will go back to going quietly crazy behind my PC screen, biting my nails to the quick and wondering what's at the post office.
Now we aren't expecting anything so this looks like it's another one of my packs coming back, probably with a rejection. However it got me thinking: I know what a rejection looks like - the pack I sent out shoved into the envelope I included with either a form slip or a personal letter attached stating their regrets - but I have absolutely no idea what an acceptance or request for a full manuscript looks like. Does the agent still return the full pack, or just drop a single letter back requesting a full printout and keep the query for their records? Do they email? I honestly have no idea, although I'd love to find out!
This is a really odd situation for someone with books in print. Seriously, if anyone out there would like to let me know or drop a comment, my nerves would thank you.
Meanwhile I will go back to going quietly crazy behind my PC screen, biting my nails to the quick and wondering what's at the post office.
Thursday 11 February 2010
Is this a hint...?
Last night I had another look at the rejection, and realised that there actually is something odd about this. The slip is dated, and the only way it could have got there by the date on it is if Royal Mail own a Tardis. Either that, or the agent saw me coming; right as I was putting it in the postbox someone was already writing the rejection slip out!
To be honest, the truth is probably that they got the date wrong as well as my name and the story title, but that's both boring and prosaic. The really hopeful thought is that it was someone else's rejection slip, but realistically that does mean my manuscript was still in the rejection pile.
Then when I checked my email this morning I had a contact from someone reminding me that I still own an imprint, that it is still a registered publisher ("on hiatus") and that it could start publishing again. Then another of our original distributors contacted us asking if we had any backstock of one of my earlier books and if we could ship some to them.
Now for reasons already covered - namely the whole new dimension of work that running a publisher adds which cuts into my writing time - I really don't want to go this route. But it's really beginning to feel like something is trying to push me into it.
Ten days to go. By then hopefully I'll have a request for a full from an agent - which will let me go back to work on #4. If not, plan B is send it to the US publisher, resurrect the publishing imprint I own over here and start phoning old contacts again, like the copyright lawyer we used to use.
To be honest, the truth is probably that they got the date wrong as well as my name and the story title, but that's both boring and prosaic. The really hopeful thought is that it was someone else's rejection slip, but realistically that does mean my manuscript was still in the rejection pile.
Then when I checked my email this morning I had a contact from someone reminding me that I still own an imprint, that it is still a registered publisher ("on hiatus") and that it could start publishing again. Then another of our original distributors contacted us asking if we had any backstock of one of my earlier books and if we could ship some to them.
Now for reasons already covered - namely the whole new dimension of work that running a publisher adds which cuts into my writing time - I really don't want to go this route. But it's really beginning to feel like something is trying to push me into it.
Ten days to go. By then hopefully I'll have a request for a full from an agent - which will let me go back to work on #4. If not, plan B is send it to the US publisher, resurrect the publishing imprint I own over here and start phoning old contacts again, like the copyright lawyer we used to use.
Wednesday 10 February 2010
And more work...
So, while I wait for my next rejection, and deal with the niceities of life like work, cats and more, I'm still working on No 4. At 56,900 words, it is almost ready for my beta to read again.
Unfortunately these words aren't the ending, so he's going to have to keep waiting for that one.
(Hey, I've got a reader hooked - do you really think I'm going to let him go?)
Unfortunately these words aren't the ending, so he's going to have to keep waiting for that one.
(Hey, I've got a reader hooked - do you really think I'm going to let him go?)
Tuesday 9 February 2010
First response and it's not good news - just funny.
The first of my packets was waiting for me when I got back, so I opened it quickly to get the horror over with.
Standard form rejection letter: "Sorry but we are not taking on new authors at this time". It's a polite fib, since their website is requesting new submissions, but at least it is polite. And from the page order in the envelope I can see that the last two pages of the extract were read, which is better than some agencies managed with the last one.
So, responded in good time, read the manuscript, and sent a polite form rejection; what else could you want? What red flags could be raised by such a standard letter? The reason they may drop quietly off my submission list for future books is, to be honest, slightly petty. The rejection letter stands out and not in a good way. You see, the form letter has three spaces on it - room to write the author's first name and the story name. These are three very common english words.
They got them all wrong.
Now it may just be me, and I may be being picky, but that really does not give me confidence in their attention to detail - particularly since all three words were on the letter, the synopsis, and every page of the manuscript. If these weren't obvious typos I'd wonder if it was meant for someone else.
On the other hand it gave me a laugh, and is definitely a unique rejection letter to start my collection with.
Standard form rejection letter: "Sorry but we are not taking on new authors at this time". It's a polite fib, since their website is requesting new submissions, but at least it is polite. And from the page order in the envelope I can see that the last two pages of the extract were read, which is better than some agencies managed with the last one.
So, responded in good time, read the manuscript, and sent a polite form rejection; what else could you want? What red flags could be raised by such a standard letter? The reason they may drop quietly off my submission list for future books is, to be honest, slightly petty. The rejection letter stands out and not in a good way. You see, the form letter has three spaces on it - room to write the author's first name and the story name. These are three very common english words.
They got them all wrong.
Now it may just be me, and I may be being picky, but that really does not give me confidence in their attention to detail - particularly since all three words were on the letter, the synopsis, and every page of the manuscript. If these weren't obvious typos I'd wonder if it was meant for someone else.
On the other hand it gave me a laugh, and is definitely a unique rejection letter to start my collection with.
More words, and more waiting...
55,800 words on Number 4. A bit of extra research needed on a type of flying I am not familiar with, but then not many are, so hopefully there aren't very many people who would catch a mistake. I could write more, but real life (i.e. work) is getting in the way.
Still nothing from agents, but then today is work so I'm going to be busy anyway.
And of course, Endless Ocean II is out, so I know what I'm doing to relax this evening.
Still nothing from agents, but then today is work so I'm going to be busy anyway.
And of course, Endless Ocean II is out, so I know what I'm doing to relax this evening.
Monday 8 February 2010
Vulcan in trouble
It looks as though XH558 may not make it past the end of the month. They have put the engineering staff on 4 weeks notice.
While sad, it does not seem too surprising given that the requirement for a huge amount of engineering work for this winter was revealed in September, rather than during the airshow season when people had her fresh in their minds.
That said, given the current climate, please support them for free. They are trying to get their video to go viral, so any links to it would be useful. Also the fiftieth birthday card world record attempt.
And if you'd like to donate but have no money, try everyclick: each search raises 1p
While sad, it does not seem too surprising given that the requirement for a huge amount of engineering work for this winter was revealed in September, rather than during the airshow season when people had her fresh in their minds.
That said, given the current climate, please support them for free. They are trying to get their video to go viral, so any links to it would be useful. Also the fiftieth birthday card world record attempt.
And if you'd like to donate but have no money, try everyclick: each search raises 1p
Saturday 6 February 2010
Completely calm (honest)
Well, you can tell how unruffled and stress-free I am by the fact I'm posting at 6:00 on a Saturday morning.
Still heard nothing from the agents, which is slightly disappointing for at least one of them. However I have had an author acquantaince point me in the direction of her publishing house, which raises the question of whether I want to submit to a publisher and agents at the same time. The general conclusion from researching online seems to be that it's OK to submit to one publisher and multiple agents simultaneously (as long as none of the agents ask for exclusive submission). I'm just holding back for the moment, since it would be going with an overseas house and that presents copyright and royalty issues.
The other small dilemma is what to do when you suddenly wake up with an idea of how to improve a novel you've already sent out queries to agents about. Do you make the changes that will improve it, even though it won't be the same as the first three chapters they've already read, or go with the original since that's what they saw and presumably liked?
And my sleepless night paid dividends: No 4 just hit 54,000 words, mainly unedited. It's not particularly well-written, but then 1) it was written quickly for NaNoWriMo and 2) it's a fun pulp-style adventure, and the originals were not reknowned for their quality of writing, just pace and atmosphere.
Still heard nothing from the agents, which is slightly disappointing for at least one of them. However I have had an author acquantaince point me in the direction of her publishing house, which raises the question of whether I want to submit to a publisher and agents at the same time. The general conclusion from researching online seems to be that it's OK to submit to one publisher and multiple agents simultaneously (as long as none of the agents ask for exclusive submission). I'm just holding back for the moment, since it would be going with an overseas house and that presents copyright and royalty issues.
The other small dilemma is what to do when you suddenly wake up with an idea of how to improve a novel you've already sent out queries to agents about. Do you make the changes that will improve it, even though it won't be the same as the first three chapters they've already read, or go with the original since that's what they saw and presumably liked?
And my sleepless night paid dividends: No 4 just hit 54,000 words, mainly unedited. It's not particularly well-written, but then 1) it was written quickly for NaNoWriMo and 2) it's a fun pulp-style adventure, and the originals were not reknowned for their quality of writing, just pace and atmosphere.
Wednesday 3 February 2010
Waiting is the hardest part
Still no responses. From most of the agents this is not a surprise, as they have four week turnarounds.
One however has a four-day turnaround, or so their website states. I sent my manuscript out to them on 21st January, first class with an SSAE for the same. So far I have heard nothing. You could drive yourself crazy trying to figure out what nothing means:
One however has a four-day turnaround, or so their website states. I sent my manuscript out to them on 21st January, first class with an SSAE for the same. So far I have heard nothing. You could drive yourself crazy trying to figure out what nothing means:
- Was it lost in the post?
- Was the return lost in the post?
- Is the agent ill/on holiday/ very busy? (OK, agents are always very busy, but hopefully you can see my point)
- Are they too busy laughing at my pitiful attempt at writing to manage a straight rejection? (I need more confidence)
- Did they love it so much they can't let go of it? (hope beats eternal...)
Tuesday 2 February 2010
A bit of research and a conclusion
Well, I have spent a fair amount of time wading through everything I can find on agents, what they do, and how to get one, and reached a few conclusions:
1) I need a agent
2) My chances of getting one are slim
3) If I get an agent my chances of getting published are still slim
4) If I get published my chances of getting a best-seller are pretty much slim to none
So, with those cheery thoughts firmly in mind, a complete lack of confidence, and a manic grin on my face, off I go! After all, if you don't try, you definitely won't succeed.
Be vewwy vewwy quiet - we is hunting agents!
1) I need a agent
2) My chances of getting one are slim
3) If I get an agent my chances of getting published are still slim
4) If I get published my chances of getting a best-seller are pretty much slim to none
So, with those cheery thoughts firmly in mind, a complete lack of confidence, and a manic grin on my face, off I go! After all, if you don't try, you definitely won't succeed.
Be vewwy vewwy quiet - we is hunting agents!
Monday 1 February 2010
The wrong type of agent
You may detect gritted teeth in this post.
I just got called by an employment agent a.k.a. recruiter. He has a job for me, and all I have to do is complete an application form. It's a plain text Word Doc, unencrypted, sent by open email, going into his recruiter's mailbox, containing not just name, address, D.O.B. but also:
I've withdrawn the application, but this one is worthy of the ID theft Hall of Shame.
For anyone who does not understand why this is bad, remember this. An unencrypted email can be read by anyone, and is easily intercepted. By British law ISPs keep emails for seven years. An unencrypted email will be kept in an unalterable copy for seven years at your ISP and on the receiving end. You had better hope that you can trust the agent's IT security, anyone who accesses their PCs, anyone along the route the email went through, and so on. If they don't wipe their PCs before they dispose of them, the email can be around even longer and exposed to a whole new audience. Heaven for ID thieves.
And as note, never disclose your bank details, or anything other than name, address, d.o.b to an employment agent. Reputable ones that need your passport or further details will invite you into the office and take them manually from the documents themselves, not on a pre-filled form. This is not just for your protection but also for theirs.
I just got called by an employment agent a.k.a. recruiter. He has a job for me, and all I have to do is complete an application form. It's a plain text Word Doc, unencrypted, sent by open email, going into his recruiter's mailbox, containing not just name, address, D.O.B. but also:
- Passport no
- Driver's Licence
- Addresses for the last 5 years
- Medical
- and a few more, but you get the idea.
I've withdrawn the application, but this one is worthy of the ID theft Hall of Shame.
For anyone who does not understand why this is bad, remember this. An unencrypted email can be read by anyone, and is easily intercepted. By British law ISPs keep emails for seven years. An unencrypted email will be kept in an unalterable copy for seven years at your ISP and on the receiving end. You had better hope that you can trust the agent's IT security, anyone who accesses their PCs, anyone along the route the email went through, and so on. If they don't wipe their PCs before they dispose of them, the email can be around even longer and exposed to a whole new audience. Heaven for ID thieves.
And as note, never disclose your bank details, or anything other than name, address, d.o.b to an employment agent. Reputable ones that need your passport or further details will invite you into the office and take them manually from the documents themselves, not on a pre-filled form. This is not just for your protection but also for theirs.
Sunday 31 January 2010
Self-publishing and cashflow
Still no feedback, but with it being a weekend and less than one week after I sent manuscripts out this is not a surprise.
So here I am blogging frantically to distract myself from nerves and chewed fingernails and wondering what else to add, when one other issue with self-publishing occurred to me.
Cost.
Yes, Lulu and POD is effectively free. However the cost per book is so high that it eats your profit and makes it hard to get distribution. When I did the small press route we went for small printruns (a few hundred) from a local printer, giving us books at less than 30% of the sale price.
That leeway meant we could go for distributors, which was invaluable in getting the books on the shelves across the country. We certainly could never have reached this far ourselves. And we sold out the first run, and then the next.
So what's the problem? Cash flow. With each book sold you make a profit, but that profit isn't realised until the book is actually sold. You don't swing into the black on printing costs until 30% of the print run has sold. Meanwhile, you are accruing other costs - conventions, webhosting (trivial but still a cost) marketing, review copies, and more.
And while this is going on, you're hopefully working on your next book, and this one also needs startup capital. So as the money comes in, do you spend it on a new run for the first book, invest in the second with all the costs of plates and set-up, or try and hold on to it so you can say you have a profit to show for all your work?
Well, we did six, so you can see where we put it.
On reflection, although I enjoy the convention circuit (and you meet some really interesting people!) now I'm a little older I think I'd prefer someone else to be doing the organising, printing marketing and worry about the cash flow. So hopefully if I can pick up an agent, I'll find someone who will just let me write, attend the occassional con and chat to interested and interesting people.
Wish me luck.
So here I am blogging frantically to distract myself from nerves and chewed fingernails and wondering what else to add, when one other issue with self-publishing occurred to me.
Cost.
Yes, Lulu and POD is effectively free. However the cost per book is so high that it eats your profit and makes it hard to get distribution. When I did the small press route we went for small printruns (a few hundred) from a local printer, giving us books at less than 30% of the sale price.
That leeway meant we could go for distributors, which was invaluable in getting the books on the shelves across the country. We certainly could never have reached this far ourselves. And we sold out the first run, and then the next.
So what's the problem? Cash flow. With each book sold you make a profit, but that profit isn't realised until the book is actually sold. You don't swing into the black on printing costs until 30% of the print run has sold. Meanwhile, you are accruing other costs - conventions, webhosting (trivial but still a cost) marketing, review copies, and more.
And while this is going on, you're hopefully working on your next book, and this one also needs startup capital. So as the money comes in, do you spend it on a new run for the first book, invest in the second with all the costs of plates and set-up, or try and hold on to it so you can say you have a profit to show for all your work?
Well, we did six, so you can see where we put it.
On reflection, although I enjoy the convention circuit (and you meet some really interesting people!) now I'm a little older I think I'd prefer someone else to be doing the organising, printing marketing and worry about the cash flow. So hopefully if I can pick up an agent, I'll find someone who will just let me write, attend the occassional con and chat to interested and interesting people.
Wish me luck.
Saturday 30 January 2010
Self Publishing - the easy way?
Thinking about it, there is another reason to get an agent which I have not mentioned.
For some background, my first set of books were small press/self-published. This was a deliberate choice and an agent or publishing house was never considered, since in that niche everyone is. Entry is set-up your imprint, set up your ISBN, get books printed and you're in. A few years back before I was involved, all it took was a stapler and photocopier. My first book sold out two runs - about 600 books total even though frankly on a re-read it needs work. Later ones did better: 200 in one convention was our record.
So why don't I do this again? Self-publishing is easier now. Create an account with lulu, upload your Word file and done. Anyone can do it.
Except that's not right.
Anyone can do it badly. To do it properly you need a team:
A proof-reader - and not you! Authors normally miss their own errors.
An editor - I had two, who also contributed to the writing, while I edited them.
An designer or typesetter - to make sure the book is actually readable.
An illustrator - If you are illustrating a book then get a pro.
A printer - obviously!
A distributor - we got lucky and signed up with two.
A marketer - this was just us and a set of forums.
So why, with some small publishing success, do I want to go for an agent and a publishing house? To be honest because small press publishing done properly is a lot of work. It took nearly a year for that first book to go from concept to book to market.
And on consideration I want to write books, not do the support and logistics to print, distribute and market them. Let that be someone else's job, not only because they can do it as well as me, but because they can do it a whole lot better! Meanwhile I'll get back to what I am good at: writing.
Of course, I still own the imprint, the remains of my sheet of ISBNs, the printing gear and have access to my distribution network, so if I don't find an agent it might not be the end of the world... Just more work!
For some background, my first set of books were small press/self-published. This was a deliberate choice and an agent or publishing house was never considered, since in that niche everyone is. Entry is set-up your imprint, set up your ISBN, get books printed and you're in. A few years back before I was involved, all it took was a stapler and photocopier. My first book sold out two runs - about 600 books total even though frankly on a re-read it needs work. Later ones did better: 200 in one convention was our record.
So why don't I do this again? Self-publishing is easier now. Create an account with lulu, upload your Word file and done. Anyone can do it.
Except that's not right.
Anyone can do it badly. To do it properly you need a team:
A proof-reader - and not you! Authors normally miss their own errors.
An editor - I had two, who also contributed to the writing, while I edited them.
An designer or typesetter - to make sure the book is actually readable.
An illustrator - If you are illustrating a book then get a pro.
A printer - obviously!
A distributor - we got lucky and signed up with two.
A marketer - this was just us and a set of forums.
So why, with some small publishing success, do I want to go for an agent and a publishing house? To be honest because small press publishing done properly is a lot of work. It took nearly a year for that first book to go from concept to book to market.
And on consideration I want to write books, not do the support and logistics to print, distribute and market them. Let that be someone else's job, not only because they can do it as well as me, but because they can do it a whole lot better! Meanwhile I'll get back to what I am good at: writing.
Of course, I still own the imprint, the remains of my sheet of ISBNs, the printing gear and have access to my distribution network, so if I don't find an agent it might not be the end of the world... Just more work!
Friday 29 January 2010
Cost of writing
Something else they don't mention is the cost. Sending out Royal Mail first class is between £2-3 per packet. Good quality envelopes that take synopsis, samples, query letters and (sometimes) CVs are not cheap - although this time I used Viking and bought in bulk.
A few random thoughts on submissions, and speeding the process.
1) Don't bother with proof of posting - since the agent isn't expecting it, they can't tell you if it doesn't arrive.
2) If you really want to make sure it gets there used signed-for. However, this might cause problems if the agent is not around to sign for it. I can't imagine many of them have the time to rush down to the local Post Office to sign for (heaps of) unsolicited queries.
3) Second class post is cheaper, but it takes longer and may not get there in as good a condition. A few extra days on a four week wait may not seem like much, but I'm impatient, and as time passes you'd be surprised at how long it can seem.
Return of manuscript is a tricky one. Some blogs recommend you save money by not including an SSAE, and just let them shred the work if they don't like it.
I have included it, for a few reasons. First, if you've used good paper and spent time on a decent printer creating your samples then depending on length it might be cheaper to get the pack back and reuse it for the next agent (and boy, does that statement make me sound confident in my work!). Second, if they are polite enough to send a rejection, they can use your SSAE for it which saves the agent time and cost. After all, they have spent their time reading your manuscript so making it easy to reply is only polite.
Third, because even a form rejection is better than dead silence at the other end.
A few random thoughts on submissions, and speeding the process.
1) Don't bother with proof of posting - since the agent isn't expecting it, they can't tell you if it doesn't arrive.
2) If you really want to make sure it gets there used signed-for. However, this might cause problems if the agent is not around to sign for it. I can't imagine many of them have the time to rush down to the local Post Office to sign for (heaps of) unsolicited queries.
3) Second class post is cheaper, but it takes longer and may not get there in as good a condition. A few extra days on a four week wait may not seem like much, but I'm impatient, and as time passes you'd be surprised at how long it can seem.
Return of manuscript is a tricky one. Some blogs recommend you save money by not including an SSAE, and just let them shred the work if they don't like it.
I have included it, for a few reasons. First, if you've used good paper and spent time on a decent printer creating your samples then depending on length it might be cheaper to get the pack back and reuse it for the next agent (and boy, does that statement make me sound confident in my work!). Second, if they are polite enough to send a rejection, they can use your SSAE for it which saves the agent time and cost. After all, they have spent their time reading your manuscript so making it easy to reply is only polite.
Third, because even a form rejection is better than dead silence at the other end.
Wednesday 27 January 2010
on Edge
The quest for an agent is underway. I've got seven query letters sent out to agents who handle stories in that area, and now I just have to hope that one of them requests a full submission.
It's surprising how long it takes to prepare the packets to go out. Step one was looking up all the relevant ones from the Writers' and Artists' Yearbook, then checking them out on Preditors and Editors to make sure they aren't a scam, looking up their own sites for current submission guidelines and then finally making up a lot of different packs for varying requirements.
Also while many writing sites tell you to send a synopsis, they don't mention you'll need more than one: a one page, two page and for some even longer versions are requested. Of course the bit that really threw me was the CV request. What I do for a living has nothing to do with my fascination for heavy engineering, aircraft, railways, steam etc. so if they read the CV and expect a techno thriller, they're probably going to be disappointed. (I live this stuff, it's boring and I don't want to write about it!)
And I suspect I had better get on with finishing no#4 since my beta officially thinks I'm rotten - I left two would-be astronauts stranded halfway through a tricky re-entry for six weeks while I finished tweaking no #3.
It's surprising how long it takes to prepare the packets to go out. Step one was looking up all the relevant ones from the Writers' and Artists' Yearbook
, then checking them out on Preditors and Editors to make sure they aren't a scam, looking up their own sites for current submission guidelines and then finally making up a lot of different packs for varying requirements.Also while many writing sites tell you to send a synopsis, they don't mention you'll need more than one: a one page, two page and for some even longer versions are requested. Of course the bit that really threw me was the CV request. What I do for a living has nothing to do with my fascination for heavy engineering, aircraft, railways, steam etc. so if they read the CV and expect a techno thriller, they're probably going to be disappointed. (I live this stuff, it's boring and I don't want to write about it!)
And I suspect I had better get on with finishing no#4 since my beta officially thinks I'm rotten - I left two would-be astronauts stranded halfway through a tricky re-entry for six weeks while I finished tweaking no #3.
Tuesday 26 January 2010
Why an agent?
With novel number #3 going out to agents, the question that comes up is why? Why use an agent? Why not publish small press as I have before?
I'm confident enough in the story to know I could publish it small press. I've published books before with small press (ignoring the freebies on lulu, there are also six formally published with ISBNs) which have sold successfully. Between connections, conventions and more, I could confidently say I would sell between 500 and 800 copies - not bad for a small press run in an area I don't usually write in.
So why try to go mainstream now? A mix of reasons:
The traditional reason, to get your name in print, really doesn't hold. I'd rather use a pen name; I'm better known under my pen names, and more importantly I've already got books in print (just not novels).
Fame, fortune? Again, not so much. After my rant about online privacy it should be obvious how I feel about fame, and as for fortune? I'm actually happy where I am right now.
On consideration I think it's mainly curiosity: I'd like to see how one of my books does with some actual backing. Rather than just me and my informal network, how they do on a book store shelves, whether it stacks up against commercial fiction, and whether I can in fact break into a new area.
With #3 there is a strong story with more mainstream interest than many of my other works, which makes it the one with the most potential for this test and the highest chance of success. (#1 has issues, #2 is too focused on one interest and #4 is incomplete and produced in haste for NaNoWriMo, so it gets a sanity check before it goes anywhere!).
So, I have a manuscript with potential, the London Book Fair is in April, and most agents have a long turn around on whether they are or are not interested. Sounds like a good time to send it out.
Fingers crossed.
I'm confident enough in the story to know I could publish it small press. I've published books before with small press (ignoring the freebies on lulu, there are also six formally published with ISBNs) which have sold successfully. Between connections, conventions and more, I could confidently say I would sell between 500 and 800 copies - not bad for a small press run in an area I don't usually write in.
So why try to go mainstream now? A mix of reasons:
The traditional reason, to get your name in print, really doesn't hold. I'd rather use a pen name; I'm better known under my pen names, and more importantly I've already got books in print (just not novels).
Fame, fortune? Again, not so much. After my rant about online privacy it should be obvious how I feel about fame, and as for fortune? I'm actually happy where I am right now.
On consideration I think it's mainly curiosity: I'd like to see how one of my books does with some actual backing. Rather than just me and my informal network, how they do on a book store shelves, whether it stacks up against commercial fiction, and whether I can in fact break into a new area.
With #3 there is a strong story with more mainstream interest than many of my other works, which makes it the one with the most potential for this test and the highest chance of success. (#1 has issues, #2 is too focused on one interest and #4 is incomplete and produced in haste for NaNoWriMo, so it gets a sanity check before it goes anywhere!).
So, I have a manuscript with potential, the London Book Fair is in April, and most agents have a long turn around on whether they are or are not interested. Sounds like a good time to send it out.
Fingers crossed.
Saturday 23 January 2010
Mixed feelings
Well, I suppose this is the definition of mixed feelings. I just got an email from someone who liked the Lens Companions I did. In fact, they liked them enough to download the free version, print it out, staple through to make a spine and make little books for their history class - about forty copies of each...
Why is this mixed feelings? Well, on the downside, forty seperate downloads would have done a lot for the e-books' stats although I can understand why they only got it once. Also, if you are going to mass-produce it anyway, there is already a bound paperback version available which might be a bit more hardwearing.
On the upside, I wrote the book to try and build interest in the topic, which it has apparently succeeded at. I made it available for free, precisely so people could do what they wanted with it once downloaded. And frankly it's always nice to know someone likes your writing.
On balance, I think I'm thoroughly flattered.
Why is this mixed feelings? Well, on the downside, forty seperate downloads would have done a lot for the e-books' stats although I can understand why they only got it once. Also, if you are going to mass-produce it anyway, there is already a bound paperback version available which might be a bit more hardwearing.
On the upside, I wrote the book to try and build interest in the topic, which it has apparently succeeded at. I made it available for free, precisely so people could do what they wanted with it once downloaded. And frankly it's always nice to know someone likes your writing.
On balance, I think I'm thoroughly flattered.
Wednesday 13 January 2010
Issues with blogger
And having had three updates show up in the wrong blogs (they all seem to default to this one) I'm straightening things out. Please bear with me.
Blue box and charity choice...
And a blue box magically appears on Squidoo!
Which leaves me with a fairly large amount to give to a charity, and no charity to give it to. So if anyone knows an aviation charity looking for cash, please let me know.
Otherwise it might be a case of sticking a pin in everyclick, and I really don't want to do that.
Which leaves me with a fairly large amount to give to a charity, and no charity to give it to. So if anyone knows an aviation charity looking for cash, please let me know.
Otherwise it might be a case of sticking a pin in everyclick, and I really don't want to do that.
Tuesday 12 January 2010
Everyclick - a privacy issue?
I have just heard back from everyclick, and unfortunately with regard to online privacy it s not good news.
Now that their new website has gone live, there are no user privacy settings. This means that if you choose to use everyclick to raise funds, your name will be displayed publicly on their site. If you had a private page previously it is now publicly viewable.
The suggestion they have made is to change the contents of the name field to junk. It is a suggestion I have taken them up on. For users with similar concerns I would suggest doing the same before the page is archived or cached, as Date of Birth is also available though your settings and name and DOB can be used for a lot of malicious damage.
Now that their new website has gone live, there are no user privacy settings. This means that if you choose to use everyclick to raise funds, your name will be displayed publicly on their site. If you had a private page previously it is now publicly viewable.
The suggestion they have made is to change the contents of the name field to junk. It is a suggestion I have taken them up on. For users with similar concerns I would suggest doing the same before the page is archived or cached, as Date of Birth is also available though your settings and name and DOB can be used for a lot of malicious damage.
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