Boo! The Haunted Forest…

Boo! The Haunted Forest…

Last Friday, we jumped in the truck with Max and Mason and took a six-hour drive to Burlington, Vermont. The ride was absolutely gorgeous! Most of the fall leaves had already fallen but what remained were yellow and copper, painted amongst the evergreens and mountain rocks. There was snow at the top of Mount Washington. That was a treat to see! Driving through that part of the country, surrounded by colorful layers of mountains, cascading into the horizon, is beyond description. I was wondering what I’d done good recently to deserve being in that spot at that moment in time. God sure did some special work with his paintbrush on that stretch of highway!

Letters To The Editor For October 29th

Thanks!
Hi Angela,
I just have to tell you that you write the nicest acceptance letters of any editor I’ve worked with! You are so enthusiastic and encouraging! Thank you for making my day! 🙂
Diane Stark

If I Flop, Let ’em Pan Me By Sharon A. Struth

Knute Rockne, head coach for Notre Dame’s “Fighting Irish” team brought his team to national prominence and wasn’t afraid of his critics. “If I flop, let’em pan me” he once said. It takes confidence to make that statement.

Contest Submissions and Giving Up Rights

As I read it, I give up all rights if I submit to this [Glamour magazine] contest and the copyright is worthless. Do you agree?

Selling a Picture Book By Ronica Stromberg

Picture books rank among the hardest manuscripts to sell, and they can cost $100,000 or more to produce – an expense dwarfing that of the average paperback. Still, I wanted to sell mine.

Whispers And Warnings For October 29th

Bill Cameron / Metromode Magazine / Cameron Ink, Inc. / metromodemagazine.net – Four complaints!
Cara Elness – Fremont, CA – Trademark Infringement accusation; refuses service from attorney
COMPLAINT about Bellezza – Publisher of La Vita di Donne / lavitamag.com / Bellezza Magazine / bellezzamag.com / Travel Envy, Holiday Gift Guide, The Belleezza Source, The Bride’s Book, and Swimsuit Issue & Spring Fling – Reader responds

Please, I Beg You… Just Tell Me You Love Me!!!

Per my missive here on October 8th, Mason refuses to say, “I love you.” Since he’ll say anything else, including, “Bye Bye, Poo Poo” (while waving into the toilet), and since he’ll sing anything (including the Duff Beer song from the Simpsons, thanks to the teachings of his Uncle Chris), I’ve concluded that the only reason Mason won’t say he loves me is because he knows how badly I want him to say it!

It Takes Longer to Get a Customer Than to Lose One! and When Your Competitor Screws Up, YOU Can Win! By Angela Hoy

Several months ago, we started offering a “disgruntled author’s special” to authors who aren’t happy with their current POD publisher. If they move their book to BookLocker, they only have to pay $99 in setup fees, which is the same special we give to all returning authors (meaning authors only pay $99 setup fees on their second and subsequent books published through BookLocker). Why do we do this?

More on: We Have Seen the Enemy and She is…a Writer

Angela,
A. Antaonow’s article, We Have Seen the Enemy and She is…a Writer, comes as no surprise to me. As a just budding-never been published-dreaming of becoming-writer who is also a doting and diligent wife who has sought out contract software engineer jobs for smart as a whip hubby, I can attest to this type of unethical practice occurring in many occupations.
I was always appalled by these placement companies that wanted to hire my husband for his expertise and aggressively pursued him for their open positions, praising his talents and experience on the one hand, yet demanding to be paid AT LEAST 50% of his contracted salary with zero benefits. Oftentimes they would request 60-75% of his contracted rate! Whenever my husband would negotiate salary rate with them they could never give him a plausible enough reason for the high price of their “services” that explained well enough why they deserved to be paid the exact amount of money he was paid for actually doing the difficult and demanding daily work. One company representative told him it was “the nature of the beast”, meaning, if you bill it, they will pay it.
I am not surprised that writers are being treated in the same manner. Though I am sure most writers (myself included) would be thrilled just to be published and have someone read their thoughts, ideas, and hard work, the reality is that many businesses will always try to get that work as cheaply as possible. The most unethical part about this is that the writer seeking the cheap labor KNOWS the amount of work involved in preparing a piece for publication….or at least they should. They should know that when a writer writes, they have poured a small piece of their soul into that article. It contains thoughts formulated inside their minds that were melded together into a prose that conveys information, expresses emotion, describes scenery, tells a story, gives perspective, or takes the reader on a journey. It is inexcusable that a true writer could forget that for a buck.
Thanks for being a truly valuable resource for writers and wannabe writers such as myself.
Sincerely,
Regina Tyyska

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