Gene Papin (https://www.papincraft.biz), a writer and woodworker, sent me an email last week in response to my missive on choking parts in squeaky toys. He said, “One of the things I do is make toys, along with scroll work. With regard to small children, if the toy fits inside the pasteboard roll (inside lining) of a paper towel roll, it will go down a small child’s throat and choke him.”
I occasionally receive orders for books that authors plan to sell at book fairs. Unfortunately, in almost every case, the authors are sorely disappointed in the resulting sales.
This week:
If you love photography, there are numerous ways to expand your freelance income, by doing stock photography, fine art, contests, and assignments from ad agencies. The first photograph I entered in a calendar contest was of red mountain ash berries covered with snow. I took the photo in my front yard . It was picked for the calendar and it is the most I have ever been paid for a photograph.
Hi Angela,
I periodically search my name through Google and check out any new hits on my name. I found a copy of my book, new cover and all, in what appears to be Hungarian. The only English words on the cover are my name and Fiesta at the top.
I have NOT sold any foreign language rights. It’s officially out of print by my publisher, so it’s my problem.
I don’t know where to begin!
Sharon
I used to pooh-pooh the idea of a writing mentor. I figured I was doing well enough on my own, and I wanted to be published based on my own merits. Plus, why would an established writer want to spend time with someone who’d only published a handful of articles in magazines most people haven’t heard of?
Two of you wrote in last week advising me of the dangers of giving Mason chew toys with squeakers in them because they’re a choking hazard. Chay Duggan told me to remove the squeakers with a screwdriver. Good idea. Wanted to pass that along in case any of you decided to start shopping for your teething baby in the doggy toy department, too.
A couple of years ago, I decided that releasing books every single year just wasn’t working for me. I thought that maybe planning and taking notes during odd years, and writing, editing and publishing during even years, might make more sense for me. If I hadn’t written any new books for an entire year, I knew I’d be chomping at the bit to get some done the following year.
This week:
When people learn I’m an author with my own small press and a couple of non-fiction titles in print, I hear a lot of enthusiastic ideas about books they would like to write. Many tell me about their passion for their work, as if the sheer love for their idea is what will make their book sell. I ask if they’ve done a market analysis to prove the marketability of their idea. They usually answer me with a blank look.
