Published on December 23, 2009
Back with another question and feel free to use this for the e-zine if you like. I just had a spirited exchange with an idiot who has stolen some column of mine that I wrote for Computer User, and is selling it on his horrible website. I wrote to him to tell him I own the copyright and to take the material down. I got nothing buy obscenities and insults back and I responded with a few of my own. Now, this material is being sold on Amazon by somebody–don’t know who since Computer User went out of business years ago.
So, I guess I have two questions. First, how can I get Amazon to stop selling content that is mine (Computer User did not buy the rights from me for this material, only the right to publish on the Web for a limited period)? Second, given my content has be pirated by several sites, what is to stop me from taking my columns and making my own self-published book out of them?
Published on December 16, 2009
New submissions at BookLocker always slow down this time of year because everybody who wanted their book published by Christmas has already finished the publishing process. While the lull is nice, it feels really weird to get off work before dinnertime some nights now! Like last year, we’ve put up a $149 setup fee special just to keep me out of trouble. Heh…
Published on December 16, 2009
Letters will return next week.
Published on December 16, 2009
Twitters, Tweeters, Twits and Twitterers – whatever you choose to call them, the internet is abuzz with people using Twitter – the latest in social networking tools. Twitter functions like a micro-blog. You have 140 characters to write a post, or “tweet” and publish it on your twitter feed. You can follow other tweeter’s feeds, and they can follow you.
Published on December 16, 2009
I just googled my book. There are 16 websites selling my my book. I cannot understand why it’s not selling. Can you help?
Published on December 16, 2009
I’m usually a stay-at-home mom and freelance writer, but since this school year has started and the flu has been so widespread, I’ve been asked to substitute teach at my children’s school a lot more often. While it has really cut into my writing time, my husband and I were pleased to have the extra income. That is, until we realized that I was actually earning more money when I stayed at home and wrote during my free moments throughout the day. This was quite a surprise, realizing that writing was paying me more than a “real job.”
Published on December 9, 2009
I was starting to get pretty nervous about the annual Christmas card picture. While we had three short spurts of snow during the fall, things weren’t looking too good for the arrival of a real storm in time to take pictures to go with the family holiday newsletter. Each year, during the first snowstorm, the children are all ordered to get to the house (most of them drive now) as soon as possible, and to trudge outside for a snowstorm Christmas card photo. It’s a Hoy family tradition! They smile through chattering teeth, and try to keep their eyes open for the dozen or so shots I take…while snowflakes are landing on their lashes. Heh… It’s great fun for me and the kids always pretend it’s a pain-in-the-butt for them. In reality, they get as pumped about the first snowstorm as I do!
On Friday, we heard there might be a bit of snow on Sunday so I texted all the kids…
Published on December 9, 2009
I’m sharing readers’ comments that arrived after the article was published. Don’t miss the last one!
Published on December 9, 2009
As a book editor I deplore the bad workmanship of some of my colleagues. Editing a book takes time and care and the last step, for me, is running spellcheck to pick up any typos I might have missed. Quite often I have to refer a ‘correction’ back to the author to make sure I have understood the intended meaning. In some manuscripts I have to rewrite a sentence or paragraph that appears clumsy or obscure, and that may need discussion as well. An editor should always improve the material she’s working on and should have the professional integrity to turn down something that is really badly written. I agree that (your reader) should not pay the second installment, but tell the editor exactly why and cite examples.
Another thing, ask the editor you intend to use what she has worked on recently and who for. A good editor will be praised by her clients, something you often see in acknowledgements in a published book. And that may be the place to find an editor. If you aren’t writing fiction, look in books on similar subjects. Many editors who work for publishers do freelance work as well.
Anne
Published on December 9, 2009
I was sucked into content mill writing early on in the game. As a fairly new writer, I was eager to get my feet wet and several content mills were willing to let me take a dip in their pool. Being offered compensation for my work made me feel beyond elated, regardless of how little the compensation may have been.
