POD and Returns
I was reading the web page of Booklocker.com and I saw your name in there. What I would like to know is; are there any POD publishers out there who take books back from the bookstores?
A Writer by Any other Name…By Shaunna Privratsky
Everyone is tightening purse strings, even editors. When I inquired about a possible rate increase for my writing in 2009, I was emphatically turned down.
Frozen Pipes!
For the first time since we moved to Maine, one of our pipes froze last week. It was -28 when Richard took the kids to school that morning. He was pretty grumpy when Ali reported her car wouldn’t start because that meant he had to get out in that cold. I, of course, expressed my deepest sympathy…before rolling over, pulling the quilt under my chin, and going back to sleep. Heh…
Gullible People Who Apparently Want to Get Screwed? By Angela Hoy
There aren’t too many things that frustrate me during the course of a day. If Mason potties on the floor instead of making it to the toilet, that frustrates me. When my computer shuts itself down before I’ve saved my current document, that frustrates me. And, when somebody asks me to Google something for them, when they obviously can very well do it themselves – and faster than it took them to email me – that frustrates me. The people that frustrate me the most, however, are the ones that send me emails like the one below.
Vampire Publishers
Good Morning Angela,
That article is an eye opener. Thank you for that information, I will be sure to read contracts very, very carefully. I have a background in business management and accounting, so I’ll understand any business jargon they can throw at me. This comes at a good time for me, I’ve had some nibbles on my hook (book) and I don’t want to get too overjoyed as yet. Any articles to keep writers alert are a service to your readers and much appreciated.
Sincerely,
AD
It’s a Wonderful Time for Interviews By C. Hope Clark
Everyone loves to peek inside the lives of the successful, the intriguing, the ones who made the world spin to their whim. That’s why interviews are great cash cows for those freelancers who can spot a personality and turn him into a neat guest spot in a feature. Name a magazine that doesn’t accept a snappy interview?
What is AP Style?
I have a question, in a guideline I received it said that the submissions should be in “AP” style. I have looked all over the place or places and I can find no reference to AP style. Do you know what that means? Please help!!
Not Promoting Your Book – Like Winking at Someone in the Dark By Joan Airey
If you plan to publish any type of book, you must have a plan to promote it. If it’s not in the public’s eye, sales won’t escalate. Books sitting in a box on a shelf don’t sell themselves. It’s like winking at someone in the dark – no one can see it.
A Winter Trip? Not So Fast!
Just after Christmas, while feeling jealous that all the relatives got to see my new nephew while I haven’t yet met him in person (I did meet him when he was still in my sister’s tummy), we planned a trip to Virginia to see their family. I even convinced my mom to fly there and meet us. We would have a grand time, my sister, my mom and me, along with the boys (her baby and husband, and my hubby and the two youngest boys). I was so excited! We made our hotel reservations and my mom bought non-refundable plane tickets.
In the meantime, we’ve been waiting for a few months for the judge to make a decision in our lawsuit against Amazon. We were alerted this week that the court has requested oral arguments from our side and from Amazon.
When Authors Aren’t Willing to Market Their Books – READERS RESPOND!
Last week, I wrote about the new trend of authors who “just want to sit at home and write” and who don’t want to market their own books. Many hopeful authors mistakenly believe a traditional publisher is going to pour marketing bucks into their book. This just doesn’t happen.
I wrote, “I’d love if some of you who have traditional contracts would contact me and tell me what your publisher did or didn’t do to promote your book vs. what you had to do to promote your book. It’s rare to meet an author who feels their publisher has adequately promoted their book.”
Of all the responses I received, only one author claimed he was happy with his publisher’s marketing efforts.
Here are some of the emails I received…