Letters and Comments

Giving Kids More Responsibility

Published on August 17, 2011

Angela, I loved your story about how you folks handled Frank and Ali in high school. It reminds me of something I read a while back about research on kids who went to magnet schools for music and how they fared in the real world afterward. There were only two factors deemed to be significant in the difference between those who were successful and those who were less so. Not talent as such, but (a) the involvement of parents in their education and (b) number of hours practiced. As folks say here in Australia, 'Good on you'. -- Bob …

Thanks!!

Published on August 10, 2011

Hi Angela, I hope you're well. I have been meaning to write for some time to thank you for the wonderful work you're doing with WritersWeekly. I have been a subscriber since around 2006, when I was really only submitting the odd article here and there. Since then - and largely thanks to WritersWeekly - I have so much paid writing work that it's sometimes hard to find the time to fit everything in. I am a staff writer on a few publications and regular contributor on others, and I have written for publications and companies all over the world. On top of this, I have written three feature film screenplays over the last couple of years, one of which is currently in pre-production while the others are almost on final draft. I want to thank you for WritersWeekly because it has helped in so many ways. From highlighting potential clients in your market section to offering expert advice through the articles and forums, I have taken so much from the site and will continue to do so throughout my writing career. Please keep up the great work. Sending you warmest greetings from Ireland. John …

Making Lemonade: Embracing the Typo

Published on July 13, 2011

Dear Angela, Thank you for publishing "Making Lemonade: Embracing the Typo," by Jill Pertler. Sometimes with things like that, you beat yourself up and feel like you're the only person who's ever done such. I love it when people are brave enough to prove you wrong and put their mistakes out there. I also love Ms. Pertler's positive attitude and gumption. What a productive way to deal with a cringe moment. Thanks for the inspiration. Leigh Ann Otte Professional Writer https://www.LAwordsmith.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/LAwordsmith Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LAwordsmith …

Reactions to More World’s Worst Book Proposals

Published on June 15, 2011

Ang, Oh my gosh! If your pending move leaves you no time to write, just give us more "World's Worst Book Proposals". They are truly the funniest things I've ever read. It's hard to believe people actually "right" that way, but... Thanks for the giggles. Jacquie McTaggart From the Teacher's Desk If They Don't Learn the Way You Teach...Teach the Way They Learn ---- Hi Angela, Needed a pick-me-up this morning, so I read several installments of the Worst Book Proposals - thank you so much! And, thank you for all your hard work. You are much appreciated by us "starving (thank God for peanut butter and jelly) writers". Diana ---- Those are very hard to read and remind me of the quality of writing that I sometimes see on Facebook. I promptly removed that one person that wrote worse than your worst proposals as a friend. I cannot read their stuff and expect to still be able to write myself. Writing is like singing, but there is no American Idol to weed out the writers that cannot write. George Arnold Hall https://www.georgearnoldhall.ca twitter: @georgeahall Business: George Arnold Hall's Pen and Pencil Author/Editor/Publisher/Game Concept Designer/Web Developer/Analyst/Programmer Amber Khoolie's Blog: https://georgearnoldhall.ca/amberkhoolie/ Series: Immortals of Scar (more info at georgearnoldhall.ca) …

Archived Market Listings on WritersWeekly

Published on June 1, 2011

I'm looking for archived markets on your site but I can't seem to find them. - Janine PUBLISHERS' NOTE: All WritersWeekly material is archived by subject here. You can also search the paying writers markets using specific terms here. Be sure to click "Search Markets and Jobs" in the dropdown menu. …

UPSET WITH CREATESPACE

Published on May 25, 2011

I'm getting upset with CreateSpace. The old saying, "One step forward, two steps back..." I saw where you have the disgruntled author's discount. I'm there. Thank you, SR PUBLISHER'S NOTE: Yes, we've received plenty of complaints about CreateSpace (previously known as BookSurge) and there are many more posted online. At BookLocker.com, we have a "$149 Disgruntled Author Set-up Fee Special" for authors who want to move from another POD publisher. For more information, see: https://publishing.booklocker.com …

Investigative TV Series to Feature Co-Authors’ Story!

Published on May 11, 2011

Hi Angela, I just had to tell my fave editor the great news...and to let you know, again, thank you for the suggestion to use Skye Wentworth Public Relations as a publicist for my book! This fall, Investigative Discovery T.V. series The Will will feature our story, inspired by my co-written book, The Inventor's Fortune Up For Grabs by Suzanne G. Beyer and John S. Pfarr. Filming began last week and the French-Canadian film crew is now working their way cross-country to interview the other "characters" in the book. Best, Suzanne Beyer https://www.theinventorsfortune.com …

How Many Book Sales Needed to Recoup Your POD Publishing Investment?

Published on May 4, 2011

Angela, Even at a $30 dollar book price for Xlibris, I never got more than $3 a book. Since it cost $1200 CAD (Canadian dollar was very low when I went into Xlibris and within a week I lost $200 when the Canadian dollar jumped to the U.S. dollar), it is more likely 600 books (required to break even, not just 394 as quoted in the article). George PUBLISHER'S RESPONSE: Using today's currency conversion, the CAD equivalent of Xlibris' U.S. setup fees ($1972) would be $1879 CAD. Assuming $3 royalties (10%, which is woefully low but perhaps the author above was permitted to choose his own royalty) on a $30 list price, an author would have to sell around 626 copies to break even. The number quoted in the article was 394. Because of the convoluted information given on some POD publishers' websites, I gave each publisher the benefit of the doubt and the best possible scenario. BookLocker.com still came out on top. PUBLISHER - # of copies needed to sell to break even on setup fees Booklocker - 93 CreateSpace - 178 iUniverse - 223-278 AuthorHouse - 323 Trafford - 339 Xlibris - 394 Lulu - 574 …

Tempted by “Free” Author Copies Offered by Your POD Publisher? Don’t Be Fooled!

Published on April 20, 2011

Hi Angela, I FINALLY had the chance to read your most recent issue of WritersWeekly. I appreciated the article on "free" author copies of books. But do I have a doozie for you. I recently checked out a certain publisher, and found out AFTER I contacted them that they are POD. Not only this, but their contract states that they REQUIRE authors to buy copies of their books upon publication. Not just 1 or 2 copies, but 25 copies!! They add that cost to the set-up fee. Pretty unbelievable, huh? The whole thing sounds unethical to me. Keep up the good work! Hugs, Dawn Colclasure -- Author of the following books: November's Child, Take My Hand, 365 TIPS FOR WRITERS: Inspiration, Writing Prompts and Beat the Block - Tips to Turbo Charge Your Creativity, BURNING THE MIDNIGHT OIL: How We Survive as Writing Parents, Love is Like a Rainbow: Poems of Love and Devotion, Songs of the Dead, co-author of TOTALLY SCARED: The Complete Book on Haunted Houses, The Yellow Rose. Website: https://dmcwriter.tripod.com/ FR*E ADVERTISING! Share your latest news and events with subscribers of my monthly newsletter -- absolutely fr*e! Become a subscriber to get in on the action! Read the current issue here: https://dmcwriter.tripod.com/id45.html …

MORE MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT TRADITIONAL PUBLISHERS BUYING SELF-PUBLISHED BOOKS

Published on April 13, 2011

Hi Angela: I would have gone even further than you did in answering to "Anne". Book proposals presented to agents and then to publishers must contain marketing plans at least as strong as the actual material being proposed for publication. There might have been a time when major publishers had sufficient resources themselves to promote a famous person's book. They no longer have those resources to throw around on risks. If Oprah herself presents a proposal with no marketing plan, and the publisher receives a proposal from Justin Bieber with a very persuasive and plausible marketing plan, committing Bieber personally to promotion of the book, the publisher will go with Bieber before Oprah. I've ghost written proposals and then books for several people just one notch down from those two on the pop culture fame ladder. Strong marketing plans in the proposals made all the difference, not just in getting the book proposal accepted but also in the size of the advances. I always opt for more money, rather than a simple "as told to" credit, or anything like that, because in the long run, I don't care to be known as "so and so's ghost writer." Scott Rose …

Yet Another So-Called “Free” POD Publisher?

Published on April 6, 2011

Not that I disagree with your take on alleged Free POD publishers, but there is one out there that seems to present some competition to all the wannabees out there; namely, WordClay.com. It would be interesting to see a comparison between them and others. Roger ANGELA RESPONDS: WordClay is owned by Author Solutions, the same outfit that owns AuthorHouse, Xlibris, iUniverse and Trafford. There are numerous complaints about the Author Solutions companies online. WordClay appears to work the same as Lulu and CreateSpace. They lure authors in with the word "free", and then upsell them on services authors can get for less elsewhere. …

Websites That Promote Slave Labor?

Published on March 23, 2011

Hi Angela, I've been doing a slow burn and thought I'd share it with you. I recently joined a website that's intended to be an outsourcing website for writers, web designers, programmers, etc. Freelancers place bids on projects: I think you probably know where this is heading! Their straplines say it all! check this out: The world's largest outsourcing marketplace! How would your business change if you had virtually unlimited labor at next to no cost? I kid you not! Their writing projects essentially pay less than pennies each for articles. Businesses expect to get quality writers of, let's say for example, a batch of 700-word articles for payments of $8 per article. And many are even worse than this. Needless to say, I'm unsubscribing from their website! I wish there was some way to put these guys out of business!! They really make me see red. Thanks for letting me vent! Warm regards, Lee …

Letters To The Editor For March 9th

Published on March 9, 2011

This week:

  • Angela's Free Online Book Marketing Advice Works!
  • How to FINALLY Get Amazon to Correct Your Book Page or Search Results!
…

Letters To The Editor For February 23rd

Published on February 23, 2011

This Week:

  • COMMIT RANDOM ACTS OF WRITING
  • PAPER TRIED TO SELL ME A BOOK REVIEW!
  • USING THE IRS TO COLLECT FROM DEADBEAT PUBLISHERS
…

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