tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782713127824478176.post8893740286694608732..comments2023-11-18T13:07:27.303-08:00Comments on Indie Author: Self-Publishing: Future PrerequisiteUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger45125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782713127824478176.post-86010034817314344312009-09-29T09:24:33.803-07:002009-09-29T09:24:33.803-07:00Jane -
It isn't your specific name that stirs ...Jane -<br />It isn't your specific name that stirs questions, your name could just as easily be something very unusual. What stirs questions is the anonymity of the internet, and the fact that you don't post links to any of the things in your cv you say are readily accessible via Google. When you Google a name like "Jane Smith," "John Miller," or anything like that, April L. Hamiltonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06450879359445096462noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782713127824478176.post-4060057906087674822009-09-29T08:59:18.931-07:002009-09-29T08:59:18.931-07:00I know--it's a difficult thing to get right. ...I know--it's a difficult thing to get right. And let me add here that I have absolutely no problem with April challenging me, and asking me what makes me qualified to spout the opinions that I do: that's fine, and I almost expect it. I was just warning her, and her readers here, to be wary of calling someone out just because they have a name like mine, because doing so has the potentialJane Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03411253302725735470noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782713127824478176.post-10567286861522595452009-09-29T05:51:01.418-07:002009-09-29T05:51:01.418-07:00I think folk may be looking to challenge other peo...I think folk may be looking to challenge other people's credentials when they are offered as proof of experience to back up a line of argument. They only challenge the veracity of the name when they can't pin down the proof through online searching.<br /><br />As writers, what percentage of us don't write under our real names? (Score 1 for me). As online contributors, what percentage Sulci Collectivehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03293833259808943096noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782713127824478176.post-86849150367962204672009-09-29T04:04:14.254-07:002009-09-29T04:04:14.254-07:00April, I've been wondering if I should actuall...April, I've been wondering if I should actually make this comment here as it's so wildly off-topic: feel free to delete it if you think best, as I recognise it has little to do with your blog. <br /><br />My name, Jane Smith, is often received with a lot of cynicism, and a lot of people assume that it's a pseudonym. It isn't: it's my real name. It's a family thing: my Jane Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03411253302725735470noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782713127824478176.post-4607365458222788512009-09-27T12:35:13.656-07:002009-09-27T12:35:13.656-07:00Thanks April! This entire post is music to my ear...Thanks April! This entire post is music to my ears, and I'm bookmarking it.<br /><br />I won't claim to be a trailblazer in the world of self-pub/indie-pub, but I've done it. I slowly build an audience through various means including blogging, and maintaining an online presence in general.<br /><br />All of which has brought me into contact with publishing professionals (editors, George LaCashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04892762201795566864noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782713127824478176.post-9442731001057813962009-09-27T08:39:31.402-07:002009-09-27T08:39:31.402-07:00The key phrase being 'early work'.
Arrest...The key phrase being 'early work'.<br /><br />Arrested adolescence for the lad Tarrantino don'cha think?Sulci Collectivehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03293833259808943096noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782713127824478176.post-56634212478002308712009-09-27T08:36:12.776-07:002009-09-27T08:36:12.776-07:00Sulci Collective -
Heard of Inglorious Basterds? ...Sulci Collective -<br /><br />Heard of Inglorious Basterds? That's a Quentin T movie, and it's a hit both at the boxoffice and with critics. Haven't seen it myself, due to the cringe factor (I don't want to spend two hours watching a series of brutal beatings, even if it *is* Nazis on the receiving end), though I did enjoy his highly stylized Kill Bill movies and I'm a big fanApril L. Hamiltonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06450879359445096462noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782713127824478176.post-11251472066978525222009-09-27T08:32:35.690-07:002009-09-27T08:32:35.690-07:00Does Quentin T still have a career? It's about...Does Quentin T still have a career? It's about time he does a film without a gun anywhere to be seen isn't it?Sulci Collectivehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03293833259808943096noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782713127824478176.post-91344274480582360072009-09-27T08:27:53.878-07:002009-09-27T08:27:53.878-07:00Jane -
I'd say fascinating trumps cringe-worth...Jane -<br />I'd say fascinating trumps cringe-worthy (cringe-worthy on account of the uncomfortable subject matter or ideas, that is) in the consumer media markeplace. Were it not so, Chuck Palahniuk and Quentin Tarantino wouldn't have careers.April L. Hamiltonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06450879359445096462noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782713127824478176.post-35298783824529865322009-09-27T08:24:21.718-07:002009-09-27T08:24:21.718-07:00April, I've seen a good many self-published bo...April, I've seen a good many self-published books over the last few years and of those, the majority were bad-to-awful (and I'm not referring here just to the handful that I've reviewed). Could it be that as the judge of the competition you were only given the filtered few?<br /><br />Based on what I've seen, self-published books do seem to mirror the slush-pile at a commercial Jane Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03411253302725735470noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782713127824478176.post-90698365763634900092009-09-27T08:04:53.515-07:002009-09-27T08:04:53.515-07:00Jane -
I have no hostility toward the mainstream, ...Jane -<br />I have no hostility toward the mainstream, I have hostility toward people and institutions that are anti-self-pub. I've always maintained that self-pub isn't right for every author or every book, and I recognize that the majority of authors who self-pub do so specifically in order to prove themselves and their work worthy of a mainstream contract---and that's an entirely April L. Hamiltonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06450879359445096462noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782713127824478176.post-59950956874166253562009-09-27T07:52:20.263-07:002009-09-27T07:52:20.263-07:00Damn. I had a chance to shoot April down in flames...Damn. I had a chance to shoot April down in flames and I missed it. How stupid was that? <br /><br />April, you're right, I promised to blog about bookshop sales vs online ones and I haven't yet, because to be honest it completely slipped my mind. Before I can do so I have to get permission to reproduce statistics which belong to someone else, which is why I didn't do it straight Jane Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03411253302725735470noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782713127824478176.post-54131258169003024382009-09-27T06:43:51.771-07:002009-09-27T06:43:51.771-07:00OK Jane, I'll take your word for it that what ...OK Jane, I'll take your word for it that what you're saying about your work here is true. (I *have* Googled, but Jane Smith is a pretty common name and the hits are too numerous to plow through)<br /><br />I still think your information about the way publishing really works is dated, and having corresponded with a number of UK publishing people, I know the situation in Europe is differentApril L. Hamiltonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06450879359445096462noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782713127824478176.post-2204981318235508912009-09-27T06:18:24.050-07:002009-09-27T06:18:24.050-07:00If you count my playwriting rejection slips, I thi...If you count my playwriting rejection slips, I think I'm up to 25 years now. They're may be a title in that somewhere...<br /><br />"A Quarter Century of Solicitation" or some such...<br /><br />I guess I'm in for the long haulSulci Collectivehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03293833259808943096noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782713127824478176.post-6744297510199647652009-09-27T06:03:30.493-07:002009-09-27T06:03:30.493-07:00Ah, got a bit confused about who said what!
I ha...Ah, got a bit confused about who said what! <br /><br />I had 21 years of being rejected by "mainstream" publishers but I don't regret waiting and I'm incredibly glad none of the things I was trying to get published did get published. because I was wrong - they were nowhere near as good as I thought they were. The difficulty for all unpubbed writers is getting an objective Nicola Morganhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12189894289540344094noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782713127824478176.post-79296329704421747422009-09-27T05:21:31.108-07:002009-09-27T05:21:31.108-07:00That's very nice of you to quote me Nicola, bu...That's very nice of you to quote me Nicola, but I was actually quoting April's analysis of the similarity of odds for success, between mainstream submissions and some sort of viral success of self-publishing.<br /><br />In the end, I just got fed up of submitting cold to publishers/agents and getting no feedback other than a form letter (nor do I expect them to devote any time to do Sulci Collectivehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03293833259808943096noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782713127824478176.post-86039306982028705572009-09-27T03:47:48.780-07:002009-09-27T03:47:48.780-07:00Sulci Collective said: "aspiring authors who ...Sulci Collective said: "aspiring authors who land a mainstream contract the old fashioned way are just as exceptional: no matter how you approach reaching commercial success as an author, the odds are slim and the *vast* majority will fail". Absolutely right and a very good point. The next point about control, though, is a vexed issue. Yes, if you can do it properly and well, you are inNicola Morganhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12189894289540344094noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782713127824478176.post-59208208280053316142009-09-27T02:50:32.054-07:002009-09-27T02:50:32.054-07:00Just to say for the record: my name really IS Jane...Just to say for the record: my name really IS Jane Smith, and I've always made that clear.<br /><br />I've ghost-written a good few books (I think there are about 17 in print at the moment but haven't checked recently if any rights have reverted), and so can't claim them as my own: if I did, that would be a clear breach of contract and I'm not prepared to risk a very expensiveJane Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03411253302725735470noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782713127824478176.post-22769345441426349552009-09-25T12:32:45.069-07:002009-09-25T12:32:45.069-07:00DanielB-
Aside from everything else I've done ...DanielB-<br />Aside from everything else I've done as an indie author, I already told you one of my books is being picked up by a major press, which is a mark of legitimacy to *you*, but only matters to me because it means the book will reach a wider audience and help more aspiring authors pursue their goals. <br /><br />Clearly, you have no respect for me or what I'm trying to accomplishApril L. Hamiltonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06450879359445096462noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782713127824478176.post-52687075044559514192009-09-25T12:16:25.533-07:002009-09-25T12:16:25.533-07:00I don't really want to come between you in you...I don't really want to come between you in your er heated debate, but Indie Author's comment reproduced below encapsulates exactly me experience:<br /><br />The anti-self-pub camp likes to trot out the old argument that those few who succeed in self-pub are exceptional cases, but they neglect to mention the fact that aspiring authors who land a mainstream contract the old fashioned way Sulci Collectivehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03293833259808943096noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782713127824478176.post-85214366386173246422009-09-25T12:14:06.472-07:002009-09-25T12:14:06.472-07:00I've not come here to bait you, I've come ...I've not come here to bait you, I've come here to attempt to counter your misinformation. What does the "About Me" column tell me that I don't already know? You are not published and have no inside knowledge of publishing, and nothing you say stands up. You have paid to have four books printed. That's all.Daniel Blythehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07487799866651688342noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782713127824478176.post-23141493215400762992009-09-25T11:29:37.914-07:002009-09-25T11:29:37.914-07:00DanielB-
You could also just read through the Abou...DanielB-<br />You could also just read through the About Me block lower down in the right-hand column.April L. Hamiltonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06450879359445096462noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782713127824478176.post-10322742382288569932009-09-25T11:17:35.136-07:002009-09-25T11:17:35.136-07:00DanielB -
For me to list all my activities and cre...DanielB -<br />For me to list all my activities and credentials here would feel very uncomfortable because it's too much like bragging, and it's info that's all readily available online, on my author website, in my profile here and elsewhere. Links to all that stuff are available right here on this blog (see upper section of right-hand column), and the people who come to this blog andApril L. Hamiltonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06450879359445096462noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782713127824478176.post-21403486569242978132009-09-25T11:07:35.278-07:002009-09-25T11:07:35.278-07:00I don't want to embarrass *you*, but on Amazon...I don't want to embarrass *you*, but on Amazon.com you have two novels and two non-fiction books, all self-published. What exactly is your point?<br /><br />A website and/or blog is very *useful*. I have one. It is not a pre-requisite for getting published. Do a little more research before attaching any importance to one off-the-cuff remark by one editor.Daniel Blythehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07487799866651688342noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782713127824478176.post-14462037094590107512009-09-25T10:57:09.670-07:002009-09-25T10:57:09.670-07:00DanielB -
I can't speak to what's going on...DanielB -<br />I can't speak to what's going on in the UK, but here in the US it's all about author platform, and it's publishers, not authors, who are putting that message out there. At TOC this year, a senior editor told me that there's now an unwritten rule in their acquisitions process that stipulates the following:<br /><br />They will not seriously consider a manuscript April L. Hamiltonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06450879359445096462noreply@blogger.com