Tatteredleaf (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
paragraphs) wrote2011-09-25 02:37 pm
paragraphs) wrote2011-09-25 02:37 pm
Entry tags:
Things to do, Scrivener, FenCon and also, what Borders' bankruptcy means to us
So, went to Fencon yesterday with my friends Cid and Suz. They combined it this year with the steampunkers and WOW talk about crazy costumes.... Just yeah. Some were truly truly amazing. My beloved Anthony aka ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
talekyn was in town for business, so he joined us yesterday for some of the fun. He and I also escaped for The Mothership, also known as the very first and original and HUGE Half-Price Books. Anthony collects 'nostalgia' books and he sure made a killing this weekend at The Mothership plus the two Arlington stores we visited Friday night. It is tradition for us, whenever he is in town we go to a different Half-Price. Going to The Mothership may turn into a must-go every time he is here, which is sadly only about once a year. Pout.
Also at Fencon this weekend was the writer's workshop, with Lou Anders of Pyr Books. Okay, I really like this guy lots (though this will be the last writers workshop that I'll be doing...). He was fun and enthusiastic, but matter of fact and honest. There were some problems with one of those involved -- I called her The Bitch, and if you know me I generally don't refer to people in such a manner, but damn that woman... she was... *fumes*
Anyway. My turn came for the hot seat and it ended up being quite warm and cozy. Bottom line--Stage MUST be finished and I will be sending it to Mr. Anders for consideration. I fairly glowed coming out of my session. Wowzers. I can no longer doubt that this book has a purpose in life. He told me to read one of his other authors, Mark Chadbourn, as his books are also historical fantasy, and others suggested Ellen Kushner. I've got Chadbourn's two books Anders said I should read.
What was kinda fun to me was Stage uh uh Blackthumb (Anders wants me to use that as a title...sure!) was Blackthumb focuses on a boy player (the boys who played the female roles on stage). Their lives could be quite ugly... those in the writer's group who knew about the boy players were super-jazzed about my story but there were several who had no idea (which of course is not surprising at all) and they were horrified by my brain. BUT IT IS HISTORY! I cried, waving my hands in the air... LOL. You think life for those boys was GOOD? Um, hell no? But I am not even going that route (much, it has to be and will be there--Gwion's adventures are pretty ugly at times).
Anders also raved madly about Scrivener...any of you peeps use it? It always has sounded like more trouble than its worth, but I don't know. PageFour is supposed to be similar and I do like that but I always do tend to simply write in Word as that is easiest for me to switch between computers using Dropbox.
I'm waiting to get my crits from him but crack me up - he said he gave me a smiley face. SNORT.(but you know I love it)
So, wow!!! I have so much to DO!!!
1. Am waiting on the proof copy of LWH - hopefully that will be a fast deal, then it is out of here.
2. Rewrite of new book is coming along but still has lots of work - that is top priority as I want this turned in to my editor by end of the month.
3. Begin hard-core fine-tuning of plot for Blackthumb - this is a complicated little fellow, so I'm expecting it to take some good amount of time.
4. Begin next book for Loose-Id, which I want done by...I dunno? February? March? End of February I would think. Eeek.
5. Get an A in this class if it kills me (which it might).
Oops back from breakfast with Anthony. SOB! We get to play once a year, which sure isn't much, but it is always great fun. I have to mail a box of books that he bought, which makes me laugh a bit.
SPN? Whoa! Okay... Wow - will stay tuned...
Anders also talked about what the closing of Borders has done to his authors. He told us about two who had new books coming out just as all the Borders fire sales started to hit. It was very sobering to hear how in the past, Borders would take (for ex.) 5k, B&N would take 5k, and now that outlet is gone. Nowhere for that 5k of Borders to go now, right? Exactly.
And...his one new author, who wrote a stand-alone, sold 600 books right out of the gate. Sounds like a good start, right? Not for the author it wasn't. 23 of those were from B&N, another 19 from Amazon, the rest were sold via BOrders and their fire sales, meaning aaallll that money for those 500+ books, well guess where it went? Not to Pyr, not to the author. Total loss.
Another of their authors, this was his first book in a series. *wince* Same thing, but thankfully it is a series book, the second one will be coming soon, and they are just hoping that allll those people who bought the first will love the series enough to get the next from B&N or Amazon. Amazon is not occupying the same role as Borders though of course... Other big houses have been slapped just as fiercely as Pyr, same with incredibly, million-dollar losses. So while those of us--including me--who bought those bargain books can be thrilled for our money saved, it ultimately absolutely hurt the publishing business hard.
I have a Kindle, I tend to buy ebooks now (my eyes thank me) but honestly? For those non-kindle books, I will be sure to buy from B&N. We need them to stay open. We do.
Ouch.
He then shared the numbers that have been coming in regarding the ebooks business, which is, not surprisngly, showing encouraging numbers. Darn those ebooks! People love 'em, crazily enough. I know I do (bought one just last night). They are more expensive, yes, but where it takes 1.50 to print a book, at least at Pyr they put their ebook creation through a separate rigmarole to ensure quality and readibility for whatever device you so choose. I downloaded my first Pyr book last night, and it definitely is a lovely, lovely well-done ebook. I am impressed.
We also discussed self-publishing. For me, for now at least, I will not be going that avenue. I am changing my pursuit slightly for my fantasy to publishers who also epublish - Pyr is my #1 at least at this time. There are others, but yeah...hmmm... Time will tell, right? Because by the time this book is finished, everything could change yet again! But it will definitely be changing, of that there is no doubt.
Stay tuned to the world of publishing!
talekyn was in town for business, so he joined us yesterday for some of the fun. He and I also escaped for The Mothership, also known as the very first and original and HUGE Half-Price Books. Anthony collects 'nostalgia' books and he sure made a killing this weekend at The Mothership plus the two Arlington stores we visited Friday night. It is tradition for us, whenever he is in town we go to a different Half-Price. Going to The Mothership may turn into a must-go every time he is here, which is sadly only about once a year. Pout.Also at Fencon this weekend was the writer's workshop, with Lou Anders of Pyr Books. Okay, I really like this guy lots (though this will be the last writers workshop that I'll be doing...). He was fun and enthusiastic, but matter of fact and honest. There were some problems with one of those involved -- I called her The Bitch, and if you know me I generally don't refer to people in such a manner, but damn that woman... she was... *fumes*
Anyway. My turn came for the hot seat and it ended up being quite warm and cozy. Bottom line--Stage MUST be finished and I will be sending it to Mr. Anders for consideration. I fairly glowed coming out of my session. Wowzers. I can no longer doubt that this book has a purpose in life. He told me to read one of his other authors, Mark Chadbourn, as his books are also historical fantasy, and others suggested Ellen Kushner. I've got Chadbourn's two books Anders said I should read.
What was kinda fun to me was Stage uh uh Blackthumb (Anders wants me to use that as a title...sure!) was Blackthumb focuses on a boy player (the boys who played the female roles on stage). Their lives could be quite ugly... those in the writer's group who knew about the boy players were super-jazzed about my story but there were several who had no idea (which of course is not surprising at all) and they were horrified by my brain. BUT IT IS HISTORY! I cried, waving my hands in the air... LOL. You think life for those boys was GOOD? Um, hell no? But I am not even going that route (much, it has to be and will be there--Gwion's adventures are pretty ugly at times).
Anders also raved madly about Scrivener...any of you peeps use it? It always has sounded like more trouble than its worth, but I don't know. PageFour is supposed to be similar and I do like that but I always do tend to simply write in Word as that is easiest for me to switch between computers using Dropbox.
I'm waiting to get my crits from him but crack me up - he said he gave me a smiley face. SNORT.(but you know I love it)
So, wow!!! I have so much to DO!!!
1. Am waiting on the proof copy of LWH - hopefully that will be a fast deal, then it is out of here.
2. Rewrite of new book is coming along but still has lots of work - that is top priority as I want this turned in to my editor by end of the month.
3. Begin hard-core fine-tuning of plot for Blackthumb - this is a complicated little fellow, so I'm expecting it to take some good amount of time.
4. Begin next book for Loose-Id, which I want done by...I dunno? February? March? End of February I would think. Eeek.
5. Get an A in this class if it kills me (which it might).
Oops back from breakfast with Anthony. SOB! We get to play once a year, which sure isn't much, but it is always great fun. I have to mail a box of books that he bought, which makes me laugh a bit.
SPN? Whoa! Okay... Wow - will stay tuned...
Anders also talked about what the closing of Borders has done to his authors. He told us about two who had new books coming out just as all the Borders fire sales started to hit. It was very sobering to hear how in the past, Borders would take (for ex.) 5k, B&N would take 5k, and now that outlet is gone. Nowhere for that 5k of Borders to go now, right? Exactly.
And...his one new author, who wrote a stand-alone, sold 600 books right out of the gate. Sounds like a good start, right? Not for the author it wasn't. 23 of those were from B&N, another 19 from Amazon, the rest were sold via BOrders and their fire sales, meaning aaallll that money for those 500+ books, well guess where it went? Not to Pyr, not to the author. Total loss.
Another of their authors, this was his first book in a series. *wince* Same thing, but thankfully it is a series book, the second one will be coming soon, and they are just hoping that allll those people who bought the first will love the series enough to get the next from B&N or Amazon. Amazon is not occupying the same role as Borders though of course... Other big houses have been slapped just as fiercely as Pyr, same with incredibly, million-dollar losses. So while those of us--including me--who bought those bargain books can be thrilled for our money saved, it ultimately absolutely hurt the publishing business hard.
I have a Kindle, I tend to buy ebooks now (my eyes thank me) but honestly? For those non-kindle books, I will be sure to buy from B&N. We need them to stay open. We do.
Ouch.
He then shared the numbers that have been coming in regarding the ebooks business, which is, not surprisngly, showing encouraging numbers. Darn those ebooks! People love 'em, crazily enough. I know I do (bought one just last night). They are more expensive, yes, but where it takes 1.50 to print a book, at least at Pyr they put their ebook creation through a separate rigmarole to ensure quality and readibility for whatever device you so choose. I downloaded my first Pyr book last night, and it definitely is a lovely, lovely well-done ebook. I am impressed.
We also discussed self-publishing. For me, for now at least, I will not be going that avenue. I am changing my pursuit slightly for my fantasy to publishers who also epublish - Pyr is my #1 at least at this time. There are others, but yeah...hmmm... Time will tell, right? Because by the time this book is finished, everything could change yet again! But it will definitely be changing, of that there is no doubt.
Stay tuned to the world of publishing!