A Few Final Words Before the Holidays

To those of you who are still reading this blog, I'd like to thank you!

This blog will be shutting down. I plan to post information and resources for writers on my new website, which is in the process of being designed right now.

I hope it will be helpful in guiding business decisions. Writing is, after all is said and done, a business.

Yes, it is a craft, but so is woodwork or art or leather goods or anything else that's sold for money.

Always remember ... a book is your product, not your child. It may feel like your child, but don't let the critics hurt you. Those are just words. Don't let the haters bait you, either. Fuck 'em!

Pin that! :)

My final links here:

The book as we know it is dead.

Is your business ready for Tumbler?

The wisdom of Ray Bradbury.



How they adapted the unadaptable.

Free sites to promote your ebook. (Blogger's note: Keep building your platform. These aren't a substitute for a strong platform, created through blogging and effective use of social media.)

Did anyone really win? :)

Oh, wait. I forgot.

Everything's fine ... with me!

Well, this is cute, but ... ahem ...!

Touchdown!

PS: You could say my decision to stop blogging here was a matter of life or death ...

Quotation for the Week of December 16

“Believe those who are seeking the truth. Doubt those who find it.”
-- Andre Gide

This May or May Not be My Last Post Here

I'm in the midst of redesigning my website, so as to incorporate one or two blogs, and other resources into one place.

That being the case, this may (or may not) be the last substantive post on this blog. We'll see how things go next week.

What I have are some links of possible interest to writers of various types:

I agree with most of what Guy Kawasaki has to say. There's only one part with which I disagree, and I quote:

When the dust settles, I hope self-publishing empowers “everyone” to write a book. The cream will rise to the top. Then the traditional publishers will acquire those titles and sign those authors to future deals. This is the genius of Amazon Encore—Amazon’s system of watching what sells well and acquiring the title.

I think Guy needs to wake up. Especially now that we live in such interesting times. Besides, there's also Kobo now, and Kobo is awesome.

9 ways to turn your blog posts into a quality ebook.

Publit helps publishers sell direct to consumers.

What writers should know about Goodreads.

Symphony of business!

Pinterest has business accounts now.

Twitter is trending with millennials.

I'll have to pin that sucker on Pinterest now! :)

Successful businesses back up their data, off-site.

Why studios don't pay to make films no more.

Now do you see why I wrote this post? :)

That's why I'm starting over.

Can you help me raise $1,000 for the Red Cross disaster relief by Dec. 21?

Thank you! :)

Quotation for the Week of December 9

"If the writing is honest it cannot be separated from the man who wrote it." 
-- Tennessee Williams



 

Be So Good They Can't Ignore You

Do you like that? It's something I've pinned on Pinterest. Feel free to follow me there! :)

Now, since it's become painfully obvious that having five blogs is just plain crazy superfluous weird nutters dumb, there will be changes coming at some point. But for now, here are the some links of possible interest.

Publishers, Weakly: What that Penguin/Random House Merger Really Means

Ha ha ha ... thank you for doing the typing, Michael Levin.

Entrepreneur of the month: Seth Goldman

I quote from the article:

There’s a Chinese Proverb painted across the entry wall of Seth Goldman’s Bethesda, MD-based company, Honest Tea: “Those who say it cannot be done should not interrupt the people doing it.”

Indeed, that belief has been part of the mission of the beverage firm that Goldman started in his house in 1998, with his grad school professor, Barry Nalebuff of the Yale School of Management. It was slowgoing at first, but Honest Tea has thrived for the last decade, with a 66 percent annual compound growth rate—a statistic Goldman attributes to the fact that consumers increasingly prefer healthier food and drink options.

That fact helped Honest Tea land a cash infusion from The Coca-Cola Company in 2008. It owned a 40 percent interest in the company until March 2011, when it acquired the boutique brand for an undisclosed price, a month after its option to buy came due.

Remember, your content is your product. And, as a writer, you are your brand, to an extent. Or your characters are, if you write fiction. Think of it that way.

Now, here's a really interesting part:

“This is a recognition that, especially with early-stage brands, the entrepreneurs continue to be relevant and important,” Goldman told The Washington Post. “We have an amazing opportunity to take our mission to a much broader level.”

I suggest you read the interview about keeping your image and business honest and sustainable, because I need to incorporate my blogs to create a more effective platform.

So ... more links? Here we go.

On Kickstarter and crowdfunding.

SEO is just one piece of the marketing puzzle.

10 ways to build traffic to your website or blog.

Jane Friedman: Best business advice for writers: Nov. 2012

How to promote your article online.

12 awesome Facebook marketing campaigns.

If you're selling downloads like commodities, this advice should help. No joke.

Let's end with this awesome quote:

“We don’t see the people who are doing real things getting enough props. We often see politicians who are everywhere but nowhere at the same goddamn time. You know the kind of person: You see them everywhere on television but nowhere in front of your face.”

Chuck D, born 1st August 1960

Damn straight!



PS: Thank you, Paul, for everything! :)

Quotation for the Week of December 2

"Life does not cease to be funny when people die any more than it ceases to be serious when people laugh."
-- George Bernard Shaw




 





 

More Links and Food for Thought (Updated -- Twice))

I'm heading out of town tomorrow. Not quite that far. :) But you can read about it here.

As you may guess if you click there and read the post, changes are afoot. I'm not sure exactly when, where, how or other details yet, but you'll know. Eventually, we'll all know. :)

Meanwhile, we all need to work on building our platforms now.

So here are more links, which I hope will be helpful.

10 great ways to get noticed as a blogger. Via Bucket List Publications.

What's the difference between Wordpress posts and pages? Via Silicon Beach Training.

Tips for working with a content strategist. Via Wood Street Inc.

Why smart authors are cutting Amazon out. Keep in mind, Penelope Trunk has a HUGE platform, but she's worked hard for it. That's what indie authors should do. I'd read her advice, if I were you.

How to win in Amazon's KDP Select program, if you're idea of winning is working your fingers to the bone writing constantly, cranking out books, only to split your earnings with this man ...

Everything's fine ... with me.

... so he can throw a little money to his A-list authors for their advances.

Touchdown!

To be or not to be: a Kickstarter project. :)

Random House imprints taking direct submissions! Well, well, well ...

When social media goes bad.

Please, I hate spam and read this post before you leave a comment. :)

PS: Rare photo of the iceburg that sank the Titanic to be auctioned.

PPS: Getting ready for the New Year (or the Apocalypse, whatever comes first). Via ThisTrailerSucks.com.



UPDATE: Simon & Schuster joins forces with the horrible Author Solutions to rip writers off. What a horrible surprise. Not! :)

UPDATE 2: International screenplay contest, deadline Nov. 30.

Quotation for the Week of November 25

Early Thanksgiving Post

Pretend this me, screenwriting

Since tomorrow is Thanksgiving, I'll keep this short. Here are some screenplay resources of possible interest.

International Screenwriters' Association -- Writing Gigs

Google presents: Jane Espenson



Happy Thanksgiving!

PS: Liz Phair is awesome. :)

Quotation for the Week of November 18

 "True artists ship."
-- Steve Jobs

Make Smart Use of Social Media (Updated)

Writers need to spend less time doing crap with social media, and more time making meaningful use of it.

It's fine to make friends and network using various types of social media, but you need to manage your time and not get carried away or distracted by endless chit chat. Time management is key for all business owners, and that includes writers. So make whatever you do or write worth your effort.

Here are what I hope will be some helpful links:

How to drive sales through social media.

Why small businesses need Instagram.

Instagram: the most powerful sales platform on the Internet?

Go for the gusto, dude!

Don't rely only on Amazon to sell your books!

Ignore the doomsayers.

This photo says it all! :)

PS: I've written an unreal post about the whole business here. :)

UPDATE: Mere hours away from the deadline for this screenwriting contest. There you go! :)

9 screenwriting tips to avoid procrastination. Awesome! :D

Quotation for the Week of November 11

“If you do not change direction, you may end up where you are heading.”
-- Lao Tzu



Remember? :)

Fearless Wealth Creation

This is a writer's worst enemy. Not just the fear of the blank page, either. It's the fear that you're worth nothing.

Writers are the only people who go into business not expecting to make money, because they do it for love. This confuses the issues.

You can work at a job you love and be paid what you're worth. This isn't a sin. There's no shame in seeking to be paid for your work, even if you enjoy doing it.

The thing is that if you want to be a real indie, you have to be willing to take risks. You must overcome your fears and think of more than just immediate return on investment.



Video via Michael Allen Ellis

PS: Are you in the writing profession or the writing business? (Thank you, C.D. Reimer!)

Quotation for the Week of November 4

"I will play to the people. I don't play to the Government of anything... I'm playing to human beings, and to deny me that right and turn music into some kind of political joystick is quite repulsive to me, and really, really wrong."
-- John Lydon


 

Keep Reading, Keep Networking On and Offline (Updated)

When it comes to being a true indie author, one must be prepared to innovate. Use all your resources. Don't just blog, Facebook and tweet and expect people to come to you. You need to think like a business owner. Reach out to potential partners. This could include other authors, other writers, editors, other publishing professionals, screenwriting professionals, and other people involved in the television and filmmaking industry.

And, of course, one should reach out first and foremost to family and friends. Anyone who's familiar with one's work should be contacted and kept abreast of one's progress as an indie writer.

Ideally, one should keep an email list of contacts, so as to keep people informed of the latest significant developments, such as reviews, new releases, awards, interviews, events and other news.

This can be handled through Facebook page messages, or LinkedIn messaging, as well as emailed newsletters.

However, ironically, there's really no substitute for actually going places and meeting people. :)

Me and reader, Paul Downie, at THE Brentwood Library

Now ... here are some links of possible interest:

Barnes & Noble finally gets to the UK! I guess.

Random House and Penguin merge. So ... it's the 1980s all over again. But have they fixed the broken publishing business model? That's the question.

Google is like Apple, with devices in three sizes. Awesome.

Are you afraid to innovate?

Finding a job you love: myths and reality.

A must-watch video on crowdfunding!



UPDATE: Austin Film Festival takeaways.