tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post7957177092947309393..comments2024-03-18T06:16:18.802-05:00Comments on A Newbie's Guide to Publishing: Blood Moon and Having ControlJA Konrathhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08778324558755151986noreply@blogger.comBlogger171125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-20217173994501078882013-05-22T00:35:33.204-05:002013-05-22T00:35:33.204-05:00Alex:
First, thanks for your service at WGA. As a...Alex:<br /><br />First, thanks for your service at WGA. As a member, I know how serving for the Guild can take it out of you.<br /><br />Also, continued success with your novel writing career. I look forward to reading your book.<br /><br />Finally, I know what you mean about women in Hollywood. In my 12 years working as a TV writer on multiple shows, I worked with exactly FOUR women writers. With two daughters of my own heading towards careers in writing, that number shocks me.<br /><br />All the best.Thomhttp://thom-bray.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-16584920620132366282013-05-19T16:09:18.216-05:002013-05-19T16:09:18.216-05:00As yet another screenwriter becoming fed up with t...As yet another screenwriter becoming fed up with the Hollywood System (if you can actually call it that), I just wanted to thank BOTH of you for the blog post.<br /><br />Good stuff...<br /><br />Another piece of the puzzle is always good to find.<br /><br />I pimped your book on Twitter (not that it needed it), Alex.<br /><br />And Joe? I've learned so much from your site, I feel like I owe you a few grand.<br /><br />Easily.<br /><br />But maybe we can get drunk together one day.<br /><br />I'll buy.<br /><br />Thanks again, you two.<br /><br />UnkUnkhttp://www.screenwriterunknown.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-70371269653949326362013-05-16T01:24:11.279-05:002013-05-16T01:24:11.279-05:00THIS BLOG in general and this blog story is very e...THIS BLOG in general and this blog story is very encouraging. But does this success carry over into all genres? Obviously no poetry book is going to achieve these kinds of numbers. Or could they? What about "literary" fiction? We all don't write the same kinds of books. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16467502568345526538noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-92007265525667146642013-05-13T17:49:22.335-05:002013-05-13T17:49:22.335-05:00A decade ago, a friend was telling me about a grou...A decade ago, a friend was telling me about a group of writers I was about to meet for the first time. He added little nicknames to each of them so I could keep them straight, and one was Alex "fight-The-Man" Sokoloff. Good to see that's as true today as it was then.<br /><br />Alex was not only one of the amazing women of the WGA who inspired me to self-publish my book, but also I owe her my whole life. No lie.<br /><br />Alex started the message board where I met my husband. Not sure there is any way to ever repay someone for that, but if there is, I will try.<br /><br />Thank you, Alex. You simply rock!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-10017527476159813942013-05-12T19:30:14.650-05:002013-05-12T19:30:14.650-05:00I agree that successful writers publishing their n...I agree that successful writers publishing their numbers is a good thing. And I hope they keep it up!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06556511906099897934noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-17391621133535115172013-05-11T07:12:27.934-05:002013-05-11T07:12:27.934-05:00Anonymous, I don't think that anyone was imply...Anonymous, I don't think that anyone was implying that the people who have posted here about the opposite side of the coin, the NON success stories, are not working hard.<br /><br />My own impression of those people (and I may be wrong!) is that they are very, very new to publishing and to self-publishing, and they're expecting way too much given their level of experience. I worked for 11 years as a professional screenwriter before I sold my first novel. I don't even REMEMBER how hard it was at first because it was so long ago. If I'd known how long it would take me to achieve any level of competence I would never have started.<br /><br />It doesn't happen overnight. It rarely happens within ten years. If you're not in it for the long haul, you probably don't have much of a future in it.Alexandra Sokoloffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02881770599534651858noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-30012100771036015762013-05-11T06:58:13.355-05:002013-05-11T06:58:13.355-05:00AR Wise - I completely agree , it's NOT a than...AR Wise - I completely agree , it's NOT a thankless, mean, soul-crushing business. There is incredible joy in it. Great friends. Fantastic fulfillment.<br /><br />But it is HARD. It is grueling. And it is uncertain in a way that keeps people perpetually anxious. MOST people are not cut out for it full time. <br /><br />And you're right - being positive is key. To everything, really.Alexandra Sokoloffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02881770599534651858noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-59005216959003819222013-05-11T06:50:33.649-05:002013-05-11T06:50:33.649-05:00Jason, thanks, I'm so glad you're enjoying...Jason, thanks, I'm so glad you're enjoying the book!<br /><br />Yes, I thought I'd better make the first a no-brainer purchase, since I really want people to read the first in the series first! It's my first series, so brand new territory for me.Alexandra Sokoloffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02881770599534651858noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-11990162145178666472013-05-10T09:23:14.740-05:002013-05-10T09:23:14.740-05:00Just shot you an email, Joe. Let me know what you ...Just shot you an email, Joe. Let me know what you think. Thanks!Jude Hardinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09994813046526310594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-39775529606604792012013-05-10T03:27:41.728-05:002013-05-10T03:27:41.728-05:00Another excellent post.planning to release my firs...Another excellent post.planning to release my first self-published novel early this summe<a href="http://www.joyrs.com/" rel="nofollow">cheapest runescape gold</a>buy rs goldhttp://www.joyrs.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-35138624714101265702013-05-10T00:03:13.088-05:002013-05-10T00:03:13.088-05:00@Anonymous 5:51
I see your point, and I guess the...@Anonymous 5:51<br /><br />I see your point, and I guess there is value to the flip side of the coin, where a person's story of failure is a warning to others. You're absolutely right about that.<br /><br />However, in my experience, I've encountered scores of people who thrive on such stories, and use them to explain why they're never going to try something. These are the same people at the office that get mired in negativity - the same people that never have a nice thing to say about anyone else's success - the same people that want nothing more than to gossip about the shortcomings of others. In my experience, the people that I find the most inspiring are the ones that avoid such crowds, and choose to be positive. Perhaps that's a Pollyannish way of going through life, but I've also found (with startling regularity) that the people who get the angriest with that way of thinking are also the ones that gather in the corner and talk bad about other people.<br /><br />Please don't take this the wrong way. I'm not trying to lump you into that category. You're correct in saying that no one has the right to accuse anyone that doesn't succeed at being an SP author of not working hard enough. Plenty of people work their butts off and just don't succeed. Sometimes it's because they never got lucky, and sometimes it's because they're a lousy writer and they haven't realized it yet. Truthfully, most of my ire comes from an article that appeared on salon.com recently which tore apart the SP industry because the writer on the site didn't become famous after writing one book and doing next to nothing to promote it. <br /><br />I do, however, vehemently disagree with the line being thrown around here that writing is a "mean, thankless, soul-crushing business..." I, for one, have found it to be a life-fulfilling, dream-achieving, daily-delight of a business. Perhaps if I were forced to deal with corporate interests and lawyer-speak, then I'd be singing a different tune. But I'm an SP author, and life is grand. It is true, however, that the only person you can rely on is yourself, but perhaps I used to work in a whole different corporate environment than anyone else here, because that's the exact same way it was in the "real" world - at least during my time climbing the corporate ladder.<br /><br />So again, please don't look at this as an attack of a response. It's not meant that way. Like I've often said, internet debates would all be so much more pleasant if we were sitting at a bar sharing a beer (A Left Hand Brewery Milk Stout for me, thanks), while saying the exact same things. Then you could see that I'm responding with a smile on my face. <br /><br />@Anonymous 6:34 Well said! Success and failure are set by the individual. What is a failure in one person's mind is a success in another's. We should never forget that. Thanks for the reminder! A.R. Wisehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14848895060244306645noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-47752070694423353572013-05-09T22:33:01.844-05:002013-05-09T22:33:01.844-05:00Clearly the missing piece to your puzzle, Jude.
N...<i>Clearly the missing piece to your puzzle, Jude.</i><br /><br />No, that's not it. I think I need to chime in and talk about myself more often.Jude Hardinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09994813046526310594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-5308096758317024832013-05-09T20:46:56.210-05:002013-05-09T20:46:56.210-05:00"Barry emailed me that the other day, and we ..."Barry emailed me that the other day, and we had a good laugh over it.<br /><br />No, I'm not bothering with a post, because I can accurately sum up her position in two words: Vichy France."<br /><br />I was thinking Quisling, but maybe that's a bit too obscure. <br /><br />Josephhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09866329313708655247noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-89823776088177388722013-05-09T20:34:18.865-05:002013-05-09T20:34:18.865-05:00I get a huge response from posting pix of clothes ...<i>I get a huge response from posting pix of clothes I lust after.</i><br /><br />Clearly the missing piece to your puzzle, Jude.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15213221464811637407noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-44299374321200535282013-05-09T20:26:53.725-05:002013-05-09T20:26:53.725-05:00The way I figure it you can work hard and fail to ...The way I figure it you can work hard and fail to meet your goals. In fact that is likely. <br /><br />But if you don't give it a go you'll never know and that will eat at you. Not trying is way worse than failing.Josephhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09866329313708655247noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-23435113393739388332013-05-09T18:34:26.635-05:002013-05-09T18:34:26.635-05:00(From Anonymous 5:43 on 5-6-13)
RE: "But wha...(From Anonymous 5:43 on 5-6-13)<br /><br />RE: "But what about the failure stories? You don't hear too much about them because it isn't exciting and fun to read about them."<br /><br />Dear Anonymous: I see your point. However, the definition of "failure" is arbitrary. For some writers, not making it big enough to quit their day jobs is failure; for others (like me), not making enough to pay my cell phone bill each month is failure! :) <br /><br />"Failure" could mean failing to reach a board audience ... but it could also mean failing to reach a small but loyal following of readers who connect with your art. Even if that number is negligible. <br /><br />"Failure" is all relative to your POV. <br /><br />Personally, I don't want to be able to make enough money as an indie writer to do it full time; I love my job, and I wouldn't resign for all of the money in the world. I'm driven by philanthropic causes, and that's what makes me feel as though I make a profound difference. Writing makes me feel as though I can share something outside of that, something far more personal, with those with whom I *can* connect. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-73443819463181510722013-05-09T17:51:59.078-05:002013-05-09T17:51:59.078-05:00Useless advice: Work hard and you'll maket it....<br />Useless advice: Work hard and you'll maket it.<br /><br />Sometimes people work hard and they don't make it.<br /><br />This is the problem with "cherry picking" an example. Sure, many people work hard and succeed, and it is nice to hear about their success stories. But what about the failure stories? You don't hear too much about them because it isn't exciting and fun to read about them.<br /><br />I am the same Anonymous who debated Joe Konrath about going out of your way to create unneccessary competition.<br /><br />Just recently in a different blog entry, Barry Eisler wrote that very few people succeed in the traditional publishing lottery and the self-publishing lottery.<br /><br />I am glad that 2 posters hear stepped forward and gave examples of the other side of the lottery. Not everyone succeeds.<br /><br />I don't think they were "whining" or that they were putting out "negativity", they were legitimately giving an account of their personal experiences. I think both of them said they were working hard. Where does anybody come off implying that that they weren't working hard?<br /><br />I don't agree with Joe Konrath about everything he says, but I agree with a few things he says.<br /><br />I also thank Joe Konrath for making this blog and for putting out free advice even though I don't agree with all of it.<br /><br />Joe gave the best advice: look in the mirror for help.<br /><br />But Joe also gave the honest truth as he knows it: writing is a "mean, thankless, soul crushing business, and the only person you can rely on is yourself" and you "have to get lucky."<br /><br />I'm glad both sides of the fence were told. The blog's name is "A Newbie's Guide to Publishing" and the readers deserved both sides.<br /><br />Thank you to all the honest people, to those who found success and to those who are still trying.<br /><br />Peace.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-84240225216477397582013-05-09T12:31:37.034-05:002013-05-09T12:31:37.034-05:00Thanks, Joe! Your blog gives hope! Alexandra, my...Thanks, Joe! Your blog gives hope! Alexandra, my husband is also thinking of putting his second book in the series for free. Wish us luck. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02228166417753760196noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-50174285027789430812013-05-09T11:04:09.561-05:002013-05-09T11:04:09.561-05:00Alexandra, I'm really enjoying Huntress Moon r...Alexandra, I'm really enjoying Huntress Moon right now. Pretty brilliant to give away the second one for free, and make the first one a no-brainer purchase at 99 cents.<br /><br />Jude, you are a master of the FB quip. Your sense of humor is very much in tune with mine...sorry if I don't give you credit when I re-use something you've posted LOL.<br /><br />Anyway, keep that stuff up. You do a good job of mashing the nonsense with the book stuff on FB.William J. Thomashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03363006166880987871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-56998510799279107542013-05-09T10:36:04.058-05:002013-05-09T10:36:04.058-05:00"I'm wondering how you got all those Face..."I'm wondering how you got all those Facebook followers. Is that something you actively pursued, or did it just happen?"<br /><br />Jude, my FB numbers jumped radically after Huntress Moon came out, and then I decided to learn to love it (I hadn't been much of a fan of it, really). So yeah, I spent some dedicated time for weeks, posting something every day to see what worked. And I DON'T mean promotion. Nothing's more boring than hearing about an author talk about their books all the time. I think of it as an open improv mike. I'll be off the wall, I am rabidly political and I definitely am not quiet about my issues and petitions, and I get a huge response from posting pix of clothes I lust after. Go figure. <br /><br />All of that snowballed. I am shocked at how many people lurk on my FB page. Alexandra Sokoloffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02881770599534651858noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-24732579804498076862013-05-09T10:34:43.927-05:002013-05-09T10:34:43.927-05:00Thought I'd throw in my two cents here. I was ...Thought I'd throw in my two cents here. I was riding high as my book, 314, was the #1 Free Occult/Horror book on Amazon and then Alexandra's book came and knocked me off my pedestal! Now she's my nemesis for all eternity! Nah, just kidding. Congrats on the awesome response to the book, and I wish you all the success in the world! I get a big goofy grin on my face every time I see a self-pubbed author kicking ass!<br /><br />The reason I wanted to comment here was because I saw some startlingly negative comments about self publishing, and have been seeing other similar statements on other sites (salon.com for instance). I guess it shouldn't surprise me, but it still upsets me that people are starting to look at self publishing as a gold mine that's just waiting to be tapped. People seem to think that they can write a quick book, throw together a cover, and suddenly start making buttloads of cash. I get more than simply frustrated by that idea, I despise it. People complain about having an ad or two that didn't net sales? Are you kidding? When I started out, I contacted well over 500 sites in an attempt to get honest book reviews, and the vast majority turned me down. I made a trailer for my first book, and it flopped terribly. I paid for ads, and when I saw no result from one I would mark it down and move on to the next. Some writers get lucky and start making money right off the bat, but if you're the type that relies on luck then this isn't the business for you. However, if you're the type of writer who does it because they can't imagine NOT being a writer, then there's never been a better time to actualize your dream!<br /><br />Write a great book, and then treat this like it's the job you've always wanted. Work your butt off, and don't whine when one or two ads don't generate the sales you've been dreaming of. Move on and keep trying. While marketing one book, write another - and then start the whole process over. Who knows which book will strike a chord in the marketplace? The best strategy is to write great books - simple as that.<br /><br />Anyhow, I know that Joe's blog gets a lot of attention from aspiring authors, and I wanted to make sure to add in my success story to the bevy of voices that drown out the negativity. Ever since I was a kid, I dreamed of being a full time writer. Now, thanks to the self publishing revolution, I can proudly claim that title. YOU can too, but never underestimate the amount of work it requires, and never rely on someone else to give you a boost. You are your own business, and it's no one else's job but your own to become a success.A.R. Wisehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14848895060244306645noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-7901764814736941302013-05-09T10:31:09.748-05:002013-05-09T10:31:09.748-05:00Patrice wrote: "We can't have the peons ...Patrice wrote: "We can't have the peons knowing how it works, now can we? <br /><br />Yes... we can."<br /><br />Yes, we can!! And we MUST.Alexandra Sokoloffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02881770599534651858noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-67550231771811715002013-05-08T19:27:34.876-05:002013-05-08T19:27:34.876-05:00Alex, I'm wondering how you got all those Face...Alex, I'm wondering how you got all those Facebook followers. Is that something you actively pursued, or did it just happen?<br /><br />Jude Hardinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09994813046526310594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-12200004367347066712013-05-08T13:27:23.210-05:002013-05-08T13:27:23.210-05:00That's fantastic, Pepper, congratulations!That's fantastic, Pepper, congratulations!Alexandra Sokoloffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02881770599534651858noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-32273740493270154032013-05-08T13:26:28.010-05:002013-05-08T13:26:28.010-05:00Hi Joshua - I'm so glad you're liking The ...Hi Joshua - I'm so glad you're liking The Harrowing! Thanks for giving everything a try.<br /><br />I honestly think you would rather read Huntress Moon first. You can sample it and see what you think. But it won't be the same to read it if you've read ahead to Blood Moon.Alexandra Sokoloffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02881770599534651858noreply@blogger.com