tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post296837023951335584..comments2024-03-18T06:16:18.802-05:00Comments on A Newbie's Guide to Publishing: Not CaringJA Konrathhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08778324558755151986noreply@blogger.comBlogger139125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-1559828688055047352012-01-11T11:16:20.213-06:002012-01-11T11:16:20.213-06:00Thank you for so well expressing it, Joe :o) inclu...Thank you for so well expressing it, Joe :o) including the essential balance of being aware that it's not purely about not caring, but about caring about the individuals who also care in their turn.Crystalhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17893115122140141094noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-19946332818588127782011-09-23T07:09:57.590-05:002011-09-23T07:09:57.590-05:00I found this post absolutely brilliant. You should...I found this post absolutely brilliant. You shouldn't let the thoughts of just one individual influence you to the point where you believe them one 100%. After all, it's just the thoughts of one person. But if you keep receiving negative reviews and they all say the same thing you may have to review your work then.LK Wattshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09366991733427612418noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-70468568082291024852011-09-16T22:34:19.935-05:002011-09-16T22:34:19.935-05:00Thanks, Joe. Your post really spoke to me at a cri...Thanks, Joe. Your post really spoke to me at a critical time in my publishing career, and I appreciate its timeliness. That being said, I know that I shouldn't care what you said, but good advice comes in all forms. So I don't care that I'm not supposed to care. Instead, I'll have a care to follow your advice. Much appreciated, Joe!<br /><br />Respectfully Not Caring,<br />Jaz Primo<br />aka "Nobody of Consequence That You Should Care About"Jazhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01199759171478452846noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-78649796856221075802011-09-15T18:26:58.191-05:002011-09-15T18:26:58.191-05:00Joe, this is one of the best posts I've read o...Joe, this is one of the best posts I've read on your blog. <br />Thanks.DV Berkomhttp://www.dvberkom.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-24022564705824221512011-09-12T21:27:41.329-05:002011-09-12T21:27:41.329-05:00I love this post! I started out that way, but some...I love this post! I started out that way, but somewhere along the line I began to care and I didn't even realize it, until I got a new review on my book which reaffirmed why I wrote it in the first place. So I sat down and re-read my book and remembered how "freaking amazing" a writer I am...lol.<br /><br />So, no more will I allow any outsiders to influence my output or vision. I'm going to hug my dreams to my chest and forge forward.<br /><br />This post of yours is confirmation of that resolve.<br /><br />Thanks!D.S. Whitehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04044779501609588118noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-69551816352241392902011-09-12T11:04:09.350-05:002011-09-12T11:04:09.350-05:00Another excellent post, Joe. I can say that not gi...Another excellent post, Joe. I can say that not giving a shit feels real good. In fact, for me, it just feels like the natural evolution of a seasoned writer. The not give a shit phase is the trophy given at the end of the published author's bootcamp. And it is a trophy I carry proudly. No sense in caring either way..good or bad...we are in the public eye. As the old saying goes, "Shit happens." Shit being public opinion of any kind. This is part of the game, folks. Suck it up and don't think another thought about it. Then go write.Alishahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03344425510934073606noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-77818881687568255052011-09-12T10:37:19.311-05:002011-09-12T10:37:19.311-05:00Wiser words were never spoken. Too bad this advice...Wiser words were never spoken. Too bad this advice is easier said than done!tess gerritsenhttp://www.tessgerritsen.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-3155351039722268312011-09-12T00:28:35.904-05:002011-09-12T00:28:35.904-05:00Joe, I'd like to post a comment to your articl...Joe, I'd like to post a comment to your article, but I don't think you'd care, I certainly don't. ; ) <br />Very profound as always...loved it.<br />LindaLinda Hawley, Authorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03508145210432062701noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-40803600783496255002011-09-11T13:42:13.421-05:002011-09-11T13:42:13.421-05:00Some useful advice. Something not said often enoug...Some useful advice. Something not said often enough too, I might add.J. Nathanhttp://www.washingtoncountyparanormal.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-77233490147123793082011-09-08T13:58:22.364-05:002011-09-08T13:58:22.364-05:00I'm in this small, competitive genre where it&...I'm in this small, competitive genre where it's like a Mean Girls Club and if you don't write in a certain formulaic way they try to purge you from the "club" by totally ignoring you for awards, reviews, etc. <br /><br />It used to bother me. Now I embrace it. Fine. Ignore me. Funny how I keep outselling most of them. <br /><br />I used to look at my reviews. Now all I care about are my sales numbers.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-70347488456963566412011-09-08T09:32:31.965-05:002011-09-08T09:32:31.965-05:00"I collect stuff."
So............one da..."I collect stuff."<br /><br />So............one day we might see you on Hoarders.Chip Andersonhttp://frustratednovelist.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-55814286254858622872011-09-08T07:36:52.236-05:002011-09-08T07:36:52.236-05:00I had a period when I didn't care about anybod...I had a period when I didn't care about anybody's opinion but my own. And it was very liberating, so I kept that up for a long time. Until I got friends who told me that my tendency to not give a fcuk hindered my personal growth. You see, for personal growth you need 'reflection', where someone can show you how others perceive you. That way you can see if the way you want to be perceived truly is the way you are perceived.<br />I still don't care what strangers think, but I do pay heed to the comments of those who mean well, like my friends and selected family members. And my wife, of course.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-13804269748341630732011-09-07T20:23:06.712-05:002011-09-07T20:23:06.712-05:00Instead, I believe what I feel, and what I'm t...<i>Instead, I believe what I feel, and what I'm told by my inner circle.</i><br /><br />But can you, or your inner circle, ever be completely objective about your work?<br /><br /><i>Now I'm selling a few hundred of those same books per day, and getting reviews and email saying they're "good."</i><br /><br />So your livelihood, in essence, depends on the opinions of strangers, as does every other entertainer who does what s/he does for a living.Jude Hardinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09994813046526310594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-48480216971956860322011-09-07T19:52:27.085-05:002011-09-07T19:52:27.085-05:00It's about the fact that I accomplished, with ...<i>It's about the fact that I accomplished, with this one person anyway, what I set out to accomplish. And isn't that what we live for?</i><br /><br />Actually, no. Living for approval, especially the approval of strangers, is a shallow and empty way to live.<br /><br />We love compliments. Especially from those people we care about.<br /><br />But another person's opinion of you, or your work, shouldn't matter.<br /><br />I get several "I love you" emails a day, and several "Thank you" emails as well.<br /><br />I'm humbled by it. But these don't make my day, nor are they true justification for the work I've done.<br /><br />I spent twelve years getting rejected. According to the Big 6, those books were "bad."<br /><br />Now I'm selling a few hundred of those same books per day, and getting reviews and email saying they're "good."<br /><br />So are they good or bad? What am I supposed to believe?<br /><br />I don't take either the rejection, or the praise, to heart. That could drive someone nuts.<br /><br />Instead, I believe what I feel, and what I'm told by my inner circle.<br /><br />Fame, and fans, as well as haters and critics, are all tangential forms of communication that operate on the fringe of interpersonal relations. In reality, there is no relationship between an actress and someone who watches her on TV, or a reader and the author of her favorite book. The relationship is imaginary.<br /><br />If that fan attempts make a real connection through fan mail, or stalking, it is a cathexis (I dislike Freud but agree with him on this one.) Fan mail is a nice gesture, but true ego boosts should be gained through personal accomplishment and the opinions of trusted peers, not strangers.JA Konrathhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08778324558755151986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-90256667353173605562011-09-07T19:33:29.828-05:002011-09-07T19:33:29.828-05:00Just got this email from a total stranger:
I have...Just got this email from a total stranger:<br /><br /><i>I have read about 35-40 novels a year for the last 30 years. I try to read as many new authors as possible in the hopes of finding the new great ones. I think that you may be one of them. I just got done reading Pocket-47 having started it this morning. Congratulations on an outstanding piece of work that was intriguing with a great character. I hope we get to read more.</i><br /><br />I obviously struck a chord with this guy, and I'll freely admit that his letter made my day.<br /><br />And it's not about an ego boost. I don't suddenly think I'm "one of the great ones." It's about the fact that I accomplished, with this one person anyway, what I set out to accomplish. And isn't that what we live for?Jude Hardinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09994813046526310594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-14007679081709922722011-09-07T18:09:43.965-05:002011-09-07T18:09:43.965-05:00Hortatory, ecstatic, and ultimately irritating...
...<i>Hortatory, ecstatic, and ultimately irritating...</i><br /><br />*snerk* <br /><br />Someone wanted to get their money's worth out of their "word of the day" toilet paper, huh?<br /><br />I love that you made t-shirts. I woulda bought one! ;)Selena Kitthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17783685215421352626noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-28229272641895794462011-09-07T16:20:11.301-05:002011-09-07T16:20:11.301-05:00Passion cannot coexist with "not caring"...<i>Passion cannot coexist with "not caring" - it is the antithesis of that. <br /><br />What an odd, and 100% incorrect, thing to say.<br /><br />You simply won't find a more passionate person about writing, or about the book revolution, than I am.<br /><br />But the amount of work I put in, and how much I care about that work, is within my control.<br /><br />The opinions of strangers have nothing to do with passion. I'll still write, and still do this blog, no matter how big or small my audience was, or how much they loved or hated it.<br /><br />If you believe otherwise it doesn't make you passionate. It makes you reactionary. Which isn't a good way to run a career. </i><br /><br />Yes you are passionate about writing and the ebook revolution - so you "care". My assertion that passion and caring go together is not refuted.<br /><br />What you somehow attributed to me is concern for what others think and changing your writing because of that - which would indeed be reactionary and not something I mentioned to do anwhere in my post.<br /><br />My point was simply this...grow a thick skin - you'll need it but don't lose your passion in the process.<br /><br />Robin Sullivan | <a href="http://bit.ly/ivMp8P" rel="nofollow">Write2Publish</a> | <a href="http://bit.ly/kgyKuE" rel="nofollow">Ridan Publishing</a>Robin Sullivanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00613910688999698522noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-7866488152181481932011-09-07T14:40:54.168-05:002011-09-07T14:40:54.168-05:00I have a challenge for the thick-skinned. I upload...I have a challenge for the thick-skinned. I uploaded a letter I sent to Amazon on my blog today, asking them to drop the star-ratings on reviews for fiction books (dream on, I know, but every revolution starts somewhere). I’ve always hated these starred reviews for the reasons outlined there. <br /><br />Now I know some writers will be ambivalent, because they like the five-star side of the sword, even as they complain about the one-starred edge. But you can’t have it both ways; and it would be better for all if the star-ratings went altogether from fiction and films. <br /><br />So it’s time for writers to put their thick-skinned money where their mouths are and follow me to the Bastille. Once enough people make the same, pointed complaint the stars will go. It’s all a matter of numbers.<br /><br />Join the revolution.W. Deanhttp://platoshead.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-51824861660023225202011-09-07T14:01:41.988-05:002011-09-07T14:01:41.988-05:00OMG!! How did I not run into this blog before!! W...OMG!! How did I not run into this blog before!! What a great bit of advice, Joe! I'm with you ... I really don't give a rip!! :)<br /><br />NanaNanahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01459668912239475472noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-72991103621133581152011-09-07T11:49:17.016-05:002011-09-07T11:49:17.016-05:00Archangel,
Divisions are by definition divisive, ...Archangel,<br /><br />Divisions are by definition divisive, though I suppose you meant it in the moral sense of causing people to be divided. One would think words would be less prone to injure after Konrath’s exhortation, but I digress…<br /><br />The real question is not whether the castes are “odd” or “divisive,” but whether using them helps explain something. It does. Once we understand where the negative reviews come from, we can weight their significance for us. As I suggested, most people think they’re doing a public service in writing negatives reviews (they mistake their own taste for good and bad writing in a genre), not that they’re trashing someone else’s work for their own satisfaction. <br /><br />When you can see it in this light, you can have a thick skin because you understand someone else’s actions as folly rather than malice. And that’s the sort of skin that doesn’t break down in paroxysms of rage when the pressure tops out. It also gives a writer a way to respond.W. Deanhttp://platoshead.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-57833567235347761892011-09-07T11:46:51.214-05:002011-09-07T11:46:51.214-05:00Some things are easier said than done. The other ...Some things are easier said than done. The other day, I got a 1 star anonymous hit and run review on GoodReads. Today I got a five star, "Amazon Verified Purchase" review. Guess which one felt better?Adam Pepperhttp://www.adanpepper.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-19837425148475807812011-09-07T10:47:59.295-05:002011-09-07T10:47:59.295-05:00"They can amuse. But don't give them more..."They can amuse. But don't give them more power than that."<br /><br />Absolutely. A writer shouldn't get into the trap of thinking they're bringing joy to the masses. Write what you'd want to read. Be happy that you have the chance to be creative. Forget the rest.Chrishttp://crothhobson.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-51362254534174208042011-09-07T10:26:30.897-05:002011-09-07T10:26:30.897-05:00The ability to "not care" is essential i...The ability to "not care" is essential in any creative endeavor. The road to success is filled with rejection and opposition. The moment you let it change your mindset, you risk failure. <br /><br />Great post, Joe. Always an inspiration. And this time, it kind of relates to my most recent blog post.L. David Heslerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15973902451564668160noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-62945752311275406302011-09-06T23:28:33.809-05:002011-09-06T23:28:33.809-05:00w. dean speaks about middle, low, high brows. It s...w. dean speaks about middle, low, high brows. It seems an odd caste system entirely divisive in many ways. I recently read a hyper critic who apologized for his 'attacks' on others in his earlier years. I listen when Steve (King) tells about assault to spirit by those who seem to have self-anointed as culture warriors who have never been to war. I listen to VS Naipaul who says no one can understand his work who does not understand his life. I tend, to listen to the writers and their awarenesses about their work, to weigh those hard-won hills, rather than those who have never climbed them. Just my .02Archangelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18358062143743621676noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-91562209541573255682011-09-06T17:20:27.087-05:002011-09-06T17:20:27.087-05:00Brilliant post, printed it out, going to shove it ...Brilliant post, printed it out, going to shove it in my face every time I get miffed with a reviewer! Thanks, Joe.Melodie Campbellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07870938103759179132noreply@blogger.com