Wednesday, March 20, 2013

200th POST! Best time to be a writer.


Before I launch into today’s weekly babbling, I wanted to mention this is my 200th post! WOOOOO! I’ve had a great time here and have gained many new insights and ideas from all of your comments. I look forward to many, many more! Thank you!

Now, on to the important part- PRIZES!! To say thank you for coming by here today I am offering up one $25 gift certificate for one lucky commenter to Mysterious Galaxy, Books Inc., or Bookshop Santa Cruz (or, if you have a favorite independent bookstore- and they do online gift certs- winner’s choice!).

Why these three? Well, first and foremost—they are independents. I think supporting real brick and mortar stores is vital and especially the ones flying indie. Mysterious Galaxy is local for me, I used to work for Books Inc, and when I lived in Santa Cruz I loved visiting Bookshop Santa Cruz.
Three great indies!

Here are the rules: You must comment about something in today’s blog posting—or list a favorite past blog of mine. You get two entries if you do both!

If I get more than 20 individual comments (no, commenting twice won’t count ;)) I will toss in another $25 gift certificate to an independent bookstore and draw two winners.

The contest ends at MIDNIGHT Sunday, March 24st. I will randomly draw the winner (or winners) at that point and will post the name(s) on my blog on Wednesday, March 27th.

Now on to this week’s post J

Best time to be a writer

There are some folks out there saying this is the worst of times to be a novelist. Book sales are all over the place, EVERYONE thinks they can write now, put your favorite doom and gloom saying here.

I say they are wrong.

Never have we had so many ways to get our words in the hands of readers-- and isn’t that what we all want?

The publishing world is changing radically and will continue to do so. Gone are the days when self-publishing was an ill spoken option, discussed only in back alleys, if at all. Authors are diving into the self-publishing world and coming up great. As long as care is given to the book, professional editing, covers, layout, etc- there is no reason an author can’t produce a very well respected self-published book. Now there is A LOT of work involved- but more and more unpublished and published authors are looking at this option.

E-pubs- the romance world has lead the charge on the epubs, but more genres are climbing on board. Again- very viable way for authors to get their books out there! A good e publisher is worth their weight in gold. They often have far more flexibility than a traditional pub-and many of them do end up printing physical copies of their books as well.

Traditional- the standard, but one that will have to begin to change as writers and readers explore their options. The prestige is there, but so are the gatekeepers (agents and editors).  You might have a great book, but if they want only books they can sell a certain number of copies of, and they feel you’re a few hundred short, you won’t be let in.

 

I think writers of today have many options to control their own careers and get their works out in reader’s hands.  There’s no reason why a author shouldn’t explore all three options, and many traditionally published authors do so as the rights to older works return to them.

Now I’m not saying what we do is easy, it will never be easy, but I say it’s a great time to be an author!

 

Don’t forget to make a comment/site one of your favorite posts from this blog to win a $25 gift card from an indie bookstore!

 

30 comments:

  1. Hi Marie,

    Your post is very uplifting.

    I just started blogging, and I'm impressed with your milestone.

    Best of luck with your future writing endeavors.

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    1. Thanks, Patricia! You'll be hitting 200 in no time!

      Thanks for coming by and commenting!

      Marie- at work- can't get onto Blogger

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  2. 200 posts - wow girl you rock! It is a joyous day to say the least. Take some time to celebrate, you deserve it! I agree with you, it is a great time to be a writer. Having been one who was around long before self publishine was considered OK, before the computer, or on-line bookstores, I should know. Hang in therer Marie, I'll still be around for your 300th party.

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    1. Thank you, Virgina! I totally agree- for some of us of ummm a certain age (we're both 29-'k?) we know how much the industry has changed!

      Thanks for coming by and commenting!

      Marie- at work- can't get onto Blogger

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  3. Congratulations on your 200th post, Marie! I've enjoyed reading them so much. I agree with you that this is the best time to be a writer and I think it's important that because there are so many ways to get your work out there, that people need to think long and hard about what "success" as an author means to them. For example, what if you never get to hold your book in your hand because it was digitally published? Can you be okay with that?

    Again, congratulations on your 200th post!

    ~Melissa

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    1. Thank you, Melissa! very true- success (and failure) is completly subjective! As for the book issue- to be honest, if I was epubbed and wanted a hard copy- I'd go print one ;).

      Thanks for coming by and commenting!

      Marie- at work- can't get onto Blogger

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  4. Congrats on your 200th post! That's a cool milestone. Also, thanks for giving a huge shout out to indie bookstores! Mysterious Galaxy is my favorite bookstore (yes, because it's local, but also because it rocks). Having that special place where you can talk to the shop owners ~ folks who love books as much as you do ~ is priceless. They always know exactly where to find whatever book I'm looking for, too. It's fascinating.

    This is indeed the best tie to be a writer! We have so many options available now that it would be such a disservice to discount one option over another. What was once a scary word never to be mentioned in polite company is now shouted across the universes and gaining recognition from the big guys. Epub, indie, self-pub, traditional, digital, paper, whatever form you want to see your book, it's now possible to have it all. I love this writing gig.

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    1. Thank you, Tameri! MG does rock! I think all the independent stores out there ROCK! (Nothing against you folks who work for the chains at all- you rock too! Booksellers ROCK!) ok, done rocking now ;)

      It is a way cool time to be a writer!

      Thanks for coming by and commenting!

      Marie- at work- can't get onto Blogger

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  5. Congrats on post #200!!! I agree, it's a great time to be a writer. Also, I love Bookshop Santa Cruz so much. I've found some of my favorite authors just by randomly browsing through the store. It's not that they have a bunch of stuff Barnes & Noble doesn't, but something about the way they have it arranged seems to make it easier for me to find books I love. Maybe their endcap displays are more based on what the employees love and less based on publisher $? Or maybe it's some mysterious Santa Cruz magic. All I know is, I love it there.

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    1. Thanks, Shoshana! I blame the Santa Cruz water ;). But I agree- everytime I'm in that store I find things I didn't know I needed!

      Thanks for coming by and commenting!

      Marie- at work- can't get onto Blogger

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  6. Congratulations on the blogathon, Marie. 200, eh? Wow. And using Mysterious Galaxy to help celebrate is fancy thinking. Here's to many more blogs... and to the beauty of being a writer.
    xo
    Linda

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    1. Thank you, Linda! When I saw I approaching 200 I had a bit of a WOW moment myself! I figure the more we can support the indies, the more they can stick around :).

      Thanks for coming by and commenting!

      Marie- at work- can't get onto Blogger

      Delete
  7. 200 posts! You're a marvel. I don't know how you do it on top of everything else in your busy life. But don't stop. Please. I love them.
    I agree that there is nothing like a brick and mortar book store. We have a mini chain here in MI, Schuler's Books and Music, four locations in two cities. They are wonderful stores with comfy chairs scattered amongst the stacks. Ever inviting. Always busy. I think this is because people still appreciate holding a real book in their hands, being surrounded by the smell of those books in a peaceful setting.
    It is a wonderful time to be a writer with all the options open to us. I've only ever been published in a e-magazine, but I feel I've branched out slightly from the traditional mode. I just need to embrace all the forms available.
    As to past posts, two stand out for me. Injured Characters because you used something that happened to you in the real world to address issues in how authors treat injuries to their characters. You and your commenters made some good points. The second post was Listening to Voices. You struck a cord with many of your readers getting them to think about how the audience reacts to changes in character voices.

    Keep blogging, girl.

    Sharon

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    1. Thank you on all counts, Sharon! I'm so glad you enjoy these blogs- I love writing them and learning from the comments :).

      Ooo- two favs and the reasons! Thank you! It means alot :).

      Thanks for coming by and commenting!

      Marie- at work- can't get onto Blogger

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  8. Congrats on your 200th post! Fantastic accomplishment!

    I agree that this is the best time to be a writer - and for me, the major reason is the options writers have for getting published. If you don't want to deal with the gatekeepers, you can still get your story out there. That is nothing short of revolutionary.

    I remember hearing Nora Roberts speak a few years back at RWA National, and one of the things she said is that writers are always bemoaning how hard it is to write and get published "now", no matter when "now" is. They were complaining about it in the fifties and every decade since. But to her, the core issue is always the same - you need to sit down and write. And the more you do that, and the better you get, the sooner you will get published (or today, perhaps feel your work is good enough to publish yourself). I'm just happy we have computers and Word instead of typewriters!

    It is hard for me to name my favorite post of yours. But I will pick the one on Middle Mayhem since I happened to be stuck in the middle of a book when I read it. I love all your posts!

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    1. Thank you, Janet!
      LOL- Nora has a very excellnt point! It seems things were always "better back then". But they weren't, it's just easier to say they were ;).

      I'm glad you enjoy my posts! (and they helped your middle ;)).

      Thanks for coming by and commenting!

      Marie- at work- can't get onto Blogger

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  9. Congratulations on 200 blogs Marie!!! YOW!!! :)

    And I am with you 100%! This is the best time to be a writer!!! No more do you have to fret that the book you spent a year on may never see the light of day... Readers and authors can make it happen...

    And of all your posts the one that keeps popping in my head is your post about Yoga Writing! LOL

    Lisa :)

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    1. Thank you, Lisa! I agree, it's great that writers have more control over their own careers and getting their books out to readers!

      LOL!!! I do think of you and yoga ;). (not writing though- that twisted hot kind-LOL!!!)

      Thanks for coming by and commenting!

      Marie- at work- can't get onto Blogger

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  10. Congratulations on your 200th post! I'm a new follower, but I'm already a big fan.

    As a new author, I am very excited about all of the different opportunities that are available now.

    I'm also looking forward to starting my own blog - if I can ever figure out how to cram a few more hours into the day!

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    1. Thanks, Linda! And I'm glad you're enjoying the blog :). I recommend blogging, it's a great way to connect to others-I've learned so much from followers of this blog :)

      Thanks for commenting!

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  11. I agree, Marie! It's so cool see all the options we have out there today to pursue our dreams!! Go, writing! :D

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  12. I enjoyed your post today. I agree with the article, but would add that there is a down side for readers. Too many choices! :D As a writer I am encouraged by the control I have over my (potential) career, but as a reader I cry in dismay. I have limited time (writing is time consuming) and can't read everything that strikes my fancy.

    I actually have two recent posts I like. The Space Slug, the Dog, and the Glass Rocking Chair. I was so looking forward to the Dog rocking the Space Slug to sleep on the Glass Rocking Chair. You mislead me! :D

    I also really liked the Yoga Writing post. I read it just after getting feedback on a section of my book that had been over edited due to too many helpful suggestions. Now I (and I really mean we, since I write with Diana Osborn) need to put the charm back in so the chapter is not so sterile and confusing.

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    1. Thanks, Cyndi! Too true- I think as readers we're facing soooo many new choices that it can boggle the mind :0 (it's a good boggle to have but still- it's a boggle!)

      LOL!!!I'm glad my posts were entertaining (ok, frustrating with the mis-direction ;)) and helpful!

      Thank you for coming by and commenting!

      Marie- at work- can't log onto blogger :)

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  13. 200 posts! Congratulations....and not just for the number of posts but the content. Keep it up!

    I love independent bookstores! And oh the fun of an eclectic used bookstore! Adams Avenue bookstore (San Diego, CA) comes to mind, Powell's (Portland, OR), the wonderful little bookstore that I never remember the name of but love in Julian, CA. The hours I could spend....

    I have to agree with Cyndi Chie, as a reader the choices are astounding, too little time for all the possibilities and I am so addicted to reading there are piles of waiting for me missives all over my house. Writing is indeed time consuming!

    As for your posts I am still waiting for how the Glass Rocking Chair fits into the story. Without it written my brain jumps to what might be the purpose of it, maybe I will just make it up! The dog secretly wants to be rid of the evil human. The vicious alien slug comes just in time to assist in sliming the glass rocking chair so that when the evil human attempts to get up he slips and eliminates himself on the strategically placed Victorian poker (aptly described of course!). Now I am happy :D

    Thanks for taking the time to have this blog!

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    1. LOL!!!! Ok, I love your story, Diana- you did a wonderful job of explaining it all-- and the aptly described Victorian poker too! Brava!

      Thank you for taking time to read my blog-- and comment!



      Marie- at work- can't log onto blogger :)

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  15. Hard to know what to say besides congratulations on your 200th.

    I've read the other comments and am happy to see so many of our RWASD community.
    I never thought I'd say this, but as someone more interested in getting my stories and characters out there to entertain readers, I couldn't be happier with the niches being created in the book publishing movement.

    There are so many new communities out there in electronic land that I'm beginning to think I'm back in Arthur C. Clarke's novel, Childhood's End, where societies connected more and more through storytelling. I truly believe that's what's happening here. We're on the crest of an electronic media wave and where it will take us is anyone's guess. The so-called primitive human societies lived through storytelling for millions of years. Why shouldn't that integral part of social congress come full circle?

    Years ago, when astronomers encouraged me to join Galaxy Zoo to use my mind and powers of discrimination to tell barred galaxies from spiral ones from merging ones, I thought the idea amazing. Thousands of pc users working together. Now that it's worked, the major print houses are trying the same thing. They're having readers choose the stories they want to see.
    It's too early to know which idea will resonate with the e-readership: reviewing communities, reading communities, or just plain freebees, but new promotional strategies are out there and I love watching all of you creatively digging in.

    I surprise myself by loving the process of editing. I prefer writing mostly through editing because only then can I know if I'm learning, growing and changing as a writer. These new electronic platforms (like HarperCollins' authonomy, for example) help me to see my work from whole new perspectives. A manuscript in PDF or other book-like format helps me to see my manuscript with fresh eyes and anything that brings in new life and new blood to one's work seems to me an important link in this emerging electronic world of books.

    Good luck inspiring us, Marie.

    Susan




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    1. Thank you so much, Susan! I hadn't thought about Clarke, but I think you're right-- it's part of the major change our entire way of communicating is going through. And think of it, we're at the start really!

      Thank you for the excellent comments!



      Marie- at work- can't log onto blogger :)

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  16. Thank you all for visiting and commenting! I have drawn the winner randomly (very high tech- numbers on papers drawn out of a bag-LOL).

    And the winner is........... HA! Ya have to wait until Wednesday's post!

    Marie

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