Rant - It's All About to Come to a Screeching Halt

As if it's not enough that our gasoline bill has tripled in just this past month, I recently got a letter from my cable company.  If you're like me, you get your internet connection along with your cable because "bundling" is cheaper (we no longer have a land-line phone.  The only people who called us on it were survey takers and people wanting to sell us something, anyway.  Even after we put the number on every Do Not Call list we could find, companies still found a way to get around it.)

In short, the letter said that they noticed we used a lot more bandwidth than the "average" household.  Well, that's true.  My husband works at home for a company that writes and installs (and supports via internet) software for hospitals.  Which means he's on the computer all day with his company, with hospitals needing help, or via video conference calls.  Then when I get home, I get online to check my email, be available via Yahoo IMs to my editors, cover artists, and publishers (and friends!), work on my website, read my favorite blogs, etc., AND I REMAIN LOGGED ON.

I'll bet that a lot of authors who have the luxury of being able to write full time do the same thing.  They log onto the 'net and pretty much stay on it as they pull up their latest WIP and write.

That may all come to a screeching halt, and soon.

Apparently the cable companies (and I'm going to assume the internet companies who also provide) are going to start charging Per Bandwidth.  It isn't enough now that we have to pay to be able to log on to the internet in the first place, but we will soon begin to pay for how long we're on, and how much we use it.

If they do, then those of us who log on and remain online will no longer have that luxury.  We'll have to log on, retrieve our emails, then log off and remain off-line while we work.  Of course, the plus side is we'll probably be able to get a lot more writing done.  But to me, this is just another way for a company to find a way to gouge us twice for receiving the same service.

End Rant.

Loss of Individualism

We're studying oceans in Kindergarten this week and next, and one of the recommended reads is The Rainbow Fish.

I cannot begin to tell you how much I do NOT like this book.  Neither will I read it to my students.

If you haven't read it, here's the gist of it.  Rainbow fish is envied by the other fish because he has glittery scales.  They go up to him and ask him to give them his scales.  When he refuses, they ostrasize him.  Shunned, the Rainbow fish goes to a wise octopus to find out how he can make friends.  The octopus tells him to give away his scales to everyone who wants one.  The Rainbow fish does, and the others finally allow him to play with them.

So, according to this story, if you have something someone else wants, and they tell you to give it to them, you're supposed to.  If you have a special "something" that makes you stand out, stop it.  Don't look special.  Don't be special.  Just become one of the crowd, or else no one will be friends with you.

Okay, maybe I'm making too much out of this book.  Regardless, I will continue to push each of my students to rejoice in their individuality.  To NOT become one of the crowd, or to do what "everyone else" does simply because someone tells them to, or because of peer pressure.

'Nuff said.  Rant over.  'Scuse me while I go put the soap box away.

I Just Got Screwed! Grr!

And I have no one to blame but myself.

Back in 2006, when I was a struggling writer and I knew NOTHING about epublishing or epublishers, I sent two of my books to PUBLISH AMERICA. Yeah, that place.

Their contract is for 7 years, so I won't get my books back before 2013. But they're starting to sell now. So when PA offered its authors 45% off - plus for every book I buy, I get 1 free - I jumped on it to buy 10 copies of one of my books to refill my inventory.

Now, this book is 94K words. I have books with WCPT that are that bigger, and they sell for $17.95 in trade paperback. PA has my book at $24.95!

Okay. So I ordered 10 books, and thus I get 10 "free". But here's where I was ROYALLY RIPPED OFF. PA is shipping me my books after charging me $3.99 PER BOOK FOR SHIPPING. That's 20 books shipped for $79.80!

Grrrrrr!

Major Angry Rant! Grrr!

WHY? Will someone please explain to me WHY, after you leave a publisher, they feel that they don't have to pay you for the books you sold while you were with them?

We interrupt this month for a rant.

All right. You guys know me. At least, most of you have a pretty good idea of what kind of person I am. I'm an optimist, pure and simple. If there's a problem, I find the silver spot hiding somewhere, and go on. If I cry, bitch, or moan, it's done to a very few, and off I go with life.

I hear a lot from people about having to promote themselves, especially those with e-publishers. They don't think it's fair. They can't find the time. The list is pretty long, but in the long run promotion is necessary because people aren't going to be interested in buying your book if they don't know you exist. Or if they do see your book, you gotta grab their attention long enough with the cover or blurb or excerpt to entice them into buying it.

Then there are the reviewers. Sheesh, just thinking about the astronomically high pile of books they have to wade through every month just floors me. I feel lucky in the fact that I have "sort of" made a name for myself to where my next release might catch the eye of a reviewer already familiar with my work.

But this rant isn't about e-publishers. Or about reviewers. It's about getting a frigging CHANCE.

I have just gone to three review sites to read what's the latest. On a rough count, I would be safe in saying that 6 out of every 10 reviews is for a NYC release - Avon, Penguin, HQ, you get the idea. I also read through four of my favorite blog sites. Guess what? Same thing. Same books, too, pretty much.

And guess who's getting the majority of ad space? Not all, mind you, but most of it. Yup. That's right.

Okay. That's the Biz. But here's where I get to the point where I'm ready to cry. On two separate email loops I'm on (and I'm on plenty, geesh! LOL!), people - mostly other e-pubbed authors - are asking for suggestions as to other books they could read and enjoy. Guess what names and books are brought up?

Big NYC Names, and Their Big NYC Titles.

Mind you, I love my own NYC authors. But, geez Louise! Why not suggest ANOTHER E-PUBBED AUTHOR OR HER BOOKS? Are e-pubbed authors so inconsequential that we don't even rate a SUGGESTED READ?

And it's not just on e-mail loops where this happens. It's on blogs, too. And on bulletin boards.

Go on. I dare you. If you have a blog, or your own e-mail loop, ask "Can you suggest a good book to read?" Then see how the reponses lean heavily toward the NYC houses. Does this mean e-pubs don't put out anything of quality worth noting?

I think we do!