A VERY IMPORTANT PUBLIC SERVICE MESSAGE!

Status: Living with the in-laws. (Week 10)

Watching: Nothing.

Listening to: Recorded Music.

Reading: A bunch of mangas.

TOPIC: RABID FAN BASES

While I still have the strength and energy to type this out (sick once again--due to stress and a lot of other factors in my life), I wanted to touch base on the rabid fan issue.
Yes...

The RABID FAN.

Recently classified by scientists as an offshoot of the Homo Sapien race of mammals--rabid fans are an eclectic group of harbingers whom have this little nifty power to make their cousin species' sick with aggravation and deep-seeded annoyance

Why?

Because rabid fans can.

Their unique power structure stems from their obssessed love for any particular book or fad which has consumed their sad little lives--which ends being very badly for them.

They cannot discern reality from fantasy--having hooked onto the idea that their target in question will somehow respond and give back what was stolen from them in the first place:

Their lives.

How can you spot a rabid fan a mile away--or anyone else showing symptoms of unnormalcy?

A rabid fan's behavior is a dead giveaway. If they are acting completely out of character or seem to be fixated on something beu-faux specific...?

Steer clear of them and their little armies of gnawing teeth and explosive anger.

You don't want to get them angry. Not one iota.

They seem to believe that whatever made them rabid in the first place, might reciproctate and give them their undivided blessings in retrospect.

By saying, "Thank You!"--for hanging on and making the target's life all that less enriching and more self-important.

Rabid fans can be found dwelling in special groups, borrows, or tidy little holes with chains of flowers and other fauna designed to enhance their little abode--while showcasing a lot of their choice items which is the soul reason why they are rabid in the first place.

Rabid fans are easily spotted by their sharp claws, gnawing teeth, beady little eyes, and choice apparel reflecting why they are so rabid in the first place.

It can be a phrase, a word. a singular title, or even a picture of their dwelling fixation and undying love.

To say something bad about the rabid fans' target of affection (or love) is to invite disaster.

In such dreaded scenarios, the offender is usually found with their arms and legs ripped off at the seams, their impersonables torn completely away from their bodies and their clothes left tattered and in shreds.

In some documented cases, rabid fans have been known to take a trophy part of their targeted aggression and have it on display for the whole entire world to see.

Why?

Rabid fans don't like their god or goddess taken down a peg or beaten into a nice and juicy pulp.

So they have been known to congregate into tightly woven circles; throwing up all kinds of deflector-shield technologies in order to preserve or protect The One from his or her untimely critics or flame-bots.

Rabid fans often have been reported to not have much of a social life and one has to wonder if personal hygiene or grooming is ever required.

So far...

Scientists the world over have yet to confirm or document the inner workings of a rabid fan--only suffice to say that without some on-hand experience in dealing with them...?

All that is written here is pure speculation and shouldn't be taken with a grain of salt--for fear that angering these undomesticated rabid fans will somehow trigger and emotionally aggressive response.

So, the next time you run into a rabid fan or their base, please, please, please...!--give them a wide berth and go about your own lives.

If you ever value them.

End documentary.

THURSDAY'S LEXICON SOUND OFF.

Status: Writing on Chapter 146 of Starchild Duel. (Page 1,321)

Doing: Writing on this blog; answering e-mails; working out, and well...you know the rest! :0)

Watching: Nothing. Usually during the day hours--up till 5PM; the TV stays off.

Listening to: Nothing at the moment. Have a bit of a crushing migraine at the moment. (Weather changes yet again--forcing yet another sinus cold onto me.)

Reading:

Kushiel's Scion. Page 252.

Star Trek: Crucible: McCoy:-Provenance of Shadows. Page 11.

TOPIC: WHY DO SOME PUBLISHED AUTHORS TREAT THEIR FANS LIKE SHIT?

I know I'm going to get snarked on this one. I mean nobody should go and upset the Miss High and Mighty J.K. Rowling.

But a recent article in the New York Times had me pissed! So I had to stick up for book fans everywhere. If anyone here is concerned about copyright issues and the like--you can go and kiss my red and white butt.

This isn't about author rights and such, but how most fans these days have been treated like crap and garbage for so long--underfoot--by their uncaring authors.

Fans should be treated with respect and like a precious commodity. This article I read just proves that fans are run ripshod over the very people they look up to.

And the question is why? Why are some authors real bitches and assholes about how their work should be perceived and coddled? If they didn't want their fans to get this heavily involved in their work--impassioned would be more like it--then maybe they shouldn't have wrote it!??

Heavens to Mergatroid! Sheesh!

***

The thing about this article is that it reveals a lot of things about the state of mind of an overtly successful author whom pigeon-holed herself into just writing one series based on one concept--and never branched out to distinguish herself into a well-rounded writer over the years.

That's the one thing that has doomed Rowling forever and ever.

But she sits there and complains that someone is taking something from her that's already been a universally recognized and established cult icon.

It's not even close to being true.

Vander Ark's lexicon is nothing more than a dictionary-compendium filled with terms and definitions written about the HP universe--along with some of the book's passages and examples.

A fan's most exalted version of a fantasy guide come to life. And Ark is a die-hard fan. And he did it because he truly loved her work.

Not because he wanted to insult her intelligence.

The only reason why Rowling is trying to stop the lexicon from being published is because she had intended to publish a similar book--but Vander Ark torpedoed that idea out of the water--years earlier than she was expecting.

But also for control of the idea and the notion that she alone has absolute rights to the HP theme--and no one else. (Reason why she's suing RDR Books for copyright infringement.)

Which is why Vander Ark felt betrayed by her in this whole affair.

She's not doing this because she feels "angry" or "outraged", but because HP was a major cash cow for Rowling (to the tune of billions), and she doesn't want to see a penny of that being challenged by some then unknown fan on the internet.

So money is the sole reason for this suit. But it's a bit hypocritical for someone whom is sitting on $300M dollars in assets--isn't going to hungry any time soon--to complain about some poor fan's intent to publish an entertainment lexicon that charges only $24.

But what she wants from Vander Ark is "control". She's okay for the book to be published--but so long as it doesn't take away work that's been already in print for the last decade.

It would be a completely differently story if the man took the HP theme and characters and copy-cat her work on an entirely different level--but he didn't.

The article clearly is trying to make it so that Rowling is the victim here. When in fact, she went and endorsed the site from the get go, admitted freely that she often perused the site to keep her own facts in the books'--straight--and said nothing about keeping the site information from ever seeing print.

Not once.

And the idea that people won't read anymore HP books if the lexicon ever goes out to print is utter foolishness. How many here have read HP more than once? How many of you have read spin-offs, compendiums, and whatnot--on HP alone? Did it stop you from going back to reading the originals?

I don't think so.

That's like saying: "There's hundreds of STAR TREK books out there, I guess I don't need to watch any of the series, now do I? I got all the information I need right here."

Screw that! I'm still watching them! lol

The argument is lame to the extreme. In their minds, it's all about money-making schemes and everyone else--not counting the millions Rowling's raked in in toy endorsements and food-related contracts with major companies here in the States and over in Great Britain.

The lexicon won't take anything away from what's already out there.

What I got from this was some amusement as well: Ms. Rowling being so distraught over the idea that someone was going to publish this lexicon--it gave her writer's block.

On what? A book that can't possibly surpass the overpowering success of HP? This is what I meant by being "pigeon-holed" earlier. If you only write one thing and one thing only, you're not going to be able to branch out to other genre--let alone other books.

Because people will link you to whatever success you had before and they won't accept anything less than that.

That's why I branched out to as many genres as I possibly could. If any one of my books were to make it, I wouldn't be confined to just one book series. I have many to choose from.

Rowling no longer had that luxury. In the 10 years since the first book came out, not one other book came out to compliment HP as a companion book.

And the idea that if Rowling loses this suit, the "floodgates will open" and writers everywhere will "lose control over their material".

Pardon my frankness, but that's literal bullshit.

One? Fan-fiction on HP has been written for the better part of the decade. The moment the book went into extreme-success mode, all bets were off on fans, readers, and writers to not capitalize on the sensation which Harry Potter was generating.

How many spin-offs of HP have their been in the 10 years hence? I lost count.

Two? Since when did Rowling ever give a damn about writers everywhere? Ever since this saga of hers went gangbusters, this woman has been on a vanity trip that would make the 60s love and peace movement look like a cakewalk.

She's been so high on herself, salivating on her on self-importance, that she hasn't cared one whit about the rights of other writers--up until now.

This is all about herself. This is all about her. This act of hers--in this instance--is more of an insult than a nod to us writers everywhere. She's trying to cry victim over an act that is widely as being more asinine than having any real substance or value.

At some point in her life, she's going to have to realize that she has next to zero control over what happens with the Harry Potter books. People are going to continue to prosper off of her work--for good or not.

Three? Unpublished writers like myself have had our works on the net for the better part of the last decade. I'm working on 6 years myself.

So why would the publishing or writing world care about what I put on the net?

I'M UNPUBLISHED. I'M A NOBODY!

Hel~lo people! No one's going to care! (lmao)

And thus far, I haven't lost control over my work. My books are so massive and complex, who the heck is going to spend hours over hours on end--trying to take something that their collective 5th-6th grade education and comprehension skills can't possibly grasp--let alone understand well enough to duplicate and then try to publish on their own accord?

Personally? I'd give out the Freedom Medal if someone were out rightly successful in their endeavor 10 or 20 years down the road. I'd like to shake their hand personally and congratulate them on the one thing which I've been failing at for the last 8 years!

("Hey, buddy? What's you're secret?")

But...? That's not going to happen.

So I'm not worried. Because--again?--no one cares who I am or what my books are about.

And my wife--whom is an avid fan of HP herself (I'm not)--put everything in contrast to this court-room drama by saying this the other night: "Someone should shut the bitch up with a doughnut.“

Sky

THURSDAY'S MUSINGS. (PART 2)

Status: Writing Chapter 16 to Stories of the Dead Earth-Book 3: Jasper

Doing: Writing this blog; surfing the net; answering e-mails; working out

Watching: Nothing at the moment. (News hasn't started.)

Listening to: "Sugar Steps" by Kama Sutra; Visions of Ibiza--Disc 1.

Reading: Kushiel's Scion by Jacqueline Carey (Page 123)


TOPIC: BUCKING THE TREND


As I discussed earlier at the beginning of the last entry, there are people out there who want to either sanitize or severely trim my books so that they read better, sound better, and yadda, yadda, yadda.

I remember coming across someone yesterday in one of my writer groups; telling everyone that her book was 195,000 words, but she managed to get it down to 120,000.

She said that it sounded better, read better, and was more "action-packed".

The sad thing about this example is this writer may not even know her own true potential--if she keeps axing out all the important parts to her novel; if she keeps streamlining her work to fit a standard template for publishing.

I've seen this many times over the years, where writers have novels ranging from 150K to as much as 300K--but in the end...?

They end up taking so much out of it.

And for what? To fit in?

The point of being a writer isn't to destroy what you've gone and created for the sake of money, the premise of being traditionally published, and the potential to become one of those famous authors who can live independently on their own self-absorbed income.

The point is to tell a story. To build a foundation for yourself and your work.

Naturally, I have people tell me that I cannot hold onto everything I write, but I do--because I am telling a story. Not just writing a novel.

The use of words is more than just an illustrious example of going for the Big Cheese and impressing your peeps on the internet.

We use them to express ourselves, to illustrate our creations, and most importantly--to tell a story.

But if we strive to limit ourselves in our pursuits of that, then we limit ourselves in our own potential as a writer.

How do we profess to be published authors, if we continue to take out the most important parts to our novels--by toning down our words, trimming out every bit of prose and replace it with choppy; non-connected sentences and phrases?

It may look good and passable to the untrained eye, but for those of us whom write and weave our tales into telling tomes which enrapture our respective audiences...?

Inside, I'm screaming!

For example?

In my first generation version of The Starchild, there is a scene between Isis and Bayen at a place called Observation Park.

This is the first opening sentence to it:

"...it was the most breathtaking place she had ever been to. The trees in the park gave way to a translucent dome that showed a panorama of stars and a pure white moon..."

To anyone reading this, this would sound okay, right?

Wrong!

This opening paragraph just sucks! Why? Because it doesn't show anything!

It doesn't go into depth, doesn't express the whole feeling of actually being there, and doesn't impart anything important to the reader.

It lacks detail, it lacks depth, and it lacks impact.

But this example is what publishers want for their books! Overall, the majority of the novels we read today are done in this particular format.

This streamlined example is what goes into most writers' exposes when they complete their books.

Here is the updated version to that same scene. And while you may instantly notice that there is no mention of the dome, the trees, or the stars in the opening scene, most of what went into Observation Park's description had been taken out for something more sublime and easier to assimiliate:

"...The very second the doors opened, Isis felt like she was walking into another world. From her point of view, that’s exactly what it was. And this raw sense of feeling left her breathless as a result..."

What's changed between the two examples? Quite a bit!

In the 10 years since this book was completed, the style and voice in which I had been stuck with had suddenly transformed into something which exudes more confidence, more imagination, and more emotion.

The first opening words to the first example: "...it was the most breathtaking place she had ever been in..."--had been replaced with, "...the very second the doors opened, Isis felt like she was walking into another world..."

4-5 years ago--this particular change had taken place because I had started to see things differently about the way I was writing. It wasn't something which I was desperate for, but it was a natural evolution in my abilities and writing.

And I took that opportunity in May of 2003 to reconstruct The Starchild completely from scratch by rewriting the 2nd draft version into something new.

But this new version was much different than the old-version. The old version was more compact, more direct--and didn't offer the reader a chance to do much of anything--except to plow right through the novel at a breakneck pace.

This second example illustrates how my writing style transformed into something else. Something which is lacking in the current media mainstream of novels.

The first example only used 2 short sentences to describe the opening scene (which was on page 105 of the first draft), and didn't use more than one powerword to impact the reader with. (Breathtaking)

The second rough example used three sentences to revamp the opening scene with (which was on page 480 of the third draft). But they aren't short sentences either. They are elaborately spun pieces of prose.

By drawing out the scene into something the reader can picture inside their heads, the reader can get a good, solid grasp of what's really going on.

This isn't what publishers really are after. They want books that are quick and to the point. Namely because readers these days have woefully short attention recall, and the older generation of readers aren't reading as much as they used to. (Not to mention that teens these days are spending more of their reading time on the 'net, on their games, and other techno-distractions--that reading has become something of a lost 'art' these days.)

The second example also uses a revamped version of breathtaking by using the word breathlessly to describe an emotional state.

When was the last time your character freely expressed themselves in one manner or another--rather than just blindly rushing through the whole scene or the process altogether?

Dollars to doughnuts, they haven't. And if they have, the moment in question was much too fleeting to pay it any mind; for both the author and the reader.

Oddly enough, I find that the second example needs some further tweaking--which is yet another clear example of my abilities evolving further still.

But...

The second example has been transformed from what was a bland form of writing into a more emotional core platform which gives Isis McGowan a sense of realism and physical presence.

Which the first example clearly lacked.

This is what is meant by "bucking the trend" in writing.

By doing something which rubs against the grain of conventional thought and due process.

This is what the industry and many of my critics are so dead set against wanting to see happen.

Being traditionally published may be good and all for the aspiring writer whom craves nothing more than their 15 minutes of fame, but what it will always boil down to is whether or not that published plebe has the ability to convey themselves well as a master story-teller.

Doing a rush job on the whole thing won't get any of us any closer to our said goals. Because once you write something and complete it, you really aren't finished with the project in question.

You're just starting a process that only scratches the surface.

If you really want to shine, then you have to really grasp what you've written. Not just how well it reads to you, but every little crack, every little nuance--until (at some point)--you're really certain that this is what you first envisioned when you started out.

Because if it isn't...?

Then you still have a lot of work ahead of you until you do.

And that's the truth.

WEDNESDAY NEWS.

Status: Writing Chapter 12 to Stories of the Dead Earth-Book 3: Jasper

Doing: Writing this blog; surfing the net; answering e-mails; working out

Watching: News!

Listening to: "Numb" by Linkin Park

Reading: Kushiel's Scion by Jacqueline Carey

TOPIC: PUBLISHING TRANSFORMS EVEN MORE

I find this a bit interesting--simply because I've known for quite some time that on-demand, self-publishing, and e-publishing would finally transform the way we approach the topic of traditional publishing.

It just took awhile before things began to catch up in terms of affordability and technology.

Not to mention time.

Before, it used to mean waiting years or even decades to finally be picked up. But print-on-demand technologies has made it so that the final curtain to publishing could be made available to all aspiring writers and authors--no matter whom they are.

And--as the below article shows--things have gotten better so that the stigma of being self-published or e-published is no longer a major concern.

***

NEW YORK - Getting a book published isn't the rarefied literary feat it once was.

New printing technologies are making published authors of legions of aspiring writers, a population that once toiled for years on tomes that might not see the light of day.

The vast majority of today's instant authors may sell only a few dozen copies of their books, but on-demand publishing is letting thousands realize the ambitions of generations of would-be writers.

On-demand publisher Lulu.com has churned out 236,000 paperbacks since it opened in 2002, and its volume of new paperbacks has risen each month this year, hitting 14,745 in November.

Retail giant Amazon.com got into the game this summer, offering on-demand publishing through its CreateSpace, which was already letting filmmakers and musicians burn DVDs and CDs.

The programs are easy for just about anyone to use: Authors select basic options, including the book's size, binding style and paperback or hardcover. After the manuscript is uploaded, users go to a page where they select a font and design the book's cover. Even after a book has been printed they can fix typos for later printings.

Unlike vanity publishing, in which aspiring authors pay to have their books run on traditional presses, on-demand publishing doesn't have to cost writers a cent.

Publishers produce books only after they're ordered and paid for, which eliminates overruns and the need for warehousing. They charge for printing, or take a cut of sales, and they set up payment systems, online bookstores and Web marketing tools.

Some authors publish on-demand books in hopes of catching the eye of a major publisher. But not all writers who use on-demand publishers aspire to write the great American novel.

The system also allows small businesses to print high-end brochures, screenwriters to shop their scripts around and others to assemble wedding and other special-event books for friends and family.

"I'm just amazed I have the book in my hand," said Catherine Dyer, a 49-year-old Atlanta resident who co-authored a cookbook with her four sisters through Lulu.com. "I knew trying to get a traditional publisher would take ages. With this, I knew at the onset I could have a book in my hand."

"You Want Me To Bring a Dish?" — the sisters' 104-page cookbook — sells for $22.76. They've ordered about 100 copies to stock stores around Atlanta and are promoting the book through local signings and radio appearances.

Dyer's already brainstorming ideas for a spinoff.

"Cause I know I can get it published," she said.

The challenge for authors now is getting the word out about their work.

"It's all about the marketing and distribution. We realized early on that that was the bigger challenge," said Eileen Gittins, founder and CEO of Blurb.com, an on-demand publisher with 11,000 available self-published titles.

To help authors, Blurb automatically creates widgets that can be dragged and dropped onto other Web sites.

What makes self-publishing viable is the Internet, which gives writers instant access to audiences that share their same interests, no matter how obscure. Authors also use online communities such as blogs, MySpace.com and others to market their works.

"It used to be, if you created a book about an obscure topic, your audience was limited. Now maybe you're part of an online gardening community, and you already have an audience of 5,000 who care deeply about roses," Gittins said.

For most aspiring authors, a book deal with a major publishing house remains the ultimate dream, however.

Big companies like Random House Inc. or HarperCollins Publishers can promote authors on a national scale and get titles in major bookstores. Professional editors also polish copy in the traditional publishing world, a step that can transform a manuscript into a best-seller or perhaps a masterpiece.

"The value and cachet of being with a larger house is still something authors value," said Tina Jordan, vice president of the Association of American Publishers.

Users of Amazon.com's CreateSpace are listed the same way as literary giants online. Keyword searches will pull up self-published books along with those of Grisham, Shakespeare, Hemingway or Rowling.

The writers are willing to live with drawbacks that would drive a purist crazy. Printing quality can vary, with images possibly emerging denser or brighter in some copies. Some in the industry say the quality of on-demand publishing has improved greatly and few would be able to distinguish the difference from those printed on traditional presses. And on-demand books are priced according to their length, making them pricier than books printed en masse.

But Gittins said shoppers are willing to pay a little more for a book tailored to a specific audience.

"It's really an opportunity for people to get their creative content out there to millions of people," said Stacey Hurwitz, spokeswoman for CreateSpace.
______

On the Net:

http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/ap/ap_on_hi_te/storytext/business_of_life/25746480/SIG=10ls9o008/*http://www.Lulu.com
http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/ap/ap_on_hi_te/storytext/business_of_life/25746480/SIG=10m65k9fa/*http://www.Blurb.com
http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/ap/ap_on_hi_te/storytext/business_of_life/25746480/SIG=10s0tjjln/*http://www.createspace.com

WAKING UP.

Status: Currently writing on Zombie Nation: Outbreak Zero--Chapter 10.

Doing: Writing this blog; surfing the net; answering e-mails

Watching: KIRO 7 News; CBS Evening News

Listening to: "Singular" by Mindless Faith

Reading: Resistance by J.M. Dillard (ST-TNG) (On page 225 finally!)

TOPIC: WRITE HOW YOU WANT, PUBLISH HOWEVER YOU WANT TO

The current argument that I've been getting is: "You're not a real author until you're traditionally published."

And it's lame. What we (writers) are being told is that no one will take us seriously enough unless we're taken in by Random House, Bantam, or Tor Books.

And even then, people still don't take us seriously enough!

Getting traditionally published doesn't mean you gain instant respect and accolades from your peers.

In many respects, you're still an unknown author and your chances of making it are pretty small.

But these prideful writers who are pushing people like you and me to become traditionally published are still ignorant of the facts and the odds behind such an endeavor.

Personally, I would love to be traditionally published. Y'know?

To see my book on the shelves so prominently.

But things are tight right now in the marketplace and not many agents or publishers are taking on new authors. The reason behind it is simply this: Money and the bottom line.

The publishers are facing a problem with people not reading enough books these days. The internet and online reading has gained traction and is tearing many traditional readers away from the paperback variety.

Then you have costumers shopping from their homes--on their computers (just as the Jetsons predicted would happen decades ago), and you have even less reason for people to go shopping at their once favorite reading haunts.

To top that off, the last Harry Potter novel did little to save Barnes and Noble, and Borders bottom line in the last quarter--as predicted. Adding severely limited shelf space, the rising costs of books, and you have a real nightmare for the publishers.

And even still, I am being told to traditionally publish. To keep going.

But I've already done that.

I spent 8 long years pushing myself to become traditionally published. I sent out dozens and dozens of query letters; all rejected out of hand.

The reason? None of the agents or publishers took fiction.

But not their brand of fiction. Just mine.

What I write isn't what they want.

So where does that leave me?

Well, ever since I announced my intentions that I was going to self-publish my books under my own imprint, there has been (naturally) some resistance to the idea. It isn't the imprint part that's got some people up in arms, but the self-publishing part.

Many people mistaken that for vanity-press, and so they think that's what I'm doing.

But the irritating part is, is that this isn't what I am doing.

Despite me telling them that this isn't vanity-press, I'm still getting hammered for my choices in publishing or even writing my books how I want.

They still want me to traditionally publish. How many times will I have to say, "No!"?--before they get it through their heads???

I am not interested in the maintream any longer! I have done my bit for king and country--and I am not the least bit inclined to continue spending the rest of my life trying to get into an establishment that is more based on chance than it is on reality.

Please do me the courtesy of allowing me to follow my dreams however I wish., okay? And support me because I am an author just looking to share his numerous works with fellow readers.

I don't need adulation, approval, a ton of money, or an overpowering fan base to know that what I write is good enough for the big guns.

I just want to write what I would like to see read.

Even if the mainstream industry doesn't.

If you like my books, then tell me. But don't ask me to hold back on my imagination.

That's not what an author should do in order to become successful in his or her endeavors.

SUNDAY, SUNDAY, SUNDAY.

Status: Currently writing on The Price of Freedom; Zombie Nation: Outbreak Zero

Doing: Writing this blog; surfing the net; answering e-mails

Watching: Bears vs. Cowboys (10-10; 3rd quarter with 6:24 left to play.)

Listening to: "Sugar Steps" by Kama Sutra (Visions of Ibiza; Chicane--Disc 1); "Maniacal" by Frontline Assembly; "Chemical End" by Death Horror Incorporated (or DHI)

Reading: Resistance by J.M. Dillard (ST-TNG)

TOPIC: CAR INDUSTRY ANALOGY WITH THE PUBLISHING WORLD

I've found that the whole business model of publishing has some severe design limitations.

In order for them to be successful, you have to write what they want for their little co-op readership.

Secondly, not every book gets selected for representation or publishing--which further limits what they can and cannot publish. (They've set up a box for themselves. A box that they cannot escape from so easily.)

Furthermore, they limit themselves to an ever-changing publishing standard which further alienates even more writers from becoming successful. In order for them to be accepted, they have to lower themselves to the same level at which the publishing apparat operates.

Depending on how you look at it, it can be good for you. But then again, it may not be--since there are a lot of inherent pitfalls.

And on top of that, the whole enchillada is slow to adapt, slow to respond, and slow to evolve to anything which threatens their little domain of absolute supremacy.

So of course, you'll see a lot of vanity-press rackets pop up. Because they are catering to a wide audience of desperate and blind authors--who are ill-equipped to deal with the burdens of being published traditionally.

But at the same time--the publishing industry is ill-equipped to deal with the foreknowledge that their time is now limited by the very technologies which have made their cornerstone of the marketplace--obsolete. The same technologies which they had--at first--spurned out of hand.

And it's that same technology which has allowed each and every one of us to break out of the 'wait and see' mold.

Why wait to see if something good comes around? If it's not there, then invent it yourself. Give yourself a home. A platform from which to operate from.

Let the publishing industry wallow in blind obscurity and the vanity-presses die in blithe arrogance--into believing that they are 'traditional press ops'.

Waiting is for fools. No man (or woman) should have to put their dreams of success on hold because some corporate snog told them they "weren't good enough".

That's what pioneers are for. To blaze new trails.

At least, that's how I look at this whole thing.

TUESDAY MORNING.

Status: On vacation

Doing: Writing this blog; drinking chocolate milk.

Watching: STEAMBOY; CBS Morning News.

Listening to: "Go Zombie" by Zombie Girl

Reading: Resistance by J.M. Dillard (ST-TNG)


TOPIC: AN OLDIE BUT A GOODIE

It's been a few days since I've posted anything--with the second part of the interview later due today or tomorrow--so I thought I'd post something from my site called "Finding The Alternative To Successful Writing.* "

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(*This isn't a conversion to my way of writing and publishing, this is simply my own views, my observations--as I don't know who you are, or what kind of books you like reading. But there are still some unnamed parties out there who feel that I'm trampling on their "Holy Grail" of writing and publishing by having posted this controversial blog entry. If you feel that you are one of these such persons, please disregard this blog in its entirety.)

Here we go!

We've all heard it many times throughout the years: "In order to become published, you have to follow everyone else who is published." Or: "You have to take classes, courses, and hinge on every word from those published before you in order to become published."

But why must we do this? Why must we follow a pre-set pattern to success? Why cannot we try other avenues and methods which aren't etched in stone--thus allowing us some much needed breathing space and flexibility?

Because for some people in this profession, trying anything else is considered unproductive and wrong. It doesn't give them their 15 minutes of fame and fan adoration which easily translates into mega bucks and a comfy retirement.

They don't think that doing things differently will get them to their respective goals any quicker.

So when someone like me comes around once in a blue moon, they get defensive, they get upset, irate, pissed off, whatever words you can think of.

Why does this happen?

Because I offer a different view to success in writing which doesn't involve carbon copy authors, cloned books, fake reviews, fake applause, fake fan clubs which turn out useless chatter about how great their books are, and how much gushing they do wishing they could be just like him or her. (Gag me with a spoon! Please!)

What I offer is some piece of advice and some hard-earned experience. This doesn't make me a genuis, or some god, but rather someone who knows his shit and knows what it takes to write a book.

And to top it off, it doesn't involve going to a writer's class, taking a course to cheat your way through to that coveted (possibly crappy) contract which most likely will end your writing career--because your book sales have basically turned to shit based on your publisher's personal opinion; leaving you in a noticeable rut and your chances of further publication down the drain faster than a hooker going to Sunday confessional!

Success as a writer is a lot like having a successful blog or a successful site:

You've got to know what you're writing and write it well!

If you can't do it, why bother trying to attract the masses if all your book is going to do is make one big giant (and awful-sounding) thud! at the bookstore in that 5-month window of opportunity? (Now two months unfortunately.)

All you're going to do is start beating yourself over the head as to why you didn't take the time to write the book better, and thus save yourself and your career a butt-load of pain in the long run. You're going to start questioning yourself and really making a mess of your own self-confidence and your skills as a writer and author; bemoaning it all as a simple, "How could this have happened to me?" rant and nothing else.

Why indeed?

Because it's not you. It's the publisher. They want everything to be their way (like in the BK commercials), and everyone else can take a flying leap off the nearest suspension bridge.

So you have to play by their rules and not yours. And in doing so, there is a better than 80% chance you'll never get past your first book. And even if you manage to squeak by after the first one, there's still no guarantee that you'll have a successful career in writing and publishing. More than likely, you'll still be working that same tired, dead-end job, and your book will be spending a good chunk of its time collecting dust on the shelf.

So what's the solution?

If I told you that there was an alternative to having a successful publishing career, you'd immediately draw the conclusion that I'm full of shit or pulling your leg.

And you'd probably be right. I don't have an exact alternative which will guarantee that you'll be making millions and drawing in a ton of fans for you and your books.

What I do have is something more valuable than what the mainstream industry hasn't got: And that's knowledge. And knowledge--as they say--is power.

And it's not any kind of knowledge which you can simply pull from a book, or get off on some online web page, but rather personal experience and an insight into what makes a good book good and what makes everything else you've read in the last 10 years to be nothing more than crap.

Because they (99% of today's mainstream authors) are in it for the money. Not the book itself.

And as a result, their books don't make it as far as they should. Because they aren't allowed to go beyond their own limitations--set into place long before you and I were born (in some instances).

Why is that?

Classes and courses are supposed to be the answer to what ills the publishing and writing world. They are supposed to be the roadmap to success and fame for all would-be authors.

But in truth, they are basically useless in the overall scheme of things.

Now--before you start wanting to ream me a new one--hear me out.

Growing up, we are told that we need to get an education in order to survive. Our parents have told us this, our friends have told us this, everyone we know has told us this.

Right?

Duh!

But once we get out into the real world, we only apply maybe 5% of what we've learned in total to the problems facing us in today's society. The rest of what we learned just goes out the window, or gets stuck on the back shelf gathering dust for all eternity--never to be used.

Writing classes are pretty much the same way. Sans the collective chuminess that we all want to hold, feel, and flow around us to give us that all important ego boost, what we learn in those classes, those courses, and anything else that we pick up--essentially is a waste.

A waste of energy, a waste of time. Because you are only going to need a fraction of what you learned in those set time frames. The remainder gets totaled and left out to rot.

And your point is?

My point (for those of us paying close attention here) is that you don't need writing classes, courses, speaking engagements, and flowery "can do" attitudes of published authors--in order to have a successful writing career.

What you do need is the ability to see beyond the limitations to your own writing. Classes, courses, and so forth...they are all structured to keep you and your imagination confined to one particular mindset. That which--in itself--tells you, "No! You can't step outside the box! That's a grave no-no, and will get you rejected faster than you can imagine! No--this is the safer path to success."

In essence, you are programmed to write accordingly and you cannot deviate from that said method. So all of what you will ever write will sadly reflect that level of thinking.

Nice, eh?

So what's left?

What's left is this: In order to be successful in writing, you have to let yourself go. You have to forget everything that was taught to you from the beginning, and embark on new and more wonderous journies which doesn't involve fame, fortune, and all that cozy shit.

You have to understand...writing is so much more than just being able to write and call yourself a writer. You have to know what writing is. It isn't just a collection of words penned on a piece of paper, typed on a screen for you or anyone else to see.

It is a state of consciousness which exists for you and you only, and all you have to do is go out there and find it. But it can't be done in a classroom, or at some posh convention--listening to some stuffed shirt's version of a successful writing career--and hoping you follow in their engravened footsteps.

Because in retrospect, they know less than you do, because they've gone through all the motions set in play by someone else decades before them. (It's like that Pete and Repeat joke all over again...)

But if you can break away from the fold, go off on your own little journey of self-discovery and find out what it means to be a writer, and to write some really awe-inspiring work...?

Then you've become a success. You've found what it takes to be a writer and an author.

And it wasn't through a class, a convention, a $3 writer's course found on the internet.

It's your imagination. And if you use it more often than naught--then you're already on your way to unlocking your potential.

And through that lies your path to overall success. But you can only take it if you don't fear the unknown.