All things related to being an author, writing, reading, and the publishing world…
I find “truisms” like this very interesting in terms of human nature (and as a writer of course…characters who do and who don’t follow this precept are fascinating to write). And I am aware enough of my own tendencies to know where I fall in my ability to follow it.
What is your interpretation of Dr. Angelou’s statement? Does anyone have any experience with doing (or not doing) this, good or bad? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments!
PSA: For the merry month of May, Moose Tracks on the Road to Heaven is going to be priced at 40% off its original price for Amazon’s Kindle and Barnes & Noble’s Nook. That means you can get it from either of those eBook sources for only $2.99 (which is a whopping 79% off its print price)!
Here are the links for Amazon or Nook
If you like a good book deal as much as I do, please feel free to share this info via re-blogging or anywhere else that strikes your fancy. 🙂
Happy shopping…and reading!
Get out and show the love at your local independent bookstore – often the only stores willing to offer for sale some of the so many wonderful novels not put out by the Big Five publishers. And it supports your local economy, too! 🙂
“Get it down. Take chances. It may be bad, but it’s the only way you can do anything really good.”
– William Faulkner
Writers, painters, poets, musicians and all others who create something from nothing…do you enjoy the rough draft process, or do you like more the process of editing, once all the raw material has been pulled out of you?
Love simple but profound statements like this.
What do you think (about this statement…or if it brings to mind other simple but thought-provoking statements that are favorites of yours?) – please share in the comments! 🙂
Love this! 🙂
This really resonates with me. I’ve run into people who exemplify this in a good way and other who do not.
Sadly, in the writing business, it seems to lean toward the negative. I saw it occasionally when I was traditionally published, but I realize now that my Big Five publisher served as a kind of buffer; once I took a step out on my own into self-publishing (partly by necessity, partly by choice), that little cushion of professional courtesy vanished.
Lately I have run into some who are in the camp of “having everything” figuratively (whether fellow authors, publishers, reviewers, book sellers, and larger review sites etc) who often do not handle themselves well in this regard. I’ve noticed it in the past few months when I’ve reached out with a request or a submission of my newest book for possible review.
I’m not talking about the need for time-intensive interaction, but rather just simple gestures such as a 30 second email acknowledging a query or receipt of the $14 autographed book with professional cover letter I mailed to those with open submission policies (I did my research!) – even if the answer is a “no thank you”. A polite reply declining what I’ve queried about is far preferable than resounding silence that drags on, leaving me wondering what, if anything, will happen.
I continue to remain very patient in my relative obscurity…however, I hope I will handle myself better when (not if…when) I attain a level of greater notoriety.
Fortunately, I have encountered several authors, bloggers, and reviewers who have been courteous and gracious, whether or not they felt willing or able to meet any request I made. Those few will serve as my own role models in the future.
Professional courtesy seems to be going out of style. Life is indeed busy and packed full for most of us, but to me, good manners, even in a professional sense, are the lubrication that makes the grinding gears of life grind us down far less.
What do you think about this? Does anyone here have similar experiences (or a different take on the matter)?
First Moose Tracks book signing, 2/21/15, with a few of my older titles off to the side
One of the perks of being a published author – for me at least – has always been book signings.
I know it’s kind of a dying form; large, multi-author signings are still popular at annual writing/readers conferences and the like, but there are less and less bookstores to host individual signings. Also, I know many authors who dislike them (and I must admit I’ve had a few “interesting” experiences as well – I remember one notable occasion at a Barnes & Noble many years ago, where the only person to stop at the table and chat was someone who wanted directions to the rest room!) 🙂
But I generally enjoy them because it gives me a chance to meet people and talk about books – and not always my books, either, but books in general. Sometimes people who stop by want to know about writing itself, or how to do it, or they want tips for how to get published. I try my best to address all questions and inquiries to the best of my ability – and I’ve met some really interesting people along the way.
Because Moose Tracks isn’t put out by a traditional publisher, the opportunities for book signings this time around will likely be limited. Chain bookstores won’t carry print copies of it, and only independent book stores who have a reason to carry it would likely go through the process to order (if they have an account with Baker and Taylor, I understand they can get copies through the print publisher, Create Space).
I was happy to have a signing last weekend, therefore, in nearby bookstore: a great little shop called Mysteries on Main Street. It was a lot of fun and I met some new readers, in addition to getting to chat and visit with some I already knew. A photographer from the local paper even stopped by and snapped a few pics.
Signing a book for a friend who stopped by while the news photographer sets up shot
I think if I hadn’t been an English teacher and writer, I would have/should have been a bookstore owner, employee, or a librarian. I love books! I love being around them. And the two hours I spent at this signing flew by, not only because of the activity of people coming in to buy and have me sign a book, but also because the atmosphere of the bookstore just soothes and delights me.
If you’re an author, how do you feel about book signings? If you’re a reader, have you ever been to one – or would you ever attend one? Why or why not?
Although my re-published historical romance novels Secret Vows and The Templar’s Seduction have made sales lists recently at amazon.com US (in the “Medieval” or “Scottish” categories), my newest release, the Women’s Fiction novel Moose Tracks on the Road to Heaven, has not done so in the US as of yet. But as of this morning, the same can’t be said of amazon.com Australia, LOL!
Moose Tracks listing in Australia!
Take a look at this screen shot from this morning.
Pretty cool.
Who would have thought? I’ve been international with many of my historical romances for quite a few years (they’ve been published – with really neat and very different covers – in Spanish, Russian, Portuguese, German, French, Slovakian, Dutch, etc.), as you can see here.
But making an international sales list is a first for Moose Tracks. Many thanks to readers in Australia for this happy little perk to my day! 🙂
It seems there’s been a slight price drop over at amazon for the kindle edition of Moose Tracks on the Road to Heaven! It’s not a huge drop, but, hey, as a reader, I always go by the mantra that every little bit counts, especially for a long book (104,000 words or 347 print pages) like this one.
When you consider that HarperCollins/Avon used to sell my little mass market-sized paperbacks for $5.99 more than a decade ago – and they’re still selling the titles they maintain rights over for that price, with the kindle editions at $5.69 – this is a veritable bargain by comparison. 🙂
PS: if you want to go right to the book at amazon to read more about it/get the deal, then click on the cover or the title link above. Or follow this link to get the same info/back cover blurb/excerpt right here on my website-blog.
And that concludes my PSA for the weekend!
M. Reed McCall, Author 