Thursday, July 14, 2011
Wait for It…
Chance sat, staring up at the sails. She’d turn her head and study the clouds, then the waves, then back to the sails. She was waiting. A storm was coming, she could feel it in her bones. But would it be a gentle storm, just enough to send the Revenge on a sweet ride? Or would it be a hard storm, challenge them all to keep the sails taut, make the blood rush to the head, contain a frisson of fear…
Sin eyed her with some worry. She’d been a moody bartender of late.
Hellion kept her hands on the wheel, wondering what made the normally congenial woman so fidgety.
The Bo’sun marched to her, determined to use some common sense arguments to shake her out of the mood.
But Chance knew, in her bones, that things were set to change. And she wasn’t sure if she liked it the idea or not.
Change. Life is all about change and lord knows, we write about it constantly. It’s the one constant the writer lives by. Be a very boring book to just write one day followed the other and nothing happened.
(I’ve read books like that. One even won a bunch of awards. Color me perplexed!)
I like to talk about change as a great thing. But the reality is that I find it terribly intimidating, in the short run. I can focus beyond tomorrow and long for change. For some shaking up of my life, but upset my day to day stuff and I get cranky.
And I do wait for change with some trepidation. Is it going to be a hard storm? Is it going to be a nice soft rain? Will the next port be pleasant, full of inexpensive drinks, stores that carry my size and flirtatious cabana boys? Or will it be sorority sisters, Diamonds International and $12 glasses of sangria?In real life, it’s usually a mix of the two. And change is coming, whether we want it or not. It can be the new edits (I’m going crazy waiting for new edits) or it can be they funny noise the car is making, or the budget ax, or the massive shift taking place in publishing right now… (This is driving me a bit bonkers. Chatted with my agent earlier this week and the e-publishing world is in such a flux! Hard to set goals for the next few months, let alone next year!)
I don’t know what I’m sensing at present, but my eyes are on the sails and I’m paying attention to the air on the back of my neck.
I’d an exciting time, it’s a frightening time, it’s a time to feel alive and be aware. I mean, what if you woke up and two odd things were sharing the bed with you?
You'll see what I mean if you follow this link...
As for a question of the day? What changes excite you when it comes to being published? Or reading?
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22 comments:
There really is a cute video under that link. Just close the advert and look for the kitten and the two apples!
There's a link somewhere?
Morning ladies!
As to change.... I think it's inevitable for people to change and grow. I think humans get bored of the status quo, even if that status quo is "good."
What's up with epublishing right now? I get the feeling epubs are trying to establish a "norm" and haven't yet.
What excites me about publishing? I think just thinking about others enjoying my characters makes me happy.
OMG! That is SO cute. The music makes it hysterical. (Click on the actual word "link", Marn. Took me a second too.)
Everything is changing! I'm very similar to how you describe yourself, Chance. I long for change. Must have it. (Which is why I haven't lived in the same home for more than 3 yrs since graduating HS. Which was a loooooooooong time ago.) But I'm also a creature of routine. My day to day is pretty much set and I don't like that shaken up too much.
I'm not even trying to lock down any specific rules beyond get published. HOW that will happen, who the hell knows. I'm still holding out for a traditional deal of some kind, but I'm also very interested in the (positive IMO) changes happening in digital publishing.
Right now, as they keep saying in Washington, everything is on the table.
;)
Now I must be off! Kittehs are going to the vet, then me to the eye doc and then it's off to HP 7.2! I can't wait!!!
See the changes? Bo'sun is the one who's gushing about running off to HP 7.2 on release day. Who would have ever seen that one coming?
I always say I'm not a fan of change, but it seems like things are always changing around me, so I guess it keeps me from being too restless. LOL
Are epubs having a hard time competing with all the self-pubs? As well as the traditional publishers who are trying to get into the game?
I like that there are lots of options in publishing. However, sometimes it can be nervewracking when there are SO many things to keep track of, and choose from. Basically, I'm with Marn -- I just want everyone to enjoy my characters and my stories, however that happens. :)
Yeah, Marn...the word link is a link...it isn't really apparent, the new ship doesn't have it highlight as obviously...
And you're right, Marn...once you're being read, it is exciting to have others read your characters and get them...
The changes are constant with e-pubs because there is no norm and with the speed of the technology, there is no time to rest on your laurels and lay back. One must always keep your eyes on the sails...
I agree that people need change, but conversely, they also long for routine!
Enjoy the wizards, Bo'sun!
E-pubs are changing for the positive, quality is up, covers are looking better, distribution is easier...price is the question and how the old guard will roll and contract negotiation and... The nuts and bolts of any new business trying to gain a toehold... Really, e-pubbing is new, all of it. Even the established are trying to figure it out since Amazon stepped into the fray!
Donna, far as I know the self-pub stuff isn't even the issue right now. It's the how to figure out the Amazon/kindle pricing structure mainly... Defining the idea of a 'best seller' is growing nebulous since some books are 99 cents and some are 9.99...since best seller is units sold, not money made...the idea of having a best seller is open to interpretation, for example...
I must admit, there is nothing cooler than a fan letter with someone who liked your characters and story...got one last week that really tickled me pink!
Congrats on the fan letter. That must have been fun!
I thought "bestseller" was always based on units sold, even in hardbacks and paperbacks. Look at how many popular books are sold at a reduced pre-order price -- clearly it's meant to get the book onto a bestseller list. :)
I think we're still in for a lot of changes in the publishing industry. Look at poor Borders. :( We've got to stay flexible and adaptable.
Yeah, I think you're right about how bestsellers have always been calculated...but I think it gets dicey with the pricing on e-books. All definitions are in fluncuation at present, part of the shifting sands of the publishing industry.
Okay, vet visit done. Only one cat went. I didn't feel like chasing the other one. And the one that did go, tried to bite the doc. Lovely. Getting ready for eye appt. but all I want is a nap.
Marn, Hellie went to the midnite showing and has already sent me raving (though thankfully vague) emails. I think I might be on the road to official Potterhead status. LOL!
I don't think it's *how* the Bestseller lists are determined, but rather that a book reaching Bestseller level implies quality. When books selling for $.99 hit the Bestseller lists, I believe a large number of those sales had to be spontaneous purchases made by readers who didn't feel they had much to lose if the book isn't good. That takes away the idea that a book is selling because of what it contains instead of how much is costs.
Maybe it shouldn't matter why a reader made the purchase, but having "Bestselling author" on a cover has meant added value in the past. Doesn't add much value for me if I know a book made the list simply from being cheaper than the rest.
All just my opinion and observation, of course.
That's the cruz of the issue, Bo'sun. Of what value is something that has almost reached the point of being devalued? It's like how people will buy a book by the testimonies, but how many of those testimonials from authors came from actually reading the entire book?
I fear in the hurry, we are reaching a point of uncertainty of what the old definitions meant.
Well, if he only tried to bite the vet, at least he didn't actually bite the vet!
Looking forward to hearing more of how the movie was!
We may change our minds about how "best-selling" is defined when it's OUR books that are labeled that way. LOL
All of the terms are changing, I think. Look at how the term "published" has changed. It didn't used to include self-pubbed books, or e-books. At one point, many years ago, mass market paperbacks were looked down upon, because hardbacks were the only "real" books. Things are always changing. :)
Terri, are you sure the 1st cat won't tell the 2nd cat all the inside scoop? If so, you'll never get him there. LOL
I think (but am not sure!) that Amazon UK records number sold in the last week or so and uses that to list best sellers. This means that few if any of my favourite authors reach the lists. Thats OK as long as we know what is being displayed!
A more informative list might use total sales as the measure of popularity. An all time top 100 from some given start time.
Even better if one could specify the time perion over which popularity is measured. This would allow readers to filter the cream of publications.
Hope you enjoy HP Bosun. I think you would look great riding a fire bolt! :lol:
Hey, Q! Long time no see! I know, we're not daily anymore and that makes it difficult.
I think my disatisfaction stem from the value of nearly giving away a book verses when bestseller lists were put together via type of book... Hardback bestseller lists were separate from paper, even from mass market. Nowadays, with the e-world...there seems to be no seperation and it's easier to hit that bestseller status with a 99 cent book...
But that is only one shift in awareness that I think is happening with the world of publishing. There is a lot of fast explorations of alternate genres...and it can be done with less expense to...well, through the spaghetti at the wall and see what sticks.
It's an exciting time to part of it all...but also messy.
I'm not a fan of change because in my house growing up, that usually meant Death. Someone was always dying. So I've never been a big fan, you could say.
But getting my own apartment was change; as was going to college--and I enjoyed those. :)
LOVED Harry Potter 7.2. This story is just...epic. Awesome. Even Stephen King adores JK Rowling.
Let me clarify, pricing a book at $.99 isn't necessarily devalueing that book. If you look at the business side (which being a Business major I can't NOT do) it's good business to sell the most books you can, no matter how you convince the readers to do that. Don't think I wouldn't take advantage of that given the opportunity.
I'm talking about the "added worth" given to a book when it hits certain bestseller lists. To pick up on something Q said, I'm not sure HOW they decide what makes the list has ever been completely clarified. Would I like to be on it? You betcha, however they figure it. But I'm less prone to give kudos to a book now if I believe it made the list because of its price and not the story inside.
Think of it this way. To say you've run a marathon is a pretty huge accomplishment. Now say they shortened the standard marathon to half what it is now. Are you going to feel like the future winners earned the same kudos that you did when they only did half the work?
Just feels like the bar has been significantly lowered and quality of content isn't the measure any more. But as I said, if I ever make that list, I'm using the "Bestselling Author" title regardless. LOL!
Yeah, devalue may not be the right word... I'm just not sure the same weight of satisfied reader/purchaser should be seen as the same if the price discrepancies are so vast... Though I know that satisfaction isn't the right word either....
I'm floundering for the right words today!
Sorry to be away. I've been in a digital nightmare. Two computers crashed with loss of data. Now my new Sony laptop is playing up. Blue tooth mouse froze, then using the pad mouse I somehow flipped the screen display and can't get it back to normal. Damn computers!
Writing this with Mrs Q's machine ... she's away for a few days.
When the cat's away the mice will play *grin*
I agree that a price weighting of some sort should be included.
I really think that with current technology the user should be given a choice of parameters in the Amazon search engines. So a price range, a time range and perhaps other ranges could be used to select the list of most interest.
What's funny, Q? One can be a bestseller on Amazon for an hour...with computers able to figure it all in one could probably be a bestseller for a given minute!
Sorry about the computer problems...such evil machines...
Glad you enjoyed the movie, Hellion. I promise, sometime this year, I will watch all the movies...
The movie is AWESOME!! Bloody Brilliant. I need to watch the first half again, then hit this one in the theater for a second time. They packed so much into less than 2 1/2 hours!
Sorry for all the computer woes, Q. That does sound like a cluster.
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