The Daily Journal, Wednesday, August 21

In today’s Journal

* Not sure
* Tooting my own horn
* Topic: Helping Reedsy Out
* Daily diary
* Of Interest
* The numbers

Not sure what today will hold. Tomorrow (Thursday) I’ll be in Tucson all day for various medical appointments. Just stuff I have to check out. No biggie.

Yesterday, I mentioned a new cover and then forgot to insert it into the post. That’s it on the right.

I’ve gotten into the habit of publishing the Journal early. So I don’t forget to post the cover again, I’m going to publish early again today.

I also hope to write fiction today. I’ll add the new fiction numbers in tomorrow.

Tooting my own horn a bit, but more about why I write description the way I do.

This morning I received an email from a reader:

“Wow… I really enjoyed Confessions of a Professional Psychopath. What a fantastic job you did weaving that child’s story. I knew exactly when and how the rubber band that sent him on his trajectory snapped. The father…. I could smell that guy…

“I’ve since found and charged my Nook, then loaded it with The Odd Task and Blackwell Ops/Task. It really is a tapestry, one that in this world is hardly considered beyond the fallout media headlines. “Man Found in Rio Grande: Possible Homicide,” spurs little more contemplation than the new menu at El Patio. Winding back time there was at some point two children who were on very different paths for very solid reasons.

“Thank you for the enjoyable journey!”

That’s why I write description the way I do, invoking all five senses from the POV character: To bring the reader into the scene, into the story. (grin)

As to marketing, I wrote in partial response, that Charlie Task “keeps popping up in my books. He’s in two Blackwell Ops books now (2 and 6) also appears briefly in my magic realism short story collection Stories from the Cantina, though in that one he shows only his milder, kinder side.” Then I attached a free copy of the collection as a way of saying thank you.

Topic: Helping Reedsy Out

In today’s “Of Interest” I link to a Reedsy post that contains an infographic. I was annoyed that whoever compiled the meme didn’t include indie (or self) publishing.

For anyone who’s still confused, vanity publishing is NOT the same as self (indie) publishing. Here are the items I would add to a third column in their meme:

VS. Indie Publishing

Advance = None.

Editorial = Writer’s (indie publisher’s) choice. Wise writers use a first-reader and (if needed) a paid copyeditor.

Design = The writer (indie publisher) controls the cover design and interior design of the ebook and paper book. He creates the design or hires someone, but retains control over the appearance of the finished product.

Release = The writer (indie publisher) distributes to over 400 stores and 1200 libraries worldwide, chooses whether to produce a trade paperback and how to distribute it.

Pricing = The writer (indie publisher) sets the price, period, and can change it as new information comes in. Complete autonomy.

Marketing & Publicity = The writer (indie publisher) does all the marketing and publicity. (And here the infographic is wrong. Even in traditional publishing, unless you’re a midlist author or higher, tradpubs won’t spend a dime on any marketing and publicity, launch or otherwise.)

Royalties = The writer (indie publisher) retains 100% of net royalties PLUS all rights for the life of the copyright. (I noticed on the infographic they didn’t mention tradpubs take all rights for the life of the copyright in exchange for whatever they offer the writer.)

Finally, a quote from the Reedsy article: “But with the traditional business model, publishers are incentivized to release quality books and foster long, healthy relationships with authors.”

Wrong. For one thing, traditional publishers take ALL RIGHTS for the life of your copyright in exchange for whatever they offer the author.

For another, once they own that intellectual property (IP) it becomes a valuable asset on their spreadsheet.

The IP valuation (how much the IP could POTENTIALLY earn during the life of the author plus 70 years) can be in the millions of dollars, enhancing the value of the tradpub company by that much.

And understand, that’s simply by virtue of them owning that IP. They don’t even have to publish the book. After all, they own it.

Think, folks. Be smart. Avoid traditional publishing. Avoid vanity publishing scams. Go indie.
***

Rolled out a little after 4 again. I think I’m working into a more traditional set of hours. I might shift back. At the moment I’m kind of “living into the dark,” letting things unfold as they will.

Talk with you again tomorrow.

Of Interest

To complement my last two topics, see “Evolution of a Cover: ISABELLA MOON” at https://killzoneblog.com/2019/08/evolution-of-a-cover-isabella-moon.html.

See “Polish or Publish” at http://prowriterswriting.com/polish-or-publish/.

Because it contains SOME good information, see “Authors Beware: Scams and Publishing Companies to Avoid” at https://blog.reedsy.com/scams-and-publishing-companies-to-avoid/.

See “The Myth Lecture Bundles” at https://www.deanwesleysmith.com/the-myth-lecture-bundles/.

Fiction Words: XXXX
Nonfiction Words: 860 (Journal)
Total words for the day: 860

Writing of Blackwell Ops 7: Glen Marco (novel)

Day 1…… 3222 words. Total words to date…… 3222
Day 2…… 1170 words. Total words to date…… 4392
Day 3…… 3191 words. Total words to date…… 7583
Day 4…… 1374 words. Total words to date…… 8957
Day 5…… 1952 words. Total words to date…… 10909
Day 6…… 1021 words. Total words to date…… 11930
Day 7…… XXXX words. Total words to date…… XXXXX

Total fiction words for the month……… 11930
Total fiction words for the year………… 370667
Total nonfiction words for the month… 21670
Total nonfiction words for the year…… 239740
Total words for the year (fiction and this blog)…… 610407

Calendar Year 2019 Novels to Date…………………… 7
Calendar Year 2019 Novellas to Date……………… 1
Calendar Year 2019 Short Stories to Date… 2
Novels (since Oct 19, 2014)…………………………………… 43
Novellas (since Nov 1, 2015)………………………………… 8
Short stories (since Apr 15, 2014)………………… 195
Short story collections……………………………………………… 31