The Journal: Yesterday and Ghosting and Veterans’ Day

In today’s Journal

* Quote of the Day
* Yesterday
* Ghosting
* My son and grandson
* Today
* Of Interest
* The Numbers

Quote of the Day

“Exactly like riding a rollercoaster… That’s writing a novel into the dark. Buckle in and believe you will end back up in the station, breathing hard and laughing.” Dean Wesley Smith

Exactly. And this is why I cringe when I hear a writer talk about how “hard” it is to write a short story or novel.
***

Yesterday I spent a few hours rearranging my author website at HarveyStanbrough.com to make it more user friendly. During that time I also revised my publisher website at StoneThreadPublishing.com.

I hope you’ll drop by and take a look, even if only to get some ideas for your own website(s).

Sometime in the next couple of months we’ll start a newsletter over at StoneThread Publishing to help with marketing.

I suppose I should start a newsletter on my author site too, but I’m not sure yet. I already share pretty much everything through this Journal, so….

I’ll have to think about it some more. If I have an author newsletter, I don’t want it and the publisher’s newsletter to mimic each other, and I don’t want it to mimic my blog.

If any of you have any thoughts on this, I’d appreciate hearing from you.

Ghosting

This was prompted by the last two items in today’s “Of Interest” section. I posted them more for fun than for any other reason, because I found the first one outrageously ironic and funny. I mean, a website devoted to advising writers? And it’s advising them on how to find someone to write for them? Isn’t that like advising them not to be writers? Or am I just going too Seinfeld?

That being said, I’m not a ghostwriter, though I have been. And for the right fee, I could be again. Yes, I can be bought. And I’m not as expensive as you might think.

Here’s the thing (well, a few things):

1. “Write” is an action verb. It follows that “writer” is one who actually writes. (“Author,” on the other hand, is one who is credited with having written. There’s a difference.)

2. It also follows that the primary requirement to be a ghostwriter is being a writer. Preferably a good one.

3. I am a writer, and a very good one. And I know it.

So if you have an idea for a story or novel and just don’t have time to write it or know you never will because you’re petrified with fear, I’m here.

Likewise, if you have an idea but believe you don’t have the practical knowledge or experience to write it (e.g., it’s a war novel but you’re a stay-at-home mom or a college professor), I’m here.

Whatever the case, send me your idea (fiction) and I’ll let you know my level of interest and what I can do with your idea.

If you like what I tell you, you and I will sign a contract, you’ll send me the first payment, and I’ll get started. (I don’t do royalty splits.)

And within a few days (short story) or a month or so (novel), you’ll be able to hold your idea in your hand with your name on the cover.

My fellow writer and friend Dan Baldwin and I have considered opening a storefront. We’d call it Novels While You Wait.

Just so you know, I’m not kidding. Probably. Depending on the money.

You have my email address.

My son and grandson are visiting today so I’ll post this early. I’ll try to report tomorrow on what I got accomplished today.

Either way, I’ll talk with you again soon.

I hope you have a safe and enjoyable (and thoughtful) Veterans’ Day weekend.

Of Interest

See “Have Fun!” at https://www.deanwesleysmith.com/have-fun/.

See “New Thrills” at https://killzoneblog.com/2019/11/new-thrills.html.

See “Writer or Storyteller?” at https://prowriterswriting.com/writer-or-storyteller/.

See “Upheavals” at https://www.thepassivevoice.com/upheavals/.

See “How AI is reshaping the publishing industry” at https://www.thepassivevoice.com/how-ai-is-reshaping-the-publishing-industry/.

With a nod to my buddy Dan Baldwin, see “How to Hire a Ghostwriter You Trust in 9 Super-Simple Steps” at https://blog.reedsy.com/choosing-ghostwriter-step-by-step/.

You might also want to look at “How Much Does a Ghostwriter Cost…” at https://blog.reedsy.com/hire-ghostwriter-andrew-crofts/.

The Numbers

Fiction words today…………………… 0
Nonfiction words today…………… 700 (Journal)

Total fiction words for the month……… 6481
Total fiction words for the year………… 391574
Total nonfiction words for the month… 7820
Total nonfiction words for the year…… 288000
Total words for the year (fiction and this blog)…… 680474

Calendar Year 2019 Novels to Date…………………… 7
Calendar Year 2019 Novellas to Date……………… 1
Calendar Year 2019 Short Stories to Date… 4
Novels (since Oct 19, 2014)…………………………………… 43
Novellas (since Nov 1, 2015)………………………………… 8
Short stories (since Apr 15, 2014)………………… 197
Short story collections……………………………………………… 31