Quick Question

I’ll throw this out for all of you to give me your opinion.

My AWESOME agent got in touch with me a couple days ago and asked if I would be interested in doing another book. I told him I’d think about it, because I’ve done two books on this HTML5/CSS3 stuff. This book is more about web design; I’m not really familiar with modern (or even archaic) web design at all. But it’s a refresh of a book written in 2009, and I’m torn on whether to take it or not.

If I take it, it has the upside of being a paid gig. It could also put me back on the publisher’s radar screen for more work next year. On the downside, I really don’t have a lot of spare time as it is, especially weeknights, and trying to write a book’s not that simple. Plus, there’s the unreasonable deadline and the fact that they pay sllllloooooooowwww.

What do you all think? Should I take it and give up on my WIP? Should I pass on it and ask for other chances next year? I really have no idea what to do. And my wife is pretty ambivalent about it.

Sound off as soon as you can, y’all.

-JDT-

Rant Warning

I’m about to rant about publishing. Don’t like it? Get off my lawn. Now.

Still here? Great, let’s go.

Elisa Michelle posted a link to an interesting article about indie publishing versus gatekeeper publishing. But the article writer wasn’t taking a stand for or against a side. He was crying about how tired everyone is of hearing this one’s better, that one’s the only way, the other one’s the shiny. You’ve heard the arguments, haven’t you? Heck, I’ve made some of them here.

The article writer, essentially, isn’t taking a stand. He states he’s tired of the “debate” – and then posits the idea there isn’t a debate. He lumps the whole “plotters versus pantsers” arguments in there – making it a whole thing about “writing”, don’tcha know – but in fact, he’s really tired of indie publishing apologists.

See, there aren’t any real apologists out there for the gatekeepers anymore. For the longest time – seven decades, more or less – they were the only game in town. They didn’t need apologists. You want to be published? You go through them. Full stop.

Now? Now there’s choice. And not the crappy, poorly formatted, lousy product choice which used to be “self-publishing”, either. Now you have real choice.

 

Stuck in my Craw

Do you know what a craw is? I didn’t. Not at first, anyway.

If you don’t know, but I used the expression “stuck in my crop” instead of “craw”, would you know then?

A craw is a small, pouch-like organ resembling a stomach which birds use to help them mash up their food. It’s also called a “crop” – a term I’ve heard before. But I never exactly knew what “craw” meant. Always felt like throat or gut, though, didn’t it?

So now you know what having something stuck in your craw is all about. And I have to tell you, this criminal activity by a gatekeeper is just more proof of how little you can trust that industry, that set of individuals. Someone who calls them “professionals” really needs to reconsider what the word “professional” means and how it’s being applied. Are they “industry pros”? I don’t agree.

And let this be a lesson to any and all who think traditional publishing in NY might be crappy but small presses are still important and valuable. Bullocks. Full stop. Bullsh!t. We, writers, don’t need them. Readers don’t need them. And if they’re not needed, if they aren’t providing something useful worth paying for, why are they “professionals”?

They’re not. Check that story – that should tell you all there is to know about small press publishers. Let them die like the other dinosaurs.

The quicker the better, I say.

Good riddance.

-JDT-

Can’t We All Just Get Along?

Oh, the irony!

The new meme being trotted out by gatekeepers in the publishing industry, and their desperate, disgusting sycophantic supporters, is the “Why do self-publishing supporters have to be so mean? Why all the attitude? Can’t we all just join hands, sing ‘Kumbaya’, and get along?” meme.

Meanwhile, the traditional publishing industry continues to try and frighten writers into believing the gatekeepers are still relevant, important, necessary, and that the jury’s still out — and will be for some time — on whether self-publishing and ebook sales numbers are realistic and actual, something we can count on. (Yes, I have examples — one in particular — I could link to. But I’m not going to give them the traffic.) In short, gatekeepers are giving crappy advice to writers, still.

Publishing Industry Drain-Circling

The more I hear from the publishing industry and how incredibly asinine they are, the more I’m glad they’re circling the drain.

I read an agent blog this morning wherein two of them had the audacity to defend the “no response means no” policy. They “don’t have time” to send out rejection letters anymore. They’d like writers to believe there’s soooo much going into them now there’s simply no time to spare for the courtesy of a rejection letter *throwwristonforeheadandswoon*.

Now — before I start to RANT here, I want you to click away if you’re solidly convinced in your determination to publish through the gatekeeper system. Click away now, because I don’t have kind things to say about those writers and their way of thinking. I see it everywhere I go on the Internet, so if you’re easily offended and want to believe in that way of being published, get off my lawn. NOW.

Still here? Good, let’s continue.