Hometown Reads

Last time I visited my local Barnes and Noble bookstore I asked the manager why the store didn't feature a section comprised exclusively of local authors.  I got a flat three minutes of prevarication, culminating in the tired old cliché, "I'm sorry, but my hands are tied."  Feeling a bit discouraged, I declined an overpriced B&N latté in favor of a more stimulating beverage.  I went down the street to Bar 145 and got two fingers of good old thought provoker in front of me, water back.

It has always seemed to me that local authors would benefit from a web page.  Someplace on the net where we could rest assured that we're not alone, where our work could be advertised, and where the liberals could give the conservatives a bad case of the red ass, then the conservatives would retaliate with a few stinging remarks of their own, which would send the moonbats into orbit - so the place would need to be policed a bit.  Then the organizer would have to find all the authors in Toledo, then set up the web site... we're talking about a ton of work, which I am not up for.

Fortunately for me, and for the rest of us, someone else arrived at this conclusion as well, and is willing to put some work behind it.  Becky Robinson of Weaving Influence has launched a new site, Hometown Reads, which features authors from the Toledo metro area.  Authors get their own individual page with links to their own website, Facebook, and other social media sites.  Or, if you'd just like to see what local authors are publishing, that's available as well.

This service has been needed for a long time now, and I'm glad Becky and her team are running the ball in for a touchdown.  As for me, it's five o'clock somewhere, but I have to teach tonight.  Toledo Ballroom (2400 N. Reynolds Road, Toledo, OH) has a group class scheduled tonight at 7:00, and I'm teaching intermediate bronze level cha cha. Happy hour will have to wait.

Worthy Reads for 10/28/2015

I found 5 Observations on the Evolution of Author Business Models by Jane Friedman via Morning Coffee – 28 October 2015 by Nate Hoffelder, which is an enjoyable site in and of itself. The author, Jane Friedman, has just returned from an Novelists, Inc. (NINC) convention / conference.  I believe this event was specified as a conference, which is a convention without the booze and attendant moral indiscretions.

Get Paid

Back in the early '70s (that would be in the last century for all you digital natives) I read Winning Through Intimidation by Robert Ringer, the little tortoise who could. The only two words in his book that are underlined are: Get Paid. That phrase stuck with me for the rest of my life, but it took me a while to learn to put it into practice.

To this end, Larry Correia of Monster Hunter Nation has written several articles that are well worth reading. The series begins when some unknown contributor with nothing but time on his hands manages to ruffle Larry's feathers. Here's the link to this story, which should be read at your own risk: File 770 Is Mad At Me Again. Larry goes on to explain exactly how authors get paid (or not, as the case may be) in How Authors Get Paid, Part 1 and How Authors Get Paid, Part 2. All of these articles are easy reads and well worth your time.

The part that Larry doesn't cover is that, unlike the rest of the world, the typical author isn't fighting with an employer or a client about a contract, a bounced check or the real meaning of net-30. The typical author is battling obscurity, and in order to Get Paid you must first beat obscurity three falls out of three.

Business Cards

I asked Tina Bongorno, the beautiful and talented lady who created the cover art for both my books, to design a business card for me.  Here's the best of four final results.

What impressed me the most is that the staff at the print shop remembered the logo.  Not me, of course - the logo.

"Oh yeah, you're the one with the feather and the ink well.  Nice card."

Well, there you have it.  At least an impression was made, which is worlds better than complete obscurity.  My thanks to Tina for the excellent job she did on the card.