writing Sue Campbell on 30 Jun 2009
Apparently I haven’t much to say right now. I am freakishly busy on the design side right now, and the writing is taking such a back seat that the caboose has decoupled from the train. I’ll get back to it, and this here blog, but in the meantime … talk amongest yourselves.
author and books and covers and design and marketing and publishing and websites of note Sue Campbell on 15 Jun 2009
A couple of weeks back wrote about a new online promotion resource for authors called Filedby.com. At the time they advertised that they would allow “contributors” to also create a page to showcase their works. I created a page for myself, but found I could not add the books on which I had contributed design because they didn’t included designers as contributors. I wrote to the company. The customer service rep who wrote back said the sites were for “writers and authors”. To me, this leaves out a whole lot of other professional contributors without whom the book as we know it simply wouldn’t exist. Editors, illustrators (though if they are listed in the ISBN registration they may also claim the book), publishers, agents, and designers. I suppose it’s a case of “where do you draw the line”? Do you included the publishing assistant? The printer? The binder? While these contributors are often credited or acknowledged inside the books themselves, their names do not get listed with the authors and publishers on the ISBN registration, nor should they. But their contributions are vital.
To Filedby.com’s credit the CSR did answer and then forward my response (paraphrased above) to Peter Clifton, CEO of Filedby. And to his credit he did answer with his explanation. Essentially the reason they don’t extend the service to designers and the like, is that they populate their listings with automatic data from Bowker (the entity that issues ISBNs). Since book designers like me are NOT listed on ISBNs they would need some verification of my claim to be a contributor, and then they would have to hand edit each entry to connect it up to the database.
Mr. Clifton offered that they might be able to accommodate designers and other contributors this way: if they would purchase a Premium or Ultra Premium upgrade ($99 to $399 per year). Since Filedby doesn’t yet have a history of verified high traffic I can’t yet say this would be worth the money in terms of generating interest or revenue in new work. So I will decline at this point.
That doesn’t mean that the site isn’t still an avenue that authors and writers should take advantage of. By the way “writers” are described by Clifton as:
… we do differentiation between writers and authors. True an author is a writer — however our site started out for published authors/co-authors with an active ISBN in the US or Canada. We recently added functionality that enables first time writers with an ISBN to join the site at a paid level to pre-promote their work with pre-publication sites. Once their book is published we consider them an author.
My expectation is that this includes self-published authors. So if you are self-published and your book is officially out for release, go there and get your page. (You must have an ISBN.) If you are in pre-publication, pre-release or in ARC/Galleys you could do it now for a fee if you feel that the exposure will help you, but I would want some traffic numbers up front from them before shelling out for a page.
And the rest of us will just muddle through in obscurity.
new work and writing Sue Campbell on 12 Jun 2009
I’m back! I made it to 26,483 words. But if Steven King is to be believed, 10% of them will have to go. On rereading some of the new stuff, I already see places where I need to rewrite — do much more showing, and much less telling. I keep reminding myself that it is a first draft, and it will go through at least one or two more and then get read by some writers before it goes to an editor.
However, I am moving forward and trying to exercise the self-control not to go back and rewrite just yet.
writing Sue Campbell on 09 Jun 2009
Today I am 433 words into my third 3,000 word chunk. Though I got a slow start I’m pleased with how it’s going. I hope I can keep up the pace, with adding at least another 1,000 words a day until the first draft is done. I have just under 24,000 now and I had planned for about 55,000 for a young adult story. But I think a more realistic total is around 70,000 or so. I just won’t know until I get there.
I have one more day here, and I fully expect to make it to 12,000 added words. My goal was 15,000, it’s close, and heck I have a two hour flight to go also!
writing Sue Campbell on 08 Jun 2009
Some progress anyhow. I’ve mostly finished the plot. And I’ve added about 3500 words. Mostly good words too. I hope! So it goes. More work to do.
writing Sue Campbell on 07 Jun 2009
My daughter left me this motivator on my desktop this morning. She’s so funny. Off to the airport to send her home and back here to write my tush off. Click on the thumbnail to read her message.
By the way the software you’re looking at here is called Scrivener (for Mac only, sorry). It is a writing software package that keeps everything together in an organized fashion. It works like any word processor, but simplified, plus so much more. The folders and files at left are for my chapters, scenes, plus there’s space for your story bible, character sketches, and research. On the right is an index card with a brief description of the scene, and below that are labels for status, document notes and live links to urls for research. There’s a corkboard view for the stacks of cards so you can get a quick overview of the whole project. It has short story, novel/book, and screenwriting capabilities. Exports to whatever format your publisher requires and the goal/statistics window you see above. Which is telling me to get my ass in gear! I love it. Check it out. (only $40 too.)
inspiring and writing Sue Campbell on 05 Jun 2009
My (lack of) writing progress. Well… the first full day of my writing retreat was pretty much a bust. There was a houseful of people and that wasn’t planned. The air conditioning broke down, and a new one was installed, which took all day. (It’s Las Vegas. AC is not optional.) And the cleaning crew came, and took their time! Plus my oldest daughter is here visiting for a few days. That was planned, and I knew I wouldn’t get much done while she was here. But we did sit for a while and discuss the plot. She read what I have so far. She’s doing some co-writing on a couple of movie scripts with a friend—heck, everybody in L.A. has a script.
Then we went to see the Cirque du Soleil show Kà. Wowee Kà Zowee! It was AWESOME! Way, way beyond what I expected. If you ever get the chance, save up for tickets (cuz they’re pricey) and see one of the Cirque shows, and that one was fantastic.
Tomorrow, I have some serious writing to do!
poetry and publishing and writing Sue Campbell on 03 Jun 2009
I literally just got the acceptance email. OK, for no money, but still. I had my poem “Clean Sweep” selected to run in the November issue of The Shine Journal! Oh wait, it says $5. Not only am I published, but I’m getting paid! 
Woot! That’s a good way to start my writing vacation. Thanks Pamela (editor of The Shine Journal).
dreaming and writing Sue Campbell on 03 Jun 2009
This may be crazy, but I’m doing it anyway. Some of my friends know that I’ve been working on a young adult novel—off and on—but more off than on. Unfortunately. So, I am taking a week off from my designing duties to just write. A novel in a week? (Nanowriweek.) Well, no. I’m not that crazy.
I just need a kick in the pants to get back on this and make some headway. So I’m taking a page from my dear author friend Betty Auchard who told me her best writing experience was holing up in a hotel for two weeks and just writing like a maniac. Hotel rooms depress me however, and I don’t have that kind of scratch. Luckily, I have the bestest sister in the world who is letting me use her house in Las Vegas as my writing haven. United Airlines owed me a ticket, so I’m off!
Continue Reading »
bookcover and bookcovers and case studies and covers and design and new work and publishing Sue Campbell on 03 Jun 2009
Number 2! The author and I had chosen number 2 before our little poll went up. (Not that my choice has anything to do with it!) It’s great to see that the vast majority of the commentors agreed with us. I’m quite happy with this sunny, funny, and cute cover. And Judy is excited too. So McDuff is off to press in ARC form.
What’s an ARC you ask? ARC stands for Advance Reading Copy, or Advance Review Copy, they are sometimes referred to as galleys. This is a printed and bound version of a new book, printed in small numbers, and sent off to reviewers and advance readers prior to the official book release. This is done to get reviews, bookstore orders, and establish a “buzz” about the upcoming title. Self-publishers don’t often do this, but it’s a great idea as a self publishing author needs to get the word out about their book themselves. Judy is a smart cookie!