Publetariat

This post, by David N. Alderman, originally appeared on Self-Publishing Review on 5/10/11.

“The road to success is dotted with many tempting parking places.” – Author Unknown

Being my own boss, I fall victim to many different things. It’s easy to procrastinate – to put things off that don’t need to be done right away. Sometimes, this causes me to put things off indefinitely. It’s never my intention to do that, it just…well…happens. I also tend to hyper focus on one thing and neglect the others. For example, I’ll get so focused on writing, that I’ll completely ignore my marketing efforts for that day, or vice versa.

I’m not a lazy person by nature. If anything, I am known as a workaholic and I tend to push my own limits sometimes when I try to get projects done in a timely manner. But lately I’ve just been under a spell, not really caring if anything gets done and just feeling fatigued and worn out for who knows what reasons. I think it may just be lack of structure that’s bringing all these things to my daily routine.

See, being a self-published, full-time writer is hard. I know some people think I’m living the dream by making my own hours and getting to do what I love – which is to write – full time. But there’s so much more to this profession than just writing. There’s marketing, there’s cover design, there’s marketing, there’s blogging, there’s marketing, there’s social networking, there’s…you get the point. Add in the fact that this can be a very lonely job, and you have the makings of a challenging career.

I’m sure many other writers, both who are doing this full time and who are doing it aside from a typical 9-5, experience some of these same issues I have been plagued with. And since this is my career, and not just my hobby, I’ve been forced to create a set of remedies to try and counteract some of these vices. I figured I’d share them with my fellow writers who are struggling to stay focused on their daily tasks, and hopefully help them accomplish their short term and long term goals.
 

Read the rest of the post on Self-Publishing Review.

This post, by Chris Hobson, originally appeared on his blog on 5/9/11.

I was thinking about something over the weekend. Maybe this is obvious to everyone, maybe it’s not, but the more I think about it, the happier I get. Here’s my thought: is there really such a difference between self-pubbers and legacy publishing houses? I know, I know. You’ll come back at me with, "Well obviously, Chris–people READ books published by Penguin because Penguin stands for Quality, whereas they think something printed by Chris Hobson Inc. is probably a cut just above preschool marble painting.

Granted.

But I know a couple of people who started publishing houses of their own. That’s right: they just up and said, "You know, I think I’ll start publishing people’s books." And they did. And they published good stuff by excellent authors. But how, may I ask, is this different than publishing your own book?

I know they didn’t publish their own books; that’s not what I’m saying. They published other people’s books. But it was them doing the publishing, not some faceless corporation with a decaying old man at the helm. And believe me, they didn’t have fleets of editors or artists at their beck and call: they had to arrange for all of those services on their own.

It’s weird: just because they called their enterprises "publishing houses" they gained instant credibility. One of the guys was able to consistently place ads in Publisher’s Weekly for his clients. Try doing that for your latest greatest self-pubbed novel. I don’t know for certain, but something tells me you’d get laughed off the phone. But what gets me is that these guys had to hustle for their clients, they had to track down cover artists, get layout work done, promote the books to industry magazines, beg book store managers to give them space on an end cap to display the books. If you looked close, their whole operations were held together with balsa wood and chewing gum.

I say again: how is this any different than someone self-pubbing their own books?
 

Read the rest of the post on Chris Hobson‘s blog.

I read this post on S F Signal, which links to this post on Warren Ellis’s website. Both are essential reading for writers. In the S F Signal post, China Mieville talks about worldbuilding and references the M John Harrison quote that Warren Ellis posted. I’m going to repost that quote here, because it stunned me and made me really stop and think. Go and read the S F Signal post, and then read the quote below. I might ruminate on this and post some more about worldbuilding later. It’s got my brain cogs a-turnin’.

M John Harrison On Worldbuilding

Every moment of a science fiction story must represent the triumph of writing over worldbuilding.

Worldbuilding is dull. Worldbuilding literalises the urge to invent. Worldbuilding gives an unnecessary permission for acts of writing (indeed, for acts of reading). Worldbuilding numbs the reader’s ability to fulfil their part of the bargain, because it believes that it has to do everything around here if anything is going to get done.

Above all, worldbuilding is not technically necessary. It is the great clomping foot of nerdism. It is the attempt to exhaustively survey a place that isn’t there. A good writer would never try to do that, even with a place that is there. It isn’t possible, & if it was the results wouldn’t be readable: they would constitute not a book but the biggest library ever built, a hallowed place of dedication & lifelong study. This gives us a clue to the psychological type of the worldbuilder & the worldbuilder’s victim, & makes us very afraid.

 

This is a reprint from Alan Baxter‘s The Word.

This post, by Jody Hedlund, originally appeared on her blog on 4/29/11.

All five of my children have learned to play the piano (or are still in the process). While none of them are musical geniuses, I firmly believe learning to play the piano is a gift I’m offering my children. Not only are they getting a solid foundation in music, but even more valuable than that, they’re getting an important lesson in self-discipline.

According to Merriam-Webster, self-discipline is: correction or regulation of oneself for the sake of improvement.

There’s just something about learning piano (or any instrument) that forces a person to correct and train oneself for the sake of improvement. It fosters self-discipline, which then carries over into other areas of our life.

Like my children, I also took many years of piano lessons (not that I play well anymore!). But in the process of learning piano (among other activities), I practiced self-discipline over and over. And now self-discipline is one character quality that has helped me enormously in my writing career.

Here are a few lessons I’ve learned about growing in self-discipline as a writer from piano lessons:

Concentrated increments can help us be more productive.

Rather than 5 minute practice sessions scattered throughout the day, my children practice piano in 20 to 30 increments (depending on their level). The larger chunk of time is more productive because they need a few minutes to warm up their fingers before the songs begin to flow.

 

Read the rest of the post on Jody Hedlund‘s blog.

I ran across an online discussion today addressing why we procrastinate as writers. My comment went on so long a realized that this was something I should address on my blog. So here goes.

I spent 20 years procrastinating in regards to my writing. Hell, I spent nearly 50 years procrastinating if you start counting from when I determined that I wanted to write historical fiction until the time I successfully published my first novel, Maids of Misfortune: A Victorian San Francisco Mystery.

What I find interesting is that in general I am not a procrastinator. I learned in 4th grade (best grade school teacher ever) that the students who buckled down and did their work first thing ended up with plenty of guilt free time to goof off, and I have pretty much applied that concept through the rest my life as a student, a college professor, a mother, wife, and friend. Not as a writer.

The only area of my life where I procrastinate regularly is as a fiction writer. I think that this is because writing fiction is absolutely personal-it is just for me. In all those other areas of life I have been motivated in large part by my sense of responsibility to others (to make my parents proud, to be the best professor I could be for my students, to take care of my family, and be there for my friends.).

When I do a good job (ie don’t procrastinate) my reward, in my mind, has always been to give myself permission to read fiction (ie goof off.) But even there I was careful not to start a good book unless I knew I could finish it before the next task in my “real life” came due. I was always worried that my pleasure in reading would distract me from my  responsibilities!

Only twice in my life as an adult did I let what I wanted come first for an extended period. The first time was when I was 23, and I quit my first boring job and for a solid year just read (the new feminist body of work was just coming out at this time and I devoured it). This led me to the decision to get a doctorate in history, with an emphasis women’s history.

The second time came when I was 38 and had left my tenured track job in Texas (oh those good old boys were too much for this feminist to take) and I faced the possible future of being a part-time adjunct teacher for the rest of my life. I decided if this was to be my fate, then I was justified in taking the time to fulfill my life-long dream of writing fiction. Oh the bliss! Six months of writing my mystery, my husband at work, my daughter in day-care. But then I got a full-time job at the local community college, and I no longer put myself and my writing first. That book never got published, and I stopped writing anything new.

So now, retired, my daughter grown with children of her own, my husband happily working on his own writing, I have finally put myself first. I rewrote the first mystery, published it, and I now spend day after day writing the sequel. I can spend the hours it takes to let my mind run free (and perhaps even not hear when my husband says something to me-cause I am off in that world of my own.) I can decide to go back to writing after dinner, rather than use that time to make call backs to friends. I can be selfish (listen to the pejorative term I am still using!)

However, I think in writing this I have just had a revelation. When I “procrastinate” by checking my email, or commenting on someone else’s post, or writing for my own blog, it is not because I enjoy these activities more than I do working on my book. It is because these activities are more other directed. I feel more comfortable doing these things because they help other indie writers, or because they will help sell my book (and produce the income needed to keep the family budget healthy).

I don’t think that this is necessarily a totally gendered response. Goodness knows male writers have put paid employment, in order to support their families, above their desire to write for centuries. However, until recently, most women didn’t even see there was a choice. Other responsibilities, financial or not, always came first. And I think that I often procrastinate as a writer because I haven’t yet entirely thrown off the belief that if I do something, just for myself, I am not being a good person.

So, how about you? Why do you procrastinate?

And while you think about it, I am going to go write a couple more paragraphs on my next novel, selfish person that I am!
 

This is a reprint from M. Louisa Locke‘s The Front Parlor.

This article, by Iain Broome, originally appeared on his Write For Your Life on 4/25/11.

For most of us, it’s the Easter holidays. If like me, you live in the UK, there’s also another bank holiday next week, for the Royal Wedding. If like me again, you’ve taken the days inbetween off work too, you’re looking at a nice chunk of time away from reality.

What are you going to do with that time?

I’m doing two things. First, I’m going to spend approximately 80-90 per cent of my holiday preparing for my impending wedding, including building a path, raking grass and causing myself untold backache. The rest of the time, I plan to write.

Quick correction. I plan to plan to write.

Take your time

When you have an extended period of free time, it’s tempting to dive straight in and write frantically. I know it is for me.

Because I have a full-time job, I have to work my fiction (and blogging) around my free time. When a big chunk of it comes along, I sometimes get excited and rush to the keyboard.

And yet, I know that this isn’t always the best use of my time. Rarely am I able to simply sit down and write for long periods without an element of planning up front.

When the opportunity arises, it’s natural for us writers to worry less about preparation and want to get cracking – to actually produce some work.

But actually, it’s far more important for us to make sure that we use that time effectively. To make sure that we squeeze every ounce of usefulness out of having more writing time available than usual.

Take stock and prosper

Planning isn’t always about planning, not in the typical sense of the word. For me, planning is as much about what’s gone before as it is about what’s to come. It’s about checking in and taking stock.

Read the rest of the post on Write For Your Life. 

This article, by Meryl K. Evans, originally appeared on her meryl.net Content Maven blog on 4/26/11 and is reprinted here in its entirety with her permission.

Being your own tech support person speeds up fixing the problem. While you’re not the expert in whatever fails to work the way you expect it, many companies have set up self-help systems anyway or they’ll ask if you did this ‘n that. So trying to solve the problem — or narrow it — can save you time as you’ll have the answers to standard tech support questions.

Tech support often follows a script. You contact them to report a problem. “Is it plugged in?” “Is it turned on?” They’ll continue down the list from the simple to the complex depending on your answers. Think of it like a flow chart: if yes, go this way. If no, go that way.

These steps are not in a specific order as different problems call for different approaches. The 10 steps will solve the most common problems. 

• Reboot or shut down/turn back on. This works for almost every computer, accessory, mobile device and other electronics. When my digital video recorder (DVR) freezes or acts weird, I shut it down and turn it back on. This solves the DVR’s problem 99.99 percent of the time. We had to call the service provider once or twice in all these years. With laptops and PCs, try to shut down the computer before rebooting. Sometimes it can take a long time to shut down. Go do something else for a while and if the computer looks frozen, then turn it off. Wait a few minutes before turning it back on. I had a monitor acting weird (the other was fine) and asked my husband about it. He told me to turn it off and back on. (I can’t believe I didn’t even think of this.) It worked. I had never encountered this problem and sometimes we overlook the obvious.
  
• Run and update your anti-virus (daily) and anti-spyware software (weekly). I know plenty of successful professionals who don’t have their anti-virus applications automatically checking for updates on a regular schedule (more than once a day). Sometimes a situation requires turning off the anti-virus app and people forget to turn it back on. They forgot they turned off the software and never turned it back on. Most standard anti-virus apps run a full-system scan at least once a week.  Make sure yours does.
  
• Check cables and switches. The cable on my printer sometimes falls out. (The cable is barely long enough.) So first thing I do when printer doesn’t turn on — check that cable. My son has a laptop that only works if plugged in because the battery is dead and not worth replacing. He said the laptop wasn’t working. It was the surge protector where he had it plugged that was turned off.
  
• Go to manufacturer and developer websites. Manufacturer and developer websites often have forums, Q&As, support pages, knowledgebases and documentation with common problems and their solutions.
  
• Search the problem. Some of us forget that people experience the same problems and post them somewhere outside of the developer or manufacturer website. Look at this post I did in 2008 that solves the problem of the mouse not working in Microsoft Word. Notice the latest comment is a couple of months old. This is a three-year-old post. It’s tempting to ask a blogger, writer or expert for help. They won’t all respond or take the time to help because they get many requests like yours. They’re not trying to be rude, but they have jobs to do plus they are thinking “Let me Google that for you.” Be specific as possible in your search by entering error messages (if you get one) and the name of the application. Copy the error message or take a screen shot.
  
• Know how to save, export and import files in different formats. Many people emailed me when Office 2007 came out because they couldn’t open the .docx, .xlsx and .pptx files. Two solutions: Have the sender save these files as .doc, xls and ppt, and download the free Office file converter from Microsoft. Make “File > Save as” your friend. Thankfully, we’re seeing more standard formats like CSV files and ical, which you can import into Outlook, Gmail, Apple Address Book and more. Also find a resource (search for them — many free ones out there) that lets you save files into Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) format because the reader is free and everyone can open and view them.
  
• Narrow down the causes. A new tablet kept posting a notification that the new microSD card may be corrupted. I looked for a microSD card reader so I could test it out to rule out the possibility it was a bad card. Two of my readers were broken! Luckily, I found one and it confirmed the microSD card worked. I also verified there were no files on it. If it had files, I would transfer them somewhere else for safekeeping before reformatting the card. Problem solved. No more notifications.
  
• Uninstall and reinstall. After trying everything, remove and reinstall the app unless it’s something big like an operating system. First, back up your data files to a safe place.
  
• Test it on another computer or app. A client’s website looked weird in Firefox. Rather than panicking thinking the client’s website had a serious problem, I checked the website in other browsers and it showed up fine. The problem was a small one (it would’ve been a biggie had it happened on all browsers).
  
• Backup and sync all data. I have a stand-alone external drive that holds a backup of all my computer data AND I also backup to a cloud service. The cost of various backup solutions have gotten cheaper so there’s no excuse for not having a backup. Remember to backup your devices, too.

 Solving the problem on your own saves time, avoids sugary sweet scripts thanking you for being a valued customers and how they want to help you or waiting for someone to respond to your call or email. Even if you can’t find the answer, you have a list of steps you’ve taken and can get through the script faster.

What tech support tricks do you have?

 

This post, by Roni Loren, originally appeared on her Fiction Groupie blog on 3/30/11.

So as I go through this whole writing journey, I spend a lot of time observing other authors–be it in person or, more likely, on the internet. I want to know what makes one so successful and the other not as much. What makes one likable and another unapproachable. In other words, what separates the good from the great. And so, based on my very unscientific observations, I’ve come up with my own Ten Commandments. These are the things I’ve seen successful authors do and the things I strive to emulate.  So here we go…

 

1. I will always strive to make the next book better than the last.
 

This is one that keeps me awake at night sometimes. The desire to make this next book better than the first one, to improve on every new project. We put so much effort into THAT book, you know the one to get the agent and the book deal. It’s the best we have to give on a page. Then the dream happens and you’re faced with book two and oh, you have a time limit this time, and oh if this one tanks, there may not be another book deal. *breathes into paper bag* The best authors out there manage to do this, even on tight deadlines, even when the check is already in the bank. They keep topping their own work.

2. I will not fear risk.
 

It’s tempting to be safe, to stick to what you know and what you know works. But the best authors don’t just put out book after book that follow the same formula. They take risks, they push boundaries, hell, some of them even test out different genre waters. With no risk, there’s no challenge. Write the stories you want to write. If some don’t work out, that’s okay.

3. I will never believe "I’m the sh*t." Well, at least not for an extended period of time.
 

We’ve all seen it. The author that hits whatever level and now seems to wear the "I’m the sh*t" tiara. Don’t do it. No matter if you top every bestseller list. It’s okay when you get a good review or hit a list or write a passage that rocks to think to yourself–yep, I’m the shizz nizz, baby. But keep it to yourself–please–and don’t let it go to your head. No one’s that awesome. 

4. I shall not wallow in a pool of self-pity and doubt when someone doesn’t like me or my writing.
 

Someone, probably many someones, will absolutely hate your writing. It’s inevitable. You can’t please everyone. If you let negative feedback get in your head, it will eat away at your confidence like cancer. This goes for rejections too. Feel the sting, eat a piece of chocolate or take a shot of whiskey–whatever you’re preference–and move on. 

 

Read the rest of the post on Roni Loren‘s Fiction Groupie.

Due to technical difficulties, no new content will be posted to the Publetariat site by staff this evening. New content posting will resume as per usual tomorrow evening at 6pm PST. Publetariat members can still use the Forum and post to their own blogs, and commenting on existing content is still possible at this time as well. Thanks for your patience and support.

Good morning everyone. First, I would just like to say how thankful I am that Publetariat.com exists for those of us navigating the self-publishing world. I love the tag line: People who publish. Somewhere it seems like the people part of publishing got lost. No personalized rejection letters. Formulas instituted on genres based on sales, not the quality of the story. Obviously, these policies haven’t helped strengthen the community, but temporarily propped up the bottom line.

I have high hopes for the self-publishing/indie author movement. Last night, my husband and I sat at our kitchen table after the kids were in bed, both enjoying a beer. I explained what was going on in the publishing world. The traditional tasks performed by a publishing house–cover design, marketing, editing, typesetting–are being chopped up and provided by freelancers everywhere allowing authors to remain in control of their content and distribute freely to readers. He shrugged, popped open the top to another Dogfish Head and said "Sounds like open source to me." 

I now have the full support of my husband in my self-publishing goals. We’re big supporters of open source technology, and he sees self-publishing as a way to improve information dissemination, even if we’re talking about fiction novels. I think it’s a great metaphor.

My goals are:

• Finish my first novel this summer, and publish a professional product this fall.
• Promote Imperfect Timing and begin working this winter on my second novel about a nurse with too much personal debt that inhibits her ability to find romance (no, not in a cute Confessions of a Shopaholic way). 
• Publish second novel in spring. Begin work on third novel, possibly a sequel to Imperfect Timing.

Having a publication date, even one self-determined, reinforces my desire to be a professional author. My writing experience mainly comes from four years of writing non-fiction copy for websites, online newsletters, and internet publications. Literature has always been something I’ve devoured, studied, or critqued. I used my minor coursework electives in college to take English Literature classes.

I never thought I would be a writer, much less an aspiring novelist. Then again, I didn’t plan on moving every two-five years to support a husband in the military and needing a career that allowed me to stay home with my two children. Writing can literally pack up and follow me from Norfolk, Va to San Diego, CA, then back to the east coast in Charelston, SC. Despite living in three different places in four years, and about to move again in less than six month, I am very happy where I’ve landed. I have a family full of love and an escape from the kid’s table to the grown-up conversations in the next room. 

Thank you for reading all the way to the end, and I’m very thankful to be joining the Publetariat.com community. And whatever you do, don’t reply. 🙂

Why am I interested? I write Amish fiction, and I’m on the list. After I self published I’ve always been on the lookout for free websites to promote my books. It was my worry that I’d write a book that doesn’t sell after I hired a firm to promote for me. What works for me might not be the way most authors publish and sell their book. I’ve put my books in different author sites and blog posts, thinking that might take longer than paid advertising, but I wouldn’t lose money. Besides, I can always work on another book at the same time.

 

At the same time, I’m always looking for other sites I can submit to. That’s why I put my name or book titles in google search often to see what has turned up on the Internet. Some of the links are where my books are sold and many of the google searches came from my promoting and blog posts. I like it when I find what I’ve done so far leads to a submission on google that I didn’t submit. This information I found recently. The website is Center for Mennonite Writing

Ervin Beck, Professor Emeritus of English at Goshen College is editor of Journal of the Center and maintains the website. He wanted to write an article about serial fiction by and about Mennonites and Amish. He intended to make a list of authors and knew of eleven. So he sent his list to Joe Springer, Curator of Goshen College. The list of authors Professor Beck got back was about three times longer.

Professor Beck complied an informal bibliography containing a complete listing of authors, brief biographies, name of series, publishers, individual books and dates of publication which is listed on his website.

Guess what? The first two books in my Nurse Hal Among The Amish series had made Joe Sprinter’s list. He’s always on the look out for new authors and their Amish or Mennonite books so he keeps an up to date list. Information is in the Mennonite Historical Library list at Goshen College.

What didn’t make the list was the stand alone titles such as Jodi Picoult’s best selling Plain Truth. Since this is the first list he’s posted some fiction series probably have been unintentionally omitted. Professor Beck says corrections and additions are welcome.

Later I checked again and found another list of Amish books on a Bethel College, Kansas site Mennonite Library & Archives complied by Barbara A. Thiesen. Joe Springer had helped her with the list and for 2007 – 2008 he had added my Amish book Christmas Traditions which isn’t in the series and happens to be in the library. Actually, the main character in that book is in my Nurse Hal series but adding her to the series came as an after thought.

As the writer of Amish fiction, the lists were interesting to read. Of course, I was thrilled to find my name made both lists. It’s an honor to be included. I was surprised since I’m new as an author and an Independent one. When I wrote the first Nurse Hal book I didn’t think about starting a series. That idea came from the readers of the first book A Promise Is A Promise. They wanted me to keep writing about Nurse Hal. It’s amazing how everything seems to fall into place for a reason. The powerful reach of the Internet doesn’t hurt, either. That helps me pick up new readers interested in my books.

 

This is a reprint from Fay Risner’s BooksByFay blog.

This article, from Online Colleges and Universities, is reprinted here in its entirety with that site’s permission.

For as much as cultures around the world obsess over youth and its follies and promises, those young whippersnappers don’t always know how to keep up with the experience, wisdom and practice of their elders. Whether a university, life itself or some combination thereof provided them with a valuable education, plenty of celebrated writers never hit their stride until they approached middle age — or even later than that! They defy stereotypes of the temporally advanced as slow and unproductive, offering some excellent, enduring works to the literary canon.

Many of the authors featured here were actually publishing short stories, essays and articles earlier in life. This list zeroes on their dominant mediums; the ones for which they’re almost exclusively known — typically, novels, memoirs and other long-form works.

1. Charles Bukowski: Much of Charles Bukowski’s adult life was spent puttering around at the post office and in and out of different odd jobs. He published a couple of short stories as a young man, but quickly cut it short when he embarked on a 10-year bender. It wasn’t until age 49 when his most notable works began hitting shelves. Largely semi-autobiographical, novels such as Post Office, Women and Factotum channeled many of the experiences and anxieties of his "lost years." Most of Bukowski’s straightforward, grim prose reflects American society’s teeming, oft-marginalized fringes.

2. Laura Ingalls Wilder: Inspired by her adult daughter’s writing career, Laura Ingalls Wilder decided to embark on one of her very own in her 40s. She eventually landed a regular column and an editorial position, but it wasn’t until she reached her 60s when her fame really fell into place. Wilder drew from her own pioneer childhood when penning the Little House series (the most famous of which remains Little House on the Prairie). Today, these young adult reads continue to enjoy staggering popularity, even spawning a well-received television adaptation.

3. William S. Burroughs: As one of the foremost writers from the Beat generation, a movement many typically associate with youth, William S. Burroughs never published his first novel until he was 39. The accidental shooting of his wife during a game of William Tell gone horrifically askance spurned him to start writing. Junky and Queer delved deeply into his gruesome battle with heroin addiction and alcoholism as well as his homosexuality. He had done a small amount of journalistic work while attending Harvard, but never seriously pursued publication, fiction or poetry until much later in life.

4. Raymond Chandler: Snarky, ironic private detective Philip Marlowe revolutionized the noir genre. The creation of former civil engineer, journalist and other odd job holder Raymond Chandler came about after he started dissecting pulp fiction and writing to make ends meet. His first short stories ended up in various magazines when he was 45, but they’ve remained largely overshadowed by later books. The Big Sleep, Chandler’s first novel and the maiden voyage of iconic Marlowe, ended up published at age 51.

5. Kenneth Grahame: Most of Kenneth Grahame’s career clicked away at the Bank of England, where he eventually came to work as its secretary. During that stint, he published a couple of short stories here and there as a hobby, but never got serious until after retirement. At 49, Grahame finally achieved literary acclaim. The Wind in the Willows still draws in young and old audiences alike, who delight in the adventures of the memorable Mr. Toad, Mr. Badger, Mole, Ratty and other fantastic characters inhabiting the Wild Wood.

6. Richard Adams: Watership Down, the terrifying and much-beloved children’s classic packed with warring rabbits, ended up published in the author’s 50s. Richard Adams studied history rather than literature, taking a break to serve in World War II before returning. After completing his degree at Worcester College, the future author went on to join the British Civil Service and worked his way up to the Assistant Secretary position. He pursued writing as a hobby, but never took it too seriously until his daughters persuaded him to share the Lapine epic.

7. Joseph Conrad: Interestingly enough, many scholars hold Joseph Conrad up as one of the English language’s greatest authors, though he never spoke it fluently until reaching his 20s. He led a life straight out of an adventure romance, with gunrunning, plenty of ships and trips to Africa and other locales. After retiring at 36, he turned his attentions towards writing and published his first novel – Almayer’s Folly – a year later. Some of Conrad’s most celebrated works, especially Heart of Darkness and Lord Jim, pulled directly from his exceptionally exciting, dangerous international exploits.

8. Anthony Burgess: As both an expatriate teacher and a well-regarded critic, Anthony Burgess entered the literary canon already well-versed in common tropes and archetypes. He never pursued writing seriously until age 39, understandably dismissing it as a less-than-stable income, when published the first installment of The Long Day Wanes: A Malayan Trilogy (1956’s Time for a Tiger). Like many pursuing long-form fiction for the first time, these tales pulled from his experiences in Britain’s Asian colonies. However, A Clockwork Orange still remains Burgess’ most controversial, dissected novel. Pity, really. He actually quite disliked it!

9. Henry Miller: Henry Miller worked as both a proofreader and a painter prior to metamorphosing into a serious author. His positions allowed him a network of exceptionally creative individuals, who eventually inspired the surreal, highly sexual works launching him into infamy. Prior to Miller’s publication of his inflammatory first novel, Tropic of Cancer, he only saw a couple of his articles printed under a contemporary’s name before turning 44. He wrote two other manuscripts prior to its release, but those landed on shelves either much later in life or posthumously.

10. Flora Thompson: As with many of the other authors listed here, Flora Thompson dabbled in writing and published short pieces until finally springing for longer works. Most of her rich oeuvre consisted of literary criticism, nature essays, observations and short stories. At 63, she published the first volume of her semi-autobiographical Lark Rise to Candleford trilogy. These followed her girlhood, maturation and eventual postmistress position in several British offices.

11. Marquis de Sade: Considering the Marquis’…ummm…"activities," it probably comes as little to no surprise to anyone that he didn’t come around to publishing much of anything until his later years. He was 51 when Justine unleashed a shockwave of scandal throughout France and beyond. These days, fans of erotic literature and political satire consider it an historical, essential read.

12. Nirad C. Chaudhuri: During his career with the Indian Army, Nirad C. Chaudhuri served briefly as an accounting clerk and printed up many different articles on the side. After a time, he decided to move on and practice journalism full-time. In spite of this arc, Chaudhuri’s best-known works never hit the literary scene until his 50s. The first of his three major autobiographical and , The Autobiography of an Unknown Indian, was published when the author was 54; Thy Hand, Great Anarch! followed at 90; Three Horsemen of the New Apocalypse completed the trilogy at 100. Critics adore these reads for the excellent insight it provides into Indian politics and culture during and after British imperialist rule.

13. Mary Wesley: Starting in her 50s, Mary Wesley published three modestly successful children’s books before deciding she wanted to reach more mature audiences. After turning 71, her first novel for adults, Jumping the Queue, hit the shelves and launched her second personal creative renaissance Following the auspicious debut, Wesley went on to write even more and saw them all go to print before her death.

14. Wallace Stevens: One of the most celebrated American modernist poets started out working as a lawyer and executive of an insurance company. He occasionally dabbled in journalism and poetry while attending Harvard, but began composing in earnest around age 38. However, the vast majority of Wallace Stevens’ lauded output came about once he hit his 50s. The Collected Poems earned him a Pulitzer Prize in 1955.

15. Mary Alice Fontenot: Mary Alice Fontenot wrote almost 30 books in her lifetime, and her writing career launched at 51. Most of her output revolved around children’s books, particularly the Clovis Crawfish series, and volumes of thoroughly-researched Louisiana history. This spitfire started out as a journalist, radio host and educator before moving on to the mediums that earned her an Acadiana Arts Council Lifetime Achievement Award. She continued to write pretty much up until her death.

 

This post, by Chuck Wendig, originally appeared on his terribleminds blog on 3/29/11 and is being reprinted here in its entirety as a public service message.

GENRE FOR JAPAN.

Heard of it?

It’s a sci-fi, fantasy and horror-based auction in service to the Red Cross to aid the victims of the Japanese earthquake and tsunami. It is filled with a ton of awesome stuff from your favorite authors past, present and future. Hello, Neil Gaiman? Mike Shevdon? Adam Christopher? Rowena Cory Daniels? Hell, the list goes on and on and the index of lots is right here.

Anyway, they asked me to contribute a little something-something, which is like asking a bait-minnow to hang out with a flock of majestic blue whales — hell, blue space whales, glorious and translucent as they float through the nebulae — but hey, I’m totally excited to have been asked and doubly excited that maybe someone will bid on my lot and send some money to the relief effort.

What do I have on the auction block?

First, an e-book of Irregular Creatures.

Second, a critique of your writing. Up to 5,000 words, which might be a short story or a piece of a novel. Is my critique worth anything? Well, hell, I dunno. I like to think so. Outside of my dubious writing advice that I offer here on this site, I have developed a number of books for White Wolf Game Studios, and that involved me helping writers hammer their first drafts into final drafts. You can ask them if I’m qualified, I guess.

Anyway, what I’m saying is, the bidding is now open.

Get on over there and pitch your coins into the hat if you care to. If not for my lot, then for another lot from another great publisher, editor, or author. Time to help out if you can, peeps.

Thanks, in advance. I’d also appreciate you spreading the word on this.

My Lot (Item 21) can be found here.
 

Podcasting has been around for a long time now, by internet standards. Anything that lasts more than a few months is long-lived by internet standards, but you know what I mean. Some things have their blaze of glory and disappear, though they leave a kind of legacy, like MySpace. Some things fire into the stratosphere incredibly briefly, incredibly brightly, and then are forgotten forever, like Chocolate Rain or the Star Wars Kid. They live on in infamy, in memory, but that’s about it. So it’s hard for anything, be it a person or an idea, to stick around for any length of time. Of course, podcasting isn’t really like a specific website or internet meme, but it is something that was either going to fly or sink.

With video-casting on YouTube and a website or three in every home, I did wonder back in the day (about 2008) if podcasting would really generate that desired state of normalcy, or if it would be something a geeky few would love briefly, before moving on. Here we are in 2011 and podcasting is unbiquitous. I co-host one myself, all about thrillers and other genre fiction. I listen to loads of them, especially fiction podcasts like Escape Pod and Podcastle. I’m still dancing with joy because my favourite podcast of all, Pseudopod, bought one of my stories recently. I can’t wait for that to come through.

But you know that podcasting is becoming truly accepted when it starts to win awards. Not podcasting awards, obviously, but other awards that have been around for ages and have now started recognising podcasts. I noticed this when I was going through the recently released Ditmar Awards ballot. Here’s the Best Fan Publication in Any Medium nominations list:

* Australian Speculative Fiction in Focus, edited by Alisa Krasnostein et al.
* Bad Film Diaries podcast, Grant Watson
* Galactic Suburbia podcast, Alisa Krasnostein, Tansy Rayner Roberts, and Alex Pierce
* Terra Incognita podcast, Keith Stevenson
* The Coode Street podcast, Gary K. Wolfe and Jonathan Strahan
* The Writer and the Critic podcast, Kirstyn McDermott and Ian Mond

Out of six listed nominations, five are podcasts. Among them are podcasts that I listen to regularly and one of them got my vote. The sixth one is a review website.

Here’s the same category last year:

Best Fan Publication

* Interstellar Ramjet Scoop, edited by Bill Wright

* A Writer Goes on a Journey (awritergoesonajourney.com), edited by Nyssa Pascoe et al

* ASif! (asif.dreamhosters.com), edited by Alisa Krasnostein, Gene Melzack et al

* Australian Science Fiction Bullsheet (bullsheet.sf.org.au), edited by Edwina Harvey and Ted Scribner

* Steam Engine Time, edited by Bruce Gillespie and Janine Stinson

No podcasts.

In the 2010 Hugo Awards, the Best Fanzine award went to StarShipSofa edited by Tony C. Smith. A podcast. It won a Hugo! It is brilliant, but even so it’s a great step in the acceptance of podcasting.

And this is just the genre podcasts that I’m familiar with. I’m sure there are thousands more out there covering all kinds of subjects. It seems that the audio magazine has really come of age. Even radio stations now are offering their shows as podcasts to appeal to people that might not be able to listen at a certain time, or may have missed a show. More power to the podcast, I say, and not just because I’m involved with one. Podcasting is a great example of utilising the power of the internet for good, producing quality, interesting content. Long may it continue.

 

This is a reprint from Alan Baxter‘s The Word.

Hello. I’m happy to have found this website and forum. I have one novel, The Lonesome Isle, that I published through Createspace. I am currently working on the sequel to that novel and have started writing another book as well.

I am excited to have others to turn to for advice in this whole world of publishing!!!