Mar 13, 2009 | Books |
From Publisher's Lunch:
Reporting that ebook sales in the US rose 5.5 times during 2008, the company [Lagardere] declared revenues–yes, actual revenues–of $4.7 million. Based on our rough estimate of Hachette Book Group's total US sales for the year, that means that even with the exponential growth, ebooks comprised less than 0.75 percent of sales.
[…]
We appreciate having an actual fact to reaffirm our continuing contention that mainstream media and Wall Street analysts alike have vastly overcovered and over-responded to the near-term impact of the Kindle and other consumer ereading devices and platforms. The growth rates are quite high and clearly the expansion of players and consumer options will fuel this market further, but it is currently tiny.
And yet I still want a Kindle. 🙂 But, yes, I'm not an ebook connoisseur at all. I don't like reading on my computer. I have to read my drafts that way, and friends' drafts that way, so I don't want to read a book for leisure. The Kindle, OTOH, I thought might help me branch into ebooks a bit. Hmm, still very interesting that this technology isn't spreading the way people once declared it would. As I saw on a Tweet from Stephen Fry recently, (paraphrasing) Kindles and ebooks won't replace real books any more than elevators replaced stairs. It's simply another tool to use, that's all.
What are your thoughts?
Mar 12, 2009 | Writing |
I can't think of a single thing to post today. I've not been doing much, just reading for friends, thinking about where my story is going, cleaning out the refrigerator, grocery shopping — you know, mundane stuff. I think I need to be going 90 miles a minute to have any focus, you know? Isn't that weird?
But I think it's true. I always do my best work under the metaphorical gun. Give me pressure, and I'm off to the races. Tell me I have all the time in the world, and I'm lollygagging along on a pleasure cruise. I need deadlines and structure to succeed. I think many of us do.
So, yeah, I have some tasks that need done, but I also need to set myself a deadline while I wait for my editor to tell me if my latest proposal would be better served as firestarter. Best to work forward steadily and maybe get more accomplished than all this thumb twiddling is doing.
But, good news, my chapter meeting is the weekend! That always motivates me.
What motivates you? Do you need pressure? Or do you accomplish just as much when you have a lot of leisure time?
Mar 10, 2009 | Television, Writing |
So did you watch Castle last night? It's about a best-selling bad boy mystery writer who ends up partnering with a female detective to solve a case. Someone is murdering people based on his books, so this is how he gets involved. And when they solve that case, he gets himself a position accompanying the detective for research purposes because he killed off his fictional detective and she's the inspiration for a new one (so the series can continue, of course). (If you missed the episode and want to watch, you can do so for free here.)
Frankly, though it was over the top, I liked it. And I think it has potential. But what's totally hilarious to me, and to all the writers I know, is the portrayal of the writing life. Nathan Fillion, aka Richard Castle, is a bad boy rock star kind of writer. He's got book launch parties in swanky places, lots of money, a pen with which he signs bimbos' chests (do they really read?), and a bad attitude about his fame. He's friends with the mayor, and he sits around playing cards with Stephen J. Cannell and James Patterson. (And someone said the woman at the table was Faye Kellerman.)
He's so well connected he can get anything done, even leapfrog the slow and frustrating process of getting CSI results from the lab. Which of course pisses off the detective. He has money to burn and enough self-love to make him charming in spite of himself. (And, we suspect, a core of misery.) Somehow, in between all this partying and fun, he's managed to write a whole lot of bestselling mysteries that are known for their attention to detail. Even the medical examiner is a fan.
But what I really love is the writing = glamour aspect. The portrayal of Castle's life just reinforces what the public already believes about writers. Rich, connected, got it made. I ROFL, of course, because I am none of these things. People at my husband's work actually thought he was going to retire now that I've sold a book. Excuse me while I roll around on the floor in hysterics.
MOST writers don't live this charming, exotic life. We are ordinary people with ordinary incomes. Being a published writer doesn't make you rich. It makes you like everyone else out there, worrying about expenses and hoping to make enough to cover them. Or, in my case since I have a wonderfully supportive hubby with a good job, making enough to cover my writing expenses, save for our retirement, and take some lovely vacations.
Even if I had Castle's money and connections, I doubt I'd want to do any of that stuff he does. I'd much rather be holed up in my office, working on my next book, than chasing criminals or attending ritzy parties.
Did you watch Castle? What did you think? Do you like shows about writers? My mom loves Murder She Wrote. Jessica seems to have a more ordinary life by contrast, and yet everyone the poor woman knows always gets killed. The shows are campy, but fun. Castle was a bit campy too, but I think it can get better. (My first choice, of course, would be to have Fillion back on the set of Firefly, but I don't think that will ever happen now. Darn TV execs. They'll probably cancel this one too, just as soon as people fall in love with it.)
Mar 6, 2009 | Blogging, Business, Contests, Reading, Writing |
I'm still feeling at loose ends, and in spite of the good advice to relax and fill the well, I find it difficult to do so. So is it any wonder I'm working on Chapter 4 even before I hear from my editor? *g*
In honor of the number four, I'm sharing four things with you. 🙂
1) A FABULOUS post from Presents author Penny Jordan on an article she read that validated many of her feelings about the stories she writes. And all I can say, having read the article and her post, is YES. This is exactly what I feel about my heroes and the stories I create (and it's as true for the romantic suspense I was writing as it is for my Presents stories).
2) Agent Nathan Bransford had a wonderful post on Thursday about the Ten Commandments for a Happy Writer. I really loved this and wanted to share!
3) The Guess the Bookshelf contest is still going on! My shelves are there, so come on over and see if you can figure it out. There are prizes!
4) Presents author Trish Morey has a free read on eHarlequin! Come read The Italian Billionaire's Bride.
Mar 4, 2009 | Submissions, Writing |
I just finished the proposal for Book 3 and sent it to my agent. And now I'm at loose ends. Not entirely at loose ends, since I need to write the rest of the book, but loose enough for a couple of days while I think about what comes next. It's an odd and happy feeling. Odd because I've been non-stop for awhile now. Happy because I have some time to breathe. I told the hubby last night that I could actually cook a real dinner for us now!
We've been having expedient things, like crock pot items, Lean Cuisines, and soup. I could make something — spaghetti and meatballs? Jambalaya? Meatloaf? The possibilities are endless.
I can also go to the store and buy groceries. I've been putting that off for a while. And then there are the dreaded taxes that still need to be done, and doctors appointments I need to make. There's also that little matter of weight loss I was working on and got side-tracked with when I had to plant my butt in the chair day after day. It's seriously time to get back onto the treadmill.
Oh, and television! I haven't watched anything in forever, it seems. But I feel guilty, really, because I feel like I'm supposed to be working. And I know I will be again very soon, so I guess I should try and enjoy myself while I have a few moments.
Do you feel lost at the end of projects? When you finish a writing project, do you dive into the next one or take a break?
PS I'm participating in another eHarlequin guessing game! Guess the Bookshelf is going on right now! Pop over and see if you can figure out which bookshelves belongs to which author….(it's kind of hard, I think!).
