Friday, February 28, 2014

Lessons Learned - Misbehavior in the Internet Age Can Kill Your Career

The first headline that popped up on my MSNBC news feed yesterday concerned the nasty ass response Kelly Blazek, a woman named "Communicator of the Year", gave to an applicant on a job bank run by Blazek. When Blazek's response went viral, others came forward to say they had been treated the same way by Blazek.

In today's environment, nearly everything you say or do or type is recorded. It's simply the nature of the Information Age. The problems occurring today are no longer those of twenty-somethings posting pictures from the bong party they went to over the weekend. (Though you should watch what photos you post on Facebook.)

Now, we're seeing issues of people not thinking about the consequences of their actions, and those consequences come back to bite them on the ass.

Blazek's response to a young job-seeker was through LinkedIn, a social media site specifically for professionals. It was bad enough that the Cleveland newspaper, The Plain Dealer, picked up the story. Even worse was CNN and NBC. According to CNN, the backlash against Blazek was so bad she apparently deleted her Twitter account and her blog.

The last few weeks seem to be rife with people sticking their feet, or in the case of uber-agent Donald Maass their hoof, into their mouths. (Really, an agent shouldn't refer to writers as cattle to be culled.)

British author Lynn Shepard's first mistake in a Huffington Post UK essay was dissing beloved Harry Potter author, J.K. Rowling. Shepard's second mistake was insulting adults who read the Harry Potter books. You know, adults? The ones with the money to buy Shepard's books?

The backlash was immediate and fierce. Over fifty one-star reviews appeared on Amazon US for Shepard's latest book, The Solitary House. Nor was she spared on the book fan/review site Goodreads.

Last year's negative publicity for self-publishing distributor Autharium had already died down when the director of the company, Matt Bradbeer, stirred it up again by filing a DMCA take down against popular publishing blog The Passive Voice. Now, not only are the new articles at the top of the various search engines, the old articles are back up there, too.

Then there's Sean Fodera, a contracts attorney with publisher Macmillan, who made the mistake of dissing one of Macmillan's authors on a public forum. When the story spread across the internet, Fodera made matters worse when he threatened to sue anyone who linked to the story.

So what can you take from all of this?

1) Watch what you say on the internet. Never post or tweet while angry or upset.

2) Treat others with respect. If you can't, go back to Tip #1.

3) Learn when and how to disengage. Sometimes, it's not worth the fight. There's an old saying, "Never wrestle a pig. You both get dirty and the pig likes it."

4) There are competing opinions and there are trolls. Know the difference.

5) If it's not something you would say to someone in real life, you probably shouldn't say it online.

And most of all, remember the internet is forever!

If you have any additional tips, I'd love to hear them.

Wednesday, February 26, 2014

More Autharium Drama

I don't like bullies.

To me, using a bad faith DMCA to silence critics is blatant bullying. Even worse is when the attempt to censor is aimed at someone I like and respect, like David Vandagriff, aka The Passive Guy.

Because of my own screw-up, my spew session about Autharium's use of a bad faith DMCA appeared on Blood Lines on Friday, February 21, 2014, at 9:30 p.m. instead of 7:00 a.m. on Monday as I intended.

Before I go farther, I'd also like to point out that Blood Lines has seven followers and roughly seventeen regular readers as opposed to the thirty-two followers and 60-70 regulars that follow Wild, Wicked & Wacky. There's not a lot of crossover viewing between the two blogs.

At 4:35 p.m. on Sunday, February 23, I received an e-mail from Matt Bradbeer.

Matt is the co-founder and director of Autharium, though he failed to identify himself as such in his e-mail to me. Now, I can't repost the e-mail here without Matt getting a bug up his ass about me violating his copyright (which frankly, I find hilarious given the original terms in Autharium's Terms and Conditions from March of 2013). That doesn't mean I can't fisk the generic items of his message.


[First paragraph - statement concerning his knowledge of my blog post followed by snide comment]

One of the first rules of negotiation, kids, is that you never start by pissing off the person you want something from.

The gist of the entire e-mail is that Matt wants me to change my opinion of his company.

Matt wants.

Not me.

Matt.

Matt wants me to do something for him. And he starts his message with a snide comment.

Thereby irritating the shit out of an ex-attorney, born under the sign of Scorpio and who has just started menopause. Nope, he's definitely not the brightest crayon in the box.

P.S. All that information about me that I just stated can easily be found on the internet. ALL of it. Did Matt do his research before engaging someone he perceives as an opponent? Nope. Which leads to rule number two of negotiation--know the person on the other side of the table.


[Second paragraph - claim that Autharium tried to contact PG last March]

According to Matt, someone from Autharium tried to contact PG  after his blog post last March, twice by e-mail and once through social media, and that PG did not respond. PG's original analysis of Matt's company was coming up on the first page of search results when Matt googled his company.

Matt was not pleased by this fact.

In PG's second blog post about Autharium, PG says he never received any communication from Autharium before the DMCA takedown was filed.

For the record, I pretty much doubt everybody's story without proof, and Matt failed to send me any proof of his attempts to contact PG.

But back to the actual notice issue, there are three problems here:

1) Let's assume Matt is telling the truth about his attempts to contact PG. E-mails go awry. People don't always check their social media everyday. Basically, shit can and does happen.

So why did Matt wait eleven months? Why didn't he try to contact PG again? Why not try through other means? Leave a message on the blog? Look up PG's address and phone number?

I know other countries can send certified letters because I've received one from a solicitor in Dublin before.

And the most important question of all, why is it someone from Autharium had no problems whatsoever contacting PG on Monday, February 24th?

2) Other websites have mentioned the March 2013 contract terms, most especially Writer Beware. Victoria Strauss had similar opinions concerning the old contract terms. If you'll note, her addendum concerning the changes wasn't appended to her original post until November 2013. According to Victoria, she was accused of defamatory comments about Autharium.

[Legal note: It's not defamation when the facts are true and accurate at the time they were made. Matt really needs to hire a better class of laywers as you'll see later.]

3) While Google is the most popular search engine in the US, and arguably the world, why didn't Autharium send DMCA takedown notices to Bing? Or Yandex? Or Yahoo?

I'm really trying to give Matt the benefit of the doubt here, but he's making it very, very hard. Especially when he's the co-founder and director of eGurus, Ltd., a management consulting firm. You'd think with a name like eGurus they would know how the internet works and how to use alternate communication devices.

So this all puts me in a weird position. Do I believe the attorney I've known for three years and have referred friends to for legal counsel? Or do I believe a total stranger?


[Third paragraph - claim that Matt was forced to file a DMCA]

Um, sorry, I don't buy it unless you can produce the guy who held the gun to your head. There's always choices in this world, folks. Matt chose a not-so-wise decision given the current Streisand effect he's suffering.


[Fourth paragraph - T&C terms were changed based on PG's dissection; original terms were drafted by publishing industry attorneys]

On the first part, great! I'm really glad Matt read PG's analysis, realized some of his mistakes, and fixed them.

On the second part, egads! *facepalm*

Matt doesn't appear to understand why writers are leaving trad publishers in droves, much less why we find indie publishing attractive. And he hired the same idiots that are helping to drive away the writers from trad publishing. Lack of this kind of knowledge could be death to his company. As Joe Konrath has said many times, indie publishing is a HUGE shadow industry that the trad publishing either fails or refuses to see. Trying to cash in on it without understanding it? *shakes head* Definitely not a good idea.


[Fifth paragaph - acknowledgement of free legal advice from PG; repetition of contact issue; expectation that PG monitors every single website that discusses Autharium]

I'm pleased that Matt recognized PG was right, and Matt fixed the problem.

I think Matt's expectation that PG keep up with every website that talks about Autharium shows a bit of a narcissistic quality. It's a bit unfair when Matt himself seems to have difficulty keeping up with indie publishing as shown by my commentary on the Fourth Paragraph.


[Sixth paragraph - quibble about a legal issue from PG's followup on Autharium on Friday]

I love it when a civilian tries to argue legalese. Again, know who you're talking to, folks. Frankly, if I were still licensed, I would say PG didn't go far enough.

If I were still licensed, that is. Which I'm not.

Unfortunately for Matt, I don't have a lot of respect for some who tries to come off as an expert in something when it's very obvious he's not.


[Seventh paragraph - claims that I lied; that I'm being mean; the soft threat]

Matt never specifies exactly what it is I lied about. If he does ever let me know what FACTS I stated that are incorrect, I'd be happy to correct them.

Then there's the guilt trip. Y'all just know a girl is supposed to be nice, don't you? Sorry, but my mother is much better at that than Matt. It's not going to work.

I do have to give Matt credit for going for the soft threat, an insinuation he might do something though he never comes out and says exactly what. Most men at this point go for the hard threat, a la Sean Fodera, an attorney at Macmillan, threatening to sue over 1200 people who reposted a story about insults he lobbed at a writer.

But still, really, dude? You might do something because some chick on the other side of the pond insulted you?


[Eighth Paragraph - released a writer from a contract when she received a trad deal]

So what? Matt did something out of the goodness of his heart. What would have happened under the old Terms and Conditions if she wanted to leave but didn't have a trad deal?

Under contract law, promises, issues, or ANYTHING not specifically stated in the terms of the contract means nothing. However, I'm no longer an attorney, so please double-check with your own legal counsel.

And if you haven't clicked the link for Matt's job history above, he used to work for Waterstone's. For those who don't know, Waterstone's is a UK bookseller chain, similar to Barnes & Noble here in the States.

Which I would use as evidence of his mental state when it comes to writers.

If I were still an attorney.

Which I'm not.


[Ninth Paragraph - another reiteration of I'm mean]


[Tenth Paragraph - request to change my opinion]


After all that, I have re-evaluated my opinion of Autharium, and I'm even more wary of the company for two reasons:

1) The Terms and Conditions

Has Autharium changed their terms and conditions since PG's original post based on his analysis? Yes.

However, there's a couple of things in Autharium's T&C that I still don't like, despite the changes that have been made. There's no guarantee Autharium won't change the T&C back to the way it was in March of 2013. And frankly, while I highly respect PG, it isn't his intellectual property on the line; it would be mine by signing up with Autharium.

Don't get me wrong. PG's a good guy, and I would hire him in a heartbeat. Also, Autharium has used him as free legal counsel (and maybe they should think about hiring him instead of the attorneys they are currently using), which he doesn't have a problem with..

I, on the other hand, am a bitch, and I don't give advice for free to people I don't know. So I won't state the problems with the T&C I see in this blog. If you know me, contact me privately and we'll talk. Informally. Because I'm no longer licensed, and I can't give legal advice. *grin*

2) Professionalism

Matt's thinking seems to be firmly rooted in trad publishing mentality, which is scary in and of itself. I rather get the impression he hoped to intimidate poor, little ole' me.

Because all the trad publishers and agents just know that writers are cattle to be culled. (No, Donald Maass, I will never let you forget that statement. I even have a t-shirt to commemorate it.)

What bothers me more are Matt's social missteps and his tendency to use a tactical nuke when a hug and kiss would have gotten him a lot farther in what he wanted.

Generally speaking, once the contract is signed the kid gloves come off, you are fucked by whatever is actually written on the contract. Therefore, you are at the mercy of the other parties to the contract. You have to ask yourself, "Is this someone you want to do business with?"

In the case of Autharium, my answer is no. You, the reader of this blog, have to figure out what your own answer is.

While I was drafting this blog post, someone from Autharium did contact PG some time on Monday. The Autharium representative supposedly said the DMCA notice should have been handled differently.

Well, it's good that they figured it out. Hopefully, they learned something about how to deal with negative publicity in the future. Such as, don't piss off a respected blogger who can measure his followers in five digits per day.

For example, I found out last night that Techdirt wrote about Autharium's attempt to white-wash it's past.

And that is exactly the problem with the Streisand effect, kids.

* * *
01/10/2016 - Since this post went live nearly two years ago, I had one comment which led to a follow-up post Autharium (aka Indie) Strikes Back.

Monday, February 24, 2014

Scam Distributor Autharium Versus The Passive Guy--Somebody's Going to Get Spanked...

...and it ain't going to be The Passive Guy.

About a year ago, The Passive Guy, aka PG, aka contract attorney David Vandagriff with 30+ years experience, talked about a new UK e-publisher/distributor called Autharium.

In Autharium's original Terms and Conditions, the company made an incredibly blatant rights grab that put the NY BPHs to shame. Basically, even if you remove your book from their database, they would still own all licencing and ancillary rights to your IP property.

Well instead of addressing the matter directly with PG, these slimy bottom-feeders filed a bad faith DMCA notice claiming copyright violation in an effort to shut up PG's revelation. Ironic considering their own method for stealing any meaningful copyright from authors, huh?

As PG noted, if you're going to pick a fight, you should know who your up against. Which is frankly what makes the folks running Autharium a bunch of dumbasses.

So PG has done another post on Autharium and their newer, sneakier wording to steal YOUR copyright. In the meantime, PG noted that the incredible Victoria Strauss at Writers Beware brought up the very same issues.

The best we can do as writers is to watch each others backs from slimeball organization like Autharium. If you're a writer, spread this story as far and wide as possible. Information is power, and we need to arm our fellows.

Update the Autharian Drama here.

Sunday, February 23, 2014

Videos I've Been Watching Lately

If this doesn't creep you out a little...


Friday, February 21, 2014

Bra-a-a-a-i-i-i-nnnnssss!

This is a normal person's brain. This is what we're doing to our children by telling them to grow up, by telling them their imaginary friends aren't real, by telling them to sit still for hours on end while listening to boring lectures.




This is a writer's brain. (Link originally shared by the effervescent Kristine Kathryn Rusch.) As a writer, it's best that you take out only one kitten at a time. Otherwise, chaos ensues.




This is a writer's brain after spending the last six days working on the Selket-damned taxes.




Any questions?

Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Would I Take a Trad Deal?

In the wake of the blow-up of the Hugh Howey/Data Guy report that came out last week, DH asked me point blank, "What would make you take a trad deal?"

Me: "Don't you remember? I did last year." (A short story in Sword and Sorceress 28.)

DH: *laughs* "No, I mean a contract offer on a novel."

Me: "Low seven figures minimum on a property I don't give a shit about."

And we all know right now that just ain't gonna happen.

But later that night, I lay in bed wide awake. (Ah, the joys on insomnia!) The days' events replayed through my head, and of course, things rolled back to DH's question. I realized I wasn't entirely truthful with myself.

There's not a whole lot a trad publisher can do for me that I'm not already doing myself. I'm aware of the things I need to improve on, the expansions I need to make, and plans are in the works.

So what can they offer me? What bon mot can they dangle in front of my nose that would really, truly entice me to sign a DPH contract?

Yep, I would sell one of my babies for pennies on the dollar to get booked on The Late, Late Show.

Because Craig Ferguson is just that cool!

Monday, February 17, 2014

GI Joe and Kindle Worlds.

There's been so much happening lately I forgot to mention the fangirl *SQUEE* I had a couple of weeks ago.

Last June, I talked about Amazon's Kindle Worlds, the Big A's project to monetize fanfic with IP properties they have contracted.

Well, Amazon has contracted with the IP owners of GI Joe and Veronica Mars! Holy crap! Mother of us all!

GI Joe is the type of thing I would definitely take a chance on. Why? Action and adventure with a dash of romance. The style would tie in nicely with my own books, and maybe leverage some new readers out of the deal. This is exactly the reasons I would take a crack at Kindle Worlds as I explained in my original post.

I'm also still pissed that the live-action movie people killed off Duke at the beginning of the second flick. If the Hasbro folks are looking for a way out of that mess, they ain't getting a suggestion from me!

The only thing that would make me happier than GI Joe is if Hasbro would let us tackle Jem and the Holograms. *grin*

Sunday, February 16, 2014

Videos That Make Me Laugh

Here's the opening of The Late, Late Show from 2010:


Wednesday, February 12, 2014

And Then the Numbers Flowed Like Manna from Heaven

On Monday, I talked about the recent trashing of indie publishing by some trad published writers.

Well, on Sunday, Jim Hines, a SFF writer I admire, jumped into the fray. The religious mockery he used made me laugh, and he really tried to be neutral in the main post. Unfortunately, his attitude in comments was rather telling. Especially when he jumped on J.R. Tomlin for not being able to produce a study on indie earnings that was not anecdotal, but didn't say a word to Sylvia McIvers for stating that indies spent all their time doing their own shipping. (Needless to say, my respect for Jim dropped a bit for the uneven moderation of his blog.)

Then yesterday, lo, behold, a savior appeared. Nope, not Jesus of Nazareth. Hugh Howey.

Hugh Howey, his mysterious angel, and The Numbers.

The Numbers that showed the Transformation of the Publishing Universe was not only well underway, but past the Point of No Return.

People got so ecstatic that they crashed the server in their reverence. The raw data is available for those who like the crunchiness of fresh numbers.

Joe Konrath, who foretold the revelation by Hugh and his angel years before, immediately posted the report on his website, so that the faithful flock (or herd if you're The Donald) may continue gaze upon The Numbers and be redeemed.

There are already those who claim the Great Revelation is based on heathen propaganda. Absolute Write shut down the thread about The Numbers within three hours because the OP didn't back up her reasoning for the post. (Because the OP was working that day job that everyone says not to give up, maybe?) And the AW moderator cried out in horror, "Numbers? You expect poor dumb writers to understand numbers?"

And the Wave of Knowledge swept across the countryside and the sacred cattle moo'd...

***

All religious snarking aside, comments are welcome. But y'all know the rules here: play nice, play fair, no name-calling. And this is my blog so I'm the final arbiter. If you can't handle that, go cry somewhere else.

Are the breakdowns perfect? No, but already Hugh and his partner are miles ahead of the Digital Book World/Writers Digest poll because 100% of the writers in Hugh's survey are published.

Monday, February 10, 2014

The Current Writer Rampage Against Indie Publishing

There's been a lot of commentary from various folks in the publishing industry about how detrimental indie publishing is to the industry as a whole.

Over the last couple of weeks, we've heard from Steve Zacharius, CEO of Kensington Publishing; Robert Gottlieb, Chairman of Trident Media Group; and Donald Maass of The Donald Maass Literary Agency. It makes sense these folks will whine because indie writers are cutting into their bottom line. Submissions are down, and the ones coming in aren't of the usual quality. Not to mention, writers already signed to these people are leaving in droves.

But it's the writers that decry the "tsunami of swill" or the latest term, "the shit volcano," that makes me sad. What's even more sad is when these writers post these diatribes, they often close comments when other writers defend what they feel is an attack on them.

Here's the thing: these people, like Chuck and Suw, assume they don't write shit. Why? Because they were chosen by the establishment before the changes to distribution changed the game.

That's right. They feel they are the Chosen Ones.

Therefore, they could not possibly write shit.

And everyone else must because they weren't chosen.

When someone like me publishes, someone who wasn't chosen, it creates cognitive dissonance in those who believe they are chosen. Quite simply, they can't deal with the stress of two, in this case allegedly, contradictory realities, and so they lash out, even though they claim to support indie publishing and may even indie publish themselves.

It goes back to what I've said before. The playing field is no longer a step pyramid, but a level plane.

Sad to say, it's not just an attitude from total strangers. Many of my traditionally published friends, who read my work prior to February of 2011, told me they didn't understand why I hadn't attracted an agent, why an editor who'd asked for a full had turned me down. These same people then told me I was giving up, I was lazy, I was cheating by indie publishing when I made my announcement. So, which version of what these writers friends told me was the truth and which was the lie concerning the quality of my writing?

As I've said before, once you get beyond the basics of craft (which a writer should ALWAYS master before trying to publish by ANY method), the concept of shit is totally relative. For example, some folks inhale romance while others equate with eating cow anuses. And frankly, the folks that hate it DON'T MATTER.

What we writers like means almost nothing to readers. They like what they like. They buy what they buy. Writers criticizing each other for paths taken/not taken means nothing to them. If a story really is shit, the readers won't buy it.

So what are the chosen writers truly worried about? That some reader will pay for my unchosen book and not theirs.

Readers just want a good story. They won't even see the so-called shit. It's really that simple.

Sunday, February 9, 2014

BAMF Girls Club Episode 14

New episode! And I agree with Lisbeth--Hermione won't last!


Friday, February 7, 2014

When an Agent Sticks the Cow Hoof into His Mouth

Wednesday was a train wreck writers just couldn't look away from.

Agent Donald Maass wrote a post over at Writer Unboxed. It was controversial. It was contradictory. It was derogatory. And at times, the Donald was out-and-out lying or woefully misinformed.

Initially, the Donald said indie stories weren't worth the electrons, much less the paper, they were written on.

One sentence started the cow bells clanging over at The Passive Voice, particularly, this phrase: "...print publishers have the luxury of culling the prize cattle from the herd." The Donald is referring to indie writers doing all the work, then folks like him swooping in to...

Do y'all have any idea what "culling" is? That's when the farmer/rancher separates the animals not needed for breeding or sale purposes and takes them to the slaughterhouse.

In other words, writers need to be culled for slaughter to keep the publishers fed. *facepalm*

The Donald's diatribe about the worthlessness of writers went downhill from there. Comments from opposing views were often blocked at Writer Unboxed. As writer Marc Cabot, who in his day job is an IP attorney, said, "It’s a rare glimpse of complete honesty as to how authors are usually viewed with a bonus Voltaire moment. Be grateful for it."

Yep, we writers are cattle to be culled for slaughter.

The fabulous commenters at TPV started having fun with it. The cow jokes flew.

The Donald also said, "...print publishers instead are now gratefully relieved of the money-losing burden of the mid-list."

Wait a minute. Publishers are glad to get rid of us, but they still plan to cull us?

Now, I could go over the entire list, but Joe Konrath and Barry Eisler stepped in and royally fisked the Don. I needed a box of tissues when I was done reading because of the proverbial tears from laughing so hard.

One of the few opposing comments that got through at Writer Unboxed mentioned Dean Wesley Smith and Kris Rusch and their support and entrance to the indie world. The Donald claimed in the Writer Unboxed comments that he's buds with them, and that he'd have to talk to them. DWS had an interesting response. Make sure you read his comments as well. Later on Thursday, DWS made a point of updating one of his posts on agents.

Here's the kicker: if someone asked me for a recommendation on the basic elements of storytelling, I would, and have, recommended the Donald's book, Writing the Break-Out Novel. I've changed my mind about the re-writing until your fingers bleed section though. I don't think that really helps a writer to learn and grow. YMMV.

As for the rest, I think the Donald's statement is endemic of the state of traditional publishers. In other words, they are starting to panic. I'm hearing from more and more writers with the micro-press and smaller publishers that submissions are down, and what the editors are seeing is of lesser quality than before. These people are talking to me because they are looking to switch to indie publishing.

If this is the case (and I have no reason to doubt the veracity of the people I spoken with), then agents and the Big 5 are going to have the same problem soon, if not already.

When people start flinging insults and use fear-based marketing for their services, it is usually coming from their own internal fear. And that's what I'm hearing from the Donald.

No route to publishing is easy. Success isn't guaranteed on any path. But I'll be damned if I'll be a cow led to slaughter.

Because I'm an Angry Sheep.

Baaaaa!

Wednesday, February 5, 2014

Three Stupid Things Writers Do or Why Are Writers So Insane?

I admit I was already insane before I began this strange journey I'm on so I'm by no means excluding myself from the group.

Albert Einstein once said, "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." Here's a list of the insane things I see indie writers doing. (And yes, I have been guilty of some of these on occasion.)

1) Refusing to Change Our Methods

I see writers write the same story over and over again (just change the names, location and hair/eye color) and wonder why people stop buying their work. Or they don't find the right people who can help them with points where they are weak. Or the use the same marketing techniques as everyone else--and wonder why they don't work.

Sometimes, you have to step outside of your comfort zone. What works for everyone else may not work for you, and vice versa. There isn't a ONE, TRUE WAY to success. Sorry, but there just isn't.

Don't be afraid to experiment, whether it be a new genre, a different price, or a redesigned cover.


2) Marketing to the Wrong People

Several times a day, I get a Twitter or Facebook alert from a new follower or friend advertising their book. Once in a while isn't bad, but fifty times a day every day?

What's even worse are the people who aren't paying attention to who I am. Why are you targeting another writer? Furthermore, why are you pimping your sweet Christian romance to a Wiccan fantasy/erotica author? Talk about mismatch of product!


3) Believing Readers Are Beneath Us

In the cases where a writer has gotten the first two points right, they slip up and rudely dismiss their readers. Readers are the ones paying for your book, i.e. paying your bills. Readers are the ones who tell their friends about your book when they've fallen in love with the hero. Treat those readers with respect. I've seen too many writers lately who think that readers owe them something.

Guess what? Readers don't owe us a damn thing other than a few bucks for our product. And even then, if you don't give them the experience they are paying for, they can and will return your book. Frankly, they have every right to, especially if you treat them like shit. ALWAYS treat your readers with respect.


To me, these three items will carry you farther than learning how to format or catching every little typo.*

* And some idiot will now spread the rumor across the internet that I said you can leave typos in your manuscript. No, that's not what I said. Odds are the idiot spreading the rumor is one of several who got miffed when I didn't follow him/her back within two seconds of them following me on Twitter. That's because my full-time job is writing, not consoling their ego.

Monday, February 3, 2014

Special Monday Edition of Videos I've Been Watching

Neil Gaiman rocks! I can't wait until he becomes a grandfather.


Sunday, February 2, 2014

Videos I've Been Watching Lately

Nothing like a little Stormtrooper twerking...at least, until the boss shows up.