It's Okay to Say I Don't Know

Yesterday, my formatter e-mailed me. Another client of hers was worried about their distributor and how long it took before their book would go live on retailer sites.

I don't use this particular distributor, so I was honest. I replied, "I don't know."

People today are so afraid of that three-word phrase. They don't want to be seen as incompetent. They're worried about their image, especially if they've built up their image as a  guru.

But here's the thing--no one knows everything. And it's okay.

The rest of my response is also important--I said, "Let me check around and see if I can find out."

Sure enough, I got an answer fairly quickly, but as I opened my e-mail app to reply, I got another e-mail from my formatter that said, "Never mind."

The other client had a bad case of nerves. I'm assuming it was their very first release. Publishing a book for the first time is incredibly fraught for any writer, whether it be trad or indie. The anxiety and fear can be a little overwhelming for any writer, new and experienced. I'm not giving the other client a hard time. Hell, I've been there.

But the important thing is neither our formatter nor I gave the newbie some bullshit answer. We both said we're not sure, but let us check with our sources.

By being honest, trust is built in the relationship. And if someone can't handle an "I don't know" from their co-workers, they're probably not someone you want to work with anyway.

Coronavirus Pandemic Day 720 - How to Make the World a Worse Place

Known COVID-19 cases in the U.S. - 78,931,739
Known COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. - 948,215

The world is still in the grip of the COVID-19 pandemic when Vladamir Putin, the president of Russia and wannabe creator of the new Soviet Union, decided to invade Ukraine a week ago.

He couldn't even come up with a good reason. Instead, he came up with the lamest excuses/lies on the face of the planet.

DH's employer has an office in Kyiv. In a status meeting on Friday, my husband volunteered our house for any refugee co-workers and their families.

Right now, we know several families are headed for the Polish border. Some have decided to stay and fight. And they've lost contact with one person who lives in one of the heavily shelled suburbs of Kyiv.

So this week, I may not get much writing done. I'll be on the phone with my representatives in D.C. to see what we need to do to get visas for the children and get them out of the war zone.

If you can help, and I don't mean thoughts and prayers, call your congresspeople and the White House about extending emergency refugee visas to the people of Ukraine.

If you don't know who your congressperson is, you can find them here. Senators can be found here. And for the White House, here's their contact information.

TGI Labor Day Weekend! Or Maybe Not

I'm officially done with quarantine, but it's not like I can, or want, to go anywhere this weekend.

So, I'll be doing a lot of reading, writing, and television watching over the next three days. I feel like this is the new normal, and honestly, it fits with my introverted personality. However, I'm blessed to have DH and the Princess Pup at home as well as friends I can call, text, e-mail, and/or Zoom with when I feel the need for human contact.

If you're having issues dealing with the stresses of the COVID-19 pandemic and its fallout, and you need someone to talk to, there's NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

There's no shame in needing a little help. We all do these days. So please call or e-mail them.

We really are in this together.

Why Experienced Writers Won't Babysit You

A lot of newbie writers ask experienced writers for help, and then get very upset at the response they received. Why? Because the experienced writer does one of two things:

1) Graciously, or sometimes not so graciously, refuses to read what the newbie has written.

2) Doesn't tell the newbie what the newbie wants to hear.

Let's start off by saying I've made this mistake as a newbie, and yes, my fee-fees were hurt. Years later, I understand where the experienced writers were coming from.

First of all, writing full-time is more than a full-time job. A career writer works 60-80 hours a week. So every little e-mail takes time away from either work or their personal life. And it's never one request.

For example, I'm no one famous, and I still get a couple of requests a month. Someone like Neil Gaiman or Nora Roberts gets thousands. There's no way they can possible answer them all, which is why a newbie will get a polite "Sorry" or "Please see Famous Writer's FAQ" from Famous Writer's assistant.

The experienced writer, who falls between barely known and famous, knows the newbie wants to be told they're the greatest thing since sliced bread. (Actually Betty White IS greater than sliced bread, but that's a story for another day.) The newbie may be. But usually they aren't. If the experienced writer gives the newbie advice, s/he knows from bitter experience that they will probably be cussed out. So why put themselves in that position? So they give a polite "No."

Unfortunately, the newbie doesn't understand why they've been told no, so they cuss out the experienced writer anyway. Which is why writers like Harlan Ellison chew a new hole in a newbie's ass if s/he dares to ask  him for help.

If the experienced writer does give any advice, the advice is usually rejected. I've been called several "B" words, the nicest of which was "brutal" when I didn't tell the newbie writer she was perfect.

So I've learned my lesson. If someone wants to talk business and s/he's finished AT LEAST one novel, I'm more likely to reply to a question. Otherwise, the newbie is still learning craft, and I'll steer them toward books/blog/classes that can help them.

I'm not trying to be cruel if I don't answer your question. We all have to learn to walk before we try to run a marathon. And the only way to learn to walk (or write) is to practice.

So hang in there and practice. Even Michael Jordan practiced twelve hours a day after he got his first NBA Championship ring.

HELP! (And a reward for the correct answer!)

A few weeks ago, I came across a blog that one of my daily dose people (i.e. Passive Guy, Joe Konrath, DWS, etc.) linked to, either directly or indirectly. The lady writer had the HTML on her blog post for a universal link to all Amazon stores for her buy links in the back of her books.

The book link would go to the appropriate store based on the reader's locale, i.e. if the reader was in England, the link would go to that book page on www.amazon.co.uk.

This was terrific! I didn't have to list every single Amazon store! I saved that URL, or I could have sworn I did. But between the move to Ohio and two computer crashes, I cannot find the bookmark for that blog!

It is NOT the Wordpress Affiliate Link Localizer plug-in, Easyazon, Viewbook.at OR Booklinker.net.

As I said, I'm looking for the blog of a female indie writer who posted the HTML for a universal Amazon link.

REWARD: Be he first person to post the link to the correct writer's blog post in my comments section, and I'll send you a $20 Amazon giftcard!