C h a z z W r i t e s . c o m

See all my books at AllThatChazz.com.

05/22/2012 • 7:17 PM 0

Top of the Pack

See on Scoop.it – Writing and reading fiction

I said I would write a bit about my experiences with literary agents. Here is the first one that is worth noting: A few years ago a friend who is in the publishing industry allowed me to use her name…

This post, among others, got into some interesting discussion of trad vs self-pub vitriol across blogs (Nathan Bransford’s blog, Sarah LaPolla scolding us for calling ourselves indie authors and The Passive Voice‘s wry take). I report Laura Novak’s link here as a tale of endurance ending in success. For the record, I don’t think Ms. Novak’s post is vitriol at all. It’s reportage on dealings with a specific agent. I replied in the comments thread on the Passive Voice blog because I felt the crowd was a tad more evenhanded in the discussion there. As for the whole, don’t call yourselves indie thing, please don’t tell me what to call myself. I don’t wear a collar and you’re not holding my leash so I call myself an indie author proudly, even if you scream at me in all caps. As someone pointed out in one of the comment threads, self-publishing connotes less than all that I do to publish and arguments over semantics might get somebody riled up but it’s doubtful anyone will be moved to change.

If you read across the blogs, you’ll also notice a recurring theme: Some folks in traditional publishing seem to resent indies and don’t like it if we complain in a similar fashion. Then you’ll see stories of agents and editors who gushed about how great a manuscript was just before they rejected it. Gee, why is this model not working? Of course, there doesn’t have to be an enemy. We could tend to our own businesses and respect each other’s choices. We could be happy for each other’s success. We could, but sometimes we choose otherwise.

See on www.lauranovakauthor.com

Agent Fail (chazzwrites.com)

Filed under: publishing, agents, Literary agent, Nathan Bransford, publishing, self-publishing versus traditional, traditiional publishing, Writers Resources

05/18/2012 • 8:27 AM 0

The Truth About The Price Of Books

See on Scoop.it – Writing and reading fiction

Over at Moody Writing, mooderino has posted an interesting take on ebook pricing, the competitive market and the value of art. Some stark realities here. Click the Scoopit! link and have a read. See on moodywriting.blogspot.co.uk

Meanwhile, on a related note, Russell Blake has another thought-provoking blog post about Amazon’s changes in how rankings are calculated. Going from tracking unit sales to tracking dollars makes a huge difference to indies. Mr. Blake also predicts the end of free withing the next 30 days! The future is uncertain. On the other hand, same as it ever was. Read that excellent post here.

Filed under: publishing, Amazon, ebook pricing, ebooks, Russell Blake, Writers Resources

05/17/2012 • 4:24 PM 0

PODCAST: To err is human. To forgive is unprecedented.

As the story of the zombie story writer versus the undead anthology creator emerged this week, lines were drawn in concrete, barricades were built and razor wire was erected around the dignity of being a writer. The writing community was inflamed and things have turned around for the writer. But is there a resolution in sight?

In today’s Self-help for Stoners podcast, I wonder about healing, forgiveness and our capacity to get over the bad stuff. When the world disagrees with us, do we still dig in our heels and somehow convince ourselves the world is wrong? When we’ve won, in our anger, do we keep kicking? Can we move forward, or are all judgments permanent? Are we as good as we can be? And could we, possibly, ever be as good as Batman? After dealing out a savage beating, can we forgive?

Have a listen at my author site, AllThatChazz.com.

PODCAST: The No Bullies Edition (allthatchazz.com)
Get heard: Podcast Your Book (chazzwrites.com)

Filed under: publishing, allthatchazz.com, Batman, forgiveness, iTunes, Podcast, writer, Writers Resources, writing, Writing and Editing, writing community

05/17/2012 • 9:01 AM 0

VIDEO: Confrontation over copyright infringement & CYA

Caricature of Gregory House Italiano: Caricatura di Gregory House (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

This week, the theme that emerged on the blog is: Writers in Conflict with People Who Undervalue the Work and Try to Take Advantage of Them. In this tense video, a writer whose work has been stolen gets recompense from a newspaper. (Well done for keeping it civil and still getting paid.) I can’t help but wonder how this would have gone down differently without the camera running. Got a problem? Take a camera.

Failing that, keep all your emails and the paper trail so when people cross you, you can crush them if you need to. Don’t crush them if you don’t need to, of course, but be assured that at some point it will come up. Recently I felt I had to use a digital voice recorder when forced to chase someone over a bill. Even though I ended up only leaving a voicemail, I kept the recording to show how unfailingly polite I was if I needed to show the transgressor what reality looks like. It saddens me that these things are sometimes necessary, but after getting harassed by someone once, I now keep the recorder by the phone should anyone ever make the same mistake. When people get nasty, they inevitably hang themselves with their own rope.

What a downer. So we should also affirm that mostly? Things work out. Most people in the industry have good intentions. Most people deal in common, solid business practices. Very few people set out to be unkind. Usually, the problem is in a miscommunication, a misunderstanding or the person who is in the wrong is only wrong. A mistake is not the same thing as a sin. Also? When people are unkind, it often catches up with them. (Just yesterday, an old enemy fell due to the atrocity that is her personality. Am I unkind to taste the delicious schadenfreude? Yes, a little, I suppose. However, despite my efforts to stay pure and innocent, I’m still human so I have to point out that karma is a bitch and so was she.)

We have to believe that most people are doing the best they can. We have to believe that most people are good. To keep moving forward through our days, we have to believe it.

Believe it, even if it’s not true.

You don’t really want to be Dr. Gregory House.

Blogger confronts copyright infringing newspaper publisher on camera, gets paid (EndtheLie.com)

Filed under: publishing, are people good?, Copyright, copyright infringement, karma, karma's a bitch, protect yourself, theft, video, writers, Writers Resources, YouTube video

05/15/2012 • 10:05 AM 2

Agent Fail

See on Scoop.it – Writing and reading fiction

This morning I was alerted to a big mistake lit agent Scott Eagan made, and then his humorous attempt to cover it up by deleting it, all documented nicely here at Passive Guy’s blog. (See, Scott? It’s important on the Internet to LINK to posts you reference.)

I was going to spend the morning excoriating the moron, but the commentors at Passive Voice have done an admirable job already, meaning I didn’t need to draw extra attention to the stupid things he said.

So instead I’m going to draw attention to the stupid things agent Steve Laube says in his post Goodbye to Traditional Publishing?

(Between the comments on Mandy de Geit’s blog post on her bad experience with an editor who was a rewriter –see below– and Konrath’s and Passive Guy’s vivisection of this agent’s post, the Internet is showing the power of righteous wrath once again. It makes me wonder about our capacity to change as individuals. If everyone is telling you you’re wrong, do you at least consider their point of view or do you double down? Can the offenders change, or is a persecution complex forever warm and cozy? Just wondering about our nature as a species this morning. Check out the links and make up your own mind. It’s all laid out very neatly. Also, RE: Agent Fail, please be sure to read Konrath’s original guest post that Eagan appears to comment upon (and then says he didn’t mean that one!) as I feel the ex-Harlequin author’s points are diluted and/or mischaracterized. ~ Chazz)

See on jakonrath.blogspot.fr

Filed under: publishing, agent fail, harlequin fail, Konrath, passive guy, publishing, Writers Resources

05/11/2012 • 10:22 PM 1

The Jerry Maguire Moment: What is your blog’s mission statement?

I had my Jerry Maguire moment

Mission Statement (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

(and yes, I know that didn’t go well for him in the short-term).

Ask yourself:

What are you trying to achieve with your blog?

Is it a blog or a blahg?

My mission at ChazzWrites.com is:

1? To inform readers of this blog about self-publishing, to the point where we and others think of self-publishers simply as publishers.

2? To make you chuckle here and there as you read so you’ll keep reading. (Failing that, we’ll murder a mime, which is always good for a chuckle.)

3? To raise all indie author boats, I promote fellow authors and spread the word about their books, their links and their awesomeness.

4? To swell the how-to tide of practical knowledge about writing, marketing, and promotion for success in independent publishing.

5? To bring the obscure but deserving into the light so they may be found by a happy readership. (Yes, damn right I’m obscure but deserving, too!)

You ask yourself: Why the question marks after the five points of the mission statement? Is that a strangely persistent typo? No. I did that because Number 1 is not always going to be Priority 1. Sometimes I just provide an informative link and shoo you away elsewhere to gulp down factoids, nuggets and precious how-to wisdom. Sometimes I want you to curl up closer to my fire and feel the warmth of my heated rants. Often, I try to combine these five elements in one post. Sometimes I’ll just kill a mime for the heck of it.

The only thing that’s continuous through every blog post is this:

I try to do what Spike Lee requires of all of us in the movie Do the Right Thing.

I try to do the right thing.

Are Self-Published Authors Happier Than Traditionally Published Authors? (chazzwrites.com)
The future of reading and publishing according to Amazon (macleans.ca)
Choosing To Self-Publish ~ Lots of Help . . . (nfaa.wordpress.com)
You’re Going to Need A Support System (cultofajracewood.wordpress.com)
The Many Ways to Skin a Cat | Jonathan D. Allen (dragonflyscrolls.wordpress.com)
Re-Repost: The Business Rusch: Royalty Statement Update 2012 (mikecanex.wordpress.com)
Author Interview: Chazz visits The Writing World (allthatchazz.com)

Filed under: publishing, Blog, blogging, Business, chazzwrites.com, Do the Right Thing, how-to, indie authors, Jerry McGuire, links, Mission statement, publishing, self publishers, self-publishing, tips, Writers Resources, writing

03/07/2012 • 9:27 AM 1

The Writing World: Author Interview- Robert Chazz Chute

Via Scoop.it – Devolution

This was a big bucket of fun. RaeBeth McGee over at The Writing World interviews me on my weaknesses (carefully hidden), my books (mostly obscure but gaining ground) and the bodies (corporate and otherwise) strewn behind me.

Fun interviews are one of the perks of this job. I love having fun with author interviews. Click the link to The Writing World and have a laugh. ~ Chazz
Via raebethmcgeeswriting.blogspot.com

Podcast: The Death By Fire Edition (allthatchazz.com)
Hot Sweaty Hottie Motivation (allthatchazz.com)

Filed under: All That Chazz, Author profiles, Books, publishing, Useful writing links, What about Chazz?, What about you?, Writers, writing tips, Author, author interview, fiction, jokes, publishing, raebeth mcgee, Robert Chazz Chute, self-publishing, suspense, the writing world, Writers Resources

03/05/2012 • 9:49 PM 0

Between Fact and Fiction: 10 Things I Wish I Would Have Done Differently

Via Scoop.it – Writing and reading fiction

(Natalie Whipple of Between Fact & Fiction details 10 things she wishes she had done differently on her publishing journey. Good tips here and a good blog. Check it out. ~ Chazz)
Via betweenfactandfiction.blogspot.com

PayPal cracks down on erotica e-book sales | TeleRead: News and views on e-books, libraries, publishing and related topics (chazzwrites.com)

Filed under: authors, publishing, Useful writing links, writing tips, Arts, between fact & fiction, fiction, natalie Whipple, publishing, Writers Resources, writing

03/05/2012 • 1:12 PM 1

Scrivener: 3 Reasons You Should Use It For Your Book

Via Scoop.it – Writing and reading fiction

(I just started using Scrivener for a new book. The learning curve was a bit steep at first, but I’m starting to like it now that I’m getting used to it. The Video Tutorials help, though Joanna references a manual in this article, too. ~ Chazz)
I used Scrivener for my latest book, Prophecy.
Via www.thecreativepenn.com

Scrivener Complicated but Worth the Effort (everythingscrivener.wordpress.com)
Playing Around With Scrivener (everythingscrivener.wordpress.com)
I have discovered Scrivener (everythingscrivener.wordpress.com)
How to Export to an E-Book Using Scrivener (everythingscrivener.wordpress.com)
Book Review: Writing a Novel with Scrivener by David Hewson (laydilejur.com)

Filed under: ebooks, publishing, scriptwriting, self-publishing, writing tips, ebooks, epub, fiction, formatting, Literature, mobi, Scrivener, Writers Resources, writing

02/27/2012 • 6:16 PM 0

Two Legs Bad: An Open Letter to Mark Coker | Remittance Girl : Erotic Fiction, Stories and Series

Via Scoop.it – Writing and reading fiction

This post is a public response to an email sent by Mark Coker, founder of Smashwords, asking all erotic writers to take down any books that contravene their…
Via remittancegirl.com