Characters Run Amuck

Gene Twaronite posted a link to the interview below on a Linked In group I belong to.  The “person” being interviewed is actually the main character of Gene’s novel, John Boggle.  The idea of interviewing a character instead of the author wasn’t new to me, my character Jo Sullivan actually did an interview today on Laurie’s Thoughts and Reviews.

Gene, however, has taken the idea a step further in an interesting way.  John Boggle has actually highjacked Gene’s Twitter account, too.  From the sound of it, other authors’ characters have been doing this as well, turning up on social media network sites as themselves and not letting their authors get a word in edgewise.

I like this idea.  It sounds like fun, as long as Jo lets me be the one to write the sequel to her story.  To find out what Gene and John Boggle are up to, follow him on Twitter:  John Boggle@gtwaronite

Since this second novel has come out, I feel more alive now than ever before. In a sense I’ve been born again. Since most of you reading this are probably not characters, it’s hard for me to explain. Each time an author writes a sequel about a character, that literary person becomes a little more real. My author tries to hog all the glory for creating a believable character and never gives me credit for all the work at my end. But as the saying goes, it takes two to tango. He claims that it was his brain that first came up with me. But I am the idea itself—just waiting for him or someone else to seize upon my potential. Without me he’s a nothing but a writer without a story.

via I Am A Reader, Not A Writer: Character Interview & Book Giveaway: My Vacation in Hell by Gene Twaronite.

Writing Freebies

There are almost as many people creating companies that offer resources to writers as there are writers jumping into the self publishing frenzy.  There are a lot of hungry fish out there and everyone seems to be chasing those dollar-sign shaped fish hooks.

There’s nothing wrong with that, but you have to be careful to pick a company that can be counted on to deliver some bang for your bucks.  Personally, I have no intention of paying anyone to either publish my writing or to promote it.  I don’t even enter contests if they have an entry fee.

There are lots of these companies, however, that offer free advice or tools that I am perfectly willing to take advantage of and pass on here.  I found the site below when doing some research on freelance rates that has several free offerings you might want to check out.  I’m sure they are hoping you will like their generosity enough to inquire into their paid services, but please know that I am not advocating for them.  If you are interested in what they have to offer, go for it.  Or just take the freebies and go on your way.  Your choice.

We hope you find these FREE writing resources useful for the writing you do. Check back with us often to see what other writing freebies we’ve come up with lately.

via Writing Freebies | No 2 Pen Writing and Communications.

Amazon Highjacks Apple’s Article

The letter Scott Turow, President of the Author’s Guild posted in early March is really about a potential lawsuit against Apple and five publishers.  But his mention of how Amazon practices make the Apple decision an inevitable one results in the majority of the following comments focusing on Amazon and whether or not what they’re doing is good for writers and publishing. Depending on which argument I am reading at the moment, I feel like a fan at a tennis match not sure which player I want to win.

Yesterday’s report that the Justice Department may be near filing an antitrust lawsuit against five large trade book publishers and Apple is grim news for everyone who cherishes a rich literary culture.

The Justice Department has been investigating whether those publishers colluded in adopting a new model, pioneered by Apple for its sale of iTunes and apps, for selling e-books. Under that model, Apple simply acts as the publisher’s sales agent, with no authority to discount prices.

via Letter from Scott Turow: Grim News | The Authors Guild Blog.

Self Publishing Comparison Chart

There is a link in the article below to a chart showing a comparison of the different self publishing options that might prove helpful if you are thinking of going that route.  You can also click on the picture below to go directly to the chart.

The self-publishing industry has gotten a makeover.

Distribution costs have gone down and design quality has gone up. The fact that undiscovered writers can get someone to design, edit, publish, distribute and market their books for a few thousand dollars in a matter of weeks is nothing short of amazing.

Self-publishing services are designed for a large number of clients who have relatively small budgets. As with the yellow pages, there is a lot of up-selling and packaging of individual services. But that’s not to say that the services aren’t valuable.

via Self-Publishing Guide From Digital Book World | Digital Book World.