Amy Shojai's Blog, page 153
May 22, 2011
Monday Mentions: About Pets & Heroes
Is your dog a hero?
I get a slew of press releases each week about cat events, dog products, writing blogs, and outstanding websites. Check in each week for a recap the best, most fun, weird-and-wonderful and really anything that strikes my furry fancy.
Is your dog a hero? The AKC Humane Fund Awards for Canine Excellence (ACE) celebrates doggy heroes in several categories: Companion, Law Enforcement, Search and Rescue, Therapy, and Service. You can nominate your own furry pooch or one you know by June 1st to be considered for an ACE Award. The winners' names will be engraved on the ACE plaque on permanent display at the AKC Library in New York City, and weach winner receives $1000, an engraved silver medallion, and an all-expenses-paid trip for the dog and owner to the AKC/Eukanuba National Championship in December 2011. Dogs with honorable mention status receive engraved bronze medallions.
Dog kissing soldier . . .
Patriot Paws I met writer Meg Reid at the recent OWFI writers conference, and I'm delighted she sent me a link to her Twisted Sisters blog (doncha love that title?!). Patriot Paws is a wonderful group dedicated to training service dogs for veterans. as in the above picture. Check it out!
My colleague Susan McCullough writes the outstanding Northern Virginia Dog Blog and has a killer post today on Getting A Leg Up –doggy leg lifting, that is.
Most of y'all know that I'm now the Puppies Guide for Puppies.About.com –and diligently posting new free articles on all-things-puppy (SQUEEE! Cute Alert!). But did you know about the other fan-furry-tastic parts of the "pet group" over at About.com?
Cat folks can't go wrong with the terrific info over at cats.About.com with Cats Guide Franny Syufy. For the past year I've been her partner in cat-crime so there's some kitty behavior articles from me. The the big-cat share of the site comes directly from the talented paws of Franny. After all, she's been writing kitty content for the site for more than a decade.
My spanking-new puppies site content will often include links back to the great info for grown-up canines at dogs.About.com from Dogs Guide Jenna Stregowski, RVT. I'll also link back to care content found at the excellent Veterinary Medicine Guide Janet Tobiassen Crosby, DVM
As a kid, I shared my life with several hamsters, mice, snakes, turtles and loved visiting my grandma's farm to schmooze with horses, chickens, pigs and more. Today lots of folks enjoy the companionship of interesting pets. You'll find some great info from Exotic Pets Guide Adrienne Kruzer, RVT.
Or maybe you have a companion bird–at one time I shared my life with a lil' green chicken (aka Spectacle Amazon Parrot). In fact, the story of her rescue and rehap was the first article I ever sold to be published. I wish that I'd had the help then from Pet Birds Guide Alyson Burgess.
So do you have a hero dog? A hero cat? Horse, gerbil, parrot, snake? How about a hero HUMAN who helps where needed? Please share how people and pets have been heroic and touched your life!
Being a hero is no joke. But the ability to make you laugh is a talent not to be wagged at…so you won't want to miss this fun video from my colleague, writer Janice Biniok. Enjoy!
I love hearing from you, so please share comments and questions–and to stay up to date on all the latest just subscribe the blog, "like" me on Facebook, listen to the weekly radio show , and sign up for Pet Peeves newsletter with pet book give-aways !
Filed under: Monday Mentions, Wags & Purrs Tagged: AKC ACE Awards, Amy Shojai, books, cat, cat behavior, dog, dog behavior, dog training, http://birds.about.com, http://cats.about.com, http://dogs.about.com, http://exoticpets.about.com/, http://puppies.about.com, http://vetmedicine.about.com/, http://www.amyshojai.com, http://www.shojai.com, kittens, Northern Virginia Dog Blog, Oklahoma Writers Federation, Patriot Paws, publishing, puppies, Susan McCullough, writing
May 19, 2011
Feline Friday: Ask Amy, Neat Freaks & Nasty Gifts
Persians can be a grooming challenge.
We cherish the cat's fastidious nature, and I've blogged before about the consequences–hairballs, ew! But neatnik behavior goes beyond looking good. How and why cats groom impacts physical, emotional and social health. Kittens learn to lick themselves by 2 weeks of age using copycat behavior, and a slovenly mother will raise kitten slobs.
Are your cats neatniks, or slobs? Seren has a very specific grooming routine, ever since she arrived as a four-month-0ld stray. Most times kittens wash themselves by the time they are weaned, and adults spend up to 50 percent of their awake time in some form of grooming. You can learn WHY are cats such OCD groomers in the rest of my NEATNESS FREAKS article at Paw Nation.
By the way, I'll be sending in suggestions for future Paw Nation topics. Have any suggestions (dog or kitty?). Please share! No guarantees, but I aims ta pleeze. And if not there, the topic could be a future Ask Amy.
So does it seem counter-intuitive for some tidy creatures to indulge in playing mousy games with critter entrails? Ew, again! Do your cats bring you special gifts? The few times that a mouse managed to get into the house, Seren simply watched it run by with only passing curiosity. She does attack crickets with relish, though, and leaves the buggy drumsticks behind. I think one reason many of us adore cats is they're just a paw-step away from that wild-child creature, so it's like bringing nature closer into our lives.
The Ask Amy video offers a couple of reasons why cats bring us gifts–but what do you think?
I love hearing from you, so please share comments and questions–and to stay up to date on all the latest just subscribe the blog, "like" me on Facebook, listen to the weekly radio show , and sign up for Pet Peeves newsletter with pet book give-aways !
Filed under: Ask Amy, Bling Alert!, Feline Fridays, Furry Fridays, Video Tagged: Amy Shojai, Ask Amy, bling, cat behavior, cat grooming, cat hairballs, cat hunting, cat training, cats, kittens, Paw Nation, pets, sparkles, writing, www.amyshojai.com, www.shojai.com
May 18, 2011
Thoughty Thursday: Fences & Good Neighbors
Please fence me in!
We're building a fence. Actually, we HAVE a fence, but it's pipe-and-rail designed for horses. Looks great, but it won't keep the Magical-Dawg inside. In fact, he could vault the fence if he wanted—shhhhh, don't tell him! Right now it's not a problem because the roses (you remember them?) have run rampant in the back yard and engulfed a goodly portion of the fence. But since we're redesigning the back rose garden (pronounced FLAME THROWER! aka BULLDOZER aka I-DON'T-WANNA-PRUNE-NO-MORE!), it's time to make a secure, happy place for Magical-Dawg. He's tired of having to come inside every time weenie humans can't take the heat/bugs/stickers/whatever.
National Dog Bite Awareness Week blog has me thinking about safety for my fur-kids. Yes, "awareness" protects the four-legged family members just as much as it does the humans. Take a look/listen at today's Ask Amy about a dog chasing–and scaring–neighbor kids, YIKES! That's an accidental bite just waiting to happen, and we all know the dog will pay the higher price for even a bandaid-worthy nip.
Actually, the thorny garden with all its weed-icity reminds me of my other writerly projects I've shoved on the back burner. I have two more backlist books to format and get kindle-ized (cat and dog care encyclopedias, no less!) and the necessary editing/weeding feels daunting. My co-author and I just completed our play–a musical–and today tossed that baby to a couple of folks for vetting. That felt like opening the back door to Magical-Dawg to go play with coyotes–scary scary scary! Oh, and the fiction WIP now in 3rd revision has miles of weeds to wack before handing off to my editor for her flame-thrower treatment. Do you ever have writing projects you'd like to build a fence around to keep safe from critical eyes?
Puppies especially WILL consider barriers to be a challenge . . .
Meanwhile, the new puppies.About.com site gives me my daily SQUEEEEE! where I just wrote about easy tips about doggy fence options. Do you have a safe fenced space for your dog–or your cat? How does your pet handle strangers? Magical-Dawg decided early on that he'd protect house/yard/his-people from strangers, whether we want him to or not! Probably the coyotes should watch out if he ever did escape our soon-to-be-installed-upgraded-rose-unencumbered-fence. Meanwhile we practice socialization continually. Or maybe it's an act–Magic now thinks the drive-through bank tellers and dry cleaners and Starbucks are AWESOME treat-dispensers designed just for his benefit.
Seren-kitty is even less forgiving of strangers and doesn't let her 7-pounds-of-bluff stop her. She marches right up to visitors, hurls cat-curses, and tells 'em to get the hell-outta-HER-house! IMO the "bite awareness" should apply to kitties, too. Fang-icity ain't fun, no matter if it comes with hisses or howls.
Have you ever been bitten by a dog or cat–your own or a strangers' pet? What happened? Be honest…were you at fault? Or was the pet a victim of irresponsible or clueless owners–or an innocent kiddo wanting to hug/kiss Fluffy and getting nailed? All you savvy pet people out there, how do you protect your pets–and people–from each other? The PETiQuette book has lots of tips for recognizing and avoiding dog and cat aggression, but let's get some free advice going in the comments section. What else would you suggest to the Aussie owners in this Ask Amy video?
I love hearing from you, so please share comments and questions–and to stay up to date on all the latest just subscribe the blog, "like" me on Facebook, listen to the weekly radio show, and sign up for Pet Peeves newsletter with pet book give-aways!
Filed under: Ask Amy, Bling Alert!, Kindle, Thoughtful Thursdays, Video Tagged: Amy Shojai, Ask Amy, books, cat aggression, cat behavior, cat books, cat care, dog behavior, dog bites, dog books, dog fences, dog training, dogs, editing, fiction, http://www.amyshojai.com, http://www.shojai.com, Kindle, musicals, pet books, playwright, publishing, puppies, puppies.About.com, writing
Woof Wednesday: Imperfect Pets
Oscar is Natalie's furry muse . . .
Oscar does many things. He helps watch over his little sister. He keeps the Tempur-Pedic bed nice and warm at night and he helps his Mommy write by sitting on her feet, under her desk. But Oscar has done more than be Natalie C. Markey's personal assistant. On her latest project he served as her inspiration.
Oscar lives with epilepsy and takes medication twice a day to monitor his condition. Thanks to Oscar, Natalie learned what it takes to successfully care for a special needs dog and wants to help others do the same. That's why she wrote her first book, Caring For A Special Needs Dog, which releases TODAY–SNOOPY-DANCE-'O-JOY! Doncha just love when that happens?
I had the honor to review the book even before it hit the shelves. This is an uplifting and practical book that provides down to earth simple advice. It's easier than you think to live with a disabled dog. Natalie didn't stop with her own experiences–she reached out to others and the book shares real life tips from families that make it work.
Of course, the vet is the go-to resource when caring for any pet, and Natalie sings the praises of those who helped Oscar. But it's in the owners' power to improve their dog's quality of life, despite a medical condition. One of my favorite parts of the book is Natalie sharing how to prepare your special needs dog for your human baby, and the benefits of having children participate in the dog's care as they grow up together. Made my tail wag!
Natalie is a fellow Texan, and Oscar received help from a Lone Star facility, so I'm also thrilled that a percentage of the profits from "Caring for Your Special Needs Dog" go to The Texas A&M Foundation to the benefit of the Neurology Section, Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinarian Medicine.
Markey is a nine-year seasoned freelance journalist. She writes for several local and National publications including her Pet To Publishing blog, and a regular column on Examiner.com, Special Needs Dog Care Examiner. After a professional career in PR and Communications she now writes non-fiction and fiction full time. This Texan and Baylor University graduate currently writes from a forest in Arkansas where she gets support for her husband, daughter and, of course, Oscar.
Do you have an "imperfect pet?" The Magical-Dawg would never let such a thing slow him down. Seren-Kitty hisses at the thought anyone would DARE consider her less-than-purr-fection. They both have stellar vet care, but if need be, I'd go to a specialist for extra help the way Natalie did for Oscar. Heck, my cutting-edge book has a list of the top vets all over the country!
Where would you draw the line? A "tripod" pet with only three legs? or one needing a wheelchair? A blind or deaf cat? Incontinent old dog or diabetic feline? Please share YOUR special-but-imperfect-pet experiences . . . and why you'd do it again (or what challenges others need to know).
I love hearing from you, so please share comments and questions–and to stay up to date on all the latest just subscribe the blog, "like" me on Facebook, listen to the weekly radio show, and sign up for Pet Peeves newsletter with pet book give-aways!
Filed under: Pet Peeves Radio, Uncategorized, Woof Wednesdays Tagged: Amy Shojai, blind cat, blind dog, Caring For Your Special Needs Dog, deaf cat, deaf dog, diabetic dog, dog book, dog seizures, epilepsy, health benefits of pets, Natalie C. Markey, neurology, paralyzed dog, Pet Peeves radio, pets, Texas A&M University, vet care, veterinarian, veterinary specialist, writing, www.amyshojai.com, www.shojai.com
May 17, 2011
TUESDAY TIPS KINDLE-IZATION #2: BRASS RING OR LEAD BALLOON?
Last April 2011 I embarked on my Kindle-ization Journey, and shared my angst, teeth-gnashing and happy wags along the way. The following info I first presented at the Cat Writers Association, Inc. annual writers conference, and the updated EBOOKS DIY at the May 2011 OWFI Conference–but we ran out of time. Here's the recap, along with the rest of the story. The #1 installment provided links from the handouts, but never fear, I'll include those as we go. Today's installment discusses WHY DO IT.
WHY DO IT?
I love print books, aka DTB (dead-tree books), the physical hold-it-in-your-hand-smell-good-touchy-feely book! Don't you? And after 23 books pub'd, nothing beats the thrill of opening that box of spankin' new hot-off-the-press book, and turning those crisp pages. Reading a DTB offers a tactile experience you can't get with Ebooks, and with nonfiction–my niche–folks like scribbling notes and suchlike in the physical tome.
The old dawgs don't wanna give up control of their toys . . .
But publishing is a business–pronounced "bidness." In publishing, sell-through is the name of the game—that's the percentage of books shipped to stores that ACTUALLY sell—and don't get returned. But DTBs cost money to store, space to shelve, $ to ship and with the shrinking number of brick-and-mortar bookstores out there, competition for shelf space and shelf longevity turns cutthroat. It used to be a 50 percent sell-through was considered okay. Now, publishers and retailers want an 80 percent sell-through. That's hard for even the best-selling established authors to manage!
Publishing needs surgery.
My colleague Bob Mayer, a best-selling thriller author and now Ebook pro, says the "legacy" publishers and bookstores figured out how to solve that problem. They order less copies of titles per store from authors who aren't the mega-bestsellers. Where does that leave Niche & Midlist authors? Doomed.
EBOOK ADVANTAGES
New Life for Backlist/Out of Print Books
I used to think my books would stay in print for years and fund my retirement–YOU FOOL! Instead, they went out of print and my author copies sat collecting dust under the bed
But with Ebooks, authors who got out-of-print book rights reverted can leverage that intellectual property, and reap the rewards. You've already done all the hard work! Currently I have updated and re-released 5 of my nonfiction titles as Ebooks. Beats the hell out of remaindered copies gathering dust under the bed–AND it keeps the author's name alive on the virtual bookshelves.
There are now "legacy authors" turning down big deals to go indy with their new titles, too. These name authors include Bob Mayer, JA Konrath, Brett Battles and more. Barry Eisler recently turned down $500k from St Martins, saying he'll make more DIY over the long term.
Added Opportunity for Midlist & Niche Books
Ebooks are an alternative path for 'new' writers. Ebooks are NOT a shortcut–according to them-what-know, approximately the same 1/2 percent "make it big" in Ebooks as in taking the traditional route. As a result, there is LOTS of crap being published as Ebooks just because…well, just because.
If you have modest success, you make gas money. If you shoot the moon, agents/editors come to you. The poster child for Ebook success, Amanda Hocking, sold 900,000 copies of her nine books in a year—launched April 2010, offered $2 million deal & signed with St Martin's Press.
Midlist & Niche Ebooks sell HUGE once you're known as THE author for XYZ. Frankly, fiction books sell much better than nonfiction (it's that physical book thingy folks really prefer with nonfiction). But two of my nonfiction Kindle titles are best sellers in their niche. As with traditional/legacy publishing, AUTHOR BRANDING is key…you'll want to check out Kristen Lamb's Blog for help with that.
Author control re: cover, editing, pricing, distribution
The updated "cutting edge" E-book never goes out of print, and will always be up to date!
After 20+ years with legacy publishing, author control becomes a VBD (very big deal) in my world. Find a typo? With Ebooks you can fix that. Heroine described as a redheaded were-cat, but book cover shows a black wolf? DO-OVER! Traditional publishing sells books to bookstores–authors write books for readers. Authors worth their salt KNOW the audience/reader, and if a book doesn't sell, can adjust price, cover, and more. It's not like jumping off a cliff…do-overs are legal.
Immediate Publishing vs 12 to 18 month delays
Hallelujia and pass the spaghetti sauce! With timely topics–NONFICTION, DUH!–that can make or break the book. Sort of a buzz-killer for my "Pet Care in the New Century" book publication to be postponed until waaaaay past the year 2000. Now that it's an Ebook, whenever something "cutting edge" breaks out in the media, I can update the book and ride that wave IMMEDIATELY! Fiction authors who time their story to a particular event or time of the year also can play with timing.
DIY is FREE!
For the most popular Ebook formats, authors can easily format themselves–for free. (I'll get into other costs in later installments…)
What IS that $$$$$$$$$ucking sound you here?
35-70% Royalty
The legacy model for Ebook royalties offers 25% royalty. That's NOT 25% of the sale price–when publishers go Ebook, THEY get the 35-70% royalty, and then offer the author 25% of that 35- 70%. When you're fortunate enough to have an agent, you share with him/her, too. Barry Eisler crunched the numbers and for him, the actual E-royalty would be 14.9% compared to 70% if he self-pub'd.
NO-BRAINER!
As of late Fall 2010, Kindle books outsold hardcovers on Amazon, and Jan 2011, Amazon reported more Kindle books sold than paperbacks. Publishing isn't changing—it's already there, and accelerating. You either get on the train, stand aside or get run over.
Fortune magazine article quoted a Barnes and Noble representative admitting that in next two years there'll be more electronic than print books. My publisher says it will be by the end of this year at least for fiction. Our sales have been 95% ebook sales for fiction, but 50/50 nonfiction split between Epubs and print.
Folks will argue that the majority of self-pub'ed books don't sell many copies. Hell's bells, neither do the majority of legacy published books!
If your book sucks, you'll never get a legacy deal, but you'll sell at least a few copies by self-pubbing. If your book is awesome, you'll be giving up 70% royalties for 14.9% royalties. Either way, you make more going indie.
Next Tuesday Tips KINDLE-IZATION #3 will cover some of the pros and cons, challenges of Ebooks, and various paths available. Stay tuned!
I love hearing from you, so please share comments and questions–and to stay up to date on all the latest just subscribe the blog, "like" me on Facebook, listen to the weekly radio show, and sign up for Pet Peeves newsletter with pet book give-aways!
Filed under: Kindle, Tuesday Tips, Writing Tips Tagged: Amy Shojai, Barry Eisler, Bob Mayer, books, Brett Battles, cat writers association, cats, Cutting Edge Medicine, DIY Ebooks, DIY publishing, dogs, Ebooks, fiction books, how to self publish, Inc., indy publishing, JA Konrath, Kindle, kindle-ization, Kristen Lamb, midlist books, nonfiction, Oklahoma Writers Federation, pet books, self publishing, thriller writers, veterinary care, www.amyshojai.com, www.shojai.com
May 15, 2011
Monday Mentions & National Dog Bite Prevention Week
Young boys get bit most often!
Today, many of us look on our dogs as part of the family–even go so far as to call 'em our "babies." But what happens when a human infant enters the picture? Dogs bite nearly 5 million people a year–most of 'em kids–and some new parents play it safe and simply get rid of the dog. Others who adore Fluffy couldn't think of getting rid of their beloved pet.
Who's right? Who's wrong? And what about the dog's feelings? When he throws a tantrum (or worse), and the parents-in-law lobby for a solution, what's a dog lover to do? Check out my Pet Peeves radio interview with Jennifer Shyrock to teach your kids how to be Doggone Safe.
The American Veterinary Medical Association, the United States Postal Service and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have joined forces to sponsor National Dog Bite Prevention Week May 15-21, 2011. In fact, half of all children in the US experience a dog bite by age 12, with 5 to 9 year olds and boys at significantly higher risk.
The CDC reports that of those injured, 386,000 require treatment in an emergency department and about a dozen die. Most bites result from inappropriate interaction with the family pet, with a neighbor's or a friend's dog. But you can EASILY prevent dog bites with these 9 tips.
Learning about doggy communication can safe lots of angst–not to mention medical bills and insurance costs. Most of these injuries can be prevented with responsible pet ownership. Those who read this blog recall that I served as an expert witness in a tragic dog attack incident–that did NOT have to happen!
All dogs bite and chew, but it's important to teach bite inhibition and stop puppy biting before it gets out of hand. What's baby-cute or aggravating in your new pup becomes dangerous once he grows up. Needle-sharp puppy teeth easily rip clothing and tear flesh, but an adult dog's jaws also can break bones or worse. Even friendly dogs cause terrible injury if not taught how to pull their punches. One accidental bite could label your puppy as a "dangerous dog" and result in an expensive lawsuit, increased insurance rates, and costly medical bills. Here's how to teach bite inhibition –it not only protects people and prevents heartbreak, it could save your puppy's life.
Okay, switching gears–There's a fun mix of Monday Mentions below.
Kibble Blog by Terry Spencer, DVM offers a great take on "Just Looking" as it relates to pet health
Tea Time At The Zoo Blog Confessions of An Animal Addict offers an eye opening post on bathing snails.
Dear Labby Blog byTerry Albert addresses canine leg-lifting in the house (girl dogs do it, too!)
Confident Dog Blog by dog trainer Patricia Terrill–with adventures in new puppy training! (CUTE ALERT!)
Morris Animal Foundation has a new President & CEO, David Haworth
My Cat From Hell, new Animal Planet show hosted by CWA member Jackson Galaxy –don't let the tough looks fool you, he's a real pussycat!
I love hearing from you, so please share comments and questions–and to stay up to date on all the latest just subscribe the blog, "like" me on Facebook, listen to the weekly radio show , and sign up for Pet Peeves newsletter with pet book give-aways !
Filed under: Howls & Hisses, Monday Mentions, Pet Peeves Radio, Uncategorized, Wags & Purrs Tagged: Amy Shojai, dog behavior, dog bite safety, dog bites, dog books, dog training, http://www.amyshojai.com, http://www.shojai.com, National Dog Bite Prevention Week, pet books, Pet Peeves radio, PETiQuette, puppies, puppies.About.com, puppy advice, puppy biting, puppy training
May 12, 2011
Feline Friday: Ask Amy, Kitty Yowls & Litter-ary Woes
Yowling youngsters yearn for luv...
My Seren-kitty has never been a touchy-feely lap snuggler. It wasn't until she became a senior citizen cat that Seren deigned to snooze on a human, and a lot of that has to do with tormenting the Magical-Dawg. But when I still worked in a "real job" as a vet tech, more than once clients called with concern about the bizarre behavior of feline fur-kids.
Usually it was the girl kitties who began to rub-rub-rub and rollllllllllllllllllllll all over the floor, CRYING out like tortured souls and diggidy-pawing at windows. One frightened woman was sure her cat had caught "the rabies." I can imagine all you cat-savvy folks nodding wisely–y'all know exactly what's up. It's that time of the season when girl kitties pick the lock with their rabies tags, shimmy out the window, and get all lovey-dovey with feline Romeos. . . . and I sell a boatload of kitten books as a result.
"Fixing" cats often can "fix" hit-or-miss potty behavior.
Of course, the Romeo cats take the opportunity to baptize everything in sight to announce their macho status to the banshee-esque girls. Even if your fur-kids have had their gonads snipped, the love-in-the-air can prompt some serious litter-ary action.
"Going" outside the litter box is the top cat-behavior complaint of cat owners. Litter-box problems lose cats their homes and lives. But cats use urine and feces to "talk" to owners, even if humans misunderstand the stinky message. Cats have logical reasons for inappropriate behavior. Understanding the reasons they snub the box often reveals easy fixes that will keep your cat's aim on target. Here are five common reasons cats miss the box, and how to improve their aim.
It may be tempting to have the cute-icity of a kindle of kittens on hand–anyone have a litter now? What are your challenges? Has it prompted more hissy fits between your adult cats? Litter box issues? Have you found 'em homes yet?
The yowls have other causes, too–especially for our golden oldie cats. The Ask Amy video mentions a couple of these issues but there's lots more info in the Aging Cat book. What do you do about your adult cat-erwauling? Did a vet visit take care of the problem? Or are you still losing sleep? Hint: Ear plugs are your friend! What else can you add to the Ask Amy video advice?
I love hearing from you, so please share comments and questions–and to stay up to date on all the latest just subscribe the blog, "like" me on Facebook, listen to the weekly radio show, and sign up for Pet Peeves newsletter with pet book give-aways!
Filed under: Ask Amy, Bling Alert!, Feline Fridays, Video Tagged: adopting kittens, Amy Shojai, Ask Amy, books, cat, cat behavior, cat books, cat care, cat communication, cat deafness, cat heat, cat hypertension, cat neuter, cat spay, cat yowling, complete care for your aging cat, kittens, PawNation.com, rabies, veterinary care
May 11, 2011
Thoughty Thursday: Un-Plugged!
The past two days I've been in purgatory–I won't call it hell, because it's the ABSENCE of something vital to my writing life. And I've learned (horrors!) that I'm an addict. . .
. . .of the Internet.
In the olden days (lawsie, sound like my Grandma used to!) words were typed and the smell of well-inked ribbon perfumed the room. Any piece of writer-icity fortunate enough to claim a home traveled via the U.S. Postal System–which meant a May 1st deadline required mail drop off at least a week in advance. Once Email emerged–and I'll admit I arrived late at that party–writers not only saved on postage $, we gained something much more valuable. Extra time. Have a column due on May 1st? as long as you hit "send" before midnight on April 30, you're golden.
And I've been burned several times by downloading emails infected with viruses or having a computer go belly up. So the past year or so all my email stays "online" in a virtual database I can access from any computer, anywhere. Even my email address book remains online, for ease of contact. Makes life simple.
Until the Internet goes ka-flooey. (That's a technical writerly term, which loosely translated means !@#$%^&*O!@#$%^&!!)
Besides the inability to read or answer email and send articles, I couldn't post blogs here, over at my RedRoom site, or update my spankin' new puppies.About.com site, spread the furry news via Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. Particularly annoying, I could get Email via my Blackberry but couldn't do more than answer a word or two without thumbs being sabotagued by the auto-correct feature. Arg!
So are you (gasp!) addicted to the Internet? How do you handle outages? I ended up working with my co-author on another project that didn't require online access. And I suppose tomorrow I'll do more of the same since the forecasts call for more crappiocca weather.
I've always thought technology offered countless benefits. What about you? Do we depend on the "un-wired" world too much? What do you do when your working life goes ka-flooey? Play hookey?
I would love to play hookey sometime. But my boss is a real bitch.
I love hearing from you, so please share comments and questions–and to stay up to date on all the latest just subscribe the blog, "like" me on Facebook, listen to the weekly radio show, and sign up for Pet Peeves newsletter with pet book give-aways!
Filed under: Howls & Hisses, Thoughtful Thursdays, Writing Tips Tagged: aggravation, Amy Shojai, books, deadlines, email, fiction, http://www.amyshojai.com, http://www.shojai.com, Internet, Oklahoma Writers Federation, publishing, Verizon, writer frustration, writers conference, writing, writing deadlines
Woof Wednesdays: Ask Amy "What's Up With Wags?"
Does a short tail on the Clumber Spaniel cause doggy mis-communications? Hmnnn...
Yes, I know I know, the blog is LATE! You can thank Verizon for that. Since Tuesday about 3:30 pm, the Internet coverage went away and the "help desk" guestimate of a four-hour fixed stretched into a 16-hour outtage. You can be sure, my happy-wags were lacking. And as I type this, the Texas skies blackened and winds stirred up the roses into a frothy mess so not sure how long I'll be online.
Welcome to all my new subscribers! (~~~virtual waves~~~) I know lots of y'all came to check out the pictures and comments from the OWFI conference, or the list of helpful Ebook links. I'll be adding more info on the Ebooks in the weeks ahead. But each week you'll also find furry info about cats, dogs, puppies and more.
For instance, before I lost connectivity yesterday I managed to blog at the puppies.About.com site. One of my Sweet Tweet friends asked me to mention safety issues of puppies in cars. But I'd already prepared an Ask Amy (below) about canine wag-icity.
How does a curled tail affect the wag on a Basenji?
Dogs are social creatures that live together, and so they need a dog language in order to get along. How dogs communicate—what I like to call "dogma"—is based on a system of common signals. Tale wags are part of that language. Dog language not only allows dogs to communicate and understand each other. It also is a system used for conflict resolution.
What prompts your dogs to wage wagging conversations? Do they wag just part of the tail, or do their entire buttresses become wigglebums? What would you add to the Ask Amy video? Are there certain breeds or individual pets who wag (or not) in unique ways? What about cats and their tails? My Seren-kitty's tail talk never stops (she talks from both ends). Hmnnn, that's fodder for a future Ask Amy.
Guess I need to get future blogs up ahead of time before the powers-what-be (weather, God, Verizon…not necessarily in that order) zap my creativity.
I love hearing from you, so please share comments and questions–and to stay up to date on all the latest just subscribe the blog, "like" me on Facebook, listen to the weekly radio show, and sign up for Pet Peeves newsletter with pet book give-aways!
Filed under: Ask Amy, Bling Alert!, Howls & Hisses, Video, Woof Wednesdays Tagged: Amy Shojai, Ask Amy, cat behavior, cat communication, dog behavior, dog communication, dog training, dog wags, http://www.amyshojai.com, http://www.shojai.com, Oklahoma Writers Federation, puppies, puppies.About.com, writers conference
May 9, 2011
Tuesday Tips Kindle-ization #1: Ebooks Helpful Links
Seren helps edit dead-tree books.
Thanks to all who attended my OWFI session on Epublishing–and so sorry that the power point didn't work as planned. I had LOTS more info to share so over the next several Tuesday Tips blogs, I'll share the info once again. So stay tuned–meanwhile, here are the notes from the handouts.
BLOGS OF NOTE
Joe Konrath http://jakonrath.blogspot.com/
Bob Mayer http://writeitforward.wordpress.com/category/publishing-options/
Kristen Lamb (Social Networking Maven) http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/
Book Designer Joel Friedlander http://www.thebookdesigner.com/
E-PUBING OPTIONS
Amazon.com Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) & CreateSpace
KDP Forums, Technical Help
http://forums.digitaltextplatform.com/dtpforums/forumindex.jspa
Kindle Image Sizing Help
http://www.robotcomics.net/2009/07/adapting-comics-amazon-kindle-part-1-html-doc-tutorial/
Barnes & Noble PubIt
http://pubit.barnesandnoble.com/pubit_app/bn?t=pi_reg_home
Smashwords
http://www.smashwords.com/about/how_to_publish_on_smashwords
http://www.smashwords.com/about/supportfaq#Publishing (support FAQ, help with formatting)
http://www.smashwords.com/about/how_to_publish_ipad_ebooks
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/52 (Style Guide, FREE book with great reviews!)
Lulu
http://www.lulu.com/browse/services/publishing/8/LULU00107
Kobo
http://kobobooks.com/companyinfo/authorsnpublishers.html
iPad
http://www.ipadpublishing.net/how-to-publish-to-ipads.html
Conversion Services
Aptara – http://www.aptaracorp.com/
Code Mantra – http://www.codemantra.com/
Innodata Isogen – http://www.innodata-isogen.com/
Jouve / Publishing Dimensions – http://www.pubdimensions.com/
LibreDigital – http://www.libredigital.com/
Bowker (purchase ISBNs)
https://www.myidentifiers.com/
Lightening Source POD (an Ingram company)
http://www.lightningsource.com/
Promotion & Networking
KindleBoards.com Book Bazaar
http://www.kindleboards.com/index.php/board,42.0.html
KindleBoards Writers Café (and "Tag" thread)
http://tagmybookonamazon.wordpress.com/what-is-tagging/
http://www.kindleboards.com/index.php/board,60.0.html
http://www.kindleboards.com/index.php/topic,31628.0.html (UK)
How to Make Signature/Book Cover Link (Kindle)
http://www.kindleboards.com/link/link-maker-1-0.php
KINDLE PRIMER
http://www.kindleboards.com/index.php/topic,42600.0.html
BOOK REVIEWERS
http://www.kindleboards.com/index.php/topic,20049.0.html
SOCIAL MEDIA
Goodreads.com. Become a member and promote your book—must spend time in discussion boards & "friends" can help.
Nookboards.com. Become a member and promote your book.
LinkedIn groups–Writing Mafia
FaceBook, Twitter, LinkedIn
Filed under: Ask Amy, Kindle, Tuesday Tips, Writing Tips Tagged: Amy Shojai, backlist books, Bob Mayer, books, cat books, DIY publishing, dog books, dogs, Ebooks, how to self publish, http://www.amyshojai.com, http://www.shojai.com, indy publishing, JA Konrath, Kindle, Kristen Lamb, Oklahoma Writers Federation, publishing, writers, writers conference, writing
