Molly O'Keefe's Blog, page 9

This picture sums it up!

I have never run across a picture that so absolutely and perfectly describes the essence of a book. Everything I disliked about the book is in this picture. This book, Twilight and almost every new adult book I’ve read and disliked – which in truth haven’t been a lot because clearly it’s not my thing  – has “this” at it’s heart.

I mean look at her! I viscerally reacted to this image.

And the hard truth is – I had to acknowledge I have read books that have this vibe and have liked them. The dominant and submissive, the protector and the helpless victim. I enjoy these stories but only IF the woman has some, just a little, but some agency. It’s when the book is “this” and I can’t identify with the heroine at all that I lose my connection. And I recognize I might be in the minority because there is a reason this movie is being made.

So yes, the fantasy of “this” in a book is something I will read, maybe even like.But as a grown woman, as a person in real life, when I looked at this picture all I could think of was stand up straight, take your finger out of your mouth and move away from that guy who is smothering you!

Clearly, I will not be seeing this movie, but cudos to the photographer or photo designer who totally got what this book was all about. I wonder if seeing it played out with actors on screen, people will still connect with ”this” like they did when they were reading the story.

 

Is the customer always right?

There’s been a lot of discussion on a couple of my author loops lately about a petition started by some self-pubbed authors that’s reportedly signed by 2000 or more authors and (small?) publishers. The petition is asking Amazon to change its policy over returns of digital books.

Opinions are heated on the pro-petition side, and IMHO well-reasoned and thoughtful on the anti-petition side. (Can you tell which side I’m on? Yes, you’ve guessed it. I haven’t signed and don’t plan to.)

The authors organizing this are asserting that Amazon customers are downloading books, either reading them or stripping the DRM and copying them, and then returning them for full refunds. And the thing is, because e-books are sold on commission, when the customer returns a book to the retailer, the retailer also returns it to the publisher. (Whether that publisher is what we traditionally think of as a “publisher”, or an “author”. )

So, when author sees her kindle book sales, she can see a deduction for returns.

Unscrupulous people have always been able to consume certain goods (including books) and then return them. Yes, in the digital world, such unscrupulous behavior is much easier than it’s ever been. But I think most people are honest.

And the thing is, easy returns have been a common business practice in retail, especially in “bargain” retail, for decades. No questions asked return policies are common in most big box stores and so it’s obvious to me that Amazon had to adopt such a policy when they started in order to compete. In fact, such policies are even more important for online retailers, because customers can’t touch or flip through or feel or try on goods purchased online until they’re delivered. Because of this, I’d assert that Amazon wouldn’t have survived past a few months or years if they hadn’t allowed customers to return goods.

Long before I started to write, I was a fan of Amazon as a customer. Did I guess that I’d ever buy a purse or shoes from them when I made my first purchase? No. But I have. Did I guess that I’d have a problem and have to fight with them to get my money back? Yes. But I was wrong. Not about having a problem. About having to fight… I’ve returned goods to Amazon a few times without hassle. And once, when a package arrived empty, obviously opened by a box-cutter, I prepared myself to have to send photos of the damaged envelope and argue my case, but all I had to do was report that the package had arrived empty, and I had a replacement book within a few days. No questions asked. Yes, I could have been lying. But I wasn’t. And I fully believe that I’m in the vast majority of how people deal with them.

I admit that I was nervous (back in the 90′s) the first time I pressed that “buy” button for a book on Amazon and gave them my credit card number. But the immediate feedback that they’d received my order; the notification when my order had shipped; the fact that the book arrived when they said it would; the easy-to-spot information on how to contact customer services if I had a problem, gave me confidence to click that buy button again and again. And once I started ordering books online, I admit, I was hooked. Don’t even get me started on buying DVDs that way. Or e-books…

I still love browsing bookstores, and I don’t think anything will ever replace that–and I hope we never lose indie bookstores, in particular–but that’s not what this post is about. This post is about whether or not Amazon should let customers return e-books.

And I say yes. My publisher gives me access to my detailed kindle sales numbers. Do I hate it when I see that a reader has returned my e-book? Sure I do. It hurts both my feelings and my pocketbook. And I have no way of knowing whether they returned it because they clicked buy by accident, or read it all the way through and returned it, (rubbing their hands together in nefarious glee), or started to read it, hated it and returned it… I have no way of knowing.

But I also believe that while an easy return policy opens the door for dishonest people to read my books for free–basically stealing from me–I also believe that the easy return option increases all customers’ confidence, increasing the chance that they’ll buy in the first place.

And Amazon isn’t dumb. They flag accounts that have an unusual number of returns and contact the customer with a polite letter that doesn’t accuse, but suggests that the customer contact someone in customer services to clear up whatever problem they’re having that’s causing them to buy and return so many books. I’ve seen a copy of this letter at Digital Book World.

And we know from the fake-review scandal that Amazon can’t be fooled by someone having multiple accounts. They can track customers by IP address. Yes, criminals can find a way around any of these safeguards (the same way that shoplifters can find a way around security systems at physical stores). But I still assert that criminals are in the minority and that if Amazon stopped letting everyone return books because of the criminal behavior of a few, then customer confidence to buy would go down, and thus, total book sales would go down. Which would hurt us all.

Is the customer always right? No. But the modern retail business is driven by this philosophy. And since retailers haven’t all gone bankrupt from consumers abusing this policy, the truth must be: The customer is almost always right.

 

 

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Milestone check in Day 5

Everyone did so well on their milestones, I'm part of the way towards mine.

The big one for me is writing more words, and editing at the same time, and I can do one, or the other, but haven't figured out a way yet to do both. So far, the 5000 words, I've been able to manage, the editing not at all.
So I'm going to work on that.

I've been eating pretty well, and the exercise has been pretty good, but I've moved from working out more with weights to Insanity which is a lot of jumping and it's taken a toll, my joints ache a little, and if it gets worse, I may have to stop, but as far as exercise goes, a lot gets accomplished when you're jumping up and down for a solid 40 to 50 minutes, and part of me is a little proud that I can manage to complete most of the workouts, so I'm reluctant to stop.

As for my hectic life, it's no less hectic, but I am watching less TV and reading more diversely. I also started the second book in the Girl of Fire and Thorns trilogy by Rae Carson and it is fantastic. I highly recommend it.

Milestone Check In... More and Less...

So here was my list and my updates:

Drink less wine. I don’t want to stop altogether (I like it too much) but I’m cutting back.
 

I’ve been drinking less. Yeah! I still drink more than I should. I haven’t been as good as going Sunday through Thursday without drinking. It’s more like one night on, one night off. But given where I was before – for me to not be drinking 3 nights out of the week is progress. Sleepy Time tea is my new friend.  
Go to bed no later than 11:00 during the week. There is no reason on work nights to be up later than this.

Not coincidentally my success with this has been on the nights when I’m not drinking. So no wine, sleepy time tea and I’m ready for bed by 11:00. Staying up drinking wine… I must watch Jon Stewart and snort and giggle to everything he says. 
Get up a little earlier in the morning. (see above) The key to getting up earlier is to fit in a few more tasks.
 

Total FAIL. Turns out it doesn’t matter if I drink wine or tea before going to bed, I still hate getting up in the morning. Especially in the fall when it’s darker, and the window is open and there is that crisp chill in the morning that makes you want to linger in bed. I simply am not a morning person.  
Run 20 minutes a day a few times a week. Again – nothing crazy here. Baby steps. Easy things I know I can accomplish that are going to help get me in better shape.
 

This is mostly a fail. I have been getting in some long walks. I like to listen to the DBSA podcasts and again it’s been such a beautiful fall it seems wrong to be inside on a treadmill. But I haven’t been as consistent as I need to be.
Cook more.  I’m the opposite of most people. As a single person I cook on Saturdays and Sunday’s when I have time, but tend to eat out during the week. This leads to the wine and extra calories – so if I can find the energy to cook 1 more night a week at home this will help.
 

Success! I’ve been really good about making something on Sunday that gets me at least 2 meals out of the week. Not super healthy, not super bad. A lot of crock pot recipes! And I will say by the time I get to that third… sometimes fourth meal… it’s a little boring. But I’ve limited eating out to 2-3 times a week instead of 4-5 times a week.

So some success and some failure. I still need to drink less. I still need to exercise more. But here is what I’ve learned. If I don’t want to be a morning person – I have to find a way to get in exercise and writing after work. Usually I’m so mentally drained at the end of a day the thought of this is too onerous. But I can’t have it both ways. If I can’t make my mornings more productive – I have to make that 6-8 hour time slot in the evening more productive.

I’ll let you know how I make out next month. Anyone else following us out there? Want to let us know how you are doing?

Survival Quiz!

JUMP ZONE SURVIVAL QUIZ

My milestone progress has been okay, but not great. I have made some positive changes and will report more next month. I promise.
But for now! I have something way more fun! A survival quiz from Wylie Snow, author of JUMP ZONE: CLEO FALLS.
Wylie is a good friend of the blog. Check out her book! You won't be sorry. (And isn't it the most gorgeous cover ever???)


Now, the quiz!!

In the book Jump Zone: Cleo Falls, the inhabitants of the Taiga forests struggle to survive daily life in the northern wilds.
Take this simple quiz to find out if you’re Taiga material…

Question 1
How many days can you survive without water:
A. 1
B. 3
C. 5
D. 7


Question 2
You’re lost in a northern forest and want to travel due south. Which indicator do you look to for help:
A. moss
B. sun
C. anthills
D. all of the above


Question 3
You should avoid sleeping on the ground for what reason:
A. ouch - you’ll wake up with stiff aching joints
B. the cold hard ground will zap your body heat
C. avoid snake bites
D. forest dirt leaves harsh un-washable stains


Question 4
Your weak from hunger and the insects are looking awfully yummy. Which should you avoid:
A. slimy ones
B. flying ones
C. brighty colored ones
D. ugly ones


Question 5
Thunder, lightning! How do you estimate the distance of a storm:
A. Count the seconds between the lightening strikes and thunderclaps and divide that number by five to equal the distance in miles.
B. When you feel the first raindrop, start counting the seconds until you hear a rumble of thunder, which equals the number of miles away.
C. Count the number of lightning strikes in one minute to equal the distance in miles.
D. Who cares! Get yourself under the biggest tree you can find and prepare to get wet.



Question 6
Oh no, you’re lost! But you know to implement the S.T.O.P. plan. Gosh… what do those letters stand for again?
A. Sing Things Or Pray – when in doubt, hum a hymn
B. Stretch Twirl Oscillate Pivot – keep moving, turn this adventure into an exercise plan
C. Stop Think Observe Plan – don’t do anything rash, think this situation through
D. Solo Time Operating Plan – you’re alone and it’s time to do all those crazy things you saved for when nobody was watching… yeehaw!



Question 7
You’re still lost, and night is falling. It’s time to build a shelter. Choose your spot:
A. An open, highly visible area – the search party needs to find you.
B. The edge of volcano - best place to keep warm!
C. At the bottom of a dry creek bed – no hair-curling dampness to worry about.
D. Close to a water source – you might get thirsty in the night.


Question 8
You’re stranded in a forest with only one item from your handbag. What would be the most useful thing? Choose just one:
A. Hairbrush
B. Nail file
C. Lipstick
D. Tampon


ANSWERS:

To see the answers, select the text with your mouse.

1 - B
The average person needs about 2 quarts of water per day to maintain good health. Going without water for 3 days spells death!

2 - D
All of the above! Though moss will grow on the north side of trees, it will be lusher and greener on the south side. Ants frequently build their nests on the south or southeast side of trees to take advantage of the warmth, and if you walk toward the sun precisely at noon, you’ll be headed due south.

3 - B
You’ll preserve your body heat by piling up a bed of grass, leaves or bows and getting yourself a few inches off the ground.

4 - C
Stop with the ick-face. Insects can be a great source of protein (pound for pound, as much as 3 times as much as beef!), but it’s a good idea to stay away from the bright ones, which could potentially signal poison or toxin. Leave the hairy ones and the smelly ones alone, too.

5 - A
As soon as you hear thunder, start counting – one Mississippi, two Mississippi, three Mississippi, etc… until you see a strike of lightning. Divide by five and that’s roughly how many miles out the storm is. And for heaven’s sake, don’t stand under a tall tree!

6 - C
Stop moving, sit down and relax,
Think about your situation, how you got into it, how might you get out of it,
Observe your surroundings, your supplies and/or tools,
Plan your next move.

7 – A & D
Hopefully, somebody knows you’re missing (you DID tell someone about that wilderness hike, right?) so you should find or build shelter in a spot where the search and rescue team can find you. Though building too close to water can be hazardous (insects, animals coming to drink), it’s a good idea to stay fairly close as you need water to survive.

8 - D
You could probably find uses for all of those items, but surprisingly, a tampon is your best bet. The ‘Tactical Adventure Medical Preparedness Outdoors Necessity’ (see what we did there?), is a handy-dandy multi-purpose tool, summed up best by the good folks at The Art of Manliness (click the link, if only for the pictures of a man with a tampon in his mouth!): http://www.artofmanliness.com/2012/06/05/survival-tampon/

Your score:
7-8 correct –Welcome to the Gloria Gaynor club – you will survive!
4-6 correct –brush up on your outdoor skills before you leave the beaten path.
1-3 correct – ‘Glamping’ might be more your style.
0 – don’t ever stray from civilization


GIVEAWAY!

Let us know how you did in the comments. Wylie will give away a copy of JUMP ZONE: CLEO FALLS to two lucky commenters!!

Okay. Checkin' in on those Milestones. Here were mine:1) ...

Okay. Checkin' in on those Milestones. Here were mine:

1) Recommit to Weight Watchers with Molly even though I have never uttered the phrase "I immediately lost 10 pounds" except possibly after having given birth. This means, no more taking spoonfuls of peanut butter, shoving them into the chocolate chip bag and eating the result washed down with milk. I am hoping to make it to the end of the month without doing that even once. I am hoping not to lie to you about it if I do.

I was kind of in denial over how much weight I'd gained. It's probably good that I had to face up to it even though it was depressing. After a few days, it became clear that I really wasn't eating enough fruits and vegetables. I'm doing a little better. I lost 3 pounds which isn't much, but it's a start.

I only did the peanut butter into the bag of chocolate chips thing twice. Once when my editor told me that my Messenger series was over and once the night after my mother's emergency pacemaker surgery. I think i get buys on both of those.

2) Get at least 1 of the chick lit books I'm rereleasing in November formatted for both Kindle and Nook.


Done.

3) Have my 20 page submission ready to submit for workshopping for the December residency of my MFA program (does it count as a Milestone if I HAVE to have it done by October 1?).


Done.

4) Play less Spider Solitaire. Seriously, I have a problem. It's absurd. I often reward myself for writing a page by playing a game of Solitaire. I am going to stretch that to two pages with plans to go to 3 pages in October.

I did a little better, but still not good. At least, it would be if I hadn't added in Sudoku.

5) Continue to exercise.

It's taking forever for my knees to heal, but I'm still getting out there. The best was a weekend ride up in Mendocino with a bunch of my girlfriends. Here's a picture of me doing Tree pose under the Redwood trees along Highway 128:

Milestones - let's check in, shall we?

So last month we decided it was time to recommit to some parts of our lives we've totally let slide.

I was going to write 10 - 12,000 words a week, recommit to Weight Watchers and get better sleep. So...how am I doing?

In a word, or three actually - not so good.

I killed it writing. I did. I finished a project, wrote a bunch of blog posts that I'm proud of, brainstormed a new project that I am still noodling around with - it has a start date of Nov. 1. All of that I feel really good about. I do.

Recommit to Weight Watchers - ah....I'm about 50/50 here. I'm doing much better, am I as good as I was last April? Not even close. But I'm doing better. More veggies, no cheese. If I could ditch the drinking I think I'd be better off, but what's a beer-loving girl to do?

Sleep. DAMN YOU SONS OF ANARCHY AND NETFLIX!!!! Damn you! It's just so easy to say - one more episode. Just one. And before I know it it's midnight and my plans are totally pooched. Worse, I inevitably fall asleep while putting my daughter to bed, which makes me WIDE AWAKE at midnight. Gah. Just...gah!

One thing I feel really great about is a purge I'm doing of our laundry room - lots of useless junk that we've been saving for no reason getting out of the house. That's a great feeling.

So, friends? How are your Milestones coming?

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Neurotic is the New Black...

So For the First Time has been out now for just over a week. It’s seems to be right in there rank wise with all the other Supers so that’s good. But no Amazon reviews yet and only a handful of Goodread reviews from people not Molly O’Keefe. Who is super supportive by the way – I don’t know what I would do without her.
And once again as an author you take that trip to neurotic land. Yes, I’m really happy that the few people who have read it seemed to really like it. I’m grateful Eileen hand sold a copy to a nurse by reading it out loud. Thanks Eileen! I was thrilled to actually have people request some giveaways so that’s awesome too.
Why can’t I just be happy with that? Why do I care that internet bloggers haven’t read or reviewed it? Why am I stressing that some of the other books in my month already have Amazon reviews and I don’t.
Because I’m a writer silly! It’s never good. When you have a ton of reviews there are some bad mixed in there and that makes you sad. When you have no reviews you think nobody is reading your book and that makes you sad.
I’m trying to imagine book release Nirvana. I don’t think it exists.
Sure you want to be the top ranked book. Yes, you want tons of glorious reviews… you know without having to buy them. But I wonder would that make us satisfied? Would we just sit back, put our feet up and think, yep, I’ve done it.
Or would that just come with its own set of problems? Would we stress about trying to get more reviews? Would we fear that our next book won’t be as good and we’ll worry about disappointing our reader?
Probably. So the moral of this story… writers are nuts and we’re never happy. And that’s a good thing. Because what you realize when you’ve been in this business long enough -  it’s the neurosis that keeps us going.