Aleksandr Voinov's Blog: Letters from the Front, page 29
July 1, 2011
Blog post and a funny
I blogged over at Slash and Burn about inspiration (specifically about Counterpunch).
And this is something that came through Twitter: stuff people say in bookshops.
Me, I've taked half the day off work to celebrate my/our end of our probationary period - my partner's been three months in his job, and me six months. We're heading out to a restaurant in North London that serves Afghan food (the alternative was Russian, but I wasn't in the mood for that).
The "two birds" book is moving along just fine. Only 150 words yesterday, but that's OK. I do expect to write a bit more tonight and over the weekend - I should hit 10k at least.
And this is something that came through Twitter: stuff people say in bookshops.
Me, I've taked half the day off work to celebrate my/our end of our probationary period - my partner's been three months in his job, and me six months. We're heading out to a restaurant in North London that serves Afghan food (the alternative was Russian, but I wasn't in the mood for that).
The "two birds" book is moving along just fine. Only 150 words yesterday, but that's OK. I do expect to write a bit more tonight and over the weekend - I should hit 10k at least.
June 30, 2011
"Dark Soul" accepted for "Weight of a Gun" anthology
Just as I was thinking that my overall low level of excitement in my life needed a bit of an uptick (no drama for two weeks - I'm shocked), I heard that my story "Dark Soul" has been accepted for the "Weight of a Gun" anthology from Storm Moon Press.
And if you had the shadow of a doubt what it's about, this image says it all:
Naked men. Sex. Guns. Not necessarily in that order. My story, "Dark Soul" contains some of the most risky stuff I've done - it started as a bit of a dare, and then... I got into it. (In a manner of speaking.)
It'll be available in late January 2012 - officially my first release in 2012.
Not that I'm done with 2011 yet... the best is still to come.
And if you had the shadow of a doubt what it's about, this image says it all:
Naked men. Sex. Guns. Not necessarily in that order. My story, "Dark Soul" contains some of the most risky stuff I've done - it started as a bit of a dare, and then... I got into it. (In a manner of speaking.)
It'll be available in late January 2012 - officially my first release in 2012.
Not that I'm done with 2011 yet... the best is still to come.
Maurice Chevalier on inspiration
"Inspiration comes unawares, from unaccountable sources that have nothing to do with planning or intelligence. Let it cool ever so slightly, and you are left, pen or brush in hand, with no inspiration at all. Gifted people need not, therefore, make a song and dance about being or supposing themselves superior. They simply happened to be born with that fortunate, subconscious equipment of theirs, and the mystery exists independently of intelligence or ambition." - Maurice Chevalier
June 29, 2011
Maurice Chevalier on the artistic process
"It all boils down to instinct, good or bad. Artistic creation must be spontaneous. It comes from the heart; it has to pass through the brain; and still one needs the guts, and good old indispensable technique, to bring it to the light of day. That at least is how I see the process, not that I have ever been able to pin it down very exactly in my own case. You hear a voice inside. You obey it, and produce whatever it told you to produce; and then you wait and see. And oh! The trouble you're in for."
(He's part of my reading for the Two Birds book.)
(He's part of my reading for the Two Birds book.)
June 28, 2011
I'm behind on everything
I'm behind on everything and will never catch up - but at least the heat and humidity have given way to - much more pleasant - grey and cold and wet outside. At least I can now focus a bit more after barely getting any sleep last night.
The Paris novel is eating my brain. I don't actually care much about anything else right now - even though I should, and I want to. Maybe what I really want is two weeks of holiday to completely devote to my book (and the secret project).
The Paris novel is eating my brain. I don't actually care much about anything else right now - even though I should, and I want to. Maybe what I really want is two weeks of holiday to completely devote to my book (and the secret project).
June 27, 2011
Writer Beware: Do NOT sign non-compete clauses
(I'm returning - briefly - from "holiday" for an important public service announcement).
Once upon a time, I worked for a shabby asshole company in London. Since it was a shabby asshole company that was killing my joy of life, I tried to leave after about 2.5 years. After my days with nose to grindstone at the little self-important hellhole, I had some experience in consumer research.
I went to a company for a job - which did something else, but was also active in retail and consumer analysis - and they offered me a better-paid job.
The moment of truth arrives, when Aleks talks to The Old Witch, AKA Head of Human Resources about having been offered a better-paid job.
There are two responses when a valued employee who's been twice promoted does that:
One is: "How much - and we'll pay that, please stay?"
The other is: "MUHAHAHA, FOOOOOLISH MORTAL! You've signed a non-compete! MUAHAHAHA!"
In other words, the asshole company decided that New Company was its competitor and even though I would have done something totally different there, the non-compete clause effectively banned me from using my skills at the new job, for two or three years (too long to just wait it out in any case).
I was fucked. Two-and-a-half years of hardcore learning down the drain.
But where there's a Taurus and enough anger, there's a way.
I declined the job offer (thankfully - the place went bust a year later!) and immediately blitzed EVERY single headhunter and job agency in London. I was barely at my desk, so busy (and pissed-off) was I, telling them about the non-compete and how I needed to apply my German and language skills in some way that had nothing to do with consumers and retail.
That is how I got into financial journalism, and from there into business editing - making a lot more in banking than I would have had I stayed at the hellhole. Much nicer workplace, too.
The only thing that worked in my favour is that I'm not a one-trick pony. While I'd learned to analyse products, I can also write and I have foreign languages. The non-compete clause forced me to think laterally - leading me to a much more fulfilling, much more pleasant and better-paid job.
For once, the non-compete really helped me.
Non-competes in writing are a totally different matter.
There's a rumour that Harlequin, the world's largest Romance publisher has added non-compete clauses to their "new" contracts.
I'm not sure whether Bob Mayer is making this shit up, but what he says is this:
"Which brings me to the non-compete clause that's also supposed to be in new contracts. Basically once an author signs with HQ, they can't self-publish under that name?"
If that's true, that would be utterly appalling (and not just for the very good reasons that Bob cites in his article), and grounds enough to turn down the contract. Basically, I've been told by several sources that Harlequin offers a "take it or leave it" contract. There's no negotiation with the 900-pound gorilla in the space.
What's worrying me is that it's the BACKLIST that authors actually live off. My agent made that very clear: You can think about quitting your day job when the books you wrote 5-15 years ago pay your rent, your health insurance, your pension and everything else and you have a little extra.
The front list (aka: the current release) is nice - another step up the ladder. The backlist pays the rent. Now, nobody sells more backlist than the author - a fair chunk of my backlist doesn't make a penny because I sold ALL my right, FOREVER, to a publisher who let it all fall into oblivion. Those books aren't being reprinted, they aren't issued in e-books - for all intends and purposes, they make nobody any money, not the publisher, not for me.
(Yeah, I've been real clever about contracts in my misspent youth, but that one was a "take it or leave it" contract, too.)
Now, the issue I have is that an adventurous publisher could not only keep you from self-publishing under that name (that name = your whole identity and self you've built on the internet, the only thing that helps people find you and your OTHER books). They could try to force you deeper into bondage - you might be unable to sign up with another publisher, or are forced to sell ALL your romance titles to them.
Ooops. Some publishers are already doing that (via ROFR clauses). I'll talk about THAT brand of "WHAT THE FUCK" some other day.
What is so disturbing is that, clearly, some publishers feel so threatened they are trying to shackle the author any way they can get away with.
There you are, thinking you signed a contract to get editing, a great cover and distribution - and meanwhile, you've signed the rights to YOUR OWN NAME away as WELL AS THE RIGHTS TO YOUR FUTURE BOOKS and HOW and WHERE to publish them.
Fucknuts!
Do NOT sign your books or your brand into slavery. My age, I hope I'll be writing for another 40 years. I will not - ever - sign my name away or preclude the idea that I'll self-publish or start my own publisher. The publishing space has changed beyond recognition in the last ten years - can any of us predict what's going to happen in the next forty years? Or, you know, what your kids or grandkids want to do with the brand you've so carefully built?
DO NOT sign your rights away - especially not with a publisher who won't negotiate. Walk away. No, don't walk, RUN.
Once upon a time, I worked for a shabby asshole company in London. Since it was a shabby asshole company that was killing my joy of life, I tried to leave after about 2.5 years. After my days with nose to grindstone at the little self-important hellhole, I had some experience in consumer research.
I went to a company for a job - which did something else, but was also active in retail and consumer analysis - and they offered me a better-paid job.
The moment of truth arrives, when Aleks talks to The Old Witch, AKA Head of Human Resources about having been offered a better-paid job.
There are two responses when a valued employee who's been twice promoted does that:
One is: "How much - and we'll pay that, please stay?"
The other is: "MUHAHAHA, FOOOOOLISH MORTAL! You've signed a non-compete! MUAHAHAHA!"
In other words, the asshole company decided that New Company was its competitor and even though I would have done something totally different there, the non-compete clause effectively banned me from using my skills at the new job, for two or three years (too long to just wait it out in any case).
I was fucked. Two-and-a-half years of hardcore learning down the drain.
But where there's a Taurus and enough anger, there's a way.
I declined the job offer (thankfully - the place went bust a year later!) and immediately blitzed EVERY single headhunter and job agency in London. I was barely at my desk, so busy (and pissed-off) was I, telling them about the non-compete and how I needed to apply my German and language skills in some way that had nothing to do with consumers and retail.
That is how I got into financial journalism, and from there into business editing - making a lot more in banking than I would have had I stayed at the hellhole. Much nicer workplace, too.
The only thing that worked in my favour is that I'm not a one-trick pony. While I'd learned to analyse products, I can also write and I have foreign languages. The non-compete clause forced me to think laterally - leading me to a much more fulfilling, much more pleasant and better-paid job.
For once, the non-compete really helped me.
Non-competes in writing are a totally different matter.
There's a rumour that Harlequin, the world's largest Romance publisher has added non-compete clauses to their "new" contracts.
I'm not sure whether Bob Mayer is making this shit up, but what he says is this:
"Which brings me to the non-compete clause that's also supposed to be in new contracts. Basically once an author signs with HQ, they can't self-publish under that name?"
If that's true, that would be utterly appalling (and not just for the very good reasons that Bob cites in his article), and grounds enough to turn down the contract. Basically, I've been told by several sources that Harlequin offers a "take it or leave it" contract. There's no negotiation with the 900-pound gorilla in the space.
What's worrying me is that it's the BACKLIST that authors actually live off. My agent made that very clear: You can think about quitting your day job when the books you wrote 5-15 years ago pay your rent, your health insurance, your pension and everything else and you have a little extra.
The front list (aka: the current release) is nice - another step up the ladder. The backlist pays the rent. Now, nobody sells more backlist than the author - a fair chunk of my backlist doesn't make a penny because I sold ALL my right, FOREVER, to a publisher who let it all fall into oblivion. Those books aren't being reprinted, they aren't issued in e-books - for all intends and purposes, they make nobody any money, not the publisher, not for me.
(Yeah, I've been real clever about contracts in my misspent youth, but that one was a "take it or leave it" contract, too.)
Now, the issue I have is that an adventurous publisher could not only keep you from self-publishing under that name (that name = your whole identity and self you've built on the internet, the only thing that helps people find you and your OTHER books). They could try to force you deeper into bondage - you might be unable to sign up with another publisher, or are forced to sell ALL your romance titles to them.
Ooops. Some publishers are already doing that (via ROFR clauses). I'll talk about THAT brand of "WHAT THE FUCK" some other day.
What is so disturbing is that, clearly, some publishers feel so threatened they are trying to shackle the author any way they can get away with.
There you are, thinking you signed a contract to get editing, a great cover and distribution - and meanwhile, you've signed the rights to YOUR OWN NAME away as WELL AS THE RIGHTS TO YOUR FUTURE BOOKS and HOW and WHERE to publish them.
Fucknuts!
Do NOT sign your books or your brand into slavery. My age, I hope I'll be writing for another 40 years. I will not - ever - sign my name away or preclude the idea that I'll self-publish or start my own publisher. The publishing space has changed beyond recognition in the last ten years - can any of us predict what's going to happen in the next forty years? Or, you know, what your kids or grandkids want to do with the brand you've so carefully built?
DO NOT sign your rights away - especially not with a publisher who won't negotiate. Walk away. No, don't walk, RUN.
June 19, 2011
Writer beware: PD Publishing
Guys, anybody thinking of submitting to PD Publishing, you should read these entries from Anne Brooke in order:
Part 1.
Part 2.
Part 3.
Short version of the story: Anne Brooke wants to terminate her contract with PD Publishing, PD Publishing wants to charge her USD 10k, of which 4.5k is for "lost sales" on an EBOOK EDITION THAT WAS NEVER RELEASED!!!
To put numbers into perspective, Anne made $160 in royalties from her PD Publishing release in 2010. I can state with confidence that I've made more in the same time from "Deliverance", a 7k short story.
What's really extremely classy is that, according to Anne's account, PD Publishing cc'ed Anne's OTHER PUBLISHERS (so far uninvolved) into their email trail.
Because, yes, it makes a lot of business sense to shame an author with the competition. Umh, not. If I were Dreamspinner or any of the others, I'd laugh my head off at the patheticness of it all.
After reading the nonsense that Anne Brooke has to deal with, I'm counting my blessings that PD Publishing turned down my novel I sent them in 2009. I'd have signed that same contract.
Some of the stuff that PD puts out is excellent, like Erastes' "Standish". But I will never submit anything to them again (shit, buying a car is cheaper than getting out of their contracts!), also because their sales stink. I mean, $160 for a full novel (plus a $200 advance)? That's not enough to get out of bed for.
But now I also will never buy a single book from them again. I also won't review any of their books. I'm not supporting publishers that are taking the piss like this. (All this based on Anne's account - I'm happy to link whatever PD Publishing has to say to this clusterfuck).
You know, big changes happened when people started to care how people/animals that produce the stuff we want are being treated - hey, presto, fairtrade coffee and bananas. Hey, presto, organic milk and eggs and meat.
I do hope that readers care about how publishers treat their authors.
In my case, I'm boycotting PD Publishing. You, too, can opt for fairtrade.
Part 1.
Part 2.
Part 3.
Short version of the story: Anne Brooke wants to terminate her contract with PD Publishing, PD Publishing wants to charge her USD 10k, of which 4.5k is for "lost sales" on an EBOOK EDITION THAT WAS NEVER RELEASED!!!
To put numbers into perspective, Anne made $160 in royalties from her PD Publishing release in 2010. I can state with confidence that I've made more in the same time from "Deliverance", a 7k short story.
What's really extremely classy is that, according to Anne's account, PD Publishing cc'ed Anne's OTHER PUBLISHERS (so far uninvolved) into their email trail.
Because, yes, it makes a lot of business sense to shame an author with the competition. Umh, not. If I were Dreamspinner or any of the others, I'd laugh my head off at the patheticness of it all.
After reading the nonsense that Anne Brooke has to deal with, I'm counting my blessings that PD Publishing turned down my novel I sent them in 2009. I'd have signed that same contract.
Some of the stuff that PD puts out is excellent, like Erastes' "Standish". But I will never submit anything to them again (shit, buying a car is cheaper than getting out of their contracts!), also because their sales stink. I mean, $160 for a full novel (plus a $200 advance)? That's not enough to get out of bed for.
But now I also will never buy a single book from them again. I also won't review any of their books. I'm not supporting publishers that are taking the piss like this. (All this based on Anne's account - I'm happy to link whatever PD Publishing has to say to this clusterfuck).
You know, big changes happened when people started to care how people/animals that produce the stuff we want are being treated - hey, presto, fairtrade coffee and bananas. Hey, presto, organic milk and eggs and meat.
I do hope that readers care about how publishers treat their authors.
In my case, I'm boycotting PD Publishing. You, too, can opt for fairtrade.
June 17, 2011
June 15, 2011
On vacation until 1 July
It's time for an internet break. The muse is singing, so I'm taking 2 weeks off from it all. I'll try to respond to emails, but I won't be on various social networks (I'll check my Goodreads group sporadically).
I'll be back on 1 July, hopefully with new stories.
Have a great time.
I'll be back on 1 July, hopefully with new stories.
Have a great time.
The pitfalls of social media (author perspective)
Recently, my mind has been dwelling on social media for authors (hey, throw in some caps and it's a good title for a paper). Obviously, all this is based on my niche inside a niche and my own experiences, and definitely also by observing other authors and the issues they are facing when dealing with social media. (This, BTW, is not a "marketing" post, but really about networking.)
And as an aside, I love social media and jumped into it full force. I don't believe it's a bad thing. I'm just cautioning that it's not always a Good Thing (especially when people use it to gather a pitchfork-wielding mob when anybody is posting an unpopular opinion - then social media helps assemble the torch-wielders that jump on shit out of peer pressure or the heat of the moment).
But I disgress.
So, with those two things out of the way (that I do love social media and that these are NOT just my experiences but an amalgamation of things I've seen over the last months), here are my humble thoughts on the whole thing.
1) Social Media makes you trackable. Say, you get an email and need some time to respond to it and think things through. If you *are* on Twitter, it's very likely that the sender of that email will send you a Direct Message saying "oy, respond to my email", or, subtler "did you get my email?" (Yes I did, "losing email" is usually an excuse, thank you very much.)
This, very often, is totally counter-productive. Social Media exerts pressure on us to do things immediately and respond to everything immediately. I'm not sure about you, but sometimes I like to think things through and discuss it with other people before I respond. Your Twitter and Facebook accounts make this almost impossible. Basically, people can easily bully you into responding AT ONCE.
2) Being "friends" with somebody you signed a contract with - any kind of contact - is at best a double-edged, poisoned blade. All goes well until you get cut. If you get cut, it's really bad.
I do not friend my RL bosses on Facebook, and have asked them not to friend me. It's too awkward. I might want to say something about work, and I can't, or a minor gripe (you know, just venting) suddenly turns into a Disciplinary Issue. I don't need that kind of shit in my life, so I'm not doing it.
The same holds true with publishers. Say, you've promised them a sequel this month, but then you post on Twitter that, actually, you will now write the three-part fantasy epic. If the publisher is switched on, they'll go "Whut?" and what ensues is drama. Since personally, I'm a very bad liar because I can't keep my stories straight, I don't want to follow my publishers anymore and feel queasy if they follow me. Since the rulebook on internet and social media etiquette hasn't really been written yet, this is very difficult territory to navigate. I've seen enough fuck-ups that I'm wary as hell about it all.
3) Banter changes your relationship. Say, you sign a contract with a publisher, you like each other, you banter. Then something goes really, really wrong in either your personal relationship OR your business relationship with that person.
Result: It makes things really awkward. That's why you don't mix business with friendship. If you really like the person, you might be tempted to let them get away with stuff you wouldn't otherwise take (and might end up getting taken advantage of). If you really like the business side of things, it will still get tarnished if the personal relationship went wrong. Fact is, some absolute scumbags are at the same time very good business people, and some utterly lovely people are atrocious at business.
Choose the side of them you like, and stay away from the rest of it. It makes for a lot more sanity in your life. Professional distance is a good thing. You can be friends with your readers, but I highly doubt you can be real friends with a publisher or editor or anybody you have a legal relationship with - amiable respect is probably the best thing that can be achieved.
4) Very often, Social Media creates the same mood and feel of High School (or the German equivalent of it). People *are* petty and childish, there *will* be bullying, there's DRAMAZ!, there is sniping from the back and, definitely, back-stabbing. I don't know about you, but I hated (the German equivalent of) High School. I've also found that this "storm in a tea cup" drama really, really detracts from my writing time and energy. I sometimes come away from Twitter feeling utterly "meh" about writing. Sometimes, sorting shit out and making things right again take so much energy that I'm losing whole chapters to DRAMAZ.
Personally, I don't think it's worth it - or at the very least, I need to think more and harder about how to have more fun and less stress on SocMedia sites.
And as an aside, I love social media and jumped into it full force. I don't believe it's a bad thing. I'm just cautioning that it's not always a Good Thing (especially when people use it to gather a pitchfork-wielding mob when anybody is posting an unpopular opinion - then social media helps assemble the torch-wielders that jump on shit out of peer pressure or the heat of the moment).
But I disgress.
So, with those two things out of the way (that I do love social media and that these are NOT just my experiences but an amalgamation of things I've seen over the last months), here are my humble thoughts on the whole thing.
1) Social Media makes you trackable. Say, you get an email and need some time to respond to it and think things through. If you *are* on Twitter, it's very likely that the sender of that email will send you a Direct Message saying "oy, respond to my email", or, subtler "did you get my email?" (Yes I did, "losing email" is usually an excuse, thank you very much.)
This, very often, is totally counter-productive. Social Media exerts pressure on us to do things immediately and respond to everything immediately. I'm not sure about you, but sometimes I like to think things through and discuss it with other people before I respond. Your Twitter and Facebook accounts make this almost impossible. Basically, people can easily bully you into responding AT ONCE.
2) Being "friends" with somebody you signed a contract with - any kind of contact - is at best a double-edged, poisoned blade. All goes well until you get cut. If you get cut, it's really bad.
I do not friend my RL bosses on Facebook, and have asked them not to friend me. It's too awkward. I might want to say something about work, and I can't, or a minor gripe (you know, just venting) suddenly turns into a Disciplinary Issue. I don't need that kind of shit in my life, so I'm not doing it.
The same holds true with publishers. Say, you've promised them a sequel this month, but then you post on Twitter that, actually, you will now write the three-part fantasy epic. If the publisher is switched on, they'll go "Whut?" and what ensues is drama. Since personally, I'm a very bad liar because I can't keep my stories straight, I don't want to follow my publishers anymore and feel queasy if they follow me. Since the rulebook on internet and social media etiquette hasn't really been written yet, this is very difficult territory to navigate. I've seen enough fuck-ups that I'm wary as hell about it all.
3) Banter changes your relationship. Say, you sign a contract with a publisher, you like each other, you banter. Then something goes really, really wrong in either your personal relationship OR your business relationship with that person.
Result: It makes things really awkward. That's why you don't mix business with friendship. If you really like the person, you might be tempted to let them get away with stuff you wouldn't otherwise take (and might end up getting taken advantage of). If you really like the business side of things, it will still get tarnished if the personal relationship went wrong. Fact is, some absolute scumbags are at the same time very good business people, and some utterly lovely people are atrocious at business.
Choose the side of them you like, and stay away from the rest of it. It makes for a lot more sanity in your life. Professional distance is a good thing. You can be friends with your readers, but I highly doubt you can be real friends with a publisher or editor or anybody you have a legal relationship with - amiable respect is probably the best thing that can be achieved.
4) Very often, Social Media creates the same mood and feel of High School (or the German equivalent of it). People *are* petty and childish, there *will* be bullying, there's DRAMAZ!, there is sniping from the back and, definitely, back-stabbing. I don't know about you, but I hated (the German equivalent of) High School. I've also found that this "storm in a tea cup" drama really, really detracts from my writing time and energy. I sometimes come away from Twitter feeling utterly "meh" about writing. Sometimes, sorting shit out and making things right again take so much energy that I'm losing whole chapters to DRAMAZ.
Personally, I don't think it's worth it - or at the very least, I need to think more and harder about how to have more fun and less stress on SocMedia sites.
Letters from the Front
Aleksandr Voinov's blog on reading and writing.
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