S.K.S. Perry's Blog, page 14
May 23, 2012
It's all Kree's Fault
Sadness really is the most pointless of human emotions. It accomplishes nothing. It changes nothing. At best, it gives us something to gauge "happy' by, and personally I would be satisfied if we only ran the gamut from "happy" to "ecstatic" so we wouldn't need to dip into the well of "sad" to give "happy" meaning.
Evolutionary-wise, I'm surprised those with the trait to be sad didn't die out ages ago.
"Gronk, go find Kree, it is time to hunt."
"Kree say he not come. He sad."
"Ha! Suck to be Kree. He starve."
Or worse yet, Gronk could be a sensitive, new age caveman, and stay behind to cheer Kree up thereby depriving the tribe of two hunters. Most likely they'd both starve.
I can't tell you how much time I've wasted being sad. Time that could have been better spent doing something to make me happy, and with luck, maybe even ecstatic.
Just my luck I have a little Kree in my family tree.
Evolutionary-wise, I'm surprised those with the trait to be sad didn't die out ages ago.
"Gronk, go find Kree, it is time to hunt."
"Kree say he not come. He sad."
"Ha! Suck to be Kree. He starve."
Or worse yet, Gronk could be a sensitive, new age caveman, and stay behind to cheer Kree up thereby depriving the tribe of two hunters. Most likely they'd both starve.
I can't tell you how much time I've wasted being sad. Time that could have been better spent doing something to make me happy, and with luck, maybe even ecstatic.
Just my luck I have a little Kree in my family tree.
May 22, 2012
The day job.
We have the internet at work, but what with all the spyware security features and firewalls it can often be next to useless. Firstly, it's so slow that even if we could download internet porn on it, by the time that picture of "Teen Schoolgirl" I my colleague is so hot for rezzed, she'd be "Hot Granny." Not that the nazi bastards firewall would let us anywhere near those sites in the first place.
Even the sites we are allowed barely function. For instance, I can log into my hotmail account, but I can't actually read any of my email. I can see it - I just can't read it. Right now there's a Nigerian Prince trying to get in touch with me and I can't open his correspondence. (We won't even mention Wendy, who apparently has a secret crush on me and has sent pictures of herself even thought someone is spreading the blatant lie that I have a small penis.)
Facebook isn't much better. Occasionally while I'mplaying Free Cell editing lesson plans I like to take a break and see what my friends are up to, and maybe even post a comment or 30 two. But it's a crapshoot as to whether it will actually let me post or not. I keep getting "Unable to post comment. Try again." Although I'm starting to wonder if maybe Facebook is just editing my comments, and what it really means is "Unwilling to post comment," or better yet, "That's not funny. Try again."
Of course, that wouldn't explain half the post it does let slip by.
Even the sites we are allowed barely function. For instance, I can log into my hotmail account, but I can't actually read any of my email. I can see it - I just can't read it. Right now there's a Nigerian Prince trying to get in touch with me and I can't open his correspondence. (We won't even mention Wendy, who apparently has a secret crush on me and has sent pictures of herself even thought someone is spreading the blatant lie that I have a small penis.)
Facebook isn't much better. Occasionally while I'm
Of course, that wouldn't explain half the post it does let slip by.
Critique peeve #1
You know what comment I hate most? "It pulled me out of the story." WTF? Listen up dickwad; short of dressing up like the big bad wolf and prancing around the neighbourhood threatening to huff and puff and blow my house down, you're not in the damn story! I don't remember writing a part for you in…what?
It means what?
Oh.
Never mind.
It means what?
Oh.
Never mind.
May 21, 2012
Happy Victoria Day!!!
Another agent rejection today. This one even came with feedback.
And to set the record straight, I have no qualms about agents rejecting my work, not even if they reject it and tell me it's the biggest piece of rubbish they've ever read. (Not the case here, btw.) If they don't think they can make money from my work then of course they should say no, and if they take the time to tell me why they think this is so then even better.
My complaint is with agents who can't even be bothered to reply. Ever. It's disrespectful.
On a happier note, it's been a beautiful long weekend. The weather's been amazing, and we've been barbecuing non-stop. Pen and I saw Battleship today, and both thoroughly enjoyed it. From what I hear it's not doing nearly as well as hoped for, which makes 2 movies now that have surprised me by under-performing - the other being John Carter.
Oh well, I'll be buying both of these movies when they come out on Blu-Ray.
And to set the record straight, I have no qualms about agents rejecting my work, not even if they reject it and tell me it's the biggest piece of rubbish they've ever read. (Not the case here, btw.) If they don't think they can make money from my work then of course they should say no, and if they take the time to tell me why they think this is so then even better.
My complaint is with agents who can't even be bothered to reply. Ever. It's disrespectful.
On a happier note, it's been a beautiful long weekend. The weather's been amazing, and we've been barbecuing non-stop. Pen and I saw Battleship today, and both thoroughly enjoyed it. From what I hear it's not doing nearly as well as hoped for, which makes 2 movies now that have surprised me by under-performing - the other being John Carter.
Oh well, I'll be buying both of these movies when they come out on Blu-Ray.
May 17, 2012
For what? The remake of Frankenstein!
I have to admit, as spam/phishing goes this one's original:
Hello,
We are quite interested in using your face/picture for a billboard/calling card advert.We presently have a billboard advert and your profile is chosen to do the job.Please reply with your approval,so we could move on with further details.All replies should sent to spamityspamspamspam@yahoo.co.uk
Regards.
Elizabeth.
Hello,
We are quite interested in using your face/picture for a billboard/calling card advert.We presently have a billboard advert and your profile is chosen to do the job.Please reply with your approval,so we could move on with further details.All replies should sent to spamityspamspamspam@yahoo.co.uk
Regards.
Elizabeth.
May 16, 2012
At least now I can ignore all those signs of the apocalypse.
One of the agents I queried last Thursday was named Suzie. For some reason that name stuck out for me, so when I was rushing to work this morning and a car pulled in front of me and with the vanity plates “Suzie” I was sure it was the Universe giving me a sign.
And it was. When I got home tonight, there in my inbox was a rejection from the agent, Suzie.
Stupid Universe.
And it was. When I got home tonight, there in my inbox was a rejection from the agent, Suzie.
Stupid Universe.
May 15, 2012
Because Justin Bieber won't take my calls.
A lot of people are asking me why I don’t just self-pub THE MOONLIGHT WAR. Why bother looking for an agent?
There are a number of reasons, but for me the main one is the business of publishing. I simply don't know enough or understand how to sell my books.
I self-pubbed Darkside and its sequel Waking the Dead, and by self-pubbing I mean, "Put it up for sale on Amazon and Smashwords." That was pretty much the extent of my marketing genius.
Sure, I created an author's page on Facebook, and I tweet about them occasionally. And by occasionally I mean once or twice a month, as opposed to four or five times a day like most indie authors I follow on twitter. (I'm still not convinced constant tweeting is an effective marketing tool, and not just a nuisance.)
I even managed to get my books reviewed on a couple of fairly reputable sites.
Probably the biggest marketing push I had though was the publicity my books received when they were stolen. That story hit a lot of websites, newspapers, blogs etc, although they were outlets aimed more at writers than readers, or at best business people.
Both books have been available now for a little over a year. Between the two of them, I sell on the average a book a day. That's not exactly quit-your-day-job-and-make-your-living-as-a-writer kind of money. (Maybe $400-$500 last year.)
Now, maybe my books suck. I don't think that they do, but I'm bound to be prejudiced and prone to ignore evidence to the contrary, and hang on the evidence that they might actually be good. After all, they get good reviews from people I've never heard of, and most people who bought the first one generally bought the second. There's even a whack of people asking me when the third is coming out.
Still, there are boatloads of indie authors on Amazon selling hundreds of books a day. (I've even heard there are some that sell thousands--but we don't like them. Not at all.) I've read some of these books, and while some are excellent, most are, at best (and again, prejudiced here) no better than mine. Many are worse. A lot worse - unless you don't care about things like grammar, spelling, plot, characters…um…formatting.
What this tells me then, is that if my books aren't selling, it's my fault.
Somehow I need to make my books more visible. The problem is that I'm not sure how to go about doing that. I've read a lot off stuff about increasing your sales on Amazon, most of it conflicting, and a lot of it by people who are selling their book on Amazon about how to increase your sales, so…you know…suspect.
There is just too much I don't know, and that's my fault too. (For instance, did you know that even as a self-pubbed author you can sell your foreign rights? Heck, I thought my foreign rights meant that my books were for sale on Amazon.uk, de, ect.) An indie author sent me this link (because we all have to stick together, eh). Check it out: http://www.bookmarket.com/foreign.htm
Of course, I never wanted to be in business/marketing. I always wanted to be alumberjack writer. But things change. Apparently now you need to be both (or be a successful enough writer that you can hire someone to do you business/marketing for you--which seems like a Catch 22 to me).
So who knows, maybe self-pubbing THE MOONLIGHT WAR is the way to go. Maybe I'll have no choice. For now, though. I'd like to go the traditional route if possible.
That is at least until they piss me off enough to self-pub out of spite.
There are a number of reasons, but for me the main one is the business of publishing. I simply don't know enough or understand how to sell my books.
I self-pubbed Darkside and its sequel Waking the Dead, and by self-pubbing I mean, "Put it up for sale on Amazon and Smashwords." That was pretty much the extent of my marketing genius.
Sure, I created an author's page on Facebook, and I tweet about them occasionally. And by occasionally I mean once or twice a month, as opposed to four or five times a day like most indie authors I follow on twitter. (I'm still not convinced constant tweeting is an effective marketing tool, and not just a nuisance.)
I even managed to get my books reviewed on a couple of fairly reputable sites.
Probably the biggest marketing push I had though was the publicity my books received when they were stolen. That story hit a lot of websites, newspapers, blogs etc, although they were outlets aimed more at writers than readers, or at best business people.
Both books have been available now for a little over a year. Between the two of them, I sell on the average a book a day. That's not exactly quit-your-day-job-and-make-your-living-as-a-writer kind of money. (Maybe $400-$500 last year.)
Now, maybe my books suck. I don't think that they do, but I'm bound to be prejudiced and prone to ignore evidence to the contrary, and hang on the evidence that they might actually be good. After all, they get good reviews from people I've never heard of, and most people who bought the first one generally bought the second. There's even a whack of people asking me when the third is coming out.
Still, there are boatloads of indie authors on Amazon selling hundreds of books a day. (I've even heard there are some that sell thousands--but we don't like them. Not at all.) I've read some of these books, and while some are excellent, most are, at best (and again, prejudiced here) no better than mine. Many are worse. A lot worse - unless you don't care about things like grammar, spelling, plot, characters…um…formatting.
What this tells me then, is that if my books aren't selling, it's my fault.
Somehow I need to make my books more visible. The problem is that I'm not sure how to go about doing that. I've read a lot off stuff about increasing your sales on Amazon, most of it conflicting, and a lot of it by people who are selling their book on Amazon about how to increase your sales, so…you know…suspect.
There is just too much I don't know, and that's my fault too. (For instance, did you know that even as a self-pubbed author you can sell your foreign rights? Heck, I thought my foreign rights meant that my books were for sale on Amazon.uk, de, ect.) An indie author sent me this link (because we all have to stick together, eh). Check it out: http://www.bookmarket.com/foreign.htm
Of course, I never wanted to be in business/marketing. I always wanted to be a
So who knows, maybe self-pubbing THE MOONLIGHT WAR is the way to go. Maybe I'll have no choice. For now, though. I'd like to go the traditional route if possible.
That is at least until they piss me off enough to self-pub out of spite.
May 14, 2012
Thank you sir, may I have another!
I received a rejection from an agent this morning - one I'd queried only last Thursday. It was only a form letter rejection -- being rather pessimistic lately I just knew it was a rejection even before I opened it--but it's remarkable how grateful I was for the response. I even considered replying with a short, sweet "Thank you for your response," but I'm sure the last thing any agent needs is me clogging up their inbox and taking time away from their ability to peruse a query letter from some other poor slob waiting for their response.
May 11, 2012
Just when you think the world really sucks, something like this happens.
An ex-recruit of mine, one of the first I ever trained, sent me this letter today:
Steve Perry,
Thank you for Saving the World.
This may be from one us, but in heart and soul it comes from all of us. You trained us, you guided us, and mentored and even yelled at us. But you crafted and inspired people that for 30 years went out and Made a Difference to hundreds more people all around the world. There are people alive because of you, people with hope, people with dreams, people with children who now carry on that very spark.
We are all better for having known you, served with you or having the chance to be exhorted to be glorious by you. That impact should not be diminished, or understated in any way. And if our government is too foolish to see that, then it is up to us the citizens that were forged by you to thus take up the call. You are Remembered. A toast I will gladly drink to every November 11th, or at any Sci-fi convention's open bar.
Sgt Steve Perry, Man who Saved the World, Huzzah! Huzzah! Huzzah!
Thank you,
Be at Peace,
David
Typhoon Plt
P.S. I will now go outside and do twenty five for being out of line.
The letter was accompanied by a beautiful rapier. I feel kind of guilty about accepting a gift like that, but hey--rapier! I can't begin to tell you how much this letter touched me, especially in light of all the crap going on lately. It came at just the right time. If I wasn't so manly I might have even shed a tear or two.
It almost makes me feel bad that I have to remind David that it's 50 push-ups for being out of line, not 25.
Almost.
Steve Perry,
Thank you for Saving the World.
This may be from one us, but in heart and soul it comes from all of us. You trained us, you guided us, and mentored and even yelled at us. But you crafted and inspired people that for 30 years went out and Made a Difference to hundreds more people all around the world. There are people alive because of you, people with hope, people with dreams, people with children who now carry on that very spark.
We are all better for having known you, served with you or having the chance to be exhorted to be glorious by you. That impact should not be diminished, or understated in any way. And if our government is too foolish to see that, then it is up to us the citizens that were forged by you to thus take up the call. You are Remembered. A toast I will gladly drink to every November 11th, or at any Sci-fi convention's open bar.
Sgt Steve Perry, Man who Saved the World, Huzzah! Huzzah! Huzzah!
Thank you,
Be at Peace,
David
Typhoon Plt
P.S. I will now go outside and do twenty five for being out of line.
The letter was accompanied by a beautiful rapier. I feel kind of guilty about accepting a gift like that, but hey--rapier! I can't begin to tell you how much this letter touched me, especially in light of all the crap going on lately. It came at just the right time. If I wasn't so manly I might have even shed a tear or two.
It almost makes me feel bad that I have to remind David that it's 50 push-ups for being out of line, not 25.
Almost.
The man will certainly go far.
So I was monitoring a class on Electronic Warfare this morning, and the instructor was talking about chaff - basically little bits of aluminum dispersed to clutter or jam radar.
Student: "It's a lot thinner than I thought. It kind of looks like hair."
Instructor; (Jokingly). "It is. We cut it off the redhead who works upstairs in the Orderly Room."
Student: "Cool! Chaff without a soul."
Student: "It's a lot thinner than I thought. It kind of looks like hair."
Instructor; (Jokingly). "It is. We cut it off the redhead who works upstairs in the Orderly Room."
Student: "Cool! Chaff without a soul."
