Jennifer Becton's Blog, page 24
September 4, 2014
August 29, 2014
Konrath’s Advice to Younger Self (www)
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August 28, 2014
Jane Austen Role Playing Game (www)
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Publishing Pay Raises vs. Inflation Rates
Publishers Weekly has a brief article based on something called the “salary survey” that states average pay raises for publishing employees:
The average pay raise for publishing employees in 2013 was 2.8%, according to PW’s just-concluded salary survey. The percentage increase last year was the same as in 2012, when the survey also found that pay had risen by 2.8%.
This short blurb of an article teases the findings from the full survey in an upcoming issue.
Whenever pay raise numbers are discussed, it’s important to take into account the rate of inflation. As you may have noticed, stuff seems to get more expensive every year. That’s because, most of the time, it does.
If your raise is less than the rate of inflation, you are effectively taking a pay cut. Without taking into account the rate of inflation, these numbers are meaningless.
What do these raises really mean?
In 2013, the cost of living increased by 1.5 percent. (Math: 2.8-1.5=1.3 percent) So the average raise was effectively 1.3 percent.
In 2102, the cost of living increased by 2.1 percent. (Math: 2.8-2.1=.7 percent) That year, the average raise was effectively .7 percent.
Find more inflation rates here.
According to a survey of 900 companies described in USA Today, the average pay raise in 2012 and 2013 was 3 percent. The publishing industry falls just below the average. That article states:
A 3% increase would outpace the 1.3% to 1.8% inflation forecast for next year [2014] on Wednesday by Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke.
Don’t forget to take inflation into account when negotiating your next raise or salary.
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August 27, 2014
Tpyos Suck!
The reason typos get through isn’t because we’re stupid or careless, it’s because what we’re doing is actually very smart, explains psychologist Tom Stafford, who studies typos of the University of Sheffield in the UK. “When you’re writing, you’re trying to convey meaning. It’s a very high level task,” he said.
As with all high level tasks, your brain generalizes simple, component parts (like turning letters into words and words into sentences) so it can focus on more complex tasks (like combining sentences into complex ideas).
First of all, let’s take a moment to appreciate that there’s a scientist who focuses on the study of typos.
Second, give yourself a break when you find a typo in an email or manuscript. It’s a sign that you’re normal.
Third, you cannot see your own typos. You need an editor, even though they suck too.
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August 26, 2014
Absolute Liability In German!
Absolute Liability in German
Absolute Liability is now available in German.
Absolute Liability launched today on Amazon.de!
Earlier this year, Absolute Liability was invited to participate in the beta program of AmazonCrossing. The process went smoothly from start to finish, and I’m so excited to have been a part of it.
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August 25, 2014
Ebook Haters Get Ready: Paperless Library Opens
Florida Polytechnic University just opened a library without one paper book on the shelves.
Come to think of it, there aren’t any shelves either.
Florida Polytechnic University and obtained by Reuters August 22, 2014. REUTERS/Florida Polytechnic University/Handout via Reuters
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August 21, 2014
Editors Suck!
In a story from Gawker:
Go find a story published a few years ago in The New Yorker, perhaps America’s most tightly edited magazine. Give that story to an editor, and tell him it’s a draft. I guarantee you that that editor will take that story—well-polished diamond that it presumably is—and suggest a host of changes. Rewrite the story to the specifications of the new editor. Then take it to another editor, and repeat the process. You will find, once again, that the new editor has changes in mind. If you were a masochist, you could continue this process indefinitely. You would never find an editor who read the story, set down his pencil, and said, “Looks fine. This story is perfect.” This is because editing is an art, not a science. To imagine that more editors will produce a better story is akin to imagining that a song by your favorite band would be better if, after the band finished it, it was remixed by a succession of ten producers, one after the other. Would it be different? Yes. Would it be better? I doubt it. The only thing you can be sure of is that it would not be the song that the actual musicians wanted it to be. (Emphasis added.)
Having worked as an editor before becoming a fiction writer, I’ve been on both sides of this issue. I believe editing is important because it helps produce clearer communication between writer and reader. It can also help ensure a satisfying reading experience. On the other hand, editing can be taken too far. Everyone has a different opinion on a plot or character, and there is no way to satisfy every single reader…or editor. It just ain’t gonna happen.
Good editors are valuable. They are also rare. If we simply kept the good ones and dismissed the bad ones, the ranks of editors would immediately shrink to saner levels. Editors are an important part of writing—a subordinate part….
When all of the people in the writing world are dead and gone, the only thing that we will leave behind are our stories. Stories are, ultimately, what matter. Stories are what websites and magazines and media “brands” live and die on. Stories come from writers. Writers come first.
Write on!
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August 20, 2014
Reading Comprehension and Digital Books: Jury Still Out
According to a recent study, reading on paper produces better comprehension than reading a PDF on a shiny monitor.
According to a recenter study, “While the type of E Ink used in the latest generation of Kindles and other tablets has been shown to be as or even more legible than printed text, other studies have indicated that — in terms of reading comprehension — the medium doesn’t much matter.”
Or if you’re the Guardian, you interpret the same data a different way: “A new study which found that readers using a Kindle were “significantly” worse than paperback readers at recalling when events occurred in a mystery story.”
Here’s a chart via the NYT that shows the data:
http://mobile.nytimes.com/2014/08/14/...
For further breakdown, check out The Digital Reader’s take on it.
I think it’s safe to conclude that the jury is still out.
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KDP Pre-orders: What’s the Point?
Like many other indie authors, KDP’s announcement regarding pre-orders thrilled me. Having the ability to make my upcoming books known to readers via Amazon is a big deal. Visibility is the key to book marketing.
But after looking into the program, I’m not sure it’s worth it, and here’s why:
Authors must upload their final manuscript 10 days before the launch date. That’s ten days of waiting around when your book could be in the hands of readers! I’m all for 80 days of hype, but that’s all it is: HYPE. I want my book in the hands of readers as soon as humanly possible so that they can form opinions based on the actual product and leave reviews on Amazon.
Benefits
List book up to 90 days in advance
Publicity for 80 days without a completed product
Risks
Miss your deadline and lose your pre-order privileges for a year
Not to mention disappointing your readers by postponing the release
Negatives
Holding back a book’s release for 10 days when you could be generating reviews and buzz based on the quality of the product and not on hype
This program certainly has benefits. I would love to have 80 days of free marketing on Amazon without having a finished product, but then reality invades. As an indie mid-lister, I can’t schedule my books that precisely. Even given a 90 day window with the ability move the release date up, I am only one person with a real life that gets in the way, with contractors whose lives get in the way or whose schedules don’t mesh with my plan. I don’t have a staff or a dedicated team of editors who can work on strict deadlines. My workflow is very loose, and it has to be.
If you plan to use the pre-order option, I’d love to hear about your results. I just don’t think it’s going to work for my particular situation.
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