Gerald Dean Rice's Blog, page 94

Saggy Pants Arrest

As much as I find saggy pants disgusting, I don't see how pulling them up can be legally enforceable. If the person in question is showing crack, that's indecent exposure, but most I see are properly covered by their underwear, at least.

If I can walk around outside in nothing but my underwear, how is it less legal to put on more clothes?

Who's Who's Who?

I just got another one of these 'invites'.  Like the NAPW thing, this one is just as generic.  Maybe even more so.  Didn't even bother putting my name on it, rather [fname] instead.

But the spam got me wondering, who exactly is 'Who's Who'?  And why should I care about being on their list?  Just a quick search netted some interesting information.  The title 'Who's Who' is in the public domain, which means anyone can compile names of people who are people.  The best known is a British publication put out by A & C Black.  But more than likely, if you've gotten an email, a phone call, or a letter in the mail it wasn't from these guys.  If they asked for you to buy the book (but you'd be included regardless) then it was a scam and you should avoid them.

Well, at least they didn't think I was a woman.

Uploaded!

I got Fleshbags uploaded on Smashwords, Barnes & Noble, and Amazon.  Now I'm waiting for my cover which should be ready by the end of the month and then we go live in August.

Release Date

Look for Fleshbags on August 23, 2011!

Get Your ISBN from RR Bowker (ISBN Update)

Thanks to the fast fingers of someone from one of the forums I frequent I visited a site that resells ISBNs.  As with anyone with an inkling of scrutiny in them I had a few questions.  Here's our back and forth correspondence:

GR:  I need one ISBN. It's for an ebook. How do you deliver it to me and how do I assign it to my book?

 

XX:  Hi Gerald,

Thanks for your email. When you place your order through Paypal, I immediately send the isbn bar code to you by email. Then you can use the isbn number to get your book on Amazon, BN, or any other website, online distributor, etc.

Since the ISBN is already registered to my company, it can't be "registered" to your ebook. (which is redundant since you are registering your own company / author information to the ebook with every online seller - for example, on Amazon, BN, etc, you will enter your own contact information, not mine).

My point is to help publishers to get isbns they need to publish their books/e-books at a reduced price. If it doesn't end up working out for you, email me and I'll refund your money right away.

Thanks and best of luck with your ebook!

 

GR:  But if someone searches by the ISBN what information will they see?

 

XX:  Just out of curiosity, have you ever personally searched for a title by ISBN...? Or do you know of anyone who does this?

Personally, I search for titles by title/author. I don't think most people search for books by ISBN.

Also, Bowker actually charges a lot of money to do a search by ISBN. I think it costs about $1,000 to get a subscription so that someone can do a search by ISBN. So based on my experience most of your customers will probably not be doing that.

If I'm wrong about this, please let me know because I've simply never heard of anyone searching for a book by ISBN. Thanks.

 

GR:  I get what you mean. If I bought it from you it would show under my book anyway. But retailers search by ISBN. Won't they see? And what do you give me as assurance you won't sell mine to someone else?

 

XX:  I'm not selling the same number to anyone else because that wouldn't be good for my business. I'm trying to help people by giving them a low-cost way to publish their book or ebook. You're welcome to try my service anytime you are ready. Thanks.

Think he sounded a little short in that last message?  I do.  Even if I did go through an ISBN reseller, I wouldn't use this guy in particular.  He chose to be sensitive when that was when he should have put on his best salesman's shoes.  Hey, I have reservations, obviously.  Why not go the extra mile to reassure me?

 

But, I was on Bowker's website and I found this:

 

As the U.S. ISBN Agency, R R Bowker is the exclusive US source of publisher prefixes and accompanying ranges of ISBN numbers for eligible publishers. Bowker provides information and advice on the uses of the ISBN System to publishers and the book trade, and promotes the use of the Bookland EAN bar code format. In addition to their ISBN prefixes, publishers also register their titles with Bowker for inclusion in the Books In Print databases.

Please be aware that there are unauthorized resellers of ISBNs, and that this activity is a violation of the ISBN standard and of industry practice.

 

It goes on:

 

If you use one of these reassigned ISBNs, you will not be correctly identified as the publisher of record in Books in Print or many of the book industry databases. The result may be extensive costs to apply for a new ISBN and the application of stickers to books already printed and in circulation.

If you are a new publisher, you should apply for your own ISBN publisher prefix from the US ISBN Agency. Assigning ISBNs from your own ISBN publisher prefix will identify you as the publisher of your titles, and link your contact information to the specific publisher identifier. This will ultimately aid in circulating your books properly in the industry supply chain.

 

Needless to say, I don't want anyone else's name to show up under my ISBN.  I'm trying to start something here and that seems contrary to what I'm working for.  I have other things I'm planning to write, maybe I'll just buy 10 of them and go on from there.

Brother Can You Spare a ISBN?

I only need one, but when I go to Bowker to get it, it was wayyyy more expensive than I was expecting. I'd seen previously that 10 was $250, so I assumed 1 would be $25.

Not so.

Apparently, 1 ISBN is $125.

Not that I can't whip out the cash, but if the next step up gives me 9 more for only twice the amount, I want the most bangage for my buckage. Are ISBNs transferrable? Can you buy one off someone else?

Next Steps

I just sent out reviewer copies of my novella, "Fleshbags". This has been a true labor of love and a relatively brief gestational period. I started blogging it back in May, finished last month, and finished editing Sunday night.

Next, I'm working with my cover artist to come up with a sketch that will eventually become the cover. In the meantime, I'm getting an ISBN and will work on uploading to Kindle, Smashwords and Barnes and Noble.

Busy, busy, busy!

34,449

I am done.  And that is the final, final word count.  I'm going to circulate this to all my reviewers probably tomorrow and next is coordinating with my cover artist.  But other than that, Fleshbags is done!

Publisher's Weekly

I was on PW's website and got to thinking.  There was absolutely nothing there indicating I can't submit an e-book for review.  I need to play around with some dates, but I'm going to submit a manuscript to them.

 

Submissions

Publishers Weekly Submission Guidelines

(Note: Children's titles have separate guidelines, below)

Submissions must be sent (3) months--preferably (4)--prior to the 1st day of the month of publication.

You must send (2) copies of every title submitted. Submissions of a single copy will not be considered.

All galleys should have the following information on the cover:

- Title

- Author

- Price

- Publisher and imprint

- Format

- Number of pages in the finished book

- 13-digit ISBN

- Month and day of publication

- Distribution arrangements

- Publicity contact information

An accompanying letter should contain a description or synopsis of the book, and any pertinent publicity information, including the author's previous titles, blurbs, or previous reviews. Book club, paperback, audio or movie rights sales, author tours of 5 cities or more, a print run of more than 10,000 or an ad/promo budget of more than $30,000 should be noted.

Please include a separate cover sheet or letter for each copy of every title submitted.

Finished books and bound manuscripts are acceptable for submission. Please clearly mark them "In Lieu of Galleys." Unbound F&Gs are acceptable only for submission of heavily illustrated books.

We review books in the following categories: Nonfiction, Fiction, Mystery, Science Fiction/Fantasy/Horror, Poetry, Comics, Lifestyles (cooking, gardening & home, health & fitness, or parenting), and Mass Market. Again, children's titles have their own guidelines (see below). We consider self-published books for review within our PW Select program.

Please address packages to:

Publishers Weekly

Nonfiction Reviews [or "Poetry Reviews" or other relevant category]

71 West 23 St. #1608

New York, NY 10010

 

Close Enough

I'm aiming to be done with Fleshbags this Friday. Hopefully all my other ducks fall in a row.