Alexander M. Zoltai's Blog, page 213

Do You Steal Books? ~and~ Do Authors Care?

Back in the dim fringes of my always-right, exuberant, ill-informed past, I did steal a book or three.

That was well before the commonality of digital books. Now, folks can steal a book with three mouse-clicks.

I've written before about book piracy: Ebook Piracy ~ Not A Bad Thing?? and Free Books, Pirated Books, & Our Digital Age…, to name two.

I just read a letter from Brian O'Leary, publishing consultant, to the President of the Author's Guild, author and lawyer, Scott Turow.

It's called The Walls We Build Up and I'll put a few excerpts here to encourage you to read the whole letter:

"Dear Mr. Turow,

Congratulations and best wishes on your election as president of the Authors Guild."

"…the claims you make about piracy aren't based on any real evidence.  I'd like to offer some data that argue for a different point of view."

"…the greater threat to many authors is obscurity, not piracy."

"There are no reliable studies of the impact of piracy in the book business."

"The Government Accounting Office recently 'assessed the assessments' of digital piracy and found them all lacking."

"So, here's what I think you should do: ….work with authors to distinguish between the instance of piracy and its impact. A pirated file is not necessarily equivalent to a lost sale. Most authors want to make money, but I'd wager that all authors would like to be read."

"We can do as the music industry did, presuming a single answer and defending an existing model.  Or, we can choose a data-driven, more flexible path.  I prefer the latter, and I hope I can convince you that you should, too.  Even with the best of intentions, the walls we build up can lock us in."

Do you know an author who's suffered from piracy?

Are you an author who's experienced this?

What are your thoughts and feelings on the issue??

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Tagged: Author's Guild, authors, Book Piracy, Brian O'Leary, Digital Piracy, Scott Turow, Stealing Books, Stolen Books

Empty Pages And Full Minds

There aren't many things stranger for a blogger than facing the computer with no idea of what to write.

Bloggers are, by nature, folks who like to spill the beans, regularly and in easy-to-digest portions.

Personally, I rarely have a day when I can't immediately get into the blog post at hand—I do keep my InternetRadar turned on for probable topics…

So, today, I looked over the possible options on my ToBlog List and nothing grabbed me.

Being, by nature, a writer, I noticed that peculiar condition that feels like a balloon, full-to-bursting with air, having more air added…

These words are my controlled attempt to let some of the gaseous substance escape before I blow a mental gasket.

Creative writers are, by nature, strange people.

For instance, as I gave free reign to my urge to write about not knowing what to write in this blog, I used the phrase, "by nature", three times (four, now) and don't know why consciously but trust that my feeling of its rightness for this post will reveal itself…

Another strange aspect of the creative writer's life is the nature of words themselves << that's a series of posts I did on how strange words can be.

So, let me recap and attempt to explicate a rationale for this post:

* I perused my list of possible blog topics and found it boring.

* I decided to write about not knowing what to write about.

* I used the phrase, "by nature", four times to emphasis the inevitability of a desire to wrangle words being, at times, nearly impossible to explain.

* I reached the recap-phase and realized I was creating a word-mirror—a post I could contemplate as an effort to remain connected with my readers while showing them the under-belly of the commitment to creating five blog posts a week during the ramp-up to writing a companion volume for my novel, Notes from An Alien.

Perhaps this off-the-cuff post, written with my faith in my Muse to the fore, will reveal to any potential bloggers that commitment to the regularity of blog-life can create a semi-meaningful product that self-referentially justifies its own existence…

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Tagged: blog, blog post, blogging, Effect of Words, Self-reference, words, writer, writing

Is Humor A Cure-All?

Writers, and other creative folks, sure do need humor, if only as a weapon against depression.

But, does humor do more than make our emotions easier to handle?

There's a video at the end of this post that is embedded in one of the articles I'm going to link to but it's such a great stress reliever that I had to put it here for readers who may need a quick fix of healing laughter.

That article I'm going to link to is, Humor Affects Our Psyche, and the author is Carter Lee.

He cites studies which apparently show that humor can:

Boost the immune system and circulatory system
Enhance oxygen intake
Stimulate the heart and lungs
Relax muscles throughout the body
Trigger the release of endorphins (the body's natural painkillers)
Ease digestion/soothe stomach aches
Relieve pain
Balance blood pressure
Improve mental functions (i.e., alertness, memory, creativity)

He also has a soon-to-be-released book, When Jonathan Cried For Me. Here's some of the blurb:

"For most of his life, Carter Lee struggled with a low self-esteem, unhealthy self-confidence, increasingly in-docile anger issues, and his weight. After his wife left him, taking her son with her, Carter Lee hit rock bottom. Deciding to persevere on, he became determined to find a way to transcend through his trauma on a journey to find a genuine inner transformation."

"Carter Lee is blatantly honest about his inner demons and wears his heart on his sleeve. More than just a motivational, inspiring, educating, or entertaining read, this book transcends any one genre by coalescing strengths of each form into a powerful teaching tool.  He is witty, unconventional, and has a knack for describing highly technical mental processes in layman's terms. Sometimes controversially, but always with honesty, Carter Lee delivers what so many of us need: a real way to facilitate internal change and transformation…"

So, Carter Lee gets my gratitude for pointing me toward a book that promises to be rewarding and a video that can pull me out of any ol' bad mood :-)

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Tagged: baby laugh, Carter Lee, creativity, depression, Healing, humor, video, When Jonathan Cried For Me

Free Books, Pirated Books, & Our Digital Age…

Many writers freak out when considering their ideas or whole books will be stolen.

Many readers steal and share stolen books.

Should a writer be worried?

First, consider Jane Friedman's article, Are You Worried Your Ideas or Work Will Be Stolen?, where she says, amongst other potent ideas:

"It is not possible under current U.S. law to copyright or protect an idea."

"Sure, someone can steal your idea, but they can't possibly execute it or interpret it in the same way you can."

"Piracy is more likely to hurt authors who are famous, rather than the unknown authors."

Naturally, you should read the whole article if you have concerns about your writing…

So, for the moment, let's not worry that our ideas will be stolen. Let's worry that someone will pirate them and make money we should be getting.

Joe Konrath, in his article, Piracy… Again, says:

"…I'm being pirated. Google pointed to 8880 different sites where my work is being illegally shared."

"Copyright is unenforceable in a digital world. Period."

"People want to share files."

"There is ZERO reliable evidence that file-sharing hurts sales."

So…

Two people who really know their stuff say not to worry.

Then there's Cory Doctorow who glories in giving his books away. Check out the links in my past post, Free = Sales ~ Give It Away & Sell More…

Do you think you could give your writing away even if it was for sale?

Do you know any authors who do this?

Does it seem completely counterproductive?

Did you read Cory's ideas at that link in my past post??

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Our Comment Link Is At The Top of The Post :-)

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Tagged: Book Piracy, Copyright infringement, Cory Doctorow, free books, Jane Friedman, Joe Konrath, Piracy, Stealing Ideas

More on The Konrath/Eisler Conversation

Yesterday, I featured a conversation between Barry Eisler and Joe Konrath (both highly successful authors) called, Be The Monkey.

I realize many blog readers don't follow links and may not discover how rich in content that conversation is.

It has nearly every issue a writer could consider when comparing the state of Traditional and Indie Publishing; and, Barry and Joe have deep experience in both realms.

To help encourage a few more readers to actually click that link up there and download the full conversation, I'm going to put the Table of Contents here:

Part One

The Rise of eBooks and Self-publishing

The Future of Paper

What Do These Changes Mean for Writers?

The Virtual Bookshelf and Dynamic Pricing

Readers: the People Who Buy the Eggs

The Revolution is Here

The NYT Bestseller List and Authors With Stockholm Syndrome

Digital Royalties and "Lookback" Provisions

Publisher Reaction and Counterarguments

The Tipping Point

Similar Risks, Different Context

The Long Tail: Long-term Benefits of Self-Publishing

Promotion and Marketing: Legacy vs. Indie

Legacy Publishers: Adding Value?

Paper vs. Digital Sales: A Zero-sum Game?

The Future: the "Self" in "Self-Publishing," E-stributors, and Indie Publishing

Part Two

Another Conversation? But Why? Answers to This and Other Questions

Bestselling Indie Author Amanda Hocking Just Signed with a Legacy Publisher. Doesn't That Mean You're Wrong?

What About the Glut of Self-Published Books? How Will Anyone Know Which Are Good?

But Don't You Need an Editor?

Isn't Piracy Scary for Indies?

Your Negro Baseball League Analogy Was Outrageous

Aren't You Guys Forgetting How Much You Give Up On The Paper Side When You Go Indie?

Which Leads to The "Shame on Publishers Marketplace" Heading, to Make This Section Easier for Publishers Marketplace to Find

Go Indie, or Go Legacy? Here's the Math

Who Will Be the New Players in Digital, and How Should Authors Pay Them?

A Few Misconceptions

Part Three

Is It Hypocritical for An Author to Self-publish and Also Publish with An Amazon Imprint? And What's in That Contract, Anyway?

Is Exclusivity Bad for the Industry?

A Working Definition of "Legacy Publishing"

Is Amazon a Legacy Publisher?

It Has to Be Either/Or. And Other Examples of Erroneous Thinking

Briefly Returning to the Question of: If The Big Six Are Legacy Publishers, What Do We Call Amazon?

And Now Back to Our Regularly Scheduled Erroneous Thinking Topic

How Do Brick and Mortar Bookstores Succeed in the New Publishing Landscape?

And How Do Literary Agents Succeed?

Next Steps in the Evolution of Ebooks

Be the Monkey

There's so much good information in this document that multiple readings would clearly be most profitable :-)

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Our Comment Link Is At The Top of The Post :-)

For Private Comments, Email: amzolt {at} gmail {dot} com

Tagged: Barry Eisler, Digital Publishing, J. A. Konrath, Joe Konrath, Legacy Publishing, publishing, self-publishing, traditional publishing

Some Publishing Advice from Two Extremely Successful Authors

I recently read a guest post on Writer Unboxed, called, The Critical Aspects of Digital Publishing, by Barry Eisler.

It was definitely interesting but a link there led me to, BE THE MONKEY—A Conversation About The New World Of Publishing Between Barry Eisler And Joe Konrath, which is available as a free download.

Here's a description of that fantastic discussion:

"This is a three-part, live Google Docs discussion between authors J.A. Konrath and Barry Eisler. It examines the history and mechanics of the publishing industry as it exists today, analyzes the way the digital revolution reflects recent events in Egypt and the Maghreb, and considers a completely inappropriate YouTube video featuring a randy monkey and an unlucky frog. It reveals some pretty startling things…"

I honestly feel this discussion is for Writers, Publishers, and Readers :-)

Would love some of your comments on it!!

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Our Comment Link Is At The Top of The Post :-)

For Private Comments, Email: amzolt {at} gmail {dot} com

Tagged: Barry Eisler, Digital Publishing, J. A. Konrath, Joe Konrath, Legacy Publishing, publishing, self-publishing, traditional publishing

Are Traditional Publishers Really All That Bad?

There's an Internet Media War going on.

The combatants are taking sides based on Traditional publishing and what's being referred to as Indie publishing.

Like all wars, media or not, issues become quickly politicized and the truth of the situation becomes enveloped in a dense fog…

Back in June, I wrote, The Complexities of Publishing, and featured a post by Joel Friedlander, a man deeply committed to the Indie-way yet supplying some good reasons to consider the Traditionals.

One thing seems certain, even though "seems certain" is a strange phrase, taking a word that connotes surety and modifying it with one that implies precaution, yet, in the current flux in publishing, my next statement is as close as I can safely come to a prediction:

What your descendants call "publishing" will not be anything like what folks are now wrangling over…

I'm going to reference two recent posts that show some of the clearer thinking being done, one leaning back from the Traditional way and one leaning, circumspectly, toward it.

Jon Evans writes in TechCrunch that "Publishing Still Doesn't Get It" and Kristine Kathryn Rusch explores Writers and Traditional Publishing Companies.

Jon's is swift and punchy; Kristine's is thoughtful and instructive.

Are you, or do you know, a writer preparing for publishing?

Do you have any "inside" information on the Traditional or Indie publishing routes?

What do you think Readers need to know about all this??

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Our Comment Link Is At The Top of The Post :-)

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Tagged: Indie Publishing, Joel Friedlander, Jon Evans, Kristine Kathryn Rusch, publish, publishing, Publishing and Printing, self-publishing

Can You Be Thankful for An Organization?

Folks are celebrating Thanksgiving in the U.S.A. Many are thankful to have something to eat, friends and family to visit, and a roof over their heads.

I'm certainly thankful for all that but I especially want to share my thankfulness for Gone Reading International, an organization working to supply, to the billion humans who have no access to them, books…

I interviewed the founder of the organization, Bradley S. Wirz, in the post, It's Simple. They're Gone Reading :-)

Brad also has a blog and, to understand a bit about why he's devoting his time to getting books to deprived members of our human family, I encourage you to read his post, What Am I Thankful For? A Reader Gives Thanks.

Naturally, Brad is a devoted reader and his organization produces wonderful Gifts for Readers. The profits all go toward building libraries and advancing literacy programs.

Are there any organizations you're thankful for??

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Tagged: Holiday, humanity, Literacy, Organization, read, reader, reading, Thanksgiving

Writing ~ Is It A Craft or An Art?

Are creative writers merely craftspeople—churning out words, elaborating stock plots?

Are journalists artists—recasting bare facts as fresh-woven stories?

Are too many people prone to putting other people into definition-boxes that confuse understanding?

The word history of "craft" includes the word "art". It also speaks of "strength" and "calling".

And, the word history of "art"? It includes the word "craft", as well as practiced skill and "fit together" or "join".

So, when the phrase, "arts and crafts" is used, are there two word-mirrors infinitely reflecting each other?

I'm not going to attempt an answer to those questions in this post but I will put forward a rather commonly-accepted differentiation of these two words when applied to writers:

The Art of writing seems to be generally considered as the result of mental/emotional decisions by the writer that control the shape of plots, the revelation of character, and the flow of narrative and description.

The Craft of writing seems to be generally considered as the work most writers perform when turning a draft (the raw, first-blood of their effort) into the polished, final manuscript—a process that many consider grueling and somehow dangerous to the "essence" of what their gut wants to communicate. Many a fine story has been murdered, published with no life, due to over-crafting—messing with the message.

There are also the preparatory actions—dreaming, planning, outlining—that often combine art and craft in intimate communion.

This preparation for the act is quite crucial, whether performed mostly in the mind or through loads of words arranged and rearranged.

I recently read a blog post by author, Rachel Aaron, that reveals a three-point plan to increase a writer's output—quantity and quality.

How I Went From Writing 2,000 Words a Day to 10,000 Words a Day, proposes three considerations/strategies:

Knowledge—Know what you're writing before you write it

Time—Find out when you're most productive

Enthusiasm—Make sure you love every bit of everything you write

If you're already a somewhat productive writer, you may have taken issue with one or more of those points.

If you're just starting out, do consider what this woman says.

For all writers, no matter the experience or level, I strongly urge a reading of Rachel's post since she gives ample evidence and example to potentially change your attitude toward your Art and the practice of your Craft………

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Tagged: art, Arts and crafts, Craft, creative writing, Rachel Aaron, writer, Writer Resources, writing

The Gifts of Social Networking

My social networking isn't done on FaceBook, Twitter, or Google Plus. It's not even done in the "real world". I go to a place called Book Island and I make friends—if your social contacts aren't friends, you run the risk of cheating them or yourself…

Back in October, Joel Friedlander asked me to do a guest post about how I network and promote my book in Second Life.

Case In Point: A number of months ago, I was at one of the Literary Happy Hours we have on Book Island and a woman named Eithne McBride showed up.

She's the Managing Editor of SecondNighters Magazine and was going to do a story about a major event the Island was hosting.

The article was great and time passed on…

A couple weeks ago, I was hanging out with a few friends in front of another friend's new shop on Book Island (there are 60 shops for authors, editors, publishers, and artists).

Eithne was there and, in the course of chatting, I offered her a free copy of one of my books.

We also talked about some ad-space I wanted to secure in her magazine to promote our Happy Hours ( more on that in December :-)

Not long after that she told me she wanted to do an article about how I was using the virtual world to promote my book; and, I gave her that link up there to the guest post on Joel Friedlander's blog as copy to use for her article—Alexander M Zoltai ~ Author (once you click that link, go to page 147…).

As I was writing this post, I considered changing the title to The Anatomy of Gifting In Social Networking—I had no expectations when I gave Eithne my book; it just happened to be about a topic that came up in conversation. I expected no gift in return…

There's another side to this new friend of mine. She began an endeavor called The Pink Bag Project and she has a blog about it called Magnanimous Beauty. It helps the homeless and you can help her help them on her Administrative Needs Wish List…

When I met her, when we became friends, when we traded gifts, when I was doing business with her, at first, I had no knowledge of her work for the homeless. All I had were my numerous experiences over six decades of trying to hold down jobs and failing myself into homelessness………

Also, to find out lots more about how Eithne helps these fellow humans (and, to discover her "real life" first name) check out the return of her blog at ChicagoNow—Neighboring The Neighborless…

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Tagged: Book Island, Eithne McBride, Facebook, Joel Friedlander, Second Life, social networking, Twitter, virtual world