Simone Sinna's Blog, page 54
January 24, 2013
Managing Difficult People or Tales from “I-don’t-want-to-be-a-Manager”
I heard that once that if you keeping working your up the ladder, you will eventually reach your level of incompetence. I knew exactly when I hit the moment.
I had four degrees and a membership of an esteemed college. I had twenty years’ experience with patients, teaching and research.
And then …I was put in charge of …people!
How hard could this be?
Okay I didn’t have an MBA but I had studied psychology, I got people. Easy.
It wasn’t.
1. I was assigned a secretary who couldn’t type or work the internet. She had to go. I wasn’t being mean, truly, but I had to have someone to help me not the other way around! Trouble was there wasn’t anyone else to sack her except me. What? Me? I want to be LIKED!
2. My research assistant needed a mother. I already had kids. Give me a break.
3. The sleaze bag I hadn’t wanted to employ was reported for sexual harassment (no surprise). I had to go home and get a longer skirt on before I was game to tell him off.
4. The semiretired boss I was replacing was reported for sexual harassment. The guy would have run screaming if you raised a broken fingernail to him. But Gen Y don’t seem to like raising anything except complaints (okay I exaggerate but life was getting tense by this stage)
5. Two people got pregnant and either cried or threw up every day and had to be sent home, one wanted to part time to train for the Ironman, one decided he wanted to play in a rock’n’roll band and could he leave now, but only for two months? There was NOONE LEFT to do any work. I was supposed to do what exactly?
6. One woman (sorry but the bitch brigade are the WORST) who I had bent over backwards to accommodate reported me for BULLYING. Apparently I had looked at her when explaining why the roster wasn’t out. She was to blame but I hadn’t even grimaced. After the bullying charge murder was becoming a possibility though.
At the end of six months I was a wreck. I came to the following conclusions:
1. Managing people is not easy, interesting or even vaguely rewarding. Well unless you’re a manager. I was clearly not.
2. It is more fun complaining about managers than being one. Resigning would enable me to revert to this stance but I would sneak back and offer them a bottle of whisky.
3. If you find a good PA/secretary, pay homage. They are the only people that make a manager’s life worth living.
4. I really, really like writing fiction!
January 16, 2013
The Challenges of Social Media for the nonGen Y
The world has come a long way (or arguably from a social point of view, deteriorated badly...). My 86 year old father in law does his shares on line, my 77 year old mother has conquered email and half of her I-Phone. My husband, I and two young adult children have four I-phones, 5 computers and one I-pad. A low count but we stilll like to talk at dinner. After a year of being a writer- actually nearly two (OMG) I have a web site and an E-Blog I manage, am on twitter, google+, facebook, Goodreads and a number of groups with each.
But is this easy? Are we enjoying this? What happened to all the free time that etchnology was goign to provide???
As I've mostly had to learn as I went (occasional panic calls to the tech savvie young adults in the house), here are some observations and tips for the new author/ recently widowed/divorced person not on much social media who thinks this might be a way to get published or find friends 9I'm not talking about dating sites here, which I know about only via friends but could be the subject of a blog all on their own! Read a funny account of speed dating/dinner for eight and use of questionnaires in The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion. You can do some of the questions on www.therosieproject.com.au for a giggle).
So here goes in no particular order:
1. It helps to be able to spell and work a computer. If you aren't inituitive you're in for a tought time. Find a gen Y (pay them feed them, hell, strap 'em down) or better still a toyboy for help and relief when you want to throw the computer across the room.
2. Start small. Don't do all these things at once. Maybe not all. Pick which one works for you before exhausting yourself. I resisted Facebook for a long time and in many ways its now my favourite (with serious qualifications).
3. Do not think this will save you time. It is time consuming and addictive even if you're aren't enjoying it. Do regular reassessments of mental health!
4. These people are not your friends (well some maybe but if you haven't met them you do not know them)! People with 2000 followers have a habit of berating you for not being sympathetic when- they broke up with their boyfriend of three days (or three years but who would know?), their cat dies, their mother hates them etc etc. Some of these are genuine horrible things to happen, but a lot of people don't know what to say to their real friends in crisis, let alone someone they ahve as a name and nothing more. This is not personal. We're all human and living in our own stresses and crisises and it can be great to reach out to someone (and visa versa) but don't fret when they don't!
5. Run down of pros and cons:
web site: (www.simonesinna.com) get it set up (pay someone) and its easy and in your control. Just discovered (free) guuagues on google you can add to see how many hits you get
twitter: mmmmm. Not my thing. Gen Y I think. If you want to get info on books and you have a lot of writers following you, obviously this works, but I suspect its much better for young things keeping in touch with trends rather than a sellign machine
google+not sure why it hasn't taken off more (soemtimes there are tech problems), quite like the picture base and links and feedback personally and links to the EBlog
Facebook as long as you rememebr the world can see it and remember who real friends are I think it has a llot going for it. More relaxed and less pushy and annoying than twitter
Goodreads (there are others like Manic Readers but Goodreads seems to be the best to me) good set up, good links, great if you like reading!
Not exhaustive and of course only my opinion...thanks to the kind people who ahven't been tooo cross at me when I have got things wrong. But do limit your time and have a real life as well!!! Sometimes its nicer to look at the lighthouse than be in it juggling the lights.....
But is this easy? Are we enjoying this? What happened to all the free time that etchnology was goign to provide???
As I've mostly had to learn as I went (occasional panic calls to the tech savvie young adults in the house), here are some observations and tips for the new author/ recently widowed/divorced person not on much social media who thinks this might be a way to get published or find friends 9I'm not talking about dating sites here, which I know about only via friends but could be the subject of a blog all on their own! Read a funny account of speed dating/dinner for eight and use of questionnaires in The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion. You can do some of the questions on www.therosieproject.com.au for a giggle).
So here goes in no particular order:
1. It helps to be able to spell and work a computer. If you aren't inituitive you're in for a tought time. Find a gen Y (pay them feed them, hell, strap 'em down) or better still a toyboy for help and relief when you want to throw the computer across the room.
2. Start small. Don't do all these things at once. Maybe not all. Pick which one works for you before exhausting yourself. I resisted Facebook for a long time and in many ways its now my favourite (with serious qualifications).
3. Do not think this will save you time. It is time consuming and addictive even if you're aren't enjoying it. Do regular reassessments of mental health!
4. These people are not your friends (well some maybe but if you haven't met them you do not know them)! People with 2000 followers have a habit of berating you for not being sympathetic when- they broke up with their boyfriend of three days (or three years but who would know?), their cat dies, their mother hates them etc etc. Some of these are genuine horrible things to happen, but a lot of people don't know what to say to their real friends in crisis, let alone someone they ahve as a name and nothing more. This is not personal. We're all human and living in our own stresses and crisises and it can be great to reach out to someone (and visa versa) but don't fret when they don't!
5. Run down of pros and cons:
web site: (www.simonesinna.com) get it set up (pay someone) and its easy and in your control. Just discovered (free) guuagues on google you can add to see how many hits you get
twitter: mmmmm. Not my thing. Gen Y I think. If you want to get info on books and you have a lot of writers following you, obviously this works, but I suspect its much better for young things keeping in touch with trends rather than a sellign machine
google+not sure why it hasn't taken off more (soemtimes there are tech problems), quite like the picture base and links and feedback personally and links to the EBlog
Facebook as long as you rememebr the world can see it and remember who real friends are I think it has a llot going for it. More relaxed and less pushy and annoying than twitter
Goodreads (there are others like Manic Readers but Goodreads seems to be the best to me) good set up, good links, great if you like reading!
Not exhaustive and of course only my opinion...thanks to the kind people who ahven't been tooo cross at me when I have got things wrong. But do limit your time and have a real life as well!!! Sometimes its nicer to look at the lighthouse than be in it juggling the lights.....
January 13, 2013
Promoting your book - the challenges of erotica
I better be up front. When it comes to marketing I couldn't give away food to the starving. People assume that because I am outgoing, bubbly and could talk the leg off a table (worse after a glass of wine) then I should be great at marketing. Nope. A good friend who is a classical pianist and introvert was looking for a job and took up real estate. We looked at her as if she was mad and waited to pick up the pieces. But there weren't any. She did very well. I would have gone home crying every time someone slammed a door in my face (she was doing cold calls).
The difference? As an extrovert I rely on the outside world for feedback. I have a reasonable self esteem - but as a mother and in my 'other' professional life where I have a string of degrees and successful job applications and feedback. As a writer I have a number of required rejection slips to make me 'real', a last phase at Random House rejection (a step up above the others) and success (YEAH, first letter framed) with Siren, now onto book seven. But they are somewhat hotter than Fifty Shades (though bless ELJames for at least making it a discussable topic) and as one of many hudnreds of Sirens authors, the question is - how to market? Siren has a website but that's it.
Oh and I don't like rejection!!! (Constructive criticism is fine...)
The learning curve has been sharp! All the social media, blogging and finally I have decided I will get a card and be brave enough to drop in...well somewhere.
Let me contrast the problem with my husband's new book (first) out Jan 30th, mainstream, promoted heavily by text. He goes into a book shop and even if they haven't heard of the book or him (and given how much he has been in local papers this means you have been asleep or don't read) he drops his card, chats and next thing we know they put in an order for The Rosie Project.
I do the same I get a blank (or horrified) look and 'we don't do that sort of book'. These shops had Fifty Shades reluctantly and are now happy 'all that nonense' is over.
My mother even wants to hear all about his book and the next one but said re mine 'oh well we don't need to hear about that'.
I tried Adult bookshops and decided I needed to either:
1. Be my introverted friend
2. Be younger
3. Be braver
4. All of the above.
Okay I can't do anything about younger but I don't have grey hair yet. So armed with my elegant black card I just have to decide where to drop them...and run...
My self esteem is improving. My sister said (in amazement) that her friend ahs read all of mine and loved then! I might be able to stick around a little while with card in hand perhaps...
Were-Devils of Tasmania is my latest series: will love or an ancient curse win out? All work as stand alone books, the third The Ghosts' Return is out January 24th www.bookstrand.com/simone-sinna
The difference? As an extrovert I rely on the outside world for feedback. I have a reasonable self esteem - but as a mother and in my 'other' professional life where I have a string of degrees and successful job applications and feedback. As a writer I have a number of required rejection slips to make me 'real', a last phase at Random House rejection (a step up above the others) and success (YEAH, first letter framed) with Siren, now onto book seven. But they are somewhat hotter than Fifty Shades (though bless ELJames for at least making it a discussable topic) and as one of many hudnreds of Sirens authors, the question is - how to market? Siren has a website but that's it.
Oh and I don't like rejection!!! (Constructive criticism is fine...)
The learning curve has been sharp! All the social media, blogging and finally I have decided I will get a card and be brave enough to drop in...well somewhere.
Let me contrast the problem with my husband's new book (first) out Jan 30th, mainstream, promoted heavily by text. He goes into a book shop and even if they haven't heard of the book or him (and given how much he has been in local papers this means you have been asleep or don't read) he drops his card, chats and next thing we know they put in an order for The Rosie Project.
I do the same I get a blank (or horrified) look and 'we don't do that sort of book'. These shops had Fifty Shades reluctantly and are now happy 'all that nonense' is over.
My mother even wants to hear all about his book and the next one but said re mine 'oh well we don't need to hear about that'.
I tried Adult bookshops and decided I needed to either:
1. Be my introverted friend
2. Be younger
3. Be braver
4. All of the above.
Okay I can't do anything about younger but I don't have grey hair yet. So armed with my elegant black card I just have to decide where to drop them...and run...
My self esteem is improving. My sister said (in amazement) that her friend ahs read all of mine and loved then! I might be able to stick around a little while with card in hand perhaps...
Were-Devils of Tasmania is my latest series: will love or an ancient curse win out? All work as stand alone books, the third The Ghosts' Return is out January 24th www.bookstrand.com/simone-sinna
January 8, 2013
MM, MMM, ...erotica
The Sins are starting...wow there are a lot of hot books out there! A friend passed my first one (Embedded) on to an ex-girlfriend and it was too scorching. She's still blushing...maybe why she's his ex??? Okay, erotica isn't for everyone and neither my mother or daughter are allowed anywhere near my books!
Even if you're up for scorching then you might want to picl your variety. I do MF and MFM, strictly heterosexual (nothing against gay sex, just my imagination isn't that good)!
But the MM, MMM etc books jump of the e-shelves and guest Tonya Ramagos on Wicked Wednesday http://www.simonesinna.com/?p=110 is a bestselling author of contemporary, fantasy, paranormal, and cowboy novels. She spends most of her time in a fictional world dreaming up hot hunks and headstrong heroines. Go under with her new novel!
Even if you're up for scorching then you might want to picl your variety. I do MF and MFM, strictly heterosexual (nothing against gay sex, just my imagination isn't that good)!
But the MM, MMM etc books jump of the e-shelves and guest Tonya Ramagos on Wicked Wednesday http://www.simonesinna.com/?p=110 is a bestselling author of contemporary, fantasy, paranormal, and cowboy novels. She spends most of her time in a fictional world dreaming up hot hunks and headstrong heroines. Go under with her new novel!
December 31, 2012
Contemplating sins...
Am going to run a Wicked Wednesday Simone Sinna's Seven Deadly sins (http://www.simonesinna.com/?p=110 ) fancy rating yours against mine?
Looking at my covers, lust for this one is high in current thoughts!
Sin of the Week…Year
As the year comes to a close it makes sense to reflect on what went wrong with 2012. Kind of a warm up to the New Year’s Resolutions. If you leave it to the last minute you get drunk and make some resolution you either know you won’t keep, didn’t ever really want, and possibly forget it the next day. If the process has started a week before there is more time to get it right. Don’t panic, this may mean ensuring the wording is such that you don’t do anything at all (my son didn’t do Law for no reason even if he has seen the light. I’m sure he can help…).
I need to put out there first that this was an awesome year, but the content of that for another day. Of the Sins, let us pray, er no I mean reflect.
Gluttony: Restaurant highlights- Vue du Monde (Melbourne) and Momo Fuku Ko (New York). For the first time we squeezed in three gourmet weekends with friends in one year. At the last one the cocktail night nearly put me in hospital. A score of eight (ten if I had been in hospital, no extra for dying, in fact that might get a minus). Husband agrees. 8
Sloth: Actually… bombed out here. Manic, Type A personality has been in full flight most of the year. Husband rates three for attitude to editing. 0
Wrath:My hyper personality is sometimes misread by my family who think I’m irritated but maybe it’s just my Don Tilman moments. If you don’t know who Don Tilman is, follow him @ProfDonTilman and you’ll get the feel pretty quickly! Read The Rosie Project for an ever better understanding… Husband rates five. Me 3
Lust: A bumper year! Exposé out in April, Exclusive in September, and the first two Were-Devils of Tasmania series, Were-Devils’ Curse and Were-Devils’ Revenge published! Given the last two are menage a trois books I think this deserves a full ten out of ten rating. Husband rates six but I am ignoring him. Maybe that is the problem. 10
Pride: A little proud of my writing success. Would have rated 8 but this was the year of Fifty Shades of Grey when it came to book sales. 5
Envy: Okay, on the day my husband sold translation rights to Germany for 150,000 euros (start of the avalanche of foreign book sales including Iceland!) I was a teensy weany bit envious, but then I was just so delighted I’ve been on Cloud Nine with him ever since (I occasionally have to shoot him down or he’ll start believing this hype). 7
Greed: I want my first mainstream book (I have a contract) to be at least as nearly as successful as The Rosie Project. 8
TOTAL : 41Not sure if this is good or bad….will have to compare to next year…or let me know your scores!
Looking at my covers, lust for this one is high in current thoughts!Sin of the Week…Year
As the year comes to a close it makes sense to reflect on what went wrong with 2012. Kind of a warm up to the New Year’s Resolutions. If you leave it to the last minute you get drunk and make some resolution you either know you won’t keep, didn’t ever really want, and possibly forget it the next day. If the process has started a week before there is more time to get it right. Don’t panic, this may mean ensuring the wording is such that you don’t do anything at all (my son didn’t do Law for no reason even if he has seen the light. I’m sure he can help…).
I need to put out there first that this was an awesome year, but the content of that for another day. Of the Sins, let us pray, er no I mean reflect.
Gluttony: Restaurant highlights- Vue du Monde (Melbourne) and Momo Fuku Ko (New York). For the first time we squeezed in three gourmet weekends with friends in one year. At the last one the cocktail night nearly put me in hospital. A score of eight (ten if I had been in hospital, no extra for dying, in fact that might get a minus). Husband agrees. 8
Sloth: Actually… bombed out here. Manic, Type A personality has been in full flight most of the year. Husband rates three for attitude to editing. 0
Wrath:My hyper personality is sometimes misread by my family who think I’m irritated but maybe it’s just my Don Tilman moments. If you don’t know who Don Tilman is, follow him @ProfDonTilman and you’ll get the feel pretty quickly! Read The Rosie Project for an ever better understanding… Husband rates five. Me 3
Lust: A bumper year! Exposé out in April, Exclusive in September, and the first two Were-Devils of Tasmania series, Were-Devils’ Curse and Were-Devils’ Revenge published! Given the last two are menage a trois books I think this deserves a full ten out of ten rating. Husband rates six but I am ignoring him. Maybe that is the problem. 10
Pride: A little proud of my writing success. Would have rated 8 but this was the year of Fifty Shades of Grey when it came to book sales. 5
Envy: Okay, on the day my husband sold translation rights to Germany for 150,000 euros (start of the avalanche of foreign book sales including Iceland!) I was a teensy weany bit envious, but then I was just so delighted I’ve been on Cloud Nine with him ever since (I occasionally have to shoot him down or he’ll start believing this hype). 7
Greed: I want my first mainstream book (I have a contract) to be at least as nearly as successful as The Rosie Project. 8
TOTAL : 41Not sure if this is good or bad….will have to compare to next year…or let me know your scores!
December 30, 2012
Have a great New Year from Simone and her Were-Devils!
Weather's warming up- ideal to sit around the pool reading! www.simonesinna.com or www.bookstrand.com/simone-sinnaDecember 25, 2012
December 23, 2012
A were-devil or two for Christmas...
Reviews: Five Stars on Siren and First professional review - Four Stars from Guilty Pleasures "unique"! Four Hearts from Sizzling Hot Book Reviews (http://www.sizzlinghotbooks.net/2012/10/were-devils-curse-by-simone-sinna.html )
What a Awesome Book, really enjoyed the story, loved the charaters and how they interacted with each other the sex was just plain HOT !!!! look forward to more in this series.
Available on Amazon, or with its sequel Were-Devils' Revenge, on www.bookstrand.com/simone-sinna
December 22, 2012
Siddle up with Stephanie over Christmas...
In print and e-book, first of three- should cover a long Aussie Christmas break in between dips in the pool, or cuddled up by the fire in the north, not much else to do but read! Plenty of story and romance...
December 20, 2012
I think he's feeling like me...exhausted!
The shops and streets have gone mad! I can't believe how long it took me to get a car park let alone pay for the hair straightener. Why is their a queue for hair sttraightners I ask??? All these people have straight hair!This late give up and buy on line!!!
