John Hennessy's Blog, page 9

Wishing you all a happy, healthy and prosperous 2014

Thank you to all of you who have interacted with me...either through comments, messages, friend adds, blog comments, ratings, reviews and so on.

I hope you continue to enjoy reading many different new books in 2014, maybe revisit some old ones, and just enjoy the rather unequalled pleasure of enjoying the world writers create.

Happy New Year !!

Torrents of Abuse - How Should Writers Feel About their Books appearing on Torrent sites?

In 2011, I became aware of a site called www.scribd.com which basically allows users to upload books, so that other users can download them, in part, or in full.

Now, whilst most of us dream about making untold millions from our writing, it is more that we write because we simply want to, and getting our work out there in the market has to be a good thing, right?

I was not happy about this website though. I had written the non-fiction book over a two year period. I had been made redundant in the same year I started penning the book. The book was intended to help my students but also to the wider audience who were genuinely interested in my book.

Yes...it was being sold at a cost. Yes, we have had a world-wide recession, and yes, it happens to other authors too. My first reaction (anger!), apart from '&*@#~~#@!!!!!' was confusion - 'who the hell would upload my book to a website?' along with a revolutionary standpoint - 'I want this site taken down, stat!'

I had to settle for reporting the book as 'stolen' to scribd.com and they did take it down.

I considered pulling the book from being sold as an e-book and just running the printed hardback and paperback copies. However, the trend is clearly towards e-books and I cannot discount that market, and I suppose, as writers, we should embrace any format that gets our work out there.

However, I discovered that things are much worse, two years on, in the closing days of 2013!

My newest title is now on two torrent sites. I am not listing the title here due to ease of finding things (you never really know how things are located on-line) but merely discussing why this is happening.

The torrent sites in question - well it is not easy to ask to have the files withdrawn, because you have to set up an account to contact them, and I don't wish to do that.

Unfortunately, I have heard that even if you use watermarking software, your books can still be scanned and uploaded onto such sites.

I checked on Google to find out if the url was safe to go to. Often such sites run viruses in the background and anyway, they have content which I find greatly distasteful. I'm not a prude, but really...I don't want my books listed on a site that promotes all sorts of unsavoury things.

Where does this leave me?

For my next release...I'm considering doing the print version first, and e-book later. I have no idea if this is a good idea, but it is all trial and error at the moment. I am sceptical about offering my book for review for fear again of it ending up in the wrong hands, or on dodgy sites.

I don't believe people should 'steal' things, it is something I get very angry about. I will always buy a DVD (have not used Netflix or LoveFilm to watch movies yet) and don't believe 'streaming' films on these torrent sites can ever be a good thing.

I am just surprised that a fledgling writer like myself would be targeted in this way. I know I am not alone, and if I see books by writers on scribd.com or other sites, I would let the authors know if they can be found on GoodReads.

My kindle book prices are hardly extortionate and I would think when I do freebies, giveaways and countdown deals that the need to steal somebody else's work would not happen. I see established, very rich authors have their kindle books listed for 60 or 70% of the cost of the paper book. Guess which I choose!

Well, what to do? I'm not down about it. I am just going to work on my next release. Annoyed, but not down. I will choose to let it go.

I would think carefully about sending out copies for review, and would hope that these sites like Scribd are taken down.

If there are ways to get these sort of sites / torrent sites taken down, I think we should do all we can to achieve that. Now that is one revolution I would sign up for!

Why You Cannot Give Up If Writing is your Dream

If you write, be it on paper, a computer, the back of someone's head, you are a writer. Remember that.

Oh. 'Not good enough', I hear you say. I want to be a published writer.'

Alright then. Let me tell you about Malorie Blackman. She's a British author who currently holds the position of Children's Laureate for 2013-2015.

This week, she was the featured 'castaway' on BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs. For those of you that don't know, DID is a show where someone is interviewed about their life, and the music that influenced them at different points in their life.

Malorie Blackman always wanted to be a writer, even when she was young. But when she was asked by her careers teacher / adviser what she wanted to be, and Malorie answered 'an English teacher', she was told, 'Oh! Black women don't do that...why not become a secretary or something?'

More on my blog, here...
http://johnhennessybooks.blogspot.co....

RIP Doris Lessing

Doris Lessing authored more than 50 works, crossing both non-fiction and fiction books.

It is always a great pain to me when someone of stature in his or her chosen art passes away. I realise such things are part of life, but I think it is even more important in today's 'must have it now' world that we remember someone who acted very different to many of today's authors.

Read more...
http://johnhennessybooks.blogspot.co....

Cover Reveal and Launch Date - The Essence of Martial Arts: Special Edition

In 2009, I had already started penning notes for a book that was to be entitled The Essence of Martial Arts

I called it that because it's not really possible for one book to contain everything about martial arts.

So I focussed on what I had trained in, and still train in - Kung Fu, Jeet Kune Do, Tai Chi and Karate.

In 2011 it was published.

So why the new edition? :-

Well. The publisher was concerned about some of the content. Who knows? Maybe they are / were right and the bits I was advised not to include last time, I should not do on this occasion either.

More on my blog here....

http://johnhennessybooks.blogspot.co....

Editorial Critique and how it helped me write a better story

Yes. You wrote your draft, and now, you have to let someone else see it. And you may not like what they have to say, but you know, in your heart, that there is some truth there.

Here's my initial thoughts on how I dealt with that.

http://johnhennessybooks.blogspot.co....

Currently Reading: Screamscapes by Evans Light

How fantastic is it when you come across really gripping horror yarns? In the first two stories, which I have completed, Crawlspace and What Ever Possessed You? are picture perfect horror tales, and I seriously loved them both.

Read more:-

http://johnhennessybooks.blogspot.co....Evans Light

Dark Winter - new Amazon review!

I'm delighted to see new reviews of the book and this is a great review because I know what I can work on for future books, be they fiction or non-fiction. Thanks to any reader who takes the time to review books. It is appreciated!

http://www.amazon.com/Dark-Winter-Joh...

Book Review: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

...just in time for the Catching Fire movie:)

http://johnhennessybooks.blogspot.co....

You don't want her to GET you, do you?

Thanks to everyone who got a copy in the last 24 hours.

For print fans, it will be out in January.

http://johnhennessybooks.blogspot.co....