Greg Strandberg's Blog, page 7
October 28, 2014
New George R.R. Martin Book!
There’s a new George R.R. Martin book on sale and you’re probably as excited as I am…not to buy it.
Oh, I’ve read the first three books of the Song of Ice and Fire, and I’ve read the other two once. They’re good books and I can’t wait for Book 6.
That’s why I’d rather this book – which is called The World of Ice & Fire – wouldn’t have been released.
I’m not saying George R.R. Martin did more than 10% of the work on it – I just don’t know one way or the other. The co-authors would better be able to answer that, but I won’t mention their names here since I don’t want you to think anyone but Martin might be making money off this world.
Anyways, check out this book – it’s a book!
The World of Ice & Fire: The Untold History of Westeros and the Game of Thrones
Oh, I’ve read the first three books of the Song of Ice and Fire, and I’ve read the other two once. They’re good books and I can’t wait for Book 6.
That’s why I’d rather this book – which is called The World of Ice & Fire – wouldn’t have been released.
I’m not saying George R.R. Martin did more than 10% of the work on it – I just don’t know one way or the other. The co-authors would better be able to answer that, but I won’t mention their names here since I don’t want you to think anyone but Martin might be making money off this world.
Anyways, check out this book – it’s a book!
The World of Ice & Fire: The Untold History of Westeros and the Game of Thrones
October 25, 2014
Most People Are Stupid
Most people are stupid – you know this. Oh, you’re not stupid, of course, but just about everyone you come into contact with on a daily basis is. Throw in the internet, that goes up by about fivefold.
Remember, about 30% of people in the US have a college degree, if even that.
Perhaps a distinction should be made – we have stupid people and we have lazy people. We also have worthless people, but let’s not factor them in just now.
So you have some people that might be smart, but they’re just too lazy to ever finish anything. And don’t ever try to tell these folks that they’re wrong – whoa, that equals fireworks.
Stupid people do not want to be told they're stupid. There are really two types of people when you think about it like that:
There’s the kind of person that’s happy when you tell them they have toilet paper on their shoe, and there’s the kind of person that gets pissed off at you.
Hey pal – walk around all day and all over town with that on your shoe…I don’t care! I was just trying to help out.
That’s why I often just let people go through their day in ignorance.
Remember, about 30% of people in the US have a college degree, if even that.
Perhaps a distinction should be made – we have stupid people and we have lazy people. We also have worthless people, but let’s not factor them in just now.
So you have some people that might be smart, but they’re just too lazy to ever finish anything. And don’t ever try to tell these folks that they’re wrong – whoa, that equals fireworks.
Stupid people do not want to be told they're stupid. There are really two types of people when you think about it like that:
There’s the kind of person that’s happy when you tell them they have toilet paper on their shoe, and there’s the kind of person that gets pissed off at you.
Hey pal – walk around all day and all over town with that on your shoe…I don’t care! I was just trying to help out.
That’s why I often just let people go through their day in ignorance.
October 21, 2014
No Cover Image For You!
I hate it when a book I look up on Goodreads has no cover image.
It happens often as of late, mainly because I'm reading some old history books and also some old books I found in my mom's garage.
Yep, I'm talking specifically about these two old ghost story books I dug out of storage this past weekend, and which make great books to put under the seat of your car for when you're waiting on your wife.
But they have no covers. And if I got to Amazon and look...well, I'm not sure the covers would be good enough for Goodreads.
I base this opinion on asking a librarian in the Librarians Group before to do just that, but they didn't, and I can only assume it's because the cover quality was bad, kind of like these.
Anyways, read books.
It happens often as of late, mainly because I'm reading some old history books and also some old books I found in my mom's garage.
Yep, I'm talking specifically about these two old ghost story books I dug out of storage this past weekend, and which make great books to put under the seat of your car for when you're waiting on your wife.
But they have no covers. And if I got to Amazon and look...well, I'm not sure the covers would be good enough for Goodreads.
I base this opinion on asking a librarian in the Librarians Group before to do just that, but they didn't, and I can only assume it's because the cover quality was bad, kind of like these.
Anyways, read books.
October 17, 2014
Lots of Ratings, Few Reviews
Do you ever look at other Goodreads members' profiles?
You've probably seen it then, haven't you? Yeah, I'm talking about people having more ratings than reviews.
I've seen some people that have 1,000 ratings and 5 reviews.
It's very easy to click the mouse and give the book 5-stars or 3-stars or 1-star or whatever. It takes a bit more work to write a review.
And I'm not talking about a one sentence review, but a real meat-and-potatoes sucker that you might want to jot the word count down on.
Anyways, this just bothered me today so that's that. I will mention that I have 459 ratings and 203 reviews, which is a better ratio than most.
Happy reading...rating...and hopefully reviewing!
You've probably seen it then, haven't you? Yeah, I'm talking about people having more ratings than reviews.
I've seen some people that have 1,000 ratings and 5 reviews.
It's very easy to click the mouse and give the book 5-stars or 3-stars or 1-star or whatever. It takes a bit more work to write a review.
And I'm not talking about a one sentence review, but a real meat-and-potatoes sucker that you might want to jot the word count down on.
Anyways, this just bothered me today so that's that. I will mention that I have 459 ratings and 203 reviews, which is a better ratio than most.
Happy reading...rating...and hopefully reviewing!
October 15, 2014
Bad Goodreads Experience Today
I had a bad Goodreads experience today.
I get emails like many of you do, from group moderators saying that a new poll is up. Well, for months and months I’ve been getting those from one of my groups, but there’s no link to the poll.
So I emailed this mod and said that I don’t vote in those polls ever because there is no link.
I got a terse email back saying that they’re a single mother and watching kids and volunteering for this. I also got unfriended.
It’s a bummer because I’ve been in this group since April 2013.
So I sent an email to Goodreads suggesting they have mods put a link in there. What I should have done is tell them to get their act together as well, and begin paying these people.
Or, I’m sorry, but did Amazon run into some money problems lately? Are they trying to one-up Ellora’s Cave when it comes to the number of free workers?
These mods should be appreciated, but instead they’re walked all over, and worse than by me sending a message saying ‘hey, can you put a link in there?’
Anyways, I thought I’d vent and share some frustration. I hope you’re not too offended or upset or what not. Unless you’re Amazon. In that case you might want to shape up!
I get emails like many of you do, from group moderators saying that a new poll is up. Well, for months and months I’ve been getting those from one of my groups, but there’s no link to the poll.
So I emailed this mod and said that I don’t vote in those polls ever because there is no link.
I got a terse email back saying that they’re a single mother and watching kids and volunteering for this. I also got unfriended.
It’s a bummer because I’ve been in this group since April 2013.
So I sent an email to Goodreads suggesting they have mods put a link in there. What I should have done is tell them to get their act together as well, and begin paying these people.
Or, I’m sorry, but did Amazon run into some money problems lately? Are they trying to one-up Ellora’s Cave when it comes to the number of free workers?
These mods should be appreciated, but instead they’re walked all over, and worse than by me sending a message saying ‘hey, can you put a link in there?’
Anyways, I thought I’d vent and share some frustration. I hope you’re not too offended or upset or what not. Unless you’re Amazon. In that case you might want to shape up!
October 11, 2014
2 New Book Covers
I don’t want to make a big fuss, but I sure would like it if you’d check out these 2 new book covers.
I had some custom art done on Deviant Art, and now scenes from the books can finally be seen on the cover.
Book 1 will be coming out in a week or so…thanks for looking!
Trouble in Jonguria
The Jongurian Resolution
I had some custom art done on Deviant Art, and now scenes from the books can finally be seen on the cover.
Book 1 will be coming out in a week or so…thanks for looking!
Trouble in Jonguria
The Jongurian Resolution
October 6, 2014
I’m Happy to Get Reviews
I’ve gotten about 50 ratings and around 10 written reviews on Goodreads. Maybe I’d have more if I’d have used ‘received’ in that first sentence there.
I don’t know, it doesn’t really bother me, and I’m pretty dang thankful to have all those reviews.
Most are for The Jongurian Mission, which I wrote way back in 2010. Many more come in on Tarot: The Mystery and the Mystique, the Tarot book I wrote for the woman in Australia, but who then didn't pay me so I put it out myself.
That sentence perhaps should be a really long hyphen, and small things like that could really bump up my total number of reviews. That stuff doesn't really concern me too much, though. Writing books about killer mudslides (not the drink) and special forces teams invading underground alien bases does, however.
So keep...doing whatever - regardless if you're writing reviews or even reading my stuff - and I'll keep putting it out. (the writing, that is)
Thanks!
I don’t know, it doesn’t really bother me, and I’m pretty dang thankful to have all those reviews.
Most are for The Jongurian Mission, which I wrote way back in 2010. Many more come in on Tarot: The Mystery and the Mystique, the Tarot book I wrote for the woman in Australia, but who then didn't pay me so I put it out myself.
That sentence perhaps should be a really long hyphen, and small things like that could really bump up my total number of reviews. That stuff doesn't really concern me too much, though. Writing books about killer mudslides (not the drink) and special forces teams invading underground alien bases does, however.
So keep...doing whatever - regardless if you're writing reviews or even reading my stuff - and I'll keep putting it out. (the writing, that is)
Thanks!
October 2, 2014
Join the Challenge
I encourage everyone that’s not already a member of the Book Addicts group here on Goodreads to go ahead and join and then check out this challenge.
Each month you can list your name and at the end of the month they’ll add up all the pages that everyone’s read. There was 252,654 pages read in September…and none of them were mine.
Well, some of them could have been, but I didn’t finish any books in September so I didn’t add them to the list. I had three up there in August.
Anyways, it’s a fun little thing, and there are bonuses too. This month some are:
+25 points for any YA book in a series
+50 points for any book with fire
+50 points for any book with a demon on the cover
+25 points for any book by Stephen King that’s more than 500 pages.
Well, that’s roughly what it is. Check it out below:
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Each month you can list your name and at the end of the month they’ll add up all the pages that everyone’s read. There was 252,654 pages read in September…and none of them were mine.
Well, some of them could have been, but I didn’t finish any books in September so I didn’t add them to the list. I had three up there in August.
Anyways, it’s a fun little thing, and there are bonuses too. This month some are:
+25 points for any YA book in a series
+50 points for any book with fire
+50 points for any book with a demon on the cover
+25 points for any book by Stephen King that’s more than 500 pages.
Well, that’s roughly what it is. Check it out below:
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
September 22, 2014
Books Need to Go Back
I’ve got 14 books that need to go back to the library. These are all Montana history-related books that I used when writing my latest volume of Montana history, Hustlers and Homesteaders
The book took me about 6 weeks to do, although I’d had some prep work done before. It gets a lot easier when you’ve done three volumes on the subject already.
This book came in at just under 500 pages on Createspace when I finished it yesterday, and it’s about 86,000 words.
It’s big, and covers 30 years from 1900 to 1930 – a period that many in Montana don’t know a whole lot about…including the politicians.
That’s a shame, and hopefully some of them will read this book when it’s released on September 30.
Until then, these 14 books need to go back.
The book took me about 6 weeks to do, although I’d had some prep work done before. It gets a lot easier when you’ve done three volumes on the subject already.
This book came in at just under 500 pages on Createspace when I finished it yesterday, and it’s about 86,000 words.
It’s big, and covers 30 years from 1900 to 1930 – a period that many in Montana don’t know a whole lot about…including the politicians.
That’s a shame, and hopefully some of them will read this book when it’s released on September 30.
Until then, these 14 books need to go back.
September 15, 2014
I Got a Check for $1,000 Today
I feel like a talented writer, as per this Stephen King quote:
https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/2953...
You can read more about my ability to pay the rent for one more month here, on my website for writers and other malcontents:
www.bigskywords.com
Thanks for reading!
https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/2953...
You can read more about my ability to pay the rent for one more month here, on my website for writers and other malcontents:
www.bigskywords.com
Thanks for reading!
