Paul Michael Peters's Blog, page 9

And the winner is...

Over the last two months a drawing for the Amazon Kindle Oasis has been leading the front page of my website. Thank you to the nearly 1,000 people from around the world who entered. 

Drawings can be exciting to participants, especially the winners. Which is why in addition to the Amazon Kindle, I have included 10 additional names for drawing to be drawn for a paperback copy of my recent work "Insensible Loss".

If your name wasn't drawn, you also have a unique discount provided for having entered the drawing (see email), with huge discounts on my top selling books.

I hope you enjoy! Happy reading... And the winners are:

Copy of “Insensible Loss” - J. Millheim, A. Morrison, C. Miracle, H. Landfield, S. Patrick, B. Rouleau, B. Stewart, M. Halverson, K. Roffey, D. Philippon

Amazon Kindle Oasis - F. Voelker

Thank you all for entering. Congratulations to all the winners.

56-40 21- 12 Challenges with Goodreads

Goodreads is this great online community about books and reading. If you are interested in finding something new to read, find information about an author, or want to share thoughts and ideas with people of a like mind, they are on Goodreads.com.

As great as those things are, it is still a marketing tool for Amazon to generate revenue. The books at the top, that you see frequently, the large images that cover a huge percentage of the page, interviews, listings, are all paid ads. It is no longer the community of like-minded people.

“Meh, what’s new Peters? We saw that coming when Amazon purchased the rights.” One might say.

Here is the thing, with all that corporate investment, you would think that the machine would work better.

To promote my books, marketing, I can follow a path for a Giveaway. Perfect: I write and want readers. Readers want to read new writing. I send out the paperback to the winners.

New process on the way – I pay over $100 to Amazon (called goodreads.com here) and they will do that same drawing for an eBook. I am supposed to be thankful for this, as it will mean I don’t have to deal with the paperback, and the mailing, and the process.

This changes the deal, in your dear writers humble opinion, as this moves from an opportunity to connect with the reader (I always include a note with the signed copy) to a profit play. In the original drawing, Amazon didn’t see a dollar, but both clients, the reader and writer, were able to get value from participating in the community. The new model, Amazon takes more money from the writer, to reach readers. I say more money as the services of publishing, promotion, listings, and formatting, are already chargeable to the author (or through the publisher which cuts into the authors profits).

I get it. It’s a business. I am pro-business. I am pro-Amazon.com. Still, I was hoping that if you were going to take a cut at every step in the process, the big publishing machine would work better.

You see, there are these things call ratings and reviews. People tend to point to this as the result of those dollars spent as an indicator of more organic growth in readership. So it is an important metric to have for writers wanting to grown the base.

If you go to my Author Dashboard, or any of the books I’ve listed there, you will see that several of my works are misrepresented. The stats are off. There are double the number of ratings and reviews listed in the summary than there actually are.

Yes, I am complaining that there are too many reviews and ratings….

People write the worst things about my work. They write the nicest, kindest things there too. What you should expect is an honest representation of what you thought. What Amazon and Goodreads should do, is strive to be accurate in accounting for the metrics provided.

One day I hope that Mr. Memory and Other Stories of Wonder will have 40 great reviews, but I want to earn that number. Insensible Loss will have 12 honest reviews, some day, when they are written. The numbers should be accurate.

Yes, I write to the librarian, to the contact team, and I do refresh the stat’s engine. If this were the first time, you would not be reading this blog post. I am writing this because it has become a standard practice of publishing bad information at Goodreads.com, and I have other things to write, more uplifting things to publish.

You have my money. You have my loyalty. Could you please just start doing what you agreed to do? Represent my work in the community honestly?

True Confession: Movies I Have Not Watched

There are some movies I need to admit to not having watched. This may be a passable offense for many, but as a previous Blockbuster Video Manager, it’s an admission that I made recommendations that were not entirely based on knowledge, but on popularity.

Not having watched these movies has allowed me to avoid “spazing out” or coming down hard on those who have not watched something like, well, any Star Wars movie (the proper order, for those keeping score, is A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back, the prequels, and then Return of the Jedi followed by the most recent. It provides the original order integrity with a flash back at the right moment to understand the history of how we got here…)

I have never sat through the Godfather or the sequels. It’s true. Just this week I watched Raging Bull for the first time, meh. It has nice cinematography, but these characters are so unlikeable. Rocky, or Requiem for a Heavyweight were better alternatives in my mind.

More important, and the reason behind this post is a little movie called Flashdance. When I was young lad, I had this album. It was ordered through the Columbia House record club. I listened to it non-stop and knew every word. Little did I ever think that it would be more than thirty years before I watched the movie it came from. Yet here I was knowing every word to every song when they came on the screen.

If we were back at the Blockbuster, I would say that the Flashdance was a must pass. There is very little dialogue in this movie. Hardly a word is spoken until 12 minutes in. There are lots of songs, if you like songs, get the sound track. Hot 80’s women. If you like Mousercies (aerobics show each morning on the Disney Channel) or those attractive women on a turn table in a pure white room from the 80’s, those had more plot and dialogue than Flashdance. Three years after Flashdance was a movie with John Travolta and Jamie Lee Curtis (before the yogurt ads) that is so much better.

I will give you this, Flashdance did pave the way for music driven movies like The Bodyguard, Cocktail, Top Gun, Beverly Hills Cop, The Lost Boys, Valley Girl, The Big Chill, Less Than Zero, Footloose, The Breakfast Club, Purple Rain, and Good Morning Vietnam. (Just last year did I watch Pretty in Pink for the first time, otherwise I would have added it to that list of good movies with great soundtracks of the 80’s that I watched in the 80’s)

So what’s the lesson here? None what-so-ever. Just the observation that a movie with no real plot, little dialogue, but hot ladies and popular music can make lots of money. Next time I get a bad review for my writing I will remind myself about the difference between quality and making money.

A motivation of character

During my day job I tend to talk frequently about motivation. What drives people to do things? How can I improve behaviors? Why do people do what they do?

In my writing time, this is also something front of mind. Instead of applying this to sales, it is in the focus of character.

For the defense of villains and foils, I try to keep in mind the adversary of James Bond. There are some, not fans, who will tell you that the villain is a bad guy. I disagree.

Think of Moonraker’s Hugo Drax. Villian, yes. Bad guy? Well, if you think that the world corporations are destroying the planet, the earth needs to be treated better, and ‘nature’ is in need of help, you have more in common with this villain than you might like to admit. Yes, building an ark from hand chosen humans to repopulate the planet is extreme, I will give you that, but the values of the villain are not ‘bad’.

When Auric Goldfinger, the villain of ‘Goldfinger’ wants to irradiate the US supply of gold with a dirty nuclear bomb, you say, well, that’s bad. But, aside from the greed and thirst for power, consider this - the villain actually has a lot of similar beliefs our good Senator Bernie Sanders proclaims in bringing down the 1%, and evening wealth. Again, Auric goes way too far here, and the ‘even playing field’ is the world outside the US, but is it “bad”?

Even consider the roll of the organized criminal goals of SPECTRE (in the most recent movies). This is an organization that is looking to control and eliminate chaos (not KAOS) from the world. Groups that inspire fear through radicalism, small factions of local war lords, and corrupt governments should be managed by a central faction for the betterment of humanity are at play. We cheer for Bond, for traditional leaders, and a more (small c) conservative government that provide stability and control by the people’s rights. We jeer at the villain who seems to want to take over. Yet the villain is saying, your current system is bad, it’s a misrepresentation, we the elite wise men can do better in looking after you. Is that bad? Being taken care of sounds kind of nice, less to worry about, a clear goal, a common improvement for humanity that removes the capitalist motivations for more (power, money, things)... and we have leadership saying this very thing. 

Keep in mind, we are seeing the story from one view, James Bond. If the story were told from the villain’s point of view, he/she would be the hero. Everyone is the hero of their own story. And you are never the villain. You are never bad.

Readers Wanted

Author seeking readers: must enjoy the brevity of a clean sharp sentence, the mystery of possible outcomes, and understands that there is a subtext of what isn’t written. Ideally patient: not all dialogue is wining, metaphors sometimes get mixed, and there are eight type-o’s (like Waldo, turn it into a game and find them).

Special talents include: ability to read in a moving vehicle (including, but not limited to, bus, train, car) in one place (park bench, waiting room, desk, bed, chair, or special nook) in a crowd (restaurant, coffee house, park, or DMV) or all alone. The ability to hold a paperback or e-reader with one hand while doing anything or everything else is a bonus.

If you have these skills, please apply to this newsletter and you may be rewarded. One lucky name will be drawn to win an Amazon Kindle Oasis CLICK HERE

Cats - the authors companion

There are days when I see my two cats, sleeping in their usual and well-worn spaces, and I think to myself, “wow, I have cats.” I have always liked cats but for years feared that my maturity level may not be a match to keeping pets alive.

“It’s easy.” my sister said. “They will remind you when you forget them.” Which has proven to be true. In the morning, when I have not awakened, they will stand on me and remind me that today is another day for living. If they can see the bottom of the food bowl, they let me know to fill it. When opening a can of tuna, or for that matter a can of anything, they remind me that they really like tuna.

One of the areas my cats are particularly interested in is self-publishing books. This may seem to be a stretch for the normal domestic short hair; but my cats get very excited about each step of the process.

When I write, they like to sit on my hands and keypad. When the new books arrive, they greet the delivery at the door. New boxes? You might as well call them the new fortress. Pencils and writing instruments are perfect for batting off the table, or chewing, or hiding under the couch. Most of all, the label maker means we are in for fun. Removing the little strips from the self-adhesive shipping envelopes, make for the words greatest toy.

Cats, especially my own, are perfect companions for authors. They are an inspiration. They are a source of no-wage employment the self-publishing world.   

Canadian Geese are assholes

In my home of the big mitten, Canadian Geese are a plentiful sight. We have crossing signs on roads near large pools of water where they congregate warning drivers they are near by. I have seen my share of cars stopping in the middle of traffic to allow these little poop machines and their families waddle across the asphalt.

Let us put this in perspective:

Canadian Geese fly thousands of miles each year in migratory transit, but decide to walk the 50 yards in traffic to the other man made pool with a water fountain.

My suspicion is that our good friends to the north are some how capturing all that pent up rage and anger they are know to never carry (Canadians are truly the nicest people in the world) placing it in these large birds, and sending them over the boarder to mess with us in the US.   

Book Reviews

I am not sure what to make of reviews at times. The first thing that goes through my head in seeing a rating number tick up or a review added is “Thank you for reading my book!” It is always amazing to think that someone is actually reading the words I type and fret over with editors.

It is awful, as others have advised against it, but I read all my works reviews. There is the reward I feel for someone reading, and the bliss or pain on what they have written in return.

Part of me finds it easy to dismiss bad reviews. I say to myself that a person reviewing my work on Amazon.com and may have only reviewed three things there, a car battery, windshield wipers, and my book, that person is not a reader, so I can discount that bad review, right? Not for me. In my mind, the avid reader should get enjoyment from the work as much as a casual reader/car enthusiast.

Dismissing the bad review or justifying in my mind why that person gave a bad review is only a mental exercise that allows me to legitimize in my mind that I worked hard enough. That, my reader, is poppycock. Bad reviews are entirely justifiable and at times deserved. I learn a good deal about how you, my dear reader, responds to the words I have provided. I pause to contemplate how I may have done better. Please do not read this post as a plea for positive reviews. It is not.

What I would ask for is better reviews. Tell me why it sucked, the lack of interest, and why you didn’t finish, or what was so unappealing that deserved a return to the seller. I do not want to discount you as a reader, but completely understand that not all people will like my work.

There are others who write wonderful things, blissful things, details that keep my spirits high, and mind engaged in the next work. I love you all. Thank you for reading. Thank you for taking the time to write that down and let others know. You make me want to be a better person.

Reviews are not for everyone. A rating is just as good. For some to jot down a score and not a review makes sense. When I read a book, go to Goodreads, and see the 40,000 other people to review The Goldfinch, I wonder, who am I doing this for? Can I contribute something here that hasn’t been said? And sometimes the answer is no. I just rate the book with stars rather than write something about the work. So I get it. Thank you for reading and rating. It means everything to me that you are doing this.

For the most part, I have to express, that I am just thrilled, for better or worse, to find that people are reading what I write. Today I am at 8,000 words for my next work, a thriller currently called 16. Once that is complete, my plan is to revisit the work I recently completed a first draft on call The Joy of Lying for additional revisions and re-writes. By December I hope to have one or both complete and ready for purchase by Christmas.

Safe travels – happy reading!   

Keeping score

This post is being written just moments after completing the first draft of a work called “The Joy of Lying”. In the current version, it is about a young man and woman who had been dating throughout university. A year prior to the start of the story they had broken up. They meet again on the streets of Austin one Friday night. Quickly, he realizes that when she walked out the door on him and broke his heart, there was no place for her to go. She had been homeless all this time.

How much do we lie to ourselves is the question eating at me. All the time is the answer. Call is justification, call it perspective, call it the passage of time; but really, they are just the lies we tell ourselves so we can look in the mirror.

I like to think of myself as a writer. You may even catch me introducing myself as one. To keep score, I have self published the titles – Peter in Flight, The Symmetry of Snowflakes, Mr. Memory and Other Stories of Wonder, and Insensible Loss. I have written, but not published, American Appetite, Everybody’s Birthday, and now The Joy of Lying. For the record, that is seven titles I have written. Yet, I do not consider myself an author. Some days I will admit to being a software guy, and most times I identify with being a trade show guy.

If I were to stop lying to myself, I would admit, at best, I am middle management at a software company, who writes as a hobby. That is not a bad score. It is a decent self assessment on accomplishment. There are lots of in between things to have skipped (20+ years at least).

This is the tricky part here… I don’t think I am going to release the book I just finished. Not yet at least. I could spend the next several weeks re-writing, get in front of an editor whom I really enjoy working with, and crank something out. Instead, for those of you keeping track at home, I am going to write another book over the next few months. There is no working title. It is a thriller that came to me three weeks ago. I have an outline. It is an interesting story. Much more interesting to me than the one I just finished. Once the thriller is done, I may come back to The Joy of Lying, rewrite, clean up, and work with the editors. It needs to settle for a while. If I were making bread, the dough would need to rise.

That’s the update! Happy reading! Buy my books Peter in Flight, The Symmetry of Snowflakes, Mr. Memory and Other Stories of Wonder, and Insensible Loss, more are on the way.    

Lovers of The Illusionist Daughter will enjoy this

There are those who believe that there are beautiful lies all around us. Lovers of the short story The Illusionist Daughter have enjoyed the devices and deceptions created by The Great Makuakane, but have wondered and written me asking what they might truly look like. Here is one video across the inter-webs that might help you to believe in those beautiful lies

Amazing body control ... inspiring me to go back to iFly Singapore to learn my 6 basic movements.Performed by Maja Kuczynskaat #WindGames2016 in Windoor

Posted by Willy Foo - Photographer, Marketer, Technopreneur on Sunday, January 24, 2016