Sally Ember's Blog, page 114
May 29, 2014
Why Is The Media Ignoring Author Exploitation By Publishers?
VERY IMPORTANT for potential or actual #self-pub #authors. READ! SHARE!
Originally posted on David Gaughran:
The Amazon-Hachette dispute has caught the media’s attention. But what about the story the media refuses to cover?
The media is more concerned with one-sided accounts of Amazon’s perceived actions – when no one really knows the exact nature of the dispute.
The media is more concerned with what Amazon might do in the future, than actual author exploitation by the world’s largest trade publisher: Penguin Random House.
Penguin Random House owns the world’s largest vanity press – Author Solutions – which is currently subject to a class action for deceptive business practices, breach of contract, unjust enrichment, and violation of business statutes in California, New York, and Colorado.
The court papers cover the same ground that I’ve been blogging about for the last three years, that Writer Beware has spent even longer documenting, and others like Emily Suess and Mick Rooney have covered in extensive detail.
If…
View original 1,909 more words
Filed under: Writing
May 27, 2014
16 Ways I Use #Goodreads
I’m wondering how you, as a reader, use Goodreads? What about if you are an author: do you visit often and use it? How do you use #Goodreads?
At first, I just visited, as a #reader. I noticed what books are being featured or recommended (paid ads or in groups’ discussions), what types of groups there are, what groups are active, and what lists exist on Listopia. I marked books I had read and ranked a few, but didn’t write any reviews or read any.
As a reader, I now have: 905 ratings | 102 reviews | avg rating:4.10
When I began to come closer to launching my first book as an #author, I re-established myself on Goodreads with an author page. I added the nonfiction book I had co-authored many years ago, then I added my first science-fiction/romance ebook to my page.
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7237845.Sally_Ember
As a reader/author, my use of Goodreads changed a lot after that. I began not only to list books I had already read, but I started to use Goodreads as a kind of readers’ journal, and I:
1) put books on my “want to read” shelf. This means Goodreads posts and could email me (but I shut that down) “Recommendations” based on what I read and ranked highly.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/15085128?shelf=read
https://www.goodreads.com/recommendations
2) put books on my “currently reading” shelf and kept up the status of where I was in reading each one (I usually read several books simultaneously, one or two nonfiction, one or two fiction.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/15085128-sally-ember?shelf=currently-reading
3) began to acquire friends/fans and to respond to “friends” requests moer promptly.
I now have 1005 “Friends” and dozens of “followers”: I have 83 “fans”; follow almost 288 GR members (mostly authors or reviewers) myself
https://www.goodreads.com/friend
https://www.goodreads.com/user/15085128-sally-ember/followers
https://www.goodreads.com/author/fans/7237845.Sally_Ember
https://www.goodreads.com/user/15085128-sally-ember/following
(GR has an algorithm, like Facebook, that limits how many new “friends” a person can add per day, so sometimes I added an author or reviewer as a “fan” or “follower” instead. It seems arbitrary and silly, to me, but that is the deal. This policy means I seem to have 295 “favorite authors,” but that just means I had to become a “fan” rather than a friend, so this list includes authors I support but haven’t read anything from, yet.)
4) joined several groups as a reader, several more as an author, and started one of my own, as an author.
https://www.goodreads.com/group
5) made an effort to keep up with “notifications” from these groups, responding when I felt inspired, commenting or asking questions occasionally. I also get some notification sent directly to my email, but I don’t read them in both places.
6) posted about my own ebook(s), including their launches, pre-orders, sales, becoming permafree, reviews (needing and getting). I also posted each of the related videos (author readings, Q & A, Book trailers) on my Author’s Page and my own Videos page. I also created and will create launch “events” on GR for each ebook’s sales launch date. If I had print books, I would/could do “giveaways,” but GR doesn’t provide avenues for ebooks giveaways (yet).
https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/7237845.Sally_Ember
https://www.goodreads.com/videos/list_author/7237845.Sally_Ember
7) linked my Goodreads page to my blog so that the feed appears on it and put a Goodreads widget on my blog that shows what I’m reading.
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7237845.Sally_Ember/blog
8) linked my Goodreads reviews to my blog and Facebook pages so that my reviews and activities appear on those.
9) voted on and added my ebooks to lists and voted on others’ books on Listopia; also became more aware of and using Shelves more and putting books I’m reading/want to read on Shelves.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18772075-this-changes-everything
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21841757-this-changes-my-family-and-my-life-forever
I have also listed my Series as a Series on GR, which means it can appear on those pages/groups that seeks series books.
Scroll all the way down on any book’s page to see its first lists and then click on “more” to see pages and pages of lists my ebooks are on. VOTE on them, please!
10) added more books to my ‘want to read” lists to support other authors, especially those who became my friends/fans.
11) noticed what books others in my groups, friends/fans communities had read/were reading and put some of those on my “want to read” lists.
12) began to write an ongoing status/review and final review of every book I was reading, which then posted on my blog and on Facebook. These comments and activity appear on my author’s page as recent “updates.”
13) recently began pasting those reviews from Goodreads onto Amazon for those books, with the rating and slight editing (when necessary). I have a way to go to “catch up,” but it’s a good way to remember what I’ve read these last 12 months or so.
14) developed a new interest in and respect for book reviewers, prolific authors, new authors, and readers who populate Goodreads, reading more of the posts to groups and noticing their authors’ pages and blogs. I
15) followed a few of the blogs I saw excerpted on Goodreads due to what I read on these authors’ pages.
16. added “metadata” to my books and plan to add more. This is a tricky maneuver I needed help from a GR “Librarian” to accomplish and don’t know much about accessing on my own, but apparently this data helps my ebooks appear in more searches.
Please comment on how YOU use Goodreads and what you think of its usefulness to the readers/authors communities! Thanks.
Happy reading, reviewing, writing, commenting, ranking, voting, and shelving!
Filed under: Marketing, Personal stories, Social Media Tagged: authors, blog, Goodreads, reading, reviews, voting, writing
May 22, 2014
3-year-old remembers past life, identifies murderer and location of body
Love this!
Originally posted on This and That:
To read the article go to
http://www.sott.net/article/279440-3-year-old-remembers-past-life-identifies-murderer-and-location-of-body
Filed under: Writing
Review of Returning The Gift By Steven Donoso
This looks very interesting. Would like to read these.
Originally posted on Author Ingrid Hall:
Steven Donoso grew up in the South Bronx, of New York City and moved to New England when he was eighteen. He has presented hundreds of films and live events over the last thirty six years. Steven describes himself as a “Freelance Human Being.”
A lover of all things spiritual and new age, I was immediately fascinated by the concept of this book, and fully intended reading and reviewing it when it first came in several months ago. Life is, however, crazy and so apologies to the author for taking so long…
Returning The Gift: Dialogues with Eckhart Tolle, Adyashanti, Timothy Wilson and Laura Water, does exactly what it says on the packet. The author starts each segment with a bio, information about the guru that he is planning on talking to, and why he is interested in that person, before having the conversation, and chronicling it, pretty much…
View original 126 more words
Filed under: Writing
Making Connections
Great for #writers, #authors, #speakers! Thanks, Jamie and Nicholas!
Originally posted on Nicholas C. Rossis:
I happened across this brilliant map by
Jamie Clark
, and I had to share! It shows the different words one can use to make connections, whether to compare, contrast, emphasise etc.
Enjoy, and don’t forget to visit his blog for more awesome stuff!
Making Connections, map by Jamie Lee Clark
Filed under: Writing
Social Media and Readers’ Advisory: Tumblr
I’m one of those bloggers who resides on #Wordpress and just re-posts to #Tumblr: I now know I’ve been missing out. Plan to do more right on it next month! Thanks for the suggestions and info!
Originally posted on wrapped up in books:
Today I’m in Kansas City at a MALA workshop talking about my favorite things: cats, books, libraries, and tumblr. You can find the slides and additional information from the half day workshop at
Kaite Stover’s wiki
, but here’s the outline and lots of links to accompany my talk. You can also view my
slides in googledocs
(the gifs animated there, but don’t in slideshare or a downloaded powerpoint).
Using Tumblr for Readers’ Advisory from wmolly
What’s tumblr?
The boring answer: a microblogging platform and social media site that supports multimedia content that:
Allows you to share text, video, images
Blends traditional blog with twitter and a plus a little instagram thrown in
But what is tumblr *really?*
Tumblr is…
cat gifs
fandom
books, reading, and libraries
your favorite authors and publishers
your community
conversations
and yes, you have to be careful to avoid NSFW content.
Tumblr is…
184 million blogs!
View original 1,293 more words
Filed under: Writing
#AUTHORS: #Plot Spice, or the 5 Worst Places to Wake Up Unexpectedly
#AUTHORS: In case your plots need some spice, just thought I’d remind you of the 5 Worst Places to Wake Up Unexpectedly. I put them in reverse order, according to my preferences, with One being the worst-case scenario.
If you disagree about my rankings or have your own to add, please put them in the comments at http://www.sallyember.com/blog
5. Wearing your clothes but no shoes, restrained, on a cushioned table, several thousand light-years away from Earth, surrounded by aliens.
image from http://www.educatinghumanity.com
4. Without your outerwear, stiff, cold, without ID, keys, money or facts, in the middle of a place you don’t recognize.
image from http://www.alternet.org
3. Wearing a johnnie, intubated, foggy, in pain, at least one limb in traction, in the ICU.
image from helifreak.com
2. Naked, hung-over, ashamed and chagrined, having had regrettable sex with someone inappropriate several hours ago.
image from thealcoholenthusiast.com
1. Dressed in your best clothes, surrounded by satin, in a closed coffin.
image from http://www.dailymail.co.uk
Filed under: Writing Tagged: aliens, authors, Plot, writing
May 20, 2014
Submission Call!
Another short story writing opportunity for special topics: “LGBTQ Youth and Adults/Community” is the theme.
Originally posted on Vampires, Crime and Angels...Eclectic Me:
Hope & Love, a Charity Anthology Charity Anthology
Submission Call
THEME: LGBTQ Youth and Adults / Community
Short story submissions must be centered on LGBTQ youth and adults. The goal is to make a place where they can fully identify & express themselves without fear of ridicule & harassment. Stories should feature happy or promising endings.
*All proceeds from this charity anthology will be donated to MKE LGBT Community Center*
Short Stories: 3k – 10k words. Manuscripts shorter or longer will be considered but will have to be extraordinary.
Deadline: August 1st, 2014.
Heat Level: YA, NA, Adult (must have plot, no explicit content).
Genres: Any
Pairings: GLBTQ (couples & poly) No previously published work, from new and established authors. Send all submissions to Áine at apmassie@gmail.com. List the anthology title in the subject line of your e-mail. Ex: LGBT Anthology submission. While there is no guarantee that your work…
View original 15 more words
Filed under: Writing
Guilty is Guilty: Step up and Take Your Punishments
Dear Chris Brown, George Zimmerman, Michael Dunn, O.J. Simpson, James “Whitey” Bulger, Enrico Ponzo, Susan Smith, Andrea Yates, Mary K. Letourneau and countless others, and now, the latest famous guilty abuser of people and laws, Columbus Short: You’re guilty and you know it, everyone knows it! How DARE you plead “not guilty”?
You waste our time, our money, our resources and our courts’ juries’ and staff time with your arrogance, selfishness, and hubris.
Worse, because of loopholes and incompentencies in our legal system, you might not get punished.
These are unacceptable circumstances.
image from http://www.hollywoodreporter.com
Believe me, I am a fan of “innocent until proven guilty.” But, when someone is caught, on camera or by more than one witness, or there is a preponderance of evidence and prior bad acts similar to this, how can anyone doubt their guilt? What’s worse, why don’t they just admit it?
Sure, sure: narcissism, other serious mental illnesses, delusions of grandeur and rampant hypocrisy come with these people’s territories. I know that.
Can we all just be more than a little bit disgusted, at least?
That’s my rant.
image from finkorswim.com
Filed under: Writing
May 19, 2014
#Writing Opp/#Publication Opp for #Women #Writers: Deadline June 1, 2014
Dear Friends of Women Writers, Women Books,
Warm spring greetings from North Carolina to all of you who have commented on our online magazine at http://www.booksbywomen.org Your participation is what makes the difference on our site.
WRITING OPPORTUNITY
Our Site Sponsor, Diane DeBella, author of a powerful and disclosing memoir, I Am Subject: Sharing Our Truths to Reclaim Our Selves, is inviting submissions of your stories for an anthology she will edit, and we will publish.
You don’t have to call yourself a writer. You don’t have to be previously published. You don’t have to have a blog.
All you need for this opportunity is the desire to share a powerful moment in your life when you claimed, or reclaimed your self.
image from writersrelief.com
DETAILS
Under 1250 words.
Written specifically for this project, the #iamsubject project.
Email: diane@iamsubject.com or anora@booksbywomen.org with any questions.
Deadline June 1, 2014. (Email us if you need a little more time.)
Submit by email to diane@iamsubject.com OR Read more about the #iamsubject project:
http://booksbywomen.us8.list-manage.com/track/click?u=40251f201df2e2c799764d2d5&id=5f0ec05277&e=777d21d198
The Call for Submissions information:
http://booksbywomen.us8.list-manage.com/track/click?u=40251f201df2e2c799764d2d5&id=be30d2dac6&e=777d21d198
Read submissions here: http://booksbywomen.us8.list-manage.com/track/click?u=40251f201df2e2c799764d2d5&id=269003237f&e=777d21d198
We will select a collection from the essays submitted for an anthology, which will give you a publishing credit, important if you’re just starting out, and fun to be part of no matter what your writing experience is.
NEWS: DIANE DEBELLA’S MEMOIR
Diane DeBella teaches writing and women’s studies at the University of Colorado in Boulder, and has just published an analytical memoir that draws from the lives of important women writers. It is a powerful book, and through May 31 is available internationally as an ebook for our readers at the equivalent of $2.99 US.
http://booksbywomen.us8.list-manage2.com/track/click?u=40251f201df2e2c799764d2d5&id=7519bc9987&e=777d21d198
We would be thrilled to hear that you would like to submit an essay!
Anora McGaha
Founder and Co-Editor of Women Writers, Women Books
anora@booksbywomen.org
Filed under: Personal stories, Writing Tagged: Publication opportunity, Writers, writing
