Fiona L. Woods's Blog, page 240
December 4, 2020
Audible Letter Petition - The Authors Guild
Today as Panzer was tootling around in the Catosphere he made a stop at the Authors Guild site. There our traveling kitty boy found a letter The Authors Guild plans to send to Audible-ACX. Panzer told you about Audible's membership program that touts the return and exchange of authors' audio books.
The Authors Guild letter lays out all the reasons the return/exchange program is unfair to authors and the narrators of their audio books. The Authors Guild is soliciting authors and their supporters' signatures on the letter. The Guild would like to collect 25,000 signatures.
Please help.
Panzer says, "It might seem like you're saving yourself money by returning and/or exchanging an audio book, but you're really costing the audio book author and the narrator money when you do it."
Note: It's a medium length letter. Bring a cup of tea to drink while you read it.
To read the full letter and add your name, tootle over to Letter to AudibleTo read Panzer's previous post tootle over to #Audiblegate
The Authors Guild letter lays out all the reasons the return/exchange program is unfair to authors and the narrators of their audio books. The Authors Guild is soliciting authors and their supporters' signatures on the letter. The Guild would like to collect 25,000 signatures.
Please help.Panzer says, "It might seem like you're saving yourself money by returning and/or exchanging an audio book, but you're really costing the audio book author and the narrator money when you do it."
Note: It's a medium length letter. Bring a cup of tea to drink while you read it.
To read the full letter and add your name, tootle over to Letter to AudibleTo read Panzer's previous post tootle over to #Audiblegate
December 3, 2020
Campaign to buy JRR Tolkien's house backed by Lord of the Rings actors - The Guardian
Today's trip into the Catosphere took Panzer to The Guardian site. With no digging at all our intrepid traveling kitty found a post about J.R.R. Tolkien.
It looks important to me.
According to The Guardian's post by Alison Flood, the Project Northmoor wants to raise the money to buy the house where J.R.R. Tolkien wrote Lord of the Rings. The house would be turned into a museum. To accomplish this, the Project Northmoor charity has started a crowdfunding campaign. Lord of the Rings actors Sir Ian Mckellen, John Rhys-Davis and Martin Freeman are helping promote the fundraising campaign. The post has a link to the Project Northmoor site. The Project Northmoor site has all kinds of information about the fundraising and what the money will be used for. You can read about the gifts you will get by donating at the different levels. You can also donate from there.
Panzer says, "This little kitty can give up his kitty treats for a day to donate at The Hobbit level. How about you?" Note: This is a medium length post. Bring a cup of tea and a muffin for today's reading selection. If you plan to follow the link to Project Northmoor, also bring a thermos of tea and twelve muffins. (There are also links there too.)
To read the post tootle over to J.R.R. Tolkien's house
It looks important to me.According to The Guardian's post by Alison Flood, the Project Northmoor wants to raise the money to buy the house where J.R.R. Tolkien wrote Lord of the Rings. The house would be turned into a museum. To accomplish this, the Project Northmoor charity has started a crowdfunding campaign. Lord of the Rings actors Sir Ian Mckellen, John Rhys-Davis and Martin Freeman are helping promote the fundraising campaign. The post has a link to the Project Northmoor site. The Project Northmoor site has all kinds of information about the fundraising and what the money will be used for. You can read about the gifts you will get by donating at the different levels. You can also donate from there.
Panzer says, "This little kitty can give up his kitty treats for a day to donate at The Hobbit level. How about you?" Note: This is a medium length post. Bring a cup of tea and a muffin for today's reading selection. If you plan to follow the link to Project Northmoor, also bring a thermos of tea and twelve muffins. (There are also links there too.)
To read the post tootle over to J.R.R. Tolkien's house
December 2, 2020
#Audiblegate: How Audible-ACX Returns Policy Penalizes Authors - Writer Beware
As Panzer entered the Catosphere today the Panzermobile was suddenly violently shaken about by the crying and gnashing of teeth outside. Following all the chaos, took our brave kitty boy to the Writer Beware site. There he found a post about Audible's ebook return policy. Panzer told you about this situation in a post last week.
According to the post by Victoria Strauss, Audible has been using an audio books return policy without alerting authors to it. While some authors suspected their audio book sales didn't make sense, it wasn't until a computer glitch a couple of months ago brought Audible's return program to light. Audible members can listen to an audio book (either partially or totally) and then return it and exchange it for another audio book for no extra charge. The author, meanwhile, loses the royalty for the sale because it was returned. In Audible-ACX's Premium Plus program this is actively promoted as a benefit of the program. Since learning about the returns policy, some authors have gone so far as to get Audible memberships to test the program. They did this to see if there is any number of returns at which point a member will lose this return benefit. The answer: No. And it's not just the authors' losing out on the royalties. Narrators who didn't get paid up front, are losing on the returns to. There are several links to other sites, YouTube and Twitter for more information by authors about this return policy.
It really stinks over there.
Panzer says, "Hmm ... Author sites? ... YouTube? ... Twitter? ... That is one big steaming pile of you-know-what Audible stepped in."
Note: This is a h-u-g-e post. Bring a thermos of tea and twelve muffins for today's reading selection. If you plan to follow all the links in the post, bring another thermos of tea, a thermos of hot cocoa, another twelve muffins, ten chocolate chip cookies (biscuits), and six brownies. Oh, you will also want to bring your sleeping bag for a nap in the middle of all your reading.
To read the post tootle over to #AudiblegateTo read Panzer previous post about #Audiblegate (although, if you follow all the links in the Writer Beware post you don't need to) tootle over to Audible exchange policy
According to the post by Victoria Strauss, Audible has been using an audio books return policy without alerting authors to it. While some authors suspected their audio book sales didn't make sense, it wasn't until a computer glitch a couple of months ago brought Audible's return program to light. Audible members can listen to an audio book (either partially or totally) and then return it and exchange it for another audio book for no extra charge. The author, meanwhile, loses the royalty for the sale because it was returned. In Audible-ACX's Premium Plus program this is actively promoted as a benefit of the program. Since learning about the returns policy, some authors have gone so far as to get Audible memberships to test the program. They did this to see if there is any number of returns at which point a member will lose this return benefit. The answer: No. And it's not just the authors' losing out on the royalties. Narrators who didn't get paid up front, are losing on the returns to. There are several links to other sites, YouTube and Twitter for more information by authors about this return policy.
It really stinks over there.Panzer says, "Hmm ... Author sites? ... YouTube? ... Twitter? ... That is one big steaming pile of you-know-what Audible stepped in."
Note: This is a h-u-g-e post. Bring a thermos of tea and twelve muffins for today's reading selection. If you plan to follow all the links in the post, bring another thermos of tea, a thermos of hot cocoa, another twelve muffins, ten chocolate chip cookies (biscuits), and six brownies. Oh, you will also want to bring your sleeping bag for a nap in the middle of all your reading.
To read the post tootle over to #AudiblegateTo read Panzer previous post about #Audiblegate (although, if you follow all the links in the Writer Beware post you don't need to) tootle over to Audible exchange policy
December 1, 2020
Legendary Science Fiction Author Ben Bova Has Passed at the Age of 88 - Tor.com
Didn't plan to post today, but this just came across the computer.
According to a post by Andrew Liptak at Tor.com, SF author Ben Bova passed away on Sunday, November 29, from Covid-19 complications. Panzer says, "I hate this virus thingy!"
To read the post tootle over to SF author Ben Bova
According to a post by Andrew Liptak at Tor.com, SF author Ben Bova passed away on Sunday, November 29, from Covid-19 complications. Panzer says, "I hate this virus thingy!"
To read the post tootle over to SF author Ben Bova
No Post Today
No post today. Mom has a project due tomorrow and she needs to finish it.
November 30, 2020
A New Panzerism
Panzer on persistence:
Greatness is never easy. It requires focus, intense effort, and endurance. But after much struggle I have made it. I am at the top of the world. I am the greatest!
Your King has spoken.*
I am the King of all I survey! What ...? What do yoiu mean get off the curtains? No ... You can't make me.
* From Cat Wisdom for humans
Greatness is never easy. It requires focus, intense effort, and endurance. But after much struggle I have made it. I am at the top of the world. I am the greatest!
Your King has spoken.*I am the King of all I survey! What ...? What do yoiu mean get off the curtains? No ... You can't make me.
* From Cat Wisdom for humans
November 27, 2020
MIT Free Classes
Panzer is still recovering from yesterday's Thanksgiving turkey, so this morning's trip into the Catosphere was a quick one.
Recovering? I want more.
While this doesn't have anything to do with writing, publishing or books, it looks interesting. Massachusetts Institute of Technology has a program called MIT OpenCourseWare. The OCW site says course materials are available for all the MIT departments and programs. The courses are all free. You can not get a degree here. There's a link included in the instruction to MITx where you can take other courses for free or paid. Taking the free courses at MITx you will not get a degree. Taking the paid courses you will get a certificate.
Panzer says, "Always read all the instructions!"
To go to MIT tootle over to MIT OCW
Recovering? I want more.While this doesn't have anything to do with writing, publishing or books, it looks interesting. Massachusetts Institute of Technology has a program called MIT OpenCourseWare. The OCW site says course materials are available for all the MIT departments and programs. The courses are all free. You can not get a degree here. There's a link included in the instruction to MITx where you can take other courses for free or paid. Taking the free courses at MITx you will not get a degree. Taking the paid courses you will get a certificate.
Panzer says, "Always read all the instructions!"
To go to MIT tootle over to MIT OCW
November 26, 2020
Thanksgiving Day in the US
Thank You to Everyone Wherever You Are!
(Next Year will be better)(Mom said it and I believe her)
From Panzer, Mom and What's His Name
(Next Year will be better)(Mom said it and I believe her)
From Panzer, Mom and What's His Name
November 25, 2020
Germany's Bertelsmann To Buy Simon & Schuster for US$2.175 Billion - Publishing Perspectives
Today Panzer decided to make a stop at the Publishing Perspectives site. With no digging at all our speedy kitty found a post about Simon and Schuster and Bertelsmann.
According to the post by Porter Anderson, it was announced today that Penguin Random House (PRH) will buy Simon and Schuster for $2.175 Billion. PRH is actually owned by Bertelsmann, a German company. Writers groups immediately asked for regulatory review of the sale. In the US the Authors Guild expressed its opposition to the sale on the grounds the merger would unfairly impact authors with less markets for their work. In Canada the Association of Canadian Publishers asked for a review of the sale on the grounds of "whether the sale violates the Competition Act ...". At the end of the post there are links to other information about the various publishing companies.
Who's getting too big now?
Panzer says, "Hmm ... People complain about Amazon getting too big? What about Bertelsmann buying up traditional publishers? Two now. Who's next?"
Note: This is a humongous post. Bring a thermos of tea, eight muffins, six chocolate chip cookies (biscuits), and a brownie for today's reading selection.
To read the post tootle over to Bertelsmann
According to the post by Porter Anderson, it was announced today that Penguin Random House (PRH) will buy Simon and Schuster for $2.175 Billion. PRH is actually owned by Bertelsmann, a German company. Writers groups immediately asked for regulatory review of the sale. In the US the Authors Guild expressed its opposition to the sale on the grounds the merger would unfairly impact authors with less markets for their work. In Canada the Association of Canadian Publishers asked for a review of the sale on the grounds of "whether the sale violates the Competition Act ...". At the end of the post there are links to other information about the various publishing companies.
Who's getting too big now?Panzer says, "Hmm ... People complain about Amazon getting too big? What about Bertelsmann buying up traditional publishers? Two now. Who's next?"
Note: This is a humongous post. Bring a thermos of tea, eight muffins, six chocolate chip cookies (biscuits), and a brownie for today's reading selection.
To read the post tootle over to Bertelsmann
November 24, 2020
Writers Groups Protest Audible Exchange Policy - Publishers Weekly
Today Panzer was just finishing his afternoon nap when his kitty bed was shaken violently by noises coming from the Catosphere. Hopping in the Panzermobile, our brave kitty boy headed into the maelstrom of crying and shouting. Following the chaos took him to the Publishers Weekly site. There he discovered the cause of the problems was a post about Audible.
You know, sneaky always gets caught.
According to the post by Jim Milliot, Audible and Audiobook Creation Exchange (ACX) now have as part of the company's Audible Premium Plus membership benefits, members can purchase an audiobook, listen to it, return it within 365 days, and then exchange it for another audiobook. When the audiobook is returned for the exchange, the royalties for the sale are removed from the author's royalties account. Audible began doing this without notifying the authors what the company was doing or why. When writers discovered what Audible was doing, they contacted the Authors Guild. The Authors Guild and other writers groups are in the process of collecting signatures on a letter protesting what Audible is doing. The letter likens the new process to Audible having a rental or subscription service. Audible has now backtracked a little and says the company won't deduct royalties for books returned after 7 days. This, however, won't become effective until January 1, 2021.
Panzer says, "Hmm ... Seems like Audible has stepped in a big pile of you know what."
Note: This is a l-o-n-g post. Bring a cup of tea and two muffins for today's reading selection.
To read the post tootle over to Audible exchange policy
You know, sneaky always gets caught.According to the post by Jim Milliot, Audible and Audiobook Creation Exchange (ACX) now have as part of the company's Audible Premium Plus membership benefits, members can purchase an audiobook, listen to it, return it within 365 days, and then exchange it for another audiobook. When the audiobook is returned for the exchange, the royalties for the sale are removed from the author's royalties account. Audible began doing this without notifying the authors what the company was doing or why. When writers discovered what Audible was doing, they contacted the Authors Guild. The Authors Guild and other writers groups are in the process of collecting signatures on a letter protesting what Audible is doing. The letter likens the new process to Audible having a rental or subscription service. Audible has now backtracked a little and says the company won't deduct royalties for books returned after 7 days. This, however, won't become effective until January 1, 2021.
Panzer says, "Hmm ... Seems like Audible has stepped in a big pile of you know what."
Note: This is a l-o-n-g post. Bring a cup of tea and two muffins for today's reading selection.
To read the post tootle over to Audible exchange policy
