Wolfen’s Comments (group member since May 01, 2017)

Wolfen’s comments from the Navigating Indieworld Discussing All Things Indie group.

Most sites don't doesn't distinguish among page contents, but if you look at their TOS, the TOS will state that users retain the rights to their content. On Amazon (bolding and italics by me):

"If you do post content or submit material, and unless we indicate otherwise, you grant Amazon a nonexclusive, royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable, and fully sublicensable right to use, reproduce, modify, adapt, publish, perform, translate, create derivative works from, distribute, and display such content throughout the world in any media. You grant Amazon and sublicensees the right to use the name that you submit in connection with such content, if they choose. You represent and warrant that you own or otherwise control all of the rights to the content that you post; that the content is accurate; that use of the content you supply does not violate this policy and will not cause injury to any person or entity; and that you will indemnify Amazon for all claims resulting from content you supply. Amazon has the right but not the obligation to monitor and edit or remove any activity or content. Amazon takes no responsibility and assumes no liability for any content posted by you or any third party."

"Right to USE" is not the same as *copyright*. If they took the copyright, it wouldn't be non-exclusive.

Amazon does not hold the copyright to any reviews that are not written by their editorial staff -- they are copyrighted to the people who posted them. They are granting Amazon permission to have it on their site, but not giving up their copyright.

If we're talking from people you've given review copies to, Amazon itself states you shouldn't repost more than a sentence or two on your author page -- I would assume one's website should follow the same guidelines. Technically, this would qualify as "fair use" and does not require permission.

However, if we're talking the reviews by "regular" people (as opposed to professional reviewers), I would err on the side of politeness and ask them -- it may not occur to them that they might be quoted.

I write for a webzine which has reviews; we get quoted fairly often (sometimes even on book covers), and are almost never asked -- we understand that it's part of the gig. But we DO require permission and link-backs for entire reviews (or at least sizable portions) being posted elsewhere.

If you want to use MORE than a line or two, from anyone, do ask -- I'd say odds are good the person will grant permission. :) But always link to the source!

I use one. Two dates back from the days of typewriters, when the spaces between the characters were all the same -- monospaced. The practice is no longer needed for readability, because word processors use proportional fonts that already adjust the spaces between the characters (ie, do the "kerning") for you. :) In fact, HTML text editors will usually *eliminate* second spaces after periods! (I even tested it here, and yep, it does!)

We have all our windows covered, to block out the sun -- it keeps our cooling costs down. And even if we didn't, I am not fond f the view. XD I do much of my writing on my Fire tablet, though, so I can write anywhere -- sometimes I'll go out to Disney World's Caribbean Beach resort, or to Disney Springs, and write there. :)

A few places I've gone through:
http://www.theindieview.com/indie-rev...
https://indiebookreviewer.wordpress.com/
http://writersresourcedirectory.com/B...
https://bookreviewdirectory.com

This one I have yet to try: http://www.bookrevieweryellowpages.com

I have NOT had luck with this, but you might: https://www.amazon.com/forum/meet%20o...

Not much there yet, but here's mine. :)

https://smile.amazon.com/Wolfen-M/e/B01MS6NO0I

I make soundtracks too -- both when writing and when painting. I have an "angst" playlist, with copious amounts of Evanescence and a couple of Linkin Park songs, when doing angsty scenes. I even do "songfic" sometimes, incorporating lyrics into fanfic al la Moulin Rouge.

When working on my original steampunk stuff, I tend to listen to Abney Park -- although, when doing The Solstice Tales, I also listened to The Nutcracker Suite for "Nussknaker" (obviously), and Disney's "A Christmas Carol" (audio play, predecessor to Mickey's Christmas Carol) while doing "A Conspiracy of Spirits: the Love Story of Jacob Marley and Ebenezer Scrooge".

When working on Hunt for the Shadowmakers, I listen to more medieval sounding stuff, especially Mannheim Steamroller's version of "Fum Fum Fum", a Celtic-inspired song, The White Sail, and the music form the end-credits of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.

While doing a Steve Rogers/ Bucky Barnes fanfic, I made aplaylist with "Slow Boat to China", "Moonlight Serenade", Off Kilter's version of "The Green Fields of France", and Svrcina's "Battlefield".

And while painting a portrait of Iron Man, I listened to Robert Downey Jr's album "The Futurist". :P

Grady wrote: "lizardiharp@earthlink.net"

Sent!

Grady wrote: "Sure Wolfen - I'll see if I can get them - I usually prefer mobi format if that is available
Grady"

Sure! (I actually found a new mobi converter yesterday -- the previous one I tried did funky stuff with some characters.) Just tell me where to send and which you want (both is fine), whenever you're ready. Thanks!

Carole wrote: "I want to know who is buying If You Were Me and Lived in ...Mexico- all 22 pages of it for 3000 dollars- it just cheapens the books- makes them look out of print. UGH"

I wish Amazon could do something about that -- it hurts the authors! Why do those sellers even do it, claim they have it when they don't, rather than simply not list it??

Amy wrote: "And Wolfen yours isn't even available yet? Well I'll be confuzzled then."

Oh, it's not that it's not available, just that no one has bought one yet (but me, as gifts).

You might also consider asking a friend to interview you, instead. Then you don't have to look at the camera, and they can prompt you.

Hi, Steve!

I actually prefer the second. You get to the point faster, and you're less nervous / more confident / more enthusiastic, especially when you look more towards the camera, which you manage more often in the second.

I would not, however, talk about how you don't have money for a proper trailer, etc. The audience doesn't need to know that, and you want to seem confident in your work, not desperate. They may make a mental leap of, if you don't have any money from your work already, you must not be very good (not true, but there it is).

At the same time, I would refrain from saying things like "My characters are fun," or "I think the cover is great!" It's tricky, but there's a balance between having confidence and having a positive sense of humility, as opposed to not being secure in your work but singing your own praises.

Did you use any sort of notecards / teleprompting? Maybe use more? I know that speaking on camera is hard -- I can't do it -- but people tend to make a leap that if one isn't well-spoken verbally, they aren't well-spoken textually (never mind that it's not at all true).

This is why I didn't put myself on-camera for mine, which I made myself. You don't need to spend money; just used a free vid-editing program that lets you add text and images. (Granted, I DID spend a little on mine, to get a $100 animation programme, but you don't HAVE to animate yours.)

I will say that the book trailer hasn't gotten me anywhere, though so take my advice with a grain of salt. :P https://youtu.be/m06A3xhL-JI 

I'm wondering how there are people selling used copies of my book on Amazon when it hasn't actually *sold* yet ....

I suppose in a way people would hesitate to call my storyverse unique, since it involves retellings of myths and fairytales and classic lit, but I think the way I've connected various myths and stories together, and the system of magic / culture I've developed, is unique. Also, I have a lot of bi/pansexual and genderfluid characters, and a couple of major dwarf characters, in the stories for it that I'm currently working on ....

Carole wrote: "Check out my latest article on Bookworks https://www.bookworks.com/2017/04/hir..."

Speaking as an artist, not just a writer, that was very interesting! :)

Hi, all! *waves* I'm Wolfie!

I worked for Borders, once upon a time. Currently, I'm an Assistant Editor for the webzine Sequential Tart, which I've been writing for since 2001. I'm also an artist, and working on a fantasy storyverse I call Gaiankind. :) I'm also pagan, bi, and nominally genderfluid. My primary interests are mythology, folklore, and genre pop culture.

My big struggle right now is attracting readers, given how very niche my work is, LOL!

Hail and well-met, Ariel, Grady, Gayle, Melanie, and anyone else who is interested in reviewing!

I'm working on a fantasy storyverse I call Gaiankind, featuring retellings of mythology, folklore, and classic literature. There are two works published so far (each part of a different subseries):

The Drosselmeir Chronicles: The Solstice Tales (a 2-novella anthology) - Some stories aren't quite as you've previously read them. Uncle Drosselmeier was so much more than a human who tinkered with clockworks, and the Nutcracker was no mere cursed boy. The faeries in the so-called "Land of the Dolls" weren't made of sugarplums, nor were the brownies made of chocolate. Even Marie (aka Clara) turned out to be more than she seemed. And Drosselmeier, Marie, and the nutcracker's adventures didn't exactly end the morning after the battle with the seven-headed Mouse King. No, Marie's life amongst the Gaiankind, beings of magic, had just begun ....

Meanwhile, Jacob Marley's dealings with Ebenezer Scrooge, the love of his life, did not actually stop after the announcement of the pending arrival of three Ghosts and a last chance at redemption. For that matter, the Ghosts weren't exactly Spirits at all, but rather three Gaiankind on a mission to save more than one soul that night....

Keltair's Ride (Hunt for the Shadowmakers #1) (WARNING! This is erotica) - Follow the late-12th-century adventures of sidhe thief Keltair and his púca companion, Dulaine, as they hunt for the Shadowmakers, magic rings that can bring shadows to life -- with potentially disastrous consequences. And, well, the pair may just indulge in a romantic conquest or thirty along the way. After all, few (be they male or female) are immune to Keltair's charms -- sometimes to Dulaine's annoyance. The pair are aided in their work by Farrell (innkeeper, Captain of the Guard, and head of the local Thieves Guild in their hometown), as well as by Farrell's wife, Eibhleann, a woman with a fair amount of magical talent ....

In this particular erotic novella, Keltair (who hopes this mission will lead to a ménage à quatre), Dulaine, and Farrell are hired to help a man retrieve a family heirloom -- but certain aspects of the job may not be quite what they've been led to believe. Will Keltair's libido land them in hot water?

If any of that intrigues you, you can learn more about Gaiankind here -- there' are links in the Store to read it all for free at Archive of Our Own, or PM me and I can send a PDF. :)