The GRRRR!!!!!! thread Showing 1,201-1,250 of 1,404

[Amy]

Couple of dozen followers on Medium so far. I’ve followed everyone back and followed a few more after I’ve read something. I have a wide range of interests. I’m hampered by my left eye at the moment. I didn’t realise having one eye out of action would impact me as much. It’s very tiring. I have a non-writing article planned for next week which I was taking photos for yesterday. I expect an improvement in productivity when I’ve completed a course of treatment in my bad eye for an infection which has nothing to do with the bleed at the back of it. My good eye is getting tired now having to over compensate. No idea how people with no sight deal with anything.

[Carmel]

Amy wrote: "Couple of dozen followers on Medium so far. I’ve followed everyone back and followed a few more after I’ve read something. I have a wide range of interests. I’m hampered by my left eye at the momen..."

Amy, I'm sorry about your eye issues. When you are not used to it, it can be very difficut to adjust to having only one good eye. I hope it clears up soon.

[Amy]

Thanks Carmel, it’ll be fine. I just feel like I’m half asleep all the time and running at half speed. I’m usually scarily efficient and organised.

[Carole]

I had a tear in both retinas while all the stuff was going on. It made everything more difficult and I realized how much I take for granted in my life.

[Amy]

Both eyes? Ugh. How long did that take to heal? I’m lucky it’s only one. It’s been two weeks since they picked up the bleed. It hasn’t improved. I’m just lucky the cause isn’t diabetes and it’s only one eye and not my dominant one. I hate not knowing the cause. And I have no idea if any of that has typos!

[Carole]

It started in Dec of 16 '.My husband was very sick at the beginning of last year- so I put it off for a few months. I finally got to the doctor in March of 17. They suspected a rip in the back of my eye- but it was tiny and when I finally had a recheck- they decided to do a laser thing. They did laser each eye sometime this fall- it didn't hurt at all, and I kept missing the follow up. They did each eye separately. It's weird but doesn't hurt. There's no recovery- you can go right back to work. I suspect they want to make sure it healed alright. My sight has changed, but I think that's more about aging than anything else.

[Amy]

Good that you didn’t feel it. Mum had her eyes lasered probably for diabetic retinopathy. She didn’t enjoy it at all (she didn’t enjoy much in life!) They can’t do anything with mine apparently. They don’t laser them for what I have. It’s a case of wait until the blood clears out of the vitreous. Or they will inject my eye. Not sure I’m a fan of that. I think the eye infection has thrown me more. I can’t wear a contact lens in that eye until I’ve finished with the drops. My vision is just more one sided than normal. I shouldn’t complain though, I’ve just listened to a brilliant singer on the TV who is totally blind.

[Carole]

Did you see the video about my brother on one of my facebook pages? My husband and younger brother bought him esight glasses that enabled him to see people as more than shapeless blobs. He saw my kids and his son for the first time as adults. He hadn't really seen their faces since they were teenagers. I wish my husband had been able to see him enjoy the glasses.

[Amy]

No haven’t seen that. I’ll have to look it out.

[Anna]

Carole wrote: "Did you see the video about my brother on one of my facebook pages? My husband and younger brother bought him esight glasses that enabled him to see people as more than shapeless blobs. He saw my k..."

That sounds amazing, Carole. Loss of eyesight must be devastating.

[Carole]

He's been going blind since three years old. It was a part of our lives- the yearly way it diminished, then there were celebrations when status quo was maintained. He drove until he was 28, my husband taught him how to drive and he had enough vision for a while. The hardest thing for him to give up was reading. He compensated with audio books and found a new love for them. Now with these glasses, he can read- but we all flipped at his response when he saw his son's face as an adult. He didn't recognize him.

[Amy]

Must have been an amazing experience.

[Amy]

Absolutely true. Come to think of it, my eye infection/swelling came on after I’d been to hospital to have the bleed investigated. Probably too much of a gap to blame it on that though. Hope you’re feeling better soon.

[Amy]

That’s a bugger. Hope it goes ok tomorrow. I’m hoping to restart reading your latest tomorrow. I’ve done some sewing today and I seem to be ok for chunks of time then I put a cold hat I’ve got on my head and cover my eye for a bit. I look fantastic in a purple migra-cap. Unfortunately they don’t stay cold for very long.

[Amy]

That’s a lot of hassle. Hope it goes smoothly with no delays.

[Erica]

Carole, do you know how long ago you posted the video? I couldn't find it right off.

[Erica]

Alex, I hope the appointment goes well.

[Carole]

Erica wrote: "Carole, do you know how long ago you posted the video? I couldn't find it right off."

This is it, Erica. This is my brother.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ofG4P...

[Erica]

Ugh, Alex...I hope you get some information that makes the trip worth it.

[Erica]

Thanks for the link, Carole! That is awesome! I can't image how incredible it was for him to see the faces of loved ones for the first time in a long time.

[Carole]

;) It was thrilling.

Keep us posted, Alex.

[Anna]

Carole wrote: "Erica wrote: "Carole, do you know how long ago you posted the video? I couldn't find it right off."

This is it, Erica. This is my brother.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ofG4P......"

Wow - wonderful, so pleased for him. So very pleased.

[Carole]

Thanks!!

[Amy]

That was really great.

[Carole]

I'm proud of him- Even challenged as he is- he runs all my businesses. I share an office with him so I can help. I adore him. He's more hero.

[Carmel]

Carole wrote: "Erica wrote: "Carole, do you know how long ago you posted the video? I couldn't find it right off."

This is it, Erica. This is my brother.

Very cool!


https://www.youtcube.com/watch?v=ofG4......"

[Carmel]

Alex wrote: "Update on mum

We saw the specialist this morning and she is pleased with mum's progress, despite the seizure on Friday. It can apparently take up to 2-3 years for a person to fully recover from a ..."

I'm glad to hear you recieved a bit of good news on your mom. Sounds like progress, even if it comes in small steps.

[Amy]

Well that’s all good news apart from the bus journey. It’ll be a weight off your mind knowing that she doesn’t have to go in for the minor seizures.

[Anna]

Hospital trips seem to take up a lot more time than we expect but it's good to know they are worthwhile, Alex.

[Amy]

Alex wrote: "Definitely. Those trips to the hospital are a right pain in the .... "

ARSE. (You missed a word :-)

[Amy]

Yep, that’s me, always ready to lower the tone.

[Amy]

That’s a huge outlay. I wouldn’t pay it either.

[Mary]

I will put my blogs on medium thanks all for the advice.

I have been sending out books to libraries but in New Zealand they do not print on demand for bookstores in fact in Australia they do not provide printed books either from Amazon.

Today on one site I said I was from Australia. It's like a Canadian saying they were from the USA.

moan and groan

[Amy]

Very tricky. I when did this start with these three books?

[Amy]

That’s dragging on a bit. Have they got back to you at all?

[Amy]

I can understand your frustration. I hope they get back to you. Other than CS, Ingram and KDP is there anything else that would get your paperbacks onto Amazon? There needs to be.

[Amy]

I think the ISBNs would be worth it. They’re yours then. I spent $180 on ProWritingAid last year. Given that my total royalties are about £30 I don’t think I’ll ever get that money back.

[Amy]

It’s certainly not easy.

[Carole]

MaryJane wrote: "I will put my blogs on medium thanks all for the advice.

I have been sending out books to libraries but in New Zealand they do not print on demand for bookstores in fact in Australia they do not p..."
Hi MaryJane,

Thanks for sending me that list- Brit and I will address it today. In the past, I have sent books to assorted libraries all over the states and it runs a fortune in postage. Last year, I printed up a brochure for myself and I do a flyer that includes other indies. Are you sending a physical copy?

[Amy]

That’s a really rough situation, Alex. I’ve got nothing of use to offer.

[Amy]

At least you seem to be coping better with it.

[Carole]

Have you tried one of those Go Fund Me things, Alex. I think many authors do them.

[Carole]

I feel the same way- but you might be surprised by the response. There are people who may want to invest in your success.

[Amy]

I should do one for editing costs, but like Alex I hate the idea of asking other people to put their hand in their pocket for anything other than buying my books.

[Amy]

I don’t know. The two British athletes for the bobsleigh crowd funded themselves when their funding was pulled. They managed it. I wish I had their resolve.

[Anna]

I'd worry that I'd have to write to a schedule and that the books would have to be perfect and brilliant - so no GFM for me either!

[Amy]

PayPal?

[Dale]

I used Kickstarter for my first two Howard County Mysteries and was able to get them funded, but I set my goal at a bare minimum and ended up throwing in some money myself to make the goal. I garnered a few loyal readers that way, too, one of whom picked The Fibonacci Murders for a book reading project he was doing on his website. He videoed himself reading the first chapter of books he enjoyed, and Fibonacci was one of his early entries. So there can be some benefits to doing crowdfunding besides just getting the funding. GoFundMe is a bit "safer" in that you don't have to meet your goal to get the money. With Kickstarter, if you don't make the goal, you don't get anything.

[Dale]

Oh, I should say that I also didn't go live with these projects until I was pretty sure we would meet our deadlines. We were in editing before I started fundraising, and had a good idea when we would be ready to print books and complete the ebook files. If you do crowdfunding, you want to plan ahead so you have a good shot at having the product ready when you say you will. And if delays crop up, you need to let your backers know about it ASAP, tell them what you're doing about it, and let them know your revised schedule.

One other small thing: in the U.S. at least, money received through crowdfunding is generally considered income for tax purposes. It probably depends on exactly what you're doing with it, but when raising money for book production, I treat contributions as sales for accounting purposes.

[Amy]

I didn’t enjoy the deadlines I set myself last year. But it did get two short books written. I won’t be doing that again!