ROBUST discussion
Huh? Anyone else get a notice from GR to 'rescue' their books?
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The upshot is that Goodreads must find alternative sources for book data and cover images, and the writers are the obvious fountainhead.
Thanks, Patricia. I love passive guy, mostly because he isn't, but I don't visit there often.I did the 'rescue' thing, hope that worked, but there were assurances posted that we would not lose any data such as reviews etc. so sounds like they have some plan in place.
I do not like the idea of my book being any more orphaned than it is...
Thanks, Andre, I knew that about LT, but had forgotten. Even though PG does not like GR, I have found it superior to LT. Whatever the tactics of Amazon, LT is unlikely to overtake GR anytime soon. And that just made a whole lot of sense didn't it? One should not stay up until 3 am watching the most amazing tennis game ever and then wake up at their usual 6:30. Off to have a power nap, secure in the knowledge that I needn't worry about my book on GR...
I have a Shelfari entry on my page for this short story:http://www.amazon.com/Cinderfella-Flo...
Never ran into that before.
I had a notice a few days ago to save "Mark of the Dragon Queen". So I went through and uploaded all the details from my computer including the cover. But I just came on to find it all blank. So much for 'saving' it. I've just done it all again, but I don't hold much hope of it staying there. :(
My book is still there after I 'saved' it, and MDQ is there for me too. Keep your fingers crossed. If not, they have issued assurances none of the reviews and other data will be lost.
I'm surprised in that I figured this would mostly nail indies, but I keep running across trad books from larger presses missing covers too.
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You know an author is prolific when they've written published works they've forgotten about.
Andre, Iditarod seems to need 'saving'...
I was going through some stacks of papers today and found some short stories I'd written and totally forgotten. They were done a typewriter, which gives some indication of how old they must be. It's a weird feeling reading something that came from you, but the words now surprise you and sound (to you) like nothing you've ever thought or said.
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Thanks, Sharon. I'll wait until the 2012 edition is announced, then put the new cover on it.
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Common sense tells us that not all writers are schizo. But I just haven't met the ones who aren't.
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Not as rare or difficult as you might think, Jeremy. Once, on a newsgroup called the Joenet, I saw mention of a novel, said it was interesting and asked the name of the publisher and the author so I could ask for a copy, and was embarrassed to discover that the author was me, that the book was one I had spoken of proudly a couple of weeks before, but hadn't recognised because the American publisher retitled the book and told nobody... God, you should have heard the clowns about how arrogant I was, about how if they had even one little book they'd treasure it, about how the cock crowed three times every time I spoke, about how the Senate should bring back HUAC especially to indict me, about how I probably sacrificed my children on high windy places to *foreign* pagan gods, etc, a couple of weeks' worth of crap, every little engineer I'd ever offended by just standing tall for truth thinking his revenge was at hand.
(...not that Andre is ever given to hyperbole...)
LOL, Patricia, have we made that the word of the day? One of our authors on Boomers and Books just posted a blog about the very word the other day...
Andre,Now that I think about it, I've forgotten a few of my manuscripts already and I'm not even published!
I'll be serious for a moment to say that I think authors do enter, from time to time, another place while writing. It's a different consciousness; one we don't bring back with us when we re-enter our daily selves.
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Now that I think about it, I've forgotten a few of my manuscripts already and I'm not even published!"
At least you aren't wasting time trying to salvage prentice works. One of the big time wasters for writers of all classes, but worse for those who will be competent, is the silly belief that you can learn something from patching up your early rubbish. You can't. You're better off writing new material. There are too many factors involved in characterisation and structure to patch up anything unless you're an expert already, and most professionals I know don't do major patch jobs, they just bin the failure and start over again with a new conception of the project. Hardest thing to learn is that the trash bin is your friend.
I partially agree, and partially disagree. It all depends on what the early stuff is. The fact one held onto it makes it worth at least looking over. I found one whole book that I think stands on its own, plus a prologue for another book that could lead somewhere. I called my writing partner tonight, read it to him, and he said, "That's good. Let me think about it." That means he's going to respond with an opening chapter, then I'll follow with another, and so on, and so forth. This prologue must date back to about the least the mid-'90s when my health took a temporary dive and I quit writing.
Considering I've barely reached the level where my work is merely decent, I'm dubious anything I've written and forgotten about has any particular value. I'm very self-conscious about my work as it is right now, but that past stuff was downright embarrassing. Plus, I have a bit of writer's ADD. I just love creating new works. I write very fast, then edit verrrrrrrry slowly.
Honestly, I wonder if this going to knee-cap me in the long-run on the business side of things.
I have a few series I'm working on, but overall my writing isn't all that unified in terms of specific genre, style, and voice.
I mean my first book out will be a YA urban fantasy, for example, but by the end of the year I'll have out a straight historical fiction work set in Heian Japan.
One of my big decisions early on was not to go with multiple pen names. I honestly just don't have the energy for it.
I totally understand how this is all very bad(tm) from most business perspectives, but I just can't help myself.
I'm not a true artist or whatever. I would honestly like to make some money at this if only so I can cut down on annoying side jobs I have to have, but, at the same time, I want to maintain the sense of enjoyment I've found in writing over the years.
I'm trying to convince myself that this will just mean I'll end up with separate fan bases for different types of work, but maybe a few years from now I'll be kicking myself for not having produced some 20 book series.
Patricia wrote: "(...not that Andre is ever given to hyperbole...)"Never, not OUR Andre. :-))
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Patricia wrote: "I'll be serious for a moment to say that I think authors do enter, from time to time, another place while writing. It's a different consciousness; one we don't bring back with us when we re-enter o..."That's how I feel about it too. My best days (and when I'm really feeling it that means pretty much all of them) I write and write and the next day I read it and wonder, Where the heck did that come from? The storyline can take me places I had never consciously even considered and I sometimes use words that give me pause to contemplate where I could have dredged them up from.
It is a good feeling...
I'm guessing that's how it is with most writers (and other artists).
I'm gone for a few days and the laughs just keep coming. What a way to start a day!
When I log on now, it is fine, so I cannot post a link.