tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-59180968745378321522024-03-05T13:10:07.761-08:00Craig Robertson in the Form of a Blogcraig robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10295394805057599451noreply@blogger.comBlogger184125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918096874537832152.post-29220193415036778902017-05-07T07:29:00.003-07:002017-05-07T07:29:27.583-07:00WooHoo!!<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "San Francisco", -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: -0.24px;">I'm 569! Okay, if ever one is 569th, one may be questioned why they are pleased. In my case, it's a new high. I'm 569th in scifi authors on Amazon. Yeah, not #1, or top 100, but, dude, I'm 569. There are about 15,000 scifi authors on Amazon, for those with curious minds. Woohoo!! In all seriousness, I want to thank my fans. Currently all 6 Forever Series books are in the top 70K for sales, with The Forever Life coming in the top 25K. There are over 2.5 million books for sale on on Kindle. That's the top 0.01%. Okay, I'll stop bragging now. Have a great Sunday, y'all.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "San Francisco", -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: -0.24px;"><br /></span>craig robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10295394805057599451noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918096874537832152.post-65438846858402536042017-04-02T09:12:00.003-07:002017-04-02T09:13:12.328-07:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDfDRXQhWv0U3zMdJl9DyGyxXlpSaPanJghz1uk7jSjAf8BcZa8Iv74V9bWhwwEjwnXw7AqXFn1gmLoXnqNF9Ep6nIWliP8HTqL1Gdz8_PSrz_WiuvU438h9jIp6kn0VVWW6Yi5zVUHjFb/s1600/TFS+All+6+Covers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="167" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDfDRXQhWv0U3zMdJl9DyGyxXlpSaPanJghz1uk7jSjAf8BcZa8Iv74V9bWhwwEjwnXw7AqXFn1gmLoXnqNF9Ep6nIWliP8HTqL1Gdz8_PSrz_WiuvU438h9jIp6kn0VVWW6Yi5zVUHjFb/s320/TFS+All+6+Covers.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Please click the link to go to my website. See you there...</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://craigrobertsonblog.wordpress.com/">Craig's Website</a></span></div>
craig robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10295394805057599451noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918096874537832152.post-20227821351012125732016-09-12T07:46:00.001-07:002016-09-12T07:46:28.481-07:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3Q-LulNQOW5-lttT2v92sEF9Jasoar_Y6Ts73YSlxI6Dc32gesYYr1Hp3tIrhMau3LVTLIdNHZ_VAwbV5hnj2zvavgTlyWKgLxe0l36MF0khveE12AAgErPkwfBZDccpwu1XEmjRenhNC/s1600/imgres-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3Q-LulNQOW5-lttT2v92sEF9Jasoar_Y6Ts73YSlxI6Dc32gesYYr1Hp3tIrhMau3LVTLIdNHZ_VAwbV5hnj2zvavgTlyWKgLxe0l36MF0khveE12AAgErPkwfBZDccpwu1XEmjRenhNC/s1600/imgres-1.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "San Francisco", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: -0.24px; line-height: 19.32px;">I've always found it hard to start writing a book. Many authors plan the storyline out like a military campaign, but that's not my style. So, starting the first chapter can be like starting a car on a snowy morning. But, once I get rolling, it moves fluidly. Yesterday I got Book 4 of TFS to start. What a relief! I like it already. Imagine that.</span>craig robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10295394805057599451noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918096874537832152.post-10209754786092410702016-09-05T07:56:00.002-07:002016-09-05T07:58:10.918-07:00Smiles!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGYac6Sypurdq-c-sQkf3ky6GRkxkh5lpDygzor9XH9Ev4FtJwEZXxd_aPH7IGXdOFPSwG4SMTablACGtYoeJxpGu6QX0-gnqEKJQ3K2TtKUdZbkqJ6GzUZaKJRe06s8tsvWkZtzApPT67/s1600/TheForeverLife_ebook.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGYac6Sypurdq-c-sQkf3ky6GRkxkh5lpDygzor9XH9Ev4FtJwEZXxd_aPH7IGXdOFPSwG4SMTablACGtYoeJxpGu6QX0-gnqEKJQ3K2TtKUdZbkqJ6GzUZaKJRe06s8tsvWkZtzApPT67/s200/TheForeverLife_ebook.jpg" width="125" /></a></div>
I want to thank everyone for their support. <i>The Forever Life</i> is in the top 1% of Kindle Sales USA and <i>The Forever Enemy</i> is in the top 2%. Okay, make me smile. Book 3, <i>The Forever Fight,</i> is off to my editor as of yesterday.<br />
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craig robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10295394805057599451noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918096874537832152.post-9585087429671311212016-09-02T07:18:00.002-07:002016-09-02T07:18:37.491-07:00Poems of Sleep Once a year or so, I wake up with a poem in my head. They are usually nice, so I take the time to write them down. The last one I polished up appears at the end of <i>Time Diving. </i>I stuck it there because the book is so downbeat and, I ask you, where is one to place a poem nowadays? Here it is:<br />
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<div align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<em><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;">Feel
wonderful!</span></span></span></em></div>
<div align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<em><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;">I
know what it is to soar,</span></span></span></em></div>
<div align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<em><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;">And
to feel God's love in every cell of my body.</span></span></span></em></div>
<div align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<em><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;">Feel
good, I am a creature of The Lord.</span></span></span></em></div>
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<br />
</div>
<div align="RIGHT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<em><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Feel
Wonderful!</span></span></em><em><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;">,
</span></span></span></em>
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<div align="RIGHT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<em><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;">by
Craig A. Robertson, 2011.</span></span></span></em></div>
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<em><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><br /></span></span></span></em></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">
<em><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;"> Corny? If so, I own it. I'll post the new poem when it's ready...someday. </span></span></span></em></div>
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<em><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;"> I heard Neil Gaiman talking once about sources for ideas that make good novels. He said dreams didn't. They were too abstract and personal. I have found our brains label dreams as cool and a half because they can, as opposed to the fact that they were so divine. Anyway.</span></span></span></em></div>
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<em><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><br /></span></span></span></em></div>
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<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;"> I'm about a month, tops, from the release of </span><i>The Forever Fight, </i>Book 3 in the Forever Series. I really like it, but my brain may be labeling optimistically, as with dreams. Oh well.</span></span></div>
craig robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10295394805057599451noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918096874537832152.post-42728153959622656942016-08-14T15:55:00.000-07:002016-08-20T09:53:31.362-07:00The Future, Eh, Not So Bright<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The publishing world is like a city after a massive earthquake. What was is gone and what's next is unclear. The only certainty is that no one knows what comes next. New players emerge, old one vie for relevance, and some brash latecomer may emerge as the new boss.<br />
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The walls of the citadel known as "Traditional Publishing" (TP) are being successfully breached by the upstart, "Independent Publishing" (IP). Recent estimates have it that the revenues of IP have surpassed those of the Big Five TPs. Such a feat was unimaginable a decade ago, and a ludicrous pipe dream a decade before that.<br />
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Of the multiple ramifications of this switch from TP to IP, the one which is most lamentable death to my way of seeing it is the demise of the great novel. Name a few of the greats. <i>Moby Dick, Something Wicked This Way Comes, 1984, The Odyssey</i><i>. </i>New entries into this exclusive club will never see the light of day. They will become unpublishable relics. Why? They will go the way of the dinosaur because they are stand-alone books. There will be no Book 2: <i>Something Wicked Is Still This Way Coming</i> or Book 3:<i>Dudes, It's Almost Here, The Wicked Something.</i><br />
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The reason stand-alones seem doomed is the sea change in marketing strategy that is occurring in this brave new world of publishing. In order for an IP author to be successful, he or she must create a <i>series</i>. To earn a viable, sustainable income, indie authors must lock their readers into a long set of sequels. A prolific author may have several unrelated series concurrently, so called <i>worlds. </i>The serial format is king because it is the only sure bet for commercial success. Mark Dawson has his <i>John Milton</i> series. Marie Force has her <i>Gansett Island, Fatal,</i> and <i>A Green Mountain Romance</i> sagas. Bella Andre has even more, including several <i>Sullivans</i> worlds.<br />
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TP is no stranger to the power of series, either. Need I say anything past the names Nora Roberts, JK Rowlings, and Spider Robinson. In the tumultuous battle between TP and IP, the series will be the new gold standard. I could imagine with a cringe the response F. Scott Fitzgerald would receive to his pitch to the Big Five for his ideas for <i>The Great Gatsby:</i><br />
FSF<i>: </i>A...a sequel? No, gentlemen, remember I said Gatsby is <i>killed</i> in at the end? There can <i>be</i> no next book."<br />
TP: What if he was only badly wounded?<br />
FSF: No! He's dies. That's absolutely <i>central</i> to my intent for the story.<br />
TP: Fine, son. We'll get back to you, okay?<br />
FSF: Oh, when will you get back to me?<br />
TP: Soon. Very soon. Ah, look, we have a 2:00 with some gal named Christie, so we gotta end this now. Our secretary will show you out.<br />
FSF (over his shoulder): I've been thinking about another book. A couple moves to southern France. They're not too happy and there's a lot of psychiatric issue at play.<br />
The sound of a door slamming is heard.<br />
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Even now, big name authors like Steven King or John Grisham can certainly write whatever they choose. If the muse inspires them to write a stand-alone, TP will published it, promote it, and profit from it. But, there will come a day where all the cash-cows of today are gone. Who will stand ready to replace them? I betting it will be someone with two gifts ahead of all others. High productivity and the willingness to commit to a long series. Likeliest of all, it will be someone who already has started with IP and made a name for themselves and their series. They will bring a huge flock of hungry sheep to the fold and they will cash in handsomely on their catalogues.<br />
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I don't maintain that authors who produce such serialized work are inferior in any way. Many are yeoman writers worthy of great praise. But, they will not be business people with one-hit wonders rattling around in their heads. Sorry Emily Bronte, Margaret Mitchell, Sylvia Plath, and J.D. Salinger, there's just no room for you on the bus any longer. Please, don't quit your day jobs.craig robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10295394805057599451noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918096874537832152.post-91673861118928025212016-08-13T10:26:00.001-07:002016-08-13T10:26:16.017-07:00I Wonder<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I'm a wondering, and that may be good. The issue is one of writing versus marketing. I've mentioned this before, but I keep wondering what I need to do and want to do. I have completely given up on traditional publishing. The only way I'd agree to give one of the Big 5 a print only deal would be if I was wildly successful. I'd only do it if I called the ball, as the say in the Navy. I'd have to be in a position to say how much I wanted, take it or leave it.<br />
I plan on slowly ramping up my email list and online advertising. There is basically no chance for being widely read without those moves. Random chance and going viral do not fly from the same hanger.<br />
The reason I want to be widely read is because I truly feel I have an outstanding set of products to offer. I believe people would enjoy and be entertained by my work. I also lace in some messages and I want people to hear them and, perchance, change for the better.<br />
Money? I'm mixed. I would, duh, like to be wealthy, but I don't need it to reinforce my ego. I know big authors who have met with huge financial success only to find it simply replaces the problems you had with new ones. It is not a goal worth aiming for, in my opinion.<br />
So, over the next year, we'll see. I will inch out of my snail-shell and see if I encounter some notice. Hm. Yes, we'll see.craig robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10295394805057599451noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918096874537832152.post-59415636544898103782016-08-05T15:09:00.003-07:002016-08-05T15:09:46.744-07:00Long Time GoneI check this blog occasionally. I tend not to post much, because, as a proper self-effacing sort, I fancy I've little to say. That is called, in psychiatric lingo, reaction formation. Others call it lazy stalling procrastination. Anyway, I've two superb new books out with two breath-taking covers.<br />
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I have a long term vision for a series called The Forever Series. The first book, <i>The Forever Life</i>, follows an astronaut who's downloaded into an android so he can explore for a new home for doomed Earth. Seriously, its a hoot!<br />
<br />
The first sequel, <i>The Forever Enemy</i>, is also on Amazon. Jon struggles against the many potent enemies he's made over time. The next installment is <i>The Forever Fight</i>, where several enemies are dealt with. Sadly, worse ones are made. Can an android catch a break? No. Look for it in a couple months.<br />
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Sales are slowly inching up. I am following a podcast that may allow me to increase my exposure. Self Publishing Formula is nice 5 episodes in. Hopefully I'll be better exposed after I get to episode 20.<br />
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craig robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10295394805057599451noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918096874537832152.post-76134189631320829682015-12-06T14:17:00.001-08:002015-12-06T14:17:33.663-08:00The Corporate Virus Is Almost Upon YouI'm almost done formating TCV. Here's Starla's brilliant (again) cover.<br />
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<br />craig robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10295394805057599451noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918096874537832152.post-10029921206630817462015-10-24T08:54:00.001-07:002015-10-24T08:54:32.034-07:00Almost There (Admiral Ackbar)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Got my edit-draft of <i>The Corporate Virus</i> back from my new editor, Kate Baum. Great work on her part! I'm tweeking the manuscript, and should have it done in a few weeks. Then, conversions, formatting, etc., and KABOOM -- a new novel. I think you'll like it.<br />
I'm also well on my way to what is shaping up to be my best novel yet, <i>The Forever Life</i>. Earth will be destroyed by Jupiter in less than a century. The newly uploaded android, Col. Jon Ryan must travel alone to near by stars to find us a new home. But, the challenges may be too many and the time too short. We, as they say, will see!craig robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10295394805057599451noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918096874537832152.post-10153639092346838992015-09-01T08:44:00.002-07:002015-09-01T08:45:10.850-07:00Almost There....<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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So... I'm almost finished with my last edit of <i>The Corporate Virus. </i>It's kind of like walking in knee-deep mud, but I'll get there. Then, it's off to a real editor. Maybe ready for publication in a couple months. Then...<br />
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My next book will be classic scifi and I'm real excited about it! Spaceships, distant futures, the whole shebang. I cannot wait to find out what happens to Captain Jonathan Ryan, USAF. "Nuf said.craig robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10295394805057599451noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918096874537832152.post-74152475728123979132015-05-16T07:30:00.001-07:002015-05-16T07:30:24.250-07:00After A Lot Of Work<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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After a LOT of time and effort, I am done reediting <i>The InnerGlow Effect</i>! Above is the new cover, which I think is really sweet. Thanks, again, Starla. What transpired was that, based on several poor reviews of TIE, I took a critical look at the book. I did my best to improve it, and re-released it. This effort was, in point of fact, fairly weak too. A kind reader, Mary Drebelis, pointed this out, and set me on the path to actually having the darn thing professionally edited. Based on this effort, I also had <i>Time Diving</i> professionally edited, and the paperback is released and the ebook will be done and out next week.<br />
I am a little sad that I allowed substandard product to be out there so long. But now I am proud that I have three excellent books published as ebooks and paperbacks. Trust me, this is no easy feat. I pride myself on my stories, on my character interactions, and on my ability to bring the unexpected twist to my tales. I knew I was not a grammarian, and I am historically a terrible speller. But, boy howdy, was I ever soft it the technical areas.<br />
At least I learned. From now on, any novels I publish will be professionally vetted. The issue with this addition, as an indie author, is cost. I can have a 100, 000 word novel scanned professionally for superficial errors for around $500. It is easy to pay more. Real "tear-apart" editing would be more like a thousand dollars. Fortunately, I can afford this luxury. I fell for the bulk of my peers who probably find this type of cost unbearable.<br />
But, bottom line, I am now content and pleased with my published works. Going forward, as I promote them and people read them, I will know the only issue is the quality of my writing. I feel I'm strong there, but if I'm not, well then, I guess I will need a new hobby. RC airplanes, anyone?craig robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10295394805057599451noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918096874537832152.post-72753666032883408692015-03-07T17:04:00.001-08:002015-03-08T09:04:16.103-07:00Cheers!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Alright then! All my friends are toasting to the occasion. I finished the first draft of <i>The Corporate Virus</i>! Ending up around 105K words, this novel rocks. It follows a man determined not to give in to the changes around him. The wolrd's gone mad. Anyone in a position of authority starts acting, speaking, and thinking the same way. Common sence is cast aside for conformity to The Company. It's all very Big Brother and <i>1984</i>!</div>
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Of course, now the real work begins. I have to edit the beast! After that, I will have it professionally edited. Then, it will be ready for prime time! I Hope this all takes place in the next two months. Now that I'm retired, I can really get things done if I focus. Anyway, stay tooned and I'll kept on truckin' ; )</div>
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<br />craig robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10295394805057599451noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918096874537832152.post-24595033569854293852015-01-31T08:01:00.000-08:002015-01-31T08:01:05.980-08:00I Can Learn!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I started writing in about 2000 and began writing seriously in 2007. For the first few years, I podcast what I wrote on Podiobooks.com, but lately I'm focusing on indie publishing. Anyway, after four full novels, two half done books, and many short stories, I have to admit that I have finally learned my lesson. Either that, or I have learned to suppress my Polish heritage and cry uncle. Either way, my future writing will be more pain-free.<br />
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What struck me? Thanks for asking! I have learned that while I may be a good writer, I am not a good editor or formatter. Not surprising, in retrospect, but there it is. I spent literally days trying to figure out how Smashwords or Creatspace wanted a document formatted for each book. After child-birth like efforts, I produced acceptable or marginal product. Recently, it occurred to me to check and I found out I can afford to have someone do it for me! In a day or two, someone who likes formatting and does it perfectly zips my book back with a ribbon on top. Of course, caveat emptor. The price range is fairly insulting, so I had to find someone willing to work for a fair price, but they are out there - thank goodness.<br />
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More painfully to ego, I have discovered that, with zero doubt whatsoever, I am a terrible editor. My <i>their</i> and <i>there</i>'s stay scrambled, along with my <i>your</i> and <i>you're's</i> (I know, I probably abbreviated that wrong, but, hey, it's my blog! I can even say <i>its</i> my blog if I want!!). For my last two books I tried as hard as I could to catch all my mis-edits, and it turns out I left enough to choke even a patient reader. The problem - or issue - with hiring an editor is that it can be very expensive. A standard novel cannot be proofed for less than $250 and a more typical rate is $500+. Fortunately, I don't need story editing - ie, help composing the story and keeping names consistent - otherwise the price doubles. In the indie world I find myself in, I have to weigh the minimum costs of around $350 for production versus the small amount I'm likely to make. Fortunately, I can afford the ticket, but not everyone can. Then again, it is hard not to afford the cost if you are going to release a poorly prepared book.<br />
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Ah well, welcome to the brave new world of authorship...craig robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10295394805057599451noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918096874537832152.post-11625700089487801132015-01-29T07:41:00.000-08:002015-01-29T07:41:50.165-08:00An Epiphanette<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Okay, maybe it's not a real, actual word, but I just had one. I mean, it was nothing along the lines of an epiphany, you know, when one is struck with a revelatory life-changing notion or insight. No, it was a little nudge from behind in the right direction, designed to make my life easier - no doubt - but not radically different. <br />
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Anyone who has read this blog for a while will have noticed that I tend to whine and grumble about the public at large's acceptance of the marginal and mediocre. Similarly, I'm always pointing to horrible drives and asking my wife - who is very tired of my observations in this regard - how can anyone be so stupid as to drive like that.<br />
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Well, I'm over all that! An epiphanette epiphanetted me [oh, and now he makes his phony noun into a transitive verb. Someone get a net!]. I finally realized that, though we are all created equal in the eyes of the law (another subject for another time) we are most certainly not all created equal in the eyes of the Nature. So are fast, some not fast. Some are tall, some not tall. Some are wise, some, ah, less wise.<br />
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Bottom line: if you want to eat In-And-Out Burger or Five Guys fries and marvel at their wonder, when, in fact they are lousy, hey, be my guest. I'll even open the door for you. If you want to read <i>Maze Runner</i> or watch network reality shows and say they are fine entertainment, so be it - knock yourself out. Until they pass a law making me watch any <i>CSI,</i> <i>Naked and Afraid. </i>or <i>Psychic Detectives</i>, it's all good with me! In short, I will no longer worry about the different taste other people have - yes, that's a nice euphemism - different taste.<br />
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Seriously, I have realized that we all come at life from different angles with diverse baggage, so I will worry about what resides - hopefully - between my ears and I will monitor closely what I allow in to my brain, but, aside from that - well, unless asked specifically for my opinion when it comes to matters of taste - you're on your own....craig robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10295394805057599451noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918096874537832152.post-86573936977533740142015-01-21T08:00:00.000-08:002015-01-22T05:30:33.168-08:00Why All The Trash?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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No, not the one above type of trash, the one on the right. Yes, and, as indicated, more arriving several times a day. Now, I know I can be soap-boxie and, Heaven forbid, even holier-than-thou at times, but really, why do people put up with/accept/eagerly consume - trash?<br />
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I am both a writer and a reader. I doubt very much you can be a writer unless you love books, certainly not a good one. Great writing stirs the imagination, elevates the soul, and enriches the life. I often reflect back on a silly scene from Don Quixote or a poignant passage from Bradbury. Lines like, "A slight chemical imbalance" or "Schlachthof-funf" from the outrageous Vonnegut resonate in my noggin all the time. And I rarely pass a day when I am not struck - often in the gut - at how today's society is becoming more like the 1984 envisioned by Orwell. Good stuff!<br />
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I am, I say also, a big fan of wine. A great wine, like a great novel or a great lover, elevates existence. Metaphorically, those great gifts reach out a hand to raise us mortals from the mire of the pedestrian and the mundane, to a plane much higher than we could achieve on our lowly own. Great stuff!<br />
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So, what's this to do with the thematic trash aforementioned? Don't get me started. Not while I'm in the middle of a feel-good buzz.<br />
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Darn, the mood has been shattered. Thanks for bringing me back to the here-and-now!<br />
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My wife and I live at ground zero for wine - Northern California. If you throw a barrel-stay in any direction, you'll hit a winery. Napa is famous for them, but there are appellations springing-up left and right up and down the state. There is an old saying in the wine business that all it takes to make a small fortune is to start with a large fortune. Truer words, my friends, were never spoken. It costs tons of dough to start-up and maintain a winery. The production equipment is ridiculously expensive, labor costs are astronomical, and the product is fickle. Most new wineries are started, or at least under-written, by millionaires out of vanity.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">N.B: Only the initials of the entities mentioned below (and in all future) are presented. I wish to convey that these are real producers, I just wish to overtly offend no one. My father would, and he is my shining anti-example. Wait, in saying that, I'm being <i>like</i> my father towards my <i>father</i>. Yikes, can't have that written on my tombstone. Let me re-phrase: <i>My F would, and he's my shining anti-example</i>. Whew, I feel better now!</span><br />
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So, what's my point, with all this great literature and wonderful, expensive-to-make wine talk? I am reeling still after weekend experiences which were not unique, but were actually nauseatingly all too familiar. We went to a local winery's "special event" barrel tasting. As a treat, HHW offered barrel samples of the four components of their Signature Wine (Flagship, Pride-o-the-Port, Golden Child - call it what you will, but it is their darling) along with the barrel blend of the components, which are the 2014 Signature wine. Before we did the barrel tastings, we all tasted all the wines available for purchase, maybe fifteen each, all told. Of the fifteen wines, two or three were awful. One was nice, and the rest were neither good nor bad, but they were not worth purchasing, let alone the calories if consumed. In the barrel tasting, one component was excellent, the rest, dull and unpromising. The Signature wine was dull and uninspiring, a value at the $5 price-point, perchance $8, but never in the wine maker's wildest dreams worth the $30 they will be asking.<br />
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Also, this last weekend, I began two books from the library. Recent bitter disappointment in the form of lost dollars have compelled me to rely heavily on the library nowadays. So, I checked-out <i>FOTS,</i> by D.P. and <i>BHD</i>, part three of a D.W. series (he has lots of them). I enjoyed the first book of W's series, although I found it annoyingly simplistically written. The second book was okay, like room temperature tap water on a hot day. Book three was... more-of-the-same. Not bad, not good. Not worth the time to read unless confined to an iron lung, but not dangerous to one's sanity. FOTS book was completely unappealing to me. I mean, I'm sure D.P. is a nice guy, pays his taxes and donates vehicles to good causes, but the book is flawed. However, this omitable book has received one-hundred and thirty-three reviews on Amazon, with an average rating of four and a third stars, out of five possible. W sells more books than Gideon gives away Bibles and has an actual army of devoted fans.<br />
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Let me summarize. I went to yet another winery jam-packed by adoring paying customers which spent a large fortune and spent a great deal of time and effort in the production of a utterly forgetful panel of wines. I started - and quickly finished - two novels which are generating both significant coin and buzz each, which are not worth the attention of a decerning reader. Why, oh why, do people settle for trash? You see, the alternative to trash, that is to say not-trash, actually good product, is out there, albeit is lesser supply, in both arenas. Why do alleged "book lovers" consume desert sand when caviar is available at a budget price? Why do "wine lovers" sip-down swill, when affordable alternative are out there?<br />
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Beats me...craig robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10295394805057599451noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918096874537832152.post-16804038421333729042015-01-16T17:55:00.000-08:002015-01-16T17:55:35.586-08:00The Hard Way - Again!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;">
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I have, oh let's say, been know to do things the hard way. I blame my strongly Polish heritage - so does my wife. So, recently I set-about to upgrade three of my four novels. So, I re-edited, added suggested changes, and paid (a very good idea!) to have the ebooks and paperbacks formatted well, and uploaded the whole pile. As I mentioned a post or two ago, I am trying the exclusive Kindle Unlimited route now. So, every day, I check to see if the new versions are live yet. I think I understood the changes would be fairly swift. But every day, I click my bookmarked Amazon links... and nothing. As with most mega-sites, you can't just call or email them questions - Heaven forbid they should be so burdened - so... I wait.</div>
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Finally, a little voice in my head says, "Hey, search the books on Amazon and see what happens." Okay, says I in reply. So, I searched "Books" on Amazon for each one. Guess what? Those linked to the refreshed editions. Ah, but... um... why did the old bookmarks I had not link to the new versions? Answer, uh, I don't know. So, I hurriedly doctored-up all my blogs and addenda to my books to reflect the new changes. What a hassle! I guess all's-well-that-ends-well, but why didn't Amazon mention something? Oh well, I'm sorta used to the hard way ; )</div>
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craig robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10295394805057599451noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918096874537832152.post-45446346687077234432015-01-13T16:55:00.002-08:002015-01-13T16:55:48.879-08:00It's Really Not That Easy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Recently I retired form my day job. That's another story all in itself, so more later. But, now having joined the ranks of the unemployed, I have a lot more time at my disposal. Only natural, right? Forty hours a week plus commute time and over time gone - puff! Before you actually retire, everyone asks, "So, what are you going to do when you retire? Travel?" I developed a standard response - fairly generic - stating that I'd garden, bike, prospect, and write more. Travel is nice, but expensive and I just took a huge income hit, so the former four are much more budget-friendly.</div>
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So, within reason, I can work a lot on my novels, short stories, and soon-to-come nonfiction. Great, right? Well, it turns out it's hard work. Having written four full novels, sure, I knew bring a good author wasn't easy - by no means so in fact. But now, I can spend hours composing a theme or tweaking a character. I have, in fact, made good head-way. But, like with so many other things I suppose, when I look back at the volume of work I've accomplished, well, I'm underwhelmed.</div>
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Yesterday I hammered a really rough first draft of an important scene in <i>The Corporate Virus</i>. Actually, when I read the first draft - which I did a few months back - I was surprised I'd written some of it. I mean, I had a few lines which didn't even make sense to me! Writing a book is a lot like rafting down a mountain stream. There are easy patches and white water sections. I don't know why, but each novel of mine has at least one section where I felt like I was pulling off my own toe nails without anesthesia in slow motion. The sections turn out fine, in the end, but some are definitely more work than others.</div>
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Anyway, so now I have a lot of time and many fewer excuses, but it is "challenging" to work for hours and only produce maybe ten good pages. This, of course, does nothing to abate the natural procrastination I am so fondly prone to. Oh well, if it was easy, everybody'd be doing it, right?</div>
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So, enough blogging. As soon as I feed the dogs and make a decaf and check-in with my wife who's outside gardening and re-check the closed stock market, well, I need to get back to <i>The Corporate Virus</i> - or Candy Crush. Hey, I just made level 400, which is no mean feat!</div>
craig robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10295394805057599451noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918096874537832152.post-41045564210840466392015-01-08T16:02:00.002-08:002015-01-08T16:03:28.245-08:00I Wonder Sometimes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Sometimes I wonder... things. If an apple a day keeps the doctor away, how many doctors a day does it take to keep an apple away? why do pizza and cheeseburgers taste so good while celery and watercress taste so... little? Why does evil have to exist? It is easy to say evil exists and leave it there. Also, one man's evil may be another man's virtue. To some extent right and wrong are relative, sure. It is wrong to kill in cold blood, but okay in self-defence. It is right to save money, but okay to give aggressively to the poor. I'm, however, definitely of the school that evil stands alone objectively as a bad, regrettable, avoidable force. Evil is <i>accepted</i> by its purveyor. The individual understood at some level that it is wrong, it's just that the alternative - to ignore the evil which compels them - is less desirable to them at the moment.<br />
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I refer, for example, to the horrific murders committed in the name of God. Yesterday "Muslim" terrorists decided their vision of God required them to randomly end a dozen lives in Paris. The same day, I my town, a purely evil man mindlessly gunned-down a promising young woman whom he was robbing and whose car he was stealing after she left a pub. Her crime was to run - albeit not fast enough - for her life. I cannot get from my head the vision of the crazed <span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helmet, Freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">Abubakar Shekau on video after he kidnapped 200+ Nigerian school girls. He was so smug, so very proud in his insane defiance.</span><br />
I really wish these people did not exist in my world, or in your world for that matter. But they do. They have always been around and look to always be around. I cannot snap my fingers and make them vanish, as nice as that would be. Did I <i>allow</i> them to be evil - in any way <i>participate</i> in the process? Probably not. At maximum warp, I couldn't visit each unfortunate child who is taught to be an evil adult and abort the process. Moreover, any intervention might be impossible - the person in question might just be... evil.<br />
So, what an I to do about evil? Cross myself and then God it did not occur to me or mine? Should I remark how very despicable it is on social-media and wring my hands together passionately? Maybe wait a little while and forget about the entire episode entirely? Maybe I should take it upon myself and act like Jack Ruby, the man who assassinated Lee Oswald after Oswald assassinated John Kennedy. But none of those courses seem right - morally defensible. I can always try to do two very critical things when evil thrusts itself upon my awareness. My first act is to never forget the innocents, never allow their suffering to go un-marked by memory and personal remorse. Second, I must make myself remember the evil which befell them and cling to this motivation to act with kindness to all those I can. Does kindness expel the darkness of evil? No, nothing can. Does kindness - heartfelt, personal, random kindness if need be - wash away the evil? No, nothing can. So what is the good of kindness? Two things. One, it is with each application a minuscule counter balance to evil on the scales of humanity. Second, and more importantly, it is all we who are not blind <i>can</i> do.<br />
Please go out of your way to be kind. Fight back!craig robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10295394805057599451noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918096874537832152.post-24404211929550788272015-01-07T17:16:00.003-08:002015-01-07T17:16:55.537-08:00Making Headway!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Okay, alright! I'm busy getting things done and it feels great. As a regular reader will know, I have four novels in print now. The quality and distribution of the books has been disappointingly sporadic to me up until now. I created and released the books sequentially, clearly, as they were completed. My learning curve ans the explosion of technologies has made the playing field uneven, as it were. But now I am lining-up the ducks. With the exception of <i>Anon Time</i>, I will soon have all my current and any future books available as both paperback and e-books. I have also cleaned-up a lot of minor and not-so-minor changes which vexed me up until now. I also took the easy road and paid for Kindle and paperback formatting. I've tried with variable success to format my work before. What I have definitely learned is to pay someone who is both good at formatting and likes doing it.</div>
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So, I have submitted all the documents and info updates to make <i>WRITE NOW!, The InnerGlow Effect</i>, and <i>Time Diving</i> live on Amazon. Now I can focus on promoting them feeling excellent about them. Also, I can really sink my teeth into <i>The Corporate Virus</i>, my work in progress.</div>
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2015 is lookin' good!</div>
craig robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10295394805057599451noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918096874537832152.post-45380690663862086882014-12-27T09:08:00.002-08:002014-12-27T09:09:14.814-08:00Change We Must<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I firmly believe we must change with the times. Well, change or become obsolete, right? If you think you're in a good spot and refuse to budge, something either bad or awful will happen sooner than later. Some people love change and seek it out like a new lover. Others - functional Luddites - refuse change for any number of reasons. Just ask an Amish farmer or Rush Limbaugh if you wish to see a vision into an unreasonably unchanging mind. Me, I neither lead nor defy change, I sort of stay in the middle of the pack. Hence, as an author wishing to be read, I have necessarily changed my direction. There's Darwinism even in the in the publishing game, don't you know.</div>
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Actually, the changes in publishing, as we all know, are radical to say the least. Fifteen years ago, I like so many aspiring writers polished-up my query letters to publishing houses and tried to construct the dreaded three-page synopsis of the products of our cerebral loins. It was grim, I'm here to tell you! I'd send-out queries to scores of publishers and considered myself blessed if I got a rejection. You see, most of the time I heard nothing back, so <i>no way, Jose</i> was a kindness. I would scan "less-traditional" publishing sources and scheme to see if I dare pitch myself and a gay, Native American living in Kentucky after serving in the military on a Tuesday - you know one of the "specialty publishers." Never any luck there - boy howdy!</div>
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I embrace indie publishing as it has evolved. But, as publishing evolves, I must try not to be a loser in the selection process. Nowadays, Big Internet (as opposed to the past Big Publishing) industry is forcing authors to chose sides, like a kick-ball game. If you want the power of being available on, say, Kindle Unlimited, you must pledge sole allegiance to Amazon and not publish on any of the other myriad of options. Those other myriad of option-outlets are similarly aiming to heard us cats into their corrals and, more importantly, away from their competition's. I recently unpublished from Smashwords and their numerous links to Kobo, Barnes and Noble, and many others in favor of being present on Kindle Unlimited.</div>
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So, as in Indiana Jones and The Holy Grail, have I chosen wisely, or have I chosen a fast track to self-ruination? Who knows? My plan is to ride this horse a ways down the road and see what happens. I can always change horses, if one looks to be a safer bet - I hope. It is ironic that no options (past rigid publishing houses) melted before virtually unlimited choice, and now virtually unlimited choice is melting away due to Big Internet's lust for absolute dominance. I'm a very small leaf trusting my fate to a plunge over Niagara Falls, it would seem.</div>
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Oh, well, at least I'm in <i>some</i> game, right?</div>
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Gulp!</div>
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Stay tuned and we'll see.</div>
craig robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10295394805057599451noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918096874537832152.post-66207837221732775632014-12-23T07:56:00.000-08:002014-12-23T07:56:07.227-08:00Wither the Bell Wethers Are? <br />
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Who writes like that - the title I mean? Sheesh, Craig, get over yourself already! Why not just say, "I'm looking for something hard to find and it is not easy, clear where it lies, or how to obtain it." Well, it's five words versus twenty-one, my title is sexy if you think about it, and it's my blog so I can be fuffy if I so choose!<br />
I am sticking my tongue out now at myself.<br />
My point? As an indie author, like so many of my ilk, I continue to struggle with getting my work noticed = selling some product. Fortunately, unlike many of my compadres, I don't need the money which would come from increased sales, so that pressure is eliminated. I am not going to say I am, thus, selling books altruistically, because I don't even know what that means. But, I make a creative product which I believe contains great value and I wish for others to benefit from it.<br />
Why did you just say that? It really deflates my hot air balloon. Oh, you knew it would, that if you said I want to sell lots of books because of my vanity, it would get under my skin? Hey, remember, I carry a pick axe, so don't get too cocky.<br />
Well, I guess there is vanity involved, competitiveness, that type of thing. And who - besides Bill Gates - does not need a bit more scratch? Okay, let's move on from <i>motivations</i> for increased sales and move onto the <i>conundrum</i>. Yeah, riddles without answers are cooler than base-human emotions. I like cool things. You like cool things. We were made for each other. We're cool!<br />
The issue is, I submit, that it is hard to get noticed. If I have a talent and a view point, I'd like it heard. But, there is no express line for meritorious authors in the supermarket of life. I've tried paid ads on Goodreads, on selected popular blogs (comics for example), and e-distribution sites like Book Bag. I am not significantly convinced these exposures resulted in many sales. I looked into Book Bud, a popular website for promoting books, but they want $300 - 500 to post you book and they don't even say for how long they will list the "ad." Like anything else, if you knew it worked you'd do it, but $500 is an expensive lesson in <i>I guess that was a dumb idea</i>. <br />
I even had the cajones to mail unsolicited paperbacks to top reviewers (NY Times, etc.) on the off chance one might give it a go, but nada. Not even hate-mail by way of reaction. I actually imagine there is a hefty fee required for top-reviewers to review one's book, so at least I got of cynical chuckle out of a couple of them, right? So, I keep writing and publishing and hope for acknowledgement. I guess my bottom-line here is that it ain't easy. But, then again, if it were easy, anyone could do it, right? And I'm not just anyone - I'm me!<br />
Wow, the post started lame and ends lame. I need a drink.craig robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10295394805057599451noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918096874537832152.post-78898747581689438362014-12-15T07:28:00.000-08:002014-12-15T07:28:46.275-08:00Oh YeahHere's <i>Time Divings </i>bitchin' cover - thanks to Starla Hutchton!<br />
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<br />craig robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10295394805057599451noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918096874537832152.post-28943138051181401832014-12-15T07:16:00.002-08:002014-12-15T07:16:33.913-08:00Darn It All, I'm Back!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Okay, I'm back! Where have I been? Ah... glad you asked, ah... busy? Ah... well, aliens abducted me. Yes, that's it! ALIENS ABDUCTED ME AND FOR OVER A YEAR I WAS ON THE ALTERNATE LIST FOR PROBING! Mmmm... well, maybe I was just preoccupied and yes, busy. It is hard to work a day job, write, promote, and post to blogs, along with like breathing and blowing a kiss to the wife. I may have had things to say, but <i>defered</i> them. Nice euphemism, eh?<br />
So, what to say? I have published <i>Time Diving</i> and - trust me for why would I lie - it is great. Check out the Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/Time-Diving-ebook/dp/B00FICFNPM/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1380457069&sr=1-1&keywords=time+diving<br />
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I am currently doing a much needed re-edit of <i>The InnerGlow Effect</i>, and hope to re-publish in the next month. I am 70,000 words into <i>The Corporate Virus</i>, my new opus. I explore in fiction why the actual world seems to be homoginizing itself and rules crop-up where no rules are needed. You know, life - my boss, your boss, your job, my job, at the dry cleaners - everywhere. I abandon my website, so I no longer have an easy outlet for my short stories. They are buggers, you know. Be thay cleaver, stunning, and trend-setting, they are hard to distribute. So, I am entering competitions and may bundle-publish them myself. We shall see.<br />
I have too mnay great ideas circling to land in my head. There's a non-fiction medical book, a ghost story, an epic fantasy, and who knows what else/ Ah, someday! So, I promise to be "present" if you promise to check-in from time to time. Deal?craig robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10295394805057599451noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918096874537832152.post-80699768447185425782013-03-09T07:05:00.001-08:002013-03-09T07:05:22.912-08:00For Fun AND Profit?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpryD1cceUIHvAYn7KKHnoQd-fjjFpmkczk_Y76lafdtChciMsSfUgeX0jXqPwl2S55psDoWuWoZnySPCN27YqYpYEdYCVb1R_YyWxOb4BHx6muwblhis6nQqxvWNtXsYLbElESA58qz8j/s1600/fun.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpryD1cceUIHvAYn7KKHnoQd-fjjFpmkczk_Y76lafdtChciMsSfUgeX0jXqPwl2S55psDoWuWoZnySPCN27YqYpYEdYCVb1R_YyWxOb4BHx6muwblhis6nQqxvWNtXsYLbElESA58qz8j/s1600/fun.jpg" /></a></div>Random thoughts on this fine Saturday morning. For several years I've written indie novels (independent publishing/promotion) and have podcast them as serialized audiobooks. A recent exchange with a peer prompted me to reflect on what i do. I have always called it "my knitting." You know, a creative thing one does for the joy of it which you there have trouble even gifting to others because they cringe so obviously when you reach into your basket to pull the creation out. Many of my friends and co-conspirators are beginning to wonder if our knitting are worth it - are we foolish to waste/gift our time and effort with no realistic prospect of a profit. The podcasting, especially, is time consuming and returns paltry monies. I think, in the end, we face two options. Podcast for the grins and giggles - and the friendships - or try to make a return on time-invested with ebooks/CreatSpace. There is an issue there where the number of indie books is expanding faster than the known universe, so standing out from the madding crowd is a challenge. So, it could be writing/creating will, in the end, just have to be a hobby, paying as well as sport fishing or riding a bike. There is no way to know how many indie authors are even marginally successful - too many of them either lie or cheat. The ones who are honest are probably equally silent - penis envy, if you will, about the claimed success of those broadcasting wild success. Did you know, for example, there are services indie authors can and do hire to buy their books en mass so the title will shoot to the top of the best selling list? When the campaign ends, the service asks for and receives a full refund from the author - their client. Bottom line, if you love it, do it. If your goal is to be well paid for your effort, put in so overtime at your day-job.craig robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10295394805057599451noreply@blogger.com0