RoundTable 360° August2024 “Yeah, But You’re An Idiot” – Authenticity and Legitimacy in Rejections

The August 2024 RoundTable 360° discussed whether or not having your work rejected really means anything, and the counter to that, what does it mean if your work is accepted (aside from getting that warm, gushy feeling inside)?

Watch and enjoy.

A Tale of Six Publishers – Part 6 (finale)

Because we couldn’t screw it up any worse than publishers #1-#5

Part 1 of this series shared three critical issues to ask any publisher before signing with them:

  1. Marketing – how would the publisher get word of my book out to potential readers?
  2. Distribution – how would the publisher get my book into potential readers’ hands?
  3. Career Development – what would the publisher do to help me become a better author?

This post deals with publisher #6, and all cards on the table going in, publisher #6 is Northern Lights Publishing which is owned by a small group of investors and employees and led by myself and wife/partner/Princess Susan.

Susan and I got out of our last company in 2016 and vowed never to start another one. There are days we wish we’d stuck to our vow, and so it goes.

Also back in 2016, Susan said she’d never seen me happier than when I was writing my stories and, as we’d never have to worry about money again, she wanted me to write full-time.

Oh, gosh darn, do I have to?

After kissing her profusely, I went to work. I had several novels completed and some 10-15 more near completion, so my real task was finding a publisher I could work with.
Continue reading “A Tale of Six Publishers – Part 6 (finale)”

A Tale of Six Publishers – Part 5.3

A publisher who can’t say no, can’t reject work (even when it obviously sucks), and is afraid to disappoint is a publisher on the road to ruin and should be avoided at all costs. Friends you have, a good publisher is what you need.

Part 1 of this series shared three critical issues to ask any publisher before signing with them:

  1. Marketing – how would the publisher get word of my book out to potential readers?
  2. Distribution – how would the publisher get my book into potential readers’ hands?
  3. Career Development – what would the publisher do to help me become a better author?

This post deals with publisher #5, also mentioned in A Tale of Six Publishers – Part 5.1 and Part 5.2, who failed on all the above. A British based publisher, publisher #5 wanted to be everybody’s friend but doesn’t want to run a business. You can be friends with your publisher and in the end you’re in business together…especially if everybody’s goal is to make money!

Part 5.1 covered the publisher

  • disappearing for extended periods of time and not responding to emails, txts, or phonecalls from anyone
  • wanting funding but not wanting any of the responsibilities which go with acquiring funding.

Part 5.2 covered the publisher

  • wanting to get more authors on their roster but not willing to take on the responsibilities of interacting with authors who want to know things like where’s the royalties, why aren’t I published, where the hell are you and how come I can’t get any answers from anybody
  • not getting back in touch with interested authors even after initial discussions are positive on both sides

This post finishes the tale of Publisher #5. Enjoy.
Continue reading “A Tale of Six Publishers – Part 5.3”

RoundTable 360° July 2024 – SideHustles and SideGigs

What do you do to support your art when your art isn’t supporting you?

That’s the question RoundTable 360°’s panel tackled in our July 2024 session.

This RoundTable explored the challenges creatives have getting their work out there, recognized, appreciated, and finally paid for!

Probably the greatest challenge for creatives across disciplines is growing an audience large enough for the creative to support their work as their primary gig. Most creatives – even bestselling creatives and regardless of discipline – have one if not several other jobs to pay the bills.

Yet strangely, few creatives describe themselves as “baristas” or “teachers” or “janitors” or “Uber drivers” when asked what they do. In their minds, their primary job is artist or author or painter or actor or dancer.

RoundTable 60°’s July 2024 session delved into the paths creatives journey while waiting to “make it big.”

This discussion was led by yours truly.

 
Want to take part in future RoundTable 360°s? Reserve your space on Eventbrite.
Want to be on our panel and/or lead a discussion? Let me know here.

A Tale of Six Publishers – Part 5.2

Publishers repeatedly making bad business decisions aren’t learning. Get out before their bad decisions cost you your career!

Part 1 of this series shared three critical issues to ask any publisher before signing with them:

  1. Marketing – how would the publisher get word of my book out to potential readers?
  2. Distribution – how would the publisher get my book into potential readers’ hands?
  3. Career Development – what would the publisher do to help me become a better author?

This post deals with publisher #5, another British based publisher who wanted/wants to be everybody’s friend but doesn’t want to run a business. You can be friends with your publisher and in the end you’re in business together…especially if everybody’s goal is to make money!

I mentioned publisher #5’s niceties in A Tale of Six Publishers – Part 5.1. This post deals with publisher #5’s inability to make business decisions. Except bad ones. Enough of those and your career dies with them.
Continue reading “A Tale of Six Publishers – Part 5.2”