Posts filed under ‘WALT’S OPINIONS’
UNWANTED INTERUPTIONS OF SEARCHES CONTINUED
As mentioned in my previous post, I’ve been bombarded with unwanted ads resulting from my search for publishers and agents.
I get ads from companies saying that they want to read my book. I have little doubt that after reading my book they would want to publish my book. Okay, they don’t know whether my book is fiction or nonfiction. For fiction they don’t know the genre. For nonfiction they don’t know the subject. They have no idea of the quality of my craft, but they want to read my book.
This company wants to spend time reading my book and may decide not to publish my book. Right! I have little doubt that after reading my book, if they read it at all, they will like to publish it.
I feel one of the major reasons these companies exit is to stroke the fragile egos of those who would like to say they have published a book and have money to burn.
Now it is possible to find success in self-publishing a book. Ever hear of the novel The Martian which became a bestseller and subsequently made into a movie? Self-published. So success can occur but you must have an exceptional manuscript and be willing to work you ass off, and the asses of close friends.
I’m posting this as a warning. Stay away from companies whose ads state that they want to publish your book.
And as far as agents are concerned, I can’t imagine a reputable agency of agents seeking clients with an ad.
September 4, 2024 at 1:17 pm
UNWANTED INTERUPTIONS OF SEARCHES
I am in the process of looking for a publisher for my novel, The Beast Awaits.
As I’m sure you know I am fan of the website Duotrope for locating publishers. The site also provides information for literary agents. I have used Duotrope to explore publishers with little luck for my novel, so I am now using it to seek an agent. My search for an agent on Duotrope resulted in a list of 124. I then used another website and reduced the number to 16. The method I used will be described in a later post.
Since beginning my search, I have been inundated with ads for publishers wanting to read my novel and agents wanting me to contact them for representation.
I’m fairly certain that Duotrope or the other site I used would not sell my name and email address, so this intrusion must be the result of my searches. In this day and age someone is constantly looking over your shoulder.
Companies now involved with self-publishing were once called vanity presses. Also, I have never seen ad for agents before.
More to follow.
September 3, 2024 at 12:56 pm
Recently, RFK Jr. joined the Trump team and brought up the subject of chronic diseases. I felt this subject required a reality check. Also, it is an issue I had never heard before addressed in politics.
With both political parties issues are mentioned but, until pressure is applied, seldom addressed. The mention of chronic diseases really caught my attention, and for better or worse, set my mind in motion.
There are a host of chronic diseases, many with a genetic origin such as diabetes and obesity. There are many auto-immune diseases that are genetic in origin. Lupus, eczema, and some forms of arthritis can be added to the chronic list. Serious attempts at genetic engineering could alleviate some of this chronic suffering.
Along this train of thought, there have also been advances in agriculture using genetic engineering. The crops to which genetic techniques have been applied are referred to as Geneticaly Modified Organisms, or GMOs. Now there is a population against the consumption of GMOs. How would these people feel if their disease could be lessened, or perhaps cured, by using genetic engineering. They would be walking GMOs.
There already exist medications which elevate, to some extent, the scourge of chronic diseases. But this is on an individual basis, by a means already in existence. I assume what RFK Jr. is referring to is the total elimination of the disease. I feel the only way this can be accomplished is through genetic engineering. Of course, I’m not a politician, only a former scientist who tries to keep up with what is going on in the scientific community. What comes to mind is a relatively new procedure which has been awarded the Novel Pize and that method is CRISPR. I don’t understand exactly how it works but it seems to me that not only does it lessen or eliminate the disease for an individual but also for all the offspring of that individual. RFK Jr. has most likely investigated this method already or why boast about eliminating chronic disease and not just curing the disease for an individual.
However, there is one chronic disease plaguing this country that I wish RFK Jr. and other concerned politicians would address.
The chronic disease of gun violence.
August 30, 2024 at 4:14 pm
I live in Pennsylvania, a ‘battleground state’ and am inundated with political ads although I keep my use of the media to a minimum.
This post is not an indictment on any political party. But I think some of their ads could us some qualifier in their presentation. I constantly hear ads tying the increase in gas prices to inflation. I’m sure that there is an increase in gas prices somewhere, but not where I live.
I live southeast of Philadelphia and listen to a Philadelphia all-news station broadcasting on both AM and FM. I have no idea as to the size of the area they cover. Just the other day they had a piece concerning the Labor Day weekend and the current gas price. They reported that gas prices are forty-four cents cheaper than this same time last year. How large the area of this decrease, I have no idea. But I doubt the decrease is isolated to their broadcasting area.
So, it seems that some political ads could use some qualification.
August 28, 2024 at 1:45 pm
Recently I heard an ad for Trump’s campaign covering illegal alien fraudulent claims for Covid-19 benefits. Stated was the fact, I hesitate to use the word fact and rather be able to use the word facts, for in any political ad only the fact which benefits the politician is used and often does not resent the entire picture. The fact in Trump’s ad is guilty of this. Here are further facts which offer a clearer picture of the relevance of the presented statement.
In the ad it is claimed that illegal aliens are guilty of submitting 500 million dollars in fraudulent Covid-19 claims. I’m not going to fact-check this and assume it is accurate. You might think how terrible this is. And you are correct. But wait. An additional fact offers the reality of the true level of this fraud.
I have now heard more than once the values I am about to present to you.
There was a total of over 280 Billion dollars worth of fraudulent Covid-19 obtained by the American public. I’m sure there were some organized efforts made to defraud the government, but many of the guilty actors could be your neighbors, or perhaps YOU. It is estimated if all the guilty parties were prosecuted it would take over 200years. Do I hear a sigh of relief.
So, if you want to know where the true guilt lies in America, look in the mirror.
August 17, 2024 at 11:12 am
In my previous post I shared a newsletter published by my good friend, Emmet Robinson, where he introduced my novel, The Beast Awaits, which is now looking for a home. In this post I want to reciprocate to that generous act.
In the course of a very interesting and productive life Emmet was manager of The Point. The Point was a coffee house which began business in 1964 outside of Philadelphia. This was a venue where today’s celebrities, in the music world, were on the road to success while they were still people. People you could easily approach. Think celebrities like Joni Mitchell and John Denver.
Emmet relates a story when on evening Jackson Brown was performing and in from the backdoor walks Bruce Springsteen and begins playing the piano. At that time no big deal.
Emmet has published a book describing this incident and many more just as interesting. The book’s title is Little Boy Found: One Man’s Search for Lost Self-Esteem. If you need something to read this summer, and who doesn’t, I suggest this book as a purchase. Here is a link for that purpose.
Little Boy Found: Robinson, Emmet: 9781984580368: Amazon.com: Books
August 13, 2024 at 10:58 am
When I obtain the post for a publisher using a Duotrope search, here is the information I look for.
First on my list is when the publisher was created. I tend to put more trust in a publisher which has been around for a while.
Next is the type of work they are interested in. Along with this, the word count is important. For short stories they may be interested in your genre, but your story may be too long to meet their requirements.
Next I look for whether they accept simultaneous submissions. It seems that lately more and more publishers are accepting them. This is beneficial, for in the past you would send a piece to a publisher and have to wait, sometimes close to a year to receive a reply. Or never get a reply at all. Now you can send your work to multiple publishers at the same time. A definite benefit. Also, you can see if a publisher accepts reprints. This gives you the opportunity to get out some previously published work and give it a new life.
In some, but not all information provided by publishers is the percentage of pieces accepted and how long it took the publisher to reply to a submission. This information could be extremely important in making your decision when sending out your work.
Finally, at the end of a publisher’s post you will find a list of other places where work submitted to this publisher has also been submitted and a direct link to the publishers on this list. Sometimes you may stumble upon a publisher not listed in your search but could be a place which might be interested in your work.
This is the benefit of a Duotrope search.
Give it a try!
August 2, 2024 at 11:06 am
INITIATING A SEARCH ON DUOTROPE
To begin your search for a publisher on Duotrope you first fill out a questionnaire. The information you are asked to provide is things such as genre, wordcount, payment type and submission and publication type to name a few.
You then conduct a search which generates a list of publishers fitting the information you have provided and are presented with a list of publishers appropriate for the piece you want to publish.
When you select a publisher on the list a Duotrope listing will appear for that publisher. Also provided is a link to the publisher’s website. The result of your search provides you with the ability to easily and rapidly survey many publishers.
Next, I will cover the information I look in a publisher listed.
July 27, 2024 at 11:38 am
My experience with Duotrope
I have been using Duotrope to find
publishers for quite some time now. The cost is $50 a year and is well worth
it.
They currently list 7581 publishers
for fiction, nonfiction, poetry and visual arts. The website also lists
literary agents which is something I will discuss in a future post.
What I would like to cover now is
how you go about starting a search and what are the factors I look for in the
information resulting from that search.
But first, when considering a
publisher, I feel, you need to be realistic in what you feel is the level of
your talent is when seeking a publisher. As in everything in life, there are
multiple levels of competence. And as you continue publishing your work to
expand your resume, you improve your skills with hard work and experience. This
will increase your level of competence as a writer and expand the number and
quality of publishers you will approach.
I use the website almost
exclusively for finding publishers of fiction. The type of fiction various
publishers are looking for includes flash fiction, short stories, novellas and
novels.
One word of caution when approaching a publisher. Especially a publisher of novels.
To get your work
accepted and published should not cost you anything especially for novels.
Editing, developing a cover and whatever else is involved in getting your novel
to market should not cost you a cent.
July 26, 2024 at 2:26 pm
Before introducing a website, I usually warn you to be warry of unsolicited ads, which for me can be very annoying. Duotrope, after many years of use, has never caused this problem for me. So enjoy a extremely useful for writers worry free.
Duotrope
Duotrope.com
Excellent source for finding publishers for fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and visual arts.
Also, for locating literary agents.
Currently, listing 7581 publishers.
July 25, 2024 at 12:13 pm
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