Wanted to throw out my views on the subject again today. Yes, I will be meandering quite a bit in a semi-caffeinated haze of dooooooooom, but bear with me. If you have questions? Ask.

I do not believe there is one way to “get published.” However, I do not write to “get published.” If that was all I cared about, then I would stick to self-publishing and forget about everything else. That is not my path though that may be yours. Neither track is better or worse than the other — provided you’re getting what you want and need out of it and? Vice versa. If we are? Then it doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks, really. Though, it goes without saying I tend to lean conservatively and don’t adhere to business practices that many would consider dodgy or downright illegal. I think there is something to be said for common sense. 😀

Publishing, as an industry, is in upheaval. Everyone knows this, but from veterans I’ve heard that, to some extent, it always has been. I think it’s ridiculous that people are saying “all self-published are bad” or “all big publishers are evil.” Logic girl says that’s not logical. The reality? These are different business models. Get past the freak-out, and that’s really what people are worried about. Big companies cannot, by their nature, turn on a dime. Smaller publishers can be more nimble but they don’t always have the resources that the larger publishers do. It’s just the nature of the proverbial literary beast. A company by itself isn’t inherently bad — there’s good and “bad” folks all over the spectrum.

Yes, there are pros and cons to every publishing method and format just like there are benefits and drawbacks to how you interact with other people online. You are smart and you know this to be true. But what you may not know is how deep the hype/myths (from piracy to e-books to Amazon to writing best-sellers to whatever) really are. There are a lot of frustrated, nervous, scared people out there. There are also quite a few excited, bubbly, happy folks jumping around, too. Change is hard. Change is torment for anyone who’s worked the same way and earned the same amount of money off that effort for years. This is not an industry that is “secure.” (Really, what industry is?) But one can’t build a business or a life around insecurity, you need confidence to proceed or you won’t write the next thing or take the next chance or act on the next idea. This is not a field for the weak of heart, to be sure.

Somewhere, in the middle of all that, there are people (authors, editors, etc.) who are doing their best to make a living. Key word: people. People who still need to eat, pay their rent/mortgage, take their kids to day care, buy a cup of coffee, etc. Desperation often leads to bizarre statements and misconceptions — some of which are based on publishing myths in the days before the internet. Those ideas like, for example, how the publishing industry is out to screw writers or how gatekeepers are evil will always subsist in some form or another. This is what happens when you combine Art with Money. Remember, writers get paid. If you’re getting money for your words? WRITER. It’s Yog’s Law. Money flows to the writer.

A lot of authors are learning how to be entrepreneurs on top of focusing on the form they’re working in. Everyone has to learn somewhere and this is the reality of the contemporary writer. You have to understand the business you’re in if you want to adapt to changes and take advantage of opportunities. That doesn’t mean people are perfect. Mistakes happen. The trick is how flexible you are to roll with the punches. Bend to avoid breaking.

The reason why I wanted to dive into this again today, is because I wanted to reiterate that, in spite of all of this, your path is yours. OWN IT. The roads I’m taking, the paths others you admire journey on, may not be for you and that’s okay! If what you’re doing works? Then AWESOME. I have no answers for you, neither will anyone else, because you need to trust yourself and figure it out. What will you be happy with? What kind of money will you be okay with? You have to ask the questions that matter, then answer them, and steer yourself toward those goals. That, truly, is the “secret” of publishing. The answer to your success lies within you.

NOW GO FORTH AND BE EVEN MORE AWESOME.

Mood: Happy, happy. Joy, joy.
Caffeinated Beverages Consumed: Ermm… Trying to do the tea thing…
Work-Out Minutes Logged Yesterday: A walk.
In My Ears: A snoring cat. Heh, heh.
Game Last Played: Tetris
Movie Last Viewed: IQ
Latest Artistic Project: In progress
Latest Release: “Fangs and Formaldehyde” from the New Hero anthology through Stone Skin Press

Ever since I started feeling better, I’ve been attacking dust bunnies vigorously. I’ve got a ton of writing, editing, and game design to do and more than a few creative projects and trips planned. Not to mention, we’re getting ready to celebrate the fifteen-year anniversary of Dork Stork Press. But, to reduce my stress level and increase my mental productivity, I feel I have to start with a clean house and office. I’ve removed *coughs* several bags of miscellany and I’m almost to the point where, once that’s done, I can dive into that joy of joys — filing.

That doesn’t mean that I’m not working when I’m fending off another Dust Bunny of Enormous Size. While I’m scrubbing and swiping away my messes, I’m posturing mental revisions, so I can put the finishing touches on another Lovecraft tale. (Edit: I’m also forcing myself to write a page a day. Forgot about that!) I was hoping to deliver it sooner rather than later, but I screwed up and then I got sick on top of that. It feels awful because this is a rare occurrence for me, but the way forward is? Forward.

After I get the office sorted, which will likely be either today or early tomorrow, I’ll have a few major projects left to do and a day of running errands. The dreaded basement has… Well, they’re no longer dust bunnies. They’ve morphed and multiplied like tribbles on acid. Thankfully, that’s a joint project. Heh, heh.

I’m about two to three weeks behind schedule, but thankfully, catching up on housework has opened the door to a lot of possibilities story-wise. My fiction, the original sort that’s not based on another property, tends to be more atmospheric. But good ambiance does not a story make. While I have caught myself on a number of occasions, it’s still important to identify a few milestones. I don’t really like outlines persay because in the service of a story something may change. That doesn’t mean I won’t work with them. They can be an immense help. Here, I’m merely talking those occasions where I’ve been besieged by a story and I have to write it down. A couple of guideposts, Conflict with a Capital C, are crucial to reducing revision-time for me. Without a clear antagonist or mystery to chew on, then my rough draft prose makes me yawn. Hey, if you’ve downloaded The Queen of Crows, you’ve “seen” my rough draft!

Hrmmm…maybe I should post another rough draft sample for you. Interested?

Mood: Tired with a side of exhausted.
Caffeinated Beverages Consumed: More bubbles than I care to admit.
Work-Out Minutes Logged Yesterday: House, house, baby.
In My Ears: Evisceration by Carfax Abbey
Game Last Played: Tetris
Movie Last Viewed: Harry Potter collection
Latest Artistic Project: In progress!
Latest Release: “Fangs and Formaldehyde” from the New Hero anthology through Stone Skin Press

When I talked about taking a break from social media, I identified one of the triggers that has affected my productivity in the past, but I didn’t mention what puts the words back on the page. Discipline. That’s what gets the words on screen. But what brings that high-level concept back into reality? Ah, that’s the trick. You see, discipline is different for everybody much like the triggers that erode it, otherwise known as “writer’s avoidance behaviors.”

Getting back to what’s important, productivity, means that I have to build the backbone so the words flow. My schedule shifted when I stepped down from my marketing position and then it altered again when I got sick. So the spine eroded because the normal behaviors I did to get the words out weren’t being done; much like what happens when you stop working out and can’t get back on the wagon again.

How I put the “D” back in discipline, to add the “W” back into word count, is to focus very intently on what matters to me. Then, once I’m comfortable with my routine, then I can add back in other distractions.

Still, it doesn’t mean that I can’t have any fun or not have a life. But, in some ways, I feel like being online and plugged is like having a wholly separate existence, an obligation that’s necessary for anyone who wants to have a career that even marginally touches people online. This is simply one of many methods to juggle that alternate identity.

Mood: Calm with side of zen
Caffeinated Beverages Consumed: A “few”
Work-Out Minutes Logged Yesterday: Half hour of yoga
In My Ears: Classical playlist
Game Last Played: Tetris
Movie Last Viewed: IQ
Latest Artistic Project: … Been too long … Far too long… but I have a few planned!
Latest Release: “Fangs and Formaldehyde” from the New Hero anthology through Stone Skin Press

I’m editing [redacted] and am amazed by how honest and personal this work is. It also made me realize how much I don’t disclose online. Years ago, I made a conscious decision to not go down that path, and I strayed from that when I talked about Madison politics. Sure, I could talk about those sorts of things (religion, my childhood, politics, etc.) but for me, this is what I’m comfortable with so I can focus on the Work itself.

But there’s another reason and (thankfully) Gene Wolfe (Yes, that Gene Wolfe.) pointed it out. And that is “too many words.” We were talking about dealing with revisions and working through drafts at WorldCon on a panel, and he mentioned the benefit of turning off songs with sounds in them once you were done.

And something clicked. It sounds incredibly simple, doesn’t it? That putting in music without words will help refill the well. But it works!

Mood: Bewildered, just a bit.
Caffeinated Beverages Consumed: One cup. Seriously. JUST one!
Work-Out Minutes Logged Yesterday: Does intent count?
In My Ears: Being Human (UK)
Game Last Played: Tetris
Movie Last Viewed: Dredd
Latest Artistic Project: … Been too long … Far too long…
Latest Release: “Fangs and Formaldehyde” from the New Hero anthology through Stone Skin Press

One of the characters I’m developing further is Atlas, who first appears in “Fangs and Formaldehyde” included in New Hero, Volume One. To deal with his inability to express his emotions, he writes love letters. Or, rather, his version of what a love letter should be. These words, conflicted and dark, are his way of of dealing with his guilt.

Here’s an example:

Every time I try to forget about you, something screams at me, pulling me back into your pale memory. This time, it was the scent of your oils. The pungent smell of carnations forced me to remember the time we snuck out into your private gardens. You were so regal then, so accustomed to ordering your servants around. Not like now. What has happened to you? Are you still alive?

Still, there was no blood, no pain, no curse. Only us. This memory I shall keep.

His method of diving into his heart, is my way of exploring his depths through words, and bring that layer into his story.

Mood: Focused
Caffeinated Beverages Consumed: One or two
Work-Out Minutes Logged Yesterday: I stretched, but it’s not enough.
In My Ears: Being Human (UK)
Game Last Played: Tetris
Movie Last Viewed: Dredd
Latest Artistic Project: … Been too long … Far too long…
Latest Release: “Fangs and Formaldehyde” from the New Hero anthology through Stone Skin Press