Criticism Begins With A “C.” For Conversation.

There's a trojan on your computer

There has been a lot of criticism aimed at the SFWA Bulletin in recent weeks that has now resulted in a task force. Laura Anne Gilman summarizes the issue on her blog and Jim C. Hines has a link list of the commentary.

My take on this entire situation is very simple: criticism provides an opportunity to have a conversation. There is a reason why those conversations haven’t happened regularly or as noticeably in the past. Obviously, the internet has changed how we give feedback both as ourselves and in a group. Now we talk about the good, the bad, and the ugly for all to see.

Regardless of what you think about these criticisms, whether you feel they’re necessary or not, I believe there is a gift to be found here: the opportunity to learn, empathize, and listen to what the audience is saying.

The end of that discussion and what decisions originate out of that conversation is, of course, different for different people and businesses. However, I feel that the worst possible scenario is to stop listening altogether.

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June 2, 2013
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Soap, Old Dirt, and Mud

Spike and Giles... Together at Last

If you were to lean in, very closely, you will hear a deadly rattle as a few manuscripts emerge through a final round of revisions and proof corrections. Feels like I’ve shaped a cyber-golem out of nanite-mud and clay, and we’re about to release it into the wilds.

As I emerge through this, though, I’ve had a thought about taking risks. See, working for someone else, the parameters or the sides of the box are usually determined by a number of factors ranging from approvals to the scope of the project already being defined. Freelancers don’t get to make a lot of calls; sometimes they do and other times they don’t. But when you pen original works, whether they be blog posts or novels, you determine where the sides of the box are.

The challenge with this, though, is that if you were to take every internet post, every forum thread, to heart — you would never write. Why would you? If everything you’d done was going to be ripped apart, shredded, presented as wholly inaccurate, and how dare you? (Sometimes, even before that person has even read or encountered or consumed, too.) Or, in the case of some work-for-hire writers, getting the same treatment for works you didn’t write and had nothing to do with? Now, this isn’t always the case. Sometimes, folks are very positive or say nothing at all. Freelancers can influence outlines and the like as well. But, in the case of many blogs and forums, articles are written to tap into your emotionally-charged centers so you wake up and pay attention. A technique which is manipulative, sure, and also finanically-beneficial to many sites. They get paid in *website visits*. Writers get paid per *word* sold.

But what the opinions? Should that affect how we shape the rawness of your your art? Mine? Should we avoid taking (what other people deem to be) risks just because people prefer works to be sanitized with soap and water?

No, and I am telling you this now, because it will come up later. This is a consequence of being connected so closely to one another. But taking creative risks is who we are as artists. We will take better chances if we understand what the rules are or play around with them to break them, but risks matter. If we don’t, stories and games and photos and sculptures and songs and everything else will stagnate. Without us, there will be no questions asked. There will be no arguments had. There will be no discussion. And we will be lost in a sea of opinions, doing what we think is right before we even try something new. Our art then, would become predictable and flat and repurposed. Safe.

I would rather get my hands dirty and take risks than live my writer’s life in fear. Half the time, *I* don’t feel that what I’m doing is risky. I just do what I do because I love it so. That doesn’t mean I won’t be smart about the choices I take in my career. I still have to worry about the business end of the equation.

Still, even I have had my “Come to Poe” moment. Do I trust myself? Yes. And to me, that’s all that matters. Because without that trust, then why would I bother taking any risk at all?

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June 1, 2013
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Perspectives Past and Present

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I’m diving into alternate history storytelling for a magical world I took four years to build. Some of this has roots in world history and the way society evolved (or didn’t) in certain contexts. I’m taking the approach that to truly represent the scope of the story, I cannot just write one type of character from a particular ethnic background. What happens in this series is epic, but the story itself begins small. To tell the story and build the world, I ask questions. I think. I need the mental space to do that, but this is where everything begins: when I wonder.

History fascinates me in a way I cannot describe properly. It’s partly due to the ghosts of the past and the nostalgia that comes from that, but also caused by the fact that human beings have dealt with less — and still survived. I suppose what interests me the most, is the ability to piece together a particular person’s story, and empathize with that individual. For example, slavery appalls me. But how did folks survive? What would I have done if I was in their situation? To me, this is what keeps the historical record alive, not just by learning what happened, but by trying to identify with the people on some level.

What saddens me, is that the human side of the equation often gets lost. New is better. Our ancestors were dumb, right? Only, that’s not true. How we view history depends upon who’s telling what happened. It’s not a zero sum game. Just because we have technology, it doesn’t automatically mean that human beings are more evolved and somehow better than we were in the past. Just because it costs more to take sick leave, for example, doesn’t mean that’s morally wrong, it just means that human beings get sick and have to take off of work. But on paper, it looks bad or seems impressive. Often, dissing the past is a technique folks use to sell the living something. Even nostalgia-based advertising is about what’s new, for collecting vinyl records is a new experience to those who didn’t grow up with them. Popular isn’t necessarily better, either. How long did people believe the Earth was flat? That Earth was the center of the universe? Do you know which Western mathematician proved the Earth was round? How many years did it take for that knowledge to take hold worldwide?

When we have something new like an advance in medicine or technology, we change internally and externally. For example, we can now track how our brains change with internet usage. But are we really better off? Are we superior to those who came before us because we have something shinier, better, newer? Because life is more convenient?

If, all of a sudden, an EMP blast went off and our technology was wiped out… Would we know what to do? Can you identify poisonous versus edible plants? Kill, clean, and cook your own food? Those who lived in the past could and where their knowledge was focused as part of their daily life, ours is now lacking. Flip that around, and a pioneer wouldn’t be able to drive a car, but we could teach them how with time and patience.

Take also into consideration what an archaeologist of the future might find from our culture. What traces will we leave behind? If all our art, for example, is digital… Will that survive? Or are we headed for another Dark Age because the physical record of our culture is moving more towards data?

Fiction allows me to explore the human aspects of historical events by asking questions; magic provides me with a sense of wonder and, I hope, my readers, too. Storytelling in an alternate historical timeline gives me the chance to explore the past. I am not seeking to be right. Instead, what I hope to find, is a connection.

    Mood: Thunder, Thunder, Thundercats!
    Caffeinated Beverages Consumed: I’m on my second count.
    Work-Out Minutes Logged Yesterday: A nice, albeit mistified, walk.
    In My Ears: Climbing Up “Iknimaya – The Path to Heaven” from Avatar (Don’t judge.)
    Game Last Played: Last Night On Earth
    Book Last Read: The Shadowmarch Series by Tad Williams (Re-Read)
    Movie Last Viewed: The Last Stand
    Latest Artistic Project: *Still* *still* *still* need to take pictures…
    Latest Release: “The Button” We Are Dust anthology and for gaming, a fun Scion: Extras (Supplemental Yet Can Be Somewhat Useful On Occasion Scions)

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May 28, 2013
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Look at this Post about eBook Sales and Writing Advice. Now Return to Me.

darkwing duck avatar

Tobias Buckell pens a brilliant post about Survivorship bias. Or, to put it in his words: Survivorship bias: why 90% of the advice about writing is bullshit right now.

Read that. Then return, for I have more to add. First, those graphs? True of every online retailer on the internet. The graph is shaped differently depending upon the number/type of products offered and sold; the bigger the retailer, the more closely their sales data will resemble the Smashwords graphs Tobias provided in his article, but a long tail is where the majority of products, in this case ebook titles, lie. When I talk about over-saturation of the market, this is what I mean. That tail keeps getting longer and longer and longer… What impact do you think that has on the reader? What they want to buy? Or why?

Secondly, I say this with love: the best people who will offer “how to sell” advice are those who have access to industry-wide (or multi-store) data. Not only will they be able to show trends and buyer behavior, they can avoid anecdotal information or outliers in favor of a strong foundation built on common experiences. This is a more conservative approach to running a business and one I adhere to. I think “long-term” as opposed to short term gain.

Sales and marketing have always gone hand in hand and both rely on a lot of data. Without verified data, you’re getting a skewed view, and both sales and marketing suffer greatly as a result. You cannot have a proper view of selling eBooks if you’re only looking at your own data and the success stories. You need the full picture to fill in the blanks to know what’s normal (in a statistical sense) and what’s not. This will help you set expectations and (hopefully) end the discussions about quality and sales. If your ebook isn’t selling, it doesn’t mean your story is crap. It could be, but knowing what to expect sales-wise is important. Heck, it could even mean the difference between self-publishing or not.

There is a market for providing writing advice books and, as the newest iteration in this trend, tomes about selling ebooks, novels, and the like. I am happy for those who have done well in this area, but on the consumer side, I have no qualms saying: buyer beware. Be smart about what you’re applying to your business model. Look to the person’s background. See what they’ve done in the past. Do they have ecommerce experience? Do they know how Google Analytics works? How many clients have they worked for? Who were those clients and how much did they increase sales?

And, more importantly — why? Why did sales go up? When did they go back down? Was it just that store’s algorithm? The format you offered? When you released it?

With good data, you’ll get the answers to these questions and more. To me, having that data is more valuable than any advice book, because it’s a depiction of what’s actually happening as opposed to selling you a promise of what could happen.

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May 27, 2013
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WisCon Day 2: More Eating and Drinking

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Oh, this con was about the food, wasn’t it? Well, I totally slept in as a post-college graduate who no longer stays up until 2 a.m. would do. Hauled my lazy bum out of bed, got down to the show, and ran into Lynne Thomas and Kelly Lagor. The majority of the folks I’ve met through Apex Publications (or have known before who’ve worked with my friend Jason Sizemore) are amazing people, and I was not disappointed to make a new friend. Kelly and I had sushi (SURPRISE!) and drinks before I ambled (shambled?) back to the show.

I played a zombie game (as the zombie…) Last Night On Earth with a few new faces. I am pleased to say the zombies successfully ate the brains of the heroes, but not happy to mention my allergy medicine kicked in about halfway through and the fog ensued.

Then, I went up to the parties to mingle a bit before heading home. These old bones were creaking mightily, but I’m glad I forced myself to be social. Met Wesley Chu, ran into folks like Chesya Burke <--- WOULD SOMEONE BUY THIS WOMAN'S NOVEL, PLEASE?, Michael Damian Thomas, Jim Frenkel, and Brad Beaulieu.

After two hours of chit-chatter and rampant speculation about nothing in particular, I turned into a pumpkin. So, if I missed you, I’m sorry.

This was primarily a social convention for me and I recognize that folks are there to make contacts and do business. Sometimes I have a one-track mind that way. Either I have something I need to do or I don’t. I have a lot of friends who aren’t writers to keep me grounded, but I’m hoping to change that just because I feel effing awkward at these things wandering around like a damn ghost. :-p I do feel the parties and meet-and-greets are the best part of this convention because it makes the show smaller and more intimate. I’m glad I got to go just for that alone and I’ll see about panels next year. Really, my status quo is to make friends. That’s more comfortable for me than BUY MY BOOKS ZOMG YOU NEED TO PAY ATTENTION TO ME RIGHT NOW AND WHAT’S IN IT FOR MEEEEEEEE.

I’m not entirely sure what 2014 holds, but for now… I have books to write and read. Games to create and play. And a future to unfold.

Over and out.

    Mood: Wait… It’s lunchtime, already? When did that happen?
    Caffeinated Beverages Consumed: I had one. It was not enough.
    Work-Out Minutes Logged Yesterday: Reached the step count!
    In My Ears: More birds. There’s this sun thing, too. Eesh.
    Game Last Played: Last Night On Earth
    Book Last Read: The Shadowmarch Series by Tad Williams (Re-Read)
    Movie Last Viewed: Mission Impossible
    Latest Artistic Project: *Still* *still* *still* need to take pictures…
    Latest Release: “The Button” We Are Dust anthology and for gaming, a fun Scion: Extras (Supplemental Yet Can Be Somewhat Useful On Occasion Scions)

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May 26, 2013
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