Just a thought...

The overdue Threeletterword essay...

Threeletterword is such a visible subject recently. Facebook, Pinterest, Smashwords, Amazon…all of them seriously need to open entire new wings devoted to threeletterword, because they will never be able to rid themselves of its presence. Yet the outcry from the public is growing that those enterprises should clean up their acts.

Is it really imperative that we hide threeletterword from view entirely? There is a worldwide industry that laughs uproariously at that notion. There is another worldwide industry that has campaigned for thousands of years to stamp out the very idea of threeletterword.

Which philosophy should win that eternal battle?  

Neither.
 

Threeletterword is a very personal, private experience. Except for those who love to share it freely. The problem is not that threeletterword exists altogether. How silly to argue that it should cease to exist in any form. The only true argument is whether it be visible in any form. One side complains that everything about threeletterword is a sin. The other explains that no one would be alive without it. Both rush to make it filthy/not. In most cultures, a bare breast or buttocks is hardly an item to comment about. Here in the West….oh god—God is claimed to be brimstone furious about the matter….

Okay.

Every single organization has it wrong. And, don’t get me started on whether any government has a rational say about it. They have no rational say about any damned thing except defenses from mass destruction. Threeletterword should never be regulated by anyone, but by those one, two or three (more?) about to participate in the action of it.

Do books have too much threeletterword? Shouldn’t they be morally restricted?

Don’t movies have too much threeletterword? Shouldn’t they be banned?
Aren’t parents allowing the corruption of their children, by being nonchalant about their threeletterword education? Shouldn’t kids be told how sinful threeletterword truly is?
 

Are you one of the participants of that encounter? No? Then shut up about it.

People breathe and laugh, too. Are some of us so stupid as to be doing that wrong, too?

I only bring this up, because I have two boys arriving at the age they need to have threeletterword explained to them. (An event which was not part of my own upbringing.) Threeletterword awareness/guilt can alter a person’s mental wellbeing sometimes. I have my own choice to make now. Do I scare the shit out of my kids, or do I tell them something they will take to heart and use in their own maturing lives?  Aside from that BB-gun incident, I’m suddenly a very dangerous person to my own children.

Cheers!



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Walking that mile...

I've been complaining of being so busy I can't read any new books, or pay attention to my online connections. Why does that sound familiar?

Also on the list of things that create hassle: getting a book ready to release. No matter how many times the text is reviewed, something gets by, or worse, some format structure fails. That too sounds so familiar as to be rote.

Now take the item which should be a blessing, but isn't often such; distribution of a book. It is slow, confusing, and more hands-on than I ever expected. Not every outlet will display my wares with my best interest in mind - I experiment and shuffle among a bevy of online retailers. Yep, there is that common truth, heard it before.

So, most of the effort just mentioned is complete, but the damned books just sit there. Prints and eBooks just sit. Not that I don't try to promote them. However, under-promotion and over-promotion is a balancing act; both with the power to kill a book.

Yet when someone actually does read what I've tried so hard to create, there is no point in expecting a glowing review. It's just as likely the thing will only earn a ho-hum. 50-50.

Top all that off, and everywhere I look, someone has a better idea, and a list of examples proving that I haven't a clue what I'm doing. There is an army of doubters in front of me, in every direction.

There! That last piece of reality finally made things clear to me. I have all the troubles that plague Traditional Publishing - and no better answer for those, than they have.

Cheers!


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A short message to readers.
RE: reviews


We are at the same point on the Internet, just now, you and I. Something brought you here. In this case, it was me.  But you won't stay here, will you? You have favorite places to be and will soon go back to them. Unless you leave me a note - I haven't a clue what you are looking at. (grammar flaw)

I sure would like to know what you are looking at. Because, you see, I am here today to push books. Help them sell. Great Indie author's books and some of mine. So, I'm constantly looking to see where you might go next.

My books, along with a billion others, are settling into many places on the Internet. We can name them together...just a few....ready?     AmazonBarnesandNobleAlibrisOverstockCreatSpaceSmashwordsblahblahblah....

Here is my point. No author can be everywhere. You can't. Can you. Neither can we but, God, we try! So, the fact remains you probably have a favorite site to browse for books. I sure hope so. However!...I may not have found that website yet, or had the time to get my books uploaded. You might just have to wait.

Here is my bigger point. I will arrive. Oh, bloody well yes, I will! It's just - you won't know exactly when that might happen. I will have to wait on you.....Ok, I'm good with that.

Guess what?

My books won't have any reviews available. You've noticed that about lots of books, haven't you? They sit on the page all shiny and nifty looking, with a darling price. And not one single review. So, that means it must be lousy, it must be bad, it must be poorly written, it must be over priced, it must be too new....

No. It might have only arrived on that website a short time ago. REVIEWS DO NOT FOLLOW US. Even if our initial distribution point claims to share out reviews, we are learning that does not always happen.

Have I been reviewed? Hell yes. Do I have reviews posted on every site? Hell no. Some sites require a purchase before anyone can review. I would never ask you to make a purchase as several places, just to leave your comments there for others to see. It would be nice......

So, next time you are shopping at your favorite online book dealer. Take a second look at the book without any reviews. It seems attractive, and might be getting rave comments in a dozen places you have never thought to shop.....  You are such a nice person; I thought you would like knowing that.

Cheers!