📖 lisa writes stuff issue 🖋️ #44 Writers are a$$holes

Getting into Amazon, new published pieces, and other updates

Dear Internet,

FUCKING FINALLY! The holdouts on signing the contracts to get Love on the Lakefront into Amazon (print and Kindle) have signed and submitted. GOD. It only took two months. I sent a tersely worded email to the mailing list about it and pointed out that not everyone lives in Ohio (where majority of the authors are), bookstores aren’t buying from the distributor¹ because the publisher didn’t give enough of a discount. I’m selling bookstores author copies² at cut rates (I’m making money because the author copies are really, really cheap) to get the books INTO the stores. But because I’m selling author copies, no royalties. Kindle is 72% of the eBook market. Why the hell would you not want to capitalize on that?

I was moaning to another author friend about this and she said that she’s having similar issues with an anthology she’s in, namely, people just aren’t doing their jobs. You write, get that shit edited, submit, and do whatever the anthology editors want you to do.

Writers are assholes. Most of them anyway.

There. I’ve said it. Bitchin’ about my tribe.

Why, you may ask, are writers’ assholes? Based on my deep finger into this world, majority of writers I come across bitch and moan about not selling titles or getting published or hell, even getting a following on social media to convert readers. I run the social media and blog for a large writer’s group and I’m pushing for free publicity all the time like let me interview you, let me advertise your new title, let me get your name out. And the response is usually fucking crickets. I don’t know man, if someone came to me and said “hey! Here is free publicity!” you’d be darn tootin’ I’d take it. One writer I interviewed was asked for their social media and website links and she’s not on the socials. Sure, social media isn’t for everyone but not even a website? How the hell is that even possible?? How are they getting readers??

(Most) writers also do not follow instructions. I did a large group interview and laid out the Dos and Dont’s. There are specific reasons why I have those. I’m handling interviewing and promoting nearly 20 authors. DO WHAT I SAY! Did most of those bastards pay attention? Most did not. Another reason why I set up the reasons is the idea of chasing down nearly 20 authors to get them to submit.

I’m a fan of tersely worded emails.

All but one got back to me which I feel is victorious. The blog posts are scheduled and now I just need to get the social media sorted.

I submitted the first chapter of Going Crazy to contest sponsored by the NYC RWA chapter. The submission fee as a non-chapter member was steep ($40) and the prize was minuscule ($100) compared to the submission fee. I submitted it under the Contemporary category. I read it before submitting and I made a few tweaks but not enough to take away from the story. I won’t know for a few weeks if it placed or not.

Speaking of Love on the Lakefront, a local N. Michigan library I’m reading at has started advertising the event!

It’s becoming a reality!

I still need to figure out what part I’m reading! I need to order commercial breaks to hawk at the reading. AHHHHH!

Another library has also shown interest in a reading so off to set that up!

Done!

Finally, my latest graphic novel review, “Brittle Joints,” is over at No Flying, No Tights, a site that strictly reviews graphic novels and manga written by librarians and librarian adjacent writers. The editor just announced they’ve hit 5,000 reviews! Huzzah to that!

 I’ve gotten back in the habit of writing once a month and I really enjoy it.

What Ms. Scarlet wrote about recently:

Ms. Scarlet has been busy and has not written a blog post in some time.

Submission update

78 submissions, including 63 rejections, 8 acceptances, 1 withdrawal, and 6 outstanding.

Publication

• Chapbook: commercial breaks: a journey into bipolar mania

• Anthology: anodyne magazine vol. 1 (“you self-medicate with cookies”)

• Anthology: Love on the Lakefront: Romantic Tales from the Great Lakes (“Love in the Time of Cherry Season”)

lisa x

1. From the way it’s been explained to me, the distributor sell the books at a discount price to bookstores. The price and discount is set by the publisher. So, for Love on the Lakefront, the book is being sold by the distributor at a 20% discount from retail price which is $18.99. Bookstores don’t want to buy at that discount (typical is 40%) because there is no margin for bookstores to make a profit. The bookstores I’ve spoken to are not buying the book from the distrbutor but from me since I’m selling it at $10 and they can make a decent profit. If they bought from the distrbutor, I get royalities for every books sold. If they buy from me, I get a 100% return which is better than the 8.33% royalty I would have normally gotten.

2. Author copies are regular copies of the books but given (if you’re a big pub) or sold at cost. There are no royalties. Love on the Lakefront at cost price is $6 and I’m selling it to bookstores for $10 and they, in turn, are selling it at retail price of $18.99.