Monday, January 30, 2012

Still an idiot writer

I am pretty sure no one will read this, so I guess it doesn't matter what I say. I just thought I'd jump on here and continue my promise of trying to keep a somewhat up to date blog.

I am very worried about the state of publishing and reading and writing these days. Books were pretty obscure objects once before - like when I grew up. There were and still are only a handful of real staples that I read growing up - The Cat in the Hat, Chronicles of Narnia (now it seems everyone has a 'chronicles' story), Winnie the Pooh, Grimm Fairy Tales, Where the Sidewalk Ends, and The Hardy Boys' Mysteries. Now there is just so much stuff out there, and it is hard to separate anything that is actually good.

I also think that writing has been on the decline. Every tip I read has been in the words of 'cut', 'cut', 'cut' - This to me only represents one thing - either publishers think kids are to stupid to read long stories, or publishers don't want to spend money on publishing any extra pages. It has almost become the adage - hey let's put this book out as cheaply as possible and then on to the next one.

I guess I am one who likes to see different styles in the way people write - not the one syllable, five word sentence. I like my words painted - it shows that someone has an imagination. NOT rehashing the movie - "The Running Man" and making it a book. Just read, "20000 Leagues Under the Sea" You'll then know what I am talking about.

It is pretty cool in a way to write a blog no one reads. No one cares. I do get to vent about nothing in particular. If you are out trying to be an author that anyone cares about, quit wasting your time. I also don't want to hear - I just need to write, because that's who I am. No we just have this fascination that someone is actually going to care about what we write - and I have to tell - you - no one does. Twitter is full of this - "such and such says - The Time of NeverEver is the such and such choice.." OR "Mandy Nobody has just released the Flyergate Chronicles, and it's in par with Hunger Games."

If you self publish, and you get a few kudos here and there - hold on to them, because that is all you'll get -

Why so angry you ask? I'm not - I'm just writing a blog no one reads. However, if you do come across this blog - I speaketh the truth. And you can vent along with me if you 'd like?


Yours Truly,


Mark

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

I am an idiot writer

This will be the first post in the adventures of being a stupid writer.

I have to say that of all of the things to be in this world, why would anyone want to be a writer --- especially now?

I am not sure what being in middle school is these days, but when I went to school, we were required to read certain books throughout the year... what a crock. I had better things to do than read. I think most of the time I copied my neighbors answers to the 10 question quiz we had after each reading assignment.

It wasn't until I had this bright idea in 1996 to write a book that I thought reading added anything to society. That's right - 1996. That was before "Harry Potter", before the Internet craze and before the absolute saturation of wanna be authors - yours truly included.

It is amazing what one can do with technology these days - meaning - CAN ANYONE TELL ME WHERE THIS STUFF STARTS OR STOPS? What do I mean by stuff? Exactly, have not one clue.

I have gone the self-publishing route - and let me be the first to say - DON'T DO IT!! Unless you want to pat yourself on the back. There is virtue in self publishing though - once you go through it - you'll know where you made your mistake, and you'll be cleaning it up for some time afterwards.

I will say I have a product due to self-publication - it is not a bad product - but what an agent and publishing house can do for said product is daunting to say the least what one can do with that product themselves.

You see - I have done everything that everyone says a self-publisher should do - but yet no one reads my book. The reason? Well - this is hard, but the reason is that I have not a clue how to market, distribute, publicize, or anything else to my audience.

So yes - I have the social media stuff...nothing. I have a blog...nothing.

Maybe my story is not good enough.......hmmmm....maybe, but I don't know that because I can't reach a larger market, and the money it would take to do so is something I am not willing to pay - especially since I am some thousands of dollars in the hole.

Being published in a house with an agent gives you one thing self-pub will not, and that is being legit. Save the sermons, please, until later. I know all of the cliches and sayings and everything else.

There are always exceptions to the rule, but there is also a winner of the lottery - and what is the chance in that?

I still think it is easier to make in Hollywood than it is to be a writer.

I love success stories - yet I am not one of them. I am probably one of the millions that are not - though I will not give up. I just want to do it right.

It is a brand new world out there as far as publishing goes. Anyone with a computer can be a writer nowadays. I have probably seen my window open and shut, but we'll see.

So I have 3 followers of my blog as of this post.....this should be interesting.

www.facebook.com/jmarkboliek

Followers