(7781,1,'2011-03-11 18:21:50','2011-03-11 18:21:50','<em><a href=\"http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/steal.jpg\"><img class=\"size-full wp-image-7742 alignright\" title=\"steal\" src=\"http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/steal.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"201\" /></a>This article can be copied and reused anywhere without prior permission.</em>\n\nThe world is embracing the ebook at an astonishing pace. Most of us who write for a living welcome this. It means new opportunities for authors and readers alike. It means you can carry lots of books in a single, light device. With some systems you can do clever things such as sharing comments and even lending books to your friends.\n\nEveryone who works in publishing -- as writers, editors, designers, in sales and marketing -- wants you to make the most of that new gadget, and to understand how it fits into the world of books. So this is an attempt to set down a few facts about this fast-changing medium.\n\n<strong>Price</strong>\n\nEbook prices have been in flux, mainly due to the speed at which ereaders have taken off. There was a time when ebooks were sometimes more expensive than their print equivalent. This rarely happens now. If you look on Amazon you\'ll usually find they are slightly lower in price than the print book. Prices still usually follow the cycle of paper publishing. So the original ebook price will be based on the hardback cost, and will fall when the paperback comes out. To use my own work as an example, my current hardback, <em>The Fallen Angel,</em> costs £7.99 at Amazon UK and £7.19 for the Kindle edition. My current paperback, <em>The Blue Demon, </em>lists at £4.19 while the paperback is £3.98. So you save money and get the added convenience of the ebook, but don\'t, of course, have that nice book to put on the shelf. The choice is yours.\n\n<strong>Having a look before you buy</strong>\n\nYou don\'t need to commit to an ebook before buying it. In fact you can read a substantial amount of it for free, much more than you\'d get by flicking through a paper book in a shop. All main ebook systems come with a sample function. If you\'re uncertain, use it -- you may be surprised how big a chunk of the book you get (I know I was).\n\n<strong>Free out of print books</strong>\n\nBooks have a limited copyright life, one determined by different sets of laws around the world. Lots of well-known works are now out of copyright. So you can download editions of Shakespeare, Conan Doyle, Jules Verne and many other authors for nothing. A great site to find these authors is <a href=\"http://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Main_Page\" target=\"_blank\">Project Gutenberg</a> which has been digitising out of print books for some time. You will also find inexpensive editions of classic books on Amazon and other stores. Often these are based on Gutenberg texts so you may want to use the original for free.\n\n<strong>Unauthorised editions</strong>\n\nThe music industry was devastated by the proliferation of piracy of MP3 files shared freely across the internet. There are similar fears that the book business will be impacted in the same way by the growing amount of stolen copyright modern books now being placed online, often as money-making ventures for the criminals behind this trade. If you\'re thinking of getting some \'free\' books this way please think again. People who love books don\'t steal them, because they know that in the end that practice will damage the livelihoods of people working in publishing, and their continuing ability to be able to afford to write. You could also find yourself the victim of fraud and theft too.\n\nHere are some fallacies about ebook theft you may encounter.\n\n<em>It\'s not really stealing.</em>\n\nPeople who obtain illicit books on the internet try to justify their actions in many different ways. They call themselves \'pirates\' or \'file sharers\'. They will say, \'But I wouldn\'t have bought the book if I had to pay for it.\' Or, \'If I like the book I got for free it makes it more likely I\'ll tell my friends and buy the next one.\' Don\'t fall for these excuses. People who rip off ebooks are taking something of value without paying for it. That\'s stealing.\n\n<em>It\'s not a big problem</em>\n\nAlmost every commercial ebook now published is available in ripped-off form, and many popular audiobooks. <a title=\"Another insight into how book thieves work\" href=\"http://davidhewson.com/2011/02/another-insight-into-how-book-thieves-work/\">One \'file sharing\' site alone</a> has more than 300,000 registered users, who frequently share stolen books among each other and give themselves \'rewards\' for new titles.\n\n<em>Authors don\'t need the money anyway.</em>\n\nSome of us don\'t. But most authors don\'t earn much at all. For many writing is a second job while something else pays the bills. Book theft deprives them and the employees of their publishing house of income. Musicians who lost their sales income through mp3 ripoffs could try to replace it with concerts and merchandise sales. Authors have none of those opportunities. Their principal source of income comes from the sale of a book.\n\n<em>If you just made the books cheaper I\'d buy instead of stealing.</em>\n\nHow cheap does a book have to be? As we\'ve already said, ebooks are, in most instances, cheaper than their paper equivalent. In many large markets book prices have fallen considerably over the last decade. A mainstream ebook can now be had for £3 to £4 in the UK, which is cheaper than an equivalent book cost twenty years ago.\n\n<em>If you object to book piracy you should also object to libraries and second hand book sales.</em>\n\nLibraries buy books, and in many countries pay a public lending right to authors, a small sum based on the number of times a title is lent. Second hand book sales are of one copy alone. Digital books can be \'duplicated\' a million times at no cost. A second hand sale on eBay is not the same as uploading a file to a torrent site that serves hundreds of thousands of users.\n\n<em>Book torrent sites are run by book fans who are just giving out free advertising for authors. You should be grateful instead of moaning.</em>\n\n<em>Not so. </em>As a<a title=\"The criminals behind intellectual property theft\" href=\"http://davidhewson.com/2011/03/the-criminals-behind-intellectual-property-theft/\"> report from the US International Intellectual Property Alliance</a> details, media piracy is big business, controlled by organised crime rings in many parts of the world. There are vast profits to be made here as intellectual property moves into the digital medium and can be hidden around the world, then served up from sites based in countries without enforceable copyright laws. This is about money: getting a subscription out of you in return for access to all that stolen material. Do you want to give your credit card details to a criminal gang? Then sign up for one of those torrent sites.\n\n<em>Why don\'t you cut out the publishers altogether and sell your books direct over the internet yourself, at a lower price?</em>\n\nPrice is very obviously not the issue here. Some authors are going the direct route, especially with their backlist titles. But it\'s a fallacy to think that a book goes from manuscript to finished title without any intermediate processes. Professional publishing involves several sets of editing and creative input that help an author produce a better book. Even if a writer wants to sell direct, a wise one will still factor in the cost of external editing, marketing and design. Just taking out the printing process and the publisher does not change the fundamental economics of the business. Self published authors are just as likely to be victims of ebook theft as anyone else.\n\n<strong>In short...</strong>\n\nThe digital book revolution is a great thing. It makes it easier and cheaper to read and buy books than ever before. You can try before you buy and you can still go back to paper when you want to. But the phenomenal growth of digital book theft is a threat to the modest income many writers rely on. There are individuals out there who rip off copyright work -- books, software, movies and music -- out of some kind of warped principle. They don\'t want to pay for other people\'s intellectual property and never will.\n\nAuthors are never going to win that battle. So we\'re relying on the vast majority of honest book buyers to support the writing community. Use the established sites. Download samples. See what you like. And then, please, buy it, don\'t steal it.','Got a new ereader? Some things you ought to know...','','inherit','open','open','','7736-revision-13','','','2011-03-11 18:21:50','2011-03-11 18:21:50','',7736,'http://davidhewson.com/2011/03/7736-revision-13/',0,'revision','',0),(7782,1,'2011-03-15 08:24:09','2011-03-15 08:24:09','<a href=\"http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Cellini-11.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-7783\" title=\"Exif_JPEG_PICTURE\" src=\"http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Cellini-11-640x480.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"635\" height=\"476\" /></a>\r\n\r\nThe Boboli Gardens in Florence were the playground of the <a class=\"zem_slink\" title=\"House of Medici\" rel=\"wikipedia\" href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_of_Medici\">Medici family</a>, a glorious spot behind the grim rusticated monster where they lived, the Pitti Palace. Today you can wander around this landscaped hill and try to imagine how the de facto monarchs of the city lived.\r\n\r\nOne of the most fascinating features are the four grottoes built into the hill and decorated in the most extraordinary fashion. What did they <em>do</em> in the grottoes? No one seems to know really. The biggest, above, often called the Buontalenti Grotto or the Grotta Grande, is quite sizable, two linked caves in effect, decorated with stalactites and stalagmites, classical statuary and bizarre creations on the walls.\r\n\r\nWhenever I\'ve been to the Boboli Gardens before the place has been locked, like the other three grottoes, and I had to peer through the railings. But on Sunday a nice chap turned up with a key and let a few of us inside.\r\n\r\nBelow are the photos (not great but then I\'m not a great photographer and this is not an easy place to shoot). There are frescoes of real and fantastic animals, Arcadian landscapes with nymphs and shepherds and, in the second room a beautiful statue of Venus in the middle of a fountain, with some evil-looking fauns clinging to the edge.\r\n\r\nQuite a place. Worth a visit if you can get inside. I\'m still puzzled though... what did they <em>do</em> in these places?\r\n\r\n[gallery link=\"file\"]\r\n<div class=\"zemanta-pixie\" style=\"margin-top: 10px; height: 15px;\"><img class=\"zemanta-pixie-img\" style=\"border: medium none; float: right;\" src=\"http://img.zemanta.com/pixy.gif?x-id=e9d3be7e-8d47-4af3-917b-729cbb1e8a82\" alt=\"\" /></div>','The glorious grottoes of Florence','','publish','open','open','','the-glorious-grottoes-of-florence','','','2011-03-15 08:24:09','2011-03-15 08:24:09','',0,'http://davidhewson.com/?p=7782',0,'post','',0),(7783,1,'2011-03-15 08:10:04','2011-03-15 08:10:04','','Exif_JPEG_PICTURE','','inherit','open','open','','exif_jpeg_picture-14','','','2011-03-15 08:10:04','2011-03-15 08:10:04','',7782,'http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Cellini-11.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(7784,1,'2011-03-15 08:10:17','2011-03-15 08:10:17','','Exif_JPEG_PICTURE','','inherit','open','open','','exif_jpeg_picture-15','','','2011-03-15 08:10:17','2011-03-15 08:10:17','',7782,'http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Cellini-21.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(7785,1,'2011-03-15 08:10:31','2011-03-15 08:10:31','','Exif_JPEG_PICTURE','','inherit','open','open','','exif_jpeg_picture-16','','','2011-03-15 08:10:31','2011-03-15 08:10:31','',7782,'http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Cellini-31.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(7786,1,'2011-03-15 08:10:53','2011-03-15 08:10:53','','Exif_JPEG_PICTURE','','inherit','open','open','','exif_jpeg_picture-17','','','2011-03-15 08:10:53','2011-03-15 08:10:53','',7782,'http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Cellini-51.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(7787,1,'2011-03-15 08:11:06','2011-03-15 08:11:06','','Exif_JPEG_PICTURE','','inherit','open','open','','exif_jpeg_picture-18','','','2011-03-15 08:11:06','2011-03-15 08:11:06','',7782,'http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Cellini-61.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(7788,1,'2011-03-15 08:11:18','2011-03-15 08:11:18','','Exif_JPEG_PICTURE','','inherit','open','open','','exif_jpeg_picture-19','','','2011-03-15 08:11:18','2011-03-15 08:11:18','',7782,'http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Cellini-71.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(7789,1,'2011-03-15 08:11:30','2011-03-15 08:11:30','','Exif_JPEG_PICTURE','','inherit','open','open','','exif_jpeg_picture-20','','','2011-03-15 08:11:30','2011-03-15 08:11:30','',7782,'http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Cellini-81.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(7790,1,'2011-03-15 08:11:44','2011-03-15 08:11:44','','Exif_JPEG_PICTURE','','inherit','open','open','','exif_jpeg_picture-21','','','2011-03-15 08:11:44','2011-03-15 08:11:44','',7782,'http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Cellini-91.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(7791,1,'2011-03-15 08:11:55','2011-03-15 08:11:55','','Exif_JPEG_PICTURE','','inherit','open','open','','exif_jpeg_picture-50','','','2011-03-15 08:11:55','2011-03-15 08:11:55','',7782,'http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Cellini-101.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(7792,1,'2011-03-15 08:12:05','2011-03-15 08:12:05','','Exif_JPEG_PICTURE','','inherit','open','open','','exif_jpeg_picture-51','','','2011-03-15 08:12:05','2011-03-15 08:12:05','',7782,'http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Cellini-111.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(7793,1,'2011-03-15 08:12:16','2011-03-15 08:12:16','','Exif_JPEG_PICTURE','','inherit','open','open','','exif_jpeg_picture-52','','','2011-03-15 08:12:16','2011-03-15 08:12:16','',7782,'http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Cellini-12.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(7794,1,'2011-03-15 08:12:28','2011-03-15 08:12:28','','Exif_JPEG_PICTURE','','inherit','open','open','','exif_jpeg_picture-54','','','2011-03-15 08:12:28','2011-03-15 08:12:28','',7782,'http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Cellini-13.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(7795,1,'2011-03-15 08:12:42','2011-03-15 08:12:42','','Exif_JPEG_PICTURE','','inherit','open','open','','exif_jpeg_picture-55','','','2011-03-15 08:12:42','2011-03-15 08:12:42','',7782,'http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Cellini-14.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(7796,1,'2011-03-15 08:12:51','2011-03-15 08:12:51','','Exif_JPEG_PICTURE','','inherit','open','open','','exif_jpeg_picture-56','','','2011-03-15 08:12:51','2011-03-15 08:12:51','',7782,'http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Cellini-15.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(7797,1,'2011-03-15 08:13:02','2011-03-15 08:13:02','','Exif_JPEG_PICTURE','','inherit','open','open','','exif_jpeg_picture-57','','','2011-03-15 08:13:02','2011-03-15 08:13:02','',7782,'http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Cellini-16.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(7798,1,'2011-03-15 08:13:11','2011-03-15 08:13:11','','Exif_JPEG_PICTURE','','inherit','open','open','','exif_jpeg_picture-58','','','2011-03-15 08:13:11','2011-03-15 08:13:11','',7782,'http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Cellini-17.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(7799,1,'2011-03-15 08:13:21','2011-03-15 08:13:21','','Exif_JPEG_PICTURE','','inherit','open','open','','exif_jpeg_picture-59','','','2011-03-15 08:13:21','2011-03-15 08:13:21','',7782,'http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Cellini-18.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(7800,1,'2011-03-15 08:13:31','2011-03-15 08:13:31','','Exif_JPEG_PICTURE','','inherit','open','open','','exif_jpeg_picture-60','','','2011-03-15 08:13:31','2011-03-15 08:13:31','',7782,'http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Cellini-19.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(7801,1,'2011-03-15 08:13:43','2011-03-15 08:13:43','','Exif_JPEG_PICTURE','','inherit','open','open','','exif_jpeg_picture-61','','','2011-03-15 08:13:43','2011-03-15 08:13:43','',7782,'http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Cellini-20.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(7802,1,'2011-03-15 08:22:26','2011-03-15 08:22:26','<a href=\"http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Cellini-11.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-7783\" title=\"Exif_JPEG_PICTURE\" src=\"http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Cellini-11-640x480.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"635\" height=\"476\" /></a>\n\nThe Boboli Gardens in Florence were the playground of the <a class=\"zem_slink\" title=\"House of Medici\" rel=\"wikipedia\" href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_of_Medici\">Medici family</a>, a glorious spot behind the grim rusticated monster where they lived, the Pitti Palace. Today you can wander around this landscaped hill and try to imagine how the de facto monarchs of the city lived.\n\nOne of the most fascinating features are the four grottoes built into the hill and decorated in the most extraordinary fashion. What did they <em>do</em> in the grottoes? No one seems to know really. The biggest, above, often called the Buontalenti Grotto or the Grotta Grande, is quite sizable, two linked caves in effect, decorated with stalactites and stalagmites, classical statuary and bizarre creations on the walls.\n\nWhenever I\'ve been to the Boboli Gardens before the place has been locked, like the other three grottoes, and I had to peer through the railings. But on Sunday a nice chap turned up with a key and let a few of us inside.\n\nBelow are the photos (not great but then I\'m not a great photographer and this is not an easy place to shoot). There are frescoes of real and fantastic animals, Arcadian landscapes with nymphs and shepherds and, in the second room a beautiful statue of Venus in the middle of a fountain, with some evil-looking fauns clinging to the edge.\n\nQuite a place. Worth a visit if you can get inside.\n\n[gallery link=\"file\"]\n<div class=\"zemanta-pixie\" style=\"margin-top: 10px; height: 15px;\"><img class=\"zemanta-pixie-img\" style=\"border: medium none; float: right;\" src=\"http://img.zemanta.com/pixy.gif?x-id=e9d3be7e-8d47-4af3-917b-729cbb1e8a82\" alt=\"\" /></div>','The glorious grottoes of Florence','','inherit','open','open','','7782-revision','','','2011-03-15 08:22:26','2011-03-15 08:22:26','',7782,'http://davidhewson.com/2011/03/7782-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(7803,1,'2011-03-15 08:22:30','2011-03-15 08:22:30','<a href=\"http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Cellini-11.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-7783\" title=\"Exif_JPEG_PICTURE\" src=\"http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Cellini-11-640x480.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"635\" height=\"476\" /></a>\r\n\r\nThe Boboli Gardens in Florence were the playground of the <a class=\"zem_slink\" title=\"House of Medici\" rel=\"wikipedia\" href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_of_Medici\">Medici family</a>, a glorious spot behind the grim rusticated monster where they lived, the Pitti Palace. Today you can wander around this landscaped hill and try to imagine how the de facto monarchs of the city lived.\r\n\r\nOne of the most fascinating features are the four grottoes built into the hill and decorated in the most extraordinary fashion. What did they <em>do</em> in the grottoes? No one seems to know really. The biggest, above, often called the Buontalenti Grotto or the Grotta Grande, is quite sizable, two linked caves in effect, decorated with stalactites and stalagmites, classical statuary and bizarre creations on the walls.\r\n\r\nWhenever I\'ve been to the Boboli Gardens before the place has been locked, like the other three grottoes, and I had to peer through the railings. But on Sunday a nice chap turned up with a key and let a few of us inside.\r\n\r\nBelow are the photos (not great but then I\'m not a great photographer and this is not an easy place to shoot). There are frescoes of real and fantastic animals, Arcadian landscapes with nymphs and shepherds and, in the second room a beautiful statue of Venus in the middle of a fountain, with some evil-looking fauns clinging to the edge.\r\n\r\nQuite a place. Worth a visit if you can get inside.\r\n\r\n[gallery link=\"file\"]\r\n<div class=\"zemanta-pixie\" style=\"margin-top: 10px; height: 15px;\"><img class=\"zemanta-pixie-img\" style=\"border: medium none; float: right;\" src=\"http://img.zemanta.com/pixy.gif?x-id=e9d3be7e-8d47-4af3-917b-729cbb1e8a82\" alt=\"\" /></div>','The glorious grottoes of Florence','','inherit','open','open','','7782-revision-2','','','2011-03-15 08:22:30','2011-03-15 08:22:30','',7782,'http://davidhewson.com/2011/03/7782-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(7804,1,'2011-03-15 08:22:40','2011-03-15 08:22:40','<a href=\"http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Cellini-11.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-7783\" title=\"Exif_JPEG_PICTURE\" src=\"http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Cellini-11-640x480.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"635\" height=\"476\" /></a>\r\n\r\nThe Boboli Gardens in Florence were the playground of the <a class=\"zem_slink\" title=\"House of Medici\" rel=\"wikipedia\" href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_of_Medici\">Medici family</a>, a glorious spot behind the grim rusticated monster where they lived, the Pitti Palace. Today you can wander around this landscaped hill and try to imagine how the de facto monarchs of the city lived.\r\n\r\nOne of the most fascinating features are the four grottoes built into the hill and decorated in the most extraordinary fashion. What did they <em>do</em> in the grottoes? No one seems to know really. The biggest, above, often called the Buontalenti Grotto or the Grotta Grande, is quite sizable, two linked caves in effect, decorated with stalactites and stalagmites, classical statuary and bizarre creations on the walls.\r\n\r\nWhenever I\'ve been to the Boboli Gardens before the place has been locked, like the other three grottoes, and I had to peer through the railings. But on Sunday a nice chap turned up with a key and let a few of us inside.\r\n\r\nBelow are the photos (not great but then I\'m not a great photographer and this is not an easy place to shoot). There are frescoes of real and fantastic animals, Arcadian landscapes with nymphs and shepherds and, in the second room a beautiful statue of Venus in the middle of a fountain, with some evil-looking fauns clinging to the edge.\r\n\r\nQuite a place. Worth a visit if you can get inside.\r\n\r\n[gallery link=\"file\"]\r\n<div class=\"zemanta-pixie\" style=\"margin-top: 10px; height: 15px;\"><img class=\"zemanta-pixie-img\" style=\"border: medium none; float: right;\" src=\"http://img.zemanta.com/pixy.gif?x-id=e9d3be7e-8d47-4af3-917b-729cbb1e8a82\" alt=\"\" /></div>','The glorious grottoes of Florence','','inherit','open','open','','7782-revision-3','','','2011-03-15 08:22:40','2011-03-15 08:22:40','',7782,'http://davidhewson.com/2011/03/7782-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),(7805,1,'2011-03-15 14:37:59','2011-03-15 14:37:59','One of the perennial myths you meet in the ebook debate runs along the lines, \'Given that you don\'t have expensive paper and distribution costs for ebooks, why aren\'t they cheaper?\'\r\n\r\nAs we\'ve discussed here before... they are cheaper. But it\'s not because they\'re cheaper to develop than printed books. They\'re not. Don\'t take my word for it. <a href=\"http://michaelhyatt.com/why-do-ebooks-cost-so-much.html\" target=\"_blank\">Here\'s a very detailed description of the issue from a professional</a>, Michael Hyatt, chairman of Thomas Nelson.\r\n\r\nHyatt details the real cost of print and distribution -- 12 % -- as well as the new costs of digital. And he points out the substantial costs involved which don\'t change. He concludes...\r\n<blockquote>So far in our experience at Thomas Nelson, the elimination of manufacturing and distribution costs are being offset by retail price reductions and the three additional costs I have outlined. The good news is that we are making about the same margins, regardless of whether we sell the book in physical form or digital.\r\n\r\nAs a result, I don’t expect eBook retail prices to come down any more. If they do, then publishers will have to figure out how to make it work. But for right now, I think the pricing is fair, based on the associated costs.</blockquote>\r\nI imagine most publishers would be content to be in the same situation if they can manage it right now.','The true cost of publishing -- from a publisher','','publish','open','open','','the-true-cost-of-publishing','','','2011-03-15 14:33:43','2011-03-15 14:33:43','',0,'http://davidhewson.com/?p=7805',0,'post','',14),(7806,1,'2011-03-15 08:31:03','2011-03-15 08:31:03','One of the perennial myths you meet in the ebook debate runs along the lines, \'Given that you don\'t have expensive paper and distribution costs for ebooks, which aren\'t they cheaper?\'\n\nAs we\'ve discussed here before... they are cheaper. But it\'s not because they\'re cheaper to develop than printed books. They\'re not. Don\'t take my word for it. <a href=\"http://michaelhyatt.com/why-do-ebooks-cost-so-much.html\" target=\"_blank\">Here\'s a very detailed description of the issue from a professional</a>, Michael Hyatt, chairman of Thomas Nelson.\n\nHyatt details the real cost of print and distribution -- 12 % -- as well as the new costs of digital. And he points out the substantial costs involved which don\'t change. He concludes...\n<blockquote>So far in our experience at Thomas Nelson, the elimination of manufacturing and distribution costs are being offset by retail price reductions and the three additional costs I have outlined. The good news is that we are making about the same margins, regardless of whether we sell the book in physical form or digital.\n\nAs a result, I don’t expect eBook retail prices to come down any more. If they do, then publishers will have to figure out how to make it work. But for right now, I think the pricing is fair, based on the associated costs.</blockquote>\nI imagine most publishers would be content to be in the same situation if they can manage it right now.','The cost of books','','inherit','open','open','','7805-revision','','','2011-03-15 08:31:03','2011-03-15 08:31:03','',7805,'http://davidhewson.com/2011/03/7805-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(7807,1,'2011-03-15 14:39:58','2011-03-15 14:39:58','One of the perennial myths you meet in the ebook debate runs along the lines, \'Given that you don\'t have expensive paper and distribution costs for ebooks, why aren\'t they cheaper?\'\n\nAs we\'ve discussed here before... they are cheaper. But it\'s not because they\'re cheaper to develop than printed books. They\'re not. Don\'t take my word for it. <a href=\"http://michaelhyatt.com/why-do-ebooks-cost-so-much.html\" target=\"_blank\">Here\'s a very detailed description of the issue from a professional</a>, Michael Hyatt, chairman of Thomas Nelson.\n\nHyatt details the real cost of print and distribution -- 12 % -- as well as the new costs of digital. And he points out the substantial costs involved which don\'t change. He concludes...\n<blockquote>So far in our experience at Thomas Nelson, the elimination of manufacturing and distribution costs are being offset by retail price reductions and the three additional costs I have outlined. The good news is that we are making about the same margins, regardless of whether we sell the book in physical form or digital.\n\nAs a result, I don’t expect eBook retail prices to come down any more. If they do, then publishers will have to figure out how to make it work. But for right now, I think the pricing is fair, based on the associated costs.</blockquote>\nI imagine most publishers would be content to be in the same situation if they can manage it right now.','The true cost of publishing -- from a publisher','','inherit','open','open','','7805-autosave','','','2011-03-15 14:39:58','2011-03-15 14:39:58','',7805,'http://davidhewson.com/2011/03/7805-autosave/',0,'revision','',0),(7808,1,'2011-03-15 08:31:38','2011-03-15 08:31:38','One of the perennial myths you meet in the ebook debate runs along the lines, \'Given that you don\'t have expensive paper and distribution costs for ebooks, why aren\'t they cheaper?\'\r\n\r\nAs we\'ve discussed here before... they are cheaper. But it\'s not because they\'re cheaper to develop than printed books. They\'re not. Don\'t take my word for it. <a href=\"http://michaelhyatt.com/why-do-ebooks-cost-so-much.html\" target=\"_blank\">Here\'s a very detailed description of the issue from a professional</a>, Michael Hyatt, chairman of Thomas Nelson.\r\n\r\nHyatt details the real cost of print and distribution -- 12 % -- as well as the new costs of digital. And he points out the substantial costs involved which don\'t change. He concludes...\r\n<blockquote>So far in our experience at Thomas Nelson, the elimination of manufacturing and distribution costs are being offset by retail price reductions and the three additional costs I have outlined. The good news is that we are making about the same margins, regardless of whether we sell the book in physical form or digital.\r\n\r\nAs a result, I don’t expect eBook retail prices to come down any more. If they do, then publishers will have to figure out how to make it work. But for right now, I think the pricing is fair, based on the associated costs.</blockquote>\r\nI imagine most publishers would be content to be in the same situation if they can manage it right now.','The true cost of publishing','','inherit','open','open','','7805-revision-2','','','2011-03-15 08:31:38','2011-03-15 08:31:38','',7805,'http://davidhewson.com/2011/03/7805-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(7809,1,'2011-03-17 09:00:10','2011-03-17 09:00:10','The always-entertaining <a href=\"http://sarahpinborough.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Sarah Pinborough</a> had a fragrant rant on Facebook yesterday. Here it is in full.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Screen-shot-2011-03-17-at-08.39.26.png\"><img class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-7810\" title=\"Sarah\" src=\"http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Screen-shot-2011-03-17-at-08.39.26-640x102.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"635\" height=\"101\" /></a>\r\n\r\nI loved this. So did a lot of people. Writers are constantly being bombarded with self-appointed pundits and gurus advising us to \'build our brand\' or, worse, \'build our author platform\'. There\'s some truth in all this. Modern writers do need to be more visible than their predecessors (though God I\'d pay good money for a desert island without a net connection sometimes).\r\n\r\nBut you know what no one mentions? All this \'brand building\' can damage your dignity. Greatly. People feel the need to go on Twitter and Facebook, not just to witter pointless nonsense (which is why these things primarily exist). But also to ambush an unsuspecting world with pleas to buy their work. Really naked pleas sometimes. I cringed once when I saw a fellow writer approaching individuals on a forum and begging them to look at his work. Is this the brave new world of publishing? A place where authors are nothing more than digital panhandlers, craving attention and a couple of quid for an ebook? Shouldn\'t we be <em>writing </em>instead?\r\n\r\nHappily the <a href=\"https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=10150161319022244&amp;id=635087243&amp;ref=notif&amp;notif_t=feed_comment_reply\" target=\"_blank\">comments on Sarah\'s thread</a> prove I\'m not the only one who feels this way. And then from <a href=\"http://www.garymcmahon.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Gary McMahon</a> comes an interesting suggestion. Instead of begging people to buy your book why not do something more interesting? Threaten them?\r\n\r\nTwo examples so far. From Gary...\r\n<blockquote>How about: \'buy this book and I won\'t personally stalk and kill you\'.</blockquote>\r\nAnd from <a href=\"http://www.members.shaw.ca/winonakent/\" target=\"_blank\">Winona Kent</a>...\r\n<blockquote>Buy my putrid, driveling, pus-soaked piece of god-awful fiction or I\'ll burn down the neighbour\'s shed.</blockquote>\r\nI think there\'s a lot of promise here. Does it beat...?\r\n<blockquote>Hi complete stranger. If you like Jorge Luis Borges, Dan Brown and Danielle Steel, I\'m sure you\'ll <strong>love</strong> my new fantasy romance thriller THE SNOT PIT available now (ebook only) on Amazon for 99 cents. Come friend me on Facebook and Twitter too and I can tell you all about my day too and how I interact with my pet budgie George.</blockquote>\r\nI think so. But then I\'m probably biased. Thank you Sarah for raising this issue. More grumpyoldwomanmehmoments# please (but cut out the old bit, for pity\'s sake).\r\n<div><span style=\"color: #333333; font-family: \'lucida grande\', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal;\"><span>\r\n</span></span></div>','How to build your author platform: threaten people','','publish','open','open','','how-to-build-your-author-platform-threaten-people','','','2011-03-17 09:05:37','2011-03-17 09:05:37','',0,'http://davidhewson.com/?p=7809',0,'post','',5),(7810,1,'2011-03-17 08:40:01','2011-03-17 08:40:01','','Sarah','','inherit','open','open','','screen-shot-2011-03-17-at-08-39-26','','','2011-03-17 08:40:01','2011-03-17 08:40:01','',7809,'http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Screen-shot-2011-03-17-at-08.39.26.png',0,'attachment','image/png',0),(7811,1,'2011-03-17 08:52:41','2011-03-17 08:52:41','The always-entertaining <a href=\"http://sarahpinborough.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Sarah Pinborough</a> had a fragrant rant on Facebook yesterday. Here it is in full.\n\n<a href=\"http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Screen-shot-2011-03-17-at-08.39.26.png\"><img class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-7810\" title=\"Sarah\" src=\"http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Screen-shot-2011-03-17-at-08.39.26-640x102.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"635\" height=\"101\" /></a>\n\nI loved this. So did a lot of people. Writers are constantly being bombarded with self-appointed pundits and gurus advising us to \'build our brand\' or, worse, \'build our author platform\'. There\'s some truth in all this. Modern writers do need to be more visible than their predecessors (though God I do envy Salinger and Pynchon their privacy sometimes).\n\nBut you know what no one mentions about this brave new world? It can damage your dignity. Greatly. People feel the need to go on Twitter and Facebook, not just to witter pointless nonsense (which is why these things primarily exist). But also to ambush \'friends\' and \'followers\' with pleas to buy their work. Really naked pleas sometimes. I cringed once when I saw a fellow writer approaching individuals on a forum and begging them to look at his work. Is this what we\'re reduced to? Digital panhandlers, craving attention and a couple of quid for an ebook?\n\nHappily the <a href=\"https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=10150161319022244&amp;id=635087243&amp;ref=notif&amp;notif_t=feed_comment_reply\" target=\"_blank\">comments on Sarah\'s thread</a> prove I\'m not the only one who feels this way. And then from <a href=\"http://www.garymcmahon.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Gary McMahon</a> comes an interesting suggestion. Instead of begging people to buy your book why not do something more interesting? Insult or threaten them?\n\nTwo examples so far. From Gary...\n<blockquote>How about: \'buy this book and I won\'t personally stalk and kill you\'.</blockquote>\nAnd from Winona Kent...\n<blockquote>Buy my putrid, driveling, pus-soaked piece of god-awful fiction or I\'ll burn down the neighbour\'s shed.</blockquote>\nI think there\'s a lot of promise here. Beats...\n\nHi complete stranger. If you like Jorge Luis Borges, Dan Brown and Danielle Steel, I\'m sure you\'ll <strong>love</strong> my new fantasy romance thriller THE SNOT PIT availa\n<div><span style=\"color: #333333; font-family: \'lucida grande\', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal;\"><span>\n</span></span></div>\n<div><span style=\"color: #333333; font-family: \'lucida grande\', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal;\"><span>\n</span></span></div>','How to build your author platform: insult people','','inherit','open','open','','7809-revision','','','2011-03-17 08:52:41','2011-03-17 08:52:41','',7809,'http://davidhewson.com/2011/03/7809-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(7812,1,'2011-03-17 08:53:20','2011-03-17 08:53:20','The always-entertaining <a href=\"http://sarahpinborough.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Sarah Pinborough</a> had a fragrant rant on Facebook yesterday. Here it is in full.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Screen-shot-2011-03-17-at-08.39.26.png\"><img class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-7810\" title=\"Sarah\" src=\"http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Screen-shot-2011-03-17-at-08.39.26-640x102.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"635\" height=\"101\" /></a>\r\n\r\nI loved this. So did a lot of people. Writers are constantly being bombarded with self-appointed pundits and gurus advising us to \'build our brand\' or, worse, \'build our author platform\'. There\'s some truth in all this. Modern writers do need to be more visible than their predecessors (though God I do envy Salinger and Pynchon their privacy sometimes).\r\n\r\nBut you know what no one mentions about this brave new world? It can damage your dignity. Greatly. People feel the need to go on Twitter and Facebook, not just to witter pointless nonsense (which is why these things primarily exist). But also to ambush \'friends\' and \'followers\' with pleas to buy their work. Really naked pleas sometimes. I cringed once when I saw a fellow writer approaching individuals on a forum and begging them to look at his work. Is this what we\'re reduced to? Digital panhandlers, craving attention and a couple of quid for an ebook?\r\n\r\nHappily the <a href=\"https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=10150161319022244&amp;id=635087243&amp;ref=notif&amp;notif_t=feed_comment_reply\" target=\"_blank\">comments on Sarah\'s thread</a> prove I\'m not the only one who feels this way. And then from <a href=\"http://www.garymcmahon.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Gary McMahon</a> comes an interesting suggestion. Instead of begging people to buy your book why not do something more interesting? Insult or threaten them?\r\n\r\nTwo examples so far. From Gary...\r\n<blockquote>How about: \'buy this book and I won\'t personally stalk and kill you\'.</blockquote>\r\nAnd from Winona Kent...\r\n<blockquote>Buy my putrid, driveling, pus-soaked piece of god-awful fiction or I\'ll burn down the neighbour\'s shed.</blockquote>\r\nI think there\'s a lot of promise here. Beats...\r\n<blockquote>Hi complete stranger. If you like Jorge Luis Borges, Dan Brown and Danielle Steel, I\'m sure you\'ll <strong>love</strong> my new fantasy romance thriller THE SNOT PIT available now (ebook only) on Amazon for 99 cents. Come friend me on Facebook and Twitter too.</blockquote>\r\nAny day.\r\n<div><span style=\"color: #333333; font-family: \'lucida grande\', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal;\"><span>\r\n</span></span></div>\r\n<div><span style=\"color: #333333; font-family: \'lucida grande\', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal;\"><span>\r\n</span></span></div>','How to build your author platform: insult people','','inherit','open','open','','7809-revision-2','','','2011-03-17 08:53:20','2011-03-17 08:53:20','',7809,'http://davidhewson.com/2011/03/7809-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(7813,1,'2011-03-17 08:53:29','2011-03-17 08:53:29','The always-entertaining <a href=\"http://sarahpinborough.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Sarah Pinborough</a> had a fragrant rant on Facebook yesterday. Here it is in full.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Screen-shot-2011-03-17-at-08.39.26.png\"><img class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-7810\" title=\"Sarah\" src=\"http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Screen-shot-2011-03-17-at-08.39.26-640x102.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"635\" height=\"101\" /></a>\r\n\r\nI loved this. So did a lot of people. Writers are constantly being bombarded with self-appointed pundits and gurus advising us to \'build our brand\' or, worse, \'build our author platform\'. There\'s some truth in all this. Modern writers do need to be more visible than their predecessors (though God I do envy Salinger and Pynchon their privacy sometimes).\r\n\r\nBut you know what no one mentions about this brave new world? It can damage your dignity. Greatly. People feel the need to go on Twitter and Facebook, not just to witter pointless nonsense (which is why these things primarily exist). But also to ambush \'friends\' and \'followers\' with pleas to buy their work. Really naked pleas sometimes. I cringed once when I saw a fellow writer approaching individuals on a forum and begging them to look at his work. Is this what we\'re reduced to? Digital panhandlers, craving attention and a couple of quid for an ebook?\r\n\r\nHappily the <a href=\"https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=10150161319022244&amp;id=635087243&amp;ref=notif&amp;notif_t=feed_comment_reply\" target=\"_blank\">comments on Sarah\'s thread</a> prove I\'m not the only one who feels this way. And then from <a href=\"http://www.garymcmahon.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Gary McMahon</a> comes an interesting suggestion. Instead of begging people to buy your book why not do something more interesting? Insult or threaten them?\r\n\r\nTwo examples so far. From Gary...\r\n<blockquote>How about: \'buy this book and I won\'t personally stalk and kill you\'.</blockquote>\r\nAnd from Winona Kent...\r\n<blockquote>Buy my putrid, driveling, pus-soaked piece of god-awful fiction or I\'ll burn down the neighbour\'s shed.</blockquote>\r\nI think there\'s a lot of promise here. Beats...\r\n<blockquote>Hi complete stranger. If you like Jorge Luis Borges, Dan Brown and Danielle Steel, I\'m sure you\'ll <strong>love</strong> my new fantasy romance thriller THE SNOT PIT available now (ebook only) on Amazon for 99 cents. Come friend me on Facebook and Twitter too.</blockquote>\r\nAny day.\r\n<div><span style=\"color: #333333; font-family: \'lucida grande\', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal;\"><span>\r\n</span></span></div>\r\n<div><span style=\"color: #333333; font-family: \'lucida grande\', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal;\"><span>\r\n</span></span></div>','How to build your author platform: insult people','','inherit','open','open','','7809-revision-3','','','2011-03-17 08:53:29','2011-03-17 08:53:29','',7809,'http://davidhewson.com/2011/03/7809-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),(7814,1,'2011-03-17 08:54:41','2011-03-17 08:54:41','The always-entertaining <a href=\"http://sarahpinborough.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Sarah Pinborough</a> had a fragrant rant on Facebook yesterday. Here it is in full.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Screen-shot-2011-03-17-at-08.39.26.png\"><img class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-7810\" title=\"Sarah\" src=\"http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Screen-shot-2011-03-17-at-08.39.26-640x102.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"635\" height=\"101\" /></a>\r\n\r\nI loved this. So did a lot of people. Writers are constantly being bombarded with self-appointed pundits and gurus advising us to \'build our brand\' or, worse, \'build our author platform\'. There\'s some truth in all this. Modern writers do need to be more visible than their predecessors (though God I do envy Salinger and Pynchon their privacy sometimes).\r\n\r\nBut you know what no one mentions about this brave new world? It can damage your dignity. Greatly. People feel the need to go on Twitter and Facebook, not just to witter pointless nonsense (which is why these things primarily exist). But also to ambush \'friends\' and \'followers\' with pleas to buy their work. Really naked pleas sometimes. I cringed once when I saw a fellow writer approaching individuals on a forum and begging them to look at his work. Is this what we\'re reduced to? Digital panhandlers, craving attention and a couple of quid for an ebook?\r\n\r\nHappily the <a href=\"https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=10150161319022244&amp;id=635087243&amp;ref=notif&amp;notif_t=feed_comment_reply\" target=\"_blank\">comments on Sarah\'s thread</a> prove I\'m not the only one who feels this way. And then from <a href=\"http://www.garymcmahon.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Gary McMahon</a> comes an interesting suggestion. Instead of begging people to buy your book why not do something more interesting? Insult or threaten them?\r\n\r\nTwo examples so far. From Gary...\r\n<blockquote>How about: \'buy this book and I won\'t personally stalk and kill you\'.</blockquote>\r\nAnd from Winona Kent...\r\n<blockquote>Buy my putrid, driveling, pus-soaked piece of god-awful fiction or I\'ll burn down the neighbour\'s shed.</blockquote>\r\nI think there\'s a lot of promise here. Does it beat...?\r\n<blockquote>Hi complete stranger. If you like Jorge Luis Borges, Dan Brown and Danielle Steel, I\'m sure you\'ll <strong>love</strong> my new fantasy romance thriller THE SNOT PIT available now (ebook only) on Amazon for 99 cents. Come friend me on Facebook and Twitter too and I can tell you all about my day too.</blockquote>\r\nI think so. But then I\'m probably biased. Thank you Sarah for raising this issue.\r\n<div><span style=\"color: #333333; font-family: \'lucida grande\', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal;\"><span>\r\n</span></span></div>\r\n<div><span style=\"color: #333333; font-family: \'lucida grande\', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal;\"><span>\r\n</span></span></div>','How to build your author platform: insult people','','inherit','open','open','','7809-revision-4','','','2011-03-17 08:54:41','2011-03-17 08:54:41','',7809,'http://davidhewson.com/2011/03/7809-revision-4/',0,'revision','',0),(7815,1,'2011-03-17 08:54:54','2011-03-17 08:54:54','The always-entertaining <a href=\"http://sarahpinborough.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Sarah Pinborough</a> had a fragrant rant on Facebook yesterday. Here it is in full.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Screen-shot-2011-03-17-at-08.39.26.png\"><img class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-7810\" title=\"Sarah\" src=\"http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Screen-shot-2011-03-17-at-08.39.26-640x102.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"635\" height=\"101\" /></a>\r\n\r\nI loved this. So did a lot of people. Writers are constantly being bombarded with self-appointed pundits and gurus advising us to \'build our brand\' or, worse, \'build our author platform\'. There\'s some truth in all this. Modern writers do need to be more visible than their predecessors (though God I do envy Salinger and Pynchon their privacy sometimes).\r\n\r\nBut you know what no one mentions about this brave new world? It can damage your dignity. Greatly. People feel the need to go on Twitter and Facebook, not just to witter pointless nonsense (which is why these things primarily exist). But also to ambush \'friends\' and \'followers\' with pleas to buy their work. Really naked pleas sometimes. I cringed once when I saw a fellow writer approaching individuals on a forum and begging them to look at his work. Is this what we\'re reduced to? Digital panhandlers, craving attention and a couple of quid for an ebook?\r\n\r\nHappily the <a href=\"https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=10150161319022244&amp;id=635087243&amp;ref=notif&amp;notif_t=feed_comment_reply\" target=\"_blank\">comments on Sarah\'s thread</a> prove I\'m not the only one who feels this way. And then from <a href=\"http://www.garymcmahon.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Gary McMahon</a> comes an interesting suggestion. Instead of begging people to buy your book why not do something more interesting? Insult or threaten them?\r\n\r\nTwo examples so far. From Gary...\r\n<blockquote>How about: \'buy this book and I won\'t personally stalk and kill you\'.</blockquote>\r\nAnd from Winona Kent...\r\n<blockquote>Buy my putrid, driveling, pus-soaked piece of god-awful fiction or I\'ll burn down the neighbour\'s shed.</blockquote>\r\nI think there\'s a lot of promise here. Does it beat...?\r\n<blockquote>Hi complete stranger. If you like Jorge Luis Borges, Dan Brown and Danielle Steel, I\'m sure you\'ll <strong>love</strong> my new fantasy romance thriller THE SNOT PIT available now (ebook only) on Amazon for 99 cents. Come friend me on Facebook and Twitter too and I can tell you all about my day too.</blockquote>\r\nI think so. But then I\'m probably biased. Thank you Sarah for raising this issue.\r\n<div><span style=\"color: #333333; font-family: \'lucida grande\', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal;\"><span>\r\n</span></span></div>\r\n<div><span style=\"color: #333333; font-family: \'lucida grande\', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal;\"><span>\r\n</span></span></div>','How to build your author platform: insult people','','inherit','open','open','','7809-revision-5','','','2011-03-17 08:54:54','2011-03-17 08:54:54','',7809,'http://davidhewson.com/2011/03/7809-revision-5/',0,'revision','',0),(7816,1,'2011-03-17 08:56:07','2011-03-17 08:56:07','The always-entertaining <a href=\"http://sarahpinborough.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Sarah Pinborough</a> had a fragrant rant on Facebook yesterday. Here it is in full.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Screen-shot-2011-03-17-at-08.39.26.png\"><img class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-7810\" title=\"Sarah\" src=\"http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Screen-shot-2011-03-17-at-08.39.26-640x102.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"635\" height=\"101\" /></a>\r\n\r\nI loved this. So did a lot of people. Writers are constantly being bombarded with self-appointed pundits and gurus advising us to \'build our brand\' or, worse, \'build our author platform\'. There\'s some truth in all this. Modern writers do need to be more visible than their predecessors (though God I\'d pay good money for a desert island without a net connection sometimes).\r\n\r\nBut you know what no one mentions about this brave new world? It can damage your dignity. Greatly. People feel the need to go on Twitter and Facebook, not just to witter pointless nonsense (which is why these things primarily exist). But also to ambush an unsuspecting world with pleas to buy their work. Really naked pleas sometimes. I cringed once when I saw a fellow writer approaching individuals on a forum and begging them to look at his work. Is this what we\'re reduced to? Digital panhandlers, craving attention and a couple of quid for an ebook?\r\n\r\nHappily the <a href=\"https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=10150161319022244&amp;id=635087243&amp;ref=notif&amp;notif_t=feed_comment_reply\" target=\"_blank\">comments on Sarah\'s thread</a> prove I\'m not the only one who feels this way. And then from <a href=\"http://www.garymcmahon.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Gary McMahon</a> comes an interesting suggestion. Instead of begging people to buy your book why not do something more interesting? Insult or threaten them?\r\n\r\nTwo examples so far. From Gary...\r\n<blockquote>How about: \'buy this book and I won\'t personally stalk and kill you\'.</blockquote>\r\nAnd from Winona Kent...\r\n<blockquote>Buy my putrid, driveling, pus-soaked piece of god-awful fiction or I\'ll burn down the neighbour\'s shed.</blockquote>\r\nI think there\'s a lot of promise here. Does it beat...?\r\n<blockquote>Hi complete stranger. If you like Jorge Luis Borges, Dan Brown and Danielle Steel, I\'m sure you\'ll <strong>love</strong> my new fantasy romance thriller THE SNOT PIT available now (ebook only) on Amazon for 99 cents. Come friend me on Facebook and Twitter too and I can tell you all about my day too.</blockquote>\r\nI think so. But then I\'m probably biased. Thank you Sarah for raising this issue.\r\n<div><span style=\"color: #333333; font-family: \'lucida grande\', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal;\"><span>\r\n</span></span></div>\r\n<div><span style=\"color: #333333; font-family: \'lucida grande\', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal;\"><span>\r\n</span></span></div>','How to build your author platform: insult people','','inherit','open','open','','7809-revision-6','','','2011-03-17 08:56:07','2011-03-17 08:56:07','',7809,'http://davidhewson.com/2011/03/7809-revision-6/',0,'revision','',0),(7821,1,'2011-03-17 08:59:28','2011-03-17 08:59:28','The always-entertaining <a href=\"http://sarahpinborough.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Sarah Pinborough</a> had a fragrant rant on Facebook yesterday. Here it is in full.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Screen-shot-2011-03-17-at-08.39.26.png\"><img class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-7810\" title=\"Sarah\" src=\"http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Screen-shot-2011-03-17-at-08.39.26-640x102.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"635\" height=\"101\" /></a>\r\n\r\nI loved this. So did a lot of people. Writers are constantly being bombarded with self-appointed pundits and gurus advising us to \'build our brand\' or, worse, \'build our author platform\'. There\'s some truth in all this. Modern writers do need to be more visible than their predecessors (though God I\'d pay good money for a desert island without a net connection sometimes).\r\n\r\nBut you know what no one mentions about this brave new world? It can damage your dignity. Greatly. People feel the need to go on Twitter and Facebook, not just to witter pointless nonsense (which is why these things primarily exist). But also to ambush an unsuspecting world with pleas to buy their work. Really naked pleas sometimes. I cringed once when I saw a fellow writer approaching individuals on a forum and begging them to look at his work. Is this the brave new world of publishing? A place where authors are nothing more than digital panhandlers, craving attention and a couple of quid for an ebook? Shouldn\'t we be <em>writing </em>instead?\r\n\r\nHappily the <a href=\"https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=10150161319022244&amp;id=635087243&amp;ref=notif&amp;notif_t=feed_comment_reply\" target=\"_blank\">comments on Sarah\'s thread</a> prove I\'m not the only one who feels this way. And then from <a href=\"http://www.garymcmahon.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Gary McMahon</a> comes an interesting suggestion. Instead of begging people to buy your book why not do something more interesting? Threaten them?\r\n\r\nTwo examples so far. From Gary...\r\n<blockquote>How about: \'buy this book and I won\'t personally stalk and kill you\'.</blockquote>\r\nAnd from Winona Kent...\r\n<blockquote>Buy my putrid, driveling, pus-soaked piece of god-awful fiction or I\'ll burn down the neighbour\'s shed.</blockquote>\r\nI think there\'s a lot of promise here. Does it beat...?\r\n<blockquote>Hi complete stranger. If you like Jorge Luis Borges, Dan Brown and Danielle Steel, I\'m sure you\'ll <strong>love</strong> my new fantasy romance thriller THE SNOT PIT available now (ebook only) on Amazon for 99 cents. Come friend me on Facebook and Twitter too and I can tell you all about my day too and how I interest with my budgie George.</blockquote>\r\nI think so. But then I\'m probably biased. Thank you Sarah for raising this issue. More grumpyoldwomanmehmoments# please (but cut out the old bit, please).\r\n<div><span style=\"color: #333333; font-family: \'lucida grande\', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal;\"><span>\r\n</span></span></div>','How to build your author platform: threaten people','','inherit','open','open','','7809-revision-11','','','2011-03-17 08:59:28','2011-03-17 08:59:28','',7809,'http://davidhewson.com/2011/03/7809-revision-11/',0,'revision','',0),(7817,1,'2011-03-17 08:56:58','2011-03-17 08:56:58','The always-entertaining <a href=\"http://sarahpinborough.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Sarah Pinborough</a> had a fragrant rant on Facebook yesterday. Here it is in full.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Screen-shot-2011-03-17-at-08.39.26.png\"><img class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-7810\" title=\"Sarah\" src=\"http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Screen-shot-2011-03-17-at-08.39.26-640x102.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"635\" height=\"101\" /></a>\r\n\r\nI loved this. So did a lot of people. Writers are constantly being bombarded with self-appointed pundits and gurus advising us to \'build our brand\' or, worse, \'build our author platform\'. There\'s some truth in all this. Modern writers do need to be more visible than their predecessors (though God I\'d pay good money for a desert island without a net connection sometimes).\r\n\r\nBut you know what no one mentions about this brave new world? It can damage your dignity. Greatly. People feel the need to go on Twitter and Facebook, not just to witter pointless nonsense (which is why these things primarily exist). But also to ambush an unsuspecting world with pleas to buy their work. Really naked pleas sometimes. I cringed once when I saw a fellow writer approaching individuals on a forum and begging them to look at his work. Is this the brave new world of publishing? A place where authors are nothing more than digital panhandlers, craving attention and a couple of quid for an ebook? Shouldn\'t we be <em>writing </em>instead?\r\n\r\nHappily the <a href=\"https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=10150161319022244&amp;id=635087243&amp;ref=notif&amp;notif_t=feed_comment_reply\" target=\"_blank\">comments on Sarah\'s thread</a> prove I\'m not the only one who feels this way. And then from <a href=\"http://www.garymcmahon.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Gary McMahon</a> comes an interesting suggestion. Instead of begging people to buy your book why not do something more interesting? Insult or threaten them?\r\n\r\nTwo examples so far. From Gary...\r\n<blockquote>How about: \'buy this book and I won\'t personally stalk and kill you\'.</blockquote>\r\nAnd from Winona Kent...\r\n<blockquote>Buy my putrid, driveling, pus-soaked piece of god-awful fiction or I\'ll burn down the neighbour\'s shed.</blockquote>\r\nI think there\'s a lot of promise here. Does it beat...?\r\n<blockquote>Hi complete stranger. If you like Jorge Luis Borges, Dan Brown and Danielle Steel, I\'m sure you\'ll <strong>love</strong> my new fantasy romance thriller THE SNOT PIT available now (ebook only) on Amazon for 99 cents. Come friend me on Facebook and Twitter too and I can tell you all about my day too.</blockquote>\r\nI think so. But then I\'m probably biased. Thank you Sarah for raising this issue.\r\n<div><span style=\"color: #333333; font-family: \'lucida grande\', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal;\"><span>\r\n</span></span></div>\r\n<div><span style=\"color: #333333; font-family: \'lucida grande\', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal;\"><span>\r\n</span></span></div>','How to build your author platform: insult people','','inherit','open','open','','7809-revision-7','','','2011-03-17 08:56:58','2011-03-17 08:56:58','',7809,'http://davidhewson.com/2011/03/7809-revision-7/',0,'revision','',0),(7818,1,'2011-03-17 08:57:03','2011-03-17 08:57:03','The always-entertaining <a href=\"http://sarahpinborough.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Sarah Pinborough</a> had a fragrant rant on Facebook yesterday. Here it is in full.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Screen-shot-2011-03-17-at-08.39.26.png\"><img class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-7810\" title=\"Sarah\" src=\"http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Screen-shot-2011-03-17-at-08.39.26-640x102.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"635\" height=\"101\" /></a>\r\n\r\nI loved this. So did a lot of people. Writers are constantly being bombarded with self-appointed pundits and gurus advising us to \'build our brand\' or, worse, \'build our author platform\'. There\'s some truth in all this. Modern writers do need to be more visible than their predecessors (though God I\'d pay good money for a desert island without a net connection sometimes).\r\n\r\nBut you know what no one mentions about this brave new world? It can damage your dignity. Greatly. People feel the need to go on Twitter and Facebook, not just to witter pointless nonsense (which is why these things primarily exist). But also to ambush an unsuspecting world with pleas to buy their work. Really naked pleas sometimes. I cringed once when I saw a fellow writer approaching individuals on a forum and begging them to look at his work. Is this the brave new world of publishing? A place where authors are nothing more than digital panhandlers, craving attention and a couple of quid for an ebook? Shouldn\'t we be <em>writing </em>instead?\r\n\r\nHappily the <a href=\"https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=10150161319022244&amp;id=635087243&amp;ref=notif&amp;notif_t=feed_comment_reply\" target=\"_blank\">comments on Sarah\'s thread</a> prove I\'m not the only one who feels this way. And then from <a href=\"http://www.garymcmahon.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Gary McMahon</a> comes an interesting suggestion. Instead of begging people to buy your book why not do something more interesting? Insult or threaten them?\r\n\r\nTwo examples so far. From Gary...\r\n<blockquote>How about: \'buy this book and I won\'t personally stalk and kill you\'.</blockquote>\r\nAnd from Winona Kent...\r\n<blockquote>Buy my putrid, driveling, pus-soaked piece of god-awful fiction or I\'ll burn down the neighbour\'s shed.</blockquote>\r\nI think there\'s a lot of promise here. Does it beat...?\r\n<blockquote>Hi complete stranger. If you like Jorge Luis Borges, Dan Brown and Danielle Steel, I\'m sure you\'ll <strong>love</strong> my new fantasy romance thriller THE SNOT PIT available now (ebook only) on Amazon for 99 cents. Come friend me on Facebook and Twitter too and I can tell you all about my day too.</blockquote>\r\nI think so. But then I\'m probably biased. Thank you Sarah for raising this issue.\r\n<div><span style=\"color: #333333; font-family: \'lucida grande\', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal;\"><span>\r\n</span></span></div>\r\n<div><span style=\"color: #333333; font-family: \'lucida grande\', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal;\"><span>\r\n</span></span></div>','How to build your author platform: insult people','','inherit','open','open','','7809-revision-8','','','2011-03-17 08:57:03','2011-03-17 08:57:03','',7809,'http://davidhewson.com/2011/03/7809-revision-8/',0,'revision','',0),(7819,1,'2011-03-17 08:57:42','2011-03-17 08:57:42','The always-entertaining <a href=\"http://sarahpinborough.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Sarah Pinborough</a> had a fragrant rant on Facebook yesterday. Here it is in full.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Screen-shot-2011-03-17-at-08.39.26.png\"><img class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-7810\" title=\"Sarah\" src=\"http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Screen-shot-2011-03-17-at-08.39.26-640x102.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"635\" height=\"101\" /></a>\r\n\r\nI loved this. So did a lot of people. Writers are constantly being bombarded with self-appointed pundits and gurus advising us to \'build our brand\' or, worse, \'build our author platform\'. There\'s some truth in all this. Modern writers do need to be more visible than their predecessors (though God I\'d pay good money for a desert island without a net connection sometimes).\r\n\r\nBut you know what no one mentions about this brave new world? It can damage your dignity. Greatly. People feel the need to go on Twitter and Facebook, not just to witter pointless nonsense (which is why these things primarily exist). But also to ambush an unsuspecting world with pleas to buy their work. Really naked pleas sometimes. I cringed once when I saw a fellow writer approaching individuals on a forum and begging them to look at his work. Is this the brave new world of publishing? A place where authors are nothing more than digital panhandlers, craving attention and a couple of quid for an ebook? Shouldn\'t we be <em>writing </em>instead?\r\n\r\nHappily the <a href=\"https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=10150161319022244&amp;id=635087243&amp;ref=notif&amp;notif_t=feed_comment_reply\" target=\"_blank\">comments on Sarah\'s thread</a> prove I\'m not the only one who feels this way. And then from <a href=\"http://www.garymcmahon.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Gary McMahon</a> comes an interesting suggestion. Instead of begging people to buy your book why not do something more interesting? Threaten them?\r\n\r\nTwo examples so far. From Gary...\r\n<blockquote>How about: \'buy this book and I won\'t personally stalk and kill you\'.</blockquote>\r\nAnd from Winona Kent...\r\n<blockquote>Buy my putrid, driveling, pus-soaked piece of god-awful fiction or I\'ll burn down the neighbour\'s shed.</blockquote>\r\nI think there\'s a lot of promise here. Does it beat...?\r\n<blockquote>Hi complete stranger. If you like Jorge Luis Borges, Dan Brown and Danielle Steel, I\'m sure you\'ll <strong>love</strong> my new fantasy romance thriller THE SNOT PIT available now (ebook only) on Amazon for 99 cents. Come friend me on Facebook and Twitter too and I can tell you all about my day too.</blockquote>\r\nI think so. But then I\'m probably biased. Thank you Sarah for raising this issue.\r\n<div><span style=\"color: #333333; font-family: \'lucida grande\', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal;\"><span>\r\n</span></span></div>\r\n<div><span style=\"color: #333333; font-family: \'lucida grande\', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal;\"><span>\r\n</span></span></div>','How to build your author platform: threaten people','','inherit','open','open','','7809-revision-9','','','2011-03-17 08:57:42','2011-03-17 08:57:42','',7809,'http://davidhewson.com/2011/03/7809-revision-9/',0,'revision','',0),(7820,1,'2011-03-17 08:57:49','2011-03-17 08:57:49','The always-entertaining <a href=\"http://sarahpinborough.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Sarah Pinborough</a> had a fragrant rant on Facebook yesterday. Here it is in full.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Screen-shot-2011-03-17-at-08.39.26.png\"><img class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-7810\" title=\"Sarah\" src=\"http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Screen-shot-2011-03-17-at-08.39.26-640x102.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"635\" height=\"101\" /></a>\r\n\r\nI loved this. So did a lot of people. Writers are constantly being bombarded with self-appointed pundits and gurus advising us to \'build our brand\' or, worse, \'build our author platform\'. There\'s some truth in all this. Modern writers do need to be more visible than their predecessors (though God I\'d pay good money for a desert island without a net connection sometimes).\r\n\r\nBut you know what no one mentions about this brave new world? It can damage your dignity. Greatly. People feel the need to go on Twitter and Facebook, not just to witter pointless nonsense (which is why these things primarily exist). But also to ambush an unsuspecting world with pleas to buy their work. Really naked pleas sometimes. I cringed once when I saw a fellow writer approaching individuals on a forum and begging them to look at his work. Is this the brave new world of publishing? A place where authors are nothing more than digital panhandlers, craving attention and a couple of quid for an ebook? Shouldn\'t we be <em>writing </em>instead?\r\n\r\nHappily the <a href=\"https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=10150161319022244&amp;id=635087243&amp;ref=notif&amp;notif_t=feed_comment_reply\" target=\"_blank\">comments on Sarah\'s thread</a> prove I\'m not the only one who feels this way. And then from <a href=\"http://www.garymcmahon.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Gary McMahon</a> comes an interesting suggestion. Instead of begging people to buy your book why not do something more interesting? Threaten them?\r\n\r\nTwo examples so far. From Gary...\r\n<blockquote>How about: \'buy this book and I won\'t personally stalk and kill you\'.</blockquote>\r\nAnd from Winona Kent...\r\n<blockquote>Buy my putrid, driveling, pus-soaked piece of god-awful fiction or I\'ll burn down the neighbour\'s shed.</blockquote>\r\nI think there\'s a lot of promise here. Does it beat...?\r\n<blockquote>Hi complete stranger. If you like Jorge Luis Borges, Dan Brown and Danielle Steel, I\'m sure you\'ll <strong>love</strong> my new fantasy romance thriller THE SNOT PIT available now (ebook only) on Amazon for 99 cents. Come friend me on Facebook and Twitter too and I can tell you all about my day too.</blockquote>\r\nI think so. But then I\'m probably biased. Thank you Sarah for raising this issue.\r\n<div><span style=\"color: #333333; font-family: \'lucida grande\', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal;\"><span>\r\n</span></span></div>\r\n<div><span style=\"color: #333333; font-family: \'lucida grande\', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal;\"><span>\r\n</span></span></div>','How to build your author platform: threaten people','','inherit','open','open','','7809-revision-10','','','2011-03-17 08:57:49','2011-03-17 08:57:49','',7809,'http://davidhewson.com/2011/03/7809-revision-10/',0,'revision','',0),(7822,1,'2011-03-17 08:59:34','2011-03-17 08:59:34','The always-entertaining <a href=\"http://sarahpinborough.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Sarah Pinborough</a> had a fragrant rant on Facebook yesterday. Here it is in full.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Screen-shot-2011-03-17-at-08.39.26.png\"><img class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-7810\" title=\"Sarah\" src=\"http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Screen-shot-2011-03-17-at-08.39.26-640x102.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"635\" height=\"101\" /></a>\r\n\r\nI loved this. So did a lot of people. Writers are constantly being bombarded with self-appointed pundits and gurus advising us to \'build our brand\' or, worse, \'build our author platform\'. There\'s some truth in all this. Modern writers do need to be more visible than their predecessors (though God I\'d pay good money for a desert island without a net connection sometimes).\r\n\r\nBut you know what no one mentions about this brave new world? It can damage your dignity. Greatly. People feel the need to go on Twitter and Facebook, not just to witter pointless nonsense (which is why these things primarily exist). But also to ambush an unsuspecting world with pleas to buy their work. Really naked pleas sometimes. I cringed once when I saw a fellow writer approaching individuals on a forum and begging them to look at his work. Is this the brave new world of publishing? A place where authors are nothing more than digital panhandlers, craving attention and a couple of quid for an ebook? Shouldn\'t we be <em>writing </em>instead?\r\n\r\nHappily the <a href=\"https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=10150161319022244&amp;id=635087243&amp;ref=notif&amp;notif_t=feed_comment_reply\" target=\"_blank\">comments on Sarah\'s thread</a> prove I\'m not the only one who feels this way. And then from <a href=\"http://www.garymcmahon.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Gary McMahon</a> comes an interesting suggestion. Instead of begging people to buy your book why not do something more interesting? Threaten them?\r\n\r\nTwo examples so far. From Gary...\r\n<blockquote>How about: \'buy this book and I won\'t personally stalk and kill you\'.</blockquote>\r\nAnd from Winona Kent...\r\n<blockquote>Buy my putrid, driveling, pus-soaked piece of god-awful fiction or I\'ll burn down the neighbour\'s shed.</blockquote>\r\nI think there\'s a lot of promise here. Does it beat...?\r\n<blockquote>Hi complete stranger. If you like Jorge Luis Borges, Dan Brown and Danielle Steel, I\'m sure you\'ll <strong>love</strong> my new fantasy romance thriller THE SNOT PIT available now (ebook only) on Amazon for 99 cents. Come friend me on Facebook and Twitter too and I can tell you all about my day too and how I interest with my budgie George.</blockquote>\r\nI think so. But then I\'m probably biased. Thank you Sarah for raising this issue. More grumpyoldwomanmehmoments# please (but cut out the old bit, please).\r\n<div><span style=\"color: #333333; font-family: \'lucida grande\', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal;\"><span>\r\n</span></span></div>','How to build your author platform: threaten people','','inherit','open','open','','7809-revision-12','','','2011-03-17 08:59:34','2011-03-17 08:59:34','',7809,'http://davidhewson.com/2011/03/7809-revision-12/',0,'revision','',0),(7823,1,'2011-03-17 09:00:10','2011-03-17 09:00:10','The always-entertaining <a href=\"http://sarahpinborough.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Sarah Pinborough</a> had a fragrant rant on Facebook yesterday. Here it is in full.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Screen-shot-2011-03-17-at-08.39.26.png\"><img class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-7810\" title=\"Sarah\" src=\"http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Screen-shot-2011-03-17-at-08.39.26-640x102.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"635\" height=\"101\" /></a>\r\n\r\nI loved this. So did a lot of people. Writers are constantly being bombarded with self-appointed pundits and gurus advising us to \'build our brand\' or, worse, \'build our author platform\'. There\'s some truth in all this. Modern writers do need to be more visible than their predecessors (though God I\'d pay good money for a desert island without a net connection sometimes).\r\n\r\nBut you know what no one mentions about this brave new world? It can damage your dignity. Greatly. People feel the need to go on Twitter and Facebook, not just to witter pointless nonsense (which is why these things primarily exist). But also to ambush an unsuspecting world with pleas to buy their work. Really naked pleas sometimes. I cringed once when I saw a fellow writer approaching individuals on a forum and begging them to look at his work. Is this the brave new world of publishing? A place where authors are nothing more than digital panhandlers, craving attention and a couple of quid for an ebook? Shouldn\'t we be <em>writing </em>instead?\r\n\r\nHappily the <a href=\"https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=10150161319022244&amp;id=635087243&amp;ref=notif&amp;notif_t=feed_comment_reply\" target=\"_blank\">comments on Sarah\'s thread</a> prove I\'m not the only one who feels this way. And then from <a href=\"http://www.garymcmahon.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Gary McMahon</a> comes an interesting suggestion. Instead of begging people to buy your book why not do something more interesting? Threaten them?\r\n\r\nTwo examples so far. From Gary...\r\n<blockquote>How about: \'buy this book and I won\'t personally stalk and kill you\'.</blockquote>\r\nAnd from Winona Kent...\r\n<blockquote>Buy my putrid, driveling, pus-soaked piece of god-awful fiction or I\'ll burn down the neighbour\'s shed.</blockquote>\r\nI think there\'s a lot of promise here. Does it beat...?\r\n<blockquote>Hi complete stranger. If you like Jorge Luis Borges, Dan Brown and Danielle Steel, I\'m sure you\'ll <strong>love</strong> my new fantasy romance thriller THE SNOT PIT available now (ebook only) on Amazon for 99 cents. Come friend me on Facebook and Twitter too and I can tell you all about my day too and how I interest with my budgie George.</blockquote>\r\nI think so. But then I\'m probably biased. Thank you Sarah for raising this issue. More grumpyoldwomanmehmoments# please (but cut out the old bit, for pity\'s sake).\r\n<div><span style=\"color: #333333; font-family: \'lucida grande\', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal;\"><span>\r\n</span></span></div>','How to build your author platform: threaten people','','inherit','open','open','','7809-revision-13','','','2011-03-17 09:00:10','2011-03-17 09:00:10','',7809,'http://davidhewson.com/2011/03/7809-revision-13/',0,'revision','',0),(7824,1,'2011-03-17 09:00:58','2011-03-17 09:00:58','The always-entertaining <a href=\"http://sarahpinborough.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Sarah Pinborough</a> had a fragrant rant on Facebook yesterday. Here it is in full.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Screen-shot-2011-03-17-at-08.39.26.png\"><img class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-7810\" title=\"Sarah\" src=\"http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Screen-shot-2011-03-17-at-08.39.26-640x102.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"635\" height=\"101\" /></a>\r\n\r\nI loved this. So did a lot of people. Writers are constantly being bombarded with self-appointed pundits and gurus advising us to \'build our brand\' or, worse, \'build our author platform\'. There\'s some truth in all this. Modern writers do need to be more visible than their predecessors (though God I\'d pay good money for a desert island without a net connection sometimes).\r\n\r\nBut you know what no one mentions about this brave new world? It can damage your dignity. Greatly. People feel the need to go on Twitter and Facebook, not just to witter pointless nonsense (which is why these things primarily exist). But also to ambush an unsuspecting world with pleas to buy their work. Really naked pleas sometimes. I cringed once when I saw a fellow writer approaching individuals on a forum and begging them to look at his work. Is this the brave new world of publishing? A place where authors are nothing more than digital panhandlers, craving attention and a couple of quid for an ebook? Shouldn\'t we be <em>writing </em>instead?\r\n\r\nHappily the <a href=\"https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=10150161319022244&amp;id=635087243&amp;ref=notif&amp;notif_t=feed_comment_reply\" target=\"_blank\">comments on Sarah\'s thread</a> prove I\'m not the only one who feels this way. And then from <a href=\"http://www.garymcmahon.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Gary McMahon</a> comes an interesting suggestion. Instead of begging people to buy your book why not do something more interesting? Threaten them?\r\n\r\nTwo examples so far. From Gary...\r\n<blockquote>How about: \'buy this book and I won\'t personally stalk and kill you\'.</blockquote>\r\nAnd from Winona Kent...\r\n<blockquote>Buy my putrid, driveling, pus-soaked piece of god-awful fiction or I\'ll burn down the neighbour\'s shed.</blockquote>\r\nI think there\'s a lot of promise here. Does it beat...?\r\n<blockquote>Hi complete stranger. If you like Jorge Luis Borges, Dan Brown and Danielle Steel, I\'m sure you\'ll <strong>love</strong> my new fantasy romance thriller THE SNOT PIT available now (ebook only) on Amazon for 99 cents. Come friend me on Facebook and Twitter too and I can tell you all about my day too and how I interact with my budgie George.</blockquote>\r\nI think so. But then I\'m probably biased. Thank you Sarah for raising this issue. More grumpyoldwomanmehmoments# please (but cut out the old bit, for pity\'s sake).\r\n<div><span style=\"color: #333333; font-family: \'lucida grande\', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal;\"><span>\r\n</span></span></div>','How to build your author platform: threaten people','','inherit','open','open','','7809-revision-14','','','2011-03-17 09:00:58','2011-03-17 09:00:58','',7809,'http://davidhewson.com/2011/03/7809-revision-14/',0,'revision','',0),(7825,1,'2011-03-17 09:06:43','2011-03-17 09:06:43','The always-entertaining <a href=\"http://sarahpinborough.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Sarah Pinborough</a> had a fragrant rant on Facebook yesterday. Here it is in full.\n\n<a href=\"http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Screen-shot-2011-03-17-at-08.39.26.png\"><img class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-7810\" title=\"Sarah\" src=\"http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Screen-shot-2011-03-17-at-08.39.26-640x102.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"635\" height=\"101\" /></a>\n\nI loved this. So did a lot of people. Writers are constantly being bombarded with self-appointed pundits and gurus advising us to \'build our brand\' or, worse, \'build our author platform\'. There\'s some truth in all this. Modern writers do need to be more visible than their predecessors (though God I\'d pay good money for a desert island without a net connection sometimes).\n\nBut you know what no one mentions? All this \'brand building\' can damage your dignity. Greatly. People feel the need to go on Twitter and Facebook, not just to witter pointless nonsense (which is why these things primarily exist). But also to ambush an unsuspecting world with pleas to buy their work. Really naked pleas sometimes. I cringed once when I saw a fellow writer approaching individuals on a forum and begging them to look at his work. Is this the brave new world of publishing? A place where authors are nothing more than digital panhandlers, craving attention and a couple of quid for an ebook? Shouldn\'t we be <em>writing </em>instead?\n\nHappily the <a href=\"https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=10150161319022244&amp;id=635087243&amp;ref=notif&amp;notif_t=feed_comment_reply\" target=\"_blank\">comments on Sarah\'s thread</a> prove I\'m not the only one who feels this way. And then from <a href=\"http://www.garymcmahon.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Gary McMahon</a> comes an interesting suggestion. Instead of begging people to buy your book why not do something more interesting? Threaten them?\n\nTwo examples so far. From Gary...\n<blockquote>How about: \'buy this book and I won\'t personally stalk and kill you\'.</blockquote>\nAnd from <a href=\"http://www.members.shaw.ca/winonakent/\" target=\"_blank\">Winona Kent</a>...\n<blockquote>Buy my putrid, driveling, pus-soaked piece of god-awful fiction or I\'ll burn down the neighbour\'s shed.</blockquote>\nI think there\'s a lot of promise here. Does it beat...?\n<blockquote>Hi complete stranger. If you like Jorge Luis Borges, Dan Brown and Danielle Steel, I\'m sure you\'ll <strong>love</strong> my new fantasy romance thriller THE SNOT PIT available now (ebook only) on Amazon for 99 cents. Come friend me on Facebook and Twitter too and I can tell you all about my day too and how I interact with my pet budgie George.</blockquote>\nI think so. But then I\'m probably biased. Thank you Sarah for raising this issue. More grumpyoldwomanmehmoments# please (but cut out the old bit, for pity\'s sake).\n<div><span style=\"color: #333333; font-family: \'lucida grande\', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal;\"><span>\n</span></span></div>','How to build your author platform: threaten people','','inherit','open','open','','7809-autosave','','','2011-03-17 09:06:43','2011-03-17 09:06:43','',7809,'http://davidhewson.com/2011/03/7809-autosave/',0,'revision','',0),(7826,1,'2011-03-17 09:01:20','2011-03-17 09:01:20','The always-entertaining <a href=\"http://sarahpinborough.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Sarah Pinborough</a> had a fragrant rant on Facebook yesterday. Here it is in full.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Screen-shot-2011-03-17-at-08.39.26.png\"><img class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-7810\" title=\"Sarah\" src=\"http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Screen-shot-2011-03-17-at-08.39.26-640x102.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"635\" height=\"101\" /></a>\r\n\r\nI loved this. So did a lot of people. Writers are constantly being bombarded with self-appointed pundits and gurus advising us to \'build our brand\' or, worse, \'build our author platform\'. There\'s some truth in all this. Modern writers do need to be more visible than their predecessors (though God I\'d pay good money for a desert island without a net connection sometimes).\r\n\r\nBut you know what no one mentions about this brave new world? It can damage your dignity. Greatly. People feel the need to go on Twitter and Facebook, not just to witter pointless nonsense (which is why these things primarily exist). But also to ambush an unsuspecting world with pleas to buy their work. Really naked pleas sometimes. I cringed once when I saw a fellow writer approaching individuals on a forum and begging them to look at his work. Is this the brave new world of publishing? A place where authors are nothing more than digital panhandlers, craving attention and a couple of quid for an ebook? Shouldn\'t we be <em>writing </em>instead?\r\n\r\nHappily the <a href=\"https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=10150161319022244&amp;id=635087243&amp;ref=notif&amp;notif_t=feed_comment_reply\" target=\"_blank\">comments on Sarah\'s thread</a> prove I\'m not the only one who feels this way. And then from <a href=\"http://www.garymcmahon.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Gary McMahon</a> comes an interesting suggestion. Instead of begging people to buy your book why not do something more interesting? Threaten them?\r\n\r\nTwo examples so far. From Gary...\r\n<blockquote>How about: \'buy this book and I won\'t personally stalk and kill you\'.</blockquote>\r\nAnd from Winona Kent...\r\n<blockquote>Buy my putrid, driveling, pus-soaked piece of god-awful fiction or I\'ll burn down the neighbour\'s shed.</blockquote>\r\nI think there\'s a lot of promise here. Does it beat...?\r\n<blockquote>Hi complete stranger. If you like Jorge Luis Borges, Dan Brown and Danielle Steel, I\'m sure you\'ll <strong>love</strong> my new fantasy romance thriller THE SNOT PIT available now (ebook only) on Amazon for 99 cents. Come friend me on Facebook and Twitter too and I can tell you all about my day too and how I interact with my pet budgie George.</blockquote>\r\nI think so. But then I\'m probably biased. Thank you Sarah for raising this issue. More grumpyoldwomanmehmoments# please (but cut out the old bit, for pity\'s sake).\r\n<div><span style=\"color: #333333; font-family: \'lucida grande\', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal;\"><span>\r\n</span></span></div>','How to build your author platform: threaten people','','inherit','open','open','','7809-revision-15','','','2011-03-17 09:01:20','2011-03-17 09:01:20','',7809,'http://davidhewson.com/2011/03/7809-revision-15/',0,'revision','',0),(7827,1,'2011-03-17 09:04:33','2011-03-17 09:04:33','The always-entertaining <a href=\"http://sarahpinborough.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Sarah Pinborough</a> had a fragrant rant on Facebook yesterday. Here it is in full.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Screen-shot-2011-03-17-at-08.39.26.png\"><img class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-7810\" title=\"Sarah\" src=\"http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Screen-shot-2011-03-17-at-08.39.26-640x102.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"635\" height=\"101\" /></a>\r\n\r\nI loved this. So did a lot of people. Writers are constantly being bombarded with self-appointed pundits and gurus advising us to \'build our brand\' or, worse, \'build our author platform\'. There\'s some truth in all this. Modern writers do need to be more visible than their predecessors (though God I\'d pay good money for a desert island without a net connection sometimes).\r\n\r\nBut you know what no one mentions about this brave new world? It can damage your dignity. Greatly. People feel the need to go on Twitter and Facebook, not just to witter pointless nonsense (which is why these things primarily exist). But also to ambush an unsuspecting world with pleas to buy their work. Really naked pleas sometimes. I cringed once when I saw a fellow writer approaching individuals on a forum and begging them to look at his work. Is this the brave new world of publishing? A place where authors are nothing more than digital panhandlers, craving attention and a couple of quid for an ebook? Shouldn\'t we be <em>writing </em>instead?\r\n\r\nHappily the <a href=\"https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=10150161319022244&amp;id=635087243&amp;ref=notif&amp;notif_t=feed_comment_reply\" target=\"_blank\">comments on Sarah\'s thread</a> prove I\'m not the only one who feels this way. And then from <a href=\"http://www.garymcmahon.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Gary McMahon</a> comes an interesting suggestion. Instead of begging people to buy your book why not do something more interesting? Threaten them?\r\n\r\nTwo examples so far. From Gary...\r\n<blockquote>How about: \'buy this book and I won\'t personally stalk and kill you\'.</blockquote>\r\nAnd from <a href=\"http://www.members.shaw.ca/winonakent/\" target=\"_blank\">Winona Kent</a>...\r\n<blockquote>Buy my putrid, driveling, pus-soaked piece of god-awful fiction or I\'ll burn down the neighbour\'s shed.</blockquote>\r\nI think there\'s a lot of promise here. Does it beat...?\r\n<blockquote>Hi complete stranger. If you like Jorge Luis Borges, Dan Brown and Danielle Steel, I\'m sure you\'ll <strong>love</strong> my new fantasy romance thriller THE SNOT PIT available now (ebook only) on Amazon for 99 cents. Come friend me on Facebook and Twitter too and I can tell you all about my day too and how I interact with my pet budgie George.</blockquote>\r\nI think so. But then I\'m probably biased. Thank you Sarah for raising this issue. More grumpyoldwomanmehmoments# please (but cut out the old bit, for pity\'s sake).\r\n<div><span style=\"color: #333333; font-family: \'lucida grande\', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal;\"><span>\r\n</span></span></div>','How to build your author platform: threaten people','','inherit','open','open','','7809-revision-16','','','2011-03-17 09:04:33','2011-03-17 09:04:33','',7809,'http://davidhewson.com/2011/03/7809-revision-16/',0,'revision','',0),(7828,1,'2011-03-17 15:24:57','2011-03-17 15:24:57','<a class=\"zem_slink\" title=\"StoryMill\" rel=\"homepage\" href=\"http://www.marinersoftware.com/sitepage.php?page=127\">Storymill</a> is one of the veteran Mac writing apps. As Avenir it was around before Scrivener and picked up a lot of fans. I bought it and upgraded to Storymill 3 when it changed its name and was acquired by Mariner. There must be a Mac writing app I haven\'t bought but I\'m not sure what it is.\r\n\r\nI found Storymill 3 attractive in many ways. Simple to learn and use. Visually attractive. But I always stumbled over two things. It had a timeline feature which, try as I might, I couldn\'t get to work for me. Much worse I found it difficult to work with collections of scenes. It seemed to want you to write them separately and deal with them separately too, lacking Scrivener\'s facility for viewing manuscripts very easily at both micro and macro level.\r\n\r\nNow Storymill 4 is out. I don\'t have the time to review it in full but I\'ve had a brief look. How much has it improved?\r\n\r\n<!--more-->A lot I think. First, that problem with viewing scenes in a selective, continuous fashion has been fixed.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/chapter.png\"><img class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-7829\" title=\"chapter\" src=\"http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/chapter-640x681.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"635\" height=\"675\" /></a>\r\n\r\nScenes can be grouped into chapters and viewed that way. The slightly odd thing is they still stay as a separate list of scenes in the sidebar too, as they did with the previous version. Which duplicates things a bit, or so it seems to me. But it\'s not hard to get used to. I imagine that scenes folder will stay closed most of the time.\r\n\r\nThe individual scene view for writing is clean and easily understandable.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/scene.png\"><img class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-7830\" title=\"scene\" src=\"http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/scene-640x359.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"635\" height=\"356\" /></a>\r\n\r\nElsewhere you have separate sections for characters, tasks, research, locations and the like.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/actor.png\"><img class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-7831\" title=\"actor\" src=\"http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/actor-640x598.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"635\" height=\"593\" /></a>\r\n\r\nAnd that slightly awkward (for me anyway) timeline feature has been tweaked to look a lot easier.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/timeline.png\"><img class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-7832\" title=\"timeline\" src=\"http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/timeline-640x305.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"635\" height=\"302\" /></a>\r\n\r\nBut you know what? I don\'t care. Most of my work doesn\'t really need a timeline feature, and I\'m a great believer in ignoring stuff that\'s not required. When I have pined for time control it\'s usually been in twin era stories and on a brief look I\'m not sure this would work for that. Or that it should really. Timelines are for other people so my opinion is irrelevant.\r\n\r\nOh, and it has a trash too, and a feature that follows Scrivener\'s snapshot idea, allowing you to take a copy of a scene before working on it so that you can go back to the original if required.\r\n\r\nInteresting stuff all round. There are a lot more new features, of course. <a href=\"http://www.marinersoftware.com/products/storymill/storymill-whatsnew/\" target=\"_blank\">You can see the full list here.</a> It seems reasonable value for $49.95. None of the fancier bits of Scrivener, such as the ability to export to epub or Kindle (all the usual suspects though, including Word). But if you don\'t need them it could be worth a look.\r\n\r\nI have an unbreakable rule that I don\'t switch writing software halfway through a project so there\'s absolutely no chance I\'m going to take a close look at Storymill, at least for a few months if ever. There may be huge gotchas or incredible new features I\'ve missed here. Don\'t take my word. Try it for yourself. There is, of course, a free demo download, though why Mariner insist you give them your email address <em>and</em> go through the palaver of an email confirmation before getting the file is beyond me.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<div class=\"zemanta-pixie\" style=\"margin-top: 10px; height: 15px;\"><img class=\"zemanta-pixie-img\" style=\"border: medium none; float: right;\" src=\"http://img.zemanta.com/pixy.gif?x-id=1e388174-c41a-478e-85b8-749873511295\" alt=\"\" /></div>','Storymill 4 is out -- and looking interesting','','publish','open','open','','storymill-4-is-out-and-looking-interesting','','','2011-03-17 15:26:47','2011-03-17 15:26:47','',0,'http://davidhewson.com/?p=7828',0,'post','',0),(7829,1,'2011-03-17 15:11:41','2011-03-17 15:11:41','','chapter','','inherit','open','open','','chapter','','','2011-03-17 15:11:41','2011-03-17 15:11:41','',7828,'http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/chapter.png',0,'attachment','image/png',0),(7830,1,'2011-03-17 15:13:20','2011-03-17 15:13:20','','scene','','inherit','open','open','','scene','','','2011-03-17 15:13:20','2011-03-17 15:13:20','',7828,'http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/scene.png',0,'attachment','image/png',0),(7831,1,'2011-03-17 15:16:14','2011-03-17 15:16:14','','actor','','inherit','open','open','','actor','','','2011-03-17 15:16:14','2011-03-17 15:16:14','',7828,'http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/actor.png',0,'attachment','image/png',0),(7832,1,'2011-03-17 15:17:09','2011-03-17 15:17:09','','timeline','','inherit','open','open','','timeline','','','2011-03-17 15:17:09','2011-03-17 15:17:09','',7828,'http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/timeline.png',0,'attachment','image/png',0),(7833,1,'2011-03-17 15:20:25','2011-03-17 15:20:25','<a class=\"zem_slink\" title=\"StoryMill\" rel=\"homepage\" href=\"http://www.marinersoftware.com/sitepage.php?page=127\">Storymill</a> is one of the veteran Mac writing apps. As Avenir it was around before Scrivener and picked up a lot of fans. I bought it and upgraded to Storymill 3 when it changed its name and was acquired by Mariner. There must be a Mac writing app I haven\'t bought but I\'m not sure what it is.\n\nI found Storymill 3 attractive in many ways. Simple to learn and use. Visually attractive. But I always stumbled over two things. It had a timeline feature which, try as I might, I couldn\'t get to work for me. Much worse I found it difficult to work with collections of scenes. It seemed to want you to write them separately and deal with them separately, lacking Scrivener\'s facility for viewing manuscripts very easily at both micro and macro level.\n\nNow Storymill 4 is out. I don\'t have the time to review but I\'ve had a brief look. How much has it improved?\n\n<!--more-->A lot I think. First, that problem with viewing scenes in a selective, continuous fashion has been fixed.\n\n<a href=\"http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/chapter.png\"><img class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-7829\" title=\"chapter\" src=\"http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/chapter-640x681.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"635\" height=\"675\" /></a>\n\nScenes can be grouped into chapters and viewed that way. The slightly odd thing is they still stay as a separate list of scenes in the sidebar too, as they did with the previous version. Which duplicates things a bit, or so it seems to me. But it\'s not hard to get used to.\n\nThe scene view is clean and easily understandable.\n\n<a href=\"http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/scene.png\"><img class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-7830\" title=\"scene\" src=\"http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/scene-640x359.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"635\" height=\"356\" /></a>\n\nYou have separate sections for characters, tasks, research, locations and the like.\n\n<a href=\"http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/actor.png\"><img class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-7831\" title=\"actor\" src=\"http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/actor-640x598.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"635\" height=\"593\" /></a>\n\nAnd that slightly awkward (for me anyway) timeline feature has been tweaked to look a lot easier.\n\n<a href=\"http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/timeline.png\"><img class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-7832\" title=\"timeline\" src=\"http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/timeline-640x305.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"635\" height=\"302\" /></a>\n\nBut you know what? I don\'t care. Most of my work doesn\'t really need a timeline feature, and I\'m a great believer in ignoring stuff that\'s not required. When I have pined for time control it\'s usually been in twin era stories and on a brief look I\'m not sure this would work for that. Or that it should really. Timelines are for other people so my opinion is irrelevant.\n\nOh, and it has a trash too, and a feature that follows Scrivener\'s snapshot idea, allowing you to take a copy of a scene before working on it so that you can go back to the original if required.\n\nInteresting stuff all round. There are a lot more new features, of course. <a href=\"http://www.marinersoftware.com/products/storymill/storymill-whatsnew/\" target=\"_blank\">You can see the full list here.</a> It seems reasonable value for $49.95. None of the fancier bits of Scrivener, such as the ability to export to epub or Kindle (all the usual suspects though, including Word). But if you don\'t need them it could be worth a look.\n\nI have an unbreakable rule that I don\'t switch writing software halfway through a project. I\'m halfway through a book in Scrivener right now so there\'s absolutely no chance I\'m going to take a close look at Storymill, at least for a few months if ever. So there may be huge gotchas or incredible new features I\'ve missed here. Don\'t take my word. Try it for yourself. There is, of course, a free demo download, though why Mariner insist you give them your email address <em>and</em> go through the palaver of an em\n\n&nbsp;\n<div class=\"zemanta-pixie\" style=\"margin-top: 10px; height: 15px;\"><img class=\"zemanta-pixie-img\" style=\"border: medium none; float: right;\" src=\"http://img.zemanta.com/pixy.gif?x-id=1e388174-c41a-478e-85b8-749873511295\" alt=\"\" /></div>','Storymill 4 is out -- and looking interesting','','inherit','open','open','','7828-revision','','','2011-03-17 15:20:25','2011-03-17 15:20:25','',7828,'http://davidhewson.com/2011/03/7828-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(7834,1,'2011-03-17 15:20:38','2011-03-17 15:20:38','<a class=\"zem_slink\" title=\"StoryMill\" rel=\"homepage\" href=\"http://www.marinersoftware.com/sitepage.php?page=127\">Storymill</a> is one of the veteran Mac writing apps. As Avenir it was around before Scrivener and picked up a lot of fans. I bought it and upgraded to Storymill 3 when it changed its name and was acquired by Mariner. There must be a Mac writing app I haven\'t bought but I\'m not sure what it is.\r\n\r\nI found Storymill 3 attractive in many ways. Simple to learn and use. Visually attractive. But I always stumbled over two things. It had a timeline feature which, try as I might, I couldn\'t get to work for me. Much worse I found it difficult to work with collections of scenes. It seemed to want you to write them separately and deal with them separately, lacking Scrivener\'s facility for viewing manuscripts very easily at both micro and macro level.\r\n\r\nNow Storymill 4 is out. I don\'t have the time to review but I\'ve had a brief look. How much has it improved?\r\n\r\n<!--more-->A lot I think. First, that problem with viewing scenes in a selective, continuous fashion has been fixed.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/chapter.png\"><img class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-7829\" title=\"chapter\" src=\"http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/chapter-640x681.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"635\" height=\"675\" /></a>\r\n\r\nScenes can be grouped into chapters and viewed that way. The slightly odd thing is they still stay as a separate list of scenes in the sidebar too, as they did with the previous version. Which duplicates things a bit, or so it seems to me. But it\'s not hard to get used to.\r\n\r\nThe scene view is clean and easily understandable.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/scene.png\"><img class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-7830\" title=\"scene\" src=\"http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/scene-640x359.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"635\" height=\"356\" /></a>\r\n\r\nYou have separate sections for characters, tasks, research, locations and the like.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/actor.png\"><img class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-7831\" title=\"actor\" src=\"http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/actor-640x598.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"635\" height=\"593\" /></a>\r\n\r\nAnd that slightly awkward (for me anyway) timeline feature has been tweaked to look a lot easier.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/timeline.png\"><img class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-7832\" title=\"timeline\" src=\"http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/timeline-640x305.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"635\" height=\"302\" /></a>\r\n\r\nBut you know what? I don\'t care. Most of my work doesn\'t really need a timeline feature, and I\'m a great believer in ignoring stuff that\'s not required. When I have pined for time control it\'s usually been in twin era stories and on a brief look I\'m not sure this would work for that. Or that it should really. Timelines are for other people so my opinion is irrelevant.\r\n\r\nOh, and it has a trash too, and a feature that follows Scrivener\'s snapshot idea, allowing you to take a copy of a scene before working on it so that you can go back to the original if required.\r\n\r\nInteresting stuff all round. There are a lot more new features, of course. <a href=\"http://www.marinersoftware.com/products/storymill/storymill-whatsnew/\" target=\"_blank\">You can see the full list here.</a> It seems reasonable value for $49.95. None of the fancier bits of Scrivener, such as the ability to export to epub or Kindle (all the usual suspects though, including Word). But if you don\'t need them it could be worth a look.\r\n\r\nI have an unbreakable rule that I don\'t switch writing software halfway through a project. I\'m halfway through a book in Scrivener right now so there\'s absolutely no chance I\'m going to take a close look at Storymill, at least for a few months if ever. So there may be huge gotchas or incredible new features I\'ve missed here. Don\'t take my word. Try it for yourself. There is, of course, a free demo download, though why Mariner insist you give them your email address <em>and</em> go through the palaver of an email confirmation before getting the file is beyond me.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<div class=\"zemanta-pixie\" style=\"margin-top: 10px; height: 15px;\"><img class=\"zemanta-pixie-img\" style=\"border: medium none; float: right;\" src=\"http://img.zemanta.com/pixy.gif?x-id=1e388174-c41a-478e-85b8-749873511295\" alt=\"\" /></div>','Storymill 4 is out -- and looking interesting','','inherit','open','open','','7828-revision-2','','','2011-03-17 15:20:38','2011-03-17 15:20:38','',7828,'http://davidhewson.com/2011/03/7828-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(7835,1,'2011-03-17 15:22:34','2011-03-17 15:22:34','<a class=\"zem_slink\" title=\"StoryMill\" rel=\"homepage\" href=\"http://www.marinersoftware.com/sitepage.php?page=127\">Storymill</a> is one of the veteran Mac writing apps. As Avenir it was around before Scrivener and picked up a lot of fans. I bought it and upgraded to Storymill 3 when it changed its name and was acquired by Mariner. There must be a Mac writing app I haven\'t bought but I\'m not sure what it is.\n\nI found Storymill 3 attractive in many ways. Simple to learn and use. Visually attractive. But I always stumbled over two things. It had a timeline feature which, try as I might, I couldn\'t get to work for me. Much worse I found it difficult to work with collections of scenes. It seemed to want you to write them separately and deal with them separately too, lacking Scrivener\'s facility for viewing manuscripts very easily at both micro and macro level.\n\nNow Storymill 4 is out. I don\'t have the time to review it in full but I\'ve had a brief look. How much has it improved?\n\n<!--more-->A lot I think. First, that problem with viewing scenes in a selective, continuous fashion has been fixed.\n\n<a href=\"http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/chapter.png\"><img class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-7829\" title=\"chapter\" src=\"http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/chapter-640x681.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"635\" height=\"675\" /></a>\n\nScenes can be grouped into chapters and viewed that way. The slightly odd thing is they still stay as a separate list of scenes in the sidebar too, as they did with the previous version. Which duplicates things a bit, or so it seems to me. But it\'s not hard to get used to.\n\nThe scene view is clean and easily understandable.\n\n<a href=\"http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/scene.png\"><img class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-7830\" title=\"scene\" src=\"http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/scene-640x359.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"635\" height=\"356\" /></a>\n\nYou have separate sections for characters, tasks, research, locations and the like.\n\n<a href=\"http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/actor.png\"><img class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-7831\" title=\"actor\" src=\"http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/actor-640x598.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"635\" height=\"593\" /></a>\n\nAnd that slightly awkward (for me anyway) timeline feature has been tweaked to look a lot easier.\n\n<a href=\"http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/timeline.png\"><img class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-7832\" title=\"timeline\" src=\"http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/timeline-640x305.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"635\" height=\"302\" /></a>\n\nBut you know what? I don\'t care. Most of my work doesn\'t really need a timeline feature, and I\'m a great believer in ignoring stuff that\'s not required. When I have pined for time control it\'s usually been in twin era stories and on a brief look I\'m not sure this would work for that. Or that it should really. Timelines are for other people so my opinion is irrelevant.\n\nOh, and it has a trash too, and a feature that follows Scrivener\'s snapshot idea, allowing you to take a copy of a scene before working on it so that you can go back to the original if required.\n\nInteresting stuff all round. There are a lot more new features, of course. <a href=\"http://www.marinersoftware.com/products/storymill/storymill-whatsnew/\" target=\"_blank\">You can see the full list here.</a> It seems reasonable value for $49.95. None of the fancier bits of Scrivener, such as the ability to export to epub or Kindle (all the usual suspects though, including Word). But if you don\'t need them it could be worth a look.\n\nI have an unbreakable rule that I don\'t switch writing software halfway through a project. I\'m halfway through a book in Scrivener right now so there\'s absolutely no chance I\'m going to take a close look at Storymill, at least for a few months if ever. So there may be huge gotchas or incredible new features I\'ve missed here. Don\'t take my word. Try it for yourself. There is, of course, a free demo download, though why Mariner insist you give them your email address <em>and</em> go through the palaver of an email confirmation before getting the file is beyond me.\n\n&nbsp;\n<div class=\"zemanta-pixie\" style=\"margin-top: 10px; height: 15px;\"><img class=\"zemanta-pixie-img\" style=\"border: medium none; float: right;\" src=\"http://img.zemanta.com/pixy.gif?x-id=1e388174-c41a-478e-85b8-749873511295\" alt=\"\" /></div>','Storymill 4 is out -- and looking interesting','','inherit','open','open','','7828-revision-3','','','2011-03-17 15:22:34','2011-03-17 15:22:34','',7828,'http://davidhewson.com/2011/03/7828-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),(7837,1,'2011-03-17 15:24:32','2011-03-17 15:24:32','<a class=\"zem_slink\" title=\"StoryMill\" rel=\"homepage\" href=\"http://www.marinersoftware.com/sitepage.php?page=127\">Storymill</a> is one of the veteran Mac writing apps. As Avenir it was around before Scrivener and picked up a lot of fans. I bought it and upgraded to Storymill 3 when it changed its name and was acquired by Mariner. There must be a Mac writing app I haven\'t bought but I\'m not sure what it is.\n\nI found Storymill 3 attractive in many ways. Simple to learn and use. Visually attractive. But I always stumbled over two things. It had a timeline feature which, try as I might, I couldn\'t get to work for me. Much worse I found it difficult to work with collections of scenes. It seemed to want you to write them separately and deal with them separately too, lacking Scrivener\'s facility for viewing manuscripts very easily at both micro and macro level.\n\nNow Storymill 4 is out. I don\'t have the time to review it in full but I\'ve had a brief look. How much has it improved?\n\n<!--more-->A lot I think. First, that problem with viewing scenes in a selective, continuous fashion has been fixed.\n\n<a href=\"http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/chapter.png\"><img class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-7829\" title=\"chapter\" src=\"http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/chapter-640x681.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"635\" height=\"675\" /></a>\n\nScenes can be grouped into chapters and viewed that way. The slightly odd thing is they still stay as a separate list of scenes in the sidebar too, as they did with the previous version. Which duplicates things a bit, or so it seems to me. But it\'s not hard to get used to. I imagine that scenes folder will stay closed most of the time.\n\nThe individual scene view for writing is clean and easily understandable.\n\n<a href=\"http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/scene.png\"><img class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-7830\" title=\"scene\" src=\"http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/scene-640x359.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"635\" height=\"356\" /></a>\n\nElsewhere you have separate sections for characters, tasks, research, locations and the like.\n\n<a href=\"http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/actor.png\"><img class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-7831\" title=\"actor\" src=\"http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/actor-640x598.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"635\" height=\"593\" /></a>\n\nAnd that slightly awkward (for me anyway) timeline feature has been tweaked to look a lot easier.\n\n<a href=\"http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/timeline.png\"><img class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-7832\" title=\"timeline\" src=\"http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/timeline-640x305.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"635\" height=\"302\" /></a>\n\nBut you know what? I don\'t care. Most of my work doesn\'t really need a timeline feature, and I\'m a great believer in ignoring stuff that\'s not required. When I have pined for time control it\'s usually been in twin era stories and on a brief look I\'m not sure this would work for that. Or that it should really. Timelines are for other people so my opinion is irrelevant.\n\nOh, and it has a trash too, and a feature that follows Scrivener\'s snapshot idea, allowing you to take a copy of a scene before working on it so that you can go back to the original if required.\n\nInteresting stuff all round. There are a lot more new features, of course. <a href=\"http://www.marinersoftware.com/products/storymill/storymill-whatsnew/\" target=\"_blank\">You can see the full list here.</a> It seems reasonable value for $49.95. None of the fancier bits of Scrivener, such as the ability to export to epub or Kindle (all the usual suspects though, including Word). But if you don\'t need them it could be worth a look.\n\nI have an unbreakable rule that I don\'t switch writing software halfway through a project. I\'m halfway through a book in Scrivener right now so there\'s absolutely no chance I\'m going to take a close look at Storymill, at least for a few months if ever. So there may be huge gotchas or incredible new features I\'ve missed here. Don\'t take my word. Try it for yourself. There is, of course, a free demo download, though why Mariner insist you give them your email address <em>and</em> go through the palaver of an email confirmation before getting the file is beyond me.\n\n&nbsp;\n<div class=\"zemanta-pixie\" style=\"margin-top: 10px; height: 15px;\"><img class=\"zemanta-pixie-img\" style=\"border: medium none; float: right;\" src=\"http://img.zemanta.com/pixy.gif?x-id=1e388174-c41a-478e-85b8-749873511295\" alt=\"\" /></div>','Storymill 4 is out -- and looking interesting','','inherit','open','open','','7828-revision-5','','','2011-03-17 15:24:32','2011-03-17 15:24:32','',7828,'http://davidhewson.com/2011/03/7828-revision-5/',0,'revision','',0),(7836,1,'2011-03-17 15:23:25','2011-03-17 15:23:25','<a class=\"zem_slink\" title=\"StoryMill\" rel=\"homepage\" href=\"http://www.marinersoftware.com/sitepage.php?page=127\">Storymill</a> is one of the veteran Mac writing apps. As Avenir it was around before Scrivener and picked up a lot of fans. I bought it and upgraded to Storymill 3 when it changed its name and was acquired by Mariner. There must be a Mac writing app I haven\'t bought but I\'m not sure what it is.\r\n\r\nI found Storymill 3 attractive in many ways. Simple to learn and use. Visually attractive. But I always stumbled over two things. It had a timeline feature which, try as I might, I couldn\'t get to work for me. Much worse I found it difficult to work with collections of scenes. It seemed to want you to write them separately and deal with them separately too, lacking Scrivener\'s facility for viewing manuscripts very easily at both micro and macro level.\r\n\r\nNow Storymill 4 is out. I don\'t have the time to review it in full but I\'ve had a brief look. How much has it improved?\r\n\r\n<!--more-->A lot I think. First, that problem with viewing scenes in a selective, continuous fashion has been fixed.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/chapter.png\"><img class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-7829\" title=\"chapter\" src=\"http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/chapter-640x681.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"635\" height=\"675\" /></a>\r\n\r\nScenes can be grouped into chapters and viewed that way. The slightly odd thing is they still stay as a separate list of scenes in the sidebar too, as they did with the previous version. Which duplicates things a bit, or so it seems to me. But it\'s not hard to get used to. I imagine that scenes folder will stay closed most of the time.\r\n\r\nThe individual scene view for writing is clean and easily understandable.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/scene.png\"><img class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-7830\" title=\"scene\" src=\"http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/scene-640x359.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"635\" height=\"356\" /></a>\r\n\r\nElsewhere you have separate sections for characters, tasks, research, locations and the like.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/actor.png\"><img class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-7831\" title=\"actor\" src=\"http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/actor-640x598.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"635\" height=\"593\" /></a>\r\n\r\nAnd that slightly awkward (for me anyway) timeline feature has been tweaked to look a lot easier.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/timeline.png\"><img class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-7832\" title=\"timeline\" src=\"http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/timeline-640x305.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"635\" height=\"302\" /></a>\r\n\r\nBut you know what? I don\'t care. Most of my work doesn\'t really need a timeline feature, and I\'m a great believer in ignoring stuff that\'s not required. When I have pined for time control it\'s usually been in twin era stories and on a brief look I\'m not sure this would work for that. Or that it should really. Timelines are for other people so my opinion is irrelevant.\r\n\r\nOh, and it has a trash too, and a feature that follows Scrivener\'s snapshot idea, allowing you to take a copy of a scene before working on it so that you can go back to the original if required.\r\n\r\nInteresting stuff all round. There are a lot more new features, of course. <a href=\"http://www.marinersoftware.com/products/storymill/storymill-whatsnew/\" target=\"_blank\">You can see the full list here.</a> It seems reasonable value for $49.95. None of the fancier bits of Scrivener, such as the ability to export to epub or Kindle (all the usual suspects though, including Word). But if you don\'t need them it could be worth a look.\r\n\r\nI have an unbreakable rule that I don\'t switch writing software halfway through a project. I\'m halfway through a book in Scrivener right now so there\'s absolutely no chance I\'m going to take a close look at Storymill, at least for a few months if ever. So there may be huge gotchas or incredible new features I\'ve missed here. Don\'t take my word. Try it for yourself. There is, of course, a free demo download, though why Mariner insist you give them your email address <em>and</em> go through the palaver of an email confirmation before getting the file is beyond me.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<div class=\"zemanta-pixie\" style=\"margin-top: 10px; height: 15px;\"><img class=\"zemanta-pixie-img\" style=\"border: medium none; float: right;\" src=\"http://img.zemanta.com/pixy.gif?x-id=1e388174-c41a-478e-85b8-749873511295\" alt=\"\" /></div>','Storymill 4 is out -- and looking interesting','','inherit','open','open','','7828-revision-4','','','2011-03-17 15:23:25','2011-03-17 15:23:25','',7828,'http://davidhewson.com/2011/03/7828-revision-4/',0,'revision','',0),(7838,1,'2011-03-17 15:26:05','2011-03-17 15:26:05','<a class=\"zem_slink\" title=\"StoryMill\" rel=\"homepage\" href=\"http://www.marinersoftware.com/sitepage.php?page=127\">Storymill</a> is one of the veteran Mac writing apps. As Avenir it was around before Scrivener and picked up a lot of fans. I bought it and upgraded to Storymill 3 when it changed its name and was acquired by Mariner. There must be a Mac writing app I haven\'t bought but I\'m not sure what it is.\n\nI found Storymill 3 attractive in many ways. Simple to learn and use. Visually attractive. But I always stumbled over two things. It had a timeline feature which, try as I might, I couldn\'t get to work for me. Much worse I found it difficult to work with collections of scenes. It seemed to want you to write them separately and deal with them separately too, lacking Scrivener\'s facility for viewing manuscripts very easily at both micro and macro level.\n\nNow Storymill 4 is out. I don\'t have the time to review it in full but I\'ve had a brief look. How much has it improved?\n\n<!--more-->A lot I think. First, that problem with viewing scenes in a selective, continuous fashion has been fixed.\n\n<a href=\"http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/chapter.png\"><img class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-7829\" title=\"chapter\" src=\"http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/chapter-640x681.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"635\" height=\"675\" /></a>\n\nScenes can be grouped into chapters and viewed that way. The slightly odd thing is they still stay as a separate list of scenes in the sidebar too, as they did with the previous version. Which duplicates things a bit, or so it seems to me. But it\'s not hard to get used to. I imagine that scenes folder will stay closed most of the time.\n\nThe individual scene view for writing is clean and easily understandable.\n\n<a href=\"http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/scene.png\"><img class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-7830\" title=\"scene\" src=\"http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/scene-640x359.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"635\" height=\"356\" /></a>\n\nElsewhere you have separate sections for characters, tasks, research, locations and the like.\n\n<a href=\"http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/actor.png\"><img class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-7831\" title=\"actor\" src=\"http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/actor-640x598.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"635\" height=\"593\" /></a>\n\nAnd that slightly awkward (for me anyway) timeline feature has been tweaked to look a lot easier.\n\n<a href=\"http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/timeline.png\"><img class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-7832\" title=\"timeline\" src=\"http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/timeline-640x305.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"635\" height=\"302\" /></a>\n\nBut you know what? I don\'t care. Most of my work doesn\'t really need a timeline feature, and I\'m a great believer in ignoring stuff that\'s not required. When I have pined for time control it\'s usually been in twin era stories and on a brief look I\'m not sure this would work for that. Or that it should really. Timelines are for other people so my opinion is irrelevant.\n\nOh, and it has a trash too, and a feature that follows Scrivener\'s snapshot idea, allowing you to take a copy of a scene before working on it so that you can go back to the original if required.\n\nInteresting stuff all round. There are a lot more new features, of course. <a href=\"http://www.marinersoftware.com/products/storymill/storymill-whatsnew/\" target=\"_blank\">You can see the full list here.</a> It seems reasonable value for $49.95. None of the fancier bits of Scrivener, such as the ability to export to epub or Kindle (all the usual suspects though, including Word). But if you don\'t need them it could be worth a look.\n\nI have an unbreakable rule that I don\'t switch writing software halfway through a project so there\'s absolutely no chance I\'m going to take a close look at Storymill, at least for a few months if ever. There may be huge gotchas or incredible new features I\'ve missed here. Don\'t take my word. Try it for yourself. There is, of course, a free demo download, though why Mariner insist you give them your email address <em>and</em> go through the palaver of an email confirmation before getting the file is beyond me.\n\n&nbsp;\n<div class=\"zemanta-pixie\" style=\"margin-top: 10px; height: 15px;\"><img class=\"zemanta-pixie-img\" style=\"border: medium none; float: right;\" src=\"http://img.zemanta.com/pixy.gif?x-id=1e388174-c41a-478e-85b8-749873511295\" alt=\"\" /></div>','Storymill 4 is out -- and looking interesting','','inherit','open','open','','7828-autosave','','','2011-03-17 15:26:05','2011-03-17 15:26:05','',7828,'http://davidhewson.com/2011/03/7828-autosave/',0,'revision','',0),(7839,1,'2011-03-17 15:24:57','2011-03-17 15:24:57','<a class=\"zem_slink\" title=\"StoryMill\" rel=\"homepage\" href=\"http://www.marinersoftware.com/sitepage.php?page=127\">Storymill</a> is one of the veteran Mac writing apps. As Avenir it was around before Scrivener and picked up a lot of fans. I bought it and upgraded to Storymill 3 when it changed its name and was acquired by Mariner. There must be a Mac writing app I haven\'t bought but I\'m not sure what it is.\r\n\r\nI found Storymill 3 attractive in many ways. Simple to learn and use. Visually attractive. But I always stumbled over two things. It had a timeline feature which, try as I might, I couldn\'t get to work for me. Much worse I found it difficult to work with collections of scenes. It seemed to want you to write them separately and deal with them separately too, lacking Scrivener\'s facility for viewing manuscripts very easily at both micro and macro level.\r\n\r\nNow Storymill 4 is out. I don\'t have the time to review it in full but I\'ve had a brief look. How much has it improved?\r\n\r\n<!--more-->A lot I think. First, that problem with viewing scenes in a selective, continuous fashion has been fixed.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/chapter.png\"><img class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-7829\" title=\"chapter\" src=\"http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/chapter-640x681.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"635\" height=\"675\" /></a>\r\n\r\nScenes can be grouped into chapters and viewed that way. The slightly odd thing is they still stay as a separate list of scenes in the sidebar too, as they did with the previous version. Which duplicates things a bit, or so it seems to me. But it\'s not hard to get used to. I imagine that scenes folder will stay closed most of the time.\r\n\r\nThe individual scene view for writing is clean and easily understandable.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/scene.png\"><img class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-7830\" title=\"scene\" src=\"http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/scene-640x359.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"635\" height=\"356\" /></a>\r\n\r\nElsewhere you have separate sections for characters, tasks, research, locations and the like.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/actor.png\"><img class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-7831\" title=\"actor\" src=\"http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/actor-640x598.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"635\" height=\"593\" /></a>\r\n\r\nAnd that slightly awkward (for me anyway) timeline feature has been tweaked to look a lot easier.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/timeline.png\"><img class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-7832\" title=\"timeline\" src=\"http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/timeline-640x305.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"635\" height=\"302\" /></a>\r\n\r\nBut you know what? I don\'t care. Most of my work doesn\'t really need a timeline feature, and I\'m a great believer in ignoring stuff that\'s not required. When I have pined for time control it\'s usually been in twin era stories and on a brief look I\'m not sure this would work for that. Or that it should really. Timelines are for other people so my opinion is irrelevant.\r\n\r\nOh, and it has a trash too, and a feature that follows Scrivener\'s snapshot idea, allowing you to take a copy of a scene before working on it so that you can go back to the original if required.\r\n\r\nInteresting stuff all round. There are a lot more new features, of course. <a href=\"http://www.marinersoftware.com/products/storymill/storymill-whatsnew/\" target=\"_blank\">You can see the full list here.</a> It seems reasonable value for $49.95. None of the fancier bits of Scrivener, such as the ability to export to epub or Kindle (all the usual suspects though, including Word). But if you don\'t need them it could be worth a look.\r\n\r\nI have an unbreakable rule that I don\'t switch writing software halfway through a project so there\'s absolutely no chance I\'m going to take a close look at Storymill, at least for a few months if ever. There may be huge gotchas or incredible new features I\'ve missed here. Don\'t take my word. Try it for yourself. There is, of course, a free demo download, though why Mariner insist you give them your email address <em>and</em> go through the palaver of an email confirmation before getting the file is beyond me.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<div class=\"zemanta-pixie\" style=\"margin-top: 10px; height: 15px;\"><img class=\"zemanta-pixie-img\" style=\"border: medium none; float: right;\" src=\"http://img.zemanta.com/pixy.gif?x-id=1e388174-c41a-478e-85b8-749873511295\" alt=\"\" /></div>','Storymill 4 is out -- and looking interesting','','inherit','open','open','','7828-revision-6','','','2011-03-17 15:24:57','2011-03-17 15:24:57','',7828,'http://davidhewson.com/2011/03/7828-revision-6/',0,'revision','',0),(7840,1,'2011-03-18 14:08:42','2011-03-18 14:08:42','A strange thing happened today. I opened up Scrivener, saw the familiar book project in front of me and thought... hang on. This is an old version. I knew that not just from the text but from the date on the scene (another handy Scrivener feature). Where\'s the recent one?\r\n\r\nEver happen to you? I\'m not sure how this occurred. I don\'t blame Scrivener. It\'s doubtless my fault. The culprit lies in something you\'ll see in more and more software you see these days. A seemingly attractive feature that offers to open up your last document every time you launch an application.\r\n\r\n<!--more-->Sounds good, eh? No more rootling around the folders to get that book file. Just open the app and you\'re there. Which is fine... so long as the last file you opened is really the one you want. Somewhere along the way here I must have done a save as or something. Things got muddled. The version I was editing <em>wasn\'t </em>the right one and this is not the first time I\'ve got confused this way.\r\n\r\nYikes. Panic. Well, not really. I back up everything twice. Once to an external drive when I\'m at home. And once using <a title=\"Getting safe automatic backups with Scrivener\" href=\"http://davidhewson.com/2011/01/getting-safe-automatic-backups-with-scrivener/\">Scrivener\'s file facility to Dropbox</a>. So to recover from this all I needed to do was go back through the backup files on Dropbox. Sure enough the latest backup there was the real thing. Up-to-date and in the shape I expected. I just copied it back to the correct location and got on with things.\r\n\r\nOh, and then made a change in Scrivener prefs...\r\n\r\n<img src=\"data:image/png;base64,[encoded data, 36484 characters]\" alt=\"\" />\r\n\r\n<img class=\"alignright\" src=\"data:image/png;base64,[encoded data, 35360 characters]\" alt=\"\" width=\"88\" height=\"153\" />Now it won\'t reopen the last project I had open. Instead I just dragged the file of the work in progres to the documents section of the dock.\r\n\r\nI only work on one book at a time usually so this works fine for me. When I want to open Scrivener I click on the file icon, not the app. If by accident I do click on the app it won\'t open a file at all. So no more accidents, hopefully.','Turn off that auto-open now!','','publish','open','open','','turn-off-that-auto-open-now','','','2011-03-17 17:18:12','2011-03-17 17:18:12','',0,'http://davidhewson.com/?p=7840',0,'post','',0),(7841,1,'2011-03-17 17:16:48','2011-03-17 17:16:48','A strange thing happened today. I opened up Scrivener, saw the familiar book project in front of me and thought... hang on. This is an old version. I knew that not just from the text but from the date on the scene (another handy Scrivener feature). Where\'s the recent one?\n\nEver happen to you? I\'m not sure how this occurred. I don\'t blame Scrivener. It\'s doubtless my fault. The culprit lies in something you\'ll see in more and more software you see these days. A seemingly attractive feature that offers to open up your last document every time you launch an application.\n\n<!--more-->Sounds good, eh? No more rootling around the folders to get that book file. Just open the app and you\'re there. Which is fine... so long as the last file you opened is really the one you want. Somewhere along the way here I must have done a save as or something. Things got muddle. The version I was editing <em>wasn\'t </em>the right one.\n\nYikes. Panic. Well, not really. I back up everything twice. Once to an external drive when I\'m at home. And once using <a title=\"Getting safe automatic backups with Scrivener\" href=\"http://davidhewson.com/2011/01/getting-safe-automatic-backups-with-scrivener/\">Scrivener\'s file facility to Dropbox</a>. So to recover from this all I needed to do was go back through the backup files on Dropbox. Sure enough the latest backup there was the real thing. Up-to-date and in the shape I expected. I just copied it back to the correct location and got on with things.\n\nOh, and then made a change in Scrivener prefs...\n\n<img src=\"data:image/png;base64,[encoded data, 36484 characters]\" alt=\"\" />\n\n<img class=\"alignright\" src=\"data:image/png;base64,[encoded data, 35360 characters]\" alt=\"\" width=\"88\" height=\"153\" />Now it won\'t reopen the last project I had open. Instead I just dragged the file of the work in progres to the documents section of the dock.\n\nI only work on one book at a time usually so this works fine for me. When I want to open Scrivener I click on the file icon, not the app. If by accident I do click on the app it won\'t open a file at all. So no more accidents, hopefully.','Turn off that auto-open now!','','inherit','open','open','','7840-revision','','','2011-03-17 17:16:48','2011-03-17 17:16:48','',7840,'http://davidhewson.com/2011/03/7840-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(7842,1,'2011-03-17 17:19:20','2011-03-17 17:19:20','A strange thing happened today. I opened up Scrivener, saw the familiar book project in front of me and thought... hang on. This is an old version. I knew that not just from the text but from the date on the scene (another handy Scrivener feature). Where\'s the recent one?\n\nEver happen to you? I\'m not sure how this occurred. I don\'t blame Scrivener. It\'s doubtless my fault. The culprit lies in something you\'ll see in more and more software you see these days. A seemingly attractive feature that offers to open up your last document every time you launch an application.\n\n<!--more-->Sounds good, eh? No more rootling around the folders to get that book file. Just open the app and you\'re there. Which is fine... so long as the last file you opened is really the one you want. Somewhere along the way here I must have done a save as or something. Things got muddled. The version I was editing <em>wasn\'t </em>the right one and this is not the first time I\'ve got confused this way.\n\nYikes. Panic. Well, not really. I back up everything twice. Once to an external drive when I\'m at home. And once using <a title=\"Getting safe automatic backups with Scrivener\" href=\"http://davidhewson.com/2011/01/getting-safe-automatic-backups-with-scrivener/\">Scrivener\'s file facility to Dropbox</a>. So to recover from this all I needed to do was go back through the backup files on Dropbox. Sure enough the latest backup there was the real thing. Up-to-date and in the shape I expected. I just copied it back to the correct location and got on with things.\n\nOh, and then made a change in Scrivener prefs...\n\n<img src=\"data:image/png;base64,[encoded data, 36484 characters]\" alt=\"\" />\n\n<img class=\"alignright\" src=\"data:image/png;base64,[encoded data, 35360 characters]\" alt=\"\" width=\"88\" height=\"153\" />Now it won\'t reopen the last project I had open. Instead I just dragged the file of the work in progres to the documents section of the dock.\n\nI only work on one book at a time usually so this works fine for me. When I want to open Scrivener I click on the file icon, not the app. If by accident I do click on the app it won\'t open a file at all. So no more accidents, hopefully.\n\nI still don\'t really understand how this happened in the first place to be honest. But at least this way it shouldn\'t happen again.','Turn off that auto-open now!','','inherit','open','open','','7840-autosave','','','2011-03-17 17:19:20','2011-03-17 17:19:20','',7840,'http://davidhewson.com/2011/03/7840-autosave/',0,'revision','',0),(7843,1,'2011-03-17 17:16:55','2011-03-17 17:16:55','A strange thing happened today. I opened up Scrivener, saw the familiar book project in front of me and thought... hang on. This is an old version. I knew that not just from the text but from the date on the scene (another handy Scrivener feature). Where\'s the recent one?\r\n\r\nEver happen to you? I\'m not sure how this occurred. I don\'t blame Scrivener. It\'s doubtless my fault. The culprit lies in something you\'ll see in more and more software you see these days. A seemingly attractive feature that offers to open up your last document every time you launch an application.\r\n\r\n<!--more-->Sounds good, eh? No more rootling around the folders to get that book file. Just open the app and you\'re there. Which is fine... so long as the last file you opened is really the one you want. Somewhere along the way here I must have done a save as or something. Things got muddle. The version I was editing <em>wasn\'t </em>the right one.\r\n\r\nYikes. Panic. Well, not really. I back up everything twice. Once to an external drive when I\'m at home. And once using <a title=\"Getting safe automatic backups with Scrivener\" href=\"http://davidhewson.com/2011/01/getting-safe-automatic-backups-with-scrivener/\">Scrivener\'s file facility to Dropbox</a>. So to recover from this all I needed to do was go back through the backup files on Dropbox. Sure enough the latest backup there was the real thing. Up-to-date and in the shape I expected. I just copied it back to the correct location and got on with things.\r\n\r\nOh, and then made a change in Scrivener prefs...\r\n\r\n<img src=\"data:image/png;base64,[encoded data, 36484 characters]\" alt=\"\" />\r\n\r\n<img class=\"alignright\" src=\"data:image/png;base64,[encoded data, 35360 characters]\" alt=\"\" width=\"88\" height=\"153\" />Now it won\'t reopen the last project I had open. Instead I just dragged the file of the work in progres to the documents section of the dock.\r\n\r\nI only work on one book at a time usually so this works fine for me. When I want to open Scrivener I click on the file icon, not the app. If by accident I do click on the app it won\'t open a file at all. So no more accidents, hopefully.','Turn off that auto-open now!','','inherit','open','open','','7840-revision-2','','','2011-03-17 17:16:55','2011-03-17 17:16:55','',7840,'http://davidhewson.com/2011/03/7840-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(7844,1,'2011-03-21 10:33:14','2011-03-21 10:33:14','<img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-7845\" title=\"url\" src=\"http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/url-195x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"195\" height=\"300\" /><a href=\"http://spanning.defonteintirion.nl/\" target=\"_blank\">De Fontein</a>, my publisher in Holland, has just released the new hardback there, <em>Het Masker Van Dante </em>(<em>Dante\'s Numbers). </em>\r\n\r\nI\'ll be in Holland to talk about the book at the end of May.','Book seven in the Costa series now out in Dutch','','publish','open','open','','book-seven-in-the-costa-series-now-out-in-dutch','','','2011-03-21 10:33:14','2011-03-21 10:33:14','',0,'http://davidhewson.com/?p=7844',0,'post','',0),(7845,1,'2011-03-21 10:31:19','2011-03-21 10:31:19','','url','','inherit','open','open','','url','','','2011-03-21 10:31:19','2011-03-21 10:31:19','',7844,'http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/url.jpeg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(7846,1,'2011-03-21 10:32:35','2011-03-21 10:32:35','<img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-7845\" title=\"url\" src=\"http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/url-195x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"195\" height=\"300\" /><a href=\"http://spanning.defonteintirion.nl/\" target=\"_blank\">De Fontein</a>, my publisher in Holland, has just released the new hardback there, <em>Het Masker Van Dante </em>(<em>Dante\'s Numbers). </em>','Book seven in the Costa series now out in Dutch','','inherit','open','open','','7844-revision','','','2011-03-21 10:32:35','2011-03-21 10:32:35','',7844,'http://davidhewson.com/2011/03/7844-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(7847,1,'2011-03-21 16:44:52','2011-03-21 16:44:52','Scarcely a day goes by without yet another article announcing the death of \'legacy publishing\' (the business I\'ve been in for sixteen years I guess) and its replacement by digital self-publishing straight to ebook. <a href=\"http://jakonrath.blogspot.com/2011/03/ebooks-and-self-publishing-dialog.html\" target=\"_blank\">Here\'s the latest entry</a>, a fascinating conversation between Joe Konrath, the digital evangelist, and Barry Eisler, who reveals he\'s taking the same path after turning down a half million dollar conventional publishing contract.\r\n\r\nThere\'s such a frenzy in this field at the moment that it behoves someone to pour a touch of cold water on things. Oh go on then. Let it be me. Here are a few little-spoken of issues to consider before dissing that half million dollar deal yourself...\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>[pullquote]Most self-pubbed ebooks do nothing at all, of course[/pullquote]First, this stuff is taking off big time in America which, in case you hadn\'t noticed, is a very big country (population 307 million) with a very high take-up of new digital technologies. There are more potential customers  for ebooks in the US than in the rest of the world put together. The UK (population 62 million) likes gadgets too but has nothing like the penetration of ereaders.  A few people can be big in self-pubbed ebooks in America and make a tidy living. A few people can be big in self-pubbed ebooks in the UK and do... ok. Most self-pubbed ebooks do nothing at all, of course.</li>\r\n	<li>If you do go the self-pubbed route you lose, I assume, your conventional agent. Why would they continue to represent someone who\'s shifting the lion\'s share of their work outside the field in which an agent works? Let\'s count what you lose when your agent disappears... Anyone pushing your books into translation (which for UK-based authors can be a very steady source of income). Anyone pushing you for audio, TV and movie deals. Anyone giving you good feedback and advice about what\'s going on in the industry, how your books are being received, what new opportunities might come along, and a slap round the cheek when you have a <em>really</em> stupid idea. If you don\'t have an agent you lose nothing, I guess. But if you do, and it\'s a good agent, you lose money and opportunity.</li>\r\n	<li>Ebooks may be selling like crazy but print books are still very popular too. If you go self-pubbed into digital it\'s hard to see a meaningful way in which you can take part in that game any more. Retailers won\'t deal with self-pubbed titles. You won\'t be in airports. You won\'t be in the High Street. To many people (hate them for this all you like but it\'s true) you won\'t be a <em>real </em>author at all.</li>\r\n	<li>To hell with the people who think you\'re not real. That you can deal with. But we\'re back to money again. No printed book means you won\'t be in libraries either. So European authors will lose any income from public lending right and other copyright schemes (which, based on popularity, can bring in up to £8,000 or more each year in the UK).</li>\r\n	<li>[pullquote]Your margins are likely to become very slim indeed, very quickly. [/pullquote]Your margins are likely to become very slim indeed, very quickly. Best-selling titles on Kindle tend to be there largely through price. It\'s one thing to price back list titles, that have no need of further work, at 99p or 99 cents (I do that myself). But if you start pricing original work at that level you\'ll be receiving a mere thirty odd pence or cents per sale. The current legal minimum adult wage in the UK is £232 per week. You are going to have to sell 662 of those 99p books each and every week to reach the same pay level as someone behind the counter of McDonalds. To reach the median weekly wage of £499 you will need to shift more than twice as many, more than 1,400 copies. That\'s a lot.</li>\r\n	<li>We\'re talking gross income here. Not net. Yes, I know people always say to themselves, \'But I\'m working for myself from home so I have no overheads.\' You do. A web site and broadband connection. Cover costs, editing and formatting advice. Barry Eisler estimates $600 for the cover and formatting for his short story, which sounds on the low side to me. For a full length novel I\'d expect to be paying at least three times that, and paying it up front before you\'ve sold a single copy. Then there\'s the question of...</li>\r\n	<li>[pullquote]You\'re on your own now, remember? No publicist. No marketing department.[/pullquote]Promotion and marketing. You\'re on your own now, remember? No publicist. No marketing department. You have to generate interest in your work, through constant activity on social media such as Facebook and Twitter. Or you have to find someone who will do this for you in return for a fee (and there seem to be more of them every day). Either way this will cost you time and/or money. With editing, cover design, promotion and marketing I doubt a properly-launched full-length ebook can come out for less than £3,000 and stand a chance of making it.  You need to sell ten thousand 99p copies just to cover that cost, before you start to earn anything for yourself.</li>\r\n	<li>Your promotional opportunities have now narrowed greatly. Festivals and other public events aren\'t going to be so interested in a self-published author. Nor will the media. If you\'re an established writer, well known and with a track record, it may be different. But for a newcomer... it\'s going to be tough to stand out among the crowd.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n[pullquote]Who\'s talking about books here? All we hear is \'product\' and \'margins\'.[/pullquote]Is it impossible to make these economics work? No. But it\'s going to be a lot easier in the vast US market where a writer can be a formidable success simply by being popular in the state of California alone. In the UK it\'s going to be a struggle for all but a handful. One answer is there in the Konrath-Eisler exchange. You\'re going to have to write more. Short stories. Novellas. And dig out stuff from the back list (which will eventually run out, of course). One book a year used to be considered healthy and quite prolific output. Not any more. If you can get six new 99 cents or 99p titles into the market a year your chances of making a living improve a lot. But that\'s six things you\'ve got to write. There you go, folks. A big hand for the return of pulp fiction, which doesn\'t worry me in the slightest, in fact I welcome it.\r\n\r\nBut...\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Screen-shot-2011-03-21-at-15.57.52.png\"><img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-7858\" title=\"Screen shot 2011-03-21 at 15.57.52\" src=\"http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Screen-shot-2011-03-21-at-15.57.52-300x290.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"290\" /></a>Who\'s talking about books here? All we hear about all too often is \'product\' and \'margins\'. Very little about quality and breadth and innovation in terms of editorial. Here are the top ten free and paid-for titles on Kindle UK as I write...\r\n\r\nNo criticism of any of the books on the lists here. I\'m sure they all deserve to be there. But it\'s a pretty narrow range, don\'t you think? Mainly mainstream thrillers with the odd chicklit and horror title. No science fiction title, no fantasy, no general fiction. \'Legacy\' publishers often get criticised for putting out down market titles that sell in their millions but don\'t carry much literary weight. One reason they do this is to subsidise works of more \'merit\' that don\'t sell as well and may one day build a worthwhile career. The ebook market is as ruthless as it gets. If you sell you\'re there. If you\'re not, you\'re lost. Worthy, literary, modest sale publishing seems to have little place here.\r\n\r\nDon\'t get me wrong. I think ebooks are a good thing. I\'ve put up some of my backlist and one new short story on Kindle. I\'ll doubtless add a few things in future. If I lived in the US then perhaps I\'d be mulling the route others are taking over there. But I don\'t, and I fear a lot of people will get burned outside the US thinking the healthy sales available there can be easily replicated in smaller, more difficult markets.\r\n\r\nI worry, too, that people who ought to be writing are being diverted into other things, endless conversations on Twitter and Facebook, constant sorties into forums to try to establish some kind of foothold in this new world, attempts at marketing, often pursued in ignorance and in a ham-fisted fashion. A lot of this is just plain tedious. I\'d rather be working on a book.\r\n\r\nI wish Joe and Barry -- two bright and very entertaining people I\'ve met at many conventions -- well. It\'s working for Joe already and I don\'t doubt it will work for Barry too. That doesn\'t mean this model is going to be a success for lots of others who copy the same route to the market.\r\n\r\nA few people get rich by being early into a cycle of technical innovation. Most are better served by waiting until the dust settles then learning the lessons of those who went before. So if someone offers you a half a million dollar deal my advice is... bite their hand off. By the time you\'re out of it you could be looking to enter a very different publishing environment, and with some money still in the bank.','The self-publishing frenzy : a view from this side of the pond','','publish','open','open','','the-self-publishing-frenzy-a-view-from-this-side-of-the-pond','','','2011-03-21 21:06:38','2011-03-21 21:06:38','',0,'http://davidhewson.com/?p=7847',0,'post','',18),(7848,1,'2011-03-21 14:43:52','2011-03-21 14:43:52','Scarcely a day goes by without yet another article announcing the death of \'legacy publishing\' (the business I\'ve been in for sixteen years I guess) and its replacement by digital self-publishing straight to ebook. <a href=\"http://jakonrath.blogspot.com/2011/03/ebooks-and-self-publishing-dialog.html\" target=\"_blank\">Here\'s the latest entry</a>, a fascinating conversation between Joe Konrath, the digital evangelist, and Barry Eisler, who reveals he\'s taking the same path after turning down a half million dollar conventional publishing contract.\n\nThere\'s such a frenzy in this field at the moment that it behoves someone to pour a touch of cold water on things. Oh go on then. Let it be me. Here are a few things to consider before dissing that half million dollar deal yourself...\n<ul>\n	<li>First, this stuff is taking off big time in America. In case you hadn\'t noticed America (population 307 million) is a very big country with a very high take-up of new digital technologies. There are more potential customers  for ebooks in America than in the rest of the world put together. The UK (population 62 million) likes gadgets too but has nothing like the penetration of ereaders.  A few people can be big in self-pubbed ebooks in America and make a tidy living. You can be big in selebooks in the UK and do... well, ok. This isn</li>\n</ul>','The self-publishing frenzy : a view from this side of the pond','','inherit','open','open','','7847-revision','','','2011-03-21 14:43:52','2011-03-21 14:43:52','',7847,'http://davidhewson.com/2011/03/7847-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(7849,1,'2011-03-21 14:52:27','2011-03-21 14:52:27','Scarcely a day goes by without yet another article announcing the death of \'legacy publishing\' (the business I\'ve been in for sixteen years I guess) and its replacement by digital self-publishing straight to ebook. <a href=\"http://jakonrath.blogspot.com/2011/03/ebooks-and-self-publishing-dialog.html\" target=\"_blank\">Here\'s the latest entry</a>, a fascinating conversation between Joe Konrath, the digital evangelist, and Barry Eisler, who reveals he\'s taking the same path after turning down a half million dollar conventional publishing contract.\n\nThere\'s such a frenzy in this field at the moment that it behoves someone to pour a touch of cold water on things. Oh go on then. Let it be me. Here are a few things to consider before dissing that half million dollar deal yourself...\n<ul>\n	<li>First, this stuff is taking off big time in America. In case you hadn\'t noticed America (population 307 million) is a very big country with a very high take-up of new digital technologies. There are more potential customers  for ebooks in America than in the rest of the world put together. The UK (population 62 million) likes gadgets too but has nothing like the penetration of ereaders.  A few people can be big in self-pubbed ebooks in America and make a tidy living. A few people can be big in self-pubbed ebooks in the UK and do... well, ok. Most self-pubbed ebooks do nothing at all, of course.</li>\n	<li>If you do the self-pubbed route you lose, I assume, your conventional agent. Why would they continue to represent someone who\'s shifting the lion\'s share of their work outside the field in which an agent works? If you lose your agent you lose...</li>\n	<li>Anyone pushing your books into translation (which for UK-based authors can be a very steady source of income)</li>\n	<li>Anyone pushing you for audio, TV and movie deals</li>\n	<li>Anyone giving you good feedback and advice about what\'s going on in the industry, how your books are being received, what new opportunities might come along.</li>\n	<li>Ebooks may be selling like crazy but print books are still very popular too. If you go self-pubbed into digital it\'s hard to see a meaningful way in which you can take part in that game any more. Retailers won\'t deal with self-pubbed titles. You won\'t be in airports. You won\'t be in the High Street.</li>\n	<li>You won\'t be in libraries either, which for European authors means you lose any income from public lending right and other copyright schemes (which, based on popularity, can bring in up to £8,000 or more each year in the UK).</li>\n	<li>Your margins are likely to become very slim indeed, very quickly. Best-selling titles on Kindle tend to be there largely through price. It\'s one thing to price back list titles, that have no need of further work, at 99p or 99 cents (I do that myself). But if you start pricing original work at that level you\'re be receiving a mere thirty off pence or cents per sales. The current legal minimum adult wage in the UK is £232 per week. You are going to have to sell 662 99p books each and every</li>\n</ul>','The self-publishing frenzy : a view from this side of the pond','','inherit','open','open','','7847-revision-2','','','2011-03-21 14:52:27','2011-03-21 14:52:27','',7847,'http://davidhewson.com/2011/03/7847-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(7851,1,'2011-03-21 14:59:24','2011-03-21 14:59:24','Scarcely a day goes by without yet another article announcing the death of \'legacy publishing\' (the business I\'ve been in for sixteen years I guess) and its replacement by digital self-publishing straight to ebook. <a href=\"http://jakonrath.blogspot.com/2011/03/ebooks-and-self-publishing-dialog.html\" target=\"_blank\">Here\'s the latest entry</a>, a fascinating conversation between Joe Konrath, the digital evangelist, and Barry Eisler, who reveals he\'s taking the same path after turning down a half million dollar conventional publishing contract.\n\nThere\'s such a frenzy in this field at the moment that it behoves someone to pour a touch of cold water on things. Oh go on then. Let it be me. Here are a few things to consider before dissing that half million dollar deal yourself...\n<ul>\n	<li>First, this stuff is taking off big time in America. In case you hadn\'t noticed America (population 307 million) is a very big country with a very high take-up of new digital technologies. There are more potential customers  for ebooks in America than in the rest of the world put together. The UK (population 62 million) likes gadgets too but has nothing like the penetration of ereaders.  A few people can be big in self-pubbed ebooks in America and make a tidy living. A few people can be big in self-pubbed ebooks in the UK and do... well, ok. Most self-pubbed ebooks do nothing at all, of course.</li>\n	<li>If you do the self-pubbed route you lose, I assume, your conventional agent. Why would they continue to represent someone who\'s shifting the lion\'s share of their work outside the field in which an agent works? If you lose your agent you lose...</li>\n	<li>Anyone pushing your books into translation (which for UK-based authors can be a very steady source of income)</li>\n	<li>Anyone pushing you for audio, TV and movie deals</li>\n	<li>Anyone giving you good feedback and advice about what\'s going on in the industry, how your books are being received, what new opportunities might come along.</li>\n	<li>Ebooks may be selling like crazy but print books are still very popular too. If you go self-pubbed into digital it\'s hard to see a meaningful way in which you can take part in that game any more. Retailers won\'t deal with self-pubbed titles. You won\'t be in airports. You won\'t be in the High Street.</li>\n	<li>You won\'t be in libraries either, which for European authors means you lose any income from public lending right and other copyright schemes (which, based on popularity, can bring in up to £8,000 or more each year in the UK).</li>\n	<li>Your margins are likely to become very slim indeed, very quickly. Best-selling titles on Kindle tend to be there largely through price. It\'s one thing to price back list titles, that have no need of further work, at 99p or 99 cents (I do that myself). But if you start pricing original work at that level you\'re be receiving a mere thirty off pence or cents per sales. The current legal minimum adult wage in the UK is £232 per week. You are going to have to sell 662 of those 99p books each and every week to reach the same pay level as someone behind the counter of McDonalds. To reach the median weekly wage of £499 you will need to shift more than twice as man, more than 1,400 copies.</li>\n	<li>Sales of that order may be possible (if not easy) in the US market. In the UK they are going to be extremely difficult. So you\'re going to have to write more. Short stories. Novellas. And dig out stuff from the back list (which will eventually run out, of course). One book a year used to be considered healthy and quite prolific output. Not any more.</li>\n</ul>','The self-publishing frenzy : a view from this side of the pond','','inherit','open','open','','7847-revision-4','','','2011-03-21 14:59:24','2011-03-21 14:59:24','',7847,'http://davidhewson.com/2011/03/7847-revision-4/',0,'revision','',0),(7850,1,'2011-03-21 14:57:44','2011-03-21 14:57:44','Scarcely a day goes by without yet another article announcing the death of \'legacy publishing\' (the business I\'ve been in for sixteen years I guess) and its replacement by digital self-publishing straight to ebook. <a href=\"http://jakonrath.blogspot.com/2011/03/ebooks-and-self-publishing-dialog.html\" target=\"_blank\">Here\'s the latest entry</a>, a fascinating conversation between Joe Konrath, the digital evangelist, and Barry Eisler, who reveals he\'s taking the same path after turning down a half million dollar conventional publishing contract.\n\nThere\'s such a frenzy in this field at the moment that it behoves someone to pour a touch of cold water on things. Oh go on then. Let it be me. Here are a few things to consider before dissing that half million dollar deal yourself...\n<ul>\n	<li>First, this stuff is taking off big time in America. In case you hadn\'t noticed America (population 307 million) is a very big country with a very high take-up of new digital technologies. There are more potential customers  for ebooks in America than in the rest of the world put together. The UK (population 62 million) likes gadgets too but has nothing like the penetration of ereaders.  A few people can be big in self-pubbed ebooks in America and make a tidy living. A few people can be big in self-pubbed ebooks in the UK and do... well, ok. Most self-pubbed ebooks do nothing at all, of course.</li>\n	<li>If you do the self-pubbed route you lose, I assume, your conventional agent. Why would they continue to represent someone who\'s shifting the lion\'s share of their work outside the field in which an agent works? If you lose your agent you lose...</li>\n	<li>Anyone pushing your books into translation (which for UK-based authors can be a very steady source of income)</li>\n	<li>Anyone pushing you for audio, TV and movie deals</li>\n	<li>Anyone giving you good feedback and advice about what\'s going on in the industry, how your books are being received, what new opportunities might come along.</li>\n	<li>Ebooks may be selling like crazy but print books are still very popular too. If you go self-pubbed into digital it\'s hard to see a meaningful way in which you can take part in that game any more. Retailers won\'t deal with self-pubbed titles. You won\'t be in airports. You won\'t be in the High Street.</li>\n	<li>You won\'t be in libraries either, which for European authors means you lose any income from public lending right and other copyright schemes (which, based on popularity, can bring in up to £8,000 or more each year in the UK).</li>\n	<li>Your margins are likely to become very slim indeed, very quickly. Best-selling titles on Kindle tend to be there largely through price. It\'s one thing to price back list titles, that have no need of further work, at 99p or 99 cents (I do that myself). But if you start pricing original work at that level you\'re be receiving a mere thirty off pence or cents per sales. The current legal minimum adult wage in the UK is £232 per week. You are going to have to sell 662 of those 99p books each and every week to reach the same pay level as someone behind the counter of McDonalds. To reach the median weekly wage of £499 you will need to shift more than twice as man, more than 1,400 copies.</li>\n	<li>Sales of that order may be possible (if not easy) in the US market. In the UK they are going to be extremely difficult. So you\'re going to have to write more. Short stories. Novellas. And dig out stuff from the back list (which will eventually run out, of course). How do you earn more money? As the conversation between Konrath and Eisler shows, <em>write more stuff. </em>to have to increase your output while hoping (probably in vain) you can maintain your quality.</li>\n</ul>','The self-publishing frenzy : a view from this side of the pond','','inherit','open','open','','7847-revision-3','','','2011-03-21 14:57:44','2011-03-21 14:57:44','',7847,'http://davidhewson.com/2011/03/7847-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),(7852,1,'2011-03-21 15:44:33','2011-03-21 15:44:33','Scarcely a day goes by without yet another article announcing the death of \'legacy publishing\' (the business I\'ve been in for sixteen years I guess) and its replacement by digital self-publishing straight to ebook. <a href=\"http://jakonrath.blogspot.com/2011/03/ebooks-and-self-publishing-dialog.html\" target=\"_blank\">Here\'s the latest entry</a>, a fascinating conversation between Joe Konrath, the digital evangelist, and Barry Eisler, who reveals he\'s taking the same path after turning down a half million dollar conventional publishing contract.\r\n\r\nThere\'s such a frenzy in this field at the moment that it behoves someone to pour a touch of cold water on things. Oh go on then. Let it be me. Here are a few things to consider before dissing that half million dollar deal yourself...\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>First, this stuff is taking off big time in America. In case you hadn\'t noticed America (population 307 million) is a very big country with a very high take-up of new digital technologies. There are more potential customers  for ebooks in America than in the rest of the world put together. The UK (population 62 million) likes gadgets too but has nothing like the penetration of ereaders.  A few people can be big in self-pubbed ebooks in America and make a tidy living. A few people can be big in self-pubbed ebooks in the UK and do... well, ok. Most self-pubbed ebooks do nothing at all, of course.</li>\r\n	<li>If you do the self-pubbed route you lose, I assume, your conventional agent. Why would they continue to represent someone who\'s shifting the lion\'s share of their work outside the field in which an agent works? If you lose your agent you lose...</li>\r\n	<li>Anyone pushing your books into translation (which for UK-based authors can be a very steady source of income)</li>\r\n	<li>Anyone pushing you for audio, TV and movie deals</li>\r\n	<li>Anyone giving you good feedback and advice about what\'s going on in the industry, how your books are being received, what new opportunities might come along.</li>\r\n	<li>Ebooks may be selling like crazy but print books are still very popular too. If you go self-pubbed into digital it\'s hard to see a meaningful way in which you can take part in that game any more. Retailers won\'t deal with self-pubbed titles. You won\'t be in airports. You won\'t be in the High Street.</li>\r\n	<li>You won\'t be in libraries either, which for European authors means you lose any income from public lending right and other copyright schemes (which, based on popularity, can bring in up to £8,000 or more each year in the UK).</li>\r\n	<li>Your margins are likely to become very slim indeed, very quickly. Best-selling titles on Kindle tend to be there largely through price. It\'s one thing to price back list titles, that have no need of further work, at 99p or 99 cents (I do that myself). But if you start pricing original work at that level you\'re be receiving a mere thirty off pence or cents per sales. The current legal minimum adult wage in the UK is £232 per week. You are going to have to sell 662 of those 99p books each and every week to reach the same pay level as someone behind the counter of McDonalds. To reach the median weekly wage of £499 you will need to shift more than twice as man, more than 1,400 copies.</li>\r\n	<li>Sales of that order may be possible (if not easy) in the US market. In the UK they are going to be extremely difficult. So you\'re going to have to write more. Short stories. Novellas. And dig out stuff from the back list (which will eventually run out, of course). One book a year used to be considered healthy and quite prolific output. Not any more.</li>\r\n</ul>','The self-publishing frenzy : a view from this side of the pond','','inherit','open','open','','7847-revision-5','','','2011-03-21 15:44:33','2011-03-21 15:44:33','',7847,'http://davidhewson.com/2011/03/7847-revision-5/',0,'revision','',0),(7853,1,'2011-03-21 15:46:08','2011-03-21 15:46:08','Scarcely a day goes by without yet another article announcing the death of \'legacy publishing\' (the business I\'ve been in for sixteen years I guess) and its replacement by digital self-publishing straight to ebook. <a href=\"http://jakonrath.blogspot.com/2011/03/ebooks-and-self-publishing-dialog.html\" target=\"_blank\">Here\'s the latest entry</a>, a fascinating conversation between Joe Konrath, the digital evangelist, and Barry Eisler, who reveals he\'s taking the same path after turning down a half million dollar conventional publishing contract.\r\n\r\nThere\'s such a frenzy in this field at the moment that it behoves someone to pour a touch of cold water on things. Oh go on then. Let it be me. Here are a few things to consider before dissing that half million dollar deal yourself...\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>First, this stuff is taking off big time in America. In case you hadn\'t noticed America (population 307 million) is a very big country with a very high take-up of new digital technologies. There are more potential customers  for ebooks in America than in the rest of the world put together. The UK (population 62 million) likes gadgets too but has nothing like the penetration of ereaders.  A few people can be big in self-pubbed ebooks in America and make a tidy living. A few people can be big in self-pubbed ebooks in the UK and do... well, ok. Most self-pubbed ebooks do nothing at all, of course.</li>\r\n	<li>If you do the self-pubbed route you lose, I assume, your conventional agent. Why would they continue to represent someone who\'s shifting the lion\'s share of their work outside the field in which an agent works? If you lose your agent you lose...</li>\r\n	<li>Anyone pushing your books into translation (which for UK-based authors can be a very steady source of income)</li>\r\n	<li>Anyone pushing you for audio, TV and movie deals</li>\r\n	<li>Anyone giving you good feedback and advice about what\'s going on in the industry, how your books are being received, what new opportunities might come along.</li>\r\n	<li>Ebooks may be selling like crazy but print books are still very popular too. If you go self-pubbed into digital it\'s hard to see a meaningful way in which you can take part in that game any more. Retailers won\'t deal with self-pubbed titles. You won\'t be in airports. You won\'t be in the High Street.</li>\r\n	<li>You won\'t be in libraries either, which for European authors means you lose any income from public lending right and other copyright schemes (which, based on popularity, can bring in up to £8,000 or more each year in the UK).</li>\r\n	<li>[pullquote]Your margins are likely to become very slim indeed, very quickly. [/pullquote]Best-selling titles on Kindle tend to be there largely through price. It\'s one thing to price back list titles, that have no need of further work, at 99p or 99 cents (I do that myself). But if you start pricing original work at that level you\'re be receiving a mere thirty off pence or cents per sales. The current legal minimum adult wage in the UK is £232 per week. You are going to have to sell 662 of those 99p books each and every week to reach the same pay level as someone behind the counter of McDonalds. To reach the median weekly wage of £499 you will need to shift more than twice as man, more than 1,400 copies.</li>\r\n	<li>Sales of that order may be possible (if not easy) in the US market. In the UK they are going to be extremely difficult. So you\'re going to have to write more. Short stories. Novellas. And dig out stuff from the back list (which will eventually run out, of course). One book a year used to be considered healthy and quite prolific output. Not any more.</li>\r\n</ul>','The self-publishing frenzy : a view from this side of the pond','','inherit','open','open','','7847-revision-6','','','2011-03-21 15:46:08','2011-03-21 15:46:08','',7847,'http://davidhewson.com/2011/03/7847-revision-6/',0,'revision','',0),(7854,1,'2011-03-21 15:46:14','2011-03-21 15:46:14','Scarcely a day goes by without yet another article announcing the death of \'legacy publishing\' (the business I\'ve been in for sixteen years I guess) and its replacement by digital self-publishing straight to ebook. <a href=\"http://jakonrath.blogspot.com/2011/03/ebooks-and-self-publishing-dialog.html\" target=\"_blank\">Here\'s the latest entry</a>, a fascinating conversation between Joe Konrath, the digital evangelist, and Barry Eisler, who reveals he\'s taking the same path after turning down a half million dollar conventional publishing contract.\r\n\r\nThere\'s such a frenzy in this field at the moment that it behoves someone to pour a touch of cold water on things. Oh go on then. Let it be me. Here are a few things to consider before dissing that half million dollar deal yourself...\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>First, this stuff is taking off big time in America. In case you hadn\'t noticed America (population 307 million) is a very big country with a very high take-up of new digital technologies. There are more potential customers  for ebooks in America than in the rest of the world put together. The UK (population 62 million) likes gadgets too but has nothing like the penetration of ereaders.  A few people can be big in self-pubbed ebooks in America and make a tidy living. A few people can be big in self-pubbed ebooks in the UK and do... well, ok. Most self-pubbed ebooks do nothing at all, of course.</li>\r\n	<li>If you do the self-pubbed route you lose, I assume, your conventional agent. Why would they continue to represent someone who\'s shifting the lion\'s share of their work outside the field in which an agent works? If you lose your agent you lose...</li>\r\n	<li>Anyone pushing your books into translation (which for UK-based authors can be a very steady source of income)</li>\r\n	<li>Anyone pushing you for audio, TV and movie deals</li>\r\n	<li>Anyone giving you good feedback and advice about what\'s going on in the industry, how your books are being received, what new opportunities might come along.</li>\r\n	<li>Ebooks may be selling like crazy but print books are still very popular too. If you go self-pubbed into digital it\'s hard to see a meaningful way in which you can take part in that game any more. Retailers won\'t deal with self-pubbed titles. You won\'t be in airports. You won\'t be in the High Street.</li>\r\n	<li>You won\'t be in libraries either, which for European authors means you lose any income from public lending right and other copyright schemes (which, based on popularity, can bring in up to £8,000 or more each year in the UK).</li>\r\n	<li>[pullquote]Your margins are likely to become very slim indeed, very quickly. [/pullquote]Best-selling titles on Kindle tend to be there largely through price. It\'s one thing to price back list titles, that have no need of further work, at 99p or 99 cents (I do that myself). But if you start pricing original work at that level you\'re be receiving a mere thirty off pence or cents per sales. The current legal minimum adult wage in the UK is £232 per week. You are going to have to sell 662 of those 99p books each and every week to reach the same pay level as someone behind the counter of McDonalds. To reach the median weekly wage of £499 you will need to shift more than twice as man, more than 1,400 copies.</li>\r\n	<li>Sales of that order may be possible (if not easy) in the US market. In the UK they are going to be extremely difficult. So you\'re going to have to write more. Short stories. Novellas. And dig out stuff from the back list (which will eventually run out, of course). One book a year used to be considered healthy and quite prolific output. Not any more.</li>\r\n</ul>','The self-publishing frenzy : a view from this side of the pond','','inherit','open','open','','7847-revision-7','','','2011-03-21 15:46:14','2011-03-21 15:46:14','',7847,'http://davidhewson.com/2011/03/7847-revision-7/',0,'revision','',0),(7855,1,'2011-03-21 15:46:59','2011-03-21 15:46:59','Scarcely a day goes by without yet another article announcing the death of \'legacy publishing\' (the business I\'ve been in for sixteen years I guess) and its replacement by digital self-publishing straight to ebook. <a href=\"http://jakonrath.blogspot.com/2011/03/ebooks-and-self-publishing-dialog.html\" target=\"_blank\">Here\'s the latest entry</a>, a fascinating conversation between Joe Konrath, the digital evangelist, and Barry Eisler, who reveals he\'s taking the same path after turning down a half million dollar conventional publishing contract.\r\n\r\nThere\'s such a frenzy in this field at the moment that it behoves someone to pour a touch of cold water on things. Oh go on then. Let it be me. Here are a few things to consider before dissing that half million dollar deal yourself...\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>First, this stuff is taking off big time in America. In case you hadn\'t noticed America (population 307 million) is a very big country with a very high take-up of new digital technologies. There are more potential customers  for ebooks in America than in the rest of the world put together. The UK (population 62 million) likes gadgets too but has nothing like the penetration of ereaders.  A few people can be big in self-pubbed ebooks in America and make a tidy living. A few people can be big in self-pubbed ebooks in the UK and do... well, ok. Most self-pubbed ebooks do nothing at all, of course.</li>\r\n	<li>If you do the self-pubbed route you lose, I assume, your conventional agent. Why would they continue to represent someone who\'s shifting the lion\'s share of their work outside the field in which an agent works? If you lose your agent you lose...</li>\r\n	<li>Anyone pushing your books into translation (which for UK-based authors can be a very steady source of income)</li>\r\n	<li>Anyone pushing you for audio, TV and movie deals</li>\r\n	<li>Anyone giving you good feedback and advice about what\'s going on in the industry, how your books are being received, what new opportunities might come along.</li>\r\n	<li>Ebooks may be selling like crazy but print books are still very popular too. If you go self-pubbed into digital it\'s hard to see a meaningful way in which you can take part in that game any more. Retailers won\'t deal with self-pubbed titles. You won\'t be in airports. You won\'t be in the High Street.</li>\r\n	<li>You won\'t be in libraries either, which for European authors means you lose any income from public lending right and other copyright schemes (which, based on popularity, can bring in up to £8,000 or more each year in the UK).</li>\r\n	<li>[pullquote]Your margins are likely to become very slim indeed, very quickly. [/pullquote]Your margins are likely to become very slim indeed, very quickly. Best-selling titles on Kindle tend to be there largely through price. It\'s one thing to price back list titles, that have no need of further work, at 99p or 99 cents (I do that myself). But if you start pricing original work at that level you\'re be receiving a mere thirty off pence or cents per sales. The current legal minimum adult wage in the UK is £232 per week. You are going to have to sell 662 of those 99p books each and every week to reach the same pay level as someone behind the counter of McDonalds. To reach the median weekly wage of £499 you will need to shift more than twice as man, more than 1,400 copies.</li>\r\n	<li>Sales of that order may be possible (if not easy) in the US market. In the UK they are going to be extremely difficult. So you\'re going to have to write more. Short stories. Novellas. And dig out stuff from the back list (which will eventually run out, of course). One book a year used to be considered healthy and quite prolific output. Not any more.</li>\r\n</ul>','The self-publishing frenzy : a view from this side of the pond','','inherit','open','open','','7847-revision-8','','','2011-03-21 15:46:59','2011-03-21 15:46:59','',7847,'http://davidhewson.com/2011/03/7847-revision-8/',0,'revision','',0),(7856,1,'2011-03-21 15:47:06','2011-03-21 15:47:06','Scarcely a day goes by without yet another article announcing the death of \'legacy publishing\' (the business I\'ve been in for sixteen years I guess) and its replacement by digital self-publishing straight to ebook. <a href=\"http://jakonrath.blogspot.com/2011/03/ebooks-and-self-publishing-dialog.html\" target=\"_blank\">Here\'s the latest entry</a>, a fascinating conversation between Joe Konrath, the digital evangelist, and Barry Eisler, who reveals he\'s taking the same path after turning down a half million dollar conventional publishing contract.\r\n\r\nThere\'s such a frenzy in this field at the moment that it behoves someone to pour a touch of cold water on things. Oh go on then. Let it be me. Here are a few things to consider before dissing that half million dollar deal yourself...\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>First, this stuff is taking off big time in America. In case you hadn\'t noticed America (population 307 million) is a very big country with a very high take-up of new digital technologies. There are more potential customers  for ebooks in America than in the rest of the world put together. The UK (population 62 million) likes gadgets too but has nothing like the penetration of ereaders.  A few people can be big in self-pubbed ebooks in America and make a tidy living. A few people can be big in self-pubbed ebooks in the UK and do... well, ok. Most self-pubbed ebooks do nothing at all, of course.</li>\r\n	<li>If you do the self-pubbed route you lose, I assume, your conventional agent. Why would they continue to represent someone who\'s shifting the lion\'s share of their work outside the field in which an agent works? If you lose your agent you lose...</li>\r\n	<li>Anyone pushing your books into translation (which for UK-based authors can be a very steady source of income)</li>\r\n	<li>Anyone pushing you for audio, TV and movie deals</li>\r\n	<li>Anyone giving you good feedback and advice about what\'s going on in the industry, how your books are being received, what new opportunities might come along.</li>\r\n	<li>Ebooks may be selling like crazy but print books are still very popular too. If you go self-pubbed into digital it\'s hard to see a meaningful way in which you can take part in that game any more. Retailers won\'t deal with self-pubbed titles. You won\'t be in airports. You won\'t be in the High Street.</li>\r\n	<li>You won\'t be in libraries either, which for European authors means you lose any income from public lending right and other copyright schemes (which, based on popularity, can bring in up to £8,000 or more each year in the UK).</li>\r\n	<li>[pullquote]Your margins are likely to become very slim indeed, very quickly. [/pullquote]Your margins are likely to become very slim indeed, very quickly. Best-selling titles on Kindle tend to be there largely through price. It\'s one thing to price back list titles, that have no need of further work, at 99p or 99 cents (I do that myself). But if you start pricing original work at that level you\'re be receiving a mere thirty off pence or cents per sales. The current legal minimum adult wage in the UK is £232 per week. You are going to have to sell 662 of those 99p books each and every week to reach the same pay level as someone behind the counter of McDonalds. To reach the median weekly wage of £499 you will need to shift more than twice as man, more than 1,400 copies.</li>\r\n	<li>Sales of that order may be possible (if not easy) in the US market. In the UK they are going to be extremely difficult. So you\'re going to have to write more. Short stories. Novellas. And dig out stuff from the back list (which will eventually run out, of course). One book a year used to be considered healthy and quite prolific output. Not any more.</li>\r\n</ul>','The self-publishing frenzy : a view from this side of the pond','','inherit','open','open','','7847-revision-9','','','2011-03-21 15:47:06','2011-03-21 15:47:06','',7847,'http://davidhewson.com/2011/03/7847-revision-9/',0,'revision','',0),(7857,1,'2011-03-21 15:55:19','2011-03-21 15:55:19','Scarcely a day goes by without yet another article announcing the death of \'legacy publishing\' (the business I\'ve been in for sixteen years I guess) and its replacement by digital self-publishing straight to ebook. <a href=\"http://jakonrath.blogspot.com/2011/03/ebooks-and-self-publishing-dialog.html\" target=\"_blank\">Here\'s the latest entry</a>, a fascinating conversation between Joe Konrath, the digital evangelist, and Barry Eisler, who reveals he\'s taking the same path after turning down a half million dollar conventional publishing contract.\n\nThere\'s such a frenzy in this field at the moment that it behoves someone to pour a touch of cold water on things. Oh go on then. Let it be me. Here are a few things to consider before dissing that half million dollar deal yourself...\n<ul>\n	<li>[pullquote]A few people can be big in self-pubbed ebooks in the UK and do... ok.[/pullquote] Most self-pubbed ebooks do nothing at all, of course.First, this stuff is taking off big time in America. In case you hadn\'t noticed America (population 307 million) is a very big country with a very high take-up of new digital technologies. There are more potential customers  for ebooks in America than in the rest of the world put together. The UK (population 62 million) likes gadgets too but has nothing like the penetration of ereaders.  A few people can be big in self-pubbed ebooks in America and make a tidy living. A few people can be big in self-pubbed ebooks in the UK and do... ok. Most self-pubbed ebooks do nothing at all, of course.</li>\n	<li>If you do the self-pubbed route you lose, I assume, your conventional agent. Why would they continue to represent someone who\'s shifting the lion\'s share of their work outside the field in which an agent works? If you lose your agent you lose...</li>\n	<li>Anyone pushing your books into translation (which for UK-based authors can be a very steady source of income)</li>\n	<li>Anyone pushing you for audio, TV and movie deals</li>\n	<li>Anyone giving you good feedback and advice about what\'s going on in the industry, how your books are being received, what new opportunities might come along.</li>\n	<li>Ebooks may be selling like crazy but print books are still very popular too. If you go self-pubbed into digital it\'s hard to see a meaningful way in which you can take part in that game any more. Retailers won\'t deal with self-pubbed titles. You won\'t be in airports. You won\'t be in the High Street.</li>\n	<li>You won\'t be in libraries either, which for European authors means you lose any income from public lending right and other copyright schemes (which, based on popularity, can bring in up to £8,000 or more each year in the UK).</li>\n	<li>[pullquote]Your margins are likely to become very slim indeed, very quickly. [/pullquote]Your margins are likely to become very slim indeed, very quickly. Best-selling titles on Kindle tend to be there largely through price. It\'s one thing to price back list titles, that have no need of further work, at 99p or 99 cents (I do that myself). But if you start pricing original work at that level you\'re be receiving a mere thirty off pence or cents per sales. The current legal minimum adult wage in the UK is £232 per week. You are going to have to sell 662 of those 99p books each and every week to reach the same pay level as someone behind the counter of McDonalds. To reach the median weekly wage of £499 you will need to shift more than twice as man, more than 1,400 copies.</li>\n	<li>We\'re talking gross income here. Not net. Yes, I know people always say to themselves, \'But I\'m working for myself from home some so I have no overheads.\' You do. A web site and broadband connection. Cover costs, editing and formatting advice. Barry estimates $600 for the cover and formatting for his short story, which sounds on the low side to me. For a full length novel I\'d expect to be paying at least three times that, and paying it up front before you\'ve sold a single copy. Then there\'s the question of...</li>\n	<li>Promotion and marketing. You\'re on your own now, remember? No publicist. No marketing department. You have to generate interest in your work, through constant activity on social media such as Facebook and Twitter. Or you have to find someone who will do this for you in return for a fee (and there seem to be more of them every day). Either way this will cost you time and/or money.</li>\n	<li>Is it impossible to make these economics work? No. But it\'s going to be a lot easier in the vast US market where a writer can be a formidable success simply by being popular in the state of California alone. In the UK it\'s going to be a lot more difficult. The answer is there in the Konrath-Eisler exchange. You\'re going to have to write more. Short stories. Novellas. And dig out stuff from the back list (which will eventually run out, of course). One book a year used to be considered healthy and quite prolific output. Not any more. If you can get six new 99 cents or 99p titles into the market a year your chances of making a living improve a lot. But that\'s six things you\'ve got to write. And here\'s my big worry...</li>\n	<li>Who\'s talking about books here? All we hear is \'product\' and \'margins\'.</li>\n</ul>','The self-publishing frenzy : a view from this side of the pond','','inherit','open','open','','7847-revision-10','','','2011-03-21 15:55:19','2011-03-21 15:55:19','',7847,'http://davidhewson.com/2011/03/7847-revision-10/',0,'revision','',0),(7858,1,'2011-03-21 15:59:26','2011-03-21 15:59:26','','Screen shot 2011-03-21 at 15.57.52','','inherit','open','open','','screen-shot-2011-03-21-at-15-57-52','','','2011-03-21 15:59:26','2011-03-21 15:59:26','',7847,'http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Screen-shot-2011-03-21-at-15.57.52.png',0,'attachment','image/png',0),(7859,1,'2011-03-21 16:02:01','2011-03-21 16:02:01','Scarcely a day goes by without yet another article announcing the death of \'legacy publishing\' (the business I\'ve been in for sixteen years I guess) and its replacement by digital self-publishing straight to ebook. <a href=\"http://jakonrath.blogspot.com/2011/03/ebooks-and-self-publishing-dialog.html\" target=\"_blank\">Here\'s the latest entry</a>, a fascinating conversation between Joe Konrath, the digital evangelist, and Barry Eisler, who reveals he\'s taking the same path after turning down a half million dollar conventional publishing contract.\n\nThere\'s such a frenzy in this field at the moment that it behoves someone to pour a touch of cold water on things. Oh go on then. Let it be me. Here are a few things to consider before dissing that half million dollar deal yourself...\n<ul>\n	<li>[pullquote]A few people can be big in self-pubbed ebooks in the UK and do... ok.[/pullquote] Most self-pubbed ebooks do nothing at all, of course.First, this stuff is taking off big time in America. In case you hadn\'t noticed America (population 307 million) is a very big country with a very high take-up of new digital technologies. There are more potential customers  for ebooks in America than in the rest of the world put together. The UK (population 62 million) likes gadgets too but has nothing like the penetration of ereaders.  A few people can be big in self-pubbed ebooks in America and make a tidy living. A few people can be big in self-pubbed ebooks in the UK and do... ok. Most self-pubbed ebooks do nothing at all, of course.</li>\n	<li>If you do the self-pubbed route you lose, I assume, your conventional agent. Why would they continue to represent someone who\'s shifting the lion\'s share of their work outside the field in which an agent works? If you lose your agent you lose...</li>\n	<li>Anyone pushing your books into translation (which for UK-based authors can be a very steady source of income)</li>\n	<li>Anyone pushing you for audio, TV and movie deals</li>\n	<li>Anyone giving you good feedback and advice about what\'s going on in the industry, how your books are being received, what new opportunities might come along.</li>\n	<li>Ebooks may be selling like crazy but print books are still very popular too. If you go self-pubbed into digital it\'s hard to see a meaningful way in which you can take part in that game any more. Retailers won\'t deal with self-pubbed titles. You won\'t be in airports. You won\'t be in the High Street.</li>\n	<li>You won\'t be in libraries either, which for European authors means you lose any income from public lending right and other copyright schemes (which, based on popularity, can bring in up to £8,000 or more each year in the UK).</li>\n	<li>[pullquote]Your margins are likely to become very slim indeed, very quickly. [/pullquote]Your margins are likely to become very slim indeed, very quickly. Best-selling titles on Kindle tend to be there largely through price. It\'s one thing to price back list titles, that have no need of further work, at 99p or 99 cents (I do that myself). But if you start pricing original work at that level you\'re be receiving a mere thirty off pence or cents per sales. The current legal minimum adult wage in the UK is £232 per week. You are going to have to sell 662 of those 99p books each and every week to reach the same pay level as someone behind the counter of McDonalds. To reach the median weekly wage of £499 you will need to shift more than twice as man, more than 1,400 copies.</li>\n	<li>We\'re talking gross income here. Not net. Yes, I know people always say to themselves, \'But I\'m working for myself from home some so I have no overheads.\' You do. A web site and broadband connection. Cover costs, editing and formatting advice. Barry estimates $600 for the cover and formatting for his short story, which sounds on the low side to me. For a full length novel I\'d expect to be paying at least three times that, and paying it up front before you\'ve sold a single copy. Then there\'s the question of...</li>\n	<li>[pullquote]You\'re on your own now, remember? No publicist. No marketing department.[/pullquote]Promotion and marketing. You\'re on your own now, remember? No publicist. No marketing department. You have to generate interest in your work, through constant activity on social media such as Facebook and Twitter. Or you have to find someone who will do this for you in return for a fee (and there seem to be more of them every day). Either way this will cost you time and/or money.</li>\n	<li>Is it impossible to make these economics work? No. But it\'s going to be a lot easier in the vast US market where a writer can be a formidable success simply by being popular in the state of California alone. In the UK it\'s going to be a lot more difficult. The answer is there in the Konrath-Eisler exchange. You\'re going to have to write more. Short stories. Novellas. And dig out stuff from the back list (which will eventually run out, of course). One book a year used to be considered healthy and quite prolific output. Not any more. If you can get six new 99 cents or 99p titles into the market a year your chances of making a living improve a lot. But that\'s six things you\'ve got to write. And here\'s my big worry...</li>\n	<li><img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-7858\" title=\"Screen shot 2011-03-21 at 15.57.52\" src=\"http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Screen-shot-2011-03-21-at-15.57.52-300x290.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"290\" />Who\'s talking about books here? All we hear is \'product\' and \'margins\'. Very little about quality and breadth and innovation in terms of editorial. Here are the top ten free and paid-for titles on Kindle UK as I write... No criticism of any of the books on the lists here. I\'m sure they all deserve to be there. But it\'s a pretty narrow range, don\'t you think? Mainly mainstream thrillers with the odd chicklit and horror title. No science fiction title, no fantasy, no general fiction. \'Legacy\' publishers often get criticised for putting out down market titles that sell in their millions but don\'t carry much literary weight. One reason they do this is to subsidise work</li>\n</ul>','The self-publishing frenzy : a view from this side of the pond','','inherit','open','open','','7847-revision-11','','','2011-03-21 16:02:01','2011-03-21 16:02:01','',7847,'http://davidhewson.com/2011/03/7847-revision-11/',0,'revision','',0),(7860,1,'2011-03-21 16:06:54','2011-03-21 16:06:54','Scarcely a day goes by without yet another article announcing the death of \'legacy publishing\' (the business I\'ve been in for sixteen years I guess) and its replacement by digital self-publishing straight to ebook. <a href=\"http://jakonrath.blogspot.com/2011/03/ebooks-and-self-publishing-dialog.html\" target=\"_blank\">Here\'s the latest entry</a>, a fascinating conversation between Joe Konrath, the digital evangelist, and Barry Eisler, who reveals he\'s taking the same path after turning down a half million dollar conventional publishing contract.\n\nThere\'s such a frenzy in this field at the moment that it behoves someone to pour a touch of cold water on things. Oh go on then. Let it be me. Here are a few things to consider before dissing that half million dollar deal yourself...\n<ul>\n	<li>[pullquote]A few people can be big in self-pubbed ebooks in the UK and do... ok.[/pullquote] Most self-pubbed ebooks do nothing at all, of course.First, this stuff is taking off big time in America. In case you hadn\'t noticed America (population 307 million) is a very big country with a very high take-up of new digital technologies. There are more potential customers  for ebooks in America than in the rest of the world put together. The UK (population 62 million) likes gadgets too but has nothing like the penetration of ereaders.  A few people can be big in self-pubbed ebooks in America and make a tidy living. A few people can be big in self-pubbed ebooks in the UK and do... ok. Most self-pubbed ebooks do nothing at all, of course.</li>\n	<li>If you do the self-pubbed route you lose, I assume, your conventional agent. Why would they continue to represent someone who\'s shifting the lion\'s share of their work outside the field in which an agent works? If you lose your agent you lose...</li>\n	<li>Anyone pushing your books into translation (which for UK-based authors can be a very steady source of income)</li>\n	<li>Anyone pushing you for audio, TV and movie deals</li>\n	<li>Anyone giving you good feedback and advice about what\'s going on in the industry, how your books are being received, what new opportunities might come along.</li>\n	<li>Ebooks may be selling like crazy but print books are still very popular too. If you go self-pubbed into digital it\'s hard to see a meaningful way in which you can take part in that game any more. Retailers won\'t deal with self-pubbed titles. You won\'t be in airports. You won\'t be in the High Street.</li>\n	<li>You won\'t be in libraries either, which for European authors means you lose any income from public lending right and other copyright schemes (which, based on popularity, can bring in up to £8,000 or more each year in the UK).</li>\n	<li>[pullquote]Your margins are likely to become very slim indeed, very quickly. [/pullquote]Your margins are likely to become very slim indeed, very quickly. Best-selling titles on Kindle tend to be there largely through price. It\'s one thing to price back list titles, that have no need of further work, at 99p or 99 cents (I do that myself). But if you start pricing original work at that level you\'re be receiving a mere thirty off pence or cents per sales. The current legal minimum adult wage in the UK is £232 per week. You are going to have to sell 662 of those 99p books each and every week to reach the same pay level as someone behind the counter of McDonalds. To reach the median weekly wage of £499 you will need to shift more than twice as man, more than 1,400 copies.</li>\n	<li>We\'re talking gross income here. Not net. Yes, I know people always say to themselves, \'But I\'m working for myself from home some so I have no overheads.\' You do. A web site and broadband connection. Cover costs, editing and formatting advice. Barry estimates $600 for the cover and formatting for his short story, which sounds on the low side to me. For a full length novel I\'d expect to be paying at least three times that, and paying it up front before you\'ve sold a single copy. Then there\'s the question of...</li>\n	<li>[pullquote]You\'re on your own now, remember? No publicist. No marketing department.[/pullquote]Promotion and marketing. You\'re on your own now, remember? No publicist. No marketing department. You have to generate interest in your work, through constant activity on social media such as Facebook and Twitter. Or you have to find someone who will do this for you in return for a fee (and there seem to be more of them every day). Either way this will cost you time and/or money. If you get away with $5,000 a title to do it properly I think you\'d be doing well, which makes break even a lot tougher.</li>\n	<li>Your promotional opportunities have now narrowed greatly. Festivals and other public events aren\'t going to be so interested in a self-published author. Nor will the media. If you\'re an established writer, well known and with a track record, it may be different. But for a newcomer... it\'s going to be tough to stand out among the crowd.</li>\n	<li>Is it impossible to make these economics work? No. But it\'s going to be a lot easier in the vast US market where a writer can be a formidable success simply by being popular in the state of California alone. In the UK it\'s going to be a lot more difficult. The answer is there in the Konrath-Eisler exchange. You\'re going to have to write more. Short stories. Novellas. And dig out stuff from the back list (which will eventually run out, of course). One book a year used to be considered healthy and quite prolific output. Not any more. If you can get six new 99 cents or 99p titles into the market a year your chances of making a living improve a lot. But that\'s six things you\'ve got to write. And here\'s my big worry...</li>\n	<li><img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-7858\" title=\"Screen shot 2011-03-21 at 15.57.52\" src=\"http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Screen-shot-2011-03-21-at-15.57.52-300x290.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"290\" />Who\'s talking about books here? All we hear is \'product\' and \'margins\'. Very little about quality and breadth and innovation in terms of editorial. Here are the top ten free and paid-for titles on Kindle UK as I write... No criticism of any of the books on the lists here. I\'m sure they all deserve to be there. But it\'s a pretty narrow range, don\'t you think? Mainly mainstream thrillers with the odd chicklit and horror title. No science fiction title, no fantasy, no general fiction. \'Legacy\' publishers often get criticised for putting out down market titles that sell in their millions but don\'t carry much literary weight. One reason they do this is to subsidise works of more \'merit\' that don\'t sell as well and may one day build a worthwhile career. The ebook market is as ruthless as it gets. If you sell you\'re there. If you\'re not, you\'re lost.</li>\n</ul>\nDon\'t get me wrong. I think ebooks are a good thing. I\'ve put up some of my backlist and one new short story on Kindle. I\'ll doubtless add a few things in future. If I lived in the US then perhaps I\'d be mulling the route others are taking over there. But I don\'t, and I fear a lot of people will get burned outside the US thinking the healthy sales available there can be easily replicated in smaller, more difficult markets. In five or ten years... things may be different.\n\nUntil then, if you\'re outside the US and someone','The self-publishing frenzy : a view from this side of the pond','','inherit','open','open','','7847-revision-12','','','2011-03-21 16:06:54','2011-03-21 16:06:54','',7847,'http://davidhewson.com/2011/03/7847-revision-12/',0,'revision','',0),(7861,1,'2011-03-21 16:07:25','2011-03-21 16:07:25','Scarcely a day goes by without yet another article announcing the death of \'legacy publishing\' (the business I\'ve been in for sixteen years I guess) and its replacement by digital self-publishing straight to ebook. <a href=\"http://jakonrath.blogspot.com/2011/03/ebooks-and-self-publishing-dialog.html\" target=\"_blank\">Here\'s the latest entry</a>, a fascinating conversation between Joe Konrath, the digital evangelist, and Barry Eisler, who reveals he\'s taking the same path after turning down a half million dollar conventional publishing contract.\r\n\r\nThere\'s such a frenzy in this field at the moment that it behoves someone to pour a touch of cold water on things. Oh go on then. Let it be me. Here are a few things to consider before dissing that half million dollar deal yourself...\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>[pullquote]A few people can be big in self-pubbed ebooks in the UK and do... ok.[/pullquote] Most self-pubbed ebooks do nothing at all, of course.First, this stuff is taking off big time in America. In case you hadn\'t noticed America (population 307 million) is a very big country with a very high take-up of new digital technologies. There are more potential customers  for ebooks in America than in the rest of the world put together. The UK (population 62 million) likes gadgets too but has nothing like the penetration of ereaders.  A few people can be big in self-pubbed ebooks in America and make a tidy living. A few people can be big in self-pubbed ebooks in the UK and do... ok. Most self-pubbed ebooks do nothing at all, of course.</li>\r\n	<li>If you do the self-pubbed route you lose, I assume, your conventional agent. Why would they continue to represent someone who\'s shifting the lion\'s share of their work outside the field in which an agent works? If you lose your agent you lose...</li>\r\n	<li>Anyone pushing your books into translation (which for UK-based authors can be a very steady source of income)</li>\r\n	<li>Anyone pushing you for audio, TV and movie deals</li>\r\n	<li>Anyone giving you good feedback and advice about what\'s going on in the industry, how your books are being received, what new opportunities might come along.</li>\r\n	<li>Ebooks may be selling like crazy but print books are still very popular too. If you go self-pubbed into digital it\'s hard to see a meaningful way in which you can take part in that game any more. Retailers won\'t deal with self-pubbed titles. You won\'t be in airports. You won\'t be in the High Street.</li>\r\n	<li>You won\'t be in libraries either, which for European authors means you lose any income from public lending right and other copyright schemes (which, based on popularity, can bring in up to £8,000 or more each year in the UK).</li>\r\n	<li>[pullquote]Your margins are likely to become very slim indeed, very quickly. [/pullquote]Your margins are likely to become very slim indeed, very quickly. Best-selling titles on Kindle tend to be there largely through price. It\'s one thing to price back list titles, that have no need of further work, at 99p or 99 cents (I do that myself). But if you start pricing original work at that level you\'re be receiving a mere thirty off pence or cents per sales. The current legal minimum adult wage in the UK is £232 per week. You are going to have to sell 662 of those 99p books each and every week to reach the same pay level as someone behind the counter of McDonalds. To reach the median weekly wage of £499 you will need to shift more than twice as man, more than 1,400 copies.</li>\r\n	<li>We\'re talking gross income here. Not net. Yes, I know people always say to themselves, \'But I\'m working for myself from home some so I have no overheads.\' You do. A web site and broadband connection. Cover costs, editing and formatting advice. Barry estimates $600 for the cover and formatting for his short story, which sounds on the low side to me. For a full length novel I\'d expect to be paying at least three times that, and paying it up front before you\'ve sold a single copy. Then there\'s the question of...</li>\r\n	<li>[pullquote]You\'re on your own now, remember? No publicist. No marketing department.[/pullquote]Promotion and marketing. You\'re on your own now, remember? No publicist. No marketing department. You have to generate interest in your work, through constant activity on social media such as Facebook and Twitter. Or you have to find someone who will do this for you in return for a fee (and there seem to be more of them every day). Either way this will cost you time and/or money. If you get away with $5,000 a title to do it properly I think you\'d be doing well, which makes break even a lot tougher.</li>\r\n	<li>Your promotional opportunities have now narrowed greatly. Festivals and other public events aren\'t going to be so interested in a self-published author. Nor will the media. If you\'re an established writer, well known and with a track record, it may be different. But for a newcomer... it\'s going to be tough to stand out among the crowd.</li>\r\n	<li>Is it impossible to make these economics work? No. But it\'s going to be a lot easier in the vast US market where a writer can be a formidable success simply by being popular in the state of California alone. In the UK it\'s going to be a lot more difficult. The answer is there in the Konrath-Eisler exchange. You\'re going to have to write more. Short stories. Novellas. And dig out stuff from the back list (which will eventually run out, of course). One book a year used to be considered healthy and quite prolific output. Not any more. If you can get six new 99 cents or 99p titles into the market a year your chances of making a living improve a lot. But that\'s six things you\'ve got to write. And here\'s my big worry...</li>\r\n	<li><img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-7858\" title=\"Screen shot 2011-03-21 at 15.57.52\" src=\"http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Screen-shot-2011-03-21-at-15.57.52-300x290.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"290\" />Who\'s talking about books here? All we hear is \'product\' and \'margins\'. Very little about quality and breadth and innovation in terms of editorial. Here are the top ten free and paid-for titles on Kindle UK as I write... No criticism of any of the books on the lists here. I\'m sure they all deserve to be there. But it\'s a pretty narrow range, don\'t you think? Mainly mainstream thrillers with the odd chicklit and horror title. No science fiction title, no fantasy, no general fiction. \'Legacy\' publishers often get criticised for putting out down market titles that sell in their millions but don\'t carry much literary weight. One reason they do this is to subsidise works of more \'merit\' that don\'t sell as well and may one day build a worthwhile career. The ebook market is as ruthless as it gets. If you sell you\'re there. If you\'re not, you\'re lost.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nDon\'t get me wrong. I think ebooks are a good thing. I\'ve put up some of my backlist and one new short story on Kindle. I\'ll doubtless add a few things in future. If I lived in the US then perhaps I\'d be mulling the route others are taking over there. But I don\'t, and I fear a lot of people will get burned outside the US thinking the healthy sales available there can be easily replicated in smaller, more difficult markets. In five or ten years... things may be different.\r\n\r\nUntil then, if you\'re outside the US and someone offers you a half a million dollar deal... I\'d bite their hand off.','The self-publishing frenzy : a view from this side of the pond','','inherit','open','open','','7847-revision-13','','','2011-03-21 16:07:25','2011-03-21 16:07:25','',7847,'http://davidhewson.com/2011/03/7847-revision-13/',0,'revision','',0),(7862,1,'2011-03-21 16:07:35','2011-03-21 16:07:35','Scarcely a day goes by without yet another article announcing the death of \'legacy publishing\' (the business I\'ve been in for sixteen years I guess) and its replacement by digital self-publishing straight to ebook. <a href=\"http://jakonrath.blogspot.com/2011/03/ebooks-and-self-publishing-dialog.html\" target=\"_blank\">Here\'s the latest entry</a>, a fascinating conversation between Joe Konrath, the digital evangelist, and Barry Eisler, who reveals he\'s taking the same path after turning down a half million dollar conventional publishing contract.\r\n\r\nThere\'s such a frenzy in this field at the moment that it behoves someone to pour a touch of cold water on things. Oh go on then. Let it be me. Here are a few things to consider before dissing that half million dollar deal yourself...\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>[pullquote]A few people can be big in self-pubbed ebooks in the UK and do... ok.[/pullquote] Most self-pubbed ebooks do nothing at all, of course.First, this stuff is taking off big time in America. In case you hadn\'t noticed America (population 307 million) is a very big country with a very high take-up of new digital technologies. There are more potential customers  for ebooks in America than in the rest of the world put together. The UK (population 62 million) likes gadgets too but has nothing like the penetration of ereaders.  A few people can be big in self-pubbed ebooks in America and make a tidy living. A few people can be big in self-pubbed ebooks in the UK and do... ok. Most self-pubbed ebooks do nothing at all, of course.</li>\r\n	<li>If you do the self-pubbed route you lose, I assume, your conventional agent. Why would they continue to represent someone who\'s shifting the lion\'s share of their work outside the field in which an agent works? If you lose your agent you lose...</li>\r\n	<li>Anyone pushing your books into translation (which for UK-based authors can be a very steady source of income)</li>\r\n	<li>Anyone pushing you for audio, TV and movie deals</li>\r\n	<li>Anyone giving you good feedback and advice about what\'s going on in the industry, how your books are being received, what new opportunities might come along.</li>\r\n	<li>Ebooks may be selling like crazy but print books are still very popular too. If you go self-pubbed into digital it\'s hard to see a meaningful way in which you can take part in that game any more. Retailers won\'t deal with self-pubbed titles. You won\'t be in airports. You won\'t be in the High Street.</li>\r\n	<li>You won\'t be in libraries either, which for European authors means you lose any income from public lending right and other copyright schemes (which, based on popularity, can bring in up to £8,000 or more each year in the UK).</li>\r\n	<li>[pullquote]Your margins are likely to become very slim indeed, very quickly. [/pullquote]Your margins are likely to become very slim indeed, very quickly. Best-selling titles on Kindle tend to be there largely through price. It\'s one thing to price back list titles, that have no need of further work, at 99p or 99 cents (I do that myself). But if you start pricing original work at that level you\'re be receiving a mere thirty off pence or cents per sales. The current legal minimum adult wage in the UK is £232 per week. You are going to have to sell 662 of those 99p books each and every week to reach the same pay level as someone behind the counter of McDonalds. To reach the median weekly wage of £499 you will need to shift more than twice as man, more than 1,400 copies.</li>\r\n	<li>We\'re talking gross income here. Not net. Yes, I know people always say to themselves, \'But I\'m working for myself from home some so I have no overheads.\' You do. A web site and broadband connection. Cover costs, editing and formatting advice. Barry estimates $600 for the cover and formatting for his short story, which sounds on the low side to me. For a full length novel I\'d expect to be paying at least three times that, and paying it up front before you\'ve sold a single copy. Then there\'s the question of...</li>\r\n	<li>[pullquote]You\'re on your own now, remember? No publicist. No marketing department.[/pullquote]Promotion and marketing. You\'re on your own now, remember? No publicist. No marketing department. You have to generate interest in your work, through constant activity on social media such as Facebook and Twitter. Or you have to find someone who will do this for you in return for a fee (and there seem to be more of them every day). Either way this will cost you time and/or money. If you get away with $5,000 a title to do it properly I think you\'d be doing well, which makes break even a lot tougher.</li>\r\n	<li>Your promotional opportunities have now narrowed greatly. Festivals and other public events aren\'t going to be so interested in a self-published author. Nor will the media. If you\'re an established writer, well known and with a track record, it may be different. But for a newcomer... it\'s going to be tough to stand out among the crowd.</li>\r\n	<li>Is it impossible to make these economics work? No. But it\'s going to be a lot easier in the vast US market where a writer can be a formidable success simply by being popular in the state of California alone. In the UK it\'s going to be a lot more difficult. The answer is there in the Konrath-Eisler exchange. You\'re going to have to write more. Short stories. Novellas. And dig out stuff from the back list (which will eventually run out, of course). One book a year used to be considered healthy and quite prolific output. Not any more. If you can get six new 99 cents or 99p titles into the market a year your chances of making a living improve a lot. But that\'s six things you\'ve got to write. And here\'s my big worry...</li>\r\n	<li><img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-7858\" title=\"Screen shot 2011-03-21 at 15.57.52\" src=\"http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Screen-shot-2011-03-21-at-15.57.52-300x290.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"290\" />Who\'s talking about books here? All we hear is \'product\' and \'margins\'. Very little about quality and breadth and innovation in terms of editorial. Here are the top ten free and paid-for titles on Kindle UK as I write... No criticism of any of the books on the lists here. I\'m sure they all deserve to be there. But it\'s a pretty narrow range, don\'t you think? Mainly mainstream thrillers with the odd chicklit and horror title. No science fiction title, no fantasy, no general fiction. \'Legacy\' publishers often get criticised for putting out down market titles that sell in their millions but don\'t carry much literary weight. One reason they do this is to subsidise works of more \'merit\' that don\'t sell as well and may one day build a worthwhile career. The ebook market is as ruthless as it gets. If you sell you\'re there. If you\'re not, you\'re lost.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nDon\'t get me wrong. I think ebooks are a good thing. I\'ve put up some of my backlist and one new short story on Kindle. I\'ll doubtless add a few things in future. If I lived in the US then perhaps I\'d be mulling the route others are taking over there. But I don\'t, and I fear a lot of people will get burned outside the US thinking the healthy sales available there can be easily replicated in smaller, more difficult markets. In five or ten years... things may be different.\r\n\r\nUntil then, if you\'re outside the US and someone offers you a half a million dollar deal... I\'d bite their hand off.','The self-publishing frenzy : a view from this side of the pond','','inherit','open','open','','7847-revision-14','','','2011-03-21 16:07:35','2011-03-21 16:07:35','',7847,'http://davidhewson.com/2011/03/7847-revision-14/',0,'revision','',0),(7869,1,'2011-03-21 16:11:12','2011-03-21 16:11:12','Scarcely a day goes by without yet another article announcing the death of \'legacy publishing\' (the business I\'ve been in for sixteen years I guess) and its replacement by digital self-publishing straight to ebook. <a href=\"http://jakonrath.blogspot.com/2011/03/ebooks-and-self-publishing-dialog.html\" target=\"_blank\">Here\'s the latest entry</a>, a fascinating conversation between Joe Konrath, the digital evangelist, and Barry Eisler, who reveals he\'s taking the same path after turning down a half million dollar conventional publishing contract.\r\n\r\nThere\'s such a frenzy in this field at the moment that it behoves someone to pour a touch of cold water on things. Oh go on then. Let it be me. Here are a few little-spoken of issues to consider before dissing that half million dollar deal yourself...\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>[pullquote]Most self-pubbed ebooks do nothing at all, of course[/pullquote]First, this stuff is taking off big time in America. In case you hadn\'t noticed America (population 307 million) is a very big country with a very high take-up of new digital technologies. There are more potential customers  for ebooks in America than in the rest of the world put together. The UK (population 62 million) likes gadgets too but has nothing like the penetration of ereaders.  A few people can be big in self-pubbed ebooks in America and make a tidy living. A few people can be big in self-pubbed ebooks in the UK and do... ok. Most self-pubbed ebooks do nothing at all, of course.</li>\r\n	<li>If you do the self-pubbed route you lose, I assume, your conventional agent. Why would they continue to represent someone who\'s shifting the lion\'s share of their work outside the field in which an agent works? If you lose your agent you lose...</li>\r\n	<li>Anyone pushing your books into translation (which for UK-based authors can be a very steady source of income)</li>\r\n	<li>Anyone pushing you for audio, TV and movie deals</li>\r\n	<li>Anyone giving you good feedback and advice about what\'s going on in the industry, how your books are being received, what new opportunities might come along.</li>\r\n	<li>Ebooks may be selling like crazy but print books are still very popular too. If you go self-pubbed into digital it\'s hard to see a meaningful way in which you can take part in that game any more. Retailers won\'t deal with self-pubbed titles. You won\'t be in airports. You won\'t be in the High Street.</li>\r\n	<li>You won\'t be in libraries either, which for European authors means you lose any income from public lending right and other copyright schemes (which, based on popularity, can bring in up to £8,000 or more each year in the UK).</li>\r\n	<li>[pullquote]Your margins are likely to become very slim indeed, very quickly. [/pullquote]Your margins are likely to become very slim indeed, very quickly. Best-selling titles on Kindle tend to be there largely through price. It\'s one thing to price back list titles, that have no need of further work, at 99p or 99 cents (I do that myself). But if you start pricing original work at that level you\'re be receiving a mere thirty off pence or cents per sales. The current legal minimum adult wage in the UK is £232 per week. You are going to have to sell 662 of those 99p books each and every week to reach the same pay level as someone behind the counter of McDonalds. To reach the median weekly wage of £499 you will need to shift more than twice as man, more than 1,400 copies.</li>\r\n	<li>We\'re talking gross income here. Not net. Yes, I know people always say to themselves, \'But I\'m working for myself from home some so I have no overheads.\' You do. A web site and broadband connection. Cover costs, editing and formatting advice. Barry estimates $600 for the cover and formatting for his short story, which sounds on the low side to me. For a full length novel I\'d expect to be paying at least three times that, and paying it up front before you\'ve sold a single copy. Then there\'s the question of...</li>\r\n	<li>[pullquote]You\'re on your own now, remember? No publicist. No marketing department.[/pullquote]Promotion and marketing. You\'re on your own now, remember? No publicist. No marketing department. You have to generate interest in your work, through constant activity on social media such as Facebook and Twitter. Or you have to find someone who will do this for you in return for a fee (and there seem to be more of them every day). Either way this will cost you time and/or money. If you get away with $5,000 a title to do it properly I think you\'d be doing well, which makes break even a lot tougher.</li>\r\n	<li>Your promotional opportunities have now narrowed greatly. Festivals and other public events aren\'t going to be so interested in a self-published author. Nor will the media. If you\'re an established writer, well known and with a track record, it may be different. But for a newcomer... it\'s going to be tough to stand out among the crowd.</li>\r\n	<li>Is it impossible to make these economics work? No. But it\'s going to be a lot easier in the vast US market where a writer can be a formidable success simply by being popular in the state of California alone. In the UK it\'s going to be a lot more difficult. The answer is there in the Konrath-Eisler exchange. You\'re going to have to write more. Short stories. Novellas. And dig out stuff from the back list (which will eventually run out, of course). One book a year used to be considered healthy and quite prolific output. Not any more. If you can get six new 99 cents or 99p titles into the market a year your chances of making a living improve a lot. But that\'s six things you\'ve got to write. And here\'s my big worry...</li>\r\n	<li><img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-7858\" title=\"Screen shot 2011-03-21 at 15.57.52\" src=\"http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Screen-shot-2011-03-21-at-15.57.52-300x290.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"290\" />Who\'s talking about books here? All we hear is \'product\' and \'margins\'. Very little about quality and breadth and innovation in terms of editorial. Here are the top ten free and paid-for titles on Kindle UK as I write... No criticism of any of the books on the lists here. I\'m sure they all deserve to be there. But it\'s a pretty narrow range, don\'t you think? Mainly mainstream thrillers with the odd chicklit and horror title. No science fiction title, no fantasy, no general fiction. \'Legacy\' publishers often get criticised for putting out down market titles that sell in their millions but don\'t carry much literary weight. One reason they do this is to subsidise works of more \'merit\' that don\'t sell as well and may one day build a worthwhile career. The ebook market is as ruthless as it gets. If you sell you\'re there. If you\'re not, you\'re lost.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nDon\'t get me wrong. I think ebooks are a good thing. I\'ve put up some of my backlist and one new short story on Kindle. I\'ll doubtless add a few things in future. If I lived in the US then perhaps I\'d be mulling the route others are taking over there. But I don\'t, and I fear a lot of people will get burned outside the US thinking the healthy sales available there can be easily replicated in smaller, more difficult markets. In five or ten years... things may be different.\r\n\r\nUntil then, if you\'re outside the US and someone offers you a half a million dollar deal... I\'d bite their hand off.','The self-publishing frenzy : a view from this side of the pond','','inherit','open','open','','7847-revision-21','','','2011-03-21 16:11:12','2011-03-21 16:11:12','',7847,'http://davidhewson.com/2011/03/7847-revision-21/',0,'revision','',0),