Monday, July 30, 2012

Will the e-book bubble burst?

This is a pretty devastating analysis of the state of epublishing and social networking for authors. Can’t say I disagree with much of it. Sure, I have a Facebook account, Twitter account and my own blog, but I’m not under the impression that they are the way to success. And, man, if I spent 80 percent of my time on social networking, I’d be a basket case (whatever that is).

My philosophy is to just write, and keep writing, and try to avoid run-on sentences, and overuse of commas, and stuff, like, that. Someday, lightning might strike or maybe not. But I'll have written a lot. As Mr. Morrison says ...

In the end it's all about stats: the hidden ones and the real ones. If you're writing and trying to self-sell and net-promote, do your own stats. Calculate your investment of time and money in writing versus social media. Do you want to spend 80% of 80% of your time Facebooking about cats in the hope that you'll make a 2.12% increase in sales on a book you had to write in 18 days? Do you want to spend 80% of your time creating unpaid market propaganda for the social media industry?
Or would you rather step away from the hype altogether and spend as much time as you can being a 100% writer?

Friday, July 13, 2012

Link-O-Rama

Okay, the kid's baseball season is done, my daughters' college registration is in place, my latest writing project is set to be shipped off to my editing posse. So ... let's do some bloggin'!
SD stuff

** Eighty years in the writing, Laura Ingalls Wilder autobiography finally to see publication.

** How's this happen? Rural Redfield, SD, club grows to rare, 10-hole golf course

** Sounds like a party! About 500-600 members of the Hells Angels will roar into Spearfish July 25 for their annual USA Run.


** Angling for that big fish: For woman who caught state-record walleye a little luck helps. 


** Unique KMAX helicopter helps in new construction at Terry Peak ski area. 


** This week marks the 40th anniversary of Mitchell, SD, native George McGovern's Democratic presidential nomination.  

** Scientists with the Long Baseline Neutrino Experiment are in the early stages of making plans to build their multi-million dollar experiment in Kirk Canyon.


Beyond SD booky stuff

** Really? Maybe if he called it a Book Club, this dude would be safe from The Man keeping him down.


** Hey nerds and engineers (but I repeat myself), check out man-made calamities that changed the world, and not always for the worse. 


** This headline just grabbed me. Breasts: A Natural and Unnatural History by Florence Williams – review. Zoe Williams on why everything you thought you knew about breasts is wrong.

Miscellania that interests me and would you too if you were cool

** I’m a big fan of our military folks, do a lot of work with them and admire their high quality. My favorite bumper sticker is: God Bless Our Troops, Especially Our Snipers. But this IDF soldier takes high quality and commitment to a new level.

** I’m a runner so enjoyed this story, and they're not talking motorcycles: When the Bad Guys Ride Bikes