New lay-out FF-net

[Alelou]

I am greedy. I want more readers if I can get them. Mostly I know this will come from writing interesting stories (assuming there are any ENT fans out there, anyway) but anything else that can help without being too undignified works for me. The whole point of writing, it seems to me, is to reach out to an audience of some kind, and to join the ongoing conversation about what it means to be human. But then again, I also enjoy designing covers.

Nowadays you will be lucky to get that "set fee" (advance) to publish a book, and you can be sure that if you don't earn out the advance in your royalties, you won't be publishing a second book unless you do what some desperate writers do and literally change your name to avoid that poisonous sales history. This is sad, because in the old days publishing companies knew, as networks once did, that it can take awhile for a new author to find his or her audience -- so if the work was good, they would carry it for awhile even at break-even as an investment in future profits ... and because they cared about literature. But the people who run giant corporations don't care about literature, and they don't think in the long-term -- they need all their divisions to hit their numbers THIS fiscal year. Except for enjoying the vanity that comes from being associated with popular cultural icons, most of them might as well be selling olive oil.

[WarpGirl]

I want readers too, I'm not trying to say I'm "above" recognition and don't love reviews, because I absolutely do! But the reason I write is because I have something to say. I want to be proud of the work I put out, that's the bottom line. If I'm happy with it, that's reason enough to put it out. The rest is just Buttercream Icing. My theory is quality work will get some sort of feedback, maybe not 1000s of comments that appeal to a mass audience going "Oh for realz that's awesome!" But I'm not looking for that anyway. I'm looking to say something meaningful and to touch people. And 99% of the reviews I've gotten have told me I'm succeeding. That's enough for me. I learn and grow from constructive criticism and I find joy in bringing other people joy. That is why I like comments.

I also find authors I admire and respect, and privately point them to my work. Occasionally I'll add something to my summery that I know might appeal to a certain group just to stir up some interest. But I refuse to be a salesman. I'm a writer, and if people want to comment they will all the "covers" and manipulation in the world doesn't change that. If my work doesn't get noticed, I just assume I'm doing a bad job and whip myself into shape.

[Alelou]

There are very few successful writers in real life who are not also salesmen of their own work in some way.

I don't think this is a good thing, necessarily. The talents and temperament that make someone a good writer are generally in conflict with the talents and temperaments that make someone a good salesman.

Fortunately, writing a little copy and designing covers is the kind of work most introverts can do without too much agony.

[Cogito]

I really must go and see what these 'covers' are. I must say the thought of trying to produce my own artwork would be enough to send me running in panic. Not that it's a problem in my case given the negligible quantity of my writing.

[WarpGirl]

What you lack in quantity you make up for in quality and that's what counts my dear Cogito.

Alelou the odds of my ever getting published I admit are slim. However, Clive Cussler is pretty darned successful, he doesn't do commercials. So is Tom Clancy he isn't on my TV. Do they sell the rights to films? Sure. (Cussler now refuses to do so) but there are more authors out there who don't act like used car salesmen than those that are. Besides, the PR stuff is usually the Publishing House's responsibility not the author's.

When it comes to fanfic, people read what they want to read, and comment if they want to comment.

[Alelou]

Cogito, if you have Paint and Windows Photo Gallery on your computer (they're in the accessories folder usually) it's really quite easy.

Because of the default size of a new Paint file, if you go to the edit menu and say "paste from" and import an image that's 600 pixels across, then add color and type and rules or boxes or whatever to the remainder of it, you'll have the perfect 600 x 900 pixel size for an ff.net cover. (You can get into that size by opening Microsoft Picture Manager, hitting edit photo, and then cropping or resizing it.)

If you're not used to using that kind of software, I'm sure there are hundreds of tutorials on the web. These are the easy programs. The complicated ones for it are Illustrator and In Design or free GIMP. You can do a lot more with them, but it takes some real fussing and at the size these come out it's hardly worth it.