Pages

Thursday, March 7, 2013

A Publishing Raw Deal

I was going to name this blog "Digital Rape of Publishing". Then I realized it would make me seem like an insensitive jerk.

I recently read a blog by author John Scalzi on the news that Random House has a new electronic subsidiary called Hydra. He wrote that this new company is offering contract terms that are not beneficial to new writers. It is important to note that these writers are probably not represented by agents.

Here is his blog post to which I am referencing.  http://whatever.scalzi.com/2013/03/06/note-to-sff-writers-random-houses-hydra-imprint-has-appallingly-bad-contract-terms/

 As he aptly stated, this model is borrowed from the music industry and these so called costs are often inflated, and in some cases, fabricated.  

Unfortunately, I think this kind of thing is going to continue. As an example, Amazon has it's own film studio, but what some people may not know is that they have both a WGA and a non-WGA signatories. This often exploits new screenwriters that have yet to receive their WGA card, for the deal they receive is not in their best interest.

If a reputable publisher wants a writer, and offers a writer those kind of terms, why would said writer consider it?

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

See You Later, Oscar.

I was supposed to post this yesterday, but ran into a few snags. (excuses, excuses).

A few weeks ago, I posted my predictions on the Academy Awards,  Hello Again, Oscar.  As was the case from the prior year, I didn't do too well.

Let's see how bad a prognosticator I ended up being by listing the winners and comparing them to who I picked.

Saturday, January 19, 2013

My Scribbles Through Time

"You must read alot and write alot."  - Steven King in his book, On Writing.
 

It is as simple as that. A writer needs to read both good and bad examples of writing as his time allows. He also has to practice the craft of actual writing.
 

So the question most aspiring writers ask: How much is alot?
 

That question is mostly subjective. So I will answer it with an example on how I work.

Thursday, January 17, 2013

The Stab of the Lance

This story has a long set-up that might bore some people who are not fans of pro cycling.. It is necessary to help stress my later points about cheating and the duality of a said individual.

When I was younger, I was a cycling enthusiast. I used to bike 20 miles a day. This was not due to any particular affinity for any pro cyclist, but for liking the challenge of beating childhood rivals who bested me in other pursuits.

I did follow pro cyclists of that time. 

Friday, January 11, 2013

Hello Again, Oscar.

It's Academy Award time again.  Last year, my predictions were way off base. 

Today I am going to make a fool out of myself again and attempt to predict the winners.

Monday, January 7, 2013

Resolutions

Happy New Year to all.  The Mayans were wrong.



As I sit here and write this, I am going over the resolutions that I made for 2012 that I actually met, and the ones that I did not attain. Overall, I met half my goals.



In how I perceive myself, it was not a good year.