The Where’s Alan Book Giveaway Contest continues…
Yes, the lighting’s bad (it’s on a subway platform). Yes, that’s me standing next to the ad. Yes, you too can send in a picture of yourself standing near one of my ads and be entered to win a signed book!
I finished reading Stephen King’s UNDER THE DOME last week. At more than 1000 pages, I was engrossed in the story, with the same cast of characters, for quite some time. Luckily, I enjoyed it.
But, after all that time invested, I wanted a really, really good ending. Unfortunately, I thought it fell a little short.
Without trying to give anything away, the book opens with a highly implausible event. So I guess I wasn’t that surprised to have an ending which bordered on a deus et machina. Although to be fair, after the precipitating event, I’m not sure how he could have wrapped things up without pulling something out of his nether regions.
Anyway, like I said, I enjoyed the book. But I would have enjoyed it more with a different ending.
What book have you read where the ending left you a little flat? Did that stop you from reading that author’s next book?
Last weekend, the AWP (The Association of Writers & Writing Programs) Annual Conference was held in Washington, D.C. It consisted of four days full of panels, meetings, and drinking (or so I heard).
I skipped the panels, meetings, and drinking, and went to the Bookfair instead. I didn’t count but there had to be close to a bazillion booths and table displays to check out. Being a “genre” writer, I never realized just how many literary journals, magazines, reviews, small presses, university presses, MFA programs, writing coops, and other related “literary” things existed.
I was astounded, to say the least.
It’s nice to know there are a ton of fresh and innovative publishers/publications out there, both in print and on-line, providing outlets for creative writing of all stripes.
Kinda made me wish I was more creative.
Last night, I had the pleasure of attending the monthly MWA Mid-Atlantic Chapter meeting. Our speaker was publishing attorney Daniel Steven and he talked about the protection of intellectual property rights, the ebook revolution, and piracy. (Incidentally, he was for, neutral, and against.)
A few things I came away with:
With regard to ebooks, Steven described publishing as being at the “beginning of an era, like the wild, wild west.” Much of the conflict between publishers and authors in the ebook arena comes from old laws/old contracts being applied against the new, digital world.
An example: For an older book, printed before ebooks even existed, there was no assignment of digital rights (obviously). So now, publishers claim that they own the rights and authors, of course, claim that they do. It’s a murky area.
He advised writers that, right now, if you had to choose just one format to e-publish in, pick the Kindle.
Discussing piracy, Steven said that in a lot of cases, there’s not much a writer can do, short of legal action. And even then, because many of the more organized pirate sites are off-shore, it’s almost impossible to get anything done about it. He suggested that pricing your work at a certain (lower) price point might make pirating “not worth the effort or risk.”
All in all, a very enlightening evening.
For more valuable information about publishing law, check out Daniel Steven’s website.
I’m giving away a few books through Goodreads. Just click through to enter the drawing (and while you’re there, add KILLER ROUTINE to your list of books to-be-read). Good luck!
You might be surprised to learn that I do not have any tattoos or piercings on my body. I have a deep aversion to “permanent” “alterations” that affect my flesh and bones. (Yes, I know that piercing holes can close up and that you can get tattoos removed. But I don’t even like “semi” “permanent” “alterations.”)
I don’t like stuff you can’t change. I do not like permanent things.
As a kid, I shied away from permanent markers. I never wanted anything to go on my permanent record. And I know I dressed like a wrinkled mess, never having the courage to wear permanent press.
So I guess it’s not shocking to reveal that I don’t like going to the dentist. All that drilling and filling and yanking and clanking is permanent. (Other reasons include extreme discomfort and pain and the taste of Novocain.)
Unfortunately, that’s where I am/was this morning. It’s been at least 10 or 12 years since I’ve needed any dental work (besides a cleaning). I brush, I floss, I eat right, I whisper sweet—but not sugary—nothings to my molars. Despite my best efforts, though, I need some work done.
The worst part? I’ll have to carry around those metal/ceramic pieces in my mouth for the rest of my life. I’ll be forever altered, and that bums me out.
What does this have to do with writing?
Well, once a book gets published in print, it’s “permanent.” Can’t be altered. Sure, you can change it in future editions or in the e-book version, but each printed book is permanent.
That’s why, as a writer, you need to make your story as good as you possibly can. Sometimes, there are no second chances.
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