@DonDeBon@writing.exchange avatar

DonDeBon

@DonDeBon@writing.exchange

Don is a science fiction author that enjoys technology (when it works), good weather, and reading a good book.

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sfwrtr, to 13thFloor
@sfwrtr@eldritch.cafe avatar

322 — What piece of advice, as an author, did you once receive but hadn’t followed? Looking back on it now, you might wish that you had.

Advice: Don't only write novels. Write lots of shorter pieces.

When I started I saw that you could only make a living if you sold novels, so I wrote novels. That completely discounted the fabulous practice you get completing lots of smaller stories. Completing a novel takes lots of time and there's a mounting anxiety that in the end the plot will fail or no publisher will be interested. Yeah, true with short fiction, but the investment is far lower (or should be if you're doing it right). There used to be lots of magazines you could sell short fiction to... for pennies a word, but it was something, and it offered a chance to build a brand name and a following. Such notoriety could help you sell novels, too.

Today, I'm writing lots of short fiction.

[Author retains copyright (c)2024 R.S.]

and


DonDeBon,
@DonDeBon@writing.exchange avatar

@sfwrtr
I couldn't agree more. If I recall correctly Ray Bradbury also said to start with short stories vs a novel "You don't know what you are doing." Aka too easy to get lost in it. Not to mention take so much longer to finish.

He also said it was impossible to write 52 bad short stories in a row. One of them had to be good. Hence the odds go up in your favor with short stories.

RedPenRabbit, to movies
@RedPenRabbit@writing.exchange avatar

I think typos and other errors have been told to travel in pairs so it's more likely that one will sneak through while the other is attracting all the attention. Clever little things.

@edibuddies

DonDeBon,
@DonDeBon@writing.exchange avatar

@RedPenRabbit @edibuddies
Indeed. Sneaky little buggers.

DonDeBon,
@DonDeBon@writing.exchange avatar

@DarkGamer @inkican

Actually, Jiggawatt is gigawatt mispronounced. So they are the same thing. :) There is an article in the NY Times regarding this that when they were doing research, someone mispronounced it to them.

DonDeBon,
@DonDeBon@writing.exchange avatar

@po@kbin.social @inkican @DarkGamer
LOL. You forgot to mention NYT. https://archive.nytimes.com/wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/04/08/you-say-gigawatt-i-say-jigowatt/

KrisBock, to books
@KrisBock@mastodon.social avatar

Best digitalisation errors from today's old Perry Mason novel: "Save it for the oops ...." (cops) Also [they] overtook the jeep about two or three males north of town. #books @bookstodon #reading

DonDeBon,
@DonDeBon@writing.exchange avatar

@KrisBock @bookstodon
If it was an "underground" conversion, a few errors is almost a given. But a full classic commercial edition, there is no excuse. Sounds like they OCRed it and shipped without much (if any) proof reading. Which is what they are being paid for.

golgaloth, to books
@golgaloth@writing.exchange avatar

So, how many of you are reading more than one book at a time?

#Books #bookstodon #reading @bookstodon

DonDeBon,
@DonDeBon@writing.exchange avatar

@golgaloth @bookstodon Almost always. I have a lot of bookmarks, but not a browser like that. I think if I did, it would be well-used. :)

weirdwriter, to Pubtips

deleted_by_author

    •
    DonDeBon,
    @DonDeBon@writing.exchange avatar

    @weirdwriter @bookstodon This is scary for certain. I also never thought I would see the day.

    And @rnf from what I can see it looks to insert ads in the books you purchase, possibly reducing the cost of the book to the consumer in the process. Similar to TV showing ads as you watch.

    Yes ads have been in books mentioning other books the author has done (usually in the backmatter). But this is different. It would likely be from other authors or the seller themselves (Amazon, B&N etc).

    suswatibasu, to Tolkien
    @suswatibasu@mstdn.social avatar

    estate: Lord of the Rings fanfiction writer loses lawsuit, ordered to destroy all books and pay $134,000

    https://howtobe247.com/tolkien-estate-win-lawsuit-against-lord-of-the-rings-fan-fiction-writer-sequel/

    DonDeBon,
    @DonDeBon@writing.exchange avatar

    @suswatibasu While infringing on copyright is not funny in the slightest, it is ironic that his infringement only came to light when he claimed Amazon was infringing on his own already illegal work.

    jda, to android
    @jda@social.sdf.org avatar

    Reading books with ReadEra. It really is a great reader app - free and no ads. Easy to add books to it. Highly recommended.

    https://readera.org

    @bookstodon

    DonDeBon,
    @DonDeBon@writing.exchange avatar

    @jda @bookstodon

    I haven't heard of this one, I will give it a spin. I have been using FBreader for years. Haven't had any problems with FC, but ReadEra looks interesting.

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