Our goal as writers is to craft a story so interesting that strangers will pay money to hear it. Let’s start with definitions: ROI stands for Return On Investment. The equation: Revenue minus Costs divided by Costs. In publishing, this is a very tricky number because books have a startup cost but very little operational […]
On Writing 5: Cash is Good
Our goal as writers is to craft a story so interesting that strangers will pay money to hear it. Gordon Gekko, you are no doubt too young to remember, was a movie villain who stood in front of a crowd of stockholders to announce, “Greed is good.” He then made a fairly rational case for […]
On Writing 4: Ignorance is Bliss (not cash)
Our goal as writers is to craft a story so interesting that strangers will pay money to hear it. I have been told a thousand times that I am blissfully ignorant. But let’s not dwell on my family’s opinions. Let’s stick to writing, where ignorance, and the accompanying bliss, can hurt your writing efforts far […]
Review: Prophecy
Review by Seeley James Prophecy – Author J.F. Penn ~55,000 words, $2.99 E When I read J.F. Penn’s first book, Pentecost, the enthusiasm and energy took me by surprise and turned me into a believer. Now that I’ve read her second book, I am awestruck. She spins a tale containing more than merely plausible science […]
Review: Deadly Straits
Review by Seeley James Deadly Straights – Author R.E. McDermott, ~90,000 words, $4.95 Deadly Straights is a nautical thriller. I am a desert rat. My experience with the ocean is limited to sticking my toe into it on vacation and asking, “Holy crap, is it always this wet?” So, you can imagine my trepidation at […]