Saturday, July 27, 2019
Changes for changing times.
Living where I do — the Philippines, I have to constantly remind myself that I’m a guest in someone else’s country. I have no rights or benefits due me. I had to do that in Panama prior to moving here. It was an easier reminder in Panama because the language was mostly Spanish. Here, almost everyone speaks a few words of English.
Since I moved here four years ago, the cost of living has doubled. This discerning fact should alarm me but doesn’t. Like most foreigners, I catered my lifestyle to western living in a 3rd world country. I didn’t go native in Panama and I have not gone native in the Philippines.
However, adjustments need to be made. Here’s just a few I’ve made recently.
I decided to reduce the amount of money I spent at the larger supermarkets like Hypermart and Robinson’s in Dumaguete. Instead I began my search of items on my list — here in Valencia. Starting at the nearest sari-sari store, then to the local public market and the satellite markets and bakeries. I was pleasantly surprised at the selection I had; albeit I had to visit many stores. That’s fine I’m purchasing local and sharing my income with locals; neighbors instead of rich chain-store operators. To my surprise, I saved twenty percent (20%) and didn’t really diminish my style of living/eating.
Another way I cut back on my expenses was to fashion products for the house rather than purchase them. You can buy a tool and it will help you create a product — unit for more comfortable living rather than purchasing something made in China which self destructs in a matter of weeks.
Re-purposing is in order — the idea that people would flock to order motorcycle trailers was a myth in my own head. Soooo, I’ve decided to craft items for the house out of pieces and parts for the trailer. Ohhh, I’ll probably make a trailer for myself. Just not a commercial venture. I’ll stick to my writing for extra income.
On that subject, writing and publishing books, I've had to change that aspect of my life as well. Facebook which used to be my platform to promote has tuned sour on me. I'm often restricted in my posts so I'm electing to find different platforms; Twitter is one. MeWe is another and perhaps Goodreads. This blog will undergo some changes as well. I'll use it for the vehicle to other venues -- like Twitter and MeWe. Join my blog and get freebies -- entitlements for adding to my numbers. Stay tuned. Join if you will as i gradually put facebook in my rear view mirror
Wednesday, May 29, 2019
REVIEWING THE REVIEWERS
Review of the reviewers:
When you read a book and you notice a misspelled word or a typo do you blame the author? Do you blame the editor or proofreader? How about punctuation? Whose fault is it if the punctuation doesn't conform to your standards? (ie; Oxford vs AP, vs Chicago style…)
The answer is unfortunately — the author gets blamed. Even though he/she paid a proofreader, an Editor, a formatter, and a cover designer, marking a book back one point (from 5 to 4) make a big difference in an author’s paycheck. You are blaming an author for someone else's oversight or confusion. Maybe the reviewer is wrong?
Here’s a good example of how an editor or reviewers ignorance changes the value of a novel. It has caused me to be criticized and marked down many times.
SULL (NOT PULL)= the action by an animal to being restrained by a lariat, a collar or harness. It’s a western word that is used by people familiar with livestock - horses, cows, goats, dogs, and even cats. Look for it in the dictionary and it’s not there. Why? BECAUSE — people who publish dictionaries aren't familiar with the western world as we know it. The word has been around for a long time. I heard my great grandfather use it when I was just a small child. Don’t mark me down because of your ignorance!
COMMAS: It’s a matter of opinion. Which is correct? He ate the meat, potatoes, and the bread. He ate the meat, the potatoes and the bread.
The answer of course is BOTH. It depends on your education and training as to which style you use. Gene Small, my HS English teacher, told me to pick one and stay consistent. Marking an author down because of punctuation is just mean!
Same with the covers or style or sexual content. If you don’t like it… here’s an idea DON’T REVIEW — leave it alone!
Pure vs convoluted — When you go to the Kindle New Releases on Amazon and look at the review section. A pure review is ZERO. No reviews — it’s just been released (like JUNGLE GIRL yesterday.) that’s pure. When you see a new release with 78 reviews or even 10. That’s convoluted. PHONY REVIEWS to make an author more salable. I don’t subscribe to this; too much a cowboy purist in me, I guess.
Reviews weaponized: I loaned a guy several thousand dollars when I lived in Panama. He never paid me back. So, I would write him often and chastise him about his debt. He began buying my books and leaving scathing bad reviews. Marking me at 1 every time. I complained to Amazon and eventually after showing copies of my letters and his purchases (normally my free offers) and the pattern created, they block him. But they never reversed the 1’s — my average was knocked to it’s knees on several titles.
Don’t like the cover but never read the book? Yep, that happens more than you think. No problem until you leave a nasty review about the book cover and admit you have not read the book. This has happened more than once in my short Amazon association.
Here's a couple of examples -- actual word for word from the novel reviews.
Drucilla Graham
1.0 out of 5 starscover
January 17, 2015
Format: Kindle Edition
Love native American books I always look at the cover the cover of this book is puzzling. I know you can not judge a book by its cover. But it show a native American but the son who is a half breed looks black and is mother is white? Because the mother is white the son should be light .he is darker then his father. I am a logical person and see book covers in a logical way. To me the covers should represent what's in the book. I will read the book and review the book by its story.
Les
3.0 out of 5 starsEntertaining Western.
August 25, 2013
Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase
This is a Western and I found it to be entertaining. The story itself was interesting enough to maybe warrant four stars, but the presentation was rough and would have benefited from some professional editing and proofing.
2 people found this helpful
SO THERE IS MY REVIEW OF REVIEWERS. As a whole they are honest people but are ignorant as to the ramifications of the effect on author's sales and consequently their income. (End of whine)
Average reviews on Amazon. 1= horrible, 5= highest rating.
1. CRYSTAL COWBOY 4.6
2. PARTNERS 4.6
3. UNTAMED 4.8
4. ALASKA BE DAMNED 4.7
5. TRES PIEDRAS 5.0
6. LAST FRUIT STAND ON GUAM 4.8
7. TRUST ME 5.0
8. BOOMER 4.7
9. EXPAT 4.6
10. TUCSON TERRITORY 4.8
11. MURDER IN PANAMA 4.9
12. SHOOTER 4.6
13. HALF BREED 4.8
14. HART RULES 5.0
15. REVOLUTION OF FOOLS 4.7
16. JIMMY HART TRILOGY 5.0
17. COIN OF THE REALM 5.0
18. PEPPER PYLE 5.0
19. UNBROKEN 5.0
20. WILSON’S WAR 5.0
21. BROKEN BADGE NEW
22. KID MUSTANG 5.0
23. SHANIKO SAM NEW
24. MOSTLY MOABLY 5.0
25. SECOND VERSE 5.0
26. COUNTERFEIT KATHOLIC 5.0
27. WILLFUL IGNORANCE 5.0
28. RING OF FIRE NEW
29. COTUN BAWLS NEW
30. MIND YORE MANNERS NEW
31. WILDERNESS COWBOY NEW
32. BAD MANNERS NEW
33. SLAUGHTER AT STINKING SPRINGS NEW
34. OBSIDIAN ASTEROID NEW
35. DIAMONDS IN THE DARK NEW
36. JUNGLE GIRL 4.0
37. SIEGE AT JUNTURA NEW
38. FORBIDDEN FRUIT NEW
39. KNIGHT TRANE NEW
40. BLOOD BATH NEW
When you read a book and you notice a misspelled word or a typo do you blame the author? Do you blame the editor or proofreader? How about punctuation? Whose fault is it if the punctuation doesn't conform to your standards? (ie; Oxford vs AP, vs Chicago style…)
The answer is unfortunately — the author gets blamed. Even though he/she paid a proofreader, an Editor, a formatter, and a cover designer, marking a book back one point (from 5 to 4) make a big difference in an author’s paycheck. You are blaming an author for someone else's oversight or confusion. Maybe the reviewer is wrong?
Here’s a good example of how an editor or reviewers ignorance changes the value of a novel. It has caused me to be criticized and marked down many times.
SULL (NOT PULL)= the action by an animal to being restrained by a lariat, a collar or harness. It’s a western word that is used by people familiar with livestock - horses, cows, goats, dogs, and even cats. Look for it in the dictionary and it’s not there. Why? BECAUSE — people who publish dictionaries aren't familiar with the western world as we know it. The word has been around for a long time. I heard my great grandfather use it when I was just a small child. Don’t mark me down because of your ignorance!
COMMAS: It’s a matter of opinion. Which is correct? He ate the meat, potatoes, and the bread. He ate the meat, the potatoes and the bread.
The answer of course is BOTH. It depends on your education and training as to which style you use. Gene Small, my HS English teacher, told me to pick one and stay consistent. Marking an author down because of punctuation is just mean!
Same with the covers or style or sexual content. If you don’t like it… here’s an idea DON’T REVIEW — leave it alone!
Pure vs convoluted — When you go to the Kindle New Releases on Amazon and look at the review section. A pure review is ZERO. No reviews — it’s just been released (like JUNGLE GIRL yesterday.) that’s pure. When you see a new release with 78 reviews or even 10. That’s convoluted. PHONY REVIEWS to make an author more salable. I don’t subscribe to this; too much a cowboy purist in me, I guess.
Reviews weaponized: I loaned a guy several thousand dollars when I lived in Panama. He never paid me back. So, I would write him often and chastise him about his debt. He began buying my books and leaving scathing bad reviews. Marking me at 1 every time. I complained to Amazon and eventually after showing copies of my letters and his purchases (normally my free offers) and the pattern created, they block him. But they never reversed the 1’s — my average was knocked to it’s knees on several titles.
Don’t like the cover but never read the book? Yep, that happens more than you think. No problem until you leave a nasty review about the book cover and admit you have not read the book. This has happened more than once in my short Amazon association.
Here's a couple of examples -- actual word for word from the novel reviews.
Drucilla Graham
1.0 out of 5 starscover
January 17, 2015
Format: Kindle Edition
Love native American books I always look at the cover the cover of this book is puzzling. I know you can not judge a book by its cover. But it show a native American but the son who is a half breed looks black and is mother is white? Because the mother is white the son should be light .he is darker then his father. I am a logical person and see book covers in a logical way. To me the covers should represent what's in the book. I will read the book and review the book by its story.
Les
3.0 out of 5 starsEntertaining Western.
August 25, 2013
Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase
This is a Western and I found it to be entertaining. The story itself was interesting enough to maybe warrant four stars, but the presentation was rough and would have benefited from some professional editing and proofing.
2 people found this helpful
SO THERE IS MY REVIEW OF REVIEWERS. As a whole they are honest people but are ignorant as to the ramifications of the effect on author's sales and consequently their income. (End of whine)
Average reviews on Amazon. 1= horrible, 5= highest rating.
1. CRYSTAL COWBOY 4.6
2. PARTNERS 4.6
3. UNTAMED 4.8
4. ALASKA BE DAMNED 4.7
5. TRES PIEDRAS 5.0
6. LAST FRUIT STAND ON GUAM 4.8
7. TRUST ME 5.0
8. BOOMER 4.7
9. EXPAT 4.6
10. TUCSON TERRITORY 4.8
11. MURDER IN PANAMA 4.9
12. SHOOTER 4.6
13. HALF BREED 4.8
14. HART RULES 5.0
15. REVOLUTION OF FOOLS 4.7
16. JIMMY HART TRILOGY 5.0
17. COIN OF THE REALM 5.0
18. PEPPER PYLE 5.0
19. UNBROKEN 5.0
20. WILSON’S WAR 5.0
21. BROKEN BADGE NEW
22. KID MUSTANG 5.0
23. SHANIKO SAM NEW
24. MOSTLY MOABLY 5.0
25. SECOND VERSE 5.0
26. COUNTERFEIT KATHOLIC 5.0
27. WILLFUL IGNORANCE 5.0
28. RING OF FIRE NEW
29. COTUN BAWLS NEW
30. MIND YORE MANNERS NEW
31. WILDERNESS COWBOY NEW
32. BAD MANNERS NEW
33. SLAUGHTER AT STINKING SPRINGS NEW
34. OBSIDIAN ASTEROID NEW
35. DIAMONDS IN THE DARK NEW
36. JUNGLE GIRL 4.0
37. SIEGE AT JUNTURA NEW
38. FORBIDDEN FRUIT NEW
39. KNIGHT TRANE NEW
40. BLOOD BATH NEW
Friday, April 19, 2019
How it works:
Amazon offered a special program for readers. It’s been in effect for several years and I have tried in vain to circumvent their system; a system that is great for readers but HORRIBLE for authors. That’s right — horrible with a capital ‘H’.
A reader can sign up for the Amazon Kindle Unlimited program and read hundreds of thousands books for free. That’s right, for about ten bucks a month a reader has a library at their fingertips and can read most of today’s authors for free. If you are a READER, what’s not to like? Good for the reader — good for Amazon but horrible for the authors.
If you are an author, FREE BOOKS eliminate any royalties. Yup, no sales = no royalty. Here is how they compensate the author of the free book — authors get paid by the page read. How in the hell do we audit that? The answer of course — we can’t. As an author, I am at the mercy of Amazon. Are they honest? What do you think? I feel violated each time I get the pittance from Amazon. To me it’s a stacked deck. I bowed out often and got slapped back into reality. They control the marketplace and I have to play by their rules. Sooooooo, here’s what I intend to do:
1. All of my books except the multiple book volumes are available to be read for free. I enrolled them in KDP select which allows those who joined Kindle Unlimited to read them for free. I’ll keep promoting the free books on an individual basis plus their Kindle Unlimited.
2. Currently I have seventeen(17) unpublished manuscripts sitting in the bowels of my hard drive. They are unpublished because I don’t have the funds to pay the professionals to get them released (about 2000 USD each= 34k). I’m going to publish them in some form — maybe two a month with whatever covers I can create. Each new release is promoted by Amazon. I want the sky black with new releases for the next ten months or longer.
3. The RISK? It’s violating the cardinal sin of authors. Publishing work that hasn't been professionally edited or formatted. I may get marked down in my reviews. The REWARD? Maybe more folks turning pages so I can be paid for my writing. The major advantage is it gets the stories out where they belong — in the hands of the readers.
So, that’s my new plan. Amazon sucks but they make the rules. I’ll play with their rules — my way. Be prepared for many new releases in several genres. THE TWO COVERS SHOWN IN THIS POST ARE THE APRIL, 2019 RELEASES.
RWH
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