Friends

: suricattus; May 23rd, 9:25

An old friend of mine, who happens to be a minister, posted the following link to her facebook page:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/22/pope-francis-good-atheists_n_3320757.html?ncid=edlinkusaolp00000009

"Pope Francis Says Atheists Who Do Good Are Redeemed, Not Just Catholics"

Pope Francis rocked some religious and atheist minds today when he declared that everyone was redeemed through Jesus, including atheists.

My friend, who is a genuinely good person, was pleased by this, as though it was a good thing. And yeah, compared to "all who are not devout Catholic are going to hell" I guess it is. Anything that cuts down on the justifications for abuse is a good thing. Far better behavior than his unlamented-by-many predecessor.

However...

Like the Mormons posthumously "baptizing" Jews and claiming them for their heaven, this strikes me as vaguely offensive chutzpah. He's saying "it doesn't matter what YOU believe, we're going to co-opt you anyway through OUR belief." And I'm not sure how that's supposed to make us feel better about our relations with the Church.

Dude. Try asking. If we want to convert, we will. if we don't, we've got our exit plan worked out already, thanks.

Tags: religion

this I feel therefore this I know

: suricattus; May 23rd, 7:52

Woke up this morning with the faint trickle of cool, damp air streaming in though the open window, touching my skin. Suddenly I was many places at once - Cape Cod, Vermont, New Jersey most strongly - but all the same time, that early summer morning before the sun takes effect, when mist rises from the still surface of lakes and the hush of the air is broken only by the occasional bird or the crunch of someone walking outside, and the taste of a protein bar and coffee waiting before the day begins....

Never underestimate texture. It's far more powerful than sight.

Tags: craft from another perspective, personal

Care and Feeding of the Debut Author #7

: j_cheney; May 22nd, 11:46

166 days to go!

That's 5 months +. No need to get lathered up about it yet.

But I've recently noted some things on my preorder pages that sent me into momentary panic. My prices went up! And my ranking went down! And I don't even have time to run around tearing out my hair over this because I'm in the midst of copyedit for Book 1.

Deep Breath. Deep Breath.

OK, I'm calmer now. Yes, my B&N price and my Amazon price both went up, and my ranking went down. I don't know which happened first, or if a cause-and-effect relationship exists at all. I also noted that I now have a Nook version on offer at B&N. That's new since the last time I popped over there.

But life and promotion goes on. I've got a Tumbler now (jkathleencheney), but very little on that page so far. I'm also working on an interview with another writer. I'm being a good girl.

And I'm through the first pass of my copy edits. I hope that I learned something. I have some quibbles. I don't know that I'll remember all the little rules I've broken, but I'm going to try to be better about them next time. And while I clearly need to work on 'awaken/woken', I'm very proud that they didn't find a single 'lie/lay' mistake! Victory!

Anyhow, I'm still here, plugging away at Book 1 and Book 3, and expecting to get the first round of edits for Book 2 any day now. Such is a writer's glamourous life ;o)

Links:
Laura Anne Gilman's post on C. E. Murphy's "Financial Reality Check"
Catherine Schaffer's post on "Convention Success for Shy Writers"

Tags: care and feeding of the debut author, publication process

and oh, hey, here's another financial post...

: suricattus; May 22nd, 11:26

Because all the writer-kids are doing it.

http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=176060&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1823219&highlight=

Amazon Publishing Introduces “Kindle Worlds,” a New Publishing Model for Authors Inspired to Write Fan Fiction—Launching with an Initial License of Popular Titles from Warner Bros. Television Group’s Alloy Entertainment

Like Kindle Singles and Kindle Serials, Kindle Worlds Adds a New Approach to Digital Publishing

SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May. 22, 2013-- (NASDAQ:AMZN)—Today, Amazon Publishing announces Kindle Worlds, the first commercial publishing platform that will enable any writer to create fan fiction based on a range of original stories and characters and earn royalties for doing so. Amazon Publishing has secured licenses from Warner Bros. Television Group’s Alloy Entertainment division for its New York Times best-selling book series Gossip Girl, by Cecily von Ziegesar; Pretty Little Liars, by Sara Shepard; and Vampire Diaries, by L.J. Smith; and plans to announce more licenses soon. Through these licenses, Kindle Worlds will allow any writer to publish authorized stories inspired by these popular Worlds and make them available for readers to purchase in the Kindle Store.

Amazon Publishing will pay royalties to both the rights holders of the Worlds and the author. The standard author’s royalty rate (for works of at least 10,000 words) will be 35% of net revenue. As with all titles from Amazon Publishing, Kindle Worlds will base net revenue off of sales price—rather than the lower, industry standard of wholesale price—and royalties will be paid monthly.

--------------------------------

This is all I know about the project, which is just now hitting the Internet-waves. But the following is my initial reaction

1. This is not going to be some free-for-all of fanfic. It's carefully curated properties, which means probably most writers don't have to worry about it, one way or the other (alas or yay, depending on your take)

2. If Amazon is licensing these properties, and paying everyone involved, it's legal and even morally fair (for payment levels of fair).

3. Amazon is reportedly prohibiting crossovers and explicit sex. 80% of fanfic's not welcome. :-)

4. I suspect most readers will be "why should we pay for fic we used to get for free? Especially if there's no assurance of quality?"
(welcome to the return of the Why Gatekeepers are Good argument. But I digress)

5. Nobody's property gets put into play without their licensing those right (see #1), so it's opt-in, just like any other subrights deal.

6. This will hopefully finally teach people to HOLD ONTO THE DERIVATIVE RIGHTS ON EVERYTHING THEY SELL, FOREVER AND EVER AMEN.

7. Fanfic writers too will learn that there are wolves in the world... and that they are bunnies. Tasty, tasty bunnies. You sign Amazon's contract, make sure you understand what you're agreeing to....

and yeah, 8. Amazon still isn't in this for anything other than their own profit, up to and including squeezing all competition out of the field in any way possible.

Short version: I'm not thrilled with the idea, but I'm not flipping like a mammal just yet. Engaging wait and see mode.

EtA: and Matt Forbeck has blogged about what it means to pro tie-in writers... http://www.forbeck.com/2013/05/22/kindle-worlds-worlds-burning/

Tags: business, fanfic, publishing, the writing life

Amazon Jumps Into the Fanfic Business

: jimhines; May 22nd, 11:07

Amazon announced Kindle Worlds today, describing it as “the first commercial publishing platform that will enable any writer to create fan fiction based on a range of original stories and characters and earn royalties for doing so.”

I didn’t know this was coming, but I’m not surprised, exactly. Amazon has been a very successful business, and if they see a potentially profitable area they can branch out into, they’re gonna do it.

I found out about this through Chuck Wendig’s post here, wherein he talks about the press release and proceeds to fragment his own brain into tiny, shiny pieces.

I’m still digesting and processing this, and I suspect some of it will boil down to having to wait to see how it all plays out. But some of my initial reactions are…

This isn’t a free-for-all. Amazon has licensed these rights from the rights-holders, and it’s for a specific and limited list of properties.
- But wait, if they’ve licensed the rights, is it really fanfiction or is it an open call for licensed tie-in work?
They’ve got a no porn rule. Fair enough. If anyone’s going to write 50 Shades of Blue: A Goblin’s Erotic Awakening, I think it should be me.
My understanding of the fanfiction community is that there’s a strong value on not profiting from your work. This seems like a potential culture war between Amazon and the community they’re trying to court.
- That said, no community is perfectly homogenous, and as a writer, I have nothing against getting paid for your work, so long as it’s done legally, which this would be.
- Also, as someone who isn’t a part of that community, I could be TOTALLY AND EMBARRASSINGLY WRONG ABOUT THIS PIECE.
Who decides whether to license a work, the publisher or the author? Can DAW license Libriomancer fanfic without my approval? Can I do it without theirs?
Amazon takes all rights to your fanfiction story. Which isn’t entirely unreasonable in a work-for-hire situation, but will make a lot of folks uncomfortable.
Why would people pay for fanfiction when so much is available online for free?
- Then again, why would people pay for licensed tie-in work when so much fanfiction is available online for free…
Should prolific fanfic writers look into getting agents? I’m not sure the benefit of an agent in this situation, but I also cringe at the idea of writers who aren’t very, very business-savvy signing contracts without someone else looking it over.
Does this mean fanfic could now qualify for SFWA membership?
- Waiting for various heads to explode at that question…
Finally, Amazon is not pro-author, nor are they pro-reader. They’re pro-Amazon. (This doesn’t make them any worse or better than most businesses, by the way.) When Amazon’s interests overlap with those of readers or writers, great. But don’t lose sight of their bottom line, because I guarantee that’s what they’re watching.

I’m sure there will be many, many discussions and arguments about this, and I have no idea how it will all play out or whether or not it will work. But I do think it’s a fascinating step in the ongoing evolution of the industry.

Mirrored from Jim C. Hines.

This space for rent?

: joe_haldeman; May 22nd, 7:23

The Starship Century Symposium proceeds apace. Aspace? Absolutely fascinating. More than a hundred space people gathered
Very concentrated work yesterday, more than twelve hours. Unwound with a glass of wine in the motel bar with a few of the participants. But only one glass, and then staggered up to bed. It's hard work, concentrating and taking notes (how'd I ever get through six years of college?)

Twenty-five pages in my 4X6 notebook, after fifteen pages the first day.

Greg Benford made an interesting comment from the audience yesterday. There are billions of dollars of "junk" in geosynchronous orbit – very high-tech junk – and it belongs to whoever goes up and claims it. Some American entrepreneur should be hatching plans now. (No other country yet has integrated public and private sectors in space flight, but that won't last long.) One thinks of a near-future story redolent of old pirate tales.

"Avast, Matey – can't get me space helmet on with this dagger between me teeth!"

One of my old MIT students, Peter Diamandis, came up in this regard. He's one of the founders of H.O.P.E. – Human Outer Planet Exploration. They want to prospect and claim the most valuable Near-Earth asteroid. There are about 1700 asteroids that are easier to get to than the Moon, which I didn't know, but it makes sense. (To use resources from the Moon, of course, you have to go down its gravity well and return; the asteroids are "nearer" in terms of energy.)

Well, I'm somewhat on stage today, a panel of sf writers. So I'd better do a little research.

Joe

Last Day

: jimvanpelt; May 22nd, 7:49

I've posted the last blog for the district's teacher blog today.

It's really written for the end of the day tomorrow. Here's the text of it. I thought to link at the end was funny.

_______________________

Once again we've come to the last day.

On my first last day, I finished cleaning my room, and it finally passed inspection (Arnold Hayes had a strict idea of how a room should look before a teacher could check out).

I turned in my keys, went to the parking lot, and then sat in my car for a few minutes. I couldn't believe I'd survived the year. Looking back, I thought that I'd accomplished the impossible. If anyone would have told me what a year of teaching involved, how complicated it was, how emotionally entangling it would be, how mentally taxing, I think I would have run the other way.

I felt like I did when I was in elementary school. Summer is here! I thought. Summer is here!

Summer is here. I hope all of you rest, change gears for a while, recharge, and then come back like the newly born.

31 Signs You've Been a Teacher Too Long

Tags: teaching

Boosting the signal, and commentary: C.E. Murphy's "a momentary reality check"

: suricattus; May 22nd, 8:52

Preface: I am normally of the "it's none of your business how much I earn, any more than how much you earn is any of my business" mindset. But... maybe this will help people understand. Or not. I don't know.
------------------------

mizkit posted about writerly income at a momentary reality check and I'm reposting here because, well, WHAT SHE'S SAYING. Never mind Rowling, King, Brown, etc. Ain't nobody 'cept those very few getting rich at this job. Damned few of us are earning above the poverty line (Federal standards: $12-15k per household of 1, $23-25k for a family of 3).

Catie and I are on a similar track (well, substitute two needy felines for a kid, and remove the spouse), and we are among the fortunate ones, at this point in time, in that we can say that we make an actual living out of this gig.

Averaging the past five years, I'm making around $45k/year, after my agency's 15% commission but before taxes. After-taxes would make you cry, no lie. Freelancer taxes are hell. I write more slowly than Catie does, which means I have fewer opportunities to sell, but I have my editorial sideline (5-10k of that pre-tax 45) which is why I can (almost) afford to live in NYC.*

(EtA: I also have multiple streams of writing income, between NYC, BookViewCafe, and direct-to-market)

As a point of comparison, the median family income in 2011 (most recent official numbers) was $61,455. There are benefits to this gig, but a fat paycheck is rarely one of them.

Keep in mind that writers (all freelancers) are not eligible for unemployment insurance if we lose our job, and every year that's a very real risk. So every year you're also (hopefully, ideally) squirreling away for the inevitable Really Bad Year(s). As they say in the financials, past performance is no guarantee of future results.

(everything that follows beneath the cut is Catie's original post. or you can go read it here directly.)

*and before anyone says "oh but why do you live in NYC if it's so expensive?"... because this is my home, and where my family lives.
----------------

Tags: business, money, the freelance life, the writing life, writers not me

starships

: joe_haldeman; May 21st, 7:19

Got to La Jolla yesterday for the 100-Year Starship conference. Here, a picture of our piteously meager environment:

pacificoceann

Will try to suffer through for a couple of days.

Mettings start now.

Joe

Looking on, from too far away

: suricattus; May 21st, 9:25

Like most of the US, I’ve been watching the news coming from Oklahoma over the past 24, and wondering what the hell the rest of the storm season is going to be like, between tornados and hurricanes and…

Based on the increasing severity of storms (thank you climate change) and the idiotic cutbacks in aid (thank you, governors who say “no money for FEMA”…until it’s their state that gets hit, as though disasters respect human-made borders), we’re going to see a lot more calls for help.

I went through superstorm Sandy. I saw my home states devastated. And I saw how people came forward to help, after. Even the smallest amount, the most basic gesture, means more than you can imagine.

If you want to help in Oklahoma (or any disaster scene), start with groups already in-place, with an established reputation. That way, your donations can be put to use immediately. And check to see what they need, before you donate.

We all know about the Red Cross (text REDCROSS to 90999 to make a donation), and Doctors without Borders, etc. And if you don’t know about Red Rover Animal Rescue, you should check them out (as well as Animal Resource Center). But one of my favorites is Loads of Hope. It’s backed by Tide (yes Tide the detergent), and they bring massive washing machines to scenes without water or electricity, to make sure that people have clean clothing to wear.

Trust me, if you’ve ever been displaced or suddenly made homeless, something as simple as a clean pair of socks and underwear can make the difference between hopeless and hopeful.

Can’t give money? Give blood. http://www.redcrossblood.org/donating-blood

(And yep, just made an appointment to donate blood myself. O-type & good veins… phlebotomist’s delight. 0.0 )

Tags: upright apes doing good, weather

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