Do you consider yourself an author?

 

2013-04-19 10.28.47

Do you consider yourself a writer? And from that do you consider yourself an author? The definition of a writer according to Google:

-a person who has written a particular text

-a person who writes books, stories, or articles as a job or regular occupation

To them the definition of an author is

-a writer of a book, article, or report

-be the author of (a book or piece of writing)

So why do I hear from fellow writers from my meetings, online interactions or at conferences people that they are not writers? I have replied the same way each time that they are writers in every sense and give them examples.

But that tactic doesn’t work it seems for I still hear it. Not from those who have told me in the past for they know my answer but from new people they still do.

Granted when I first started I thought until I was published that I did not consider myself one either. It was people from one writer’s group that drilled it into us, telling us that we were not allowed to say we were not writers in the meeting for we were all considered as such.

So, I get it. I just don’t know how to reply anymore when I hear it now. I guess until they start believing it themselves no one else will be able to change their mine. But worse others will start to believe it as well.

When did the price of an ebook become ridiculous?

yewa

For starters I prefer a good book in my hands. I love feeling the pages, turning the actual pagers and inhaling it. When I am on vacation I will bring a couple of books and my tablet that has books on it. I do it for convenience. But that was back in the day when an ebook ranged from .99 to 4.99 max. Someone just now recommended I read the new book by Stephenie Meyer entitled “The Chemist” to which I happily went to Amazon to see how much it was. I’m a fan of hers.

To be honest my mouth dropped and stayed dropped for a few reasons. It is not out yet but I can preorder the print for a bit under 10 bucks. Cool. If I am the one who prefer to have it as an ebook I have to drop 14.99 and get this if I want the audio version I would have to drop a whopping 22 bucks to hear it.

I don’t care who you are, what you have written or how famous the author is, when your audio is 22 bucks there is something seriously wrong. I love Mrs. Meyers but just can’t no I won’t do it. And the thing is she is not alone. My favorite, Stephen King and by the way I am his number one fan, has ebooks that range in the teens. Needless to say I buy the print. Is this the price for convenience by making the price for an ebook more than the actual print?

A lot of people have told me that books will be a thing of the past soon with things going the digital route. I disagree there are still hard-core people who prefer a real book and with these prices I will be one for a long time. Especially when what they want for an ebook is the equivalence of a tank of gas.

As an author have you received a bad review?

 

Jasper ebook cover small

Bad reviews comes from a few forms. One reason is it comes from a troll, two being someone who read it and just didn’t like it to three you read their book and you didn’t give them the review they wanted.

When my first book came out I did receive a bad review. Now I have read enough where it has been proven that having a bad review is a good thing. However this review came one day after the book was released and according to the site it had been a print book.

Last time I checked regular mail does not bring a book in one day. So I talked to Amazon and over the few following months they removed it, the person placed it again, Amazon removed it and so on. But finally it was taken care of.

But again having a bad review can be a good thing. How so? Well it is like a child being told they can’t do something and so they go about doing it around the parents back. When people seer a bad review or a low rating but yet all the other ratings are high it might make you take a chance on the book. I know that has worked for me anyway. Bottom line if nothing else it I a review which means it is getting noticed.

Look, I get it. A bad review is not fun to get but you know what every author deals with it even the authors who are well established. I have read a few books from best sellers to well know authors and they don’t always hit a home run.

And as a writer you must have a tough skin for not everyone is going to like what you write. It happens to the majority of writers if not all. The sooner you can accept it will happen the easier it will be. Spend your time and energy on your next novel.

The Musings of A New Englander