When I got close to finishing the first draft of my first novel, I began doing research on everything I would need to do to get it published. I bought the big book of agents. I made lists and notes and spreadsheets. I studied how to write query letters. I scoured the web for information. I joined a couple of writers' groups online.
I did the same thing when I decided to stop looking for an agent. I went through the process of researching publishers who might accept unagented manuscripts and how to contact them. When that didn't work, I went through the process of researching everything on how to self-publish... before I made a single step down the path.
This morning, I saw a gal bitching because she self-published through Amazon in May and made some sales, but it's already July and she hadn't seen any money yet. A boatload of people told her what is already obvious to anyone who's done like 2 seconds of research - Amazon pays at 60 days from the end of the month that your sales occurred in. So, May sales get paid at the END of July.
Even then, she questioned the truth of the answers those people gave her. She was sure Amazon was out to screw her. :eyeroll: And some dude in comments egged her on because Amazon supposedly closed his account within 30 days of him publishing his book, but they didn't take it down and they're collecting all his monies. Obviously, Amazon is ebil.
Okay, so Amazon isn't perfect. Generally, though, if you do your research and you follow the rules, it's easy to navigate the river. I'm guessing dude didn't follow the rules.
I often see people complaining about things that are so easy to figure out with a little effort. But effort is a four-letter word for some people, even when it's little and not really effort. Here... I'll help... Go to your freakin' search engine, type in what you're looking for, scroll through the answers it spits out. Voila. And it helps to not just read the first answer. Read several until you find the right answer and understand it thoroughly.
Okay, so that is effort for some people, I guess. Researching shit ought to be fun because like, you know, we're WRITERS. :shrug: But no, they'd rather bitch in a Facebook group. It probably took more time for the bitching than they would've expended on the research, but hey...
Anyway, long story short... I blocked the chick. And the dude. I don't need that kind of negativity and willful ignorance in my life. The moral of the story? Don't run around social media screaming at people to chew your food for you and then whine when you choke.
This is what happens to young brains when we give them all participation ribbons and instant gratification. I saw a post the other day where someone had unfollowed and blocked the person posting because she used AI to get a summary of her own book to use for her own use. Let me repeat this. Her. Own. Book. For. Her. Own. Use. Because AI is like Satan and going to put all us writers out of business. *sigh*
ReplyDeleteWriting is not for wussies. Self-publishing is DEFINITELY not for wussies.
Hell, I had a little twerp come after me because I'd said I was an award-winning author and my 50+ published books all sucked. I asked how many books he'd published and sold. Crickets. So I followed up with, "When you've sold over half a million copies of your books, THEN you can come argue with the grownups.
Blows my mind that I've actually sold that many books. I dang sure don't have all the luxury high-life stuff to show for it. Though I did put a roof--literally--over our heads (complete replacement), and we took some amazing trips when I went to conferences.
Anyway. I blame it Dr. Spock. Not MR. Spock, Dr. Spock. 🤣