A friend of mine, Barb Hendee, is half of that incredible tag-team author-pair that has brought you The Noble Dead Saga and many other novels and series.
Well, Barb has a blog, and she often posts articles of a writerly nature. While all of her articles are good, her most recent article made me choke on my coffee and laugh out loud.
For the uninitiated, it’s as easy to suppose that all published authors are fabulously wealthy as it is to assume we have total control over the publication of our books. Hardcover or softcover? Price point? Cover art?
None of these are within an author’s control, once you sign that contract. I’ve even had the title of some books changed without either my consultation or assent. Go ahead. Try to guess which ones.
Meanwhile, go check out Barb’s article on the topic.
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My wife and I take walks around Seattle’s Green Lake. It’s one of the best parks in the city, and it’s beautiful at any time of the year. It’s a nice 3+ mile circuit, during which we’d talk about many things, quite often about my writing. My wife (my First Reader) is a great sounding-board for plot ideas, plot problems, character development ideas, etc.
Aeons ago, when newspapers were printed on paper and was a young Bay Area boy, I used to open up the San Francisco Chronicle and read Herb Caen’s column.
In my years here on Earth, I have reached for the brass ring many times. Literally.
Kurt R.A. Giambastiani 