Would you like some MONEY???

[Blindogg]

HEY - all of you self-published authors out there...I know I'm not the only one...How about responding to Dana's email about getting together for a live chat and discussing ways to MAKE MONEY!!!

Maybe I'm some sort of bone-head (maybe?) but the worst thing that can come from it is you waste an hour or so. I'll bet you've wasted an hour on more trivial things.

[Rianna]

*stops playing on facebook (I only logged 5 hours today) and responds to Dana's email*

[James Waters AKA. NineSpeed]

I'm there on Sunday.

[Cary]

When was the e-mail sent out? I don't think I got it. But much like everyone else here, I've been kinda slidin'on TWB lately (so maybe I'm just that behind).

[Tony Walker]

OK, my esteemed ocularly-challenged, white cane-carrying canine chum, count me in. this topic should sort out those who really want to make money (even if in small amounts) from those who just play at being 'a writer', and get a warm and fuzzy glow when they tell their friends (real and internet) that they are 'authors'.

Spending hours asking perfect strangers to be your 'friends' on Facebook, or Twittering inanities in 140-character segments isn't writing! True writing is creating stories, crafting poetry, writing plays, or hammering out magazine articles, all of which the true writer will want to see published for others to enjoy, and to add a few dollars to the bank balance.

Sending innumerable postings, spattered with smiley faces and juvenile 'LOL' and 'IMHO' abbreviations to this and other 'writers' sites isn't real writing! Admittedly, it is a good way for new writers to get a little practice in spelling, layout, and punctuation, and it can be a great way to practice laying out your thoughts in an orderly manner. However, if the height of your ambition is simply to respond to every topic posted just to see your name in electronic print, in my opinion you need something else to fill your time.

Let's see more professionalism here. Let's examine how we few, we happy few, we band of brothers (and sisters) who have actually struggled and sweated blood, sweat and tears (how's that for mixing up quotations?) to write and publish books, can lift our sales.

Those of you who haven't yet produced your magnum opus (or even a minimus opus), but are busy writing one should also join in the discussions - any suggestions will be welcomed.

[Mark P. Henderson]

I plan to be there at 11 a.m. CST on Nov 6, but I can't do the other slots - it's a matter of time zones.

My visits to TWB are few and far between now - I don't have enough hours in the day (I certainly don't have enough to indulge in Facebook or Twitter). And I do want to find the time to progress with my second novel.

[Tony Walker]

I've just been dipping my toe in another site, and I saw that some of the writers there have been offering ebook versions of their writings for sale at incredibly low prices - 99c in one case.

This begs the question as to how anyone can possibly make any money from this. OK if you just want to brag about having your work "published", but Shirley (don't call me "surely") the logistics of collecting these miniscule amounts isn't worthwhile.

Also, having tried out a friend's Sony Reader, I found that, although the screen itself is very clear, and words appearing on it can easily be read, why would I want to bother? Books are tactile things. They can be placed on shelves to add a touch of color to a room; they can be loaned out to friends - can the same be said of an ebook?

I'd love someone to convince me that ebooks (apart from textbooks) have a real future. Yes, I know that Amazon have invested millions in their Kindle, but is it really the wave of the future, or is it just destined to be a short-lived gimmick?

[David Stringer]

To Tony Walker regarding ebooks:

I just don't see the draw, myself. I have enough trouble looking at my own work as I'm writing it, let alone to read someone else's work on a computer screen. My house is full of books. I read laying on one side, the other, back, front. I like to see where my bookmark is. ebooks seems to be for the people who don't have time to read. If you don't have time to read, will you do it because you can hold it in your hand? Maybe if it has an attachment that reads to you, I guess. But I can't imagine what that voice would sound like.

[James Waters AKA. NineSpeed]

I have to agree with you Tony. I don't care how much technology advances nothing will ever replace the smell, and feel of a good book. I am not a fan of ebooks. I am however a fan of audio books. I cannot count the many late nights and very early mornings a good audio book helped melt away the miles. Books like An American Haunting, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Moby Dick, and Time Machine. When you can't stop to read, they are the only way to go.

I like you feel that ebooks are good for journals, text books, magazine articles and things of that nature. I have tried reading a novel online. The experience was lost on me. When I read a book I like to flip back and forth through the pages. To pick out lines or quotes that I can relate to, or that strike me as being profound. Or just to re-read a passage that made me laugh, or just struck me as being interesting. Sure you can do that with an ebook, but it just doesn't feel the same. Call me old fashioned.