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The Company of Black Books
Yeah, a Very Strange Title… This story has to do with history and collecting and selling and other fun stuff. Four years ago now, I was talking with Bob who owns two of the bookstores in this town and he wanted to show me something he had just bought and hauled over from the valley. Turns out it wasn’t one thing, but 740-some things actually. Massive bound newspapers in black cloth covers. Each weighed over 40 pounds and went from 1904 to 1990, sometimes full years in one book, sometimes only one month. All from the Portland Oregonian Newspaper. They had been bound to put into libraries, stored, and then…
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New Lectures and A Lecture Bundle
Not Kidding… Teachable Allows Me to Bundle Lectures and Workshops… How much fun is that? A way to get discounts on the lectures at any point. So over the last week I finally finished and got up the last two of the Advanced Business Lectures we announced and took some subscriptions for last summer. Special Lecture Series is called… ADVANCED BUSINESS FOR FICTION WRITERS — 1…Corporations for Writers Lecture…$50.00 — 2…Taxes for Writers Lecture…$50.00 — 3…Movies and Television Negotiations for Writers Lecture…$50.00 — 4…Estates and Estate Planning for Writers Lecture…$50.00 — 5…Copyright for Writers Lecture…$50.00 — 6…IP Valuation Lecture…$50.00 All six are now available on Teachable. These six are topics…
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Another Day of No Answers
No More Answers Today Than We Had Yesterday… This entire thing will take time to settle out. I see three paths: Data Guy and Hugh can make changes, they can go on as they plan, or someone large could shut them down. No telling. But here is what I heard today. Also great stuff in the comments on Passive Guy and on my posts over the last two days. Thanks, everyone, for the comments. Too bad Data Guy didn’t feel up to responding. What I heard through the day (in letters and on private lists) from lots of writers was that they felt betrayed because they had given Data Guy…
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New Author Earnings Report
Now Up After a Year… It’s got a ton of stuff in it. And takes a vast amount of time to go through. But worth it. And their new side-business they are only offering to big publishers is flat scary. Horrifying, actually if they are doing it wrong. And I got a hunch that unless they are pulling names, that new business is setting them up for more lawsuits than I want to think about. Because from my understanding, they are releasing personal sales numbers of writers to businesses who can get past their paywall. Private business information of all of us. Oh, oh… Data Guy, Hugh, tell me I…
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Update On Coast Workshops
Weekends Tend to Be Slow Around Here… And it is often on weekend nights I almost forget to post something here to keep my four-and-a-half year blogging streak alive. Tonight was one of those nights. So to make it easy on me and clean up a little more business, here is an update on the status of the coast workshops I sent out to the major coast workshop email group. (You attend a coast workshop here, you get on the big group with over 200 professional writers.) Write me for information if you have questions. Workshop descriptions are here. — April Fantasy Workshop... Full and reading. — Great Bundle Workshop……
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The Difference A Year Makes
I Am Still Recovering From My Trip… You all know what that’s like I’m sure. Gone for a few days and it seems to take as many days to get back on top of things. And sadly, in the last few days, writing has taken a back seat, meaning none. Zip. Zero. And so on. Last year in Vegas and on the way there and back, I wrote two books. One about writing a book in five days while traveling. And then there was a the novel I actually wrote in five days. This year I flew down, spent a bunch of my time in meetings, a little time playing…
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That Was Rough
Not At All Sure Why I Did That To Myself… Now anyone here knows I work until 5 a.m. or later in the mornings. So like an idiot, I set up a return flight from Vegas to leave at 6 a.m. And I had a two hour drive the airport over to the coast after I got into Portland. Yes, I set that up. I have no memory of the stupid thinking I was doing when I did that. I have no one to blame but myself, darn it. So after managing to get a few hours sleep, I left the hotel at 3:30 a.m. and everything went smoothly. Slept…
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Traveling When Normally Up Writing
Not Kidding, I Will Be At The Airport at 4 A.M… And home before I normally would get up, back on the wet beach from the dry Las Vegas. It had been a super trip. Lots of great time with great friends, some amazing business, and more good food than I should have eaten. No writing this year down here but honestly I don’t care. Had too much fun and this year the trip was much, much shorter since I flew instead of drove. Those of you in the anthology workshop, please understand I will not get the new story assignment to you until Monday afternoon. It will be the…
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One Last Adventure Day
Great Meetings, No Poker, and 16,000 Steps Walking… Yes, tired legs again. But another helping of bread pudding. Another meal in the buffet. Also wondered into “The Container Park” on Fremont Street. Now that’s a cool new place. And the fire-shooting giant grasshopper out front, moving in the beat to some music was fun as well. Yup, this is Vegas. ————– Weekender Pop-Up Online Workshops Are Now Up on Teachable. A couple of these are about half full. February 15-18, 2018 — Controlling Fear of Failure — How to Study and Practice in Fiction (A Study Plan) March 15-18th — Adding Tension to Your Writing — Making a Living in…
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One More Adventure Day
More Meetings and a Ton More Walking… I got over 13,000 steps today after 16,000 yesterday. Yes, tired legs. Hours worth of meetings today and then some play, including a poker tournament tonight. Got knocked out right before the final table in 11th. Still fun numbers of hours. Those of you who read my books, I have now had four helpings of bread pudding in the Golden Nugget Buffet. I can almost see some of the Cold Poker Gang sitting at one table and a few tables away some of the Ghost of a Chance Agents. I love the place, can you tell? (Grin) ————– Weekender Pop-Up Online Workshops Are…