Forum: Author Hangout

Interesting. I thought the reason for the page breaks was because older browsers needed it.

Years ago Lazeez mentioned it was to do with bandwidth restrictions.

Interesting. I thought the reason for the page breaks was because older browsers needed it.

It wasn't so much the old browsers, but the assumption everyone was reading on desktop or laptops, whereas Lazeez has, like the rest of the world, been moving to device independent screens (responsive pages). Fewer people are reading pages where the old page breaks made any sense.

As far as chapter lengths go, I long ago limited my chapters to UNDER 10,000 words (where the old page breaks would occur), under the assumption it was just too much per chapter. I later shorted my chapters even more (1,500 to 3,000 words), but my readers weren't as happy with the shorter chapters. I've since (in my newest story) switched to 3,000 to 7,000 words, and it seems like a better compromise. I can now spend more time with my characters being contemplative, as well as giving readers more to chew on each posting.

It's going to make it harder to find where I was after a break the next time I read it.

One of the reasons I use the coloured headings in my stories is to make it easier for readers to find where they left reading to have a nap. The other is I write in a format set for print and e-pub book usage where it's better to have chapters, sub-chapters, and section headings.

When posting I post a SoL part / chapter every other day of between 5,000 to 12,000 words that break at a chapter or sub-chapter end.

One of the reasons I use the coloured headings in my stories is to make it easier for readers to find where they left reading to have a nap. The other is I write in a format set for print and e-pub book usage where it's better to have chapters, sub-chapters, and section headings.

Sub-chapters have a place, but it's wise to break any time there's a scene change (i.e. POV, time or location change). That way, while there isn't a clear title to focus on, you can at least count how many section breaks you were into a given chapter. If nothing else, think of them as 'email breaks' rather than 'nap breaks'. Most people can't go long without checking their emails or messages nowadays.

silly me, I thought most authors here either used SOL for practice in the real world or just as a learning experience in how to write.

Many of us post at SoL because we haven't got the money to pay for a Literary Agent because nearly all the big publishers won't even read an email unless it comes from a Literary Agent, let alone a manuscript. We want to share our work, so we self publish via Lulu or similar sites, and post at SoL as well.

because we haven't got the money to pay for a Literary Agent

If a Literary Agent charges you money they are not legit.

If a Literary Agent charges you money they are not legit.

Some do, and some don't, but all insist you visit them at their office - it takes money ti travel long distances and stay in hotels. This is especially true when it' rural Australia to New York to see most - they're extremely thin on the ground in Australia and most don't have any strong links outside of the academic publications world.

Some do, and some don't, but all insist you visit them at their office - it takes money ti travel long distances and stay in hotels.

Since I've never had a literary agent represent me or worked with a traditional publisher, I can only pass along what I've heard from those who did.

A literary agent never asks for money from the author. They make their money by taking 10%-20% (usually 15%) of what the author makes on sales. If they ask for any money up front, don't do business with them.

Some scam artists represent themselves as literary agents and "recommend" an editor to get your manuscript ready to sell to a publisher. Those are crooks too. They are either in cahoots with the "editor" or often are the editor themselves using a different name.

Other scam artists pretending to be literary agents charge a reading fee. Again, they are not legit.

The authors I've spoken to never see their agent or the publisher's editor in person. Everything is done through email and on the phone. One author I converse with is in New Zealand and her agent and publishers are in NYC.

The authors I've spoken to never see their agent or the publisher's editor in person.

A few years back I did try the literary agent route, and found the most reputable only worked for a cut, bu they were based in major cities where the big publishing houses were established. The down side was they all insisted on an initial face to face meeting before taking on a an author, and that killed it for me since I didn't have the money fro such a trip.

On the other side of the coin mobs like The American Star Books don't ask for a face to face, just $x to promote your book - naturally I give them no money at all.

The down side was they all insisted on an initial face to face meeting before taking on a an author

Times have changed.

I'll be sending query letters out soon for my new novel and don't expect the face-to-face meeting if they're interested. I hope I'm right.

I can understand publishers wanting a face-to-face meeting. They would be making a considerable investment in your book and they need to know that you'd be prepared to actively promote it. If you can't be bothered to meet them in person, it doesn't augur well for promotional tours and book signings.

AJ

A few years back I did try the literary agent route, and found the most reputable only worked for a cut, bu they were based in major cities where the big publishing houses were established. The down side was they all insisted on an initial face to face meeting before taking on a an author, and that killed it for me since I didn't have the money fro such a trip.

That might no longer be true, especially since the 'major publishers' no longer have the power and clout they used to (i.e. they can no longer 'get away with it'). However, even if they do, you could probably achieve the same thing using Skype. What's more, most of the face-to-face time is with the publisher's editors, who've changed over the years from 'in-house' editors to independent editors, who more often work by email than directly on a one-to-one basis.

Times change. Don't assume situations don't.

For me, it was a learning experience in how to write because one of my readers offered to help me learn. (20+ years of writing ambulance run reports is not a good writing workshop, in case you're wondering. I had a lot to learn.)

At one point in my life I was reading police reports, never examples of very good writing in the first place, and made worse by the common custom of writing in the third person.

If we define "good" in this context as "clear" or "effective," I was stumped one day by a report with such tangled pronouns it could be read as the "reporting officer" was three different people. Not what he meant, I'm sure, but I had to read it several times to figure out what happened.

Seemed funny, but they were documenting serious stuff and that wasn't funny.

bb

For me, Jim, I wanted to share a story I'd been working on for over ten years

Welcome to the club. I started one of the stories that is still incomplete back in the early 80's.