How does one politely inquire after favorite authors? I recently sent an email and was answered by an editor that said author was no longer active due to ill health. I hated hearing that. And felt sort of bad that I had intruded on their life. I have other authors I wonder/worry about. I loved cmsix and was sad to see he had recently died. Is there a way to find out about our favorite authors without coming across as an ass intruding on their life?
As a first stop, check out the 'Author Info' link low on the left side of the home page. BtFH has/had a 'Where are they now' thread, beyond that, I've no suggestions beyond Googling the author name, possibly linked to their popular story titles.
Trust me, for the most part, authors like nothing more than reader feedback. Otherwise, we spend years struggling with a story, never to hear whether anyone likes it or not, other than the weird scores the weighted scores produce. While some don't receive emails (for a variety of reasons), but you'll never know unless you try. If they're unable to, trust me, they'll let you know.
But few of us make 'contingency plans' should something unfortunate happen to us, and even when we do, editors frequently drift onto other things, while family generally either aren't interested in our 'weird happy' or don't know enough to be able to post incomplete stories.
Trust me, for the most part, authors like nothing more than reader feedback.
Yep, this. In my most recent story online, I literally put in the closing remarks that all I wanted was emails letting me know what people thought of the novel that I'd spent 9 months writing.
I've received more than a dozen emails this past week, thanking me for writing it.
SOL readers are good at that, realizing that for most of us, reader feedback is either our ONLY reward, or at the very least, our most rewarding payment. What's more, many offer to edit, or provide suggestions, wanted or not. :)
I must be doing something wrong, The only people I here from are haters (FOFLOL) All things aside, most writers on this site, me included are only paid by or stats and comments. I have communicated with at least a dozen authors, and all but one or two responded and we started a back and forth. I am still surprised by how many authors are from Michigan or have lived in my state at one time or another.
I have been generous with my email addy, and have received a half a hundred or more communiques.
Usually, that's (hate mail) is due to story content, rather than anything else (the 'squick' factor). Though, you might be surprised. Often, when I get those sorts of hate mail messages, I press them for additional information. Asking what precisely they objected to, and whether we can work out a compromise.
The compromise typically won't work, as most of the types who send them want complete capitulation, but the readers who claimed most angrily about my stories were some of my most faithful readers (I know, since they were the ONLY readers voting straight 1s, it wasn't hard tracking when they read the story by when the scores sank). Every single post, they'd respond within two days like clockwork.
With haters like that, you really can't complain too much.
But hatters are mad. Mostly from mercury poisoning as mercurous nitrate is/was used in the process of curing felt.
But haters are mad. Mostly from mercury poisoning as mercurous nitrate is/was used in the process of curing felt.
So, is it haters that are mad, or felters? There's always a price to be paid from being felt too frequently. ')
There's always a price to be paid from being felt too frequently.
But the Felters are doing the felting, it's the feltees that are being felt.
So, is it haters that are mad, or felters? There's always a price to be paid from being felt too frequently. ')
Perhaps they are just giving in to their baize instincts..??
50 Shades of Baize. A book about playing with balls in pockets.
Trust me, with 50 balls in your pocket, you're going to turn multiple shades, as various bits get pinched and released! That's why I always stick with my basic pair, and maybe a superball, for good measure, just for impressing the ladies with. ') Nothing beats a high bounder!
Sorry, "supernal" doesn't make a lick of sense, while we can all lick "superballs"!
Like Jake the Peg, with his extra leg.
Is that a case of a transexual amputee: Jake the Peg?
That's why I always stick with my basic pair, and maybe a supernal, for good measure, just for impressing the ladies with.
Like Jake the Peg, with his extra leg.
