Forum: Author Hangout

People wanting to give me money

StarFleet Carl 🚫

This is, to me, a bit odd. But I've been doing this for fun, because that way it lets me satisfy my urge to write, and at the same time, give back to SOL for all the enjoyment I've gotten from reading everyone ELSE's works on here. And it gives Lazeez content.

I'm having people sending me emails wanting to buy what I'm writing. Does that happen to any of you?

"I'm just wishing it was already finished and I could buy it."

"Why don't you combine pleasure with profit and put chapters up on patreon as soon as they are finished - say $1 a chapter."

"I hope you put the final draft up on line like Bookapy before the end of SOL additions. I for one would be inclined to buy in."

I don't know if this is a bit of over-reaction to the Covid virus, or what? I actually trust (I know, silly me) the opinions of some of you on this forum. Would you check out my story, if you haven't, and let me know what's up with what people are saying? I truly am confused, here. Maybe I'm too close to it, but I don't think it's that good.

Replies: awnlee jawking Ernest Bywater Reluctant_Sir Argon

awnlee jawking 🚫

@StarFleet Carl

I'm having people sending me emails wanting to buy what I'm writing. Does that happen to any of you?

I'm never sure whether that's a genuine offer or an obsequious form of flattery. I've never taken anyone up on it.

AJ

Ernest Bywater 🚫

@StarFleet Carl

I'm having people sending me emails wanting to buy what I'm writing. Does that happen to any of you?

I had that happen a few times, so I sell the the stories as e-books on Bookapy and Lulu with print versions available on Lulu as well. I give most of the income away to charities and people I know in worse financial situations to mine. However, I do use less than 10% on buying other e-books. The only time the paypal account has more than $20.00 is just after I've been paid royalties.

Reluctant_Sir 🚫
Updated:

@StarFleet Carl

Does that happen to any of you?

Often.

I won't though, and this is very personal to me. It applies only to me as far as I know and no one should take offense.... Okay? Got that, everyone?

I have seen the drek that so many so-called writers are putting on Amazon and other places, and I would rather be thought a clueless, gutless, talentless amateur (Yes, I have been called those things) than sell my stuff, knowing it needs work, and be thought a hack.

It is a dumping ground for frustrated housewives, misogynistic assholes, frustrated technical writers who think they can write spy thrillers and people who just out and out hate spell-check.

I write because I like it, and I like the feedback I get here. I like that I am giving my stories away to people who (mostly) appreciate the effort and, barring some fool offering me stupid, 'quit-my-job' money for a specific story, I will continue as I have been for as long as I can. I don't need the pittance Amazon will pay me, so that leaves more room for those who do (or think they do).

This ends the highly personal, totally subjective and no-fucking-way-it-applies-to-anyone-else opinion of one guy.

Replies: Ernest Bywater

Ernest Bywater 🚫
Updated:

@Reluctant_Sir

than sell my stuff, knowing it needs work, and be thought a hack.

On both Bookapy and Lulu you get to set the price, and that is true of Amazon to a certain extent. I've several books on Bookapy and Lulu which are priced at zero dollars and are also sold by Amazon and other e-book sellers through them at the same price. I do that because they have a special message I want out there or because I view them as community help books. The freebies sell well through all of the outlets, although I have trouble why some people at Amazon will buy a dozen or more copies of a free book at one time.

fix typo

Replies: Reluctant_Sir

Reluctant_Sir 🚫

@Ernest Bywater

why some people at Amazon will buy a dozen or more copies of a free book at one time.

That kind of behavior baffles me as well, unless they intend to 'gift' the other copies. Is that even a thing with Kindle?

Replies: Ernest Bywater

Ernest Bywater 🚫

@Reluctant_Sir

That kind of behavior baffles me as well, unless they intend to 'gift' the other copies. Is that even a thing with Kindle?

I don't know, but due to the numbers involved (sometimes 20 to 40 copies at a time) and the titles (Basic Math and Fiction Writing Guide) I wonder if it's a teacher getting multiple copies for their students. I've even added a line to some of them asking teachers to contact me so I can make a copy just for them that they can freely redistribute to their students, but no one has.

Argon 🚫

@StarFleet Carl

Been there, got the messages, said thanks, but no thanks. It's a hobby for me. If I took money, it would be work and not fun.

oyster50 🚫

Gentleman (I guess) read some of my stuff, asked me to ghost-write three short stories. I got PayPal'd for that.

Several people have asked about sending me a little something here. I've given them my GMail to PayPal account.

Neat! "I'm a paid author. Just can't tell you where my work resides."

Jack Green 🚫

No one has been daft enough to pay for my stories but I have been offered money to stop writing.

Replies: Switch Blayde

Switch Blayde 🚫

@Jack Green

No one has been daft enough to pay for my stories but I have been offered money to stop writing.

LOL

StarFleet Carl 🚫

Just as a quick update ...

I finished Book One, courtesy of some fine after the fact editing by helpful people here. Then, more or less just for the heck of it, I put it on Bookapy.

It's been up there a week. So far, 22 people have purchased it. Shocks me. When the first couple did, I was like incredibly giddy. Now, I'm just ... damn, thank you for thinking what I wrote was good enough you're sending some money this way. I don't particularly need it (yet) - my wife and I gross well into six figures annually, between us.

I feel like Oyster said. Damn - now I'm a paid author. :)

Honey_Moon 🚫

I had someone representing a pay site offer to host my stories. It seemed shady to me, so I said no. They wanted to pay me for the stories outright, and then charge their members to read them. They would get the lion's share of the profit that way.

Replies: Switch Blayde Dominions Son

Switch Blayde 🚫
Updated:

@Honey_Moon

They wanted to pay me for the stories outright, and then charge their members to read them.

Someone once contacted rache about writing comic scripts for a start-up comic site. She didn't want to do it but put them in contact with me. I wrote the comic scripts on a commission basis. So they paid me for each comic script I wrote and that was all I earned. The money they would earn on the pay site went to them. I was happy with the arrangement.

ETA: When you sell a short story to a magazine you get a one-time payment. You don't get a royalty for each copy of the magazine sold with your story in it.

Dominions Son 🚫

@Honey_Moon

They wanted to pay me for the stories outright, and then charge their members to read them.

As I understand it, dead tree publishing worked like that for a long time. Authors had to sell their copyrights to the publisher to get published.

Replies: Switch Blayde

Switch Blayde 🚫

@Dominions Son

Authors had to sell their copyrights to the publisher to get published.

I'd be surprised if they sold the copyright. More likely the publishing rights.

Replies: Dominions Son Ernest Bywater

Dominions Son 🚫

@Switch Blayde

I recall reading somewhere that way back, before the 1976 copyright act, when US copyright terms were much shorter that the publishers demanded ownership of the copyright as a condition of publication.

However, I don't have time to research it again right now.

Ernest Bywater 🚫

@Switch Blayde

I'd be surprised if they sold the copyright. More likely the publishing rights.

For a long time print publisher bought publishing rights for a territory which enabled them to print and sell the story in the territory designated in the contract, while the author could sell the rights to another printer / publisher in another territory. Then term limits were introduced and used by some publishers, thus they bought the print rights for a limited time within their territory. Then another variant was introduced which allowed the publisher to keep print rights only as long as they keep the book in print and on the shelves with a set time between print runs, if that time is exceeded they lose all print rights. Today all three types of contracts are used. All of the points mentioned are covered in the negotiations.

Replies: Switch Blayde

Switch Blayde 🚫
Updated:

@Ernest Bywater

All of the points mentioned are covered in the negotiations.

The problem is, today's publishers are greedy. They want it all. Michael J. Sullivan went self-publishing when Hatcher's CEO insisted authors give up all rights. No exceptions. Michael wanted to keep the audio rights, but they said no so he left. They weren't willing to negotiate.

And Michael sold millions of books worldwide so can you imagine us nobodies trying to negotiate with them?

Replies: Ernest Bywater

Ernest Bywater 🚫

@Switch Blayde

The problem is, today's publishers are greedy.

I never said they were agreed upon, only that they were covered - as in mentioned in some form.

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Forum: Author Hangout

People wanting to give me money

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