Comments on: The selling of books and complications therein

By: Paperback writer reports from the front line « Electric Alphabet

Paperback writer reports from the front line « Electric Alphabet — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 14:01:47 +0000

[...] Larbalestier, Justine Musk, Kate Eltham, mass market, paperback, Publishing, Writing | Via Justine Larbalestier’s blog, a neato essayby author Justine Musk on writing and selling books. Musk offers some [...]

By: Mary Elizabeth S.

Mary Elizabeth S. — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 02:02:26 +0000

I floated a short story in a pool once. Folded it up into a paper boat and watched it sail around until it sank and turned to wet gunk. ‘Twas very therapeutic.

~Mary

By: Justine

Justine — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 01:38:00 +0000

That’s the whole point, Lili! It has to be something nommy and wondrous. Otherwise there’s no sacrifice and suffering. Sheesh!

By: lili

lili — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 01:24:25 +0000

what a ridiculous waste of a perfectly good biscuit. Can’t you write your novel on a less nommy biscuit? Like some kind of lame Arnott’s digestive or something? (although I quite like them).

What about on white bread? With tomato sauce? Or mustard?

By: Justine

Justine — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 00:43:30 +0000

Amber: Awesome!

Lili: No, not if you’re eating them. But is perfectly acceptable if you’re floating them out to sea with your novel writ on ‘em.

By: lili

lili — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 00:39:15 +0000

you can’t have ICING on an ANZAC BISCUIT!!

for SHAME.

By: hillary!

hillary! — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 00:12:31 +0000

YAY! IT let me comment!

By: hillary!

hillary! — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 00:12:15 +0000

I find it sad that really good writers never get any notoriety. But horrible writers get it ALL!

By: Amber

Amber — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 21:12:27 +0000

O Anzac biscuit

My words do not deserve your
Golden loveliness.

By: Hjalti

Hjalti — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 18:56:17 +0000

I’m in the strange position of making quite a decent month’s pay from my published fiction, despite giving it to my growing group of readers for free and never having made a sale. I can never quite decide whether I’m missing out or merely stupidly lucky.

By: Eric Luper

Eric Luper — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 18:10:35 +0000

From the date I made the conscious decision to write for young people, it took me around 5 years to make my first professional sale. And it was a tough 5 years. I attribute the persistence to being too stupid to stop. And great people around me.

I’ve met tons of folks who look at writing solely as a business. These are the ones who talk incessantly about action figures and movies and cereal box promotions.

I’ve also met tons of people who look at writing solely as an art. These are the people who come to critique sessions and then scoff when someone recommends a period rather than a semi-colon.

I have had times where I’ve drifted too close to one or the other of these mindsets, but I find the healthiest place to be is someplace in between. I guess that means scoffing at someone’s suggestion that my action figure should have a laser gun instead of a crossbow.

Crossbows rock!