The B.S. Behind the Book Scene

Lunacy In Literature by Haley L. Young

As a professional editor, it is hard to ignore the ignorance and childish behavior of our industry peers. Haley L. Young ( #HaleyLYoungEdits ) has no problem voicing her own opinion.

Where's The "E" in World Wrestling Today?

Know Your Technology!

Tweet #TheInkJerkersJournal

Four Tips for owners just starting out

Four Tips for owners just starting out

Based entirely on personal experience

Today’s world in business it is absolutely vital to maintain a steady knowledge base of trends and Social Media movements. Social Media has an effective hold over many of the long-lasting effects of many Industries regardless of product or service. The movement has even found a plantable stronghold in the world of Literature, not just the smoothly abrupt emerging of a new breed of writer, I’m talking about the Blogging Sensation, but also in marketing as well. To have an impactful presence on the market, one must become a fully engaged entity with this new cyber-population. Personally, I have well over 13-plus-years inside of the Writers Universe dating back to the days of ‘Myspace.’ Eventually, I did as many of my fellow veterans have done after establishing an effective revenue stream within the Freelance Markets, I moved on to Publishing. At first, the transition was painful and confusing, it was ironic to realize that my understanding of writing and literature were very far apart. If you were to hand me any story that was in need of the touch of a clever ‘inkslinger,’ no problem. After all, that was how I am able to afford my 2700 Square-foot home on top of my flat 65 acres where I hunt, unsuccessfully for the most part.

This world of Publishing was saturated with free moving operations and heavy shifts in standard since we had no Legal Regulations in play. Meaning the ISBN (Internation Standard Book Number) has yet to fall into the category of mandatory, resulting in a free-for-all battle of trick word-play and questionable services. For a startup company such as Gladiator Publishing Company, we had our hands full. Though I was no stranger at this point to Marketing, SEO, or even SMO for Indie Literature, to handle a variety of genres on top of my day-to-day operations become massively difficult and was in great need of a remedy. So I’ve decided to share some of what I have learned through my course in this Industry that has led my Company to numerous Awards and a few Top-Selling Publications. I call this my Rules of Ruling, not as clever as one would expect from a writer but as my mother always told me “it is what it is.”

Rule #1 — Too Many Hands on the Map

Having an outside group of Employees who have experience in the Markets or have a great knack for innovative strategy is always on my list of ‘Good Things I’ve Done Today.’ However, allowing this group to grow in size could hinder the momentum and start to really weigh down a brain-storming session. If someone is to find themselves in a position where there are too many ideas flowing into one tiny variable of a larger scaled project, take a step back and do not force the project on to the next stage. Marketing is delicate in this industry, or should I say Glass-Bone level of fragile.

Rule #2 — Leave It in the Pit

Do not allow an employee or council member the ability to pitch an idea or state their own strategy outside of the designated meeting hours. Not only is it an unfair way to receive, what could possibly be, a good idea or fix to an ongoing problem but it can send a negative vibe down the chain resulting in a poor morale. My grandfather would tell me that his dad, and the founder of Gladiator Publishing Company in 1920, would tell their employee to jot it down and prepare to present. This was a great concept on multiple levels, especially in my situation since I am a firm advocate of the ‘my door is wide open’ policy. Now this will give the satisfaction and inclusion that the employee was seeking to begin with and it will allow them to take a deeper look into their proposal for a finely-tuned approach.

Rule #3 — Battle the Rumor Mill

A place where I did not expect to find success but oddly have found the most is the Rumor Mills. That is just a fancy word for saying Forums. The way I approach these free-speech platforms is more of an information gatherer. Most of the time a staff member would run across one in their spare time and bring it up at the next Administrative Direction Meeting, which is held every Tuesday. It sounds like a terrible idea, and I can definitely understand why one would believe that, but I have found it to be an amazing source of information. Every portal I have personally entered that is Industry related has a group of aspiring Writers that are fishing for that big Publishing Contract, when they promote the topic of their status the room will come alive with opinions and first-hand accounts. On a few occasions, I read where the topic of Contracts in the Publishing Services Industry sounded like it immediately pointed toward a scam. My attention was captured because my Company has a Services Contract to protect myself and my Authors from any fear of a Legal Blindside. The string was continued by one person stating how happy they would be if one of “these companies” would just put their entire contract on their front page. That would surely stop anyone from approaching them willing to have their wallets dried by a tricky Company man. “Good advice,” I thought to myself. So that is exactly what I did, my homepage now has an interactive flipbook with an actual copy of my Publishing Contract. This has boosted my conversion percentage significantly.

Rule #4 — Find the Unattentive Trends

This may sound like an oxymoron, and technically, it is. From my experience, with the assistance of an overpaid research team, there are plenty of Social Media perks that are not being made useful by others in my industry. Without giving away too much of my formula, Twitter is an Authors best platform when it comes to building an immediate awareness for a releasing title. With their direct-public messaging system it is easy to see how one’s “Tweet” can gain a massive following. For those who have not embedded a following on this Platform, this can be nothing more than a pipe dream as they rely heavily on “retweets.” There are certain hashtags found in our Industry that are set in place specifically to Retweet a new Authors up and coming Project. All the Author needs to do is Tweet and place the proper Hashtag (#) that coincides with this particular support group, this group will instinctually, if not automated, ReTweet the Authors posting to their massive following. It is a great way to gain free exposure and traction and has a highly effective success rate. SMO at its finest moment.

These are only four of my Ten Rules but, for the sake of summary, I will leave you with these few to fold around during your next Company meeting. With the proper techniques in research and a “can-do” attitude, your company can grow to a tremendous height. Thank you very much for your time.

5 Facts about Literature that you may not KNOW!!!!

Regulations that every writer MUST know

Oh Dylan, My Dylan. (For Autism Awareness)

OH Dylan, MY Dylan

He walked around the kitchen wearing nothing but a diaper, which struck me as odd because he had to be nearly seven or eight years old. Way too big to not have been potty-trained. His mouth and cheeks were still dirty from the chocolate candy-bar he recently enjoyed. The cloths scattered around him would suggest that he recently enjoyed his treat. A straightforward argument made evident by the chocolate stains visible on the red-striped shirt balled-up by his feet. He walks in a circle and seems to be fixated on something in his hands. His erratic movements made it impossible to catch even the slightest glimpse at this mystery item. Stephen, my older brother, approached the boy with a sippy-cup halting his motions. I took advantage of this moment to further identify the entrancing object. It was a long piece of string.

    Stephen held the sippy-cup to the boys line-of-sight and lightly waved it as if to catch the attention of a pet. "Dylan," he said in a peeling tone. It jumped me, but not Dylan. He was unaffected by his the directed callings. He stares at the freshly poured drink with great wonder. "Chocolate milk," Stephen continues as he gestures the drink towards Dylan. His gesture carries on with no response. It is my first time meeting Dylan and his family, but my older Brother has been staying here for quite some time. He has told me how great they have been to him and that he respects them. In our family, to gain full respect can be a cause for a communal celebration.
      "I'll get it," Carrie orders as she enters the kitchen. She makes a brief stop to hug me before taking the sippy-cup from my Brothers hand and giving it to Dylan. "Now, what do you say?" she asks Dylan with a giant grin.

     Dylan begins to sway side-to-side slowly to the rhythm of a song that we cannot hear, his eyes shift off into the distance beyond the kitchen. Title his head back slightly, he puckers his lips and
quickens the rhythm of his sway. Left then right, left then right, Dylan shifts his eyes to meet the stare of every adult in the room before looking back towards his adoring Mother. She nods her head lovingly as if telling him its okay to speak, and he is safe. The message seems to have been received and successfully communicated. The swaying motions come to a stop; I am thoroughly captivated and drawn in at the moment.

     The room seems to intensify as Dylan steps forward awkwardly with a determined gaze fixed on his Mother. Carrie does not look away; she meets his eyes with her stare. My Brother standing just off to the side of Carrie has a broad smile of his own, and he soaks in and processes the ongoing event. Myself, on the other hand, I am scared of this unique boy, yet I am paralyzed in my ensorcelled state watching this unspoken conversation take place. They continue to stare. With an unflinching determination, Carrie lowers herself closer to Dylan eye-level. No hesitation needed and moment seized as he steps towards her opening his arms for an embrace. She does not make any immediate movements towards his offer. Instead, she lets him decide on his own whether he will hug his Mother or continue his string-fueled, bluster of a playtime.

      He did not shy away to continue his time alone, as I found out later in the years that he would much instead preferred solitude. Instead of a warm embrace, Dylan stood very close to Carrie, nearly nose-to-nose, and hummed as he ran his fingers through her hair. She speaks to him playfully "Oh yea" she giggles and continues "you're not going to hug your Mother, but you'll jack her hair up" we lightly chuckle as they continue.

     The corner of her child's lips curls ever-so-slightly as he finally publishes the first smirk I have witnessed since my arrival. They continue to maintain their eye-contact. Dylan's smile fades as he strokes along the sides of Carrie's head as if he is comforting her. He studies the sensation the hair gives to his palms; pure discovery. His humming transforms into, what sounds like, a higher pitched attempt at pronouncing "Mom" or even "Ma" would have drawn tears from all in attendance. Was I witnessing an almost palpable and perfect example of Mothers Love?

     Finally, Dylan's hands trace the curvature of Carrie's ears and to her cheeks. He lightly squeezes her cheeks together and begins to hum once more, this time the tone is more of a positive upbeat. The failed attempts to enunciate, even the simplest of, words broadcast clear signals of frustration embedded in Dylan's facial expression. He handled it differently than other children his age, instead of getting upset and having a tantrum either physically or verbally, he stuck his tongue all the way out of his mouth and cracked into a half chuckle.

    They seemed frozen in time, captured in a moment that genuinely provides evidence to even the most influential disbeliever, that love is real.

    Carrie smiles at her fantastic son "you're in a loving mood, Bug" she states.
    Dylan continued to gently stroke his Mothers cheeks, humming softly. It seemed to last forever. I have never seen a love like this from a child; it was almost as if he was more genuine maybe even just a little more. After only a few more moment his hands stopped caressing her cheeks, and the therapeutic melodic hum faded out. They sat in silence for a brief moment before Dylan broke out into a burst of laughter. His sudden eruption startled the room, which only seemed to fuel his hilarity. Seeing Dylan so happy was instantly contagious as we all began to laugh.

    As the laughter began to trail-away into a light chuckle, Dylan looked back at Carrie with bright eyes. He squeezed her cheeks firmly, instantly catching her full attention. Dylan pushed both cheeks in as far as they would allow and let out a playful clang "Mamamamamamaaaaaaa" Dylan retrieves the string that was left abandoned on the floor next to his, now wrinkled, clothing. He hopped around the kitchen, almost as if he if was performing some modern rendition of a joy-filled Tribal Dance Ritual. Let out shouts of jargon, exclaiming something; but in a language, only Dylan, himself could understand. Spinning his string as fast as his little arms would allow, I watched, feeling enraptured by this child.

     Carrie stood back to her feet with a massive smile on her face as she looked towards me. "That's Dill-Bug" she notifies me "he loves string" stating the obvious.

     "Why string?" I asked.
     "I don't know, that's his thing" she answers jokingly.

Publishing Industry is getting a little out of control

It is no secret that there have been many changes in many different industries across many different platforms. Luckily the businessmen and woman that line the Boardroom have learned how to adapt and overcome, which has resulted in some fantastic products and services for today’s consumer. 

However, there is another Industry that seems to have hit quite a few roadblocks as far as information is concerned. This has left millions of product-specific clients with their pockets turning inside out.

It isn’t hard to realize that the Literary profession is one of the longest-running Industries in history. The history of our Wordsmiths began way before content evolved into a form of linguistic utterance. Back when it was still in its early-writing stages, people with the ability to write were held to a different standard. Now the art has become less clearly-identifiable by the masses since our technology has made any piece of desired information within our reach. However, along with the availability of information through technology came this new breed of Writers. 

Blogging has become an effective avenue for sourcing information. I’m sure anyone who has had a roll of importance to a Startup Company can tell you how a Blogger, at some point, affected their status. Now it is impossible to visit the landing page of any website and not run into a tab that directs you to their company blog. So needless to say how important the profession of writing is in today’s day-and-age. However, the shift over from being a Writer or Freelancer, or possibly a title I hate more than anything, “Side-Hustler” to the profound and significantly respected title of ‘Author’ seems ironically primitive.

Publishing your Novel used to be elementary years ago. Query and Agent for months, negotiate their percentage, they will shop and fish for a fitting Publisher, negotiate their portion, then enter the world of Editing, and then Market your creation. There are many steps in between but, for the sake of story-length, I’ll stick to the point. Not all Writers with a manuscript land the Agent willing to invest their time, especially when the Writer is new to the Industry. As a matter-of-fact, over 90% of all submitted manuscripts are either not reviewed at all or lightly skimmed before rejected. The only reason I am so sure of this is that of my experience with Traditional Publishing and my short career as a Literary Agent. Especially now that Agents make themselves a little less available to Writers, which is a smoke-and-mirrors trick to drive up their value. For those not heading down the Traditional pathway, other services have surfaced to remedy the headaches of Self-Publishing. As a 13-year Professional Writer that stems from a family that has been in Publishing since 1920, I investigated these services. Boy, was I shocked when I finally reached the pricing for these services! Ranging from 6–13 thousand-dollars and higher for a simple Publishing platform and Marketing Strategy. Worst of all, they even go after the Copyrights and I.PR of these publications.

So we broke down their costs and realized that it costs far less than that. My team and I have even reached out to these Publishing-Pocketbook-Impressionists only to receive undeniably confusing responses. A self-written Press Release posted on to a Website attached to a recognizable name is not Media, especially when there are grammar issues. They are even paying for positive reviews to be made, or from our research, having them written by the staff using a template. How can this be going on? This continues due to two main reasons, the first being in an unregulated profession. Such as the resale of the ISBN (International Standard Book Number), which is the numbers attached to the barcode (EAN or UPC) on the back of your book. This is so it can be internationally identified by an integrated system when it is available for purchase. The United States is one of the only countries that do not require an ISBN on a novel; therefore, it is unregulated by the ISO. This is not due to a lack of trying; organizations are working alongside the ISO to help monitor and maintain a standard for publications. Most people are unaware that there is only one entity legally allowed to issue and distribute ISBN’s, that is Bowker. Companies charge an outrageous price for ISBN’s to their Authors and use the guise of being a “Boker Registered Agent.” That is entirely untrue, and those who oppose could call Bowker themselves, that’s what we did. The other issue is a heavily saturate amount of uneducated Authors and Writers, sometimes the first and second page of a Search Engine isn’t enough to tell the entire story.

After a long dig into this issue, we have uncovered nearly twelve different scams and dozens of highly overpriced services that are free to the general public. So what do we do? I am not, nor have I ever been, the type of man to stand aside and see an injustice take place right before my eyes. Teaming up with an award-winning Editor and a former NASA Engineer, we started our own Publishing Company. Technically we just relaunched a Newspaper Publishing that was started by my family in Birmingham Alabama in 1920, Gladiator Publishing Company. Not only have we won awards for our services to the Literary Community, but we have finished a new book that indexes the free services a Writer and Author would need to Publish their work. If you wanted to know more about that publication, then check our work at publishizer.com/literarily-lost/ or see some of the actual data at literarilylost.net.