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Stephen King
All posts tagged Stephen King
First of all, let me state a disclaimer to my headline above. What I’m about to say has absolutely NOTHING to do with any of the friends and acquaintances I’ve made on my blog, Facebook, Goodreads, or Twitter. The writers, reviewers, and bloggers I’ve come upon are jovial, gracious, and forthright to a man – or woman.
However. I’ve become increasingly aware of a stigma out there on the web. One that’s attached to me – or any other traditionally published writer. That awareness has been growing, and today, when I read one final article about the Amazon review removal debacle, I’d finally had enough.
To anyone who thinks I have the same privileges and standing as Stephen King or Dean Koontz, forget it! See, about every post I’ve read on the review subject has been headed by the words “Indie author” in some fashion – as though the whole thing doesn’t affect every swingin’ writer out there. You kidding?
Now, I’ll say this. As a writer that’s backed by a small (and yes, Greyhart is small) press, I do enjoy a few things. Okay. I get a few books to hand out to friends. I get some extra muscle in regards to marketing and so on. But let me tell you something. I (and I can speak for my fellow writers at Greyhart too) have been working my big bulbous butt off to get a foothold for my book. Mr. King can afford to lose 50 reviews – hell, he can loose 500 and not worry about it. Me? Hell no!
See, it’s like this. Despite whatever advantages (either read or perceived) traditional authors enjoy, success – at least from a monetary standpoint – comes down to one thing. Selling books. And good, honest, subjective reviews are an integral part of that success. Removing any of them detracts from potential sales – period.
So, let’s do this. Let’s forget about all the monikers, shall we. We’re writers, pure and simple. And anything Amazon – or any other big book seller – does affects us all, including the removal of reviews. Whatever is wrong up in the magic kingdom of Amazonia needs to be addressed – by all writers.
‘Nuf said.
Click on the image to get “On Writing“
All of us have had them – moments when we say to ourselves:
“What am I doing?”
“Do I know?”
“Can I write?”
“Or am I fooling myself?”
What many of you might not know is the guy pictured above had quite a long period of his life in which he asked himself the same questions. Yeah, The Master of the Horror Novel had a lot of problems getting it done in his early years.
His book “On Writing” teached about writing techniques – and you also get to learn a great deal about Stephen King, his family, the struggles he has endured, both pre-fame and post-fame, and what makes him tick as a popular horror novelist that has sold hundreds of millions of books worldwide.
There are essentially 3 parts to this book. Part I is all about King’s life, and is autobiographical in a sense. Part II is all about the craft of writing from King’s personal perspective. Part III talks about King’s life after his tragic car accident that almost ended his life and writing career. All 3 parts are equally instructive and compelling.
It’s a must-read for anyone interested in improving their technique, and it’s a fascinating read. Enjoy 
Click on the image to get “On Writing“
All of us have had them – moments when we say to ourselves:
“What am I doing?”
“Do I know?”
“Can I write?”
“Or am I fooling myself?”
What many of you might not know is the guy pictured above had quite a long period of his life in which he asked himself the same questions. Yeah, The Master of the Horror Novel had a lot of problems getting it done in his early years.
His book “On Writing” teached about writing techniques – and you also get to learn a great deal about Stephen King, his family, the struggles he has endured, both pre-fame and post-fame, and what makes him tick as a popular horror novelist that has sold hundreds of millions of books worldwide.
There are essentially 3 parts to this book. Part I is all about King’s life, and is autobiographical in a sense. Part II is all about the craft of writing from King’s personal perspective. Part III talks about King’s life after his tragic car accident that almost ended his life and writing career. All 3 parts are equally instructive and compelling.
It’s a must-read for anyone interested in improving their technique, and it’s a fascinating read. Enjoy
Karma? Fate? Fickle luck? Good fortune?
These are all theories on how things happen to us, the common man. It’s a debate that has stormed across the ages, and will never have a resolution. We’ll all stumble along, damning fate whenever we trip, and thanking our good luck when we shine.
So it is with my start in writing. Going traditional was simply dumb luck. Or one of those other choices. Continue Reading
