Bits & Pieces 2012-10-18
Links and things that I’ve run across recently. NOTE: I’ve been light on the posts, because I’m working feverishly on the next novel, Ardor Point #2… which I need to come up with a proper name for. Currently, the two top contenders are A Reason to Live and Finding Light. Race Relations on the Internet […]
The Price of eBooks: 7 Reasons Why I’m Raising Mine
A couple months ago, I talked about why I believe e-books should be cheap. Big, scary (and scared) publishers tend to be raising prices on e-books, sky-high, sometimes charging as much for the e-book as for a hardcover. Responding to this trend, I advocated prices as low as possible, even under a dollar. Why then […]
I Wish to Remember to Feel What My Reader Feels
The most important skill a writer can develop, in any field or genre of writing, is to empathize with his reader, because the reader will always judge your writing ultimately by what he feels. Mastery of this skill has resulted in some of the greatest feats of writing magic, especially among writers of sales copy, […]
Cats in Sinks
Ran across this site, thanks to StumbleUpon. The title says it all. Cats in sinks. Yup. Pictures of cats in sinks. This site delighted me not only for the off-kilter humor of the concept, but also because it’s genius from a marketing perspective. It appeals directly to cat-lovers, but with a twist that just makes […]
How to “Prove” That Poetry is Valuable
Doug Lasken bemoans a government-school program that teaches kids about exploring sexual fantasies through virtual worlds, in place of teaching them about poetry and literature. I think the literacy coaches and cadres and their burgeoning publishing empire should be scrapped and the money saved. But not all the teachers present at the 11th grade curriculum […]
A Message to Spammers
Dear email spammers everywhere. For future reference: I already have all the medications I need, and I sure as hell wouldn’t get them from Canada!? I have already had all the news from CNN that I can stand. I don’t have any need to make it “good,” because you can’t improve on perfection. How do […]
Check Your New RCN Bill for This Error
I just got off the phone with RCN, because I got my new RCN bill, the first after they switched completely to digital. They’ve proven better at irking me than even Comcast was. To review, about a month and a half ago, I got an oversized postcard in the mail from RCN. It said, “You’ll […]
Bad RCN! Or, It’s All in How You Say It
I haven’t blogged in a long time, because I’ve been editing my upcoming novel. (And I’m keeping notes, so that I can blog about the experience. First lesson: Editing your first full novel will take 5 times as long as you think it will.) But this week I got a direct mail piece from my […]
2 Virtual Holiday Gifts Bloggers Love to Get
These are some of the best holiday gifts you can give a blogger. And the best thing about them is they’re absolutely free! Clayton Makepeace put me onto this idea, and it struck a chord, even though he doesn’t even have a blog. He has an e-zine. Actually, this is also the best gift you […]
Reason #217 Why Google AdWords Makes Me Laugh
A quick one: Ran into this recently on a client’s AdWords campaign. At first, it really confused me. The ads weren’t showing? Why not?! Because they aren’t allowed? Why not? On the “details and recommendations” page, Google provided a link to explain why not… I clicked on the link and discovered it was just their […]