IWSG Blog Hop: Writers Beware!

 

Insecure Writers Support Group Blog Hop

#IWSGbloghop

What is the Insecure Writer's Support Group?

Founded by author Alex J. Cavanaugh, the Insecure Writer’s Support Group offers support for writers and authors alike. It provides an online database, articles and tips, a monthly blog posting, a Facebook and Instagram group, Twitter, and a monthly newsletter. 

To find out more, click here.

  

The purpose of the group is 

* to share and encourage. 

* Writers can express doubts and concerns 

without fear of appearing foolish or weak. 

* Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. 

*It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds! 

You're invited to become a member of this supportive group. 

Click here to sign up and/or to visit the bloggers this week.

Happy IWSG Day!

Happy August!

The awesome co-hosts for the August 6 posting of the IWSG are Ronel Janse van Vuuren, Natalie Aguirre, Sarah - The Faux Fountain Pen, and Olga Godim!

Smiley is wishing you a fantastic day with the IWSG bloggers!

August 6 question 

What is the most unethical practice in the publishing industry?

Nothing is more unethical in the publishing industry than vanity publishers. In so many Facebook groups, I meet a new writer who was caught in the web of these deceitful publishers. The vanity publisher takes advantage of unknowing writers, convincing them that he can make the writer's book a bestseller on amazon and earn thousands of dollars in book sales, promising he will never take a percentage of the royalties when the writer signs the contract . Then the unscrupulous publisher snickers when he sees the $ 4,000 payment for his services show up in his bank account, so pleased knowing he doesn't have to sell one book for the novice writer because he has made his money up front.  I have met folks who have been drawn into the wicked scheme. 

Picture the steam swirling around my head when I hear how someone has been taken in by a smooth talker. I have the same reaction when a little old lady has been swindled by a scammer who promises to roof her house, or install new windows, or paint the driveway. He asks for 50% of the overblown payment in advance, but he never shows up at the lady's house to do any work.

Writers beware. Research your publisher before signing a contract.

Please leave a comment below on how you check the reputation of publishing houses. Have you been caught by a vanity publisher?

Thanks for stopping in today!!

Click here to visit more participants in the IWSG Blog Hop!!

Connect online with JQ Rose:

Email: jqrose02 @ gmail dot com

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IWSG: Be Practical When Publishing Your Book

IWSG Blog Hop---the first Wednesday of every Month.

Hello and welcome to the Insecure Writer's Support Group Blog Hop!

What is the Insecure Writer's Support Group?

Founded by author Alex J. Cavanaugh, the Insecure Writer’s Support Group offers support for writers and authors alike. It provides an online database, articles and tips, a monthly blog posting, a Facebook and Instagram group, Twitter, and a monthly newsletter. 

Alex explains the group's purpose is "to share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!" You're invited to become a member of this supportive group.

The group blogs the first Wednesday of every month.  The list of bloggers is always available so you can hop around to the author blogs filled with humor, advice, and thought-provoking topics on writing and publishing. You can find the list of participants at Alex's IWSG page. 

Aug. 1 question 

What pitfalls would you warn other writers to avoid 

on their publication journey?

When your manuscript (ms) is ready to publish, be realistic about how much you can spend to get your book in the hands of a reader. Authors have to be practical. You will take longer to pay for expenses when selling a 99 cent eBook versus selling one for $4.99 because you have to sell a LOT of 99 cent books to earn the cash. The folks at CreateSpace, a POD company, told me to expect to pay at least $400 to get a print book ready. You may have to hire a content editor, a proofreader, a formatter, and/or a book cover designer. Depending on your own skills (or your talented friends), you may get by cheaper. 

I've heard writers say they spent $3000. to get their book published. That may be okay if the expense results in a best-selling book and you have an extra $3000 in your pocket, but foolish if you don't. 

A traditional publisher will never ask you for money to publish your work. They make money by selling books. A vanity publisher is in the business to make money by signing you up to sell you services. Be aware of the difference and don't get caught up in their promises. Be practical!!

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The 5 W's of Story Guest Authors Event

Thrilled to have more guest authors this month and beyond sharing the Five W's of their stories! Come back and discover authors and great reads to wind up the summer. And You may win a book too!!

AUGUST

15	Dr. Bob Rich
22	Diane Burton

SEPTEMBER

12           C. Lee Mackenzie

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What's in the Future for Planes, Cars, Computers, and Books?

"The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams." This quote is one of my favorites. I discovered it when I was looking for quotes to accompany chapters in my inspirational and empowering book for girls, Girls Succeed! Stories Behind the Careers of Successful Women.

Girls Succeed! by J.Q. Rose

Looking to the future is not just for girls, but for everyone no matter their age. I'm excited about what's happening in the future. Recently I've come across some interesting ideas that may happen in the days and years ahead.

✤Airplane pilots will fly planes using no joy stick at all. Instead they will use a laser beam reflected in their eyes, so when they read the instruments (screens), their eyes will direct the instructions to the plane. Some day the plane will talk back to the pilot too!

✤Drivers in the future will not have to drive the roads, but rather just get in the vehicle (who knows what design the cars will have) and give the destination and off they will go. On the ground or in the air. Yes, flying cars are in the works now.

Space flight in the future

✤Space travel will be as common as taking a train or bus to your desired location, but your view out the window will be the galaxy close-up and personal.

✤Computers are always changing. Soon the mechanical hard drive will be a dinosaur. The preference now is the Solid State Drive. Looking into the future, however, nitrogen will take over the job of what we know as hard drives. I must confess I googled this idea and articles came up about it, but frankly, I had no interest in figuring out all the computer-speak terminology to explain it. Check out the link below to this article.

Computer hard drive

Since you're on an author's blog, of course we have to look into the future for books. 

✤According to a Market Watch report entitled Forget e-books, the audiobooks are the future. In fact in an array of genres like romance novels, thrillers, self-help and business books, audio books are out-selling the written word books 4 to 1. The author cites the choice for audiobooks is because readers prefer the audio experience to text. I know when I listened to my first audiobook, it reminded me of the old radio shows people listened to in the heyday of radio like The Green Hornet and Ronald Reagan's General Electric Theater. The experience is like sitting in a seat at a play, but no actors on stage. I especially enjoy imagining the settings and characters like I do when I read a book.

The author pointed out that "text is still king," but in the future?

Remember when Kindle and Nook came out as devices for reading ebooks? They were touted as the future, but now people are reading ebooks and listening to audiobooks on smartphones and tablets. The Nook is practically out of business and amazon is trying to sell Kindle as a tablet style device.

Ebook reading device

Articles also touted a plan similar to Netflix for books. Pay your monthly fee and have unlimited numbers of fictional novels and non-fiction works to read. Going beyond that is the idea of eventually making ebooks available in the cloud storage for anyone to access.

What ideas for the future have you seen either for publishing or for enhancing our lives in the future? It's fun to dream about the possibilities.

Links to articles used in this blog post--
Next Big Future article  --

Grid of nitrogen vacancies created in diamond using femtosecond lasers and grid can make quantum computers or magnetic sensors for imaging magnetic fields

CNet.com  Upgrade to an SSD
IT World Canada Life After the Hard Drive
Buzz Feed Books The Future of the Future of Books
New York Magazine Here's What the Future of Books Looks Like 
Virginia Magazine What's the Future of Books in a Digital World ?
Market Watch Forget e-books 

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Thank you for stopping in today. I know there are many demands on your time and choices to be made on how to use it. I cherish spending a few minutes with you every week on the J.Q. Rose blog. If you have a topic you'd like to see covered here, please let me know.

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A Baker's Dozen of Helpful Websites for Writers, Cover Reveal

Writer on the job

Hello and welcome!

Sometimes we need a break from writing to re-charge and think. Today I listed a baker's dozen of websites to inspire you, teach you, and to just make you think about your writing. They are in no particular order and I didn't explain each one because I want you to go and find out what they have to offer. Curious? I hope so.

I also listed three groups which are helpful to romance and mystery writers. Check these out too to pick up all kinds of information.( If you want to know police procedure, then you definitely need to join the Crime Scene Writer group!)

Click on each site and group to discover what they offer. Have fun! Let me know which ones you found helpful.

A Baker's Dozen of Helpful Websites for Writers by J.Q. Rose


AbsoluteWrite  

JoelFriedlander's The Book Designer 

Women onWriting  

Karen CioffiWriting and Marketing 

K.M.Weiland- Helping Writers Become Authors 

Insecure Writers SupportGroup (IWSG) 

Dr John Yeoman Writers Village 

WritersDigest 

AuthorMarketing Club 

Never GiveUp by Joan Y. Edwards 

Funds forWriters-- for freelance writers 

Carolyn Howard Johnson’s Sharing with Writers 

Women’s Memoirs 

GROUPS

Crime Scene Writer 

Long and Short Romance Reviews 

Marketing for Romance Writers 

What are some of your go-to websites for inspiration or knowledge on writing? Please leave a comment below. 

COVER REVEAL!

Romance and Mystery Authors on Writing:
The Writing Process, Publishing, and Marketing

I am so excited to reveal the cover for the writing tips eBook. 

In this book, fifteen romance and mystery authors share writing tips they have gleaned from their experiences as “on-the-job” writers. The tips in the eBook are organized into the main topics of writing, publishing, and marketing. The authors also share the “light bulb moments” in their writing journey, questions they are asked most often, and the most helpful advice on writing they have received. 

The goal of sharing this information is to smooth and straighten the rocky and twisting journey for writers along the path to a rewarding career in writing. 

The one thing I discovered when I became a published author was the generosity of those who stepped up to share their experiences on their path to publishing. This eBook is a chance to pay it forward to writers who are looking for support and encouragement and lessons for success in their writing ventures.

I'm anxious to get this eBook of practical tips and advice into the hands of readers. Watch for the announcement of the release on this blog soon!

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