I assigned 100 Years of The Best American Short Stories for the Short Story Workshop in April. I don’t recommend the book, although I have several stories on the list from it. The book has some lovely features, including a history of the Best American Short Story volumes. Those of you who persist in thinking publishing has always (and continues) to discriminate against women might […]
Business Musings: Learned Helplessness
I was in the middle of a long blog post about writers licensing the rights to their work when the news broke about Donadio & Olson embezzling from their clients. I stopped what I was working on and wrote a different post, because I finally had public proof of something I’d been saying for years: that important, well-known literary agents mismanage and/or embezzle the monies […]
Business Musings: The People in Your Office
So, it happened again. A big name fantasy writer made his fans angry because the next book in his series hasn’t appeared in years. And, in a passing remark, he compared the comments fans make on his overdue book to those comments people make to their unemployed adult child about getting a job or to their single grandkid about getting married. Patrick Rothfuss made the […]
Business Musings: Changing Tastes
I cringe at times, because I came of age when the arguments were loud, particularly in sf, about what was and wasn’t appropriate for the genre. Whether I agreed or not, those arguments went in.
It took me forever to write space opera, and it took some creative traditional editors to buy it. Nowadays, we can publish what we want, indie if traditional publishing doesn’t want what we’ve done, and public opinion shouldn’t make a difference.
Business Musings: Price Wars and Victims
The traditional publishers are screaming about Amazon. I’ve learned over the years that when someone screams about something, they’re doing so because they feel some kind of pressure, some kind of pinch.
How could traditional publishers be feeling a pinch from Amazon? After all, in the United States, Amazon is selling more books than any other retailer. Why would that hurt traditional publishers? Is it hurting traditional publishers?
Business Musings: What Kind of Writer Are You?
Writers are lucky. Our various communities share information. Some of those communities are online, and some are in person. They’re all subject to horrid infighting (I think writers love to fight more than they like to write), but they can also be very supportive as well. Observant writers will note that we all seem to “grow up” with the same types of writers. And by “grow up,” I mean that new writers will find communities of other new writers and befriend those writers. You might be different ages, but your careers will start at the same time.
The Business Rusch: Life-Changing Events
Before I start this blog post, let me thank everyone who contacted me in one way or another over last week’s blog. I can’t tell you how grateful I am for the response. Since I was teaching, I was unable to respond to the comments, but I did read all of them. And now I’m a bit overwhelmed by the sheer number of them to […]
The Business Rusch: Bestselling Writers (Changing Times Part Eight)
The Business Rusch: Bestselling Writers (Changing Times Part Eight) Kristine Kathryn Rusch Every single writer I’ve ever met wants to become a bestseller. Writers want their work read by everyone from their teachers to the grade-school bully to some person in a small unsung island in the Pacific. The problem is that vision of a bestseller is incorrect. There is no such thing as a […]
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