point of view

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Point of View: (Re)writing the Story

by
Reset - Red Button - deposit photos

Thirty years ago, I wrote a book called “On a Shoreless Sea.” It was a fantastic novel, or so I thought at the time – a clever blending of sci-fi and fantasy set on a generation ship. This was the one that would launch me to sci-fi writer fame and fortune. I printed out ten copies (yes, those were the days of the paper submission – so sorry for the grove of “copier paper” trees I slaughtered) and UPS’d them to the largest publishers in the biz. Then I waited. One by one, they came back, the last one arriving … Read more

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Point of View: Gardening is Writing II

by
Scott Garden

Back in the before world, in 2019, I wrote a column for this space called “Gardening is Writing.” My premise was simple. Many of the same skills to grow a successful vegetable garden could be applied to writing as well. Then yesterday, I ran across a framed image at a Starbucks, of all places, that reminded me of the art I used to draw when I was in high school. I sent it to one of my high school art teachers, Laura Brouse (check out her current art – it’s amazing), who still has a bit of my art after … Read more

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Point of View: What I’m Working On

by
writer - deposit photos

We’re just back from BayCon last week and my brain is still buzzing and not up for generating any BIG IDEAS for this week’s column, so I thought I’d do something I haven’t done in a bit, and share what I’m working on (personally and via Other Worlds Ink, our small press). The Great North First off is the rerelease of The Great North. It’s a future post-apocalyptic sci-fantasy loosely based on the Welsh “Valentine’s Day” legend of Dwynwen, but with a decidedly gay twist. The wonderful folks at Mischief Corner Books first published this in 2017, and I’m excited … Read more

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Point of View: Am I Narrow or Wide?

by
arms wide - deposit photos

In indie publishing, we use the words “narrow” or “wide” to differentiate between two vastly different strategies. Selling narrow means utilizing only one vendor—typically Amazon—and essentially putting all of your eggs in one basket. It can have its own rewards, as with the ranking thing, but you are also subjecting yourself to the whims of one vendor. And if they ever decide to shut you down, which Amazon has done before, you are entirely at their mercy. If instead you decide to go “wide,” it means you are selling your books through multiple different vendors. I started out my indie … Read more

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Point of View: Running a Group Sales Table, Part One

by
Davis Pride

This week I thought I’d do a practical advice column for my writer friends. It’s been a while since I did one of these, and being fresh off of not one but two Pride events, with a third to come next weekend, it seemed like a great time to offer a primer on how to set up and run a group sales table. Choosing an Event Big city Prides can be quite expensive. Our local Sacramento Pride festival is now $750 for a booth for two days, and SF Pride is $1600 for a booth, canopy, table and chairs for … Read more

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Point of View: Am I Doing Enough?

by
man shrugging - deposit photos

I’m not doing it right. I mean, that must be what it is. I’ve been at this writing thing in a serious way for almost ten years. Along the way, I’ve had some successes – a few Rainbow Awards, some high-flying (of short-lived) rankings on Amazon, and I have a couple bookshelves full of copies of my published works. So why does it feel like I’m starting over at square one, every single day? Once a month, the Independent Book Publishers’ Association magazine arrives with new tips: I need to be launching a TikTok video channel. I should be courting … Read more

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Point of View: The Trouble With AI

by
Artificial Intelligence - Deposit Photos

I’ve avoided writing this particular column for months, in part because generative AI is such a hot button topic at the moment, and partly because I needed to work through my own thoughts and feelings on the matter. And maybe because I suspected it would be one long-ass article. I’ve been feeling this weird sense of jamais vu, that is, increasingly feeling that what should be familiar no longer is. We’re moving rapidly into a “sci-fi” world, and the things that used to excite me in the abstract – like self-driving cars and missions to Mars – no longer do. … Read more

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Point Of View: Dogs & Puppies

by
keeshond - deposit photos

Last week, I asked my readers what they wanted me to talk about in this column, and got a wide variety of responses. I’m going to take them all seriously, even the first one: “More dogs and puppies.” Very well. Funkel Blue Sen, this one’s for you. I grew up in a “dog house” – in my family, we had dogs for as long as I can remember. While there was a husky and a samoyed in the mix at least once, most of these were keeshonds (pictured above – not one of ours). Keeshonds are sweet and super intelligent … Read more

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Point of View: Everyone Hurts

by
Depression - deposit photos

Everyone I know is hurting. There are still flashes of beauty and love and triumph all around me, even moments of great joy. But the whiff of depression, the sense of things having moved beyond our control, hangs over everything like a sulfurous smog. Many of our friends and family are facing health issues right now – some short-term, others more dire and in some cases life-threatening. Other friends are facing imminent eviction, or just can’t seem to find a steady place to stand. Friends who find that what was once a dream-come-true is now proving to be more of … Read more