http://www.dismantlemybed.com/blog a cautionary tale of self-publishing Tue, 30 Dec 2008 17:42:21 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Okay, I get that online rhyming dictionaries use software, and software, in general, isn't great with nuance. For instance, I know that, if you have desire enough, you can rhyme the words fair and slayer. Rhyming dictionaries, however, don't seem to understand this concept. Which is fine. It's not like ... http://www.dismantlemybed.com/blog/2008/12/27/rhyming-dictionaries/ Need a last minute gift for that writer friend? When I was talking to my Mom the other day on the phone, she mentioned buying something for my nephew that seemed kind of cool to me. It is a dictionary bookmark. Apparently my sister makes him look up words in ... http://www.dismantlemybed.com/blog/2008/12/24/what-to-get-your-aspiring-writer/ The age old question. I spend some of my time writing my heart's desire. I spend most of my time writing for, what I hope will one day be, profit. Sometimes I feel like it's a question of being a starving artist or a wealthy sellout. I naturally lean more toward ... http://www.dismantlemybed.com/blog/2008/12/22/for-love-or-for-money/ Some people self-publish their own books. And they are even successful. Most notably is Christopher Paolini’s Eragon. Publisher's Weekly recently covered a few of these successes. Here are other self-published successes. On the Night You Were Born by Nancy Tillman The Hoopster by Alan Lawrence Sitomer The Land of Elyon: The Dark Hills ... http://www.dismantlemybed.com/blog/2008/12/20/self-published-success-tales/ Ms. Pacman. Old school video games are oh so much cooler than this modern crap, and I'm not just saying that because I'm old and out of the loop. Tetris. Pac-man. Q*Bert. Rock. So, when I need a real break, as opposed to the kind I usually take, filled with thinking and ... http://www.dismantlemybed.com/blog/2008/12/18/ways-to-avoid-writing-2/ Okay, so let's say you have someone in your family who claims to like to read, but you really aren't sure how they sit still long enough to even consider the notion. How about magazines? The perfect solution gift for the short attention span reader in your family. And they ... http://www.dismantlemybed.com/blog/2008/12/17/what-to-buy-readers-with-short-attention-spans/ Almost four years later, books are still selling. The end of this year has seen a large increase in book sales, due to my taking part in some other writing ventures. I've also given some books away on my personal site, so even the ones that aren't selling are moving. ... http://www.dismantlemybed.com/blog/2008/12/17/almost-4-years-later/ If you aren't done with your list yet, shame on you! No... kidding. The only reason I'm completely done is because all my gifts had to be mailed all the way across the country, which of course is a rather time-consuming process. So, they shipped out yesterday. Anyway, personally, I ... http://www.dismantlemybed.com/blog/2008/12/16/cool-gift-books-for-people/ If you have yet to enjoy Stephen Colbert's book, I Am America (And So Can You!), and you consider making fun of overly conservative "values" a favorite pastime, it's a must read. While there are sections that don't quite hold up to the rest of the book, the majority of ... http://www.dismantlemybed.com/blog/2008/12/16/i-am-america-and-so-can-you/ I really need to write a fraud non-fiction book. It shouldn't be difficult. I think most non-fiction books are frauds. Like The Secret. Basic premise: If you just pretend you already have what you want, you'll get it. Uh, no, but you will fake yourself into false happiness. Or books like The ... http://www.dismantlemybed.com/blog/2008/12/16/frauding-non-fiction/