tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2681775564258628407.post2742479213014066052..comments2024-02-20T07:57:47.756-08:00Comments on Carol Hedges: Don't Give Up The Day Job!Carol Hedgeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10359578624109905400noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2681775564258628407.post-48586704291701195022017-02-19T12:25:49.272-08:002017-02-19T12:25:49.272-08:00Most bricks and mortar retail operates on a 40 to ...Most bricks and mortar retail operates on a 40 to 60% margin out of which they have to pay for buildings staff etc.<br />I don't think owning a bookshop is a guarantee of getting rich. Just shows you how inefficient it is to deliver physical books.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07828688102738100107noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2681775564258628407.post-60856736393919610922017-02-19T01:37:25.564-08:002017-02-19T01:37:25.564-08:00Hah...'fearless activist' I LIKE that! My ...Hah...'fearless activist' I LIKE that! My frustration is also with the way writers are 'short-changed' by those publishing portals. Having recently flirted with getting some of the teen fic back out again, I was faced with royalty rates so dismally low that it made me appreciate what I earn now.Carol Hedgeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10359578624109905400noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2681775564258628407.post-24117987023038461342017-02-19T01:30:43.762-08:002017-02-19T01:30:43.762-08:00What Joanne Larner said. Thank goodness for Amazo...What Joanne Larner said. Thank goodness for Amazon Kindle and Createspace!<br /><br />I can understand how frustrating this must be for you, especially when your books were deemed worthy only because they had a publisher's label on!! But maybe it's more frustrating for you than many, because you used to be accepted (I can only imagine how maddening that must be) and because you don't read ebooks yourself so it's all about the paperbacks, but (I can see myself shouted at with disgust by so many when I say this!) - don't a huge proportion of people buy their books off Amazon these days (I don't just mean Kindle books - paperbacks too) anyway? I have to admit, I buy almost all mine from there. Yes, all formats.<br /><br />I know, I know, it's very sad that bookshops and libraries are failing in its mighty wake, but life changes and moves on all the time, alas. I think the best thing is to not feel angry at the loss of what once was, but to find the best way of working with what IS. Though it's not much good me saying that to a fearless activist like you, I know!!!!<br /><br />If any new writers are reading this - I reiterate Carol's last sentence. Writing because you really want to is the only valid reason to do it. And don't be TOO disheartened - there are some 99.9% Kindle, self-pub authors who DO make a living. I know. I read some of them. Just don't take that in the same was as people grab onto stories about Stephen King and JK Rowling being rejected 627 times. It's about YOU, not them.Terry Tylerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15077413235902203848noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2681775564258628407.post-31708936736785610972017-02-18T12:45:50.819-08:002017-02-18T12:45:50.819-08:00So so true. As an author in a market that is not m...So so true. As an author in a market that is not my language, it's even more difficult. I have a great relationship with an English language bookshop in the Hague, but they only give me space to hold talks and events for free; they won't stock my books!Vallypeehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08309284606572565277noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2681775564258628407.post-62814831404379279642017-02-18T11:39:26.794-08:002017-02-18T11:39:26.794-08:00I totally agree with you. It is a shame that self-...I totally agree with you. It is a shame that self-published books are viewed so negatively, but at least we CAN self-publish these days, eh?JoanneRLarnerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17835037404986618316noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2681775564258628407.post-70247955587266157782017-02-18T10:26:43.407-08:002017-02-18T10:26:43.407-08:00As I said at the top of the comments ~ a lot of th...As I said at the top of the comments ~ a lot of the 'I'm making a lot of money' stories are just that: stories!Carol Hedgeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10359578624109905400noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2681775564258628407.post-89889142045208202482017-02-18T09:42:09.936-08:002017-02-18T09:42:09.936-08:00Absolutely agree with all of this. I write now wit...Absolutely agree with all of this. I write now with no expectation of even selling any books let alone making much money from them. But I love it and I'll keep doing it. The people who have read my books and like them mean everything to me. Richard Ayrehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07066829283531843420noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2681775564258628407.post-45789262107318837602017-02-18T08:30:54.948-08:002017-02-18T08:30:54.948-08:00Ho, yus.Ho, yus.Lesley Cookmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10699182779296799170noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2681775564258628407.post-35439609718376130062017-02-18T08:06:38.511-08:002017-02-18T08:06:38.511-08:00Agreed - there's no point in writing unless yo...Agreed - there's no point in writing unless you love it. My local independent bookshop has been very good to me, but I do know that they are in a small minority.JOhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03127111575563904349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2681775564258628407.post-17577447177866456142017-02-18T07:22:12.371-08:002017-02-18T07:22:12.371-08:00Already planning to get lazy? You might need somet...Already planning to get lazy? You might need something to "survive" G and G. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07086107947384034892noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2681775564258628407.post-24225681450968948612017-02-18T06:31:14.397-08:002017-02-18T06:31:14.397-08:00Not sure I'll be writing much after reaching 9...Not sure I'll be writing much after reaching 90...Carol Hedgeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10359578624109905400noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2681775564258628407.post-61893145804951513832017-02-18T06:30:47.963-08:002017-02-18T06:30:47.963-08:00aww,,,,thank you!aww,,,,thank you!Carol Hedgeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10359578624109905400noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2681775564258628407.post-60867565858115825362017-02-18T06:30:35.498-08:002017-02-18T06:30:35.498-08:00welcome..it was written on the back of another of ...welcome..it was written on the back of another of those 'I made a million from my first book' articlesCarol Hedgeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10359578624109905400noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2681775564258628407.post-33018892627005852982017-02-18T05:57:56.739-08:002017-02-18T05:57:56.739-08:00A salutary reminder that writing is not an occupat...A salutary reminder that writing is not an occupation that will make you money (unless you're lucky). You've got to do it because you want to do it more than anything else. Gilli Allanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13234069151918319605noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2681775564258628407.post-42205693796581349222017-02-18T04:14:36.523-08:002017-02-18T04:14:36.523-08:00You still have at least 40 years of career before ...You still have at least 40 years of career before you. (See last weeks comment!)Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07086107947384034892noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2681775564258628407.post-47401490929418516692017-02-18T02:57:52.053-08:002017-02-18T02:57:52.053-08:00I really enjoy your writing Carol, you have a grea...I really enjoy your writing Carol, you have a great gift - good luck with your books xAngelahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14713436526877323274noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2681775564258628407.post-53391210637552197292017-02-18T02:08:42.047-08:002017-02-18T02:08:42.047-08:00An interesting post, Carol, and a thought-provokin...An interesting post, Carol, and a thought-provoking one. Thank you.Liz Harrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03936240880106723456noreply@blogger.com