frustration and slow going

[greygirlbeast]

So, I just got news from thingunderthest that LJ is finally going to have another permanent-account sale, beginning on June 21st and lasting for a week. And I must admit, $150 sounds like a good deal for a lifetime account. Which is to say, if the folks who read this blog want to pass around the collection plate, I wouldn't be offended

Comments

[coppervale]

Heh. I am completely with you re: money from publishers. My particular issue is not with the publishers themselves (who have been very, very good to me), but with the gentle diplomacy that must be employed with creditors who don't realize how publishing works - specifically things like royalties, which are calculated and paid in very labor (and time) intensive ways...

[sclerotic_rings]

I say with no sarcasm that you've been incredibly lucky, because I seemed to have a long run of publishers that went out of their way to lie to me about when I'd receive my checks. There's nothing quite like the kvell one gets when a publisher swears that you'll get your check in time to pay rent, and it shows up two months later at the same time the publisher lets you know all about his new Jaguar. Funny: I imagine they'd get rather pissy if they got paid last, but they act as if writers should be thanking them for working for free.

[coppervale]

I HAVE been incredibly lucky with the fact that my current publisher is 1) very good about paying; and 2) loading up my schedule.

Doing the piecemeal job thing was more what you're talking about, especially with comics publishers. (Incidentally, a page from one of your stories is a prized possession of mine - a Totleben.)

I did a comics story last year that was running late; the editor said he was worried they wouldn't have time to get it lettered. I said I'd ALREADY lettered it, and he replied "Great! That'll save us some money!"

There have also been times that I very diplomatically used your example above. If my check was 'tied up in processing', I'd ask if they couldn't put it through the same system that cuts THEIR checks, without fail, every Friday.

[coppervale]

Whoops! Forgot who I was replying to.

YOUR example; but the comic page is from a Caitlin story.

[stsisyphus]

My flat in Babbage is pretty much decorated and furnished.

Hmm. Might we get a few moving-in pics?

As far as the 22nd century language goes, let me rally support for one of those instances in which the author cries out "oh holy hell, fuckit" and just runs with the damn thing. It's set dressing, not a linguistic study (speculative or otherwise).

[greygirlbeast]

Hmm. Might we get a few moving-in pics?

I took no photos during the actual moving-in. But I could get some now. Actually, maybe I'll have blu_muse do it, as my inworld photos always seem to come out kidn of flat and lifeless.

[sclerotic_rings]

And don't you love the situation "between checks" where the same publisher who takes six months to pay on a "30 days or less" invoice wants you to do more while you're waiting to get paid for the previous work? Even if I hadn't quit writing, that explains in a nutshell why I had to turn down Scott Edelman when he asked me to come back to work for SCI FI, and Sovereign Media was still better about paying than Cinefantastique. (The latter phenomenon, by the way, is referred to as "taste-testing dog crap.")

[wishlish]

As good as the LJ deal might be, $150 can buy 1-2 years of hosting with a WordPress blog. With that, you can sell Google ads and Amazon referrals (and the money's not bad if you have a vibrant community). WP has tons of new plug-ins to try, and you never have to worry that Rupert Murdoch is going to end up owning your words, ala MySpace.

But whatever you decide is cool. :)

[blakesrealm]

While this is probably totally off-base, your comments about Science Fiction struck a cord. If this makes no sense I blame it on my own insomnia beast, who has reared it's ugly head once again