Combat the Bad: Better than the gnomes' idea
Okay.
So.
Yesterday half of the publishing industry was brought to its knees. I don't need to recap. I don't want to recap. It gives me the shakes, just thinking about it. And I'm not even in the game yet.
And I know an arse-load of my flist is not in the game yet, either. We're still trying to break through. We're still clawing our ways to the tops of slush pile. We're still running on treadmills for hours a day, trying to get the eye of the elusive agent who will introduse you to Editor Right.
And now it looks like we're not going to have much of an industry to run into. Certainly, none of us not-there-yet L7 losers will get a six-figure deal now that the industry is so...devastated.
So what the heck do we do?
1. Collect underpants.
2. ??????
3. Profit
Um. Okay. Yeah, that's not the business model I'm looking for.
Your mission this weekend, for Combat the Bad, is to:
Make a list of five of your favorite books from this year
Dig up contact info for the authors of those books
Send an email their way, letting them know how their stories and words affected your life.
This costs nothing, and you have no reason not to do this.
I mean, sure, we get jealous of those writers who seem to have it made, seem to have their places secured by contracts, etc. But what happens to writers we love in times like these? What happens when a book gets delayed, or a publisher folds? What happens to mid-listers even without delays or bankruptcy? If we're not going to support this thing we all love together, then we shouldn't play the game.
So I challenge you unpublished writers, even you newbies who have never crafted a query letter before, to, put your money where your mouth is.
Figure out what was your favorite borrowed book of the year, and go buy yourself a copy for your very own.
Then show off your purchase here, in the comments, or with a link to your blog. 'Cause when you're being proactive, you can FLAUNT, baby.
COMBAT THE BAD. BUY BOOKS.
So.
Yesterday half of the publishing industry was brought to its knees. I don't need to recap. I don't want to recap. It gives me the shakes, just thinking about it. And I'm not even in the game yet.
And I know an arse-load of my flist is not in the game yet, either. We're still trying to break through. We're still clawing our ways to the tops of slush pile. We're still running on treadmills for hours a day, trying to get the eye of the elusive agent who will introduse you to Editor Right.
And now it looks like we're not going to have much of an industry to run into. Certainly, none of us not-there-yet L7 losers will get a six-figure deal now that the industry is so...devastated.
So what the heck do we do?
1. Collect underpants.
2. ??????
3. Profit
Um. Okay. Yeah, that's not the business model I'm looking for.
Your mission this weekend, for Combat the Bad, is to:
Make a list of five of your favorite books from this year
Dig up contact info for the authors of those books
Send an email their way, letting them know how their stories and words affected your life.
This costs nothing, and you have no reason not to do this.
I mean, sure, we get jealous of those writers who seem to have it made, seem to have their places secured by contracts, etc. But what happens to writers we love in times like these? What happens when a book gets delayed, or a publisher folds? What happens to mid-listers even without delays or bankruptcy? If we're not going to support this thing we all love together, then we shouldn't play the game.
So I challenge you unpublished writers, even you newbies who have never crafted a query letter before, to, put your money where your mouth is.
Figure out what was your favorite borrowed book of the year, and go buy yourself a copy for your very own.
Then show off your purchase here, in the comments, or with a link to your blog. 'Cause when you're being proactive, you can FLAUNT, baby.
COMBAT THE BAD. BUY BOOKS.