How You Can Make Money & Still Get Your Book Read

Here's something new in book publishing from Unglue.It: Crowdfunded ebooks become copyright-free once they’ve reached their target. This crowdfunding platform allows authors to charge for their ebooks until they’re satisfied with the profits earned and can release them happily into the public domain. There are three models for this:

1. Authors release their work for free and ask for support from readers and fans

2. Authors ask readers and fans to pledge towards the creation of an unfinished book

3. Authors with a finished work can set a funding target, after which the work will be released copyright free for everyone to read

 Check out the cool mission/definitions at the top of the Unglue.It page.

What To Do About Amazon?

A lot of writers seem to be silent on the topic of Amazon's alleged backhanded business practices to handicap sales of Hachette books. There is a deafening roar of non-response, especially among those who are about to have a book published soon, such as myself.  But, I'll tell you mice. Fair is fair. I have to go with Stephen Colbert on this one. That might be dumb, since he is after all a Hachette author, and I am after all a nobody about to publish my book, but I've heard the beef of even teeny tiny publishers. What do you think? Comment anonymously, of course.

Three Hundred Books to Read Every Week

I found this rejection online since it is now, apparently, all the rage to post one's rejections, though remember the good old days when people used to post comments telling me I would get sued and lynched, and I would never get published in "this town" again?  I wasn't getting published in any town anyway, was my thought on the matter.  That was what was funny.  That and the fact that no one really gave a crap about my posting my little treasure trove of rejections.  But when this whole concern started in 2007, it was a radical move to expose the names of the rejecters, which I have generally done. This particular found rejection has the name of the writer removed, as well as the last name of "Vicki, Agency Editor."  Because the title "Agency Editor" is so unusual, you can pretty much use the old Google-Whats-It and figure out who she is. Very young, bless her heart.

MmmHmmm, Atticus Books, MmmHmmm

They want your rejections, but I was here first.

Manhattan Judge Says No

This ruling against the googlization of all books happened while I was in California, and I missed it, but think it's important to note.

There's An App For That

Here's a rejection app for your iPhone? It's called Rejection Therapy--The Game. The only rule is that you must be rejected by one person every day. The therapy part is this: "Do nothing and continue living..."

Send Me Your Rejections

Some of the mice are grumbling at the quality of the rejections lately. Things are getting snooze-y around LROD lately, I'm told. My sense of excitement has been called into questions! Perhaps it's a fair criticism: I've been googling for rejections a lot and relying on the kindness of strangers to send me material. You can help a third-gendered blogger out and save the quality of this blog. Send me some of your best (or worst) rejections. I know you've thought about it, but probably never felt like putting the ham sandwich aside to actually sift through the data/papers in your computer/drawers to find evidence that publishing sucks. So, now's your chance. Put the sandwich down, and please, I'm begging you, send me a jpeg of your most prized rejection. Send to: writerrejected [at] aol [dot] com. Thank you. --The Management

Dear Mute Entity That Makes Me Seem Cute

Is it some sort of trend among the young people?  (I sound like my mother: that and "the email.")  But really what's with all the writing of letters to things that can't write back. Have we lost our way? Is communication so abstract that it seems plausible to write to rejection letters and futures? Just wondering. And also: "Dear Dust Bunny Beneath my feet: I think you should stop mocking me. Sweep your own self up; I'm tired.  Sincerely, WR" "Dear Starbucks Chai Latte: You can fool me no longer. You are really just a liquid piece of cake in a cup. Tempt me no more, Okay? Now go away, WR" Maybe we've simply lost interest in what others (preferably mindful beings) have to say.

Google News Rejection From the "Team"

Google as the evil rejector of the little guy.  I like the line, "we often get scoops."

Do Your Google Research, People

Here's some good practical advice about how to query agents from author Kelly Wittmann's Five Agents and A Funeral Blog.  Her method is one I've used many times on my own because it's simply a pragmatic use of the resources available. Worth the read as a refresher course. Kelly, btw, cleverly calls herself, "a character-driven writer navigates her way through a plot-driven world."  Indeed.  

Outside Looking In

What to do when even the stupid advertisers reject you:

"When I first reviewed your site, I admit that I must not have spent enough time familiarizing myself with your content. The posts I previewed were edgy, but basically acceptable under our editorial guidelines. After more careful review, I’m finding many potential problems (not with your content, but things that our advertisers will object to.) I don’t think it would be fair for us to ask you to alter your blogging style, and I apologize for not reviewing your content more carefully before accepting your site for our network. I’m happy to discuss our editorial guidelines with you and see if we can make it work – but at this time, I cannot issue ad code for your site."

P.S. Not mine...found it on the Interwebs.  I don't apply for advertisers, though  maybe I should.  The rejections are entertaining, it appears.

Spam! A Lot!

Does it mean something when your blog starts getting spammed to holy hell? Above is merely one example; I also get Viagra, iPhone, and porn spam to the tune of about 20 a day. Does this means my blog has arrived and is considered lucrative? Or does it mean I have entered the 9th circle of hades? Does anyone know?

Books On Demand (Just Like TV)

Well, this ought to shake things up in the book biz, or at least teach the reading public a whole new way to read.  You've got to hand it to Google; they ain't just whistling Dixie around there.

In Case You're Sick of It

Not that I'm promoting smashwords.com, but I have to say, it's an apt banner ad. These guys should advertise on LROD, right?

Angelo Bell's Film Festival Rejection

This dude's (real or fictionalized) blog entry about film festival rejection made me laugh.  Here's a highlight:  "I hate you. I hate the characters in your film. I hate your f--king film! I watched your protagonist and his lover suffer together through tremendous odds–and ultimately find love. WTF? Why can't I find love? " I liked the photo so much o I stole it and posted it here.  Funny.

No More Mr. Nice Google

Have you noticed the nice ads at the bottom of the page these past weeks?  Very different from the usually nonsense that goes on down there. They have been all feel-good and charitabl: Public Service Ads by Google, a program referred to as ad referrals.  So, ads like "Save Energy" and "Help the Children" and "Earthquake Relief" that have actually made me feel a sense of purpose in my blogging. Could I actually be helping people?

Well, guess what?  Google Ad Sense sent a letter this morning about how this "experiment" (in being decent human beings, instead of money grubbers) has failed.  

Experiment in kindness over.  Kindness apparently isn't profitable. Not exactly breaking news.

Because I never quite know what the hell the Googliacs are talking about, I think that's what their letter says.  Here it is:

Hello,

Thank you for participating in the AdSense Referrals program.
We’re writing to let you know that we will be retiring the AdSense
Referrals program during the last week of August. We appreciate
your patience during this transition and here are some alternative
options to consider:

* Google Affiliate Network: As part of the integration of
DoubleClick, the DoubleClick Performics Affiliate Network will now
operate as the Google Affiliate Network for advertisers targeting
users located in the United States. Similar to the AdSense
Referrals program, the Google Affiliate Network enables publishers
to apply for advertiser programs and get paid based on
advertiser-defined actions instead of clicks or impressions. For
further details, please visit:

www.google.com/ads/affiliatenetwork.

* AdSense for content ads: If you have less than three AdSense
for content ad units on a page, you may wish to replace the
referral ad units with standard AFC ad units.

If you currently use referral ads, either to promote Google
products or offerings from AdWords advertisers, AdSense Referrals
code will no longer display ads beginning the last week of August.
We encourage you to take the following steps before the product is
retired:

* Remove the referral code from your site(s): Please take a
moment to remove all referral code from your sites before the last
week of August, so you can continue to effectively monetize your
ad space.
* Run and save all referrals reports on your desktop: Create
and save all reports related to the referrals program on your
desktop, so you continue to have access to your valuable campaign
information

Why is this happening?
We're constantly looking for ways to improve AdSense by developing
and supporting features which drive the best monetization results
for our publishers. Sometimes, this requires retiring existing
features so we can focus our efforts on the ones that will be most
effective in the long term. For this reason, we will be retiring
the AdSense Referrals program. If you have any additional
questions, please visit our Help Center.

Sincerely.

The Google AdSense Team

MBA Not MFA

My petulant banner ad at the bottom of the blog has changed yet again. Where once they sported faulty links to rejection, cheerleaders, potties, and medical devices, now my ads feature higher education.  Yesterday, LROD was promoting business school ads.  Nice!  Looks like those bastards at Google AdSense are trying to tell me to get a real job. 

Deep Knee Bends

It's been a month, and still no word from the replacement agent (my real agent unexpectedly left the business). In keeping with my ongoing Google Ad confusion, here's what the current Google Ad at the bottom of my page has to say about my predicament, or about something. Well, I don't really pretend to understand the workings of the Google Ads. But sometimes I believe that the inappropriate google ads are divining my future:

Better Knee Replacements The Amazing Partial or Custom Knee Top NY Center-Manhattan/Westchester http://www.walkandmove.com/

Don't Quit Your Day Job!

My insane google ad banner (see bottom of the blog) is running this ad this morning:

Hawaii Nursing Jobs Travel Nurses - Top Pay & Benefits Free Private Housing - Apply Now! www.americantraveler.com

Is that, like, a hint that I should just give up writing and get a new career? Kind of rude. And yet, Hawaii? Hmm. Kind of appealing.

New Agent Waiting For Me in a Google Ad?

Check out the freaking google ad at the bottom of my blog. It says:

1 Message Waiting

Find out who's waiting to meet you Read Now? [yes] [no] True.com

Ads by Google

WTF? Who in his or her right mind would click on something like that? I've pretty much had it with this advertising negoogligence, and I'm planning a full-out google protest (a googlotest?). I mean it this time. Seriously. As soon as I finish my novel. Swear.