It used to be that authors wrote a book, sent to it their publishers and that was that. The publishers got the books printed, sent them in for reviews, did the publicity, and so forth. Often authors bought bookmarks and set up book signings, unless they were lucky enough to get live book tours and publicity packages arranged by their publishers' publicists. After that, authors could concentrate on getting another book ready. Today's publishing world has dramatically changed. Many authors publish their own books, instead of relying on publishers to perform that chore. Those who self-publish work hard to get themselves known. Even those that don't self-publish are told by their publishers to get online and get noticed. There are many ways to do so, but I'll mention just a few. As in the past, I'll ask three questions and offer my answers. Then it's your turn. As usual, if you answer one question, you're encouraged to expand on that answe...

November is the month of giving thanks, so I thought I’d tell you all what I’m thankful for. I’m thankful I didn’t kill someone. Two and a half months ago, my computer black-screened. I turned it on and got nothing. So I took it into a tech guy. He spent a day checking it out and then said he could save all my data, clean up the computer, and put the data back on – or, since my computer would probably die within a year, he could get me a new laptop and put everything on it. I opted for the new computer. During that time, I called him during office hours several times and he didn’t pick up. I left messages and he never called me back. He called me one time. The only way I could get him to talk to me was to show up in his office and stand in front of his desk. I’m thankful I didn’t go kung-fu on his behind. (And am thinking I should possibly learn some kung-fu.) He loaded some, but not all of my data. He put Palm on my computer, but none of the years of info I had input. And now ...

This is a participation post. Please read it and comment because a number of us need some input. We writers know that our solitary work often requires months, or even years, to complete. But that’s not the end. Instead, it’s another beginning, for we must then deal with editors, designers, agents, publishers or printers, marketing…and the Internet. Sometimes we may wonder whether the end result is worth all the hassle. In decades past, the publishing model pretty much followed procedures and trends of the big houses. Editing and marketing were handled by publishers, and writers were nurtured along the road to success. Of course, some vanity houses did exist, but their wares were viewed as inferior and unworthy of note. Today, we have a very different scene. Technology has opened doors to previously unavailable options, and Kindle (et al.) has turned the reading world upside down. This is good, right? Yes! It’s great for those who surf the Web and grasp with ease the intricacies o...