grrlgeek72 reblogged
Slack Wyrm #559
grrlgeek72 reblogged
Slack Wyrm #558
grrlgeek72 reblogged
grrlgeek72 reblogged
Source: lousysharkbutt
grrlgeek72 reblogged
Calvin’s snowmen are breathtaking achievements and I will accept no disputes
If he had drawn nothing else but Calvin’s snowmen for ten solid years, I would have been in Heaven.
We get snow like once a year but on that day, we recognize the great Creator by making unholy figures in his honor.
grrlgeek72 reblogged
grrlgeek72 reblogged
Choosing between self-publishing and traditional publishing
This is a much-talked-about topic. So, rather than going the traditional pros-and-cons route, I’m going to give you some advice on which factors to consider when making your decision:
1. First thing’s first: what’s the difference?
- Self-publishing a book means that you are putting it out there on your own - no publishing house and no literary agent. You will be in charge of every aspect - editing, proofreading, marketing, the book launch, cover design etc.
- Traditional publishing means that your book has been purchased by a publishing house and that said house is responsible for getting your book out into the world. This process also usually entails being represented by a literary agent.
2. Factor: Your knowledge base
- Few writers are writers only, which means that you might have a particular set of skills or a vast array of knowledge in an area that could assist you in one of these publishing routes.
- Knowledge needed for self-publishing: some business knowledge, knowledge of the entire process needed to publish a book, knowledge of self-publishing platforms etc.
- Knowledge needed for traditional publishing: knowledge about the publishing industry - about literary agents and publishing houses, about what to look out for in contracts, about querying and going on submission etc.
- Keep in mind that this knowledge can be acquired. It doesn’t have to be something you already possess. But the type of studies/research you do will be determined by the route you choose to take.
- So, if you majored in an area of business, if you worked for a publisher for years etc., you already have a good foundation for self-publishing.
- If you’re like me and you’ve been researching the industry since you were 15 (and have a law student’s knowledge of contracts), your skills may assist you better in traditional publishing.
- So, think about the type of knowledge you have/would be able to acquire.
- Keep in mind: marketing knowledge is applicable and needed for both routes.
3. Factor: Budgetary concerns
- We’re not all in the same financial situation. I know it’s not fun to talk about money, but it does play a significant role in publishing.
- With traditional publishing, you will have to spend money on marketing. Furthermore, if you hire an editor/critique service in order to polish your manuscript before you query, that’ll cost you a few bucks too.
- However, self-publishing requires a lot more money. You need to pay a cover designer, critique service, editor, proofreader, formatter etc.(there are often packages to this effect) And you will have to pay for marketing as well. If you use platforms like CreateSpace or IngramSpark, you don’t have to pay for the printing itself, since it’s print-on-demand.
- This consideration isn’t about whether you have bags of money just waiting to be used. It’s about whether you have the financial and personal capacity to save the money you need (and whether you can budget well). Calculating how much you need to save each month in order to self-publish and sticking to that calculation will be necessary for the self-publishing route (unless you have quite a few dollars lying around).
- So, if you are on a VERY tight budget (like me as a student) or know that you are absolutely horrible at sticking to your saving goals, consider trying the traditional publishing avenue.
- HOWEVER, the income you receive from the published product must also be kept in mind. With traditional publishing, authors get a (relatively small) advance and then a small percentage of the sales as royalties (12% is generous where I’m from). Since the publisher paid for everything, they also get most of the profit. With self-publishing, you get the biggest percentage of the sales revenue (some of it will go to the printing and distributing platform).
4: Factor: Your personality/preferences
- Are you a very versatile person? Would you like spending your time on various different aspects of the publishing process? Do you need control of every aspect of your book baby’s release into the world? Are you good at managing projects? Can you be difficult to work with? Are you excited by the idea of paving your own way and ignoring industry stigmas? Are you great at sticking to self-imposed deadlines? Then you’re probably more suited to the world of self-publishing.
- Do you want to focus on writing (and marketing) and not really the other stuff? Are you okay with relinquishing some control? Do you work well with others? Does prestige matter to you? Does the idea of managing a big project alone give you the jitters? Then your personality might work better for traditional publishing.
- Please don’t think that this is set in stone. I’m not trying to place anyone in a box. This is just another factor you can take into account when making your decision.
5. A decision doesn’t bind you for life
- You can be a hybrid author. If you’ve decided to pursue traditional publishing, you can always switch to self-publishing later once you’ve made a name for yourself. If you’ve already self-published one (or a few) books, nothing prevents you from querying agents for a different project and going the traditional route. (In fact, having self-published books might count in your favour.)
- So, it is an important decision, but it isn’t set in stone.
I hope that this is helpful. If you have any questions, head over to my asks. And if you want to request a writing advice post, don’t be shy.
Reblog if you found these tips useful. Comment with the route you’re thinking of taking. Follow me for similar content.
grrlgeek72 reblogged
don’t tell her Elsa
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“Dive down deep into her sound, but not too far or you’ll be drowned.“
Source: bigfrozensix
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Unpopular Opinion? Monster and True Love are two of the best frozen songs even if they are only in the Broadway Musical
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grrlgeek72 reblogged
Holding on tight to you
grrlgeek72 reblogged
writerswritecompany
grrlgeek72 reblogged
Impersonating Santa
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For an extra bucket of oats, and a few carrots? Hop boy!
grrlgeek72 reblogged
Honestly I’m a little tired of the abortion discussion centering around child raising and such. Like, if I got pregnant today, and someone offered to adopt the child and pay for my medical bills and everything, I still would have an abortion? You know why? Because I don’t want to be pregnant. I don’t want to put my body through that for nine months. And I don’t want to risk my life in childbirth. Fact is no one will be able to do that for me, so untimately it’s my choice and that’s all there is to it.
I might lose some followers but this is so important to me. I’m a mother, I’ve been through pregnancy and labor, and friends let me tell you- that shit is HELL. No one should be forced to go through that. Ever. Abortion is a right. Periodt.
I said it once and I’ll say it again, abortion is about body autonomy, point blank. Would you force someone to give their kidney to someone else’s? Jail someone for not giving a piece of their liver to another person? Write legislation that mandates blood donation?If your answer is no then you can’t justify being anti-choice.
And for anyone who reads the above and says something like, well if you don’t want to get pregnant go get your tubes tied”, be aware that if a person with a uterus is considered to be of “prime” childbearing age, receiving any procedure like that is about as easy as climbing Everest without oxygen.
Almost every doctor you see about getting that procedure will spend more time trying to make you think there is something medically/psychologically wrong with you, question your commitment by hinting you “might” change your mind one day, ask if your penis partner is alright with your decision as if you need their permission, and make you try every other birth control option available (even if it makes you sick) before they will respect your wishes and allow you to undergo a procedure like that. Maybe if you have a ton of money to throw at a private clinic it’s one thing, but in the public sphere doctors have a lot to answer for when it comes to their role spreading shame about abortion procedures.
And this right here, is why I believe people are just trying to control women’s bodies for the sake of what they believe is morally acceptable and correct. I have been trying to get sterilized for quite a long time with no success. I have been childfree since I was 16 and have been bingoed to hell and a victim of reproductive coercion by an abusive ex who didn’t agree with my childfree stance and wanted to keep permanent ties to me. Ever since then, I’ve been telling doctors that my periods are debilitating and pointless because I do not want children. All they care about is my potential offspring that will never fucking exist, and making me feel like a monster for not wanting to experience “the joy of motherhood”. I’ve read many stories about others who have constantly tried for sterilization only to be denied and one day having their birth control fail.
It’s so sad, but I’m hoping that getting married will increase my chances of getting my wish to try lessen my endometriosis symptoms, so I can actually have a better quality of life in addition to me not wanting children. Can you imagine that you’re potential unborn fetus that will never be conceived being more important than YOU having a good quality of life? That doctors, friends, family, and even goddamn eavesdropping strangers would push to see you have kids because it’s “the natural order of things” and “it’s so rewarding” or “it makes you a better person” than respecting your wishes to live your life on your terms? Fuck that noise. Do whatever you want to do if you can with your bodies. I’ll believe they give two shits about kids when they stop forcing people who don’t want them/shouldn’t have them to have them.