Marian Scadden, author
  • Home
  • Blog
  • About
  • Books
  • Plays
  • Excerpts
    • White Fire (YA Novel)
    • Armadillos in the Road, A Texas Fable (picture book)
    • Fables (script for children to perform)
    • Wakt Family Reunion (a murder mystery)
    • The Other Art: Theatre Skills that Help Every Child, Home Edition
  • Links
  • Contact

reading and writing

3/5/2013

0 Comments

 
I do a lot of both reading and writing. When I finally stepped into whatever century this is and bought an ebook reader (Kindle-because Amazon has mass quantities of free classics; I now have quite a library of classics. But I digress), I started reading even more. Is there a title beyond "avid reader"? And because I'm a penny-pincher sometimes, I looked for ways to get free books. I found those previously mentioned classics. I discovered Library2Go (I can only borrow those ebooks but that's not a problem). I discovered Book Bub and Pixel of Ink which send me daily emails about free or seriously low-priced ebooks. And even Smashwords (where I, too, now have a book).
You would be right if you guessed that many of the freebies are from new, self-published authors. (I also got a couple of Artemis Fowl books for free, the Hunger Game trilogy for small change, and several others that were reduced in price. So there. Anyway...) I happen to like the "new" authors. Being "self-published" doesn't mean that their writing is bad just because a "real" publisher didn't snatch them up. I have found some great books! (Remember? I'm a beyond-avid-reader).  Have I found some awful ones as well? YES! I just delete those.
Where does the Writing part of this post come in? Right now. The stories that I delete renew my desire to write well for whoever reads my books! I want the formatting and spelling to be perfect. (I'll probably miss something but hopefully not a lot - I pre-apologize.) I want my stories to be great! And just so you know, I'm working on it. It's a tough job, but somebody's gotta do it.
0 Comments

Is Self-Publishing Fake Publishing?

2/29/2012

0 Comments

 
Several years back, the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) created a special level of membership. It's called PAL, Published and Listed. Only those authors who have their books printed by a publisher on the SCBWI list can receive such high status. Embarrassingly, when I was a member of SCBWI, I was a PAL member.

Why am I embarrassed by that? Because, I had managed to get one short script published in Plays Magazine (March 2002...yay) and Plays is on the SCBWI list of real publishers. I haven't been able to repeat the process, though I tried. I do have other scripts, on the other hand, that are better traveled than I, distributed through my theatre company. But here's the problem: I'm pretty sure that there are self-published authors who have sold more books and made more money than I have with my one script sale.

For some reason, that doesn't count with SCBWI. I could be a  PAL member but indie (self-published) authors such as the group known as the Indelibles can't be. It just doesn't seem right.

Some of the indie authors are top notch. In fact, it was through their self-publishing that they got noticed by "real" publishers. Eragon, Chicken Soup for the Soul, and Switched all started out as independently published books. I would be so mortified if I was ever introduced to those authors as being a PAL member. There are many more indie authors that I will not admit to them I was PAL; they might want to know my credentials!

I think the only way self-publishing is fake publishing is if the authors are getting fake readers and fake money.
0 Comments

    Marian, that's me!

    I love stories! I love to read fairy tales, fables, stories from around the world. I especially love scifi and fantasy. And I like to write. And watch movies. And play board games. And do theatre things.

    Categories

    All
    Annoyances
    Applause
    Books
    Cell Phones
    Children
    Chocolate
    Critiquing
    Depression
    Duct Tape
    E A Bundy
    Editing
    Enjoyment
    Enthusiasm
    Facing Fears
    Genius
    Grammar
    Healthy Eating
    Henrietta H. House
    Home School
    Indie Authors
    Inspiration For Writers
    I Or Me
    Krispy Kreme Doughnuts
    Lies
    Lists
    Motivation & Inspiration
    Nanowrimo
    Nursery Rhymes
    Procrastination
    Reading
    Scbwi
    Self Discipline
    Self-discipline
    Self-publishing
    Shakespeare
    Success
    Theater
    The Nursery Rhyme Game
    The Pigeon Catcher
    Too Much
    Writers Critique Groups

    Archives

    May 2022
    March 2021
    September 2020
    August 2020
    March 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    January 2018
    May 2017
    January 2017
    July 2016
    March 2016
    November 2015
    October 2015
    June 2015
    February 2015
    December 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    June 2014
    April 2014
    February 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    August 2012
    May 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012

    RSS Feed

Picture
Marian Scadden, author of stage plays, fiction for young people, and other stuff