tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8903450198970040132.comments2014-12-17T09:00:32.011-08:00Victor MethosUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger37125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8903450198970040132.post-68152830599112740692014-09-04T09:28:02.474-07:002014-09-04T09:28:02.474-07:00I do believe in psychic ability but not in any pro...I do believe in psychic ability but not in any proclaimed psychic. in the article above you mention three psychics staying on and some success with remote viewing so perhaps there is a possibility for some proclaimed psychics to be real at least in part. I only believe that psychic phenomena actually does exists especially since I have had such occurrences happen to me during adolescents but I am skeptical of anyone claiming to be strong enough or have control enough to use it effectively. to your remote viewing I tell you that my mother experienced this at least twice in her life she claimed. once when a child from her home she could see her friend on the bus on a field trip with a broken arm and the second incident is that when pregnant with me she could see my grandfather grasping his chest and reaching up as if wanting to see his unborn grand son as he died in his home alone. as for my experiences, I didn't remote view but saw the future like in a half awake dream state. I know of two definite times this happened. the first was that many months earlier I had a dream of being back stage at a dance recital and seeing a woman I know show up in a blue-green dress showing it off and me having the thought that it looked like it belonged in the 40's or 50's as a style. months later at the dance recital that same woman showed up in that exact dress saying it was brand knew and I had that thought of it being an old style and then realized my dream came true. the second incident again was me having a half awake dream months earlier but this was simply walking down a dirt road at twilight with a field to my right forest ahead of me. that summer my boy scout troop went to a summer camp we had never went to before and one night I was walking down this road, I had walked down it before mind you but it was exactly as I pictured it months ago, twilight and all. now this one is not so conclusive since I had walked the road before several times during the day and could have just filled in the gaps to create association with my dream but it was exactly the scene I remembered. that is all my psychic experience and I have not had any distinct psychic experience since I was a young adult.Matthew Meeksnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8903450198970040132.post-34806509770543708662014-09-04T08:59:14.344-07:002014-09-04T08:59:14.344-07:00I like your blog here and it has good advice. one...I like your blog here and it has good advice. one thing I would of liked for you to have clarified though is what you consider a novel. the measurement in general terms, a range of how large it should be at a minimum. there are a lot of short stories on kindle direct publishing or compilation of short stories. to say to write s many novels as possible without giving them your measure of a novel lacks well, clarity. for some people they may think of a novel in larger term and be discouraged unable to imagine writing so much but a novel can be shorter than one hundred pages or can be several thousand pages depending on the writer, the subject, and other variables. the only other thing I would say against your blog is that writer's block is real and not bs. the comparisons you gave are of people in careers where they already have a structure to follow, basketball has pre-established rules and design, actors have a script to go by. sure these people can put in their own unique perspective on it and even forge into some unknown but only from their established parameters and branch out. for a writer or painter or other artist usually they have nothing to start with except maybe a genre at best. an actor doesn't have to write the script before acting and a basketball player doesn't have to invent the game before playing it. for a writer many books start as a blank page not even an outline or concept. but I will agree that writers should not obsess over writer's block. it is used as an excuse not to try or not to try harder. if you are blocked in your current subject then start a new one and come back to it for a fresh perspective or write in a journal or read a book to be inspired by another author but don't stop and don't use writer's block as a crutch. that is my opinion on that subject. other than those two points I like your blog a lot and it is something helpful and something to think on. I myself would like to become a writer but I am less than a novice at it. we will see in time if I can produce something. no I should say that I will produce something regardless of time, effort, or outcome. I will try to eliminate all assumptions and discourage expectations. something I have recently told to my father which my be best put in a fortune cookie is that it is better to have an expectation than an assumption. with an expectation you aren't completely sure and so you still try or are open to different results but an assumption means you don't even bother trying or ignore the possibility of something different. what do you think on the subject?Matthew Meeksnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8903450198970040132.post-27512485401658954172014-05-17T03:41:04.515-07:002014-05-17T03:41:04.515-07:00I agree with all you say here, Victor, including o...I agree with all you say here, Victor, including of course (being Buddhist) the Karma part. One sentence I'd formulate slightly differently: I'd say that writing is not just like any other business - it is a craft. Work. Period. Work gets done by working on it. I have been making a living solely from writing for the past decade or so (in Germany), technical, journalistic, fiction - you name it. It can be tedious at times, it can be frustrating at times. But it also has it's luxurious sides: if I'd work in research (I'm an Astronomer by training) I'd most likely have to focus on a very narrow field for the better part of my life, while in writing I can live out my varied interests. I have to say, though, that I only had one "home one" yet, which was in the late 90s through a major German publisher. My self published projects are running so lala, and I'd actually already consider a Kindle ebook selling "several hundred per month" a home run! Mind you I only have two kindle ebooks to date, both in German (a much smaller market), one rather specialist and the other popular science that did, for a short time, sell in that range. In any case, my experience with traditional publishers was largely unpleasant, so I'm more and more considering to focus on self publishing. I'm planning to launch a "test balloon" in English this year.<br />My friend and brother in law Felix Thijssen, a very successful Dutch SciFi, Thriller and movie script writer and creator living in an old castle in the mountains of southern France keeps comparing his work to that of a cabinet maker, trying to make fine furniture to the best of his abilities, but also producing as much as possible when needed. He sees himself less as an artist than a self employed craftsman. And as Billy Joel sang: "You have to learn to pace your self" and "...you will come to a place, where the only thing you feel are loaded guns in your face and you'll have to deal with pressure". Just as any other entrepreneur.<br /><br />A fact of life: Most people simply cannot write well. As an editor I got many attempts of writing onto my desk, and it is amazing to see how uninspired and dull even highly educated people can be. Just like most people are not overly good in math or drawing or playing the piano. My math is okay, but my abilities as a musician are mediocre (that's already and overstatement), and even my 4 year old daughter effortlessly beats me at drawing. According to the judgement of others my writing talent seems to be fine, though. I suggest everyone should try to find what they are best at and develop that skill - for the benefit and joy of everyone. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03024566622504812850noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8903450198970040132.post-44872372163404255852014-05-16T22:35:22.567-07:002014-05-16T22:35:22.567-07:00This comment has been removed by the author.Davidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01199347709969269647noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8903450198970040132.post-83510356087952620122013-10-23T01:11:08.131-07:002013-10-23T01:11:08.131-07:00Victor, so far I'm not doing too well. I'v...Victor, so far I'm not doing too well. I've published three books and sales have been dismal. I try really hard with marketing and get a good number of visitors to my blog, but the traffic doesn't convert into book sales. That said, I've written six chapters of a new book.Should have done more but marketing is so time consuming and compulsive.<br /><br /> I just happened on your blog, and I'm glad . It gave me a lift.<br /><br />Best wishes,<br />Ann Massey<br />Australian Author, Ann Masseyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03761230801971644240noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8903450198970040132.post-82608238788111491532013-10-14T01:57:42.558-07:002013-10-14T01:57:42.558-07:00I'm sure the government runs all kinds of expe...I'm sure the government runs all kinds of experiments the general public will never know about. My personal theory is that they kind of play into the UFO thing to keep people thinking about aliens instead. samanthahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14218745251131992405noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8903450198970040132.post-43387984931432875892013-08-15T12:19:17.373-07:002013-08-15T12:19:17.373-07:00The B and N near my house, in southern CA is alway...The B and N near my house, in southern CA is always fairly crowded, sells far more than kids' toys (though does feature the discount bins as you walk in the door and by the registers), and does a brisk business. This is a well to do neighborhood, full of families and children/teens (one of the top school districts in the state,too), and is the usual plugged in technologically world, as So Cal is.<br />So maybe it depends on where you live, as far as B and N relevance. I think bookstores will always be with us, even as their market may continue to dwindle. Paper and not a lit up screen, is a really different experience for me. I don't keep or use technology in my bedroom; although I may be part of a minority, we do still exist.<br />Recently, a San Francisco cafe hosted an unplugged even, and people checked their phones, etc at the door. Apparently, for some, it was the first time they had spent a few hours without it for years. It caused visceral panic for some, too. The theme of the event was based on what the cafe said was a realization that our technology is not our life, nor who we are. May seem obvious and perhaps you have it in check, but many do not. So both the movement towards e-book AND the movement towards unplugging or holding paper/nature [maybe the only dose of natural world some people get, and that is making us physically sick, I might add], will grow. Definitely you are correct: More money will be made through e-book. I would add that smaller indie venues of all types will continue to grow, too [etsy, etc], and so it remains to be seen where this takes brick and mortar publishing.<br />Thanks for your blog articles about writing/publishing! Continued success to you.lrmhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16716468183896741395noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8903450198970040132.post-58684337944405347422013-07-12T08:04:16.965-07:002013-07-12T08:04:16.965-07:00Lisa, the one thing that I didn't like about P...Lisa, the one thing that I didn't like about Prime is the exclusivity aspect. However, Barnes and Noble has failed and recently announced that they will not be further supporting their Nook. That leaves Amazon as the big dog so really you won't be missing out by being exclusive. <br /><br />Also, Amazon is great to work with. They selected one of my books for one of their own promotions and they were super-cool and laid back and actually listened to me (they even called and spoke to me about my views on KDP and how they can make it better, B&N would never in a million years do that). <br /><br />I would recommend to any author to go all-in with Amazon. They really don't have any competition anymore so you don't have anything to lose. <br /><br /> Cheers, <br /> VMVictor Methoshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17944426559192902416noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8903450198970040132.post-84890869921885638652013-07-12T07:48:47.631-07:002013-07-12T07:48:47.631-07:00Hi Victor. First of all, I stumbled upon your blog...Hi Victor. First of all, I stumbled upon your blog after reading Walk in Darkness. I loved it and will be giving it a 5-star review today. I am also looking forward to reading your other books. It is so nice to discover a new author whose books grab my attention and don't let go. <br /><br />I also appreciate the information you shared in this post. I am a new writer and I have been struggling with the decision whether to go the traditional publishing route or self-publishing. It is due more to lack of funds than anything else. <br /><br />I was wondering about your comments regarding Kindle Prime. It sounded as if you weren't pro Prime but then said KDP and Prime were who trusted. If I was to go the self-pub route would you suggest KDP over Prime? <br /><br />Thanks!<br /><br />Lisa<br />Lisa Gomleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13224913351091436417noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8903450198970040132.post-1105292640928486402013-07-02T20:25:40.040-07:002013-07-02T20:25:40.040-07:00Pascal, it was certainly a cumulative effect. Home...Pascal, it was certainly a cumulative effect. Home-runs in this business are almost impossible and if that's what you're shooting for you mind as well play the lottery. A much better bet is to expect a couple hundred or so sales of a book per month and build your income from there. <br /><br />That said, I've had a few home runs (White Angel Murder has been in the top 100 three times on two continents). But I sat back mystified and wondered why. I did no promotion and thought some of my other books actually better written. Yet that was the big hit. A lot of the new ebook landscape is not only unknown, but unknowable. So just write what you love as long as it has commercial appeal and put out as much product per year as you can and you'll do just fine. Who knows, you may even hit a home-run now and again.Victor Methoshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17944426559192902416noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8903450198970040132.post-13143449012714730292013-07-02T09:18:19.510-07:002013-07-02T09:18:19.510-07:00Hi Victor - very interesting post and I am going t...Hi Victor - very interesting post and I am going to take some of it to heart, once I get over my extreme stage-fright and can get myself to unleash my undisciplined (but hopefully funny) writing on the unsuspecting public! <br /><br />I have a question about the publishing and financial side, if you don't mind.<br />When you said that you added $2500 a month to your income, would you say that was the cumulative effect of the sales of your <br />"six novels and a novella in 2012", or did you get lucky on one or two specific titles that got the public's attention?<br /><br />I think I can write somewhat decently (when I concentrate), and am hoping to make some income doing it. I've been discouraged as often as I have been encouraged to write. Not that people have doubted my writing ability (to my face), but the idea of making it in a cut-throat market seems daunting. Honestly, if I enjoy myself, make a few people laugh, and make a tenner a month I will be pleased as punch! Apologies for the lack of brevity - I must work on that as an aspiring author.<br /><br />Take care, <br />Pascal1966foreverhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04554687492849801062noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8903450198970040132.post-12023126918440210882013-05-24T11:09:33.908-07:002013-05-24T11:09:33.908-07:00Maybe recreational scuba diving is not adrenaline ...Maybe recreational scuba diving is not adrenaline inducing enough for you.<br /><br />Go beyond the recreational limit and do wreck or cave technical diving.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10870633845866881905noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8903450198970040132.post-21551763374504960712013-05-19T04:05:38.882-07:002013-05-19T04:05:38.882-07:00Hey Victor,
Thanks for adding and updating this b...Hey Victor,<br /><br />Thanks for adding and updating this blog. I am new to this industry but it really striked me as helpful and balanced.<br /><br />Peter TowneyWordsmithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05663286981433521510noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8903450198970040132.post-12671117956878508132013-05-14T06:24:09.081-07:002013-05-14T06:24:09.081-07:00Douglas Adams said "Writers Block" was i...Douglas Adams said "Writers Block" was invented by a bunch of Californians who wanted to hang around coffee shops all day. Agree with you entirely - my first drafts are chunky & square but rough edges can be smoothed down and polished.<br />Julia Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8903450198970040132.post-5927009215522696812013-05-13T07:46:45.248-07:002013-05-13T07:46:45.248-07:00Thank you for this blog, i feel that it has given ...Thank you for this blog, i feel that it has given me more push than most of the "how-tos" on writing i have seen so far.<br /><br />More power to you kind sir.<br /><br />AmpsAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15471130320875493702noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8903450198970040132.post-62656048298493645862013-05-01T09:19:20.924-07:002013-05-01T09:19:20.924-07:00I am so glad I came across this on Goodreads. I t...I am so glad I came across this on Goodreads. I took an Intro to Business class this semester, and decided that my semester project would be on B&N, since I worked for them for about three years. It was amazing how everything had changed. (Amazon recently acquired Goodreads, so I think that is going to be great for authors, since that is a great site. ) Publishers do need to accept what's happening. I had to wait four months to buy an e-book, because the publisher didn't want to tarnish the book's legacy and "split the vote" (since e-book sales are not added NYT bestseller lists). I have been a lover of books my whole life, and thought I would never get an e-reader, but, as soon as I saw one I fell in love. Superhero just popped up on my Amazon e-mail recommendations, so I think I will check it out (and add it to my Book List that is hundreds of books long, sigh). I promise that when I get my credits settlement from that huge lawsuit against the publishers, I will use it to buy one of your books. Thanks againAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00077824932300690231noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8903450198970040132.post-83878700189927122942013-04-25T20:29:38.670-07:002013-04-25T20:29:38.670-07:00Raymond, by the end of the summer.
Marina, glad y...Raymond, by the end of the summer.<br /><br />Marina, glad you liked it. Drop me an email if you need any help in your transition. Victor Methoshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17944426559192902416noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8903450198970040132.post-79923679669983535322013-04-25T20:28:29.395-07:002013-04-25T20:28:29.395-07:00This comment has been removed by the author.Victor Methoshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17944426559192902416noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8903450198970040132.post-51872971905660671112013-04-25T11:17:45.953-07:002013-04-25T11:17:45.953-07:00Your advice of treating writing as a business is v...Your advice of treating writing as a business is very helpful! I am looking for a way to move from the more "literary genre" to a more marketable kind for the time-being (I've published 7 books in traditional way, but it does not quite bring enough income to keep going). Your post is thought-provoking and inspiring.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05525388259432915078noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8903450198970040132.post-43127472114007780412013-04-07T07:27:54.653-07:002013-04-07T07:27:54.653-07:00Your advice on "writer's block" was ...Your advice on "writer's block" was really useful. Thanks.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09690002979588417850noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8903450198970040132.post-80406091534309639602013-04-04T19:19:47.332-07:002013-04-04T19:19:47.332-07:00any ideas to when your follow up to Plague will be...any ideas to when your follow up to Plague will be out, that was a awesome book.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01310537864986261696noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8903450198970040132.post-32236116230791205702013-03-06T11:15:59.549-08:002013-03-06T11:15:59.549-08:00Wonderful article, as always, Victor. I have to a...Wonderful article, as always, Victor. I have to admit I like printed books - I like everything about them, turning the pages, the look of them on shelves, the colour of the covers and printed books have been part of my life for decades, since I was four. I tend to buy them secondhand nowadays, the same as DVDs. But I also have Kindle too. I'm kind of in the twilight zone, teetering on the technological fence and no doubt about to fall over! How could I resist a device the size of a slim book that can pack in thousands of wonderful stories? I also think it wonderful how writers can self-publish so easily now via websites like Amazon and sidestep the 'experts'. With thousands of novels waiting to be read the only problem is that I shall have to live to 100 to get through them all. Valerie Jameshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02924591341896906439noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8903450198970040132.post-76042516345412251302013-03-01T17:00:38.522-08:002013-03-01T17:00:38.522-08:00Great article, Victor.
I met with a friend for t...Great article, Victor.<br /><br /> I met with a friend for three months at a Starbucks inside a Barnes and Noble while we built out websites just before the Nook came out. <br /><br />The cafe was booming and the Barnes and Noble was empty. The last B&N I walked into was in the process of shutting down. <br /><br />The world is transforming around us and it's exciting.amy eyriehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12227108832208430792noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8903450198970040132.post-76217544512144905962013-03-01T04:52:23.326-08:002013-03-01T04:52:23.326-08:00This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8903450198970040132.post-43804384090118285602012-12-04T03:01:47.689-08:002012-12-04T03:01:47.689-08:00Wonderful article, as always. Perhaps beings from...Wonderful article, as always. Perhaps beings from other planets might like to live on ours and kick us off rather than study us???? After reading your article, one particular question comes to mind: Do you feel compelled to make mountains out of mashed potatoes? :DValerie Jameshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02924591341896906439noreply@blogger.com