Benjamin Britten (Kindle Single) (Penguin Specials)

Talk to me when YOU connect with a reader that tells you that your book changed their life in some way, shape, or form. Talk to me when YOU have a passion that is difficult to send out into the world because you know the bullies like you! I am an author!

A self-published author, and damn proud of it! Because the big 5 publishing houses never put out a book where they saw dollar signs, and the content was of dubious quality. My first five books were traditionally published, my sixth was too controversial for my publishers so I self-published it. Does this make me not an author again? Maybe the solution is that everyone who writes a book can call themselves an author, or a writer.

After all, just the act of completing 80, coherent words is worthy of recognition. Whether or not they can call themselves a good author, a professional author or a successful author remains to be seen. No, you are a mere writer of that document. Writers, write for the love of writing.

Authors have had their books at least read a few times, and professional authors make their living from the process of writing. I just wrapped it up in a nice little package for you. If your primarily source of revenue derives from the written word, you are a professional author. If you publish a book yourself, or through a real publisher, you are an amateur, until you can make your living from it.

We need new terminology in a world where someone can take this blog post, and all of its comments and make an eBook out of it.

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That process would be called writing, it would not make me an author, because I never wrote it all. I would not be deemed a professional unless my livelihood stemmed from my words. I have no problem with self-publishers. I do when they call themselves authors at a diner party, when they only sold under books and still is are waitress or rock cleaner, or ditch digger. Quality is meaningless in the self-publishing world.

Its a matter of, did your book sell? Do you make your living from writing? If you make your living from your craft you are a professional. If you write a book, you are a writer. Unless you make your living from the process of writing, you are a professional author.

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This concept is not hard to understand. If you are not making your living from the written word, you are a writer, this concept should not be hard to understand. Whether or not you are trade published is not relevant. Which is why lots of authors end up doing both, self-publishing and publishing under a contract.

Benjamin Britten

They enjoy more flexibility because this is their vocation, their craft, they make their living from writing. You have to live off of the money you make from writing as a primary revenue stream. If you can, congrats, you are a professional writer. There is no distinction really anymore between publishing yourself or with an established company. All of the money you make goes to the same bank account.

If you can make your living from writing, you are a professional. There is limited shelf space, so not all traditionally published books are going to be put in bookstores. I just wish it were as big as Amazon, especially because you give authors a bigger cut. Thank you for that. This is true, its really up to Ingram and other distributors on what they want to highlight for the stores to buy.

The stores themselves or someone who handles the buying for an entire region makes the call. Who gives a shit. Looks like you have pissed a lot of people. Why does the label matter so much to you anyway? You are misinformed about professional authors. Which are contentious to the membership. But in your comments, you talk about making a living from the process of your writing. How much money is making a living? RWA does not specify how long you have to make that amount of money. Primarily because of the copious amount of publishing terminology out there.

Self-Publisher, Author, Writer,hybrid author, trad author, indie, etc etc. We need to simplify the quantification. You should not have to force the readers to determine that. That is the blame game, its not my problem its yours. Writers and Professional Authors bear the burden of guilt, like a crown of thorns. You know what this makes me think?

That you are a JERK with nothing to do other than bash on the people who have spent hours and hours into work that they ended up self-publishing. Some self-published authors spend more time on a book than some traditionally published authors and they end up making more money too. I know at least two authors that self-published books and had so much success that publishing companies ended up asking them to start publishing with them.

Were they not real authors before they were picked up traditionally? What was the difference between them and other traditionally published authors? They both were able to sell their books as eBook and hard copies if they chose to, they both made lots of money off of their books, and they both were seen as authors by the people that bought their books.

I even know an author who was traditionally published and then wrote a book which her publisher refused to publish so she decided to self publish. Take yourself down a notch and stop putting people down. So please, stop putting people down and trying reading a self-published book, you might even end up enjoying it-A LOT. I am not bashing anyone. My suggestion is much more elegant.

If you make your living from writing words, you are a professional author. You sir are delusional. Why do you think bookstores are the last salvation of quality literature? Because the indies have not taken it over yet with their pointless drivel. See, here is where I disagree with you. Redefining either of those words will not solve the problems you lament in your post. See how easy it is? Feel free to use those, by the way. Bookstores hold those same books that used to be self-published but are now traditionally published.

I can tell you that bookstores hold tons of literature that are crap and full of BS. Who are you to say what is quality literature? They are a lot better than some of the writing that is traditionally published.

Just accept that your views could be a little hurtful to people who put a lot of effort into what they do. They certainly put a lot more effort into their writing than you did in this article. You sir should really proofread what you publish. Self-publishers have been quietly making a living for as long as publishing has been around.

Not all of them, of course, but some. There have always been options to vanity presses, and to the new euphemism: You DO need to learn a lot more than most people think you need to know, and you need to work extremely hard. There are NO shortcuts to publishing success, no matter which options you choose. But the word author DOES have a meaning, and that meaning includes making money, meaningful amounts of money, from your work.

How many books have you published, either traditionally or self-pub? My guess is zero. The editing of this article alone is enough for me to not take you seriously, ever. I cringed reading that. I wonder, are the writers of these research papers you mention, authors? Next time you decide to take on a group of people who are passionate about their work, you should consider two things: Have factual, objective evidence to back your opinion, otherwise it is only an opinion; a crappy, biased one. Second, hire an editor. Because words in and of themselves have no intrinsic value.

It is what you use them to say that matters. The stories you tell with them, the pictures you paint with them, the truths you illuminate with them, that count. Because, you know, a good, solid cover is really what makes an author, right? I have checked multiple websites book sellers and review sites and cannot find even a dozen reviews of your work. Clearly, you have no audience. I have several friends who are self-published authors. Their books are read, discussed, and promoted well. And yet… they still seem to outsell you!

Can I just say how much I love you write now? So he tweeted at a favorite author of mine that being an author means that you can live off of your work. He should just stick to one view because he keeps changing his opinion…. You seem to consider yourself an author but what you need is an editor: I have read indie authors who shine and trad authors who should be locked in a box as far from a pc as they can get to save us all from more torture.

Again here you deviate from your own stated definitions. Here, you imply that a writer becomes an author when people read their work. Therefore, any Indie AUTHOR who has sold even one book is, by your admission here contrary to what you state in the article , an author and no longer a writer due to having met the wicket of having their work read by people.

So, as you state in this reply, those writers who have put their work on Kindle which then is read by an arbitrary number of people, are now authors. You, sir, are waffling. Or if he used the word primary in the comment above instead of primarily, as it is currently incorrect. And plainly, I could do everything they could do, some of it better, and make all the profit. One of my many editors from traditional publishing edits my self-pubbed work and my covers are made by an industry professional.

But there are some traditionally published books out there that should never have seen the light of day. Yeah, you made a fool of yourself with this blog post. Hugh Howey and about other successful self-published authors should be a wake up call for the publishing industry including agents on the future of their industry.

Right now, you have the credibility of a garden variety troll. And before you pull the "Well I never heard of you". It's only been licensed for two months.. Everyone starts out small.. It takes hard work and determination to make it big.. So trash me all you'd like, I'll be the one laughing when my label makes it big. Michael, if I understand you correctly, you equate being a professional author with making enough money to live off published books.

I hire a team of professionals for edits and a cover. Readers buy my books and think of me as the author of those books. Nobody gives it to you, you earn it by writing a story, a novel, or even a blog post. Furthermore, when our second book hit the NYT our advance was only fifteen grand. Under your criteria, even though, we had earned NYT and USAT bestseller status, we would not be considered authors, because the majority of our income came from 9 to 5 jobs.

The purpose is to drive traffic without which blogs wither and fade away. The only way to generate that traffic is by being outrageous and controversial or silly. The validity of the argument becomes irrelevant. Indie books are all over bookstore shelves today. I do know a lot of indie writers go the indie route for the simple fact of having more control over their books and making more money through this route.

Does that mean they all are actually good authors? They took that chance of opening up their mind and then showing it to others. You can hate their books and you can not buy their books. Most of the time if you want to join a club, you generally have to be approved by those who are already in it. In one corner of the ring, we have Michael Kozlowski, whom Goodreads lists as an author with five distinct works. In the other corner of the ring we have indie, self-pubbed authors. Goodreads lists me as an author of 25 distinct works with a 4.

On Amazon, my last book has a 4. I will be looking forward to reading more of her work. Another favourite author added to my list. Like studio executives, publishers gamble and hedge their bets on what might be commercial enough to sell enough books to make them a profit. Is this a thing? While traditional publishers are locking said gates and gouging prices of ebooks, readers all over the world are embracing new work from new writers at a fraction of the cost. As it is wont to do with exploration and experimentation, the cream ultimately rises to the top, allowing both aspiring and seasoned writers alike to write their own paycheck.

Even dirty birdies like me get to live my dream and yes, even make a living with what I write. Stephen Kings of the future are no longer nailing rejection letters to a spike on their wall, waiting for their big break. Thanks to the digital revolution — which pretty much pays your bills as an editor for an online magazine devoted to such — these brave folks are connecting with readers who simply want a great story. Even you, who wrote this incendiary blog to drive up hits to your website, can be considered a writer by these standards.

The only person wasting time is the one who runs around the mountain, telling everyone that his or her path is wrong. Then who are they being written by? Casper the Friendly Ghost? Grow up, get a life. An Author is one who writes — period. I suggest your snobbery and superiority complex is going to bring you a lot more pain than you realise….

As you said for scientists, In the science world, things are very different. If an Indie writer puts only one work out and sells 10 copies a year I can see your point of view, but Indie authors sells 10 copies every hour, and if readers buy their books and enjoy reading them, those Indies ARE authors, whatever you can think otherwise. Besides, who told you that your definition of Professional Authors do actually make a living out of their writing? You have a very simplistic view of the publishing industry and believe in lots of myths.

Are you going to extend the same logic to those people who advertise on, and thereby presumably pay for, this site? Will you tell, for example http: There are also several instances of flawed logic in your argument.

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An author is someone who has written a book! I have written six books, including five novels and I consider myself an author. I may self-publish and be a published author or I may not. I may be accepted by a publisher and be a published author or I may not. I write poetry and consider myself a poet as well as an author and writer and for that matter, also a journalist. These are just names we give to certain actions or professions, whether those professions pay or not, or are accorded recognition by others. If I garden I can call myself a gardener!

If I cook I can call myself a cook!

Author John Marrs on the success of his self-published novel | www.newyorkethnicfood.com

If I paint I can call myself an artist! So, if I write books I can call myself an author. Michael, you are a controversialist born and bred. Simply flip your OED open to the page where author is defined and save yourself the trouble of making a blog post that uses your own insecurities to put other people down. By definition, someone is a professional when they are being paid money to provide a product or service. And by definition, once someone has written a story, poem, play, or other work, they are the author of that work. Writer — Someone who writes stuff. Author — A writer that creates a finished work.

Professional Author — An author that makes a living off of finished works. The person that wrote it is the author of the work. A Professional Author simply gets paid for his work, i. Mike, the entire article in this post should be amended. I guess they laugh instead each time they receive a 5 digit royalty check from Amazon every month. Your objection seems to be centered on the fact that some indie authors write crap. Well if that is the problem look to the major houses too, they have filled bookstores with crap since before I was born and judging by your photo I am old enough to be your dad.

In fact entire houses like Harlequin are devoted to vomiting up crap. Worry about your own life,not what others do. Ok so lets look to all those get rich quick, and self help authors who have gone through publishing houses. Last week, I had lunch with a traditionally published author who is under contract with Penguin. She is looking for a full-time job because she cannot make any money off of her books. Or worse, Virginia Woolf because she self-published. So, by your definition Snookie is a real author and Hugh Howey is not because you stated one must make a living off of their work, but clarified that Indie or Self-published writers should never call themselves authors, while those who are traditionally published may.

I find your argument flawed. I suppose a self-published writer who makes a living from their self-published works would just make the world implode from illogic, then? Or at least as much of a living as any author can, since many people have pointed out that authors who make enough to quit their dayjobs are few and far between.

How about the cases of those who have self-published their works and then those very same works were picked up by a traditional publishing house? Were they not authors before they were signed by a big name? It would be far more productive to discuss how we can all do better in a rapidly changing industry than to quibble over definitions and decide who can and cannot be members of the club.

You sir, are an idiot. Go get a life. As somebody who writes books and sells them to readers on line I will call myself whatever my customers would call me. And believe it or not, what they call me is an Author. In fact as a customer, I loathe stupid titles that just obfuscate what it is a person really does. A housewife is not a domestic engineer, not if she wants anyone else to know what the heck she does.

Why are independent musicians and film makers and visual artists never denigrated in this manner? But that is rapidly changing, and this article is an example of that kind of vanity-press thinking gasping its death throes. You got your fifteen minutes of fame. What about the Oxford comma? The ability to make a living does not equal the primary source of revenue. Maybe not until the third book of his deal — or even worse. This whole paragraph is crap: Intent informs the designations; Auntie Jane who takes pics of the baby is not a photographer, but if Auntie Jane starts to study angles and lighting, and tries to make of the photo something more than just a picture of a baby, she has become a photographer.

Someone who comments on blog posts and writes letters to the editor is not a writer, of course, but as soon as that fellow or gal decides to make an effort to learn how to construct a sentence and write a complete piece that has cohesion and meaning to a reader, they are — ta da and voila! If they decide to put it in book format, they are an author. Finding a publishing house to take you on as part of the definition… really?

So for all the years that Jane Austen toiled to write her books before finding a publisher, she was not an author? Yes, the definitions are frustratingly vague, but this is human endeavor, not calculus. Why do we need a distinction? Who benefits from these distinctions? The readers, who get a vast verity of books to choose from for a reasonable cost? The writers, who get to pursue their dreams or a few nervous, old school throwbacks, who desperately want things to remain the same in order to keep their fragile egos intact? The publishers who see authors reclaiming their rights to go Indie and earn more in a month than what they got twice a year from their publishers, and Indie authors who refuse with a laugh their crappy contracts.

This just reads as all the sour grapes and knee jerk reaction you can find in many desperate comments around trying to keep alive a dying publishing business model that have no more legs to stand on. I have backers from eight different countries. This article reads like it was written by some jaded writer who has never produced anything of note, and probably never will. Wow, do you think self-published writers are not of sufficient quality?

Maybe there are lots of typos and grammatical errors in their work, right? Like in this article? I agree with all of the many people who disagree, and for this reason: I know and have known many people who have written really great works. I know poets and songwriters and novelists, all of whom keep their stuff in boxes and folders and no one gets to read them but their friends.

I love how easy it is to self-publish nowadays, and I think that everyone who takes the time to write a novel and publish it be proud to call him or herself an author! By your standard, John Keats should not have been allowed to consider himself a poet during his lifetime, since his only publication was a limited run that sold copies. It does imply that. It only implies that you have written a book. If you do not make a living from your writing, you are a writer. So my point still stands. There you go, trying to pawn the blame to the readers again. You indie writers really make me laugh.

You guys always try and shift the blame to the readers. The Readers will determine a good book, the readers will determine good editing, the readers will make the cream rise to the top. Stop trying to make the readers do all of your work. So here we go again, you are clearly unable to find a fault with my core points and start bullying me. So until that point, for every trad published book 10, indie books will be submitted, 9, will suck,. So if i call you a hack, that is what you are?

Sounds like you are devoid of personality and a soul and let other people define you. Sounds like a blank template to me and as such, your opinion is irrelevant. I thought Snookie had a ghost writer? Her book sold because the vast majority of America liked her TV show and she is famous. The only reason people know about him is because of his non-stop promotion, i thought the Silo books were actually terrible! I would say, its more like a lifetime of fame, whereas you Gin, should be sold as bio-fuel.

Michael, those are not Indie writers. You put everything and everyone in one basket. Then yes, the slush pile exists and everyone can write words in a week, let grandma read once and click the publish button. That because the slush pile is today self-publishing itself, every single Indie Author is de facto part of the slush pile? Besides, it is delusional to think that just because something is printed by a publisher it is of good quality.

It is not at all weird that Indie writers those who do write well have better ratings in Amazon than traditional published authors. They opened the gates so that everyone can publish, even kids can do that, sure, but believing that everything that comes out from a publishing house is de facto better is as delusional as saying that Indie writers cannot call themselves Authors. Some do, i was looking at many sites that sell indie titles and its all 0 downloads 0 sales.

I think indie writers just have a super high opinion of themselves because they think what Hugh Howey and Mark Coker say is true. No, you are a writer, seriously, stop with the all high-and-mighty act. If you derive your primary income from writing, you are a professional author. The only thing we did as a company was put out a few buyers guides a few years ago and promptly forgot about them.

There is not 1, successful self-published authors. The only reason you hear about him is because he sleeps ontop of his soapbox. By your definition, being able to make a living with your writing, there are many traditionally published authors that would not be considered an author. Not every author that signs with the Big Boys gets an advance. They got a break. Much harder, because you have to prove yourself more than a traditionally published author. However, being indie is more rewarding.

The author loved it. Being indie, you have the final say on everything. You also take the most risk. Most of traditionally published authors cannot live only off their books, just as most Indies. As a matter of fact, an Indie writer has more chance to live off his writing alone than a mid-list traditionally published author. Ah, but some just need to look at the 4 figures of their monthly Amazon royalty. And keep in mind the warehouse full of returned, unsold traditionally published books. Again, it is common to both Indies and authors with contracts with a publishing house.

I wondered how Michael Kozlowski would handle detractors. Look out Guy Kawasaki — here comes Michael Kozlowski! There are many indie authors that have been discovered by readers that otherwise would not have. Traditional publishers thought they knew what readers wanted. So yes, anyone should be able to publish and try to reach their dream. And yes, no one should decide what constitutes a good book or a bad book, except for the reader… and that will vary by reader.

What one reader loves, another might not. But it should be their decision on what they want to read. My question would be, why do you think that you or anyone else has the right to decide who can and cannot be an author? You are right in that there are a lot of bad indie books out there, but I also think there are a lot of bad trad books out there… some of which are indie publishers that got picked up by trad publishers because readers loved the books.

Everyone has a dream and I am glad there are places like Amazon and Smashwords that make it possible to make that dream a reality. Why do you need this line in the sand so badly? But the energy needed to either ignite the human body or to dehydrate it first for later ignition seems to be a net loss. Or were you suggesting some type of electro-chemical reaction — perhaps bombarding the bodies of your enemies a growing horde, btw with Official Author Protean judgement Waves?

The writing, and sentence structure, was absolute rubbish. Just stand up and be proud. The ones really damaging the reputation of self-published books are self-publishers themselves — not Michael Kozlowski. Who, by the way, if you could read through the veil of tears, makes some valid points. Yes, there are some great authors out there who self-publish, or bounce back and forth between traditional and self-publishing.

The very hard work of getting it right. And they understand publishing. They understand marketing and editing and advertising and how the industry works. They know their own strengths and weaknesses. They know when to delegate, when to make a stand and when to give in. Unfortunately, far too many self-published books that I see as a reviewer and editor, I see a lot of them simply would never ever be published by anyone BUT the author.

The biggest shame, though, is that with a little more effort, so many of these books could have worked. Many of them have great ideas, compelling characters, clever plotting. They could hav e been much better books.

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You decide to self-publish your masterpiece, go for it. But make it the best damn book it can be. And yet Snooki is getting all the credit as the author. How she got the sales or the contract are moot points. She got them, and according to your definition, she is an author and Hugh Howey is not. The reason people know about him is because he writes books they like. And there are more than documented indie authors earning a living or better with their books. I am currently working on writing my third novel. Call me what you like but in the meantime check out my latest book, Take Me Home and decide for yourself.

I am a avid reader and have been for most of my 64 years. I am NOT an author, Indie or otherwise. I read fiction for pleasure. Is there any other reason? Also have found many not so good works from both. So, feel free to ignore the opinion of a mere reader, and I will continue to read what I want without your approval, and I suspect many other readers will do the same. Thanks for taking the time to make such a polite and well punctuated reply. I had no idea my original argument was so cogent but if you have to get personal then it appears you have no answer to logic. I have a friend who is a keen cyclist, by your logic, because he is an amateur athlete he must call himself an velocopedist until somebody sponsors or pays him.

It just seems a bit… weird. The Signora had no business to do it at all. Oh, it is a shame! The first vacant room in the front—" "You must have it," said Miss Bartlett, part of whose travelling expenses were paid by Lucy's mother—a piece of generosity to which she made many a tactful allusion. You must have it. Your mother would never forgive me, Lucy. They were tired, and under the guise of unselfishness they wrangled. Some of their neighbours interchanged glances, and one of them—one of the ill-bred people whom one does meet abroad—leant forward over the table and actually intruded into their argument.

Generally at a pension people looked them over for a day or two before speaking, and often did not find out that they would "do" till they had gone. She knew that the intruder was ill-bred, even before she glanced at him. He was an old man, of heavy build, with a fair, shaven face and large eyes. There was something childish in those eyes, though it was not the childishness of senility. What exactly it was Miss Bartlett did not stop to consider, for her glance passed on to his clothes.

These did not attract her. He was probably trying to become acquainted with them before they got into the swim. So she assumed a dazed expression when he spoke to her, and then said: How delightful a view is! He has a view too. Miss Bartlett, in reply, opened her mouth as little as possible, and said: Her cousin again repressed her. Lucy, too, was perplexed; but she saw that they were in for what is known as "quite a scene," and she had an odd feeling that whenever these ill-bred tourists spoke the contest widened and deepened till it dealt, not with rooms and views, but with—well, with something quite different, whose existence she had not realized before.

Now the old man attacked Miss Bartlett almost violently: Why should she not change? What possible objection had she? They would clear out in half an hour. Miss Bartlett, though skilled in the delicacies of conversation, was powerless in the presence of brutality. It was impossible to snub any one so gross. Her face reddened with displeasure. She looked around as much as to say, "Are you all like this? Lucy mumbled that those seemed very odd people opposite.

This pension is a failure. Tomorrow we will make a change. The curtains at the end of the room parted, and revealed a clergyman, stout but attractive, who hurried forward to take his place at the table, cheerfully apologizing for his lateness. Lucy, who had not yet acquired decency, at once rose to her feet, exclaiming: Oh, how perfectly lovely! Oh, Charlotte, we must stop now, however bad the rooms are. I expect that you have forgotten us: Peter's that very cold Easter. But he came forward pleasantly enough and accepted the chair into which he was beckoned by Lucy. Summer Street, too, makes it so specially funny.

Beebe is—' " "Quite right," said the clergyman. I am lucky to be appointed to such a charming neighbourhood. The name of our house is Windy Corner. Beebe eat his dinner. He asked the girl whether she knew Florence well, and was informed at some length that she had never been there before.

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It is delightful to advise a new-comer, and he was first in the field. Beebe, you are wrong. The first fine afternoon your ladies must go to Prato. People told them what to see, when to see it, how to stop the electric trams, how to get rid of the beggars, how much to give for a vellum blotter, how much the place would grow upon them. The Pension Bertolini had decided, almost enthusiastically, that they would do. Whichever way they looked, kind ladies smiled and shouted at them.

And above all rose the voice of the clever lady, crying: They must go to Prato. That place is too sweetly squalid for words. I love it; I revel in shaking off the trammels of respectability, as you know. Obviously he and his father did not do. Lucy, in the midst of her success, found time to wish they did. It gave her no extra pleasure that any one should be left in the cold; and when she rose to go, she turned back and gave the two outsiders a nervous little bow. The father did not see it; the son acknowledged it, not by another bow, but by raising his eyebrows and smiling; he seemed to be smiling across something.

She hastened after her cousin, who had already disappeared through the curtains—curtains which smote one in the face, and seemed heavy with more than cloth. I stretched it over a year period with each chapter ending on the day he returned to explain why and where he went.

A year and a half and , words later, The Wronged Sons was complete. I assumed that with more than 20 years as a journalist behind me, writing for national magazines and newspapers, I might have had a slight advantage over other new writers on the hunt for an agent. How naive I was. Each had an individual criteria; some required an introductory letter only, others a brief synopsis, some needed the first three chapters and occasionally the whole novel.

After two weeks and a well-trodden path to my local post office counter, I sat and waited. The first few rejection letters trickled through the letterbox within seven days. More came within a fortnight and by the end of the month, my hope of becoming the next publishing success story deflated like the slow puncture of a tyre. Over the next four months, the rest of the rebuffs appeared in dribs and drabs.

Even as a thick-skinned journalist, it was hard not to feel a little rejected. The novel sat in a folder on my laptop for the best part of six months before I decided to self-publish.