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Thank you. You are a real friend.
I don't have a killer spirit nor am I competitive ...so it is really hard for me to get out there and sell myself to sell the Book. I have ordered a few copies from the publisher to ask the local book store to sell. It is going to be really hard to ask but I know that they so take local authors work at times. Like you, I am not a wealthy person so I cannot spend heaps on advertising and sadly my family have no interest in my writing...but I wish both of us lots of luck and hey at least we have a go. plus we are good writers.!!
posted by
Kabu
on April 25, 2014 at 7:42 PM
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Okay, Kabu, here goes nothing . . . 
My first book, "The Hindering," was self-published. Initially I tried the 'legitimate publisher route,' sending cover letter after cover letter, chapter sample after chapter sample, and all I ended up with was a huge stack of rejection letters. I finally bit the bullet and published it myself. Fortunately, the company I used ( Outskirts Press ) was very good. I was also fortunate to have a wife who is an accomplished graphic artist, and she helped to design and create the cover ( for which she got a credit inside on the copywrite page ). The company had many tools at my disposal to help advertise the book, but each one was costlier than the next, and simply publishing the book was expensive enough! So, I did what I could on my own. I found someone to do a review ( for a nominal fee, of course ) and their review ended up accompanying my book on the Amazon and Barnes & Nobel websites. It was also listed in a few 'trade' magazines, but only for a brief time. I also wrote a review myself to be featured in some local newspapers. And of course having a huge family spread throughout the country helped immensely ( nothing like word-of-mouth ). The book sold fairly well in the beginning, but has since cooled off.
My second book, "Welcome To America - Society In Decline," turned into a nightmare! This one was actually picked up by a publisher, but they asked for a "starting fee" to get the ball rolling, something I should not have given them! The editing turned into an unbelievably mind-numbing experience, they chose not to use the cover art my wife and I had worked on, and although they promised all sorts of publicity for my book ( magazine reviews, radio ads, etc. ) none of that came to pass! In the end, the book flopped terribly, the company is now on the verge of bankruptcy, my initial investment is gone with the wind, and I kick myself everyday for being, well, for lack of a better word, a sucker!
I actually have a third book all ready to be published, which is a collection of 12 short stories, that I also tried to get published through conventional means. And once again, all I ended up with was a stack of rejection letters. One day I guess I'll have to self-publish this one as well, but right now, I simply can't afford it!
If your book is being published by a reputable publisher, then they should be doing all they can to advertise it! Remember, they need to make money too, and the book won't sell unless they help get the word out! If you're self-publishing, then whatever POD publisher you're using should at least have 'the tools' to help with the advertising as well, although it will cost you a few more bucks! But, as they say, it usually takes money to make money!
In any event, I hope you can do all you can to advertise your book and get the word out. Nothing you do will hurt! I hope that basically answers your question(s).
Best of luck, and have a great weekend! 
posted by
JimmyA
on April 18, 2014 at 12:52 PM
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LOL...No No No...i don't want to ask about Kindle. Trying to explain it all to me would be a waste of time anyway.
I was just wondering if you self publish or have a publisher and if so, how much do they assist you with getting to a wide range of readers. I think that I am much better at sitting and writing than I am at selling myself..selling a book. It seems that everyone wants to charge me huge money for getting reviews or for advertising so that it is really a hobby for the wealthy. How can aperson who is basically reclusive get a book known?
posted by
Kabu
on April 18, 2014 at 10:50 AM
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Re: jimmy
Isn't it so much easier, jean? And I don't believe that using they or their disrespects anybody or excludes anybody! In fact, if anything, they're actually inclusive of everybody! Isn't that better . . . ? 
posted by
JimmyA
on April 18, 2014 at 5:04 AM
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Fire away, Kabu. But I'll warn you ahead of time; if it has anything to do with Kindle, I can't help you! Other than that, you're free to ask me anything you'd like . . .
posted by
JimmyA
on April 18, 2014 at 5:01 AM
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jimmy
i am with you i like them and their and they.
posted by
jeansaw
on April 17, 2014 at 5:29 PM
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thanks for that and I am still trying to get the Kindle edition up. I think I have trouble following directions.
can I ask you a question?
posted by
Kabu
on April 17, 2014 at 1:51 PM
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As with almost any type of 'artist,' Kabu, I don't think anyone is completely pleased with everything they do. It's just a quirk of ours. As for poetry, I'm sure that, because of the way some of them are constructed and the 'style' some poets like to use, there would be green squiggly lines under almost every line! However, believe it or not, I'm really not all that into poetry, either writing it or reading it! I know some people swear by it and love it, and that's fine. But of all the writing genres out there, it's just not my cup of tea. Best of luck with Tom Ugly . . .
posted by
JimmyA
on April 17, 2014 at 1:46 PM
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LOL...I agree with that too... and see what happens to the green squggly lines when you write poetry!! Tom Ugly is back on Amamzon today...I will never be happy with it But...
posted by
Kabu
on April 17, 2014 at 12:47 PM
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Re: Their isn't exactly grammactically correct
Yeah, I can see that, jeff. But what I've always wanted to know was, who actually decides what is 'grammatically correct,' and what is not? And, what is it actually based on? According to my dashboard dictionary, 'usage one' of their says "On the use of their to mean 'his or her.' " I believe how one uses it in an actual sentence is their discrepancy ( not his or her discrepancy ). See how easily it works . . . ?
posted by
JimmyA
on April 17, 2014 at 6:38 AM
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Thanks, Bill. I'm assuming you concur. Once in a while, writing 'he or she' may make some sense, depending on the particulars of the subject matter and the paragraph you're constructing. But I believe that, a good majority of the time, they and their would suffice . . . 
posted by
JimmyA
on April 17, 2014 at 6:32 AM
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I had a feeling, C C T, that someone might bring up the possibility of 'single parents' based on that one sentence example. But hey, even in this day and age of gay parents, I believe that they and their still covers everybody! I also don't believe that substituting they for 'his or her' can be construed as disrespectful or non-inclusive to anyone! And in all my years of school, I don't recall having any teacher that I would have considered sexy! Well, maybe one, but she was a bit of a bitch, so she doesn't count . . .
posted by
JimmyA
on April 17, 2014 at 6:30 AM
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I do too, TAPS. I must admit, even as a writer, my spelling is atrocious! And, I'm dyslexic! When I'm done writing a paragraph, and I look up to see all those incorrectly spelled words underlined in red, I thank the writing gods for spellcheck! But grammar? There are some rules and regulations that of course we should, and must, follow. Otherwise, like you, I write what sounds best to me . . .
posted by
JimmyA
on April 17, 2014 at 6:23 AM
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You're probably right, Kabu. Sometimes I write that particular way because, as you've said, it makes the sentence cleaner and easier to read, while simultaneously using less words. But it also sounds much better too! My spell and grammar check works by underlining words in red that are spelled incorrectly, and underlines other things in green that may be 'grammatically inaccurate.' But it seems that at least 99% of those things underlined in green I end up ignoring completely because the change they're telling me to make makes no sense to me. So I don't! I'm sticking to my guns on this one . . .
posted by
JimmyA
on April 17, 2014 at 6:19 AM
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Re: Jimmy
I understand completely, Naut, and was also aware of these 'natural changes' in language. However, as far as I ( and probably many others ) are concerned, many of these changes seem to come from limited sources, and I sometimes don't understand what compels people to simply tilt their heads to one side with a blank stare and immediately acquiesce. I've seen entire paragraphs in newspapers and magazines where 'he or she' was used several times, and by the fourth or fifth time, it became so annoying that I began to lose complete interest in the article itself! Like I wrote, this is one 'change' that I have, and will continue to, ignore entirely . . . 
posted by
JimmyA
on April 17, 2014 at 6:14 AM
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Thanks for the concurrence, FSI. I believe that this is one of those standards that has nothing to do with political correctness, sexism or even grammar. People tend to make things sound more important than they really are, and they end up using more words than necessary to describe something. I will always stick with they and their as well . . .
posted by
JimmyA
on April 17, 2014 at 6:06 AM
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Their isn't exactly grammactically correct
but it is less ackward than his or her. We need a word to represent his or her just like spouse can be husband or wife
posted by
jollyjeff
on April 16, 2014 at 2:31 PM
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☃It says it Jimmy. Lol. BC-A, Bill’s R®st
posted by
BC-A
on April 16, 2014 at 1:56 PM
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Jimmy what about if the child only had one parent sex unknown could the gift be for
him-her.
I learned to spik like I do from a little book called learn yourself good English.
One of the secrets was never to forget the nominative of a sentence.
Having left school at 14 we barely understood the elementary rules of grammar
and the sexy little teachers who taught us had their eyes on Got any gum chum.
Yanks.
posted by
C_C_T
on April 16, 2014 at 11:42 AM
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Mostly I write what sounds good to me. I've had schooling on reading and writing, so other than spelling I pretty much trust myself. I do use spellcheck.
posted by
TAPS.
on April 16, 2014 at 11:08 AM
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While editing Tom Ugly this Summer, my spell check and grammar tool kept nagging me to stop having such wordy sentences. Consequently, poor old Tom is bare bones but it does make for any easy read. I could not be bothered with all that he /she stuff I am with you completely on that. And i would take no notice of such advice. The way YOU wrote those sentences was so much cleaner is the word that comes to mind. The other way is sort of like the hoarders that I was writing about.
posted by
Kabu
on April 16, 2014 at 9:29 AM
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Jimmy
To begin with, I must point out that language has never been and in fact cannot be static, but is an ever-changing, protean beast. It’s a very, very complicated topic, and one that I am tempted to address in a series, since it’s a matter in which I have had a professional interest.
In the past, these changes occurred mostly ‘naturally’, at the level of colloquial speech. Now, however, ‘correct language’ is often being imposed ‘from above’, as it were, and I think that’s what is annoying to many.
Currently the ‘approved’ trend is actually to de-androgenize language, to remove gender references altogether, at least from public discourse, as well as making it as non-emotive as possible (hence also the frequent use of acronyms)…
posted by
Nautikos
on April 16, 2014 at 8:10 AM
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I find he or she to overused and mostly unnecessary as well. Generally, I either use one, they and their.
posted by
FormerStudentIntern
on April 16, 2014 at 8:08 AM
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