tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1411894864312049426.post8001305730321568451..comments2024-03-27T08:18:53.376-07:00Comments on JustJoshin Publishing, Inc.: When Worlds CollideJosh Lanyonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11944091956589831656noreply@blogger.comBlogger73125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1411894864312049426.post-89633102404642541352014-09-14T14:00:31.913-07:002014-09-14T14:00:31.913-07:00So YOU'RE the other one!So YOU'RE the other one!Josh Lanyonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11944091956589831656noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1411894864312049426.post-29789272703049938452014-09-14T13:58:02.601-07:002014-09-14T13:58:02.601-07:00Yes. It is a delicate balance all the time. Done p...Yes. It is a delicate balance all the time. Done properly, it is the appearance of intimacy while never letting your guard down too far. It is sharing enough of the real you without sharing too much. That is not easy. <br /><br />And the writer personality, the writer temperament does need solitude. And a lot of it. I am social in bursts. I like people, I enjoy spending time with friends and family -- and I can go days without speaking. Or I could if I didn't live with someone who does require speech and interaction on a regular basis. :-D<br /><br />The other thing is, I know as a reader, I get curious now and then, but I really don't want to know too much about the writers I like because I don't want to start thinking of the writer when I am reading the stories. It messes up my suspension of disbelief. Big time.Josh Lanyonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11944091956589831656noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1411894864312049426.post-5041332957737484812014-09-14T13:50:33.233-07:002014-09-14T13:50:33.233-07:00I think where it becomes difficult is in bulk. It&...I think where it becomes difficult is in bulk. It's not the individual reader -- speaking for myself, I have had very few negative experiences with individual readers (and very many delightful ones) -- but it is the pressure to be everywhere responding to everyone. THAT is difficult. Not least because the idea is that everywhere you (the author or artist) go you will be providing fresh and original content. <br /><br />Who is that person? It's not me. Even if I had a couple of extra hours in every day, I don't have that much to say. I mean, I work in my house by myself. :-D I like my life, but I would be the first to admit it's not the stuff of gripping narrative.<br /><br />In fact one thing I regret is that the more "popular" you become, the harder it is to find time to just chat with a few individual readers. There are more people you'd love to chat with -- and less and less time to chat. Josh Lanyonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11944091956589831656noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1411894864312049426.post-75673889503191735682014-09-14T13:31:17.503-07:002014-09-14T13:31:17.503-07:00It seems the dilemma here is the same as Hollywood...It seems the dilemma here is the same as Hollywood stars who must live through the fans asking for autographs and paparazzi stalking. Because of the web, now we can stalk our own favourite authors whereas before you could maybe try and find them through their publishers with any luck. <br />Now, if you want your book to sell, you have to sell yourself too with blogs and pictures to keep your readers' attention span from going to other more visible authors. It sucks to be a writer if you're not sociable in this day and age. I've written authors because I just loved their books and it's like touching John Lennon's sleeve as he walks by on his way to buy a bottle of milk. That the author responds is so flattering and creates such a gleeful reaction on my part is just great because I feel privileged they've answered me! But I do feel like I'm touching John Lennnon's sleeve: an unwanted physical attention I force upon someone who just wants to be left alone to buy his bottle of milk. I'm afraid I'm bothering them, stealing a moment just for myself. And it appears that that feeling is true sometimes.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1411894864312049426.post-15063251706079306832014-09-13T20:20:25.804-07:002014-09-13T20:20:25.804-07:00I love The PDF versions of everything! :)I love The PDF versions of everything! :)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1411894864312049426.post-54471015376308541212014-09-11T04:22:11.263-07:002014-09-11T04:22:11.263-07:00Two thoughts – the whole point of using social med...Two thoughts – the whole point of using social media for PR is to break down the wall between vendor and customer, expert and neophyte. I cringed when the CEO of the heritage organisation I worked for took to tweeting (well actually, he had a minion do it, because it would be a cold day in hell when he touched pleb-world with his own fair hands)…but it worked. Footfall at sites that had been featured…shared (just with you)…went up. The clever trick is the personalisation of what’s essentially an ad. It’s now ubiquitous and inescapable. Even CVs and LinkedIn profiles involve (gulp) lap-dancing. (Do you want me…do you really want me…?)<br />The unanticipated knock-on is what happens when the walls are gone. The public do not stand politely waiting to be invited over the vanished boundaries. You have an audience 24/7, and they want what they want…which may not be what you want them to take from the experience. And because the name of the game is sharing, they’ll be in touch…about any damn thing. And this is where the internet&social media make me nervous – they’re means of contact at one remove. You never look into a face, hear a voice, or even see handwriting; you don’t know the person you contact, but the whole exchange will be conducted as though you’re intimates, and it will often happen in real time. Eeek. Instant response is *dangerous*. . <br />With all that in mind, I do think it’s up to the blogger to be the grown-up. It’s a bit like running a B&B… strangers in and out of your home, you hope they’ll be nice and behave well, but you have to be prepared for the odd lout. And being prepared means keeping your cool whether you’re having a crap day or not. Everyone remembers Basil Fawlty. Nobody wants to revisit Fawlty Towers.<br /><br />HB<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1411894864312049426.post-22516835181950692642014-09-08T18:26:55.831-07:002014-09-08T18:26:55.831-07:00I'm happy to say I don't count comments or...I'm happy to say I don't count comments or followers. In fact, I am going to have to do a purge of my FB "friends" in a couple of months because I'm about to hit that friend limit. And given that fact that probably half the people who friended me never interact with me, I doubt very much we shall miss (or even notice) when we part company. :-D <br /><br />But I do keep track of website hits and I do notice that my numbers (which average about 2500 page loads and 1500 unique visits a week right now) drop significantly when I am not out and about on social media. <br /><br />As in my numbers are about half of where they were a couple of months ago when I was out promoting Stranger on the Shore. <br /><br />And my sales drop too. Now granted I haven't had a new book out in months, so that's the main reason for the drop. But it's not the only reason, I fear.<br /><br />Josh Lanyonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11944091956589831656noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1411894864312049426.post-13250803886054652282014-09-08T18:19:42.873-07:002014-09-08T18:19:42.873-07:00Okay! Good to know the PDFs are still important to...Okay! Good to know the PDFs are still important to some readers. I did wonder if I needed to bother with those.<br /><br />I think part of the problem for authors in social media is mostly we live in our heads. Writing is not exactly an action-packed job or life style, and I don't really know that many fascinating authors. Myself included. So we run out of stuff to talk about and then end up boring everyone (ourselves included) with pictures of our lunches, our pets, our surgery scars, etc. OR the good old standby nekkid menz. Ugh. <br /><br />I try to stick to talking about what I find interesting from writers I admire -- and that basically is writing, publishing, the stories themselves. I'm glad most of my readers seem happy to talk about those things with me. <br /><br />The notion of sharing genuine interests is what made social media popular in the first place.Josh Lanyonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11944091956589831656noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1411894864312049426.post-20447458526866428792014-09-08T18:10:20.139-07:002014-09-08T18:10:20.139-07:00I have dealt with a LOT of readers over the years,...I have dealt with a LOT of readers over the years, and it's pretty rare that I ever feel someone has crossed a line. <br /><br />Which is not to say that I can keep up with everything readers might wish from me -- even if I shared all those assorted wishes. <br /><br />I think readers find the new dynamic as confusing as authors do -- as you say yourself. It's new to all of us.<br /><br />If we are all going to be online and interacting 24/7 then there will be some missteps. I think good manners and patience can provide a safety net for all of us.Josh Lanyonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11944091956589831656noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1411894864312049426.post-39256839306401346632014-09-08T17:52:58.294-07:002014-09-08T17:52:58.294-07:00I only discovered social media mb 2 years ago, s... I only discovered social media mb 2 years ago, so I am probably one of those offenders finding the authors and one singer that touched my life, yup wanting to connect to share the enthusiasm/joy over the works. Its also a way to interact and communicate. <br /> Im sure I have said things wrong many times. Mostly I try to praise but there are things that come out not as I intended. or perhaps come out to heavy? flattery? idk , I mean what I say tho. I guess I could stand back and claim its the isolation and the miscommunication of the aphasia left from an assault, but that may not be true. <br /> If I offend. I hope others will be honest, not brutal, but if that is in their nature, its ok. I'll be honest and admit, I have no clue if this "contacting" authors etc is a good or bad thing to do. In my enthusiasm I just searched for ways to share. I twitter to laugh and forget the days away,I read to think and be in another world . Those that succeed I tend to seek more of ,forgiveness to you all! <br /> I do think every person is entitled to an off day, frazzled,stressed etc, I tend to forgive insult altho I am often to dense to register the insults as well HAH. <br /> I discovered shortly when first starting twitter, that such media is a double edge sword, I was blasted for not being " gay enough, not being straight or bi "enough" for having to many females friended etc. Tbh i had been just trying to laugh with others and joking or flirting around for shits and giggles was awesome. SO if a nobody like me can be railroaded to social siberia, I cant imagine how insane it must get for anyone with a creative niche or a professional name. <br /> hah i tend to get sidetracked just saying Id tend to cut the author a break, we all make mistakes and as old adage goes, walk a mile in their moccasins before we judge. <br /> Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05258317094436808430noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1411894864312049426.post-52300216867590569492014-09-08T10:29:30.296-07:002014-09-08T10:29:30.296-07:00First off, Thanks for making TBwTPT available as a...First off, Thanks for making TBwTPT available as a PDF on Samshwords...that will work until I can order the PB.<br /> As for your comment " And yet the current trend is for the artist to share as much of themselves as possible in as many channels as they can manage."...I do feel sorry for artists in that this is what our society seems to have become, sharing every event of each minute of your life in as many mediums as possible. I value my privacy, I am still not on Facebook, or any of the other social sites.<br />But as an artist, you have to reach your fans and stay on radar in order to survive in the business...which most of the time means putting on a happy face when you don't feel like it and being civil even when responding to idiots..... I don't envy you....but you are always gracious and handle everything with class.<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1411894864312049426.post-13641976655020966302014-09-07T15:46:52.446-07:002014-09-07T15:46:52.446-07:00First I stopped turning on the TV every day becaus...First I stopped turning on the TV every day because I couldn't seem to just let it into my life a little bit. I had become CNN's bitch, and the crawl at the bottom of the screen was my crack. Now I'm trying out not to be on FB every day. Checking it constantly became a habit, so I deleted the app from my phone and that helped a lot. I've come to realize that I could miss 95% of what I read on FB and not have missed a thing. And I'm sure others would say the same about my posts. But I'm not an author and I'm sure there is tremendous pressure to stay relevant on social media and market your work at the same time you're trying to write the next book. Especially if writers are self-published. Courting new followers and counting Likes and Comments is the worst of high school in some ways, but I guess a necessary part of publishing these days. And Twitter? FB on coke. It makes me feel so old and slow.Nikki Hardinhttp://www.fridaville.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1411894864312049426.post-8557621024336185652014-09-06T15:13:38.256-07:002014-09-06T15:13:38.256-07:00Better yet, the bouillabaisse recipe looks amazing...Better yet, the bouillabaisse recipe looks amazing, we won't even mention the promise of a visit to Cloak and Dagger. (Big, gigantic grin)Mr. Pinkertonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06478532556298940501noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1411894864312049426.post-19724796674962184042014-09-06T14:25:44.821-07:002014-09-06T14:25:44.821-07:00When social media brings on the smiles (rather tha...When social media brings on the smiles (rather than the smirks), it's definitely worth my time. This exchange just made my day. : )Karenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05811351474495837208noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1411894864312049426.post-66446705694320689612014-09-06T11:48:25.011-07:002014-09-06T11:48:25.011-07:00You're always welcome to barge in here. You...You're always welcome to barge in here. You've always got something interesting to add to the conversation.Josh Lanyonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11944091956589831656noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1411894864312049426.post-22576509540988953212014-09-06T11:21:07.169-07:002014-09-06T11:21:07.169-07:00Hey Susinok, long time no see. Sorry to barge in h...Hey Susinok, long time no see. Sorry to barge in here but<br /><br />"I'm still trying to figure out how to turn off 75% of my Facebook feed with all the depressing stories and shares. Most by my friends. I've started to un-follow. I may need to continue, even if they are family."<br /><br />Yes, I agree. I wonder if it's the difference in how people socialize. Like, when I'm online, I like to pretend that I'm at a party and so I try to keep the conversation interesting and entertaining because I'm viewing the conversation to be the entertainment onhand. But you know there are always those people at the party who are either staring morosely into the fireplace (or at the cat) or who are just looking to lock some victim in a deep, depressing (or violently heated) conversation. <br /><br />I think the same dynamic occurs online. <br /><br />I mean, I have a lot of friends (and family members) who I love but would think twice about taking to any party just for the sake of the other people present.<br /><br />Nikkihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06982344156620230323noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1411894864312049426.post-4496190021523601982014-09-06T11:02:31.665-07:002014-09-06T11:02:31.665-07:00I know, right? Mine too. Seriously.I know, right? Mine too. Seriously.Nikkihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06982344156620230323noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1411894864312049426.post-39501013672833766912014-09-06T07:52:55.863-07:002014-09-06T07:52:55.863-07:00My mouth is now watering for that hash. :-)My mouth is now watering for that hash. :-)Josh Lanyonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11944091956589831656noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1411894864312049426.post-26873159353761789432014-09-06T07:51:13.119-07:002014-09-06T07:51:13.119-07:00I think one of the most shattering revelations of ...I think one of the most shattering revelations of my young adulthood was the realization that a lot of writers are not very smart. Josh Lanyonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11944091956589831656noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1411894864312049426.post-34008696269293622212014-09-06T07:50:17.436-07:002014-09-06T07:50:17.436-07:00I was nodding as I read this Carey. And I had an e...I was nodding as I read this Carey. And I had an epiphany. It isn't just writers who fail to view themselves as professionals, as people running a business. It's also readers who fail to realize that a writer is just another small business owner. Another working person, a professional trying to earn a living in a competitive world -- just like themselves.<br /><br />Because writing is an art, and because there is a perception that writing must be a super fun job (only with a much higher tax rate), it's probably easy for both sides to forget to set boundaries. Or to respect boundaries. <br /><br />And I think the way we fix that is writers setting up realistic parameters. It's partly about the logistics -- there are only so many hours in a day -- but it's also about protecting your creative energy. Writing requires extreme focus and concentration, and that means turning off the outside world when you're supposed to be working. <br /><br />And it means the outside world needs to respect the GONE FISHING sign. ;-) Josh Lanyonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11944091956589831656noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1411894864312049426.post-70833732959036657582014-09-06T07:32:06.544-07:002014-09-06T07:32:06.544-07:00Because social media is still in its infancy, I th...Because social media is still in its infancy, I think we are all going to look back years from now bemused at our efforts to be everywhere at once interacting on all platforms. <br /><br />I know I have abandoned almost everything except for this blog, my Goodreads group, my Facebook pages and email.<br /><br />I use Twitter just for announcements, groups just for announcements. Once in a while I enjoy Pinterest. That's about it. I have started to cut back on guest posts, guest blogs, guest anything. <br /><br />I could use Goodreads for promo more -- there is a huge m/m group there that I belong to in theory, but haven't looked at in years. My only activity on GR is my own little group, where I love to talk books, writing, whatever with my reader friends. To me, <i>that's</i> when social media really works.<br /><br />Same deal with my FB pages. I pop in every morning, chat with friends -- I look at it like stopping to say hello to my neighbors on my way to the office. It makes for a better morning -- in fact, I look forward to that morning ritual.<br /><br />Josh Lanyonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11944091956589831656noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1411894864312049426.post-9377171245006607092014-09-06T07:22:31.098-07:002014-09-06T07:22:31.098-07:00You're my hero....now get back to writing, I n...You're my hero....now get back to writing, I need to go make hash....I think my mom knows your mom.Mr. Pinkertonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06478532556298940501noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1411894864312049426.post-510147366677306262014-09-06T07:16:50.774-07:002014-09-06T07:16:50.774-07:00Mine too! :-)
Yes, everything is an evil day job...Mine too! :-) <br /><br />Yes, everything is an evil day job once it becomes something you must do every day to survive. ;-) Josh Lanyonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11944091956589831656noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1411894864312049426.post-1835594503789837492014-09-06T07:16:00.064-07:002014-09-06T07:16:00.064-07:00Ha!
1 - Any order you like. But if you like to r...Ha! <br /><br />1 - Any order you like. But if you like to read series books in order, check out the side bar on the books page on my website.<br /><br />http://www.joshlanyon.com/the_works.html<br /><br />2 - Yes.<br /><br />3 - I recommend hash the way my mother made. Canned corned beef chopped into boiled potatoes with eggs and butter and pepper and salt. <br /><br />Whaddya mean you don't know my mother?! <br /><br />4 - http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/BOUILLABAISSE-238411<br /><br />5 - Yes<br /><br />6 - No. In fact, that could very well happen someday. Josh Lanyonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11944091956589831656noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1411894864312049426.post-4022524204623942942014-09-05T22:28:43.265-07:002014-09-05T22:28:43.265-07:00"And rightly so. I mean, how the hell hard is..."And rightly so. I mean, how the hell hard is it to hire someone to answer your email and FB posts if you can't keep up? Pull yourself together, sweetcheeks. Shut up and hire a personal assistant to pretend to be you."<br /><br />Some people can't extend their creativity into the realm of business solutions, apparently.Nikkihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06982344156620230323noreply@blogger.com