Do You Agree, Or Disagree? (#9) TOPIC: Is the Fight for Gender Equality in Literature Causing More Segregation?

This campaign #ReadWomen2014, which aims to bring gender equality to the literary world is a really lovely idea. And I'm all for supporting it. But I can't help thinking that ... singling women out is just going to cause more segregation. If we really want to support gender equality, shouldn't we be aiming to read books from an equal amount of men as women?

What do you think? Do you think the fight for gender equality in literature is addressed in the right way?

EASY TWEET:

Is the Fight 4 #GenderEquality in Literature Causing More Segregation? #ReadWomen2014 #Authors #amreading #GenderBias http://goo.gl/LyfU1D

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Do You Agree, Or Disagree? (#8) Topic: Self-Published Authors aren't worthy of the "Author" title now?

What a load of blubbering bosherkoolitafeckery bollocks.

I am usually very calm and 'professional' on this blog. I force myself to see both sides of an argument, for argument's sake.

But today, I bring you my full-fledged disgust at this article:

Self-Publishers Should Not Be Called Authors

This is a joke, right? My gosh. Please, go read it, then come back.

Let's discuss.

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Do You Agree, or Disagree? (#7) Topic: Goodreads needs a major makeover.

Note: Sorry this post is a bit longer than I had intended, but it's a sensitive topic and a decent explanation is in order to avoid any misunderstandings.

I like Goodreads. I like that I can run giveaways for my books without any hassle. I like the exposure I get from running giveaways, too. But that is pretty much the only thing I do like about Goodreads.

For authors, Goodreads can be a scary place. It's like stepping into the playground at recess knowing you're going to be beaten up for simply being that kid.

I have been ignoring the bullying. There is not much I can do about it. The only way to keep my sanity is to ignore. And I am a strong advocate of free speech. If a person dislikes a book, I don't think they should have to censor their opinions. I may not agree with the way certain reviewers express their opinions, but I certainly agree that they have the RIGHT to.

But this post is about more than that.

This post is about something I choose not to ignore.

Yesterday, I noticed that there are a few reviewers who have multiple accounts in different names. And I've noticed, on one of my books, that the same negative review is posted more than once. They are identical to each other.

Let me reiterate. The review itself is fine. It's not nice. But I don't (and shouldn't expect to) have a say in what is said. What is completely unacceptable is the fact that the reviewer is clearly trying to get the rating of my book down by posting it more than once under different names. That is not nice. And I do expect to have a say in THAT.

But what are my choices? A flag button. Goodreads staff may or may not respond to my flag. Something may or may not be done about this. Flagging doesn't mean anything until a staff member acts on it. Most of the time, they don't.

So, I am going to say it loud and clear:

I DO NOT AGREE WITH HOW GOODREADS IS RUN.

Do you? If Goodreads were to get a major makeover, how would you improve it without enforcing censorship?

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DO YOU AGREE OR DISAGREE? (#6) Topic: Comma rules are ridiculous.

Please don't get me wrong, I am not naive. I have been an editor of English Language Teaching materials for ten years. I know my grammar and punctuation.

But I HATE the comma. DESPISE the comma.

The comma causes so many p,r,o,b,l,e,m,s. <<<< [link = Sex Pistols song]

Because there are too many "rules".

Before I tell you how I think the comma should be used, I would like you to see a brief list of comma rules according to The Chicago Manual of Style:

• Commas with “not” phrases
• Comma following main clause
• Comma in index entries
• Comma between digits
• Comma with city plus state
• Comma preceding a quotation
• Comma preceding main clause
• Commas relative to parentheses and brackets
• Commas with question marks or exclamation points
• Commas with quotations
• Commas with introductory adverbial phrases
• Commas with questions
• Commas with addresses and place-names in text
• Commas with “that is,” “namely,” “for example ...
• Commas with “etc.” and “et al.”
• Commas to indicate elision
• Commas in pairs
• Commas with “oh” and “ah”
• Commas with independent clauses joined by conjunctions
• Commas with compound predicates
• Commas with dates
• Commas with “not . . . but,” “not only . . . but ...
• Commas between homonyms
• Commas with “the more,” “the less,” and so on

Um ... there are probably more, but I'm tired ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

So what say you? New universal rule for commas?

"When a pause (or clause separation) is necessary, insert a comma."

Viola. P,r,o,b,l,e,m,s solved.

What do you think?

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DO YOU AGREE, OR DISAGREE? (#5) TOPIC: Are reader-voted writing contests merely popularity contests?

Over the past year or so, I have noticed a trend in reader-voted writing contests online. In the past, I would have FLOCKED to enter such a thing. Nowadays, I hate to say, I totally ignore them.

Why?

Because with the amazingly supportive writer community we are all a part of, I don't think it's about the writing anymore. At all. It's all about how many friends you have. And all it takes is an email (or tweet, of Facebook post), saying, "DUDE! I'm in this contest! Can you please vote for me?" And of course, we go vote. I have done it. More times than I can count. Because I love and ADORE my writer buddies. I want them to have success. I want their contest entry to win. We all do. So we go vote. And we do so willingly.

There's nothing wrong with having lots of friends to help push us toward success. There is nothing wrong with it at all. But are reader-voted writing contests really about the writing anymore, or are they merely popularity contests?

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DO YOU AGREE, OR DISAGREE? (#4) [Topic: Do Self-Published Book Awards = Bollocks?]

I'm going to ask you something today that might be a bit controversial. BUT. It's been on my mind lately, so here goes ... *bracing myself*

The way I see it, being an "award winning author," as an indie, just tells me that that particular author was able to afford to enter the award. I can't afford to enter any major book awards because they are just so darn expensive. I don't have any major book award credits to my name. Does that mean my work isn't worthy, or that I'm just financially unable to buy my worth?

So I guess my main question for you today is:
Does "award-winning" actually mean anything anymore?

Note: I am not dissing those who have received awards. I have received an award for my poetry, too, and I am quite proud of it. And so should you be. I am purposely being tantalizing for the purpose of this debate. But the question does remain. And personally, I am in two minds. What's your point of view?

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DO YOU AGREE, OR DISAGREE? (#03) [TOPIC: Review Blogs Turning Down Indie Books]

The other day on Facebook, author Roz Morris, wrote how a review blog turned down her novel because it was self-published. But little did they know that this self-published book was written and published by an author who has ghost written about a dozen bestselling books. Millions of readers have enjoyed her books, and as she states on her blog "that’s no exaggeration because average sales were 500,000 copies each."

She is also an extraordinary editor and book doctor.

Did the people behind this review blog even LOOK at who they were turning down? I guess not. I guess they saw "self-published" and turned up their noses.

Huh. Pretty disgusting if you ask me.

Source

So my statement for you today is as follows:

There are still traditional publishers and professionals who continue to feel threatened by the ever-expanding and improving quality of indie books, and as a result, they are cutting their noses off to spite their faces. The indie movement is here and it's not going anywhere. There is no turning back. It's about time everyone jumped on the bandwagon and started looking at authors individually, rather than by the process in which they decide to publish their books.

Do you agree, or disagree?

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Do You Agree, Or Disagree? (#02) [TOPIC: Fake Amazon Reviews]

If you missed my post last Monday, I should repeat that this is going to become a regular thing on my blog this year: Do You Agree, Or Disagree? Due to our ever increasing poor concentration spans (What?! This post is more than 140 characters? How ever will I cope?) I've decided to post, on occasion, a short and sweet statement designed to get you thinking and responding with your thoughts. See that's kind of a trick, isn't it? Because you will probably end up using your brain a lot more on these posts than if you were simply reading an article. But that's cool. I'm all in for tricks.

If you're a lazy reader, just skip to this part of the post. Hopefully this large bold red text will attract your attention:

Buying book reviews isn't new. Publishers have been paying professionals to review their books for decades. So what's all the fuss about THIS new site which offers indie authors an opportunity to boost their sales with quick Amazon reviews? And how is it any different than having family and friends review your books, when clearly they are going to be biased? It's dog eat dog out there. And if a dog has money to pay for hundreds of fake reviews, and as a result, sell a shit load of books, why not let him spend it?

Do you agree or disagree? Why?

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this statement are not my own. The statement is worded in a particular way to spark debate.

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Do You Agree, Or Disagree? (#01) [TOPIC: Social Media = 15 mins of fame]

Happy New Year all!

Today I'm going to keep it short and sweet. I need to wean myself back into the regular posting groove. I've written one sentence and my fingers are complaining that they're experiencing muscle pain, and my brain is crying "What? This isn't Facebook or Twitter? Damn!"

Nah ... kidding. :-)

Before I get to my "point of the day," can I just quickly say that the WRITING IN A NUTSHELL All-In-One book is now out on Kindle!!! Paperback coming soon. Whoop! More info HERE.

Okay, now to the point I want to make today. This is going to become a regular thing on my blog this year: Do You Agree, Or Disagree? Due to our ever increasing poor concentration spans (What?! This post is more than 140 characters? How ever will I cope?) I've decided to post, on occasion, a short and sweet statement designed to get you thinking and responding with your thoughts. See that's kind of a trick, isn't it? Because you will probably end up using your brain a lot more on these posts than if you were simply reading an article. But that's cool. I'm all in for tricks.

If you're a lazy reader, just skip to this part of the post. Hopefully this large bold red text will attract your attention:

Being a popular face on social media is like being that piece of clothing someone thought they couldn't live without, until one day it got pushed to the rear of their cupboard, outta sight, and they didn't realize it was missing until they found it by accident one day.

Do you agree or disagree with this analogy? Why?

Have a great week, folks!

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