Reading At Big Blue Marble

Next week I'll be participating in a reading at Big Blue Marble Bookstore (Wednesday, June 9, between 7-9 pm) along with Barry Graham, Randall Brown, Curtis Smith, Scott Oliver, Drew Kalbach, Daniel Wallace, and Peter Schwartz. Barry and Peter are currently hiking/hitchhiking/roaming the east coast, and this is one of their stops. Normally I'm not one to jump at the chance to do a reading, but Barry asked me if I'd like to read and I said sure.

Now here are my thoughts on readings -- not everything a writer writes should be read aloud. I mean, a writer could read anything they wrote aloud, but some stories are best left alone on the page. I think it was T. C. Boyle who said that he doesn't do readings; he does performances. And that's the best way authors should think about readings -- not just standing up in front of people talking in a dry monotone, but actually bringing their stories and characters to life.

So I've been thinking about some good stories to read next week and have narrowed them down to a few pieces, and I'd like to get some opinions on which you think I should go with. I figure for the setting flash fiction pieces would work best. Humor is a plus, too. So far I'm thinking one or two of the following:

Of course, there are a bunch of others to choose from, so if anyone would like to suggest another story or two, please do.

Because here's the fun part ...

If all goes according to plan, my wife will be coming with me and will videotape my reading using the Qik application on my phone, so anyone can view it live on my Qik page. I'll post something on Twitter and Facebook a few minutes before it goes live. When exactly, I don't know. The reading is between 7 and 9 next Wednesday evening. And I don't expect anyone to be sitting in front of their computers waiting to see this. But if you do happen to be online around that time, and see my tweet directing you to the page, feel free to click on it. I can't imagine the video and sound quality will be stellar, but it should definitely be interesting. And fun. After all, isn't that what it's all about?

The Sweet Stench Of Rejection

Roxane Gay did a great post about etiquette and rejection over at the PANK blog. It reiterates the ongoing question of what makes a professional writer. Back when I helped edit Flesh & Blood years and years ago, I don't remember getting that many angry replies to the rejection letters we sent out, if any. Maybe it's a genre thing. Maybe genre writers are more respectful (timid?) than literary writers who, oftentimes, have their heads stuck so very far up their asses. Then again, some genre writers have their heads in the same very places too, so that can't be it either.

The last time I encountered a few rude replies (nothing near what Roxane has had to deal with) it was after sending out responses for the anthology:

Finally, months back I asked what makes a professional writer. After having sent out all rejections, I saw a wide range of professionalism and unprofessionalism. The most notable was a writer/editor who basically said that I was wrong and his stories were in fact right for the anthology. (Classy for sure.) Then there was another writer who wrote back asking what “anthology” she was being rejected from, as she did not remember ever submitting to it in the first place. (Take the extra minute and do a quick search through your own e-mail before making an ass out of yourself.) And then there were a handful of writers who wrote back thanking me for my time but then saying something along the lines that it wasn’t a big deal that their stories weren’t picked as they didn’t spend too much time on them anyway. (Really? Is that supposed to hurt my feelings or something? If anything, you’re making yourself look like an idiot for admitting you didn’t really work on your stories, so yeah, of course your stories didn’t make the cut.) And then finally there were the writers who responded with a nice note saying thanks for reading, which was completely unnecessary but appreciated nonetheless.

Nobody likes to be rejected. We don't submit our stories to magazines hoping that they will be rejected. But at the same time, we can't expect our stories to be accepted to every magazine that we submit them to, either. Sometimes our stories won't be accepted at all. That's just the way it is.

If you're one of these writers who can't deal with rejection and fire off a nasty reply to whichever editor just rejected you (and let's face it: with the speed and accessibility that the Internet grants, clicking that REPLY button can sometimes be awfully tempting), then maybe you should ask yourself whether you should really be a writer in the first place.

The Truth About Book Signings

I had something completely different planned to post for this week's Freaky Friday Fun. But just a few minutes before I did so, Kevin J. Anderson posted this great video on Facebook and I knew I just had to share it (see, Facebook does have a purpose after all). Book signings are interesting things. Unless you're super mega famous, not many people are interested. Not unless you have a healthy following of fans who will drive hours to see you for a few minutes. That must be nice. But for the rest of us?

When I initially planned on doing events for the anthology's release, it was specifically for New York and Los Angeles, and it was specifically for the contributors who could attend. Because let's be honest -- nobody wants to come see the editor of an anthology, not unless that editor also happens to be super mega famous. So that's why I'm not even going to attempt something at my local bookstore for just little old me. Maybe have a little release party at a coffee shop or something along those lines, more of a get together with family and friends, but not in a Barnes & Noble where I'm sitting by myself at a table, forcing a smile at each person that walks with their eyes adverted like I'm not even there. Don't believe me? The video below by author Parnell Hall shows the nasty and sad truth about book signings. Have a great weekend.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ZoJ5OKmEJY

The Professionalism Of Negativity

Last year I'd asked what makes a professional writer, and while there were a lot of different great responses, the consensus seemed to hinge on whether or not that particular writer acted in a professional manner. So now I want to ask what should a writer who acts in a professional manner do regarding negative reviews. You could always use Twitter as a way to blast the critic who doesn't like your work. Or there is always the classier option of simply spitting on the person who gave you the bad review. Or ... well, there are many other options to take into account, but deciding which is the best option is key.

Recently online I saw a midlist novelist whose new book just recently come out respond to a not-so-flattering Amazon review. The reviewer made a big stink about how certain parts of the book were politically motivated, and the author took it upon himself to pretty much prove that the reviewer was wrong and an idiot. Not quite the best way to win back that reader, though maybe that reader was already through with the author's work. But, because it was in public, others could see the interaction and maybe were also turned off from reading not only that author's book but all the rest.

The Internet can be a really great thing, but it can also be a scary thing. With enough digging, nothing remains hidden. If you do or say something on it, be prepared that it might get out to others. So if you act like a jackass to one person, be aware that other people will also probably witness your jackassery.

While the Hint Fiction anthology did just get this great and glowing blurb, I'm sure somewhere down the line people will have negative things to say about it. And when that happens, how should I deal with it? Keep in mind that I'm not really asking how I should deal with it -- I know bad reviews are just a way of life, that you have to take it on the chin and move on -- but just throwing it out there for everyone else to think about it.

Because obviously we don't want to be the kind of writer who makes a stink on Twitter, or spits at another person, or debases ourselves by actually defending our work to Amazon reviewers. While all those writers are published by big houses and make a good chunk of money and are considered professional, they're not really professional, are they?