Publishers Comments – Page 25 – Rosepoint Publishing

Do We Really Need AI?

I need a new computer.

One that understands me.

One that anticipates what I’m trying to do–and executes it properly the FIRST time.

One that doesn’t flip out every time I breathe hard or brush the wrong key.

One that will STOP fighting what I am trying to do and LETS me do it!

One that doesn’t auto-correct the slang, euphemisms, or abbreviations with words I’ve never heard of.

One that doesn’t have to have the same passage or photo re-entered and saved six times to stay where I put it.

One that doesn’t take a sudden left turn and leave a large block of content unsaved.

And,

One that uses my searches to FIND what I actually want within 15 minutes.

So have I been beating my head against the wall trying to market fiction books in a remotely held genre for years when a little research would have told me quickly and quietly where the trend lies? (Hint: It’s obviously not historical sea or western adventures.) The focus might better shift to romance (the blue line in the Google Trends chart) with a stronger showing for mystery. Most of us love a good cozy mystery. It appears, however, that it is the young adults who are driving the fantasy genre.

Google Trends also shows that Sci-Fi’s are down, which is difficult to imagine given the popularity of J. K. Rowlings and is currently viewed in #4 position according to Thomas Stewart. Of course, he also places fantasy at #4 as well with such books as “Harry Potter.” Holding strong in his #3 position is the Bible and religious or inspirational books. Number 2 would be the mystery category and where does that leave Romance? Number 1–perhaps no secret to most.

Google Trends Chart — Romance, Mystery, and Young Adult

Horror stories are static, but a surprise was the uptrend for the young adult category. So is interest in tablets (the rising star in electronics for young adults), kindles, and cell phones also fueling an interest in..(Gasp!)..reading?

Continue reading “Young Adults Are Into Fantasy”

Amazon Prime Day – July 12th

Member of Amazon Prime? Billed as “Amazon’s Largest Event Ever,” Amazon Prime is preparing for July 12th, their monster sale to attract new prime membership. While my Amazon thoughts always focus on books, particularly for Kindle, there are actually over 100,000 items set to go on “Black Friday” level sales. This one-day only global sale will include everything from books to BBQ’s. This is their second annual Prime Day event where worldwide members “ordered 398 items per second,” last year beating out their own Black Friday sales. Deals will start every five minutes through the day.

Of course, there is a special deal for Kindle Unlimited, which is a $10 monthly subscription service, for up to 40% off. This doesn’t just include books, but ebooks and audiobooks as well. So are we jazzed or what?? Just when I was thinking of offering a sale of Stanley McShane books, they are promoting a monster sale. And yes, these specials extend to the UK, Spain, Japan, Italy, Germany, France, Canada, Belgium, and Austria. Love it!

So what could go wrong? Continue reading “Amazon Prime Day – July 12th”

Royalty Free Images? Beat Getty Images!

Embed from Getty Images

Pictures! I’ve touched on the subject before when I posted regarding Flickr and Creative Commons some time ago. The photo on the left above was embedded from Getty Images, and although Creative Commons has a wealth of public domain or free images to tap, Getty Images is getting my attention because of the ease with which their royalty free images can be embedded to your blog. Of course, with any site that offers royalty free images, there are details in the small print, which should not be over-looked for copyright details. Most simply want simple attribution. I chose that doggy picture because it reminded me so much of my own little puppy (now ten years old). In the meantime, I’ve found numerous free image sites. Most want sign-ups or subscriptions at the least.

So whom have I been playing with lately? These are my top six go to sites for Royalty Free pictures: Continue reading “Royalty Free Images? Beat Getty Images!”

The “Artistic Crime of the Century”

America has benefited by some of the most creative and innovative engineers, scientists, and builders on the planet, conceiving modern marvels such as the Golden Gate Bridge, Hoover Dam, Mt. Rushmore, bridges, tunnels, transcontinental railroads, skyscrapers, and, of course, the World Trade Center. It was in 1974 when 24 year old Frenchman Philippe Petit made it his “le coup” to illegally walk on a high wire across the top of the twin towers a total of eight times, the “artistic crime of the century.”

Then the tallest structures in the world, the twin towers stood at just over 1,360′. According to Wikipedia, it was among a complex of seven buildings. The twin towers opened in 1973 and were known as 1WTC and 2WTC.

Petit walked at the 1,350 ft. level at the 110th storey. There was a 200′ gap between

philippe_petit — Philippe Petit: Credit AP

the buildings. The feat is celebrated in a film released in 2015 called “The Walk,” and there is no way to appreciate just how high that really is until you see the picture of the walk with Lower Manhattan buildings well below. Better known is the terrorist destruction of the twin towers on two-eleven.

So Much For Bugs Bunny!

It would probably come as no surprise to you to learn that studies have shown consumers spend more time with digital media than they do all forms of media–and that would include television viewing. Even back in 2012 studies by Global Web Index found that of approximately 10 hours a day spent in various media, it was digital media that edged out over 50% of attention. TV consumption down to 23%? No more Saturday morning cartoons? No more Bugs Bunny pulling Saturday morning babysitting duty?

As anyone who is more than 55 knows, if you can’t get a cell phone to work, hand it to a 5 year old.

phonefamily Continue reading “So Much For Bugs Bunny!”

Freaky Friday Features

It’s Freaky Friday and granted I have missed a few. We are still in a state of transition and things can get pretty crazy around here. Just to remind myself that there is still a sense of humor in the world out there, I’ll present you with two funny pictures today. Maybe just my sense of humor, but both are pretty funny though I can’t imagine how that horse got himself(?) into that situation. (Trying for the break to freedom no doubt! The pastures are always greener….or there was a really pretty little filly just over yonder hill.) Yes, I’d imagine the cow was photoshopped, but how great is that? It’s Friday–relax and have a chuckle on me. And them. horse

Resource Box

I Love Beta Readers!

This article says it all–and quite succinctly. I’ve greatly enjoyed being a beta reader. And I have no problem volunteering for new authors willing to share their manuscripts. I hope that I’ve contributed to their work, and helped them along to completion and publication. The two-way street here is that it always teaches me something as well. Read on!

Joynell Schultz, Author

I mean it so much, that I’m going to be redundant: I love beta readers!

Wow. My three beta readers have completely IMPRESSED me!

I write so people find enjoyment in what I’ve written. I write to share ideas and thoughts with others. I write because it’s fun. Well, it is fun, until I find myself in an endless sea of a single task. Here is how my novel has gone so far.

I’m so frustrated with my OUTLINE. I wish I could just figure out the climax.
I have so much more to do on my FIRST DRAFT, when will I be finished?
REVISING is so tedious. How did I write this piece of crap anyway?
Who truly knows how to EDIT? Grammar? I must have slept through that class.
But BETA READERS? I LOVE THEM! I LOVE THIS PROCESS!!!! I’M IN NO HURRY TO FINISH THIS STEP (for once). BETA READERS…

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