How Many Here Soon Plan to Write/Publish a Book on Amazon? What Topic Have You Chosen?

[GammaGlobulin]

Dearest Friends,

 

I must admit that people who write and self-publish their books on Amazon intrigue me. For example, what kind of SUPER ego (not super-ego) does one require to believe that what one writes is worth the reading by others?

 

Considering my special case, I would not self-publish on Amazon to garner fame or fortune. Instead, I would write a book and publish it on Amazon solely to satisfy my curiosity concerning the type of individual who would pay to download what I had written. I would be asking, “Who ARE these people, ANYWAY!?”

 

And then, too, I would probably need to decide on a main Topic for a book before writing it. And yet, I am not so sure that deciding on a Topic before commencing my writing would be absolutely necessary. Sometimes I just begin writing something with only the first sentence in mind, and this strategy often works well for me.

 

What I would really like to do is to write a 400-page book similar to the novel, ‘Fanny Hill: Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure’. Cleland, his writing style and his humor, has always represented, at least for me, the epitome of the highest caliber of what is possible in fiction writing. He wrote about pleasure and phallic size without vulgarity, not a mean feat by any means.

 

So, Yeah, any book I write must be one that is both not vulgar and also about pleasure.  And further, I would like to set my fictional account in Japan (c.1910), after having read Spring Snow, Mishima’s first book in his tetralogy; I speak of the one with the cherry blossoms in the snow, and wooden bridges with young women carrying parasols as they cross these bridges to meet their young men, mostly with pleasure on the brain.

 

There is NOTHING more beautiful than cherry blossoms in the snow.

 

I am not sure how many days might be required to finish my book. But when finished, I could upload it to Amazon almost immediately. And there would be no need for me to send out many typed manuscripts to publishing houses in NYC, only to get turned down, most likely, by about 50 percent of them.

 

Just having up to about five or six potential readers purchase my book for download on Amazon could be really exciting, honestly.

 

I have plenty of time on my hands, as my friends have told me. I have lots of canned goods laid up in my larder, and there is always Grab if I run out.  I would not need to leave my house, even, for the next year or so, until I reached the end of my story.  I am feeling very optimistic about this, in fact. I even have a contract with a reliable local company providing me unlimited ozonated drinking water.

 

Well, enough about MY near-term self-publishing plans. What I really want to know more about is YOUR plans for uploading your next book to Amazon, and what your Topic might be.

 

And, what of your target audience?  Will you write a children’s book, for example? Or, will you write for a more general audience?  We now live in times where writing a book is so much easier than it used to be. No need for a typewriter. And, the same goes for handwritten foolscap!

 

Please do not tell me that you have not seriously considered publishing on Amazon during recent years, because I know that you have.

 

I know there are good and capable writers on this forum because I know that I know good writing when I see it. And, even for any rotten writers, speaking of which I am sure there are none on this forum, writing a 400-page book to be published on Amazon is totally advisable, if only from a good-health-promoting perspective. I also know there are some elderly farang here, and writing with the goal of publishing on Amazon may both improve their writing skills as well as the Syntactic Complexity of their paragraphs which, in turn, can preserve better cognitive function. And try to maintain optimum, stable serum glucose levels through consumption of protein rather than sugary treats and beverages. This, also, will improve the quality of your written word.

 

I guess you think I might be pulling your leg a bit, but I am not.

 

Originally, I wasn’t sure whether I should post this OP on the Chiang Mai Forum or the TV Community Pub Forum. Although, if it were permissible, which it is NOT, I would prefer to post it on BOTH forums if I could. But I won’t do THAT, of course! I will just choose the Pub, as usual, where I always feel more welcomed by the milk of human kindness, I guess.

 

So then…

 

What are your writing plans?

When do you plan to publish?

What’s your preferred writing topic?

How many readers do you anticipate might download your book?

Do you hope to make money off your book?

Or, will you write just for the love of seeing your own words in print?

 

Best of luck to you all, and Chok-Di!

 

Of course, my nom de plume, Gamma Globulin, is taken. Please leave this name for my exclusive use on Amazon, if you will. And, thank you.

 

Regards,

Gamma

 

PLEASE NOTE:  I believe that I might be convinced to download your self-published book from Amazon if you would be willing to reciprocate by paying for and downloading mine.

 

A Word of Caution:  I would suggest that you never resort to enlisting the help of some AI in your writing. To do so would only alienate your readers and almost assuredly damage your reputation irreparably.  Don’t even consider the AI option, please. 

 

A Final Word of Advice:  Definitely DO write with as much irony as you can muster. Everybody appreciates a bit of irony, these days.

 

 

 

[GammaGlobulin]

Having mentioned in the OP my love, since early boyhood, of Fanny Hill, allow me to post the Gutenberg HTML link to this book which was not originally for sale in the UK, having been banned for no reason at all. 

 

When I first read this book in the year 1964, Fanny Hill had been banned in the US, as well.

 

"The seizure of copies of Fanny Hill was authorised in 1964 by a London magistrate, and an injunction to block sales of the book was granted in New York in the same year. It was also the subject of a Supreme Court judgment in 1966."  (Irishnews.com, 16 January, 2019 12:25)

 

Speaking as to how I, a wee lad of 13, obtained a copy of this book in 1964, a time before the Great Internet, I have forgotten now.

 

Suffice to say that it proved easier for me to buy a gallon of Fuming Nitric Acid when I was aged 14 than to buy an unabridged copy of Fanny Hill when I was not yet a full 13-years of age.

 

I can only say that I was delighted with both purchases and read Fanny Hill, cover to cover, twice, more probably thrice, before the first month was out.

 

During the too-many years since my first reading of Fanny Hill, I have never once lost my love of Cleland’s 1748 writing style.

 

You who have yet to read Fanny Hill may ask concerning the beauty of Cleland’s work and style.

 

Please refer to this Gutenberg link to the original text of Cleland’s novel, published in 1949, (London), and such magnificence between the covers you will rarely read:

 

https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/25305/pg25305-images.html (You may download your Kindle version at this linked page, as well: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/25305 )

 

Let me first give you a taste to whet your appetite:

 

“Phœbe, herself, the hackneyed, thorough-bred Phœbe, to whom all modes and devices of pleasure were known and familiar, found, it seems, in this exercise her those arbitrary tastes, for which there is no accounting. Not that she hated men, or did not even prefer them to her own sex; but when she met with such occasions as this was, a satiety of enjoyments in the common road, perhaps, too a great secret bias, inclined her to make the most of pleasure, wherever she could find it, without distinction of sexes. In this view, now well assured that she had, by her touches, sufficiently inflamed me for her purpose, she rolled down the bed clothes gently, and I saw myself stretched naked, my shift being turned up to my neck, whilst I had no power or sense to oppose it.”

 

For me as a prepubescent boy, this was steamy stuff, and also had the effect of improving my reading comprehension ability to the point where I was reading beyond my years other books, as well, such as my second favorite book Lolita. 

 

These days, the books Fanny Hill and Lolita are still banned in some parts of the world, and for no reason.

 

I now wish to write a book even better than Fanny Hill this year, and publish my work on Amazon, hopefully before I lose my steam.

 

Please enjoy the linked book, if you will.

 

 

 

[GammaGlobulin]

Speaking of the book, Lolita, which I just mentioned in a previous comment, I believe that it was totally acceptable for me to be reading such a book.

 

Why?

 

Because, at the time of my first reading of Lolita, I was actually about the same age as Lolita, and therefore cannot be criticized for reading such a book.

 

I have, however, chosen to NOT post a link to the Lolita book here.

For one, I realize that this book remains controversial, with good reason.

Secondly, this book is not offered on Project Gutenberg.

Third, this book is just poorly written by some Russian who could not write one-tenth as well as my Russian hero, Dostoevsky.

 

I don't even recommend anyone reading the book, Lolita, unless one might be more of the persuasion that I was of, when I was 13, and most inquisitive about the title of the book, and unless one is also about the same age as Lolita, who seemed to be a child having skinny arms, vulgar language, and unladylike behavior, the type of girl very foreign to me at that time.

 

Yet, the book is still interesting if you enjoy word play and satire.

So, maybe it's still good.

 

 

[ArnieP]

Interesting topic. Pity the OP felt the need to start by insulting writers or would-be writers in suggesting there are ego issues for doing it.

 

I published a book on Amazon 4 years ago in both digital (Kindle) and hard copy formats. It’s non-fiction and is in English. Sales are minimal, just a couple a month, but they’ve been and continue to be made worldwide. I’ve had sales in USA, UK, Japan, Italy, Germany, Ireland and I just had a sale in Brazil.

 

I went the self-publishing route because it can be done with ease. No sending manuscripts to agents or publishers who’ll put them on the slush pile.

 

IMO it’s well worth putting a book out on Amazon.

 

 

[GammaGlobulin]

1 minute ago, ArnieP said:

Interesting topic. Pity the OP felt the need to start by insulting writers or would-be writers in suggesting there are ego issues for doing it.

 

I published a book on Amazon 4 years ago in both digital (Kindle) and hard copy formats. It’s non-fiction and is in English. Sales are minimal, just a couple a month, but they’ve been and continue to be made worldwide. I’ve had sales in USA, UK, Japan, Italy, Germany, Ireland and I just had a sale in Brazil.

 

I went the self-publishing route because it can be done with ease. No sending manuscripts to agents or publishers who’ll put them on the slush pile.

 

IMO it’s well worth putting a book out on Amazon.

 

 

Thank you for your input.

 

I had thought that this topic might not be so interesting, in fact, even though this self-publishing on Amazon option is very interesting to me.

Amazon gives anyone a voice, and one can publish immediately.

In addition, one can self-promote and market one's book as much as one wishes.

I agree that publishing on Amazon is not done for the money, in most cases, nor should this be the case.

 

By the way, I apologize if my poor attempt at humor might have been construed as being insulting to anyone, something I NEVER intend, no matter my many failed attempts I make, honestly.

 

I am interested to know that you have published on Amazon.

I would like to read the stories of others who may have done the same.

 

Have you ever considered adding your book to Project Gutenberg?

I have seen many authors do this, although I am not sure what PG's policy might be concerning this.

 

 

[Eff1n2ret]

I have four works published on Amazon (and Smashwords, which distributes to such as Barnes & Noble, Kobo and others). My nom de plume is Lionel Pettrick .

 

I started writing just 5.1/2 years ago when at New Year neighbours gave me a handsome PTT desk diary, with a host of blank pages. It seemed a shame to waste it, and I wondered if I could fill it with something, so I started writing. I filled the diary and then some with 30,000 words of allsorts, part diary, part reminiscences, rants and other stuff. 

 

At the end of it I thought, blimey, I can write, so I wondered if I could come up with something more substantial. This led to a couple of novels, and more recently a short story, all of a historical bent. It's not out of ego that I published them, just the hope that someone would  read and enjoy them. Only if you have massive followings on such as Facebook and Twitter should you harbour the illusion that you will sell more than a few. (I don't subscribe to either). Since the beginning of this year I have been selling a couple every month, all Kindle downloads, and I'm quite happy with that. Compared to some stuff I've read, I think mine isn't bad.

 

I'm grateful to Amazon for enabling someone like me to be able to publish a book, because I doubt I would have much of a chance with conventional publishers. Early this year I wrote a movie script, but I now doubt it will ever see the light of day, the film industry seems to be a closed shop, and I guess that book publishing is much the same. I could turn my last short story, "The Modeller" into a movie, but I don't see the point now.

[Sqoop]

I wrote three books in the IT space. Never made any real money doing it. I arranged contracts first then each book took a year. The second was modestly successful  the other two sank like stones. Its good for making contacts though. 

[sirineou]

7 minutes ago, ArnieP said:

Interesting topic. Pity the OP felt the need to start by insulting writers or would-be writers in suggesting there are ego issues for doing it.

Not all but you you got to admit that some do. Others do for a paycheck.

I often thought of writing a book , heck I read enough of them , I should be able to write one right?And with Chat GPT, I don't even need a 6th grade education,

I have a kindle unlimited account you would not believe the crap it contains and every one of them has a four and a half star rating, How is that possible? 

I don't want to say but I have my suspicions   

Then Amazon has the nerve to have a search option where you search by ratings and the top search rating is four stars and up. I have never seen a book in some genre with less than 4.5 stars.

Other than kindle unlimited I would never buy a book except  from authors I am well familiar with.  With kindle Unlimited  I just read a few chapters and if it is "crap" ( which more often than not it is) I return it, But I would had been pissed if I had paid good money for it.

And That does a disservice to serious writers such as you.

 

[jaywalker2]

I published a book of fiction a couple of years ago. I didn't promote it in any way, so I was surprised when a little money dribbled into my bank account.

 

If you want sales though, you need to market it -- blogs, youtube videos, Instagram, and learn how to game the google search results. Otherwise nobody will ever hear of it. There are over a million and a half self-published ebooks released on Amazon every year.

[GammaGlobulin]

Apparently, judging by unanticipated initial positive-feedback, I have, somehow, finally written an interesting and decent Topic, something I had hitherto imagined might be beyond my reach, until today.

 

The MOTIVATION for posting this Topic, one of them at least, is to encourage those around my age to write their first book, and publish it on Amazon.

 

We have already, in a previous Topic, spoken about ways to stay cognitively fit. Some of you have told me that you do crossword puzzles, which are of value, no doubt.

 

However, it is my view that there are few endeavors more difficult and rewarding than writing a book of any length, over 300 pages, or even over 150 pages. And, when we consider ways to remain mentally agile, a book of many chapters takes the cake.

 

Additionally, I happen to know that there are many here of a ripe old age who have wisdom and knowledge worthy of sharing with others. I am, sadly, not really a true member of this group since I have no stories to tell, and because I have yet to adequately perfect my writing skills. But as I stated in the OP, even a rotten writer should still make the attempt, if one has the time and the required degree of perseverance and resilience to pull it off.

 

Personally, I very much enjoy reading travel accounts written by old guys who had the opportunity to do some traveling in Asia before Asia was taken over by backpackers, meaning the 1950s and early 1960s. This is just my personal reading preference, while making no value judgment about this particular period in Asian travel history.

 

You might mistakenly believe that you have no story to tell, and this is most often untrue; I think.

 

I would urge those of my age to begin writing if you have time on your hands. This might be a very constructive way to spend the rest of your lives.

 

Did I mention that I love Joseph Conrad’s story, meaning the story of his writing career. For one thing, English, as far as I know, was not Conrad’s first language (perhaps untrue), and that he did not write his first true novel until the age of 40…Amazing, obviously.

 

“Joseph Conrad (born Józef Teodor Konrad Korzeniowski, Polish: [ˈjuzɛf tɛˈɔdɔr ˈkɔnrat kɔʐɛˈɲɔfskʲi] (listen); 3 December 1857 – 3 August 1924) was a Polish-British novelist and short story writer.[2][note 1] He is regarded as one of the greatest writers in the English language;[5] though he did not speak English fluently until his twenties, he came to be regarded a master prose stylist who brought a non-English sensibility into English literature.” (Wikipedia)

 

Rather an amazing feat to have written what he did.  I suggest you check out the Conrad entry, for further inspiration, on Wikipedia.

 

If Conrad can begin writing his first novel at the age of 40, then why can’t you?

Certainly, there is no law against it.

 

 

Edited July 15, 2023 by GammaGlobulin

[GammaGlobulin]

57 minutes ago, Eff1n2ret said:

I have four works published on Amazon (and Smashwords, which distributes to such as Barnes & Noble, Kobo and others). My nom de plume is Lionel Pettrick .

 

I started writing just 5.1/2 years ago when at New Year neighbours gave me a handsome PTT desk diary, with a host of blank pages. It seemed a shame to waste it, and I wondered if I could fill it with something, so I started writing. I filled the diary and then some with 30,000 words of allsorts, part diary, part reminiscences, rants and other stuff. 

 

At the end of it I thought, blimey, I can write, so I wondered if I could come up with something more substantial. This led to a couple of novels, and more recently a short story, all of a historical bent. It's not out of ego that I published them, just the hope that someone would  read and enjoy them. Only if you have massive followings on such as Facebook and Twitter should you harbour the illusion that you will sell more than a few. (I don't subscribe to either). Since the beginning of this year I have been selling a couple every month, all Kindle downloads, and I'm quite happy with that. Compared to some stuff I've read, I think mine isn't bad.

 

I'm grateful to Amazon for enabling someone like me to be able to publish a book, because I doubt I would have much of a chance with conventional publishers. Early this year I wrote a movie script, but I now doubt it will ever see the light of day, the film industry seems to be a closed shop, and I guess that book publishing is much the same. I could turn my last short story, "The Modeller" into a movie, but I don't see the point now.

Defoe!

Good choice.

I have enjoyed reading your comment.

It seems that your neighbor's gift of a desk diary turned out to be the greatest of gifts you ever received.

 

 

[ArnieP]

re Project Gutenberg they don’t accept contemporary works but have a self publishing portal that does. It’s at self.projectgutenberg.com

 

Going back to my own book on Amazon. After release date it sold a handful a day for a few months then tailed off.  Thereafter it came up for a major award and that helped a bit even though it didn’t win. I tried Facebook ads for a while. They worked well to begin with but proved expensive and the fees were on a recurring monthly basis. Not good.

 

I also did promotions occasionally on Amazon Kindle, dropping the selling price over public holidays. This brought in a few more pennies. I’ve stopped doing them now though.

 

In conclusion a hugely significant thing I’ve learned is: judicious editing is essential before putting a book out. Really it would be best to employ an editor but even on somewhere like Fiverr it could prove very costly. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[GammaGlobulin]

10 minutes ago, ArnieP said:

re Project Gutenberg they don’t accept contemporary works but have a self publishing portal that does. It’s at self.projectgutenberg.com

 

Going back to my own book on Amazon. After release date it sold a handful a day for a few months then tailed off.  Thereafter it came up for a major award and that helped a bit even though it didn’t win. I tried Facebook ads for a while. They worked well to begin with but proved expensive and the fees were on a recurring monthly basis. Not good.

 

I also did promotions occasionally on Amazon Kindle, dropping the selling price over public holidays. This brought in a few more pennies. I’ve stopped doing them now though.

 

In conclusion a hugely significant thing I’ve learned is: judicious editing is essential before putting a book out. Really it would be best to employ an editor but even on somewhere like Fiverr it could prove very costly. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It seems to me that one important function of the editor is to provide a sounding board for the author.

 

[ArnieP]

16 minutes ago, GammaGlobulin said:

It seems to me that one important function of the editor is to provide a sounding board for the author.

 

You may be correct but my understanding is a professional editor ensures everything in an author’s manuscript is properly in place.

 

Perhaps I’m wrong ????

[GammaGlobulin]

18 minutes ago, ArnieP said:

You may be correct but my understanding is a professional editor ensures everything in an author’s manuscript is properly in place.

 

Perhaps I’m wrong ????

I am sure you are not wrong.

 

However, editors like the now-deceased Maxwell Perkins of Scribner's provided authors with much more than just simple editing.  And, acting as a sounding board is just one of many functions which Perkins provided.

 

"Perkins was noted for his courtesy and thoughtfulness. He also recognized skilled writing wherever he found it and encouraged writers as few editors did. That Ring Lardner has a reputation today, for example, is because Perkins saw him as more than a syndicated humorist. Perkins believed in Lardner more than the writer did, and despite the failure of several earlier collections he coaxed Lardner into letting him assemble another under the title How To Write Short Stories (1924). The book sold well and, thanks to excellent reviews, established Lardner as a literary figure." (Wikipedia)

 

 

 

 

[Lacessit]

Been there, done that. A travel book, based on my experiences in Thailand. Looking back, it was dreadfully naive.

I dealt through an on-line publisher, who charged me about $800 for a marketing campaign which was non-existent. Their proof-readers actually introduced quite a few spelling and punctuation errors.

IIRC I made about $500 in hard-copy and Amazon sales, then it disappeared. Total loss on the exercise about $1500.

I actually was in brief contact with the American IRS, who demanded I send them my passport ( not a copy ) for identification purposes. Kiss my a##e, guys. I never heard from them again.

 

My introduction to erotic and arousing literature was via a translation of "The Golden Ass" by Apuleius, which was all the rage during secondary school, going through puberty. Other influences were certain passages in the Bible, Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, D H Lawrence, Mary McCarthy, and "Konung of White Walls" by Naomi Mitchison. A far cry from the plethora of pornographic literature and video published today. The dots were much more difficult to connect back then.

 

Has anyone else noticed the vast majority of erotic/pornographic books on Amazon are authored by women?

 

I have written my autobiography, which I add to occasionally. Currently 153,000 words. I have no intention of publishing it, a legacy to my son. He may decide to publish, his decision after I am gone.

 

 

[GammaGlobulin]

1 minute ago, Lacessit said:

Been there, done that. A travel book, based on my experiences in Thailand. Looking back, it was dreadfully naive.

I dealt through an on-line publisher, who charged me about $800 for a marketing campaign which was non-existent. Their proof-readers actually introduced quite a few spelling and punctuation errors.

IIRC I made about $500 in hard-copy and Amazon sales, then it disappeared. Total loss on the exercise about $1500.

I actually was in brief contact with the American IRS, who demanded I send them my passport ( not a copy ) for identification purposes. Kiss my a##e, guys. I never heard from them again.

 

My introduction to erotic and arousing literature was via a translation of "The Golden Ass" by Apuleius, which was all the rage during secondary school, going through puberty. Other influences were certain passages in the Bible, Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, D H Lawrence, Mary McCarthy, and "Konung of White Walls" by Naomi Mitchison. A far cry from the plethora of pornographic literature and video published today. The dots were much more difficult to connect back then.

 

Has anyone else noticed the vast majority of erotic/pornographic books on Amazon are authored by women?

 

I have written my autobiography, which I add to occasionally. Currently 153,000 words. I have no intention of publishing it, a legacy to my son. He may decide to publish, his decision after I am gone.

 

 

Canterbury Tales was good for me. Was it good for you?

 

[gaucan]

1 hour ago, GammaGlobulin said:

 

Additionally, I happen to know that there are many here of a ripe old age who have wisdom and knowledge worthy of sharing with others

 

 

so typical of boomers to think that cuz they old , they have smthing interesting to tell or better knowledge than many youngsters... like this is why thailand have military boomers at gov  for last decade and next decade to come

Edited July 15, 2023 by gaucan

[GammaGlobulin]

Referring once more to the novel, Fanny Hill, of which I have already spoken, having previously linked to what was laid out between the covers, while having yet to mention the covers themselves, the cover of the original publication is not quite as interesting as the covers of the later editions.

 

But here is the RUB with Amazon self-publishing. For any budding author on Amazon, one is required to design the book cover oneself, in many cases.  And, although I believe I can write a better Fanny Hill than Cleland did, I know that I can never design a book cover half so fetching as the cover of the 1749 book published in London, nor would I be able to provide such alluring illustrations for my Fanny Hill version as was contained in many Fanny Hill following book versions in the 1800s. 

 

Here is the example of which I speak:

Unfortunately, I am unable to post (here) images of the more alluring illustrations of later editions.

 

Most people today, seeing this book cover on Amazon, might not be so tempted by this cover, not knowing what lies beneath.

 

Therefore, similarly, the production of a tempting book cover for your Amazon-published book might be costly, unless one can have it designed in places like China or India where the cost of graphics design is more reasonable.

 

Or, these days, would the recent developments in AI be a cheaper and faster solution compared to hiring some random Chinese guy?

 

 

[jaywalker2]

53 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

Been there, done that. A travel book, based on my experiences in Thailand. Looking back, it was dreadfully naive.

I dealt through an on-line publisher, who charged me about $800 for a marketing campaign which was non-existent. Their proof-readers actually introduced quite a few spelling and punctuation errors.

IIRC I made about $500 in hard-copy and Amazon sales, then it disappeared. Total loss on the exercise about $1500.

I actually was in brief contact with the American IRS, who demanded I send them my passport ( not a copy ) for identification purposes. Kiss my a##e, guys. I never heard from them again.

 

My introduction to erotic and arousing literature was via a translation of "The Golden Ass" by Apuleius, which was all the rage during secondary school, going through puberty. Other influences were certain passages in the Bible, Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, D H Lawrence, Mary McCarthy, and "Konung of White Walls" by Naomi Mitchison. A far cry from the plethora of pornographic literature and video published today. The dots were much more difficult to connect back then.

 

Has anyone else noticed the vast majority of erotic/pornographic books on Amazon are authored by women?

 

I have written my autobiography, which I add to occasionally. Currently 153,000 words. I have no intention of publishing it, a legacy to my son. He may decide to publish, his decision after I am gone.

 

 

The vast majority of Kindle books (almost 70 percent as I recall) are written by women. However, niche porn markets are supposedly a way to make money -- Bigfoot porn, Alien porn, Gangbang porn, and most of it is written by women.

[GammaGlobulin]

1 hour ago, jaywalker2 said:

The vast majority of Kindle books (almost 70 percent as I recall) are written by women. However, niche porn markets are supposedly a way to make money -- Bigfoot porn, Alien porn, Gangbang porn, and most of it is written by women.

How odd, really...

 

You see, "Fanny Hill: MEMOIRS of a WOMAN of Pleasure" was written by a man.

And now, porn, you say, is written mostly by women?

Fanny Hill is not vulgar.

Porn, such as you describe, seems vulgar.

Irony is the spice of life which is often lost on the majority of people.

 

One more observation to be made, I think:  Comparing Fanny Hill to eBook porn on Amazon, is it not safe to say that, clearly, men are the far better authors, and women the weaker sex at good writing?

 

Personally, I would not publish porn on Amazon, no matter how much you paid me.

 

 

 

[Eff1n2ret]

1 hour ago, GammaGlobulin said:

Therefore, similarly, the production of a tempting book cover for your Amazon-published book might be costly, unless one can have it designed in places like China or India where the cost of graphics design is more reasonable.

It depends how much you want to pay, but buying the rights from a photo library isn't wildly expensive. I regarded what I paid for my cover designs and the print formatting as just the cost of a hobby, what I hadn't spent in a bar or whatever. For my last effort, which was just a short story I did it myself, with the aid of a pal who likes mucking about with photoshop type apps. On an internet search I found a picture which more or less conveyed the image I wanted, and asked the company for permission to use it in return for an acknowledgement on the title page, to which they agreed.

[GammaGlobulin]

What have I learned from posting this OP on TV?

 

For one thing, I have confirmed what I already suspected.

Namely, there are quite a few great writers on TV.

If we assume that only one percent of the great writers on TV actually commented on this Topic, then we can multiply by 100, and arrive at an estimation of the true number.

 

So far, I prefer the account from the man in Wales who told us how he serendipitously found his calling as a writer, just through a kind neighbor's gift. Well, then, you don't often get luckier than that, I would say.

 

I hope to read more stories from writers who have begun their serious writing, or not-so-serious writing, in their 50s, 60s, and even 70s.

 

And let's also keep in mind that Herman Wouk still published his writing at age 101:

 

 "In 2016, the year he turned 100, Mr. Wouk published what he said was his last book: a memoir, “Sailor and Fiddler: Reflections of a 100-Year-old Author.” He said that such a project had first been suggested to him in the 1980s, but that his wife had discouraged it, saying, “You’re not that interesting a person.”", (NYT, https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/17/obituaries/herman-wouk-dead.html#:~:text=His last book was the,radio officer to the U.S.S.).

 

I am convinced that there are many among us who would enjoy reading even more stories posted here concerning how authors, especially authors who start later in life, make the decision to write.

 

Writing a book, or books, requires great motivation, effort, and stamina, and is not for the faint of heart.

 

Writing is a lonely pursuit known for its capacity to ward off loneliness, and that is its most blessed benefit.

 

I really enjoy stories about the lives and tribulations of writers.

 

The more they suffer, the better their work.

 

In fact, from my own experience, I can say that non-stop writing, for days on end, can almost drive one mad.

But when the work is finished, one experiences this great sense of...needing to start another work of fiction, all over again.

 

 

 

 

[sirineou]

33 minutes ago, GammaGlobulin said:

For one thing, I have confirmed what I already suspected.

Namely, there are quite a few great writers on TV.

Unfortunately you are not one of them, since your above statement at most indicates a logical fallacy, and a bit of confirmation bias. 

This thread may indicate the existence of some alleged or aspiring writers, but nothing I have seen of it indicates indicates the existence of "Great writers" among us. Since I have not read the whole tread and might have missed it , can you please indicate what lead you to the conclusion that confirmed your suspicion. 

  

[GammaGlobulin]

5 minutes ago, sirineou said:

Unfortunately you are not one of them, since your above statement at most indicates a logical fallacy, and a bit of confirmation bias. 

This thread may indicate the existence of some alleged or aspiring writers, but nothing I have seen of it indicates indicates the existence of "Great writers" among us. Since I have not read the whole tread and might have missed it , can you please indicate what lead you to the conclusion that confirmed your suspicion. 

  

Why, ...

It must have been nothing more than confirmation bias, now that you mention it.

 

But....

I actually DO agree with your thinking, seemingly implied here, that there are no more ""Great writers" among us".

 

I would argue that there are no more Great Writers.

I would argue that there are no more Great Composers.

Fortunately, we still have Great Chefs. For how long we will continue to have Great Chefs, is not yet known, and this might depend somewhat upon the continued proliferation of Fast-Food Joints.

 

 

Edited July 16, 2023 by GammaGlobulin

[GammaGlobulin]

Normally, when I come to these shores, I anticipate seeing what I would classify mostly as polite and light hearted banter about fun topics of interest.

 

However, just judging from the previous comment, it's possible that this discussion is about to get serious.

 

If we are about to get serious here, then I am absolutely up for that, too.

 

Serious is good.

I like serious.

 

 

 

 

Edited July 16, 2023 by GammaGlobulin

[Lacessit]

1 hour ago, GammaGlobulin said:

 

 

But when the work is finished, one experiences this great sense of...needing to start another work of fiction, all over again.

 

 

 

 

In my career, I did write many technical reports, and some papers for scientific journals. I enjoyed the bench work and field investigation, less so writing everything up.

After I had finished the report, I always felt let down. The Latin phrase "Post coitum omne animalium triste est" applied.

Perhaps that is true of any creative activity.

[Walker88]

16 hours ago, gaucan said:

so typical of boomers to think that cuz they old , they have smthing interesting to tell or better knowledge than many youngsters... like this is why thailand have military boomers at gov  for last decade and next decade to come

Yours is an amusing comment and indicative of the perceptions generations have of others.

 

Maybe some Boomers think they have gained wisdom worth sharing, but they absolutely are not of the opinion that anyone on Earth cares what they had for breakfast. THAT peccadillo is a trait of the Participation Trophy Generations, such as Millennials, GenZ and the more recent arrivals. Millennials can't even fart without posting it on some form of social media, the latest of which is TikTok, that app where those without talent post content for those without taste. They also are under the delusion that they are the first since humans left Oldavai Gorge to have certain thoughts. Ah, and my favorite: They all have 6,752 'friends' but they can't even get one to take their photo, instead they had to invent the "Selfie".

 

Personally, my own particular cut off for deciding whether one has something to say or not is if the person was born when music was still made by humans, who actually took the time to learn to play actual instruments, and who could sing without the need of Autotune. Anyone fond of such cacophony as Techno, Trance, EDM, House, or Justin Bieber, etc. does not qualify.

 

Of course inter-generational dismissal is hardly new. Perhaps Oscar Wilde put it best:

 

"I'm not young enough to know everything".

[sirineou]

53 minutes ago, GammaGlobulin said:

I actually DO agree with your thinking, seemingly implied here, that there are no more ""Great writers" among us".

 

53 minutes ago, GammaGlobulin said:

I would argue that there are no more Great Writers.

You could argue but that  would also IMO be wrong, and would depend upon the criteria that determine greatness in the field .To determine greatness I use widely used criteria rather than personal taste.  Perhaps compared to a Victor Hugo, Dostoevsky,or Solzhenitsyn, Or perhaps  Nikos Kazantzakis's Last temptation of Christ. 

But,   Salman Rushdie is by most metrics a great writer and is very much alive, his  The Satanic Verses among many others is an acknowledged masterpiece , and controversial among some circles. 

  Haruki Murakami. is one  that I ,and many others considered to be a great writer his A Wild Sheep Chase, was superb detective story  , 

These are just a couple....

 

 

Edited July 16, 2023 by sirineou

[save the frogs]

19 hours ago, jaywalker2 said:

If you want sales though, you need to market it -- blogs, youtube videos, Instagram, and learn how to game the google search results. Otherwise nobody will ever hear of it. There are over a million and a half self-published ebooks released on Amazon every year.

I was going to make the same point.

 

There was a retired guy in Thailand who is blogging about Thailand on Youtube and he promotes his books on his Youtube channel.