The haps:

[thatrcooper]

I have a short story out in Dreamspinner's anthology that comes out, oh yeah, oops, *today*. I fail to advertise things. Idk. There's roommates with feeeeelings and kittens with stumpy tails and risotto. Just so you know. I can discuss the other stories in the anthology when I get my copy. :)

I finally got up the courage to reopen the files I was formatting to put up on Smashwords. ("My Man Godric" as a free story and another new short "Under the Bridge" as a cheap experiment in the whole self-publishing thing) only to discover that Word was a dickbag and erased all the formatting. Or hid it, I am not sure. But seeing my hard work gone made me disinclined to continue for the day. I did however, finally email Smashwords about cover artists. Because I want stuff to look as professional as possible even if these are going to be free/cheap downloads. I haven't done anything with this information yet however, because I am poor and I must choose to spend my money wisely, and also this shit is hard, yo.

I see now why only the truly determined would self-publish because I like having people make these kinds of calls for me. Dammit I just need the title on a cover. It doesn't have to be fancy!

Once that is finally, ever?, settled, I can worry about formatting again. And if that goes well, we will see how this goes. (All those people who nicely asked me for ways to download my free stories... well I am trying here. I need an assistant. Why don't I have one? Oh right.)

And hey, in better news, I STARTED WRITING SOMETHING NEW TODAY!!! Woo hoo!!! I hope it continues to inspire me.

Comments

[janedavitt.livejournal.com]

Congrats on the new release!

I thought about putting up some of my out of contract shorts but it seemed like So Much Work. Gah. Am lazy.

[r-cooper.livejournal.com]

I thought about putting up some of my out of contract shorts but it seemed like So Much Work. Gah. Am lazy.
Have you done it before? You do graphics stuff, don't you? It might be less of a pain for you.

Everyone keeps saying it's great advertizing and everything, but yeah, technical stuff is not my thing. And also yes, I could writing or reading or something instead of doing all of this. *flail*

[janedavitt.livejournal.com]

No, never done it and I don't have a clue about graphics; that's more my daughter :-)

Yeah, I'm with you; focus on the writing.

[r-cooper.livejournal.com]

We need secretaries or something for all this. *nods*

[dlasta.livejournal.com]

Congratulations! And sorry for Word being a dick.
That bastard.


Which new thing?

[r-cooper.livejournal.com]

WORD IS A DICK.

The uh... *cough* spastic awkward little wolf thing *cough*.

[dlasta.livejournal.com]

Oooo, that one.:)

You should add some Teen Wolf meta there about crime and punishment.

[r-cooper.livejournal.com]

haha

I really need to do that somewhere. Help me with my issues.

[dlasta.livejournal.com]

Maybe in this universe, some people (women?) just snap and decide they're gonna hunt 'the monsters' because they have a mission and then they spend the rest of their lives in an institution where the doctors try to find out 'what went wrong'. And it's usually daddy issues in the end.
??

[r-cooper.livejournal.com]

That sounds like an actual plot. You know I can't do those. Tsk. :P

[dlasta.livejournal.com]

Liar.:)

[r-cooper.livejournal.com]

I really can't! You've read my stuff! No plotting! Just thinky and porn!

[dlasta.livejournal.com]

DUDE, *such* a liar.
:)

[r-cooper.livejournal.com]

I think the fact that it (kinda) has a plot is the reason I have no interest in writing this current thing.

[dlasta.livejournal.com]

Should you write it if you don't want to?

[r-cooper.livejournal.com]

It's like...parts of it interest me... but mostly....no.

But I have to do *something* or I'll go nuts. I don't have anything else.

[dlasta.livejournal.com]

Poll people for ideas?

You need something to do but it should absolutely be something you can get passionate about. Otherwise it's just lots of frustrating work.

[r-cooper.livejournal.com]

I hate with original fiction how I have to write all this crap to get to the parts I want. Yeah, I know, those moments add to what makes those others parts so good and interesting, but BLAH. BLAH.

Whining. It's good and good for you.

[dlasta.livejournal.com]

Yeah, and it has to come naturally and not like you're *telling* stuff to people specifically.
:)

And that's why fanfic is cool. You can legally start from the middle.

[r-cooper.livejournal.com]

I think also I like generally like writing *for* people. I don't like being the only one into something. I want to know that people are going to want it and be excited... which is bad I suppose, because I'm supposed to write for myself etc and I do, but I also like other people too. They are a great motivator.

So much whining today. Poor you.

[dlasta.livejournal.com]

Anything that you make and then send 'out there', you make for yourself and for other people.
The reaction is important. (And any writer/artist that says otherwise is lying.)

Whine away. I slept all day and apparently have fever.:)

...anyhoo, that still doesn't mean you should write something you don't feel great about.

[r-cooper.livejournal.com]

You have a fever? That's no fun. How do you get so sick? You make my chubby, lazy, had a touch too much wine last night ass feel positively healthy.

Reaction is important. If there aren't at least some squees I get sad. I don't expect awards or anything, but some squeeing is nice. :(

[dlasta.livejournal.com]

Low grade fever/something. I think I worked most of it out of my system when I took a six hour nap earlier.

Hang over is way worse.:)

Good thing we do squee a lot. It's nice to be appreciated.:)

[r-cooper.livejournal.com]

I like squees. They make a person feel good. Like not in a praise way, but like a, I'm not alone in my nerdy loves, way.

[dlasta.livejournal.com]

Now I have this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=neD2rY4eBKo
in my head.
:)

[r-cooper.livejournal.com]

80's music. Nice.

[dlasta.livejournal.com]

I told you, I have awesome taste.

[r-cooper.livejournal.com]

I am gonna just go listen to Teena Marie some more.

[dlasta.livejournal.com]

You should. *nods*

[r-cooper.livejournal.com]

I *am*.

[happy-harper13.livejournal.com]

CONGRATULATIONS! You are amazing! I really need to read your stuff, like, yesterday.

Also, and absolutely feel free to say no or the online equivalent to smiling and nodding politely, I promise I won't be offended at all, but if you need help with cover art, I'd be happy to help. I can't really draw, but I'm pretty good with Photoshop and InDesign. Also, I have some artistically inclined friends with legit drawing skills and plenty of peeps in the lj graphics community, who might be able to help with your cover art conundrum.

Anyway, CONGRATS! I'm sorry to hear about the reformatting. That sounds annoying as hell.

[r-cooper.livejournal.com]

Ooh no I am interested, even in just advice, because the list of artists that Smashwords provides if you ask (not recommends, they are very clear, they just give you a list of available people) is all full of people who seem uncomfortable with erotic stuff or who charge $100 or more. Which... is out of my price range anyway, but definitely for short stories I'm going to put up for free or basically free, you know?