the journal of r. cooper

Treasure for Treasure comes out this Monday (December 12), but I will be doing my day job hell week before Christmas then, so my promotion efforts will be limited. However, if anyone wants to ask questions or talk about it (draaagons!) I'm going to leave my Goodreads question box thingee open, and of course, there's also my Tumblr as well.

Speaking of, if you were on my Tumblr today, you might have gotten to see a snippet about the baby. Yes, THAT baby. Well, a few years in the future, so she's not a baby-baby. But... you get the picture. :) (If you honestly cannot figure out Tumblr, eventually I might post it here.)

Meanwhile, I am ready to submit the next book after Treasure for Treasure, I just have to adjust everything for Dreamspinner's new submission guidelines. But soon. Sooooon.

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.

A couple of things. (Oh hey anyone new who might be reading this. Hey! I just met you, this is crazy, but here's my number...)

First things first, ( LOOKIT IT'S A BOOK!!!! )

I know it's expensive and a big purchase and maybe I'm no one's favorite author, but OMG! It's a book! I'm having a moment. I'm getting all verklempt!


In other news it's Dreamspinner's Fifth Anniversary, so they are having sales all month, but I guess they are surprise! bonus extra special sales and other deals and treats that you have to watch their FB or Twitter feed to find out about. Just letting people know. Sales! Sales are always good.


In *other* other news, I seriously might be no one's favorite author (as far as I can tell anyway) but screw it, I'm going to go ahead with my charity thing. What I am most likely going to do is set up a post with a starting bid price (something low, like $5) and offer to write a new story of at least 5000 words based on a prompt from the person with the highest bid (if I have a bidder. If not I might write something anyway, but charity would get no money. Boo). I am still considering the details, but the charity will most likely be for this place or someplace like it The San Francisco Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Community Center. But again, I'm still working out the details... with myself really, and my schedule and moods. (Damn moods!)

Anyway, BOOK! It's pretty to hold I must say. Now back to work for me... or sleep. I might sleep now. Work tomorrow.

Guys. Guys, there is drama going on. So much that I'm aware of it in my little corner of nowhere where I hide and write silly things about librarians and twinks who can't cook and gamblers and such. I'm not going to call people out, because I don't do that unless I am very, very sure of what I am saying and absolutely certain that the people involved deserve it (and that I am ready for the backlash/shitstorm that always follows), but I have been reading it all and wow, wow. Once again the internet has forgotten that it is run by Real People.

You know, Real People. The ones who read and review stories and who create websites and yes, who also write books. Those are all Things That Are Done By Real People. (And if I need to define Real People *sigh*, then let's say that they are living, breathing people, just like you or me, with responsibilities and jobs and tissue in their pocket for their allergies and sisters who bug them about getting out of the house more and some tasty tequila and lime in the pantry calling their name. Real People...with feelings. If you prick them, do they not bleed?).

The thing with this cray internets of ours is that though it *never forgets*, it also allows for a *lot* of anonymity. And it's a hell of a lot easier to do things we wouldn't do in real life when we aren't looking someone in the eye when we do it. That includes things on both sides of this particular fence, things from potentially plagiarizing (or at least possibly just being unoriginal) to flat out publicly accusing someone of something without knowing all the facts, legal or otherwise.

It's a lot like reviews to me. Years ago when I used to review, the rule was that you *could* go intensely negative if you truly felt the book deserved it, but you had to remember when you did that it had a lasting impact on both you and the author reviewed. I'm not talking sales. I'm taking about what putting out (sometimes unwarranted) negativity does to your name and reputation and what it does to someone who may or may not have written a shitty book (or done a shitty thing) but who might have learned and developed and gotten *better* if the review had been less about being funny and harsh and more about the book itself. Sure, you can call the main characters douchebags if they are douchebags, but what exactly are you adding to the debate, to the creative process, to the community you are a part of? Not to mention that the author's reaction should always be in the back of your mind. (And if I have to explain *that* I will, but honestly, *sigh* again? That means- Did you say that to shock them? To make others laugh? Or did you really feel that, and if so, why? Please 'xplain.)

Acts, words said, thoughts posted, these things all have repercussions. You might not feel them right away in imaginary, anonymous internet-land, but they exist. Stolen ideas (whether this is the case or not) hurt readers and cost authors their audience. They create a sense of betrayal that affects not just the accused or the guilty but everyone around them, including everyone in their field. And public accusations (baseless or not) are not things to be taken lightly and certainly aren't something to be done in the heat of the moment. They can ruin careers and lives and if not that, then at the very least they can ruin someone's joy in something that *should* be joyous.

So yeah, my thoughts, such as they are. A drop in a vast ocean. OR, tl;dr--the next time you are going to write or post something on the internet, imagine you are looking in the face of the person you are writing about, and imagine they are looking back at you.

I don't have money to buy these things, but how long is the average published m/m romance novel, would you say? in either book or ebook form. I think the minimum word count is supposed to be at least 70k, right? And most places will accept up to 120k, I think.

Are some/most/any longer than that?


Also I've been editing so much I can't tell if Charlie and Will are boring or if I'm just tired. Ay de mi!

It's out of my hands!!!


Jubiliation!!!! And panic!!!


Muahaha! Now to sit back and wait...or write some faux-Victorian porny epic.

:P