Floopies
October 16, 2008
One of my column editors for the technical journal I edit is Argentinian. Great guy, terrific scientist and he's very reliable. His English is certainly better than my Spanish, so enough said about that, but he sometimes makes grammar or word errors in a way that I find either interesting, endearing, or downright funny.
He was trying to send me a large file that my email wasn't accepting, so he e-mailed to say he could send it as floopies or DVDs.
Now, frankly, although we managed to get the files through my e-mail, I'd kind of like them sent on floopies. :)
Besides, I think floopies are a lot more fun than Jessica Faust's bog post today. That post will make aspiring and published writers alike want to slit their wrists. Better stay away from sharp objects while you're reading it.
One of my column editors for the technical journal I edit is Argentinian. Great guy, terrific scientist and he's very reliable. His English is certainly better than my Spanish, so enough said about that, but he sometimes makes grammar or word errors in a way that I find either interesting, endearing, or downright funny.
He was trying to send me a large file that my email wasn't accepting, so he e-mailed to say he could send it as floopies or DVDs.
Now, frankly, although we managed to get the files through my e-mail, I'd kind of like them sent on floopies. :)
Besides, I think floopies are a lot more fun than Jessica Faust's bog post today. That post will make aspiring and published writers alike want to slit their wrists. Better stay away from sharp objects while you're reading it.
So, on the lighter side, what's your definition of a "floopy?"
Cheers,
Mark Terry
posted by Mark Terry at 6:28 AM
7 Comments:
Since I don't make a living writing fiction I have to be honest and say that the fact that the economic disaster we're facing might make getting fiction published more difficult is pretty much the least of my worries. Keeping a roof over my head and the propane tank filled could become difficult enough. At least it puts publication in perspective :)
Eric,
Oh, I agree. It's not on my frontburner, so to speak, but I'm concerned that some of my clients who pay me so nicely may have problems coughing up money in general, and worse, may go in-house. Although in my limited experience, and anecdotally, it's usually the other way around. Companies lay writers off, but still need writing done, so they hire freelancers so they don't have to pay benefits, etc.
But for me and probably most freelancers, one of the concerns is just media in general and how low margin publishers (all of them) are going to get squeezed and how that will trickle down to the rest of us.
In terms of the the-economy-sucks-so-you-will-have-a-harder-time-getting-your-novel-published paradigm, to my mind it's a little bit like saying, "The odds were zero before, but now they're less than zero."
Well, the odds weren't exactly zero. They were just slim. Now they're anorexic.
ROFLMAO.
Now writers have something else to blame their rejections on. It's like Sundance admitting he can't swim, and Butch laughing and saying, "Hell, the fall will probably kill you."
I think the indies will suffer most during a recession. A lot of them will probably tank. The big guys? No way. Their interests are too diversified, their pockets too deep. They won't stop buying manuscripts, any more than McDonald's will stop buying all-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions, and sesame seed buns. New manuscripts are what make book imprints tick. New manuscripts are their lifeblood.
If I continue to get rejections, I'm not going to blame the economy or my agent or "the system" in general. I'm going to accept rejection with the attitude I need to write a better book.
Jude,
I also feel a little bit like the publishing industry felt a need to get in on the The-Economy-Sucks-So-We're-All-Going-To-Die mentality that's permeating everything these days.
I have a friend who works for one of the big banks and I asked him about it and he just shrugged and said, "We're loaning money to each other, no problem. We're tightening up on consumer loans, but that's pretty much it."
I think the stock market's a sideshow in this particular circus and freeing up the credit markets is the thing that's causing the biggest problems.
We have nothing to fear but fear itself, indeed.
I'm pretty much depending on my fiction to save my ass. I guess this was a bad time to ask my one pub for a raise in my royalty rate. *sigh*
It always feels like things boil down to "must write better" and "must write faster." No pressure or anything.
With piano, my business is dependent on other people's financial situation and whims. At least with writing, I feel it comes down to me, more. I'm still dependent on the publisher's financial situation, but it just feels a mite more in my control than the studio.
God, it's scary times when fiction feels more reliable than piano lessons.
bwahahahahahahaha. You aren't kidding. If I was going in this direction publishing wise, I would probably not submit anything until the economy picked back up. Instead I would focus absolutely on what one of my writing friends called: "Building up inventory."
So I wouldn't get distraught over the issue, I'd just focus entirely on writing and polishing and get my inventory built up. THEN when the economy leveled out some, I would start sending my work out, and get it all in circulation.
Not saying this is the "right" or "one true" strategy, just that it would be mine.
And I've both heard and used floopy before, I just never paused to think what the word might mean.
Though I do have a meaning for "schmoopy": silly sweet love. Like puppies. :D
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