tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6086062096420008519.post8506137924364387150..comments2024-03-06T05:24:11.328-05:00Comments on Kelly Hashway: Writer Wednesday: Handling What is Out of Our ControlKelly Hashwayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13936313159809041986noreply@blogger.comBlogger74125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6086062096420008519.post-49053151451527773162013-10-18T05:23:09.265-04:002013-10-18T05:23:09.265-04:00True. It just feels nice to convert a few. If only...True. It just feels nice to convert a few. If only by how you do it. I've had authors convert me to nonfiction I otherwise wouldn't read.Taurean Watkinshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16604609379930060667noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6086062096420008519.post-29246251592396068732013-10-17T13:02:54.521-04:002013-10-17T13:02:54.521-04:00It is nice to covert someone with your book. That&...It is nice to covert someone with your book. That's why I'm honored when someone tries my book even though the topic isn't their thing. But in the same token, I'm not surprised if they don't get into the book since it's admittedly not their thing.Kelly Hashwayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13936313159809041986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6086062096420008519.post-88721248206977292582013-10-17T13:01:06.615-04:002013-10-17T13:01:06.615-04:00Taurean, I'm not sure there's an answer he...Taurean, I'm not sure there's an answer here. If there was, we'd all be NY Times best sellers. ;)Kelly Hashwayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13936313159809041986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6086062096420008519.post-91539494513424234402013-10-17T12:37:54.040-04:002013-10-17T12:37:54.040-04:00That is an interesting thing, Kelly.
For me, whe...That is an interesting thing, Kelly. <br /><br />For me, when people who read Gabriel in process (Who don't normally like animal fantasy) say they liked or loved reading mine, it gave me hope that I'm getting somewhere. It does feel nice when you "convert" someone to your kind of story, or at the very least the way you tell it.<br /><br />This is one of those things I think is harder to navigate for the author than the reader. Is that fair to say?<br /><br />Think of how many readers who love a certain author that they'll follow him or her even if a book's a genre they normally don't like and like that one, that's what I mean.<br /><br />Romance has so much leeway here because it sells so well despite what some critics groan about. This issue is more intense when you're in a tighter niche, and that's the context I was speaking in from my comments above, Kelly.Taurean Watkinshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16604609379930060667noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6086062096420008519.post-86378476103469697902013-10-17T12:30:03.975-04:002013-10-17T12:30:03.975-04:00But both matter so how can you sidestep either? So...But both matter so how can you sidestep either? Sometimes what the characters want gives problems for readers, and I don't see how you can pick one over the other and get the story to work for either.<br /><br />Am I just sounding wishy-washy on this?Taurean Watkinshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16604609379930060667noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6086062096420008519.post-59846898387698586602013-10-12T06:27:28.319-04:002013-10-12T06:27:28.319-04:00Very true, Marcia.Very true, Marcia.Kelly Hashwayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13936313159809041986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6086062096420008519.post-17320526790938535962013-10-11T14:38:33.374-04:002013-10-11T14:38:33.374-04:00Yes, every time a decision falls into somebody els...Yes, every time a decision falls into somebody else's court, it's something we can't control, no matter how good our work or how much we promoted. You can lead a horse to water...Marciahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10006966091789130047noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6086062096420008519.post-51617988899365891842013-10-11T08:56:20.238-04:002013-10-11T08:56:20.238-04:00Yes. It amazes me how many people who hate zombies...Yes. It amazes me how many people who hate zombies, read Touch of Death. I wonder why they gave my book a shot. And even if they don't like it because, like I said, they hate zombies, I'm honored they took the time to read it.Kelly Hashwayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13936313159809041986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6086062096420008519.post-91634951692535147002013-10-11T08:55:21.547-04:002013-10-11T08:55:21.547-04:00Yup. That's all we can do.Yup. That's all we can do.Kelly Hashwayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13936313159809041986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6086062096420008519.post-14916697463645493432013-10-11T08:55:06.191-04:002013-10-11T08:55:06.191-04:00Very good point. You can't please everyone. Yo...Very good point. You can't please everyone. You have to do what you feel is best for you and your books.Kelly Hashwayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13936313159809041986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6086062096420008519.post-58237992455209644052013-10-11T08:54:27.811-04:002013-10-11T08:54:27.811-04:00Yes, wait time is definitely out of our control, a...Yes, wait time is definitely out of our control, and it's also probably the one that bugs us the most. ;)Kelly Hashwayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13936313159809041986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6086062096420008519.post-21530800452440252732013-10-11T00:56:50.936-04:002013-10-11T00:56:50.936-04:00So true. Even in non-writing things there's a ...So true. Even in non-writing things there's a lot out of our control, but I believe in other fields there's more control. Publishing is too out there because we expose our work to many, not a few. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6086062096420008519.post-24032075922933990502013-10-10T22:55:28.075-04:002013-10-10T22:55:28.075-04:00Hakuna Matata! It's so hard to let go sometime...Hakuna Matata! It's so hard to let go sometimes of that desire to control everything. We just have to do the best that we can do!Kiersihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16033659930186902045noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6086062096420008519.post-79306110537291317072013-10-10T22:34:28.354-04:002013-10-10T22:34:28.354-04:00Sales, followship, waiting to hear back from revie...Sales, followship, waiting to hear back from reviewers, you said it, Kelly. Only this July did I decide to turn a blind eye on those figures. I used to be afraid of posting blog updates (on FB and mailing list) because of un-followship, and I worried that it was something I said. But ... the heck with it all. I know why I'm writing this particular post. Those who like us will like us. Those who won't will find someone else they like and everyone's happy. Yanting Guehhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04788603550626277974noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6086062096420008519.post-18968745416936557752013-10-10T20:32:26.627-04:002013-10-10T20:32:26.627-04:00Excellent post! You are right that there are many ...Excellent post! You are right that there are many factors out of our control. Sales are definitely not in our control. I also think we can't control how long it takes to hear back from people (agents, editors, etc.). Sometimes the wait is short and sometimes it seems like a really long time. :) <br />DMShttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04202502753961748992noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6086062096420008519.post-24267404438563849422013-10-10T18:26:08.625-04:002013-10-10T18:26:08.625-04:00And attitude is so important.And attitude is so important.Kelly Hashwayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13936313159809041986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6086062096420008519.post-27812529233612048572013-10-10T18:25:29.464-04:002013-10-10T18:25:29.464-04:00No, neither is easy but both of those are definite...No, neither is easy but both of those are definitely in our control.Kelly Hashwayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13936313159809041986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6086062096420008519.post-30770157697560343952013-10-10T18:24:51.372-04:002013-10-10T18:24:51.372-04:00Great point! That is very true.Great point! That is very true.Kelly Hashwayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13936313159809041986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6086062096420008519.post-1585348332794235302013-10-10T15:42:53.472-04:002013-10-10T15:42:53.472-04:00Great article. So much we can't control but so...Great article. So much we can't control but so much we can too, mainly our own attitudes. Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Kelly.Fihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01321354657419642710noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6086062096420008519.post-25679036460402107422013-10-10T15:35:41.542-04:002013-10-10T15:35:41.542-04:00We can't control how quickly publishers get ba...We can't control how quickly publishers get back to us on our submissions. It drives me nuts! I am actually realizing that about all we can control in this industry is the quality of writing we produce and how we handle all the waiting we have to do. And neither are easy!Allyn Stotzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00125021589041199877noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6086062096420008519.post-65777996487391344822013-10-10T12:58:38.356-04:002013-10-10T12:58:38.356-04:00You can't control trends either. A story that ...You can't control trends either. A story that might catch the attention today my not catch the same attention 3 years from now. I can't imagine some of the classics of the past would make it through some editors today. The writing trends now are just too different from how they wrote back in the day. C.R. Evershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09034891037873664976noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6086062096420008519.post-77709285174412397002013-10-10T10:45:09.098-04:002013-10-10T10:45:09.098-04:00I think we all want both, Taurean, but it's no...I think we all want both, Taurean, but it's not necessarily realistic.Kelly Hashwayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13936313159809041986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6086062096420008519.post-37262988530945995702013-10-10T10:43:47.113-04:002013-10-10T10:43:47.113-04:00Is it wrong to want both then? How do you make pea...Is it wrong to want both then? How do you make peace with it?Taurean Watkinshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16604609379930060667noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6086062096420008519.post-36795885417217822642013-10-10T09:01:38.297-04:002013-10-10T09:01:38.297-04:00We all do, Nas, but unfortunately that won't e...We all do, Nas, but unfortunately that won't ever happen. Reading is just too subjective.Kelly Hashwayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13936313159809041986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6086062096420008519.post-14627434653089626182013-10-10T09:01:02.113-04:002013-10-10T09:01:02.113-04:00Yes, we do have to remember that even though writi...Yes, we do have to remember that even though writing is what we love, it's still a profession. We are one of the lucky few who love what we do, but it's still a job like any other, which means some things are out of our hands. We have to do our best and be hopeful about what's out of our control.Kelly Hashwayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13936313159809041986noreply@blogger.com