And finally, we sit behind the mics and fire up the wayback machine and the cart software for a new episode of The Shared Desk. We’re staying topical with talking about the change of heart podcasters are experiencing — reassessing the model of free. Once upon a time, we were all about making our fiction free in this new, daring audio medium that was podcasting. Here were are, eight years later, and oh how the times, they are a-changing….

00:00 — Introduction

• Damn…Pip can talk.
• Ripped from the headlines: E.L. James is now giving out writing advice?!
• Tee spills it on when he collaborated on a writing guide with friends…and the heat he caught on it…
• …but when you are writing a book on your own on how to write — hold on. HOLD. ON.
• Pip to E.L. — “Go away.”
• There are better places to get your smut.
• You know it’s going to sell…
• Tee is fighting his urges to read this P.O.S.

]]> http://www.theshareddesk.com/2013/03/27/episode-21-giving-fiction-away/feed/ 4 0:51:24 And finally, we sit behind the mics and fire up the wayback machine and the cart software for a new episode of The Shared Desk. We’re staying topical with talking about the change of heart podcasters are experiencing — reassessing the model o[...] And finally, we sit behind the mics and fire up the wayback machine and the cart software for a new episode of The Shared Desk. We’re staying topical with talking about the change of heart podcasters are experiencing — reassessing the model of free. Once upon a time, we were all about making our fiction free in this new, daring audio medium that was podcasting. Here were are, eight years later, and oh how the times, they are a-changing…. 00:00 — Introduction Look at us! We’re back! Oh Key & Peele — how we <3 you! Possibly the shortest introduction section ever! We’re looking back in this episode…. 1:30 — Giving the Fiction Away for Free What happens when you decide “I don’t want to give it away.” when you have been doing fiction for free? The big question: Why did you give it away? Tee looks back to 2004 and 2005 when Tee made the call to podcast MOREVI Looking back eight years, and now considering podcasting in 2013 The playing field in 2005. Since our friend and podcasting juggernaut Scott Sigler, we have not seen a new “breakout” artist. It’s no longer a “community” but a “market” and few of the OP’s (Original Podcasters) are featured or even listed prominently. An honest assessment of the path of podcasting Why did Pip make the big jump into the podiosphere? Tee and Pip podcast because we love it, not because we’re planning to overthrow “traditional media” with this platform. Quick shout-out to The League of STEAM! Pip asks Tee the tough question: Is Tee disappointed in the evolution of podcasting fiction? The ROI of Podcasting Not only is the playing field changed, so has the audience. Giving your work away for free is not a contract with your audience. It’s a giveaway. The Market of Giving the Fiction Away for Free still works, if you approach it properly. Yes, it has worked for Scott, for Cory Doctorow, for John Scalzi…but……. Would I advise a new author if they want to give it away for free? (Tee might surprise you…) 29:05 — Seriously?! Seriously. Damn…Pip can talk. Ripped from the headlines: E.L. James is now giving out writing advice?! Tee spills it on when he collaborated on a writing guide with friends…and the heat he caught on it… …but when you are writing a book on your own on how to write — hold on. HOLD. ON. Pip to E.L. — “Go away.” There are better places to get your smut. You know it’s going to sell… Tee is fighting his urges to read this P.O.S. 38:29 — The Wrap-Up Still getting back into the swing of things… …and Tee needs to remember what drop in’s he has on call. Looking forward to the next show Our next show is already in the can. Looking at The Ministry Initiative with J.R Blackwell and P.J. Schnyder Dawn’s Early Light — it’s coming in 2013! In December! November! What happened recently? Tee’s a free agent again…so take a look at what he offers at Imagine That! Studios. And we are writing, writing, writing…and Darkwater is now out in the wild, along with Pip’s new proposal! Foreword Literary — our new agency! The Diamond Conspiracy (Book Four of the Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences) is also underway… Next event in May — Up in the Æther Ending with a belated holiday wish….from Lauren “Scribe” Harris and Crazy Uncle Charlie. RELATED LINKS Scott Sigler Lou Anders Stella Price Dragon Moon Press Phil Rossi Red Hot Chili Peppers’ “Give It Away” music video Find us on Twitter at either Tee’s or Pip’s account, leave us a voicemail or question for the show at 703.791.1701, or leave us a comment here at the blog. Enjoy the ride and we’ll catch you later. Episodes Pip Ballantine & Tee Morris no no http://www.theshareddesk.com/2012/12/17/episode-20-rejection/ http://www.theshareddesk.com/2012/12/17/episode-20-rejection/#comments Mon, 17 Dec 2012 06:34:17 +0000 admin http://www.theshareddesk.com/?p=231 Continue reading →]]>

We were a few days late on posting this, but we have posted — determined to stay on schedule! Yeah, yeah, yeah, we’re a few days late but we’ll be back in two weeks time with some more news and a new topic for you all in what will be a podcast-packed end-of-the-month. All this and more in this — the twentieth episode of The Shared Desk — where we are looking hard at the art of rejection from the toughest people to get it from — your peers.

00:00 — Introduction

• A unique experience — sending out invitations to our anthology’s Dream Team
• Having a chat with friend-of-the-show, P.J. Schnyder, about why she’s a friend but not on the A-List
• Writing with friends is fun. When you’re working for an anthology, however, you need names.
• Author Jeff Vandermeer turned us down…but come on — COME ON — I’m just thankful I can approach him.
• Sometimes, you have to say “No.”
• Tee’s prepping for rejection (and not taking it personally) with Darkwater based on a rejection for The Case of the Singing Sword.
• Remember this about publishing — It’s a business.
• Looking ahead with Kickstarter and advice from J.R. Blackwell.
• Rejection is not a personal thing.

19:22 — Seriously?! Seriously.

Mic check. Hello? How does this thing work again?

Yes, we have returned to the mics (finally); and for this show, we are putting segments and subjects on hold to take some time to get you all caught up on what we have been doing since (ouch!) August when we last recorded. This is a catch-up show where you might not learn anything about the writing process but you’ll get a look inside the writer’s lifestyle.

00:00 — Introduction

• Tee gets laid off again the day Tee & Pip get back from Authors After Dark.
• The good news: I saw the writing on the wall this time, and now I’m working with the American Public University System.
• The new job pulls me away a day early from Dragon*Con 2013.
• It was a neat orientation…what I remember of it…
• Good times at the W Atlanta and at Dragon*Con.
• Didn’t think D*C could get any bigger, could you? Guess what…
• Some lovely perks of staying at the W
• Could D*C be getting too big?
• Special props to Doc Quartermain for running a killer Steampunk/Alternative Track!
• Some stargazing at D*C…and Pip fangrrls again.
• THE GEM FROM PIP: When do you know you’re done? (And here’s Pip’s answer…at 16:22…)

13:24 — Baltimore Book Festival

20:01 — Facebook Pages and Deadlines

35:23 — The Future of the Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences (Part II)

45:10 — The Wrap-Up

photo credit: TwiMom 227 (Thanks!)

Yes, this is completely unhinged, completely off-the-cuff, completely EXPLICIT, but it is what it is — Authors After Dark! the event that you have heard Pip and I blog about is now coming to you raw, uncut, uncensored, and absolutely off-the-wall. With special guest, AAD founder Stella Price goes into the why’s behind this incredible event, what it takes to succeed at Authors after Dark, and who is going to be attending Authors After Dark in 2013…

…and yes, Crazy Uncle Charlie even makes an appearance, much to the alarm of Stella!

00:00 — Introduction

• Straight from the Big Easy…
• Who is in Pip and Tee’s Suite for this Shared Desk?
  • Carolyn Crane, author
  • Tee Tate, book blogger
  • Chris Tate, good guy
  • Suzanne Butler, author
  • Sidney Bristol, author
  • Lia Habel, author
  • Alex D, good guy
  • P.J. Schnyder, author
  • Matt, good guy
  • Jenn a/k/a TwiMom 227, book blogger
  • …and the incomparabile Stella Price, author and convention founder.
• The inspiration behind Authors After Dark: Providing a playing field that is fair.
• No, seriously, Stella’s got a bone to pick with RT…
• Who made P.J. a host?!
• Everyone is on equal ground at Authors After Dark, and Stella does this because she believes in the industry.
• And a real, honest moment is shattered…
• Pip and Tee give their feelings on the intensity of Authors After Dark.
• What makes Authors After Dark so different…
• Authors chime in on the AAD Atmosphere (Part One)
• 16:35 — First Dakota Cassidy mention (and she’s an awesome bitch!)
• Authors chime in on the AAD Atmosphere (Part Two)
• TwiMom think she’s stalking us…but little did she know……
• Stella makes it clear that the super-fans find themselves in a different world at Authors After Dark.
• Dragging a slightly-tipsy Sidney on to the mic, here’s a new author’s perspective.
• 25:35 — Another Dakota Cassidy mention… (Why isn’t this woman on our show?!)
• Suzan looks at the AADNOLA experience as both an author and as a reader.
• Turning the mic over to Tee Tate who only swung by for the public signing event — what did Tee Tate and Lit Stack think of the event?
• Tee and Tee…but which Tee did Tee meet first?! And then there is Lia Habel’s doppelganger around AAD…
• TwiMom covers the process in becoming a Featured Blogger at AAD.
• “ARCs Up the Ass” — the new slogan for AAD
• It’s over….but it’s not over yet…but Stella calls the 2012 event “the best one yet” on all levels!

37:13 — Writers Off the Clock

53:28 — Writing Advice from Crazy Uncle Charlie

Deadlines, distractions, and…something else that starts with D…but who cares? WE’RE BACK and we’re kicking off August with news about the Parsec Awards, where we will be this month, and that time when you have to say “Goodbye” to the worlds you have created.

00:00 — Introduction

• Pip is gearing up for the big goodbye to the characters of Geist.
• What are the feelings an author harbors when writing that final scene in a series?
• Pip compares ending her adventures with Sorcha, Raed, and Merrick against her adventures with Shakespeare and Puck.
• How (and why) do authors grow so attached to their characters?
• Is this the end of Pip’s journey with The Order, or just this generation?
• How do authors plan a series? Well, a lot it hinges on the contracts.
• Wow…Tee is kinda quiet….at least, with his comments. (The drop-in’s on the other hand…)
• What about the Ministry? Well, if Pip gets her way…
• Searching for the sweet spot in a series length.
• Looking at The Dark Knight Rises from a writer’s perspectives.
• When you wrap-up, how do you handle loose ends? Bloodbaths?
• Suddenly, Pip’s Ace pixie-like editor sounds like a mobster.
• THE GEM FROM PIP: When do you know you’re done? (And here’s Pip’s answer…at 16:22…)

16:50 — Writing Advice from Crazy Uncle Charlie

21:58 — The Wrap-Up

So it’s been a while since we have sat down and recorded a Shared Desk, but how about this — when we finally got a chance to record a Shared Desk, we did it with the lovely P.J. Schnyder. This episode is about tough choices we make as authors in bringing about the demise of a character. Why do we do this to our creations? Is it for shock value? Is it for impact? And do we really care in the end?

00:00 — Introduction

• What happened between Shared Deskepisodes
  • Making a book trailer
  • The Steampunk World’s Fair
  • Balticon
  • Blogworld and B.E.A.
  • …or what we remember of Blogworld and B.E.A.
• The dangers of drinking with agents, editors, and new friends…
• Getting complaints — a second one from a book critic — concerning a choice Pip and I made in The Janus Affair…
• Do we create characters simply to kill them?
• Evoking the name of Joss and when he kills beloved characters in his works.
• When do authors cross a line?
  • Did J.K. Rowling go too far (or not far enough) in The Deathly Hollows?
  • Tee’s gripes on Farscape and clever twists on bringing characters back
  • Jumping genres and discussing a gratuitous death (or was it?) on M*A*S*H*
• We do care about the characters we kill.
• Do we write for entertainment, or to make an impact?
• TANGENT: Waxing happily about random drop-in’s for computers and future shows…

20:51 — Writers Off the Clock

36:23 — The Wrap-Up

WOW! We collected enough comments, questions, and overall opinions from you, the listeners, to make this show our second Listener Appreciation Show! We got some questions on Kindle, Scrivener, and Book Reviews, but we also got questions on topics we have never tackled before on mic.

And Pip gets not one but TWO drop-in’s of her own…

00:00 — Introduction

04:30 —  Your Voicemail and Email

• Guy Barber from Cornwall, UK, sends us kudos for the audio version of HarperAudio’s Phoenix Rising and The Shared Desk, and puts in his vote for an audio version of Geist.
• Ben from Florida asks close on the same question as emails from Valkyrie Page and Chris Forshner on how we collaborate and the creative process between the two of us.
• Tee talks about Pip’s strengths and then discusses his own.
• How other authors collaborate against what Pip and Tee do.
• Melissa Hay surprises us with a call, and brings up the topic of book bloggers and how authors and publishers are keeping the peace, at least for now…
• Terry Arman asks us what we thought of the promo he cut for us…but has us at a loss.
• Nobilis Reed wants to know how we collaborate using Scrivener.
• P.C. Haring Calls “Shenanigans!” on our Scrivener…and we call him to the mat with some help from Phil Rossi!
• David from the Scrivener Crew writes us a killer “thank you” note.
• A discussion on the differences between Mac and Windows Scrivener
• A video on how to use Scrivener to create eBooks
• A video (or two) on tracking changes in Scrivener without “Track Changes”
• Our Anonymous NYT Bestseller gives inside dirt on Amazon and their own titles…
• Pip finds herself derailed by her bumper and a lack of breakfast.
• Is there anyone “big enough” to stand toe-to-toe with Amazon? Well, yes…
• More discussion about Amazon, and a shameless plug for The Janus Affair
• Rick Asplund calls in to give us BVL (big Viking love) from Chicago.
• Dan Dan the Artman drops a voicemail that calls forth the humbled (and slightly vaklempt) Crazy Uncle Charlie.
• Michael Spence mainlines The Shared Desk and gives his own opinions on shared universes.
• Tony Mast takes Tee to task for releasing Aladdin and His Wonderfully Infernal Device for the Kindle exclusively.
• Gail Carrigerwants to know what the “Shared Desk” really looks like……so here it is:

  

• And from the Great White North comes Steve Saylor, asking of working with video to promote your writing.

Yes we wound up being a day late on this show, but as you will hear in the end we have been anything but idle. This episode is all about Scrivener, that popular software authors swear by. Tee and Pip share their likes, dislikes, and future possibilities for the application, and then Tee shares a rant about Seth Godin and a liberal use of the C-word.

UPDATE: With special thanks to Steve Saylor, we have discovered that YES, you can export your Scrivener works in digital publishing formats. Under the “File” menu, scroll down to “Compile” (keyboard shortcut is Option + Command for the Mac) and select from the sub-menu of “Compile for:” the “Kindle” option. (Click on the image for a larger version.)

Well played, Scrivener. Well played.

UPDATE: And with extra special thanks to Nobilis Reed, we have discovered that Scrivener has a Linux version, currently in Beta.

00:00 — Introduction

• And the show kicks off with Tee giving the wrong URL for Literature and Latte.
• Scrivener makes TechRadar’s Top Ten Most Loved Programs
• Scrivener ranks #9 between Lotus 1-2-3 and Solitaire.
• Tee reads off the other Top Ten
• Tee’s Metallica impersonations still hold up apparently.
• Also on the list — Fotoshop (for fashion models everywhere!)
• When did we find Scrivener?
• What Pip Likes: Keeping all your notes, thoughts, and research in one file
• The price of Scrivener — $45USD
• What Tee Likes: The Research Mode and the ability to import web pages
• What Tee & Pip Like: The Corkboard
• What Pip Likes: Rearranging chapters with a click-and-drag ease
• Pip calls for the put-down of the Courier font.
• What Tee Likes: Comments
• What Pip Likes: Customizing your workspace
• What Tee Would Like to See: A “Track Changes” Feature
• What Pip Would Like to See: More “Export Options”
• What Tee Likes: Project and Text Statistics
• What Tee Would Like to See: More people in the industry using Scrivener
• What Tee Would Like to See: An easy transition between Mac, Windows, and Linux platforms
• Getting schooled by Scrivener: A history that Tee and Pip didn’t know….
• What Tee Can’t Wait to See: Scrivener for the iPad

31:22 — Seriously, Seriously: Going for the Godin

41:15 — The Wrap-Up

No Crazy Uncle Charlie.

No Writers Off the Clock.

No drop-ins.

This is a raw and candid conversation with our agent, Laurie McLean, on Amazon and their February power plays against the Big Six publishers. How will these shenanigans affect authors, and what can we do to avoid becoming cannon fodder in the war between Amazon and New York’s Six Sisters?

00:00 — Introduction

• WTF AMAZON?!?!
• What happened last week
• A LiveJournal post (and plea) from NYT Bestseller Seanan McGuire
• On Facebook, Gail Carriger voiced her own displeasure about some Amazon strong-arming
• Nothing new, but this is one more stunt from Amazon that leaves its mark on a writer.
• Why is Amazon doing this?
• What happens when a book seller gets too big to control, even by the publishing powers-that-be
• A history (in brief) of Amazon.com and the pro’s and con’s of their success from selling books to turning eBooks and digital publishing into a viable market
• Tee steps back to his independent publishing past, sharing memories of Dragon Moon Press and her struggles with Amazon.
• MacMillan and Amazon square off in a pricing war — the beginning of Amazon’s pushback against New York.
• Another glimpse of Amazon’s Dark Side: The “App Testers”
• Reviewing the numbers on Amazon sales compared to other eBook venues
• Can the NYT Bestseller title still matter in a world of digital authors dominating Amazon’s charts?
• What matters more to an author — a full-time career in writing or the “New York Times Bestseller” title?
• Completely Off-Topic…. ARCHER FARMS ROCKS!!!
• Laurie speculates on when the honeymoon with Amazon ends…
• What can the Big Six or other booksellers do against Amazon?
• Amazon answers the challenge of brick-and-mortar stores…by opening their own?
• Authors are finding themselves in a war between Amazon and New York.
• Authors need to understand the business just as much as the art of their craft.
• Could Amazon be the next Apple Store success? Or could they be the next Gateway?
• Where can Amazon open their brick-and-mortar stores? (Where is your closest Borders?)
• Challenges to Amazon’s brick-and-mortar stores
• Will it be books…or books and other stuff
• Customer service in real time
• Pip draws a parallel between authors and Les Miserables…and Tee reminds Pip that things didn’t end well for the folks at the barricade…
• The fate of authors in this future with Amazon
• The dangers of putting all your eggs in one basket
• Relying solely on Google
• Podcasters get a reality check (and the boot) from Mevio
• Diversification: What authors (and agents) need to do

53:09 — The Wrap-Up

We want to do a Scrivener show — we really do — but what a Valentine’s Day week we had. It was a week of politics and heated discussions on Facebook that ended up inspiring this week’s episode topic. With special guest Lisa-Anne Moore, authors take a look at those soapboxes we all have in a corner and ask the tough question — when do we as authors (of any standing in a career) voice our opinions, and when do we walk away from heated debates?

00:00 — Introduction

• Why we brought Lisa on board this episode
• What happened last week
• Virginia wants to make vaginal probing in abortion cases a law.
• Lawmakers debate new contraception health coverage. No women are present. (Washington Post)
• Now that you know the background, here’s what happened to Pip…
• …and here was Lisa’s reaction to what was going on in the news and in the State and Federal forums.
• Lisa’s (heart-felt and honest) blogpost from Life in a Nutshell. (This is a raw and honest reaction to the Virginia bill, so be ready for this.)
• How did the ladies feel not about the issues, but in voicing opinions and emotions that might be “unpopular” (in a broad sense) with readers, agents, and publishers?
• Tee draws a line in the sand on where authors damage their careers
• Tee breaks the Prime Directive and drops a few names of authors that go deep in their non-writing rants
• Harlan Ellison, the grumpy old man of Science Fiction
• Ringo, Drake, Flint, and Weber — The Baen Books Mafia
• When should authors step up and when should they let the argument go?
• And while authors face the issues, the cats make their own opinions know. (Tee recommends Bissell.)
• When Tee made the “delete a comment” call…all very personal.
• Can one comment or a single blogpost completely destroy a carrer or reputation?
• Lisa’s manages another heated debate (thank you, Indiana) concerning the Girl Scouts.
• Pip reflects on starting the following morning picking up where she left off.
• Tee calls Pip on the lost writing time over politics.
• Beware the Perfect Storm of PIP RAGE!!!
• Tee, Pip, and Lisa talk about the authors whose politics and philosophies affect their works.
• The three go deeper into the topic…
• When authors (and other artists) use their notoriety to push an agenda
• When artists and commentators use their notoriety to step into a different arena
• The big questions authors should ask before taking a stand on current events

48:45 — The Wrap-Up