The Hidden Costs of Self-Publishing, Part 1: The Solution to “Author Solutions”

This is a great post by an awesome and knowlegable lady. These companied prey on the unsuspecting and should be stopped. Cheers james

Nina Munteanu Writing Coach

What do Simon & Schuster, Hay House, Barnes and Noble and Reader’s Digest have in common? Each of these reputable and famous names in publishing has forged a partnership with Author Solutions. What is significant about that? Well…In a detailed article written in April of 2015, author David Gaughran tells us why this is distressing news to authors and I discuss this further below.

Many beginning authors wishing to “self-publish” are looking for a service that will easily and painlessly “publish” their cherished creative as well as help them get it out into the reading world. Naive about what it takes to “get out into the reading world”, many authors are signing up with service-publishers who will “publish” anything so long as the author is willing to pay. You know who they are; I mention some of them below. Although the Internet is populated with excellent book-publishing services by freelance…

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The Dirt Bike Knight part 2

Frustrated he growled grasping her hand. She jerked away from him and ran straight into the monster. Sharp claws tipped scaly arm like limbs, closed around the girl. He knew she was done for.

“Mumsey, there is a horrible creature after me.” She hugged the creature, body wracked by her sobs.

Race felt his jaw drop. Mumsey? Oh hell. Fierce yellow eyes speared him. He kicked the bike into gear, it leapt to life under him. Soon he felt safe enough to look back. Nothing disturbed the brush and all was quiet except the drone of his bike.

He figured he was several miles away from the strange girl and her monster. He stopped for a drink, the gas gauge indicated he was low. The gas can was still in place and he poured it in. After he filled the bike, he noticed the can was still full. Strange the gas gauge had read nearly empty. He strapped it back in place.

He put on his helmet and prepared to crank up. He was snatched up bike and all. The ground was getting further and further away. He fought the scream in his throat. No way he was going to scream like a little girl. Claws held him secure for the moment, fear painted nasty pictures of a long fall and the sudden stop at the end.

“Come on ole boy, you’ve been in worse scraps than this. Think.”

“Silence!” Growled the creature holding him. “You will pay for frightening our daughter.”

Oh hell another one. That’s what I get for asking for directions, a crazy chick and her pet monsters.

“Sir I didn’t mean to frighten your daughter. I was asking for directions to Portland. She was the first person I’ve seen in hours.”

The mighty wings holding them up waviered hitting turbulance. The claws tightened around him. He’s going to drop me, Race thought.

To be continued …

The Dirt Bike Knight

Once upon a time in a distant land lived a princess and her dragons. She was a jewel to behold, fair of face and sweet of temper, a true woman’s woman. At least that’s what the enchanted looking glass (mirror) told her every morning. Her dragons meant well, but were quite overprotective, as all parents tend to be.

One glorious morning out riding her blue roan (greyish blue speckled horse) a loud noise distrubed her peace. An angry charging bumble bee thundered toward her.

“Hello there. Are you okay? I seem to be lost.”

Screaming our princess whipped poor Speckled around back to the manison (castles are drafty) and hung on for dear life. The voice kept in her ear, she glanced to the side and the angry bumble bee humanoid was beside her.

“Was it something I said? Can you tell me how to get to Portland?”

She clung to her horse and looked behind her. She never saw the branch.

“Lady don’t move. You took a nasty wallop and then fell off that fast moving critter.”

It was standing over her, she opened her eyes determined to face her death with dignity. A guy stooped beside her, of the humanoid creature she saw nothing.

“My protector. You saved me from a horrible fate. A strange creature was chasing me. You may claim a kiss.”

“Ahm lady, I think you bumped your head harder than I thought. You need a doctor.”

Grrrrrrrrowl the woods began to shake. Lighting danced across the sky, while thunder boomed in the heavens.

” Come on, we gotta get you up. We are fixing to have a doozie of a storm.”

“I shall wait here while you fetch my horse.”

“Ahm lady, there ain’t no time for that. You can ride behind me on my dirt bike.”

“Your what? I’ve never been spoken to like that in my life. You will fetch my horse. I command you. And what storm? Those are my parents coming.”

Race started backing away from her. The chick was more out of it than he assumed. A vicious peal of thunder and lighting had him scrambling for the bike. He didn’t usually leave a lady in a lurch, but she thought she was some kind of royalty. Kiss her, no way he was falling for that and get slapped with a sexual harrassment charge. Nope he was outta here.

“Look lady you need help and …” his voice died. A huge lizard was behind her. He grabbed her hand yanking her away from the monster. He pushed her toward the bike, keeping between the lizard and her. He jumped on and fired it up. The chick started screaming and backing away when he put his helmet on.

To be continued ….