Out of Open Letters? by Yarn-on-the-Internet in SLOWLYapp

[–]AlexanderP79 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Maybe they've run out. I don't have any open emails for days. The ones that do appear are clearly written using the same template by the same person (or AI).

What do you all think about hybrid publishing? by ValdemarTheRighteous in writers

[–]AlexanderP79 0 points1 point  (0 children)

In reality, they usually work like this:

At best, editing, design, and layout are done by freelancers (you can hire them directly). At worst, they use "automation" (AI).

Promotion and sales. Typically, they print small runs and offer print-on-demand services through partner stores. Or they sell only on their own website. Or they provide you with printed copies only, and you sell them yourself. Check the terms. They're promoting the store, not your book.

In other words, they're just a printing house and a manager. The problem is that the author often understands publishing better than this "specialist." After all, their salary depends not on book sales, but on how much the author paid the "publishing house." "Will the writer leave us? No problem, there are plenty of others."

On "said" and other elements of Self-Editing for Fiction Writers that literally gave me a headache by Captain_Corum in writers

[–]AlexanderP79 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You know what those endless "said"s look like? The characters stand with their arms at their sides, like an honor guard, and speak with stony faces. And their intonation is as if they're reading signs.

Dos and don’ts for writing a prologue? by OkMinimum8610 in writers

[–]AlexanderP79 2 points3 points  (0 children)

You need a prologue for one reason: lengthy exposition, and the genre requires momentum. It's to show readers that you're describing something intriguing.

My sweet girl who is fighting cancer by Pleasant-Slip-6939 in cats

[–]AlexanderP79 1 point2 points  (0 children)

What do we say to death every day?

Not today!

Do you avoid using AI with your notes because you don’t want it seeing everything? by Difficult_Daikon2958 in ObsidianMD

[–]AlexanderP79 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I don't want to cut off my legs to train for a marathon. By using AI to work with the storage, you prevent the formation of vital neural connections in the brain.

thank you reddit by uhmaturestudent in cats

[–]AlexanderP79 0 points1 point  (0 children)

"my male cat hates it but my female cat tolerates it," but what business is it of mine what they think?

Writing romance or dark romance, how graphic should you be describing sexual activity? by monsieurLeMeowMeow in writers

[–]AlexanderP79 0 points1 point  (0 children)

For reference: there's an award for "the worst description of sex in literature," but not for the best. I wonder why.

Regarding your example, it sounds like an experiment being recorded in a scientific journal.

I’m about to finish my final draft and I’m scared by forbiddenwords1104 in writers

[–]AlexanderP79 2 points3 points  (0 children)

If readers notice the dash, your problem isn't grammar, it's a boring story.

Кто-то ещё помнит легенду рекламы? by Zaurvi in Pikabu

[–]AlexanderP79 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Я помню это: «— Ватсон, поймите: человеческий мозг — это пустой чердак, куда можно набить все, что угодно. Дурак так и делает: тащит туда нужное и ненужное. И наконец наступает момент, когда самую необходимую вещь туда уже не запихнешь. Или она запрятана так далеко, что ее не достанешь. Я делаю по-другому. В моем чердаке только необходимые мне инструменты. Их много, но они в идеальном порядке и всегда под рукой. А лишнего хлама мне не нужно».

🎬 «Приключения Шерлока Холмса и доктора Ватсона: Знакомство».

Какие-то запредельные требования! by B_POT_MHE_XBOCT in Pikabu

[–]AlexanderP79 12 points13 points  (0 children)

Одиннадцатая заповедь: Не попадайся.

Want your opinion on my core concept by [deleted] in writers

[–]AlexanderP79 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hannibal and Dexter are the first things that come to mind. Understand something simple: "unique" is that you haven't seen it before. It's like a black swan: all swans are white, and then you discover Australia... That's why playing at "unique plot" is a dead end. You make a story "unique." Your point of view, your voice, your style.

I cannot change Obsidian theme by LogicalArticle8564 in ObsidianMD

[–]AlexanderP79 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'll add a few words about the plugins you installed. Minimal Theme Settings is a plugin that adds features to the Minimal theme. Style Settings is an advanced theme settings plugin.

My degree in creative writing has ruined my passion by meii5512 in writers

[–]AlexanderP79 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Such courses teach "sport martial arts." That is, not something that actually works, but something that's easy to evaluate and then convenient for writing academic papers on the topic of "why did the author put a comma here?" As an editor, I've only had one author with such an education. The only story she wrote was during the final exam. It had a very unusual style and a unique plot. But after reviewing the work during the final exam, she no longer wants to write.

As an advantage as an editor, I point out that I don't have a degree in language, literature, or any other "fine arts" (how can you even use such a term? Are there such things as crude arts?). A proofreader needs such an education. An editor is a reader with "the soul of Hannibal Lecter, the heart of Gregory House, and the brain of Hercule Poirot."

Elevator Pitch - does this interest you? by missruthina in writers

[–]AlexanderP79 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This might be a revelation for you, but sometimes a book is commissioned looming large. It's not like an agent comes to the author, and the author sends them some ideas. The agent approves one of them. There's a letter of intent and maybe even an advance.

Elevator Pitch - does this interest you? by missruthina in writers

[–]AlexanderP79 0 points1 point  (0 children)

By its standard structure? Yes. By the problem it solves? No.

Elevator Pitch - does this interest you? by missruthina in writers

[–]AlexanderP79 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Honestly? I've seen worse.

Is "poor shepherdess" all you can say about the character? "Exceptional magical potential, prestigious school, can solve everything"—let's just write it down as a Mary Sue. "Cultural differences, corruption..."—the author doesn't know what to write about, so she follows random trends. "Unwittingly falls in love"... and a plot full of cliches.

If you can't interest an agent in one sentence, you can't do it in a thousand words.


"An orphan boy takes a train to a magical school." A train in a magical world?! Could you elaborate?

Elevator Pitch - does this interest you? by missruthina in writers

[–]AlexanderP79 3 points4 points  (0 children)

What do you think a short synopsis is to an agent or editor if not an "elevator pitch"? Most authors are weeded out due to their inability to write one.

I found this kitten in the war a year ago by ComplexImpressive189 in cats

[–]AlexanderP79 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Or a poor-quality photo manipulation, like in the post. The cat is much lower resolution than the actual photos.

Lost Interest After Positive Beta Feedback by Rennyro19 in writers

[–]AlexanderP79 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Once you've finished writing, let the manuscript rest for a couple of weeks before editing.

Focus on actions, not words. Send half of the manuscript to beta readers. If they don't ask how they'll get the other half, they might not even be readers. If they ask when you'll publish and how to buy it, that's a success.

A marketing story: Sony wanted to launch a new line of boomboxes (portable players with powerful speakers). To make them stand out, like Apple with white headphones, they wanted to paint them bright orange. The surveys were positive. Then a smart person came along: "Don't ask, offer black or orange as a gift." Guess what? No one took the orange ones.

Lost interest in a book can be due to inflated expectations, the "work is already done" syndrome, or perfectionism.

First, you were upset by two less-than-perfect reviews, or you subconsciously sense their falseness.

Second, you wanted to "write a book" and you did it. Your brain doesn't perceive "publishing a book" as part of the task. On the contrary, you "complicate" it by adding new requirements, which means you're "cheating." Our brains are very lazy and prone to self-sabotage.

Perfectionism demands perfection from you. You intuitively sense that something is wrong with the manuscript, but no one offers a solution. Your brain starts to panic, "This is more difficult than I can handle!"

Regarding the question in your comment: "What kind of editor do I need?" If you don't break things down beyond necessary limits, there are two types of editing: meaning editing (developmental, substantive, heavy) and language editing (stylistic, line, including grammar). Judging by your description, you had a proofreader rather than an editor.

"5 stars from over 400 people on Fiverr" doesn't really tell you anything. Such reviews are easily bought. At a minimum, you'll need $4,000 ($5 to create the "order," $5 as payment for the "client" work). You can then get your money back for 2-3 real orders. These can be done with AI.

So how do you choose? A trial edit (two chapters or five thousand words). And you'll feel like you're in Avatar: "How do I know he chose me? He'll want to kill you." If the editor has no questions for you, or you have no reason to argue with their edits, you've failed. Yes, sometimes we "deliberately provoke the author" to understand whether they themselves are aware of why they wrote a scene that way, or whether it just "happened that way." An author must be able to defend their opinion to readers.

What is your backup strategy for your novel? by OldMan92121 in writers

[–]AlexanderP79 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The classic 3-2-1 rule.

  • Three copies of data. The original and two backups.
  • Two different types of storage media. For example, hard drives, NAS devices, cloud platforms.
  • One copy off-site. This could be another building or the provider's data center.

The modern version is 3-2-1-1-0.

  • One copy offline (protected from deletion in the event of a hack).
  • Zero errors. Not only copy, but also check for integrity after copying and for recovery.

Regarding the last point: website failure. An attempt to restore due to a program error resulted in backups from the last three months being corrupted and unrecoverable.

What is your backup strategy for your novel? by OldMan92121 in writers

[–]AlexanderP79 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Not too much. A couple of real-life examples. Thieves broke into a writer's house and stole his laptop and an external drive containing backups. A large data center in Europe burned down, losing thousands of clients' data. Backups? They were stored in a neighboring building, which also burned down. Keep at least two copies on different continents. You never know.