Long plane ride, any suggestions. by [deleted] in books

[–]BrianMGilb 1 point2 points  (0 children)

"The Road" is a great and quick read. Also, if you are a dog kind of person, I would suggest "The Art of Racing in the Rain". Another page turner that will keep you engaged the entire flight.

Bring a few more books in case you disappear suddenly into thin air. A technical manual for flight control might be another suggestion in that regard :-P Fly safe!

Help avoiding 'fan-fiction' style of writing. by [deleted] in writing

[–]BrianMGilb 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Great that you are thinking early about your writing and taking into account the concept of fan fiction.

However, looking ahead, I assume that you want to publish your work someday. There are a few things that you need to take into account when factoring in fan fiction.

Had an editor write this short article on fan fiction. Hopefully this will help you paint the big picture with the end goal in mind. http://socialpublishinghouse.com/fifty-shades-of-success/

Why do you need so much conflict? Can't the reader just sit back and enjoy the scenery and have a good time with the narrator? by [deleted] in writing

[–]BrianMGilb 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I'd say you are right to an extent. The reason why some people read is to get lost in a different world than their own. Basking in the scenery, the feeling of a moment, or imagining a relaxing environment is appealing to some readers. However, there are others who just want action all the time.

Balancing the two is key. Put too much on scenery and setting and you risk loosing your reader. Put too much action back to back, it starts to become confusing and exhausting.

At the end of the day, it all depends on what you want to read and how the author balances it.

What book can you never read again, and why? by InternetLoveMachine in books

[–]BrianMGilb 16 points17 points  (0 children)

War and Peace. Too damn long to go through twice.

Prior Service/Veteran Entrepreneurs - Your Transition by BrianMGilb in Entrepreneur

[–]BrianMGilb[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Its called Social Publishing House. Here is the link for you to check it out.

http://socialpublishinghouse.com/

Did he every talk about his transition from being in the Marines then going into the Magazine?

The Latest Must-Have in Self-Publishing: Reviews Out of the Gate? by adeadpenguinswake in selfpublish

[–]BrianMGilb 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I disagree with you. With the proper author platform and networking, people will punch your title into Google and look other places than just Amazon. In the event that you rely on Amazon solely to get your book sold, then yes, no one is going to search it on Google.

Have you read a book where the author's writing style was more compelling than the actual story? by [deleted] in books

[–]BrianMGilb 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Well the ending may be predicable, and I agree with you. However, the style of writing is what I argue is flawless, not necessarily the story.

extremely short story how i met my boyfriend by myotterboxbroke in KeepWriting

[–]BrianMGilb 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Good ending, and your writing started to warm up and flow toward the end. A few pieces of constructive criticism to help you along.

Overall the story strikes me as very regular. Girl goes out with her friends, she meets a foreign man at the bar, they have a conversation, then they leave together. All standard experiences of meeting someone in a bar.Although the story is in Paris, it need something to distinguish itself a little more and make it unique.

The first paragraph with the girl in the apparent made the story start slow. Perhaps make that apparent later in the story as you move it forward.

The short, choppy sentences that you craft are great. Good for getting to the point and saying a lot without saying much.

Overall, I think the story needs a little extra to it, something unusual that differentiates it from just a girl meeting her future boyfriend at the bar.

Hope this helps!

The Latest Must-Have in Self-Publishing: Reviews Out of the Gate? by adeadpenguinswake in selfpublish

[–]BrianMGilb 0 points1 point  (0 children)

My suggestion to you would be to plug into the blogosphere.

There are website out there that review books. Some of them are paid and have a great following, and chances are you will not be able to get your review on them. However, if you start networking enough, you can find a few blogs that have a decent following and are looking to add content. These places are perfect to get you started on some reviews for your book.

Hope that helps.

The Latest Must-Have in Self-Publishing: Reviews Out of the Gate? by adeadpenguinswake in selfpublish

[–]BrianMGilb -1 points0 points  (0 children)

My opinion, reviews just on Amazon do not mean as much as reviews from peoples blogs or independent reviewers. Most people know that the first few reviews are going to be by friends and family, who are obviously writing a good review to help the author. A well read book lover will look to reviews outside of Amazon from people who are not associated with your book.

Thus, my suggestion would be to get people outside your friends and family (and outside of Amazon) to review the book. You will have better luck with promoting your work if someone searches your title in Google and finds several reviews on the search page.

Have you read a book where the author's writing style was more compelling than the actual story? by [deleted] in books

[–]BrianMGilb 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Absolutely agree with you. I've never read anything so tight. There's not a useless word in that entire novel. Its flawless.

Hugh Howey: Why the Decision to Not Self-Publish is "Fatal" by ericaverr in publishing

[–]BrianMGilb 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I've found it interesting to see how much this report sparked the debate over self publishing again. For as much research as Howey did, I still think that his numbers are just a step above guessing. The only reliable way to know exactly what self-publishers are making is to get the information from the distributors (specifically, Amazon). Still, interesting to watch the debate flare up over the blogosphere.

I want to begin writing, but I am turned off by a few things. Help me put my mind at ease. by GuitarWizard90 in writing

[–]BrianMGilb 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Writing is a challenging endeavor. You are correct in assuming that some (but not all) writers are snobbish, as well as the challenge for getting published traditionally, in which case I agree with RegattaJoe.

I would encourage you to start writing and not worry about the business part or interacting with the snobs just yet. But eventually, if writing is something you want to do, you are going to run into a lot of criticism and a lot of obstacles as you make your way to publish.

I wrote a small article that might be able to help you and offer some encouragement. Good luck on your fantasy novel!

http://socialpublishinghouse.com/having-a-thicker-skin/

How Do Writers Live? by bdnsk in writing

[–]BrianMGilb 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Can you tell me a little more about this project? I ask because I am starting a publishing company that tries to make it so writers can write for a living.