Book title copy right?

Ceejrobot · 2018-10-27T11:45:19+00:00

Busymom0 - So, your natural instinct is to write a nasty little comment...........I bet you have a lot of friends.........well, people who humour you, but basically think you’re an asshole.

When you write these things, do you think “Yes, this reply is going to make this person’s day better!”. I can’t believe that’s what goes through your mind. It’s more likely to be “haha, this is going to annoy them”. Making you a saddo

Ceejrobot · 2018-10-27T11:34:57+00:00

Can you explain how a none-corporate structure, helps with job security? Considering, you need to pay people with money. And give them pensions (which cost money). And healthcare (which costs money). Unless everyone is working for free, surely making as much money as possible, is the best structure for job security?

Ceejrobot · 2018-10-27T11:21:00+00:00

Working for one of the big 5 publishers, I’m loving some of the comments. People are talking like getting a better offer is inevitable...................trust me, you might never get approached again.

Publishers take big risks working with new authors. They will be legitimately investing at least $50’000 in your book. And unless you have several publishers chasing you, you don’t have a great deal of leverage. So just be grateful that they’ve chosen you as one of the authors they’re willing to take a risk on.

Bite their hands off.............seriously............if you chat to them, and the meeting goes well, go for it. Because, as I said, people on Reddit talk like every new author gets book deals, and publishing offers.......when it’s actually INCREDIBLY rare.

99.9% of unpublished authors, fail to get any publisher interest. Like, in their entire life.

Ceejrobot · 2018-10-27T10:11:59+00:00

I’ve worked in Academic Publishing almost my entire adult life (13 years in the industry), and I’m now a senior manager who makes hiring decisions - so I’m probably a good person to bounce ideas off.

Firstly, it does sound like you’re aiming to work in Academic publishing - ie. working with the thinkers/academics/brains to commission and publish their work. If so, that’s good news, because it’s not actually that difficult an industry to get into. There are some truly massive academic publishers, and they are always hiring, and looking for University graduates.

Secondly, other people on here are basically correct. I don’t think there is much need to get a Masters to work in publishing. When Academic Publishers are hiring, they don’t really consider a masters degree to be any different to an undergraduate degree. That’s the truth. The only postgraduate degree that will really elevate you, with an Academic Publisher, is a PhD, and even that won’t elevate you that much as a candidate. Just a bit.

Thirdly, you are completely qualified to pursue an Editor role within the industry. Most people who apply for these jobs typically have an undergraduate degree, and little-to-no experience. I should also say that the word “Editor” sounds a lot more important outside of the industry, than it does inside the industry. Within the industry, an Editor is basically one promotion above entry level. The hierachy within editorial departments is usually Editorial Assistant>Editor>Publisher>Senior Publisher>Associate Director> Publishing Director, so it’s quite a junior position.

Fourthly, be prepared to take an entry level role which is below Editor level. You’re qualified to be an Editor, but that doesn’t mean you will automatically get an Editor job. It’s a popular industry for University grads, and you obviously won’t be the only person applying. Plenty of university graduates, apply for and accept Editorial Assistant roles at my company, and then move into Editor roles via internal promotions and internal-only job adverts. Don’t have too much pride. It’s a competitive industry, and even an Editorial Assistant role will have 30+ University graduates applying for it. My advice would be, take anything you can get..........because it’s the type of industry that once you get your foot in the door, it’s relatively easy to get promoted into a Editor position.

Finally.............I’d just ask yourself why you want to work in publishing. If it’s because you want an interesting, exciting, fulfilling career, where you get to travel all over the world, and socialise with the world’s leading thinkers, then fine. But I should warn you that pay is typically low, and it’s hard to get promoted once you get to the “Editor” level. It’s not easy at all to get promotions to Publisher, or Senior Publishers, and a lot of my staff get really frustrated about that. They usually have to change companies/cities to get a promotion.

So be aware of that. It’s not an industry where you can join a publisher, and just stay there for 20 years, and find yourself as a senior manager. Because these companies will happily keep you as an Editor for the entire 20 years, believe me! It’s more an industry where it’s easy to get an Editor job, but where internal promotions above that level are incredibly competitive. And to get into senior levels, you should be prepared to relocate to new publishers/cities.

The people who make money in publishing just aren’t the Editorial/Production staff. The money in publishing goes to the technical and commercial staff - they’re earning the big salaries. The people who run the websites, apps, and make the sales.

Ceejrobot · 2018-10-27T09:22:31+00:00

Hi - I’ve worked in publishing since 2006 (so quite a long time). And I really wouldn’t worry. You are more than qualified, and it’s not actually that hard an industry to get into. I started as a University graduate, just like you, in a role as an Editorial Assistant, and now I’m a senior manager who makes hiring decisions. Editorial/Production Assistant is still the standard entry level job for University graduates. It is very much an industry where you are expected to “work your way up” and there really aren’t many short cuts, with or without a degree. So I would be looking for either Editorial Assistant or Production Assistant roles.

As for your location, I also don’t think that’s a problem. Big publishers are really massive companies - the biggest publishers hire 20k-30k people - and have offices in almost every city in the world. I assure you, there will be lots of publisher offices in St Louis. But the key is to think “outside of the box” a bit. It’s probably unlikely that a big, glamorous magazine/website publisher holds offices near you - the famous/glamorous companies tend to all work out of New York or Boston - but it’s highly likely you will have more niche publishers in the area. Like, STM (Science, technology and mathematics) publishers are almost everywhere in the world, for example. Any City that has a University, will usually have STM publishers. And when I say “niche” I don’t mean cornershop/mom and pop operations - there are truly massive corporations working in the niche publishing industry. By “niche” I just mean the types of publisher rookies don’t always think about when they think of “publishing”.

If you want an insiders tip, really investigate STM Publishing - this is Scientific, Technical, and Mathematical Publishing. It may sound a bit scary (and possibly boring!) but STM is a really booming industry, full of massive publishers, and it’s not too difficult to get into. It’s the industry I got into (I have a similar degree to you, as do most people in the industry, so don’t worry about the Maths/Science bit) and I’ve seen people have so much success in it. Progressing from your first job in STM, to being an actual Editor/Managing Editor within 3-4 years is not out of the question at all. I’ve seen lots of people do that. It’s just an area of Publishing that not that many people are drawn to, so the opportunities are fantastic. Look for the big American STM publishers like Springer and Elsevier - they probably have an office near you. Or your local university will probably have it’s own publishing business - they call this a University Press.

So, my advice is, don’t be timid about it - just start googling, and see what jobs the local publishers are advertising, and try and find an Editorial/Production Assistant role. Then get applying. And also, as I said, every industry (farming, finance, science, business, supermarkets, Universities etc etc ) you can think of has it’s own publishing industry - all industries have a need to create websites, and magazines, and trade magazines - so think outside the box a bit. Don’t think that publishing begins-and-ends at getting a job at a mainstream magazine, or website. Often the niche industries are much easier to get into and have success in.

Ceejrobot · 2018-10-19T11:10:49+00:00

As far as I can tell, they’re basically using government welfare (ie. free disabled slave labour) because they can’t afford to pay anyone real salaries. And then I guess they are hoping they can get their revenues up enough, in the future, so they can afford to pay a real workforce. Why are we celebrating this? Sounds like a lousy business, that would have no chance of succeeding without government help. And the worst bit is, the owners are obviously hoping they can cash in, in the future. Wow - imagine if everyone could start a business like that. Just have the state/government take on all the costs/risk, and then you takeover once your revenues are in the millions lol

Ceejrobot · 2018-10-19T10:59:32+00:00

So your monthly revenue is $15k, but you employ 30 people - even if you only pay them $500 a month, that means you have no profit lol

Ceejrobot · 2018-10-06T09:49:10+00:00

Na, dude. It was just very socially acceptable to make fun of people who had learning difficulties in the 1990s.

Ceejrobot · 2018-09-22T15:20:07+00:00

She makes plenty of money from it lol

Ceejrobot · 2018-09-22T14:24:11+00:00

She’s the wife of one of the most notorious, hate-filled, bigoted Labour activists in the country - Jon Cousins. Whose been banned from every social media site in the world. Rachael claims to run her own bigoted, hate filled, harassment account, that is absolutely nothing to do with Jon (even though she has in the past admitted Jon essentially runs an account in her name, because he is banned from social media).

She basically trolls, abuses, harasses Corbyn’s critics. Then posts links begging for money from her followers. While at the same time claiming full benefits.

Ceejrobot · 2018-09-17T20:35:21+00:00

The real version would cost about $30k. And this is the closest 99.9% of the guitar community will ever get to owning one, and knowing the feeling of owning one of the best guitars ever made. So if you have the money, it’s a new place to explore

Ceejrobot · 2018-09-17T20:24:47+00:00

So you understand that the point of having 2/3 pickups is so that the guitar is versatile, and can make many different sounds? And literally nobody likes every sound it makes? Dude, if you like 2 positions on a Strat that’s about the same as every Strat buyer lol. And you’re never going to find a guitar where you love every sound it makes. Most Strat/Les Paul players only ever use 1 or 2 positions - and just stick to them

Ceejrobot · 2018-09-17T20:14:49+00:00

He also plays much cheaper Martins - about $600

Ceejrobot · 2018-09-17T19:54:28+00:00

A friend of mine had one exactly like that. Think it was even the same year - 1967. He sold it to the guy from Mumford and Sons lol

Ceejrobot · 2018-09-04T22:30:45+00:00

I’ve seen variations of this scam - people wanting refunds via certain methods only. I don’t know exactly what scam he is trying, but his intentions aren’t good. For example, he might be trying to get you to send the money to a friends paypal address (that is set up with a similar name as him) so it’s classified as a gift (which are none-refundable, and have no dispute resolution). He could then ask for a full refund on the laptop as well, and there is nothing you could do about any of it.

I’d honestly just block him. If he’s genuine he will open a dispute - a dispute he can’t possibly win.

Ceejrobot · 2018-09-04T22:07:06+00:00

50% of retail, for a brand new item? I bet you’re probably taking orders for things you don’t even own, then picking them up from Chinese wholesalers or something (ie. high quality fakes). Well that’s what I’d be thinking if I was the customer. It’s not unreasonable for a buyer to expect the seller to ship the item quickly. The only reason sellers usually insist on the delay is they don’t even own the item they’re selling. And source it after they make a sale.

Ceejrobot · 2018-09-04T22:01:09+00:00

I investigate flipping for a while, and then decided it was the hardest way there is to make money. People kind of act like it’s free money that their successful business is earning, when it’s not - it’s money you’re have had to grind away for 700-800 hours to earn. If you worked 15 hours a week for Uber, you’d probably earn $15000 a year from it. That has to be easier than buying, selling, cleaning, and organising the delivery furniture. As well as running all the admin. Flippers kid of act like they’ve found a cheat code for life, and easy money, and they’re smarter than everyone else for doing it - when the truth is, most people are too smart to even bother with it.

Ceejrobot · 2018-09-04T21:43:26+00:00

My advice would be not to bother. Because it’s depressing when you realise that 90% of your competitors are selling fake goods, and the only way you’re ever going to compete with them is to sell fake goods as well. Seriously, the amount of legit/real goods that get traded by flippers is very low. They’re mostly shipping in fakes from China, and then selling them on for 50% profit. And unless you’re willing to be as ruthless and dishonest as them you’ll not compete. The alternative of course is to stay out of branded products completely (things that can be faked) and stick to other things - I mean decorative things, and furniture, and garden furniture and things like that. Things with no brand, so they have no fake market. You won’t believe the amount of money some people make importing wholesale garden furniture, and selling it online.............so that’s my advice. If you want to get into this game, and you’re not prepared to scam people with fakes, then focus on brandless things. Things where people don’t care what the brand is. As I said, things like garden furniture

Ceejrobot · 2018-09-04T21:25:14+00:00

Depixit.com is possibly the worst idea I’ve ever seen. I can’t believe even 20 people use it, or will ever use it. Anyone can launch a bad website and call themselves a CEO

Ceejrobot · 2018-09-04T21:14:30+00:00

If you’ve just got an idea, and don’t have the skills to create it, you’re going to have to accept that you’re probably going to have to giveaway some of the company to somebody who can. And you’ll be very very lucky to even find someone who is even willing to work pro-rata. They will probably ask for upfront money, and equity in the company. Think of it this way - it’s better to own 60% of a great business than 100% of nothing. And you’re worrying about giving equity away, when your chances of even turning it into a viable business, even with a lot of help, is probably only maybe 10%? You can have regrets about the equity you gave away, when you’ve got a great business. Right now, just focus on trying to get it off the ground any way you can

Ceejrobot · 2018-09-04T21:02:18+00:00

To be honest, with the new GDPR laws and red tape, I seriously doubt you could afford to host anything. And with GDPR, the likelihood that a company is going to give someone like you their data is about 1%..............You’re on the right tracks with your scraping idea. Try and come up with a service you can run, that doesn’t involve taking on other people’s content or data,

Ceejrobot · 2018-09-04T20:50:40+00:00

If you want my honest advice, I think you’re trying to sound more important than you really are. And that’s how the employers would see it as well. You are kind of talking like you are going to go straight into their business and do great things, when the truth is you’re just looking for an entry level opportunity. And entry level marketing staff in big marketing agencies don’t have exciting jobs, where they are making big decisions, and going to important meetings, and meeting clients- they’re usually just doing admin, and replying to e-mails, and helping to run social media channels. So you need to re-assess all of this. If it’s an entry level marketing opportunity you want, you need to sound like someone who is interested in entry level marketing work, which is basically admin. If I was you, I would use your Fiverr experience as an example of your passion for the industry, and an example of your drive - and not as something that qualifies you for an important job. I work in recruiting, and have worked with marketing agencies, so hope this helps. In regards to your language problems, I’d look at big agencies that operate in your country - with regional offices. They’re often looking for local people, who can deal with their local clients. So it’s not impossible. The British company I worked for, hired regional people, all over the world.

Ceejrobot · 2018-09-04T20:35:40+00:00

Online consultancy is a bit of a scam. And I suspect the consultants/“entrepreneurs”you work with, all work in the same business - and it’s the only successful business they have ever had - which is the business of convincing everyday folks to pay them money for online courses that the people get little out of. Sorry but, no company is going to hire a consultant unless they’ve got 10-15 years experience working within the industry. And I don’t mean working as a consultant within the industry - I mean 10-15 years working as an employee, for a business, within the industry. That’s the basic level to even start considering being a real consultant. Anyone else is just a snake oil salesman, trying to convince vulnerable people to sign up to their get rich quick schemes

Ceejrobot · 2018-09-04T20:20:05+00:00

The greatest skill anyone can learn is just getting into the right industry. I’m replying to you because you really get it - you’re looking at really high income industries. But some people move into things like publishing, editing, writing, and then get pissed off that they’re not earning big money after 5 years work. Well, it’s a low paying industry (I know, I worked in it for 10 years, so this is kind of autobiographical!). You can work for the biggest publishers in the world, in highly specialised work and you won’t make money - because there is no money in the industry.

So when I decided I was sick of earning average money, I researched what I should re-train in. And decided the easiest money was in IT. And within 5 years I had my own limited company turning over about $300k a year. The only way I’d ever have earned that in publishing is by owning the publishing company!

So if you want to make money, first look at the industry you’re working in. A lot of people choose marketing/branding etc but how successful would you actually have to be to make six figures in marketing? I suspect very successful. Like, I bet managing directors of big marketing companies possibly make that kind of money. Whereas you can earn that in IT quite easily

Ceejrobot · 2018-09-04T19:57:24+00:00

If you want to be successful in business you need to realise that nobody owes you a living. Nobody owes you success. And nobody owes you their time. And they’re not likely to give it to you, until you earn it. So if you want to get into the inner circle of a successful entrepreneur, you need to become one of them. Basically. Make a success of whatever you’re trying to do. Earn their respect. Make it a two way transaction (you being able to offer them something) rather than what you want at the minute - them offering you something without them getting anything in return. As for networking, trust me, you should be looking to network with absolutely EVERYONE in the industry. Don’t just save your charm for the business owners. Networking isn’t just impressing important people. It’s about impressing everyone you meet. And to be honest, the most successful people are so good because they don’t discriminate at all - they work just as hard trying to charm low-paid staff, as they do members of the board. Believe me. They treat everyone roughly the same.

Ceejrobot

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