There is an old commercial that I absolutely hate.  It went a little like this: the professor is browbeating his students by telling them that no matter how hard they try, most of them would never be published because publishing is a hard-core terrible business that is all about the money.  A smart-alec student stands up and eloquently delivers the argument that with the new technologies in printing everyone would soon have their chance.  Some one please taser him.

With the amazing number of technologies now providing all of us writer types an ever-expanding choice of publishing venues I believe we are drowning our readers in mediocre at best work.  As a part of my life with a publishing company, I see a lot of works destined for the infamous slush pile.  As a writer, the slush pile is where it takes lightning to strike your work twice before it has any chance of getting noticed.  If it gets noticed, it never fails to shock me when an editor sends a request for edits or to tell a writer this is their last chance to submit their best effort and they just send back in the same copy as last time.

Here is the terrible truth about publishing, most books, no matter how great, will never sell more than 500 copies in its life.  An extremely small number of books actually make money and an even smaller number become well known.  With the economy changing in ways that defy prediction and the core industry functions behind publishing and book selling in a state of disarray, let me tell you, good isn't good enough any more.  It isn't even close.  Your work has to be stunning to have any chance, no matter how small, to survive.  All the advertising in the world can't fix substandard work.

I remember back a couple of decades ago to a bit of advice that stuck with me.  If you show someone your work and the first thing they say is that "it is good" or that you are "such a good writer" – you have failed.  I know, that sounded really harsh.  Sadly, it is true.  If your reader noticed your typing skills and clever word choices then you failed to suspend disbelief and truly draw them into your work.  If you wrote a piece about growing strawberries and the reader doesn't first say something about their experience with their own strawberries, you have failed.  They can tell you how great a writer you are later.  First, they had better playing in the dirt with you enjoying a strawberry, then they can talk about your writing.  The words have to fade behind the content.  Reading is not about words; it is a personal experience of imagination.  If you don't deliver, it's not good enough.

I will never forget the first time I had a fictional work being reviewed and the reviewers walked up to me and launched into comments about the execution of my crime scene.  It took me a couple of comments to catch onto the magnitude of what had just happened.  My words had managed to deliver the goods confidently from the orchestra pit, unseen, allowing the story to take the stage.

If your story hasn't taken its first bow, you have work to do, it isn't good enough, yet.

I will start with a contradictory statement about myself.  I am both a technophobe and a serious techno geek.  I have been involved in whatever the hot techie toys happened to be for the last 30 years.  I learn as much as I can about technology because it is both interesting and terrifying.  Try to picture your life without either the cell phone or e-mail.  You begin to get the idea.  Plus, I really don't trust the words, "It's in the computer like that."  I want to know at least how that happened.

I will confess that if it were not for the computer and its wonderful word processing softwares, I would not be a writer.  I don't think I could do the whole typing it once and hoping.  Forget pounding out 100,000 words long hand.  That ain't happening.

So, if tech is necessary, when is it too much?  Recently, I have found myself retreating from much of the wonderful toys that are just waiting to eat up every spare moment of my time.  By the time you check your e-mail, answer all your social networking messages, answer a few application requests, fiddle with the bluetooth, check out your tweets, etc., it is shocking the number of hours that have disappeared.

It is becoming more and more difficult to budget real writing time versus communication time.  As if just plain everyday living can't find enough ways to keep you from writing, now the pressure to e-communicate is crushing.

I am returning to a basic idea in accounting, ROI.  ROI stands for return on investment.  As a writer, I have begun to brutally look at the time I am spending at the computer from this harsh point of view.  What I am getting out of each keystroke?  How much was my time worth?  Did I just spend that last hour in a method of communication that in some way advanced my career or is that yet another lost hour of my life that did nothing to meet my next deadline?

This may sound harsh, but the publishing business has never been in worse shape than it is today.  If you wish to have any chance, it may be time to type more and tech less.

This was the first year for this convention.  While it certainly had a few issues, it went much better than most new conventions.  My first compliment goes to the choice of venue.  While the hotel is pricey for a convention, it can handle a lot of people easily with plenty of room to grow.

The actual event was held in the convention center in the next building.  Everything was a simple escalator ride away.   In spite of some minor signage issues, the layout made it easy to find any event you were looking for.  All of the programs I was at were well attended by some great fans.  I do have to apologize, I was recovering from an illness and still on antibiotics over the weekend so I did not spend a lot of free time out at the convention.  For those of you that I did have a chance to meet and talk with, you were all great.  Everyone was really into the spirit of being at the convention.

Politics in Science Fiction:
This panel turned out to be a very interesting conversation about the core theme politics plays in the best science fiction.  The audience really dove into the topic.

Monsters:
A great panel with a great crowd.  This panel covered a huge amount of monstrous topics in a very fast hour.

Writer's Workshop:
It was amazing to see how many motivated potential writers were willing to get up at 8 in morning to get schooled in the craft.  It was even more amazing to see how many professional writers were up at 8 on the Sunday morning of a convention to dish out the schooling.

Villains:
Another great panel with a fabulous audience that was there to get into the topic.  The interaction was simply fabulous.

Publishing:
The devilish moderator sort of set me up as the publisher and played the writer's view of the business off of the publisher's view.  As the last panel of the convention, it was a blast with a large and enthusiastic audience.

Panelist I got to work with:
Dwayne DeBardelaben, Christina Barber, J. F. Lewis, M. B. Weston, Shelly Li, Van Allen Plexico, William Drinkard, Stephanie Osborn, and Sherrilyn Kenyon.

Thanks again to everyone for making this such a wonderful convention and experience.

This was the first year in a very long time that MidSouthCon has used a new hotel as its venue.  While, I am positive that there were many rough spots that will need to be ironed out by both the hotel and convention staff, I have to say that I truly enjoyed this new venue.  The dealer room was spacious and very well run by its manager, Stuart.  The Kerlak staff had a marvelous time.

As for me, I very nearly didn't make it this year due to illness.  With the aid of wonderful people and $550.00 worth of antibiotics, I managed to squeak by.  In spite of feeling like warmed over death, I had a great time.  I would like to thank everyone I met for being so nice and involved in the Con spirit.

Roundtable with Publishers and Editors
9:00 am Saturday
Ann VanderMeer, Jackie Gamber, Bill Snodgrass, Marty Halpern, & Allan Gilbreath
This panel turned into a spirited discussion with the audience about just does it take to get published.  A lot of great advice was given out.

1990 to Today - The New Vampire
11:00 am Saturday
J. F. Lewis, Andrew Fox, Sara Harvey, & Allan Gilbreath
We had a great time discussing the historical and literary history of the vampire.  We also had a pretty good time picking on the modern media's version of our favorite fanged characters.

Between Lovecraft and King - Horror in the 40s, 50s, and 60s.
6:00 pm Saturday
J. F. Lewis, Tracy Morris, Linda Donahue, and Allan Gilbreath
A very interesting look at the pulp horror during the heyday of dime store novels and B movies. 

Small Fish in Big Pond
10:00 am Sunday
Bill Snodgrass, Dan Gamber, Jackie Gamber, Stephanie Osbourn, Selina Rosen, and Allan Gilbreath
An unflinching look at what it means to be in the small press publishing business.

It Was a Dark and Stormy Night
2:00 pm Sunday
Jackie Gamber, Kimberly Richardson, Cullen Johnson, Stephanie Osborn, Kat Hibpshman, Jeff VanderMeer, Salina Rosen, and Allan Gilbreath
Hapless writers attempt to create an impromptu story based on the "index card" submissions for the Con attendees.  We were lucky to escape with our lives.  Who knew laughter could be fatal?

Normally, advice on how to be a successful writer centers on actually typing something, however, there are times when we need to consider what it takes to get to the point where you can actually type something.  I am talking about your writing environment.  That's correct, things like your desk, screen, and, most importantly, your chair.

Stage one of becoming a writer is to write wherever and whenever you can.  Sooner or later, you are going to grind out that first work and get rolling.  Regardless of the conditions, you just have to get it done.  Next is the hard part, finding a venue for your work.  If you cross that threshold, you still have a few more choices to make.  Was all that hard work and time worth it just to see your short story online or, if you were really good and lucky, in print.  Speaking as a writer, I can tell you that it was all well worth the effort.  Once you have decided that writing is something you are going to pursue, you need to make your life a little easier.

Nearly all writers do the bulk of their writing at home and we have all banged out work perched in an uncomfortable chair at the kitchen table.  Now that you are hooked, we need to look at not killing your body to be a writer.  The first question is what kind of space do you have?  Most of us have limited space to work with so be completely honest with yourself.  Since the computer has become the centerpiece of all media, is it time to rearrange the furniture to accommodate everyone's computer needs?  You may find that your family hasn't been in the dining room in a year.  In spite of what the relatives may think, it may be time to dump the traditional layout and set up the family cube farm.  While your household may not be that extreme you get the idea.

Pick a workstation or desk that fits your space and needs.  Forget matching the rest of the furniture, this is writing not decorating.  After you sell your first movie deal, you can a cool set of matching furniture made.  Until then, we are talking function not beauty.  Don't be afraid to try furniture on for size while you are at the office supply store.  That’s why they put all that furniture together in the first place.

Since you are going to spend hours staring at the screen, pick a good one.  Since writing is not exactly a difficult task for a computer, you don't need a wicked fast processor or other bells and whistles.  All you need is the basics for hardware.  Step up in quality on the screen.

Next to the screen is your precious keyboard.  Again, do not settle for any old keyboard.  This is the tool of your trade.  Try them on for size and pick what works for you.  Personally, I prefer the "wave" style keyboards.  They take a little getting used to, but they keep my shoulders from killing me after a few hours of work.  Don't hang on to a keyboard after it starts getting beat down.  If you have broken one of the support legs and worn the letters off, throw that poor wobbly thing away and get a new one.

Please make sure to protect yourself from carpal tunnel.  Purchase new pads as needed. Don't hurt yourself over a ratty old mouse pad.  They don't cost that much.

Now, we come to the most important thing you can do for your writing and yourself!  Get a good chair!  I don't mean steal one from the kitchen or go prop up in bed on ten pillows, I mean go try them on and pick a good chair that gives you the support you need.  Again, we are not talking leather, décor, or things that look good.  We are talking about a critical part of the process here.  If you can't sit in comfort, you can't concentrate.  You will be shocked at what a difference to your productivity a good chair will make.  Again, don't be afraid to re-invest every so often.  When your current chair starts to fall off the pace a bit, replace it.  Think of it as re-tooling the factory floor.

Get yourself into the write environment, then we will find out if you have the write stuff.

When you are a writer, your choice of words is everything.  If you are working on a college thesis, feel free to use as many convoluted phrases and intellectually extravagate words as you see fit.  However, in the world of fiction you have to consider your audience and their expectations.

I know the words formulaic writing are dirty words, but, they may be your key to getting successfully published.  Now, before you start looking for a torch and pitchfork, let's talk about audience expectations.

The first thing to understand about your audience is that it is an audience of one.  Much like a writer spends hours alone at the keyboard, your reader may be spending hours alone with your words.  Write like you are communicating directly with that one reader.  If you think that way while writing, chances are good that your word choices will be more personal and less grandiose.

Know your genre.  Please, drop the pretense that your work transcends genre.  If it is a fantasy adventure, then embrace your genre and feel free to steal any aspect of any other genre you need to make your book uniquely yours.  I repeat, embrace your genre and meet the expectations of your reader.  Failure to cover the formulaic basics may mean alienating the core audience you need to make your book a success.

Know your classic themes.  While a marvelously twisted exploration of the limits of the readers ability to comprehend your maliciously overly convoluted plot developments can be a lot of fun, keep in mind, nothing beats the simple classic themes. 

Good vs Evil
Boy meets Girl
Unrequited Love
Twist of Fate
Jealousy
Destiny
Greed
Obsession
A Quest
Rescue

You get the idea.  The real challenge is to see what you can do to enrich the good old-fashioned classic motivations and conflicts.  Remember, classical literature has already held up to test of time. 

Read the classics, legacy and modern.  If you have a killer idea for a book, start looking for other works that are related, the older and better known the better.  Read it.  Dissect it and figure out what makes it a classic.  How has it made it this far?  What word choices are being made to make this a classic?  What can it teach you about writing your own classic?

Use the words and phrases your genre expects.  If you are writing a noir detective story, use the proper wording for the genre.  If your hardboiled flatfoot from the seedy side of town has a foppish vocabulary, you have a lot of explaining to do that may be in vain.  If you are writing seedy and hard-boiled, then the expectation is that the word choice is hard-boiled and seedy. 

If you are not sure whether or not you are hitting your marks, it is time for bribery.  You need someone not involved in the writing project to read it out loud to you.  It will be painfully apparent if your words are not painting the proper mental image.  Take your medicine and make the proper word choices.  You will see you chances of getting published increase dramatically.

Chattanooga in January may not sound like the best time to hold a convention, but it seems to work out fine for the nice folks at ChattaCon.  Since I had never been before, I didn't really know what to expect.  Fortunately, it turned out to be a nice weekend.

My drive over was not the best of beginnings.  Due to a short detour I needed make, I chose to take Highway 64 from Memphis to Chattanooga.  If you have absolutely no agenda or time limit, it can be an adventurous drive.  I, however, had no such luxury.  Although, I have to admit, the sightseeing highlight of the trip was the frozen waterfalls adorning the rock walls that line sections of the highway.  They are truly impressive.  The many small towns areas, construction zones, and active blasting areas made for an interesting mix of scenery and speed limits.  One construction area even provided me with the experience of being passed by a duck.  It was not flying.

The host hotel, the Chattanooga Choo Choo is a railroad themed complex that is laid out in such a way that no matter where your room is or where you are supposed to be next, you have a bit of hike coming.  Happily, the weather wasn't all that cold and there are plenty of covered walkways and trolleys to help you on your way. 

In spite of a horrific backlog at the check in for your Con badge everyone remained in a good mood and eventually everyone got processed.  The dealer room was nicely laid out and next door to the meeting rooms where the panels would be held.

After a good night's rest and a fabulous breakfast buffet, I was ready to dive in.  My first panel was Refining The Inspiration featuring Stephanie Osborn, Bill Snodgrass, and Hunter Cressall.  This was a very nice insight into where we get our ideas and how we turn them into work.

Mythology and Mythical Creatures featured Phillip Sacco, Linda Donahue, Geoffrey Girard, and myself.  It turned out to be a spirited tour through the world's mythologies.  The audience really got involved and asked lots of good questions.

If you happen to see Doc Osborn on the program list at a convention, make sure you see his magic and comedy show.  You want to be on his side in the event of complete world domination.

I would like to thank all the great people that stopped by the booth and attended the panels.  I hope y'all had as good a time as I did.  For those of you just reading my work for the first time, I certainly hope you enjoy.

Just what is innovation?  Is it originality? Is it modernization?  Is it doing more with less?  Being imaginative?

With the New Year has come the mother of all hangovers, a recession.  Think of it as the penalty of for the excess of the last few years.  A whole lot of allegedly smart people spent a lot of time and a lot of effort to get us into this mess.  Ironically, it is going to take all of us normal people to get a grip on our own lives and take responsibility for ourselves to fix this mess.

So, just what does all this mean for us, the writers, artists, musicians, and other creative types.  It means we get back to our starving artists roots and create, adapt, and innovate. 

One innovation I would like to put forward is that of project planning.  I know that planning is somewhat of an alien idea in the creative sector, but without some idea of what you are trying to do for yourself you will find yourself floundering.  In tough economic times, it is crucial that you not waste time, resources, and effort.  It is hard enough to make a living artistically, now it may seem nearly impossible.

Making each piece that I work on into a project and trying to apply the basic rules of project management helps keep things in perspective.  There are three basic concepts common to all projects:

Time
Money
Quality

If I asked you which was the most important, you would most likely tell me that they were all equally important.  The answer seems so obvious you will probably give me a funny look to boot.  Sadly, equality among the basic concepts is a recipe for at best mediocrity and at worst the complete failure of your project. 

The terrible truth is that there is nothing equal about them.  Only one of the concepts can rule any project.  The other two just have to fall in line.

Think about it.  When was the last time you had all the funds you needed for a project?  I am guessing never.  All projects large and small have a budget.  You may not plan to have a budget, or have even thought that there was a budget.  I assure you, your life has a budget.

Obviously, there is always plenty time.  Well, lets say that your lease is up and you have to close your studio in ten days, so much for money and quality.  You have to get your stuff out or it hits the streets.  The costs and quality of the move have become secondary to the time you have left to get your stuff moved.  Here come the friends, pickup trucks, and trash bags to the rescue.

Certainly, we can still control the quality of what we do.  Quality is dependant on the time you have to do the project and the resources available to get it done.  If you have a deadline, you work will be the best you can do given the time you have.  Keep in mind, when you are making money artistically, time literally is money.  You can't sell or get paid for a work until it is done.

So how does this help out an artist?  Just keep in mind that all of your artistic endeavors are actually business projects subject to the cruel concepts of time, money, and quality.  Accepting these factors into your work may allow you to create for yourself just enough of an edge to succeed.

Let's face it ladies and gentlemen, times are tough and not getting any easier any time real soon.  In spite of the fact that we have more technology now than at any time in history, people are still going to have to buckle down and work harder and smarter.  Layoffs and downsizing are now the big buzzwords. 

Traditionally, tough times mean escapisms like books and movies do well while we wait for better for days.  This time is different.  This is our first big downturn in the truly Internet driven digital age.  Escapism is now downloadable video, chatting online, texting friends and family, and firing up the video games.

Sales are down in every sector of the economy.  I heard an estimate today that pained me.  The analyst on the radio predicted that during the next year over 160,000 businesses, large and small alike, would close.  That is a staggering number.  The most frightening part is the fact that it may be a very low estimate.  That is a lot of people out of work and a lot of dead dreams.

I know, you have already heard all of this before, so what does all this mean for us in the writing and publishing end of the financial swamp?  It means that market places are drying up and many small presses will close up shop.  Good books will go unpublished. 

The major publishing houses are scaling back their operations.  Successful editors are having their projects cut back, staffing reduced, and a more than a few are getting laid off.  Magazines are losing circulation and newspapers everywhere are in trouble.  The landscape is not encouraging.  As much as we would like to think that writing and publishing is about the art and the love of the words, the terrible truth is publishing is all about the distribution, the sales, and the money.  Less money being spent means less money being invested.  The less money being invested means the fewer projects being started.  The fewer projects started equals increased competition for fewer opportunities.

Sadly, many writers will make the mistake of investing their own very hard earned money in attempts to publish books that simply should not be published at this time.  You may have a good book and feel that it is ready to go, but I have bad news for you, even in good times, chances are your book would have never sold more than 500 copies.  Now that people are pinching those pennies, good is just not good enough.

Had enough gloom and doom yet?  Good! So have I.  Hard times, while a true pain, are not always a bad thing.  Hard times are not fair by any stretch of the imagination, but they simulate new ideas and growth.  Companies will take the measures that they feel necessary to survive and people will find ways to do the same.  While there will be fewer players in the marketplace when it is over, they will be stronger.  As things improve, new markets will open and new ideas will take root.

So, what can you the frustrated writer do while the marketplace is in the doldrums?  Let's go back to my earlier statement that good is not good enough.  Since everyone from small to large publishers cannot invest a lot of time and money editing your work, that is now up to you.  While there are delays in releases and slush piles are growing to epic proportions, you should be building your body of work and refining your craft. 

It's time to clear the desk of all those ideas you have been meaning to get to.  If there are genres you have always wanted to try, get typing.  The more work you have in reserve the better prepared you are going to be when the markets open.

It is also time to learn.  It doesn't matter how good you may think you are, there is always something new to learn.  There is always room for improvement.  Remember, good isn't going to make it.  Your work is going to have to shine brilliantly if you are going to have any chance of muscling your way onto a bookshelf at a major chain.  Study, read, and compare.  Pick a few best sellers in your favorite genre to write and start dissecting.  Avoid the urge to assume your work is better.  The terrible fact is that it most likely isn't.  Study, try to figure out why that book is on the New York Times Best Selling List (while there is a New York Times) and your last book isn't.  Compare your word usage to that of the best sellers.  Is there a pattern?  Try reading both out loud.  Do you hear a difference?  Learn, learn, and learn some more. 

Don't be discouraged by the current financial downturn, get motivated and get typing.  Now is the time to do the best work of your life.  Go back and rewrite everything you have waiting.  Edit and polish every piece of your work until it absolutely glows.  Get creative and trying daring new works, branch out.  You just may impress your fans and, hopefully, yourself. 

The question everyone wants to know, but normally won't ask, just how much money can you make as a writer? 

The answer is mind-boggling depressing.  The simple horrible fact is that most books (over 90%) will never sell more than 500 copies.  I know, we all hear the stories about the millions being made by a very few writers.  Trust me, it takes talent, timing, perseverance, and more luck than narrowly being missed by lightning while buying the winning lottery ticket on a Tuesday at two.

The talent portion of the program is completely up to you.  Just because you have written a book doesn't mean it is going to sell.  As a matter of fact, the odds say that your book is not going to sell no matter how well written it is.  So why bother?  With out the best possible effort, your book will have no chance instead of a very thin chance.  Be prepared to write your book, then rewrite and rewrite and rewrite until it is the very best you can produce.  Then there is a better than average chance you are going to need an editor.  As writers, we often write passages that we feel are clever.  No one else gets it.  Good editors can save you from yourself.

Timing can be contrived or pure serendipity.  If you see a new topic in the news and you have the feeling that is something you can explore in a story or book don't waste time, get to typing.  You might just hit a wave of interest and ride into increased sales.  If you are good and timely, those are two huge advantages.  However, if serendipity smiles at you smile back, broadly.

Luck!  Let me give my definition of luck.  Luck: being prepared to take advantage of an opportunity when it presents itself.  This means your lucky break may be passing you by on a daily basis.  You have to buy a ticket if you want to win the lottery.

All of this brings me to perseverance.  Since having a commercially successful / award-winning story or novel is harder to achieve than getting a clear photograph of a Bigfoot in your hot tub, your ability to persevere is your mightiest weapon.  You have to believe in your work, be willing to edit, and keep trying.  I assure you, best sellers are not necessarily by the best writers, but they are by some of the most determined. 

Dig in and keep writing, build up your body of work, constantly strive to improve your style, and, sooner or later, you may just find yourself prepared to take advantage of an opportunity when it presents itself.

Then you might just make some money!