less than this - Latest Comments

Re: iPhone 5 and related thoughts

Teel McClanahan III — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 11:08:49 -0000

I'm only replying to clarify that you don't know what you're talking about, and should stop pretending to. It would be better to do some research, first. For example: Every singe book and story I've published is available right now through Apple's iBookstore. If you were referring to audiobooks, Apple doesn't control/filter that at all, Audible/Amazon does - so when my audiobooks aren't listed in iTunes, it isn't because Apple didn't like the content, it's because Audible is a pain in the ass and doesn't understand what its customers want. (Audible's crazy decisions, they think, are based on maximizing their income - they give no thought to content.)

Likewise, you're arguing against points I never tried to make. I didn't say "only buy Apple" or "don't buy anything else". I blogged about *my* preferences, and in so doing, at worst, made an offhand comment expressing my opinion of working with a different style of device. You're the one blowing things all out of proportion. You're the one turning this into a fight. Saying "it is not my intent to start a fight" doesn't negate the fact that you keep coming back here, trying to start fights. Trying to argue against points which were never made. Trying to attack me because of my opinions and preferences, and making up bullshit to do so, since the facts are not in your favor. I recommend you re-read what has been posted here, by each of us, until you can see what, in your communication, is failing you. How you're picking fights without, apparently, being aware of it. How you're making things up (rather than doing even a few moments of research) to support your "right" to pick fights. Then spend some time trying to police your own actions in future, as they affect other people.

Re: Kickstarting creative projects

spiritualtramp — Tue, 09 Oct 2012 15:08:07 -0000

Thanks for the post Teel. I certainly get what you're saying and I too balk at huge projects. I consider The Way of the Gun huge, but as you say I'm paying the authors the bottom end of what I consider a pro-rate ($.05/word) and I've budgeted for art, editing, and layout. I've also left myself some wiggle room for unforeseen expenses./marketing/etc. So it's as huge as it "needs" to be.

The next KS campaign I do will be much smaller and just for covering editing/art for a novel.

Regarding your backing my project as you have, I'm thankful. As I said before about any of my stuff, if it's not your cup of tea I don't want you buying it just to be a friend. Helping me spread the word and saving your ducats for something you're jonesing for is much better. And this way you get updates and if I had a few hundred like you who even kicked in a buck and wrote a blog post on top of that I bet you I'd get to the goal much more quickly than if people just said "Not interested" and went on their merry way.

Re: iPhone 5 and related thoughts

Oscha — Tue, 02 Oct 2012 16:46:18 -0000

Sorry if I came off too strongly.

My intent is not to start a fight. The quotes I described did get under my skin and in response seems I worded things in such a such a way as likewise provoked. I did not intend other then ribbing and rejoinders of a type with the tone I felt had been set. At the time I felt I was responding in kind but I see now we have both put our e-feather in a dander and that has gotten in the way of meaningful discourse.

That is tragic. I hope you can read past the parts that anger you and see the content. As moderator of your well crafted blog I welcome and encourage you to remove anything unsuitable.

A situation occurred to me the other day that I honestly would like your input on since it involves your work and my perception with Apple's limitations.

I hope I am not remiss to say that you are a writer. I am sure this is near infinitely complex but I want to look specifically at the distribution part of your writing. Aiding you in this task is Podiobooks. What a fantastic service, right? I love them. Good people. Lets remember that for later.

Yet you could (maybe do) use other services. One of the big boys being iTunes. What a well made product. It manages your subscriptions, allows you to sell and purchase, decodes and plays, and transfers said content to your iThis and iThat.

You may have a glimmer of where I am going.

I have not read/listened to your full bibliography but I feel I have a fair grasp of your range of style. I would not be surprised to see a large selection of it in the iTunes store, were I to have the application. But not all of it. Why? Because Apple applies the same principles here that they do across their business. Your more risqué writing, Apple doesn't want to be affiliated. Sorry. Hold this thought too.

This happens to the content provides, the App developers, even to the retails businesses that sell the product. From the minerals pulled out of the ground to the data delivered Apple exerts as much controls as they can.

Yes, this provides a stable product but not a versatile one. Want to upgrade your iBooks memory? Nope, soldered on. Replace my phone's ageing lithium battery? Sure, we'll do that. Not you. Plug into external non Apple projectors/monitors? Don't forget to bring your adapter. iPhone low on juice? Hope you buddy owns one too, no? Encourage him to. Enjoy something off-colour? Go buy a playboy, we don't carry that here.

Yet the issue is bigger then Apple's choices. After all, if it didn't make them money Apple wouldn't do it. The market exists and the market is you and people like you. You live in Apple's world, you like it, so do your family and friends. No skin off my back.

Yet do you really fit in the Apple world? Roll back to the first point I had you hold. Where does your risqué fit in your Apple world? It doesn't. Even though you and your audience is past the local age of consent and what you publish is legal. No dice.

So you take other avenues. Podiobooks and blogs. Now your content is split. Your audience looses out. Why? Because you don't make yourself Apple safe. 12 other steps to get something special by Teal. How does that make you feel?

Maybe your thinking it is okay for things to be not Apple? After all you have that non Apple content and need a non Apple content audience. I say great! There is room for us all.

No dice. Apple's aggressive market control kicks up a notch. Lawsuits left and right. HTC, Google, Samsung, Motorola. Lawsuits over the term "podcast". Those good people back at Podiobooks? Not in a good place.

My point being that, aside from times that Apple steps into my world as says, "Why aren't you using me!" I think there is room enough for all. But that is exactly what your post did and it raised my hackles.

I think there is an Apple world and if you live and iLife then you fit right in. I think that content creators, developers, fiddlers, and all users should look for what best suits there needs but not just which has the glowing white logo.

I especially think we need to be respectful of people who choose different products. Using non-Apple doesn't mean you gain "regular breaks from getting real work done." I work with plenty of people who don't fiddle as I do with their Phone or computer and can plug away just fine. Everyone from students to PHD Rocket Scientists. I also know users that struggle with projects Mac, PC and Android alike. There is room for us all.

Aside: I said previously it has been my observation, in the course of work, that there are similar quantities of work stoppage over all systems. But, in users of Mac systems who had been users of Windows systems I see a lesser degree of stoppages then in users of Windows systems whom had been users of Mac systems. Interesting even if I haven't figured causality.

Re: iPhone 5 and related thoughts

Teel McClanahan III — Fri, 28 Sep 2012 18:42:25 -0000

Since your second response seemed to reinforce that your only purpose here was to try to start a fight, I was going to let it stand ignored. Now you're clearly just coming around, trying to be the biggest asshole you know how to be, trying to pick a fight for no reason, all while calling ME names. That behavior is not welcome here. These sorts of comments may make up the bulk of the comments around the internet, but they are NOT why I have commenting open on my personal blog. Abuse is not appropriate in any setting, but I will not tolerate it here. Any future abusive comments will simply be deleted.

With regard to the new Maps app, I can't say I've had any meaningful trouble with it - my biggest complaint is that I prefer the old app's step-by-step directions, manually controlled, over any automated turn-by-turn directions system. Clearly, this is not the sort of problem most people are reporting, and what you incorrectly assume I'd be having trouble with. Where I am, and for my needs, Apple's Maps app has worked just fine, so far.

It occurred to me, some time in the last few days, how I might better articulate my perspective on the different use cases for Apple vs. Android systems: If tinkering with computers is something you enjoy, if it is a hobby, a pastime, or an otherwise intrinsically enjoyable act for you to tinker [with computers], then there is an advantage to using an Android device (or running Linux, on your desktop, for example), in that you are forced/allowed/expected to interrupt your actual work every little while to engage in your hobby. When something goes wrong, or needs to be updated, or for no real reason at all, and not necessarily with any warning, you can transition from vocation to avocation and back again without anyone batting an eye. Good on you, for finding a way to mix some of what you enjoy (tinkering) with your actual productive work. (Or, if you are an IT professional, for finding a way to get paid to interrupt other people's work so you can enjoy your hobby.)

This goes back to my initial suggestion, which is not a value judgement against anyone, that "if you like the idea of having to work to get your phone to work" you might prefer Android - because a lot of people do. They like to tinker. They, and probably you, actually enjoy that sort of thing. It's a hobby. To someone with that preference, having Android (especially modded Android, or on desktops running Linux, or Beta versions of any OS) require extra work is a good thing. It gives you regular breaks from having to get any real work done. Enjoy it. But don't come around here trying to pick fights with me because I would prefer to get a little more work done, because tinkering as such is no longer something I consider enjoyable. To me, such a thing would be a downgrade because I'd rather be working, but that's no reason to be abusive.

Re: iPhone 5 and related thoughts

Oscha — Fri, 28 Sep 2012 18:09:26 -0000

Addendum: Sorry to hear about the apps maps debacle. Luckily you won't have to "fiddle" with it too long to figure out it won't work.

Re: iPhone 5 and related thoughts

Oscha — Tue, 25 Sep 2012 16:31:41 -0000

Wow, you have put together quite a response. I am flattered. Thank you for sharing. I see we share a view point, that being there is a market for each demand. Apple and their strict development cycle creates an environment conducive to your use and the trade-off for that hardly matter, for you. My fiddling, as you call it, makes that environment far to restrictive to what I enjoy.

But I don't need to rehash old facts especially since we seem to be saying the same thing.

What you didn't touch on in your verbose response was my dig at the attitude of the Apple consumer and I would like to talk for a moment about that.

As a general rule you guys are jerks. An Apple enthusiast generally disdains any other product and anyone who uses them. Look in the mirror, "downgrading to Android, because you like the idea of having to work to get your phone to work?" David "fiddles" while Teal "creates". Why not just say "If your not using Apple your a fool" ?

That is where you are wrong and I am calling you out on it.

Maybe I am Lady Luck's own golden child but I've never experienced your 100-600 hours of issues on non-Apple system. In fact I generally experience the same quantity of work stoppage problems personally and in my Tech Support work on both Windows and Mac platforms. Only with Windows I tend to find more solutions and faster (this may be owed to my higher proficiency in Windows though).

For not being sure how I got here you are spot on. No pretend necessary, you are precisely right. As to what I get from reading and why I thought posting was constructive the answers are similar. See things from other people's views and share mine. I suppose I miss judged from your attitude and closing question. I apologize for interrupting your soup box.
Keep up the good work!
-#

Re: iPhone 5 and related thoughts

Teel McClanahan III — Thu, 20 Sep 2012 19:13:57 -0000

I'm not sure how you got here, what you get from reading my blog, or why you thought posting this comment was a constructive addition. I'll pretend you're one of the tens of thousands of people who have read or listened to my books, and try and explain it in terms of that: I'd rather spend 99% of the time I'm using a device on the task at hand, rather than on customizing, adapting, troubleshooting, or upgrading the device. I'd rather be writing. I'd rather be editing. I'd rather be doing layout, formatting eBooks, or designing covers. I'd rather be recording, editing, or publishing audiobooks. I'd rather be programming an interactive narrative experience. I'd rather be drawing comics. I'd rather be composing music. I'd rather be playing video games. I'd rather be doing research. I'd rather be surfing the web, checking email, or keeping up to date on social networks. I'd rather be doing just about any of the things I have the computer *for* than wasting my time working on the computer itself.

I did enough of that. I've done professional technical support for software, for hardware, for Apple, for Windows and Windows CE, for Unix and Linux systems, for mixed networks where I had to get Windows, Mac, and Unix systems to play nicely with each other and with million-dollar printers. I've spent thousands of hours walking people through problems from the simple to the complex. I've managed teams of technicians, and I've coordinated bug reports between tech support and developers. I've taught myself several programming languages over the years, when I had something I wanted to create with one, most recently Objective C so I can design my own iOS apps for some of the interactive storytelling ideas I have (but for which no one else had yet designed a higher-level system for me to build them in). After enough years of that, I began transitioning my personal systems all over to Apple - I didn't want to have to do all that work, I just want to *use* my computers. A couple of years later, I quit the industry altogether; I don't want to do that sort of work at all, if I can avoid it.

I like Apple because it works, generally, and getting it fixed is usually pretty straightforward. So, for example, the reason the home button on our iPhone 4 is still occasionally frustrating is that, for the year and a half I was its user, it didn't bother me enough to justify taking even an hour or two out of my life to take it down to the Apple Store and get it replaced at the Genius Bar, which is a not-uncommon way for Apple to resolve any real hardware problems: Just replace the device, on the spot. No RMAs and paying for shipping back and forth (for end-users) and going days or weeks without a phone. (I've dealt with more than enough of that on the support end.) I could have let Apple fix the problem, but it is so minor ... that all it really serves as here is an excuse to (maybe) buy myself the latest-and-greatest. Most likely, even that won't work, as there's a good chance a half-second spray of WD-40 will just fix the thing.

As far as whether the iPhone does what I want ... they do. Most of what I've just detailed for you above, you could learn by going back through the 12+ years of archives on this blog (not that I expect most people to be interested in reading a million or more words about my life), and that includes posts I made ~7 years prior to the introduction of the iPhone where I described the iPhone's capabilities as what I wanted from a mobile internet device. I then waited ~7 years for Apple to bring it to market. Certainly there are other things I want from technology, but I'm willing to wait until they get past the point where I have to work at it just to use them: I don't want to pilot a space craft, I just want to go to space. I don't want to program my own robot, I want to buy one that just works. I have some ideas for some very creative projects for biotech, but I'm waiting for another generation or four of devices to pass, so I can do the high-level creative work I have in mind instead of messing with the low-level stuff, too.

Here's another way to put it into perspective: For my last book release, Never Let the Right One Go, I put in over 1200 hours of work, less than 4 of them (probably <2) on configuring, adapting, updating, troubleshooting, or otherwise working on getting my devices to the point I could get real work done. Based on over a decade of experience with non-Apple systems, I estimate it would have taken me an extra 100 hours (minimum, or up to another 600 hours) of fighting against my systems to try to get them to do the work I bought them for in the first place. Even just another 100 hours would have caused me to miss several deadlines. The books wouldn't have been ready in time, Comicon sales wouldn't have been possible, and my company's entire financial trajectory would have been thrown off for the year. I wouldn't be able to work on the projects I'm developing now, for want of funds. In the worst-case scenario, we're looking at losing parts of the work and having to recreate them and I'd almost-certainly still be working on those books - I've already spent hundreds of hours on successive projects, instead of losing that time to my computers. You want to be able to change your battery, and I want to write another book... You want to fiddle with the internals of your computers and phones, and I want to create worlds, and to share them...

Re: iPhone 5 and related thoughts

Oscha — Thu, 20 Sep 2012 18:04:59 -0000

The snobbery of a dyed and true Apple fan. I want it to work and nothing else will do. Except for that pesky home button right? But I don't hold it against you. Apple makes a great product and responds to exactly what their customer wants. Their customer's want their toys to work "as advertised" and they almost always do.
But there are some people that want more from their toys. They want their toys to do exactly what they WANT not what is they are told to want "as advertised". They willing trade stability for customization, design control for adaptability and interchangeable parts.
You like Apple because you like safe and that is fine. Personally, I change my own batteries.

Re: A few political thoughts; illustrated by health care/insurance ideas

Tdmcclanahan — Sat, 30 Jun 2012 12:51:52 -0000

Sounds right to me, which means the current state of the system is very wrong.

Re: Short rant on the “value of eBooks”, another rant on the value of MY books

Callie Kingston — Sat, 23 Jun 2012 14:03:38 -0000

You make an interesting point, and one I've discovered as well: that when the price drops, so do the sales. Now that Amazon seems to be done with reeling in Kindle buyers with endless free books by changing the algorithm which supported the practice of giving freebies, it makes little sense to lower prices and devalue books.

Callie Kingston

Re: My quick response to the Taleist survey

Teel McClanahan III — Thu, 24 May 2012 04:57:40 -0000

Oh, I appreciate it. Thank you! I'm all for data - I publish all my numbers (small though they may be) right here on my blog, because I don't think it should just be the occasional outlier who puts out figures on their book sales. Us low-to-median-sales guys can help paint a more realistic picture for everyone. I've been looking forward to reading the report, and didn't hesitate to read it when it arrived. I look forward to next year's survey & results; I also think it's all upward from here, for self-publishing.

While I think tripling is a little too optimistic for me, my sales go up and up every year and I'm in this for the long haul. It doesn't help that probably a quarter of my work is Literary Fiction, and over two-thirds qualifies as Science Fiction - this is not where the sales are... but I believe strongly in making all my books available for free to those who cannot afford them (or who want to try a new author without risk), so I have a lot of readers. I may have only sold ~165 books & eBooks last year, but my free eBooks and audiobooks were downloaded nearly thirty thousand times in 2011. I put out all my books under a CC BY-NC-SA license, and give them away for free right alongside the copies for sale (and the premium options - true fans are willing to pay more to support creators whose work they love), much like a certain Doctorow (whose much higher sales are, I believe, an effect of traditional publishing).

Your survey had options for temporary giveaways, but I don't recall an option for what I do, which is a permanent giveaway, from day one of every book, alongside multiple for-pay options... or any way to let you know how many copies I give away. I'm one of those "rather have more readers for less money than fewer readers and high-price books" authors, so this is a major factor in how I measure my success.

Re: My quick response to the Taleist survey

Steven Lewis — Thu, 24 May 2012 04:37:41 -0000

Teel, thanks so much for mentioning the report (and taking the survey in the first place). I'm glad we were able to give you a copy.

You'll have seen that many authors expect their earnings to triple over the next year. I hope the rising tide floats your books, too. I think it can all only go up from here.

Re: Trying to fit perfection in the schedule

Teel McClanahan III — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 02:36:33 -0000

Update: I did hear back from the photographer, and after a couple of emails back and forth which were like an emotional roller coaster, it's all been worked out and I have the rights to use both images on my covers. In other news related to this post, I have just been reminded by my sister that she'll be home all week next week (she also works for a school, but in a different district, with a different spring break) - hopefully I'll still be able to finish up recording; I'm sure she can sit quietly for a couple hours a day, reading or working on homework while I record, and my voice only holds out for about 3 hours at a go, anyway. With any luck, I'll have finished recording by next Wednesday.

Re: Trying to fit perfection in the schedule

spiritualtramp — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 09:48:53 -0000

A shame it didn't pan out. I can assure you that I'll be buying the e-book when it comes out. I enjoyed the stories quite a bit.

Re: The possibilities of focus

Teel McClanahan III — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 06:38:46 -0000

I am going to use my last doses of modafinil to switch from nocturnal to diurnal, and to try to write ... let's aim for four or five chapters, today. Get a good start. Wish me luck.

Re: Debt pay down update, 1/2012

tdhurst — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 08:48:18 -0000

Congrats!

Love that last line.

Re: Variable book pricing

Teel McClanahan III — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 09:20:20 -0000

Well, the guy was more making a suggestion for other people to follow rather than announcing something he was going to do ... and his own books are more ... non-fiction, non-serial, often business books, and always tightly focused on a particular issue for a particular audience. Almost all his advice is good for people writing those sort of books and almost totally useless for anyone writing fiction.

Keep in mind, too, that most writers have just one thing. If they don't find success with it, they either keep trying with the one or they give up. Sometimes that one thing is a series, more often it's a single novel. His advice would probably work with a single novel, and would even work with a series which had new books coming out... if they sold in any significant volume. Think about it: You loved the first book and are waiting with bated breath for the next one - and if you get it when it's brand new, you only pay $0.99! If you wait, you have to pay more. The idea is to create an incentive to get in early.

You're right, though, that for a latecomer to the series, the unusual pricing may be confusing - with the plan I'm following now, if I were the sort of author motivated by money, I'd just not put out the next book in a series until the previous one had earned out. Then, at least, you wouldn't end up with weirdness like I would (if I were offering the books individually, right now), where Book Two seems to be the most popular (if only by a little), and where 5 & 6 have earned more than 4.

Anyway, hopefully what I'm doing will help, some. It's really just another big book-pricing-experiment. Of course, my sample sizes are usually too small for any meaningful data. *shrug*

Re: Variable book pricing

Steven Black — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 07:13:37 -0000

I think this approach makes a lot of sense. The books that you can sell cheap you do sell cheap. The books you are not making money on you charge more for.

This approach maps cleanly to what the world does for most physical products. As the initial development/production costs are paid off the price is lowered.

The thing I really don't understand about the person planning to do it in the reverse order is that, well, typically an author will have a series that both they and their core fan base really loves. In your case that maps to the "Untrue Tales" series... if you raise the price as a book becomes more popular, you'd be selling book #1 at $9.99 and book #6 at $0.99. That is, it totally ignores the fact that authors get more readers of an established series if more people read the first book in the series.

Re: Piling on the challenges

Ovi — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 12:15:45 -0000

That's quite the ambitious effort Teel! I look forward seeing what you come up with!

Re: I’m not okay

Cs Temp Mail — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 20:23:44 -0000

I have also been depressed. As has my mother, father and brother. The last talks a lot like you. He is 19. I find similarity interesting. Personally I never could talk about it. I could never find the right words. Whenever I went to a consoler my problems would seem simple for 50 minutes and then gone for the day but pile on again the next night. My mother swears by them though. She seems to draw strength from her sessions. My father doesn't care for it. He prefers pharmacological solutions. In fact if he hadn't told me he of his disposition I would never have guessed. He has always seemed a rock and always had a good joke in his pocket. My brother doesn't like either solution. He seems to embrace the ennui. He says, "it is the truth."
My point is that we all deal with it in our own ways. I wish I knew something to say that would bring you and everyone I know happiness, but I don't. I can tell you that I don't feel bad now which is proof that these things pass. Maybe as a writer you can find it easier to put outside what you feel inside and to do so is doubtlessly good. But there is more to it (for me) the next has always to move off into something new. The sooner I do that the sooner I (maybe not feel better) but don't feel badly. The unexplored, even when uncomfortable or disconcerting or distasteful, has always been sometimes exciting but always helped me to forget how to think. For me a blank slate is better then a jumble of negative emotions.
I hope this comment helps you find your solution or at the very least lets you feel less alone. Feel free to write, I'm always reading.

Re: Crying about drama

Teel McClanahan III — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 12:18:28 -0000

Yeah, but the holocaust ...

Band of Brothers was masterful, though. It was easy to get caught up with those characters, the few who survived the ordeals of the series' run, anyway. It's in my collection.

Have you seen The Pacific? I haven't had the opportunity to see it, yet, but was hoping it was anywhere near as good.

Re: Crying about drama

Sean Foley — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 07:11:08 -0000

Try watching the second to last episode of Band of Brothers. Almost made me cry.

Re: Numbers for PHXComicon 2011

Nina — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 20:33:05 -0000

The upcoming Leprecon(2012) only has a holder page up. The table prices are set by each chair, and I don't think they're set yet for 2012. It will probably be in the 75 dollar per table range(which includes 1 full membership and 1 dealer's only membership).

Re: Studying Dystopia

Teel McClanahan III — Fri, 06 May 2011 08:56:02 -0000

@Longhorn - I read Neuromancer (and most of the rest of Gibson's books) back in high school, but it's been so long I want to re-read it/them. I remember enjoying them.

I found The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms (and its 1st sequel - what's with everything being a trilogy anymore?) in the Phoenix Library system, and added them to my to-check-out list, there. The Phoenix Library also has Gene Wolf's *Long Sun* books, but not the *New Sun* (Or Short Sun, which Wikipedia mentions) books. I will keep an eye out for them at local used book shops, though. All those series seem interesting, if not obviously dystopian (from brief descriptions). I look forward to getting to them.

Thanks for the feedback! I'm glad you found my blog.

Re: Studying Dystopia

Longhorn — Thu, 05 May 2011 22:21:43 -0000

Neuromancer, I think, may be one of the best sci-fi/fantasy books in your list. All Gibson's other books (except for the two most recent) follow in the same vein and are really good as well. Have you checked out Gene Wolfe's Books of the New Sun? Amazingly inventive. Finally, for a more modern addition, N.K. Jemison's "The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms" is insanely good.