I have decided to do just two new chapters of the book each week. I think that the sheer amount of reading is putting people off. I hope that is what it is, because my stats chart looks like a ski slope. I just keep telling myself that people are busy so depression doesn’t set in. The truth is that some people whose opinion on my novel I was really looking forward to have been conspicuously absent, and the excitement level is really dropping off. I am not whining or begging for approval, I just can’t help feeling that either my novel sucks or that people would really rather just see funny pictures.
But I am not giving up. I stand by my story. If you made it past the opening chapters, the action is just going to continue to ramp up, and it will be worth the time it takes to read it. I am going to start posting the race and character notes this week, under a separate header, so that you can easily remind yourself of who is who and what is what. And for all of you who have taken the time to read any part of my work, I thank you deeply and humbly. Some of you, and you know who you are, have gone way beyond anything I ever expected, and I am in your debt.
Pouring My Art Out 
I’m catching up today…I think. Anyway, my stats haven’t been very good all summer. They are picking up a bit since I’m having the party this weekend, and Trifecta’s. They always raise my numbers. Anyway, it is a good book, like I mentioned to you on my blog. Sorry I’ve been getting behind. Oh, you know what else might be affecting your readers? School starting. Having homework to help your little ones with, plus all the back and forth, activities, making sure you keep up with snack days and all that crap takes a lot of time.
I am over my bad mood. But thanks.
Well the good news is we all want to read it, the bad news it seems is we all suck at execution. 😉
I just had a panic attack. No worries. I am slowing down to two chapters a week.
I don’t blame you. Whenever we have a labor of love, we want to hear the feedback, good or bad. So I can’t blame ya
Thanks.
Have you investigated the possibility of publishing your book on an online site like Wattpad (http://www.wattpad.com/)? Sites like this might be a way to broaden your readership.
Some of them make it so you can’t get it published later, but I am looking into options. Thanks.
I will catch up by next year at this time, I promise. Cross my dark heart and hope to die, I swear I will!
I can’t stay mad at you. Your new picture is too cute.
I wasn’t going for cute, I was going for artsy-pissed off- is it working?
Yes… but it is still cute also… sorry…
Dammit! Oh well, I guess cute is good 😉
It could be worse.
Sorry dude, I have trouble keeping up with your volume of output even without it being a book. You seriously can write faster than I can read! (Then there’s my own blog to write!) Keep it up, I am about to resurrect my own book.
No worries. I know a novel isn’t on everybody’s to do list.
Dear pmao,
I have to be in the mood for reading novel chapters, for instance Victor and John’s stories, I love their stuff but I always come to it late when I have enough concentration to read the long stuff properly.
Just a suggestion but maybe the length of the chapters is putting some people off. I’d be more inclined to read immediately if it was posted in shorter sections.
Love Dotty xxx
They are just three or four pages long. But I am going to start posting just two a week, so I hope that helps. Mostly I was just feeling sorry for myself. I am over it now.
i have not read your novel……its tooooooo loooooooong ……..i opereate at work so dont have time to read such long things in between all the other shyte ive gotta do…………i therefore have no comment on the quaility or otherwize of your novel……but knowing you i can guess its quite funny and weird…………
I was just pouting. No worries. And thanks for the vote of confidence.
gewelkomed…………
Dankeschnitzel…
achtung…jahwohl?……….
Aufgebbel… comen zie auf mitt der hande hock, kliene schiesse… (or something like that)…
oh?…..ok then your forgiven and i take all the rat atat stuff back……….
I thought it was funny.
you gotta be kidding kraut…if you want me come an get me…..bang bang….rat a tat a tata atat a ratata tat…..kaboom……..
It was just stuff I hear in war movies and Hogans Heroes.
the taking back of the rat a tat is supposed to be here…….
I like stuff out of context.
It is the end of August, people are running around trying to make up for all the things they haven’t done for the entire summer. School starts soon too.
Your novel doesn’t suck. It tires my eyes to read too much at once online and I have a huge screen. I’ve read 5 chapters so far and will read more as soon as I get a break in my real life.
I just made a scene out of nothing. Nobody has anything to be sorry about except me.
You’re understandably concerned. You put a lot of yourself into this work and you’re in a vulnerable place. It will be okay.
You are a kind and nurturing person. Have I told you that lately?
Now stop, I have an image to protect. People know I’m a badass.
That is what I meant. You kick my ass into gear…
i didn’t know you were writing a novel…sorry for being completely away with the fairies! I’ll check things out as soon as i can.
Please do not worry about it. I just had a bad self-doubt day. I was feeling sorry for myself. Now I am just sorry.
I just stopped commenting because all my comments end up in your spam. It’s frustrating, because if i don’t see it immediately, I think it’s lost. And this damn comment will end up there, too, so bleh
FUCK!
just to help you out, maybe if i write a comment about this pmao will be able to fix it? i’ll do that and see if you have any luck later 🙂
Now I am just confused…
actually, surely if i can see this its not in the spam folder this time…i’m too tired to think logically.
Yeah, that’s life for you. Thumbing its nose at me. or, maybe PMAO trained Askimet not to spam my comments, though I would prefer to train Askimet with beatings.
I would try to train it… if I had any idea what it is…
It’s the thing that catches spam. if you go to Stats, and go down somewhere in the weeds, it will mention how many comments Askimet caught. And then I would like you to think “You stupid program – if you were a pregnancy test, hundreds of screaming crying teenaged girls would be storming your offices with pitchforks and, like, and junk and stuff!
I will try it, but my computer seldom responds to lectures. Even mental ones.
You beat me to that comment.
Ha! This one didn’t get spammed… just to drive you crazy. Neither did the next one. But you have been strangely quiet when it comes to the book, not that a few words from you aren’t worth a novel from someone else… ooops, was that irony?
I’m actually reading it right now. I hate to wait, and I figured if I saved up a lot of chapters, I would only have to wait once or twice. I just got through the chapter about sex, drinking and poker.
These two got spammed. Sorry. And I was just whining and feeling sorry for myself. I had no right to make everybody feel guilty… not that that would work on you.
Fuck! See – if I make a reference to being spammed, they’re not. On the other hand, I can’t help but notice that comments I make using Notifications get spammed a lot.
Dammit.
But, so far, dude, I would declare your novel extremely Douglasy and Adamsian. And I am totally serious, I’m entertained, and I laugh out loud in many places, and the various life forms are well thought out.
Have I told you lately that I love you, Ed?
Reblogged this on londonsurvival.
I pressed reblog by mistake when trying to comment on my phone! Whoops!
Anyway, I was going to set aside a morning to read them all as I wanted to read in one go, but every morning I woke up with a hangover so pretty much put paid to doing anything. And my usual blogging time spent at work has ceased as we’ve been busy so not been able to do any blogging myself either.
Hadn’t forgotten nor will I, I will be reading them 🙂
I just saw the reblog. And I wondered why, of all my awesome stuff, you reblogged this whiney piece of crap… Ha!
Don’t take it personally, it’s tough to get other people to read anything we write in general let alone other people who are busy writing their own things.
August is a very dismal month in general as far as blogging stats go. Everyone is going on their last minute vacations. Be happy anyone read any part of your book. I can’t even get a single family member or friend to take a look at mine haha I stink
Sorry for the temper tantrum. I am over it. And I am going to read your book. For some reason it seems like more work because it is all finished, and not done as individual posts. I look forward to being shocked and amused.
Well, I feel like a shit because I haven’t had a chance to read yet. I was offline for over a week (taking time off after the LotR read, which totally wiped me out) and my reader has been completely wonky since then.
I will do my best to get to the entire thing this week sometime, I promise.
Forgive me?
Okay. First, let me say that you were one of the people I was talking about. But let me also say that it is only because you, of all the people I know, are one whose opinion really matter the most. I do not mean to insult any of the other wonderful people I know. They are all woderful. But you evaluate books on an instinctual level, with wit and charm and humor. The truth is, as much as I want your opinion, I am afraid to get it. Not that you would be mean. But that you are naturally honest, and would never fake a good review. So I know that if you like it, I can sell the freekin’ thing some day. But that is way too much pressure to put on you. And it isn’t fair of me.
I just started to get depressed when I got 2 hits yesterday. And the gradual slide has been worrying me. I started to take it personally. And it doesn’t mean the novel sucks. A lot of people do not read books, and fewer still read sci fi. And people are busy. And I just need to get over myself. I put way too much into the idea that big hit numbers and happy comments would be a selling point to a publisher.
Please accept my apology. Nothing you ever do or do not do will make me stop enjoying your blog and liking you as a person.
Well, I knew you were talking about me (I appreciate you not specifically calling me out, though 😉 ), and it was in the back of my mind the whole time I was offline last week.
Mostly I just needed a break from all of the crap I felt piling up, it didn’t have anything to do with you.
For what it’s worth, my stats have completely tanked the last few months. I don’t know if it’s because it was summer, or because I suck, or what. I just know that I’m not the only one cos I’ve talked about it with a few different people and a lot of us are in the same boat.
Regardless, I’ve been looking forward to reading more of your story, I just needed to make the time to sit and read the whole thing in one sitting.
You don’t have to apologize, I wasn’t mad or frustrated, mostly I just felt horrible because I’m the worst procrastinator and totally absent-minded about things like this.
❤
(also, the fact that you said you know I would never fake a good review means a lot to me)
I am very busy. I know everyone esle is too. I just panicked because I wrapped so much of myself up in the project, and I had such mixed thoughts about posting it in the first place. I will never forget that you read some of it before this all started. And if I wasn’t so pathetically interested in trying to impress you, I never would have gotten so worked up. That and the fact that you are so good at seeing the true bones and guts of a story. I really do want honesty. I would rather go back and rewrite most of it than try to slip one past you. I know there are spelling and punctuation issues, but I stand by the whole plot, the humor, and the way it all ties together in unexpected ways. Thanks, buddy.