SB Wight

Getting really close to publishing my first book!! Thinking about doing a direct-from-author presale of a limited edition version with some extras, and wondering what other indie authors have done/seen. I'm thinking this will be a 50-book, artisan-quality (same as the regular printing (probably to come in at $18 retail), but higher quality all around including heavier paper), "signature"-stamped and hand numbered, probably with matching bookmark w/single-use discount code to be applied to Book 2 when purchased direct from the author, shipping covered in the continental U.S. Maybe also some cover-art stickers? 1) What would you estimate this to be worth for a first-time indie author's first book in a completed (written and working towards publishing subsequent books at approx. 1 book/year) 5-book fantasy series? 2) Any other thoughts on more or better perks? 3) Has anybody done this through their own author website and how did you go about it? Thanks for any input!! #WritingCommunity #indieauthor

Allowing people to twist our norms does cause harm. Motherhood is valuable and special; celebrating being a mother when you are not diminishes and demeans actual mothers. How about let's not normalize these ridiculous delusions?!

@deaflibertarian Someone else celebrating Mother’s Day as a pet owner doesn’t affect you. I said what I said.

Owning a pet does not make you a mother. I said what I said.

Lots of what I write is inspired by real life moments/events/observations. But there's one that's particularly amusing: my mother, after having read about the first 1/3 of my first book as I was writing it, challenged me to include the word "smidgeon" (or "smidgen", but that spelling really bugs me) in my book. I ended up creating a whole character named Smidgeon who I thought would be minor, but ended up playing a major role throughout the entire series.

Writing thought: Does anyone take things from real life and insert them into their book? I guess, if I think about it, I have, but it was such a minor thing. Are those inserts stronger because they're more real? Or does it matter? What do you think?

Alright... Back on this theme of "what is your book about?" Or, what are the underlying themes, or moral structure, etc.? Here's the thing with my series: there are moral threads that run through my books, but they're inconsistent, and that's the point. Life brings us challenges, it throws things at us that force us to confront reality in ways that can easily turn us from our moral paths or clarify those moral paths. The good man who values life arguably above all else will, when given the "right" set of pressures, willingly take a life. The joyful child with a heart of gold will slaughter countless innocents when that golden heart is broken. The poison that would drive a moral woman mad will transform a villain into a good person. The meakest wield the greatest power. The strongest falter under apparently trivial stressors. But not always. Sometimes it happens the other way around or somewhere in between. The point is to find out why individuals react the way that they do -- what makes them them, what will drag them down and what will lift them up. Whether the cliff will stop them in their tracks or teach them that they can fly. Not all successes are victories, not all failures are defeats, but sometimes they are, and the depth and breadth of "human" perseverance and tenacity can be easily limited to outright paralysis in one moment and limitless in another. There's plenty else going on -- the strength of family and community, the effects of an imposed peace, the price of bringing back a life and the cost of taking them, and on and on -- but the ultimate reaction of the individual to what life throws at them is the continuous thread throughout the entire tattered cloth that makes up all of the connected lives in this world. Tagging @DanNEO_SS , since it was him who pushed me to figure all of this out. #WritingCommunity #IndieAuthor

Yeah...pretty much. "Overthinking" is my middle name.

@sb_wight What I can conclude is that you must suffer as much as I do when writing synopses. Overthinking is the way!

@4thOfJuly365 I did this when I was a kid. Then I grew up and realized that scrambled eggs can be really good and not overcooked into oblivion, requiring the addition of something like ketchup. Still, ketchup on scrambled eggs is yummy! I wouldn't judge anybody who does it.

Am I the only one who puts ketchup on scrambled eggs? I’m genuinely shocked every single time I see someone stare at my plate like I just poured motor oil on it. I swear this is an old-school move. My grandparents and their generation did it without thinking twice. It was cheap, it was fast, it made basic eggs exciting during tougher times. It’s wild how something this simple divides people so hard. Team Ketchup On Eggs!

My question would be sensitive to what? Sensitive to whose sensibilities? For example, chasing whatever flavor-of-the-moment of "political correctness" is a losing game before you even start. Authors should write what they write and let the rest sort itself out. Jeez, I am ranty today. Maybe time for a little break to recharge.

Do you believe authors should be sensitive to the times we live in? What if the story they write has characters from countries shrouded in controversy? I don't write books set in the real world and am curious.

I'm literally thinking about this and I've got: Perseverance! No, wait...too many people want to kill themselves and some do. Good defeats evil! Yeah, no. Well maybe a little, but no. Family and community! That's in there! But is it what the series is about? Not really. A philosophical look at creation, gods, and control? Seems like a stretch. And a pretentious one at that. Maybe morality and the fallibility of the individual? Eh, maybe. I'm spiraling down to: It's an introspective look into the hearts, minds, and personal motivations of a range of individuals under all manner of stressors and motivators. Don't know that that qualifies as what it's "about", but it's at least a purpose. And the story is entertaining...I think. I'm going to drive my wife crazy this evening, and I'm blaming you. 😉

@sb_wight There are things in life that you cannot explain; they simply happen. Perhaps it is the subconscious, or the heart speaking. But I strongly believe that every writer has one or more messages that inevitably repeat throughout their work. I noticed mine from the very beginning.

Except for little Martin, every writer will love their books more than anyone else ever will. That’s why I don’t understand people who say they don’t know what their own book is about; that’s a different issue from not being able to explain it in a few words for a synopsis.

I just had to repost this! My response is in the replies, for anyone interested. I'm...fascinated by this! And really curious how other authors will respond!

To be fair, these stats do show a strong correlation between relative economic status and crime within racial class, but the racial disparity is insane! So, again to be fair, he's not wrong that reducing poverty would reduce crime, but, and to your point presumably, there's far more at work here than economics influencing crime. Gotta say, though, my mind is a little blown by this! Where is this chart from?

Poor white people have lower rates of criminality than rich black people Poverty does not cause crime

@TeamKClark Do you honestly believe that Virginia's state Constitution has anything to do with Florida? Or are you just lying to enrage stupid people?

Let’s be clear: If this standard applies in Virginia, it should apply in Florida too. Two different standards for democracy is not justice.

@DarlingAxe Patience. I'm working on my patience. My children seem to have the opposite mission in mind.

Good morning, humans 🌞 What are you working on today?

@GovKathyHochul And New Yorkers are leaving the state because of this type of unbridled authoritarianism. This is the United States of America, not your own personal fiefdom.

Ghost guns are the fastest-growing gun safety threat in the country. They're built in basements and garages, untraceable by design. New York is stepping in to stop them. Every 3D printer sold in this state will be required to include software that blocks it from printing a firearm.

@SoveyX I know you think this is funny, but it isn't. This is a representation of the camaraderie that comes from putting your life on the line and into others' hands. You are mocking that for clicks.

Do you like all homoerotic fighter pilot movies… or just Top Gun? 😏✈️ Seriously tho, was everyone gay in the 80s?

I'm no expert, but equating Clippy to AI seems like claiming that a canoe with an RC plane in it is an aircraft carrier. The similarities are surface level, at best, but the functionality is worlds apart. You're describing digital tools, not AI. These things weren't generative, they were responsive based on simple programmed rules. They weren't fed stolen IPs to build them. They couldn't be used to replace people. And on and on. And (and this is all my perspective and opinion), this argument that "AI is unavoidable, therefore we shouldn't fight against it", assuming that that's your ultimate point (and I've seen it made elsewhere, so I'll still address it here even if it isn't what you're getting at), is sadly defeatist and ultimately encourages the harm to and demise of human creators and creativity. I'll finish with this perspective: there is no "ethical" use of genAI within creative endeavors unless you entirely ignore that it was built upon wholesale theft and nearly every engagement with it steals from real people, not only in the past, but also the present and the future. If a human could reasonably have done the work, then engaging with AI to do that work instead is inherently unethical. (One caveat that may exist, from what you discussed, is wherein monopolistic systems utilize AI without offering any reasonable alternative (i.e. Amazon).)

Here's the truth... AI has been around for years within the writing community. It's in the editor features of software and the suggestions found in word processing titles. The list goes deep, but because it's never been sold as AI, it's overlooked---until now. Programs like Photoshop have had elements of AI for as long as I have used it, which is '97/'98. The difference being, it was never called AI. I mean anyone who has played around with image filters has used AI at its infancy stage. The platforms that many submit our manuscripts to, such as KDP, use AI to scan the book for errors and red flags. As most who utlize KDP know, AI voice overs are offered for creating audio books. I mean does anyone remember this annoying lil guy? (img) AI in some form has held a place in the lives of writers for sone time, and will continue. The key to its ethical use is to not allow it to take over your voice. It needs to remain as the assistant and not the sole creator. For both writing and imagery.

@KyleLeeWriter Glad to report that ours went the other way! The first time they heard "Ice Ice Baby" one of them was like "It's Und.... What's this crap??" There's still time to fix this!

Kid singing "Ice Ice Baby" under their breath Me, having the great idea to put on "Under Pressure" in the car. Kid, excited at first, then confused: This isn't "Ice Ice Baby", what the hell is this? Me, disappointed: This is the sound of me failing you as a parent.

"What does your main character..." "What does your protagonist..." I see these types of question a lot, and I'm like: do you guys only have one?? Arguably my 1st book has a "main" character, since it's a 1st-person POV, but even that's debatable. But from there on out it goes to multiple POVs with, again, an arguable "main" character (different from book 1) to even more POVs with no discrete main character for books 3-5. Usually, when I engage with these posts, I'll default to my first book, but it's tough because I essentially have to ignore the bulk of what I've written. Anybody else? Just me?? #WritingCommunity #IndieAuthor #SelfPublishing

@KBock4444 @NBCNews I mean, if that's your thing. I'm not into it.

@sb_wight @NBCNews

Kyle Rittenhouse, who gained fame for opening fire at a 2020 civil rights rally in Wisconsin, was hospitalized after he was bitten by a venomous spider, the noted firearms enthusiast says. nbcnews.com/news/us-news/g…

@mlduncan7 My respect. The very thought makes me anxious.

@sb_wight Yeah. I’ve got to go back to the first story and tweak a few things based on how the second story is going.

I've now officially written more pages in my spinoff novel than I have the original story (which is unfinished). Have you ever finished writing a spinoff story or second in a series before completing the first or orginal story?