Blood & Rhetoric

Yes, they are.
 
I came along this post by Nathan Bransford, literary agent, today, and it always shocks me to hear about writers or actors or whomever behaving in the manner described. I suppose it’s people involved in the “arts” in general who exhibit this kind of stupidity, and it’s this same vein of naiveté that leads writers and actors straight into the warm embrace of scam artists just waiting to bilk them out of every dollar they can. Because it all comes down to research.
 
I have no idea how people did anything back in that dark time when “cyberspace” was just a wacky term being used by William Gibson. Falling victim to scams or being clueless about how to approach agents or format a manuscript seems valid when resources were not readily available. 
 
But today? What is your excuse? You don’t have one, and as far as I’m concerned you deserve every bit of derision and/or misfortune that’s coming your way. There’s this tendency to excuse certain idiotic behaviour from “artists” because they’re “following a passion” but so are many other people not trying to make a living from the stage or pen. 
 
And scam artists will continue to operate, so long as the “passionate” continue to act like clueless monkeys. 

There are three major websites warning people about writing/publishing scams. 
 
There are countless pages of advice on how to approach an agent.
 
If you’re really that egomaniacal or moronic to not Google anything and everything before you make a move, you get no empathy from me. Laughter; yes, plenty. But empathy is reserved for people that are not victims of their own doing.

Avoid blogs about blogging like the plague.

Okay, let me say that once more with less drama:

Blogs about blogging are very helpful up to a point. They’re useful when it comes to introducing you to blogs, blog features, advertising, latest blog thingies, and reporting on the latest breaking news. Now the preceeding information can be presented in a few articles. Few being realtive, as there’s always news to report. However, visit one of these blogging sites such as ProBlogger and along with all their useful information, you’re also treated to numerous articles written by “friend” blogs that essentially reiterate the exact same information; following the formula they’ve been taught for the sheer desire to increase their own traffic.

Boring. And transparent.

I’m not going to read another “Avoid the BIGGEST Blogging Mistake!” or “13 Ways To Increase Traffic!” articles anymore. Half of the information presented in these articles are common sense, 45 percent is devoted to repeating what’s already been said, and 5 percent actually gives you something new and interesting.

And if you really need a list reminding you that checking your spelling and grammar are vital, you’re a fucking moron to begin with.

And so another blog slides out of the bloody womb of obscurity and screams its first futile cries of life. And so here I am. And maybe you too.  My name is Jana Lubina; I live in Toronto, Canada. Freelance copywriting (mostly) pays my bills, but the strung-out hopes and dreams of having said bills paid by my bestselling novels, is the ultimate goal.  I’m currently writing my first novel. I write mostly fantasy. I’m hoping to stick this novel thing through. And I’m hoping the end-product will not suck donkey balls. 

What this blog will be:

• Me and my thoughts on the writing process.

• Reviews of books.

• Uh… other stuff.

 What this blog will not be:

• Scathing literary criticism.

• Whiny.

• Written in that bizzare netspeak lingo people of my generation seem overly fond of using.