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Post by El Crab on Dec 9, 2005 5:52:45 GMT -6
scout trouble with the LBHA sometimes is they have no sense of humor. Custer himself liked to cut out cartoons of the day and put in his own caption/word balloons. There was a Far Side I saved with a bunch of cavalryman in front of tents, all with their index fingers raised up in the air and grins on their faces. Its titled: Custer's Last Group Photo Come to think of it, this is the Internet. Hold on... Nope, couldn't find it. Anyway, all the soldiers are grinning like idiots and Custer I believe has the arms crossed, looking to the left thing going on. Just like one of the pix of his pals in the field. I'll try to find it and take a pic of it. There's also a pretty funny one where you see cavalrymen and Indians sitting on horses, every eye on a single hornet buzzing around. The caption is something like: Both sides waited patiently for the hornet to calm down. I saved that one too.
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Post by fred on Dec 9, 2005 6:01:23 GMT -6
Crab--
Are you awake?
Fred.
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Post by El Crab on Dec 9, 2005 6:07:52 GMT -6
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Post by alfuso on Dec 9, 2005 9:08:40 GMT -6
El Carb
I have a few I made into -far side like toons for a short-lived magazine I used to put together back in 94-97 NOMAD & STANDBY.
I found old drawings of Custer, et al, and put in my own captions.
One is of Custer a-horse, turning abruptly. Caption: Causter suddenly remembered the keys to his tent were on his other horse.
I did some photos that way too. Had a lot of fun with a bunch I took at the Custer House at Fort Lincoln (an hour by myself in the house one Sunday morning!)
I set a Custer doll, an odie plush toy, a garfield, and a Crazy Horse "action figure" around the card table in the ballroom uptairs and captioned it "One never could be sure about that last-minute fourh for Bridge."
I also set my various dolls up in Yankton and Fort Riley. I had a lot of fun with captions that summer.
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Post by Diane Merkel on Dec 9, 2005 10:14:54 GMT -6
Fred,
Feel free to post your story here so we can all read it.
I'm not an author, but isn't an agent the key to getting in the gate of mainstream publishing?
Diane
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Post by Tricia on Dec 9, 2005 10:29:47 GMT -6
Fred, Feel free to post your story here so we can all read it. I'm not an author, but isn't an agent the key to getting in the gate of mainstream publishing? Diane Diane-- Sorry if I'm stepping in, but it is actually a bit better to get an editor on your side first. If an editor's interested, it usually will interest a potential agent--immediately. If your m/s is wanted by the publisher, you've been able to bypass an entire step! What I've found is that the best way to market a m/s is to go to conferences or meetings where agents or editors will hear pitches. You get five minutes to impress and it can go by really fast. But once you've made that personal connection, you will have "a solicited manuscript!" And if you are writing sequels to either a fiction or non-fiction work, MENTION them in your pitch. An editor loves to see if they can buy as much as possible! Regards, Leyton McLean
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Post by Diane Merkel on Dec 9, 2005 10:49:20 GMT -6
Leyton -- You obviously know the business better than I do. I thought the agent took the book to the publisher who assigned an editor, but what you said makes sense. Thanks.
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Post by fred on Dec 9, 2005 11:29:02 GMT -6
All right Diane, you asked for it. And Leyton, hold on to your hat; ol’ Freddy-boy here is about to pontificate.
Several years ago, I read one of my favorite Custer books, buying it off of reading a NY Times book review of it. The book stunned me, probably because I was a complete neophyte at the time. It was the first empiric treatise I had ever read about the battle & at the time I figured this guy’s found the answer! I read it a second time. It was all after I had read Connell’s “Son of the Morning Star.” There was one—among many—little fact found in both books that absolutely intrigued me & my mind said there’s a real story there. So I wrote one & I based it on the premises of the book that so stunned me. Well, my little story, my historical NOVEL, turned out to be 160,000 words & it took me about a year to write. I can’t tell you how delighted I was w/ it! Now the problem became, how do I get this baby published. The easiest way to me was to get out the NYC phone book & hunt for an agent. I knew I needed an agent. So I made some calls, got several rude… er… “people,” but also got one young lady who was kind enough to spend a few moments telling me how this was done.
You write a “query letter,” the agent responds—or doesn’t—you send part of the manuscript, & then suffer the consequences. She also told me the best way to find agents is to get a copy of a reference book called “Bowkers.” I went to the library, found this Bowkers book, & saw hundreds of agents. It gave names, addresses, telephone numbers, and—most importantly—what they specialize in. I wrote down 225 names, coast to coast. And I wrote my query letter (some people told me the letter was better than the book!). I sent out 5 of these letters every day or two, so I had a constant flow of responses. Many responded; some never did. Some rejections were nice; some terse. A couple actually called me, but when I told them how long the book was, they weren’t interested: 90,000 words seems to be what they’re looking for. I’m stubborn, however, & 90,000 words ruined my story. Besides, I have a pride issue. I did, however, get about 3 dozen affirmatives, requesting between 10 & 50 pages of the manuscript. About a dozen of those turned into offers. Apparently, that’s a VERY high percentage—at least according to a writer-acquaintance of mine. I chose a fellow in CA, primarily because he was an English & writing prof at UCal (I want to say Berkeley, but I can’t swear to it right now, & his info is still packed). After about 6 months w/ him, I pulled the contract. He wished me the best of luck, but I didn’t care for the way I was treated; he never informed me of anything. Apparently he received 2 or 3 rejections of my work. I then called a gal in NY—I wanted NY to begin w/, but the other fellow’s CREDENTIALS won me over—and she turned out to be English. To me, it was perfect! Plus, her praise of my book was absolutely effusive. I also have this thing about the English: to me, the world’s best writers—BY FAR! —are English. Don’t ask me why, but Isherwood, Forster, their historians, etc., to me, are the best. She at least kept me informed, but alas, after 4 rejections (Random House, St. Martin’s—and I can’t remember the other 2—they’re packed!), the relationship dwindled & I have done nothing since.
I did make a phone call to an agent in FL—about 3 years ago—and she really wanted to represent me, but I’ve done nothing w/ it. I told her, THIS IS A BOUTIQUE BOOK, & not something the big NY publishers would be interested in. IT’S MONEY, BABY—MONEY! That’s the bottom line, & Custer & the Wild West are not de rigueur. I felt I was correct about this & I told the lady in FL that I would want her to show it only to smaller & more mid-Western publishers. Look at the publishers on ALL your Custer stuff. Any Random Houses there? Not lately. So I felt that I was swimming against the tide w/ some of these agents, because THEY TOO ARE LOOKING FOR THE BIG SCORE. Apparently, several thought enough of my manuscript to think they had it, but the clowns in NY publishing didn’t agree. Grove-Atlantic struck it big w/ “Cold Mountain,” & Ballantine made it w/ the Sharra books (all 3 of which I think are awful), but I wasn’t lucky enough to hit the right guy.
So my pen sits fallow as I decode everyone else’s works, but one of these days I shall strike again. I will get in the mood, change my baby a little, & let ’er rip once more. It’s called persistence.
Leyton—I don’t have the guts to do what you are doing. I’ll share stuff like this w/ people like you, Diane, Elisabeth, Crab & some others on this site, but nothing more. I have a new plan, but like the German army of WWII, I look for the weak spot, the way to get around it all. The business is formidable, but it can be beaten. Imagine how smug I’ll feel one day, & you know something, if it never gets published, the fight will have been great.
Best wishes, Fred.
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Post by Tricia on Dec 9, 2005 14:33:55 GMT -6
Leyton -- You obviously know the business better than I do. I thought the agent took the book to the publisher who assigned an editor, but what you said makes sense. Thanks. Diane-- Don't get me wrong--it still works either way! But I've been told to look at it as such: getting an agent doesn't necessarily mean you can find a publisher, but if you have a publisher's representative (i.e., editor) wanting your work, you will, ultimately, find an agent. The trick, as we all know, is to not allow your manuscript--your baby, if you like--to fall into the dreaded and feared "slush pile ... " A hint I've been given (though I'm not entirely convinced of my writings' value as such) over the past year is to believe that you're doing the agent and editor a favour. YOU ARE GIVING THEM SOMETHING THEY CAN SELL! And you know, when you think about it, you are! Regards, Leyton McLean
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Post by Tricia on Dec 9, 2005 14:48:55 GMT -6
Fred--
What a great tale! It rings with a certain familiarity, indeed ... and I think you've hit the nail on the head with your "small" publisher theory. Generally, writing about GAC is more about filling a niche (right on, the "boutique" book), than something that will be a big, big blockbuster. Of course, one can always hope. I am beginning to think that there may be a great opportunity SHOULD this remake of "Son Of The Morning Star" hit the screens. We, as writers, need to be ready!
But, if not, I personally think a small house is the way to go. They're more willing to take a chance, more willing to bend those darn word limit rules (mine was originally 182,500--eeek!), and more willing to look at a writer as a person, rather than a commodity.
Like you, Fred, if I do make my mind up to seriously market the behemoth and the Custer I've created, I'm going to do it MY way ... like it our leave it.
Regards, Leyton McLean
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Post by fred on Dec 9, 2005 16:50:37 GMT -6
Leyton--
If you don't do it YOUR way, then whose book is it? That's the only way. As for mine, I tinker & fiddle & I have some new ideas, but right now I'm concentrating on the non-fiction work I'm doing. I suffer burn-out real easy, so it takes me time to do everything I want; but I'm determined. If your work is good enough, don't give up on it. And a lot of it depends on what you're looking for, i.e., lots of money, academic recognition, etc. JUST DON'T QUIT. Think constantly for new ideas, don't wed ANYTHING. You'll get it.
Best wishes Leyton, Fred.
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Post by fred on Dec 9, 2005 17:30:51 GMT -6
By the way, has anyone seen the Glenwood Swanson book, "G.A. Custer, His Life & Times"? You want pictures... WOW!
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Post by Diane Merkel on Dec 9, 2005 17:45:40 GMT -6
Glen's book is fabulous, isn't it? And he's a great guy, too!
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Gumby
Full Member
Posts: 202
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Post by Gumby on Feb 6, 2006 9:58:25 GMT -6
I have self-published two books and enjoy the speed in which I can get them into print as opposed to a regular publishing house, which can take up to two years after they accept your manuscript to print it.
I am currently looking into POD. Do any of you have any suggestions as to which company is best?
Bob Snelson
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Post by fred on Feb 6, 2006 10:14:08 GMT -6
Robert!--
I have no idea about "who" is the best, but, please, how does POD work?
Best wishes, Fred.
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