Disqus - Latest Comments for SwanLakeSambaGirl

Re: Webcam: Mexican Gray Wolf F613 and Children

SwanLakeSambaGirl — Wed, 22 May 2024 14:22:37 -0000

Happy birthday to Jean ❤️ ❤️ ❤️

Re: downdetector.com/status/centurylink

SwanLakeSambaGirl — Thu, 18 Feb 2021 22:27:06 -0000

I was never even told they were shutting it down in March. Very poor customer service!

Re: downdetector.com/status/centurylink

SwanLakeSambaGirl — Wed, 17 Feb 2021 22:50:38 -0000

Chandler, AZ - I've been down since Sunday.

Re: downdetector.com/status/centurylink

SwanLakeSambaGirl — Tue, 16 Feb 2021 22:46:51 -0000

My Prism service has been down in south Chandler for over two days now. Rep says they don't know when it will be back up.

Re: Fever

SwanLakeSambaGirl — Fri, 31 Jul 2015 11:20:07 -0000

Thank you so much for your review! I'm so glad you liked the book! Oh my gosh, I would LOVE for it to be made into a movie!

Re: Writers on Google+ - GalleyCat

SwanLakeSambaGirl — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 11:55:21 -0000

Tonya Plank
novelist (Swallow), dance blogger

http://gplus.to/tonyaplank

Re: What Books Are You Looking Forward to in 2011? - GalleyCat

SwanLakeSambaGirl — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 13:47:02 -0000

The Evolution of Bruno Littlemore, by Benjamin Hale.

Re: Love in the Time of Amazon.com - GalleyCat

SwanLakeSambaGirl — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 14:29:13 -0000

Aw, how cute!!

I check my Kindle sales rank once an hour. I check my paperback sales rank once every few days (too depressing to check more often!)

Re: Best Novels of 2010: A Literary Mixtape - GalleyCat

SwanLakeSambaGirl — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 20:34:23 -0000

ROOM by Emma Donoghue.

Re: GalleyCat Editor Takes Baby Break - mediabistro.com: GalleyCat

SwanLakeSambaGirl — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 12:42:36 -0000

Congratulations Jason!

Re: Jennifer Belle: "Write What You Want to Write" - mediabistro.com: GalleyCat

SwanLakeSambaGirl — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 09:54:56 -0000

Thank you Valda :) My novel is called Swallow and it's on Amazon. There's more info on my website, here: http://www.tonyaplank.com/s...

Re: Jennifer Belle: "Write What You Want to Write" - mediabistro.com: GalleyCat

SwanLakeSambaGirl — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 12:06:03 -0000

I'm a big fan of Jennifer Belle and I likened my first novel to her Going Down when querying agents. I believe in the merits of traditional publishing too. But when my agent couldn't find a publisher for my novel, I decided to self-publish. My novel won several indie awards, received very good reviews, and has been a Kindle best-seller for over a month. I know my success is nowhere near what it would have been had I been traditionally published, but I believe that for the just starting out Jennifer Belles of today, self-publishing may be the only way to get your start.

Love her advice about starting in the middle and holding nothing back though!

Re: Should Writers Pay for Book Reviews? - mediabistro.com: GalleyCat

SwanLakeSambaGirl — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 17:19:54 -0000

All authors need quality reviews. There are some very good book bloggers out there, but many of them won't review self-published books. A lot of Amazon reviewers will judge a book based on whether or not they liked the main or supporting characters. Many people like to read to identify with the characters, so that's fine. But you still need a professional reviewer, who is skilled at understanding what the author is trying to do and analyzing the book by whether the author accomplished what he or she set out to do, and not by whether the characters are all nice or what have you. With the proliferation of self-publishing maybe these companies just can't handle all the requests for reviews, and need to charge something to hire more reviewers. Reviewers need to get paid too. I just worry when the fee seems really high.

Re: Rick Moody: 'Writers Are More Desperate Than Any Time Since I've Been Watching' - mediabistro.com: GalleyCat

SwanLakeSambaGirl — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 12:25:45 -0000

I think self-publishing is becoming a serious option, but mainly for writers of commercial fiction. Authors of thrillers, chick lit, romance, and fantasy seem to be doing best with e-book sales. For literary writers, and especially experimental authors, it's going to be much harder. For that kind of work (art) you really need critical acclaim - someone of authority to let the public know why that work is important, and that kind of authority right now comes from established media and prestigious awards. Maybe those will open to more self-published authors in the future? Or maybe the role of indie reviewers like ForeWord, Midwest Book Review, IPPY, etc. will grow in the future.

Re: “I Write Like” Program Compares Your Writing to Famous Authors - GalleyCat

SwanLakeSambaGirl — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 16:50:36 -0000

For my blog excerpt I got J.K. Rowling, so they have at least one woman.

Re: “I Write Like” Program Compares Your Writing to Famous Authors - GalleyCat

SwanLakeSambaGirl — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 14:07:20 -0000

Interesting. I went back and tried various excerpts from my novel and got Nabokov, Kurt Vonnegut, James Joyce, Stephen King, and James Joyce again. But when I went back and put the same excerpt in again I got the same person. So it was consistent; it wasn't just spurting out random names... My novel has multiple personality disorder...

Re: “I Write Like” Program Compares Your Writing to Famous Authors - GalleyCat

SwanLakeSambaGirl — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 13:18:22 -0000

HAHA, I got Vladimir Nabokov (based on novel excerpt). Thought for sure I'd get Helen Fielding or Nick Hornby. But no, just Nabokov. Hmmm.....
I write like Vladimir Nabokov. Proof: http://iwl.me/s/c3e0655f

Re: Best eBook Price for Self-Published Authors - mediabistro.com: GalleyCat

SwanLakeSambaGirl — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 23:13:36 -0000

David Carnoy was one of the reasons I ended up deciding to self-publish, when I read your profile on him in - I think it was December 2008. I did everything he did, almost used your profile as a step-by-step guide. So I'm always interested in his advice, and hearing how he's faring. Big congrats to him on getting picked up by Overlook!

Re: http://blog.disqus.com/post/593870678

SwanLakeSambaGirl — Fri, 14 May 2010 12:00:22 -0000

I don't seem to be able to comment on my Wordpress blog right now.

Re: THANK YOU!

SwanLakeSambaGirl — Mon, 10 May 2010 11:34:07 -0000

Thank you!

Re: OH TO BE IN ITALY RIGHT NOW…

SwanLakeSambaGirl — Mon, 03 May 2010 10:03:48 -0000

I totally agree with you. Nudity doesn't bother me so long as it serves an artistic purpose and isn't merely gratuitous, as I don't think it is in the Mats Ek Giselle. Leveille's work looks intriguing.

Re: WILD FIDDLEHEADS

SwanLakeSambaGirl — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 11:51:56 -0000

Very interesting -- thanks for letting me know!

Re: Reimagine the Future of Book Reportage - mediabistro.com: GalleyCat

SwanLakeSambaGirl — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 10:36:37 -0000

Thank you!

Re: Reimagine the Future of Book Reportage - mediabistro.com: GalleyCat

SwanLakeSambaGirl — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 17:57:13 -0000

Argh, they would have to reschedule this to conflict with NYCBallet's opening night gala! I really hope someone does a good write-up and / or that they videotape it. I think they videotaped an earlier panel discussion with Richard Nash and the guy from OR Books.

Re: GQ Urges Publishers to Stop Tumblr-to-Book Deals - mediabistro.com: GalleyCat

SwanLakeSambaGirl — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 14:37:31 -0000

I'm not familiar with most of the books he mentions or with Tumblr or with the section of Barnes & Noble he refers to. I'm in B&N a lot though so I'll look for it. I agree with the agent's comment on the article. I think if a blog or any kind of internet writing contains a serious cultural observation or critique -- even if its main purpose is to be funny and entertain -- then it is worthy of publication in book form to reach a larger audience. Even if most of the Tumblr books aren't in that category, there are going to be a few gems. Most published books in general aren't in that category anyway.