This is painful, but a pain I know too well lol. But we also have to talk about how financially irresponsible many publishers are... they'll throw SEVEN FIGURES at a debut... but everything inbetween, say, a 25K advance and seven freaking figures has mostly dried up... not entirely, but mostly. Remember when we thought a 500K advance was crazy? loollllll. In the current YA market, NO DEBUT should get 7 figures IMO. I know it's good for the author who gets it, but it's irresponsible and a massive contributor to the dying midlist. And when you're up, marketing wise, against one of those 7 figure buzzy books? Honestly you're DOA (and you sink even further into the midlist). Publishers need to spread that money around and stop making bad investments. I've seen it happen again and again over the past 4 years or so--publishers throwing MASSIVE amounts at mediocre books (that they then fail to generate enough fake buzz for) and then being all SHOCKED PIKACHU when they are relative failures. It screws over those authors (I always feel bad for them), but also every other author whose career was screwed by the shockwave impact from it (the rest of the budget for the year going away, sheet bandwidth focus having to go to that one title, etc.). You just want to shout MAYBE INVEST A FRACTION OF YOUR ENERGY IN THE BOOK YOU LOWBALLED ON THE ADVANCE BECAUSE THE ROI ON THAT BOOK IS ACTUALLY BETTER THAN THE MASSIVE ADVANCE BOOK WITH SIMILAR SALES HELLO. But they never learn. YA ONLY knows the "throw big money/chase huge breakout" model and it no longer works.
Publishers have written themselves and authors into a corner where there’s no backing out-at least in their minds. They could restructure the inner workings of that clock, sure, but at this point it would need retooling from the ground up. And that’s because they’ve made that door so narrow only their top tier authors have a chance. In house editing (which is still part of marketing a good product), not cost effective. Marketing in general is reserved for people who manage to get a slot on their very exclusive list. It’s greed, and it has been devouring creators for a long time. Hell, decades ago when mid-list books were plentiful and print runs were around 25K, publishers weren’t looking at them as serious sales. Even though they all added up to some very healthy revenue. Individually though, they weren’t exactly scoring with corporate bean counters and they began looking for ways to shrink the mid-list. The thing is, while they may lay blame on ebooks and self publishing, it’s a convenient scape goat because they’ve been downsizing long before those things were options for new writers. And unless publishing becomes a cottage industry again, as it was before the 80s, there’s no fixing corporate logic. They go where money flows. My prediction is book publishing will be placed on life support and they will make up for the loss with more movie deals. Hollywood certainly isn’t creating original characters in films any longer. For them it’s more cost effective to borrow characters with an established audience. Meaning celebrity authors...but I also think that means Hollywood blockbusters will start dictating even more what kind of stories see publication. Something that can be made into popcorn movies with loads of larger than life special effects. This is nothing new. That writing has been on the wall for some time now. But with all the new streaming services...well, you get the idea. For the foreseeable future, say goodbye to quality on an even grander scale. Corporate America and work, ladies and gentlemen!
Yup yup yup. No debut should get 7 figs - 100%. And like, very few books at all. The Obamas' memoirs? Sure. Guaranteed to move those copies. Basically everything else? Nope. And then like - yes, it's good for that author UNTIL they don't earn out that absurd advance and the house considers it a flop and doesn't publish the rest of the series. (: But yeah, whether it sells or not, it absolutely screws every other book coming out that season from that house. And something I totally failed to talk about in the video was how much this resembles the economy, shrinking middle class while billionaires get billionairier even though most people seem to agree that a healthy middle class = a healthy economy...a healthy midlist would = a healthier publishing industry, wouldn't it? If they could move some backlist, instead of pulping so many copies a year? I'm the first to admit I know very little about business, but I genuinely don't believe these CEOs do either.
@@froufroufeatherstone6291 Same page, Lynda. Visually, these movies are interesting. Seeing the comic book characters I grew up with and worked on for a decent chunk of my life. But also annoyed that this is exactly where the major comic book companies went. And instead of using the movies to promote book sales, they put comics (and a lot of careers) out to pasture. Because that’s how big business works…ever forward and no looking back. Once they’ve killed something, dead is dead, pull the plug and move on. It’s kind of a locust mentality. And when comics were at their selling peak, the stories and characters were not as important as flashy art and action. The quality fell apart. Movies will eventually give way to streaming, and who knows what the next pointless form of escapism will be? Virtual reality head sets? The technology has been in the works for a while!
You're so right about how publishers doom all their midlist books to fail by doing zero marketing. Publishers treat midlist authors as their gold sifters. You write the book, they pay you a pittance, and they have you do 100% of your own promotion. If you happen to strike gold, and your hustling gets your book to take off, they reap the rewards and you get a sliver of it. If you don't happen to strike gold, you make no money, and neither do they, and they don't care because they spent zero dollars on advertising, and are making the lion's share of their profits from their top-tier authors anyway. This happened to me twice, and I got fed up and moved to indie publishing. If I'm going to do 100% of the promotion myself, I'd rather get 70% of the royalties instead of 15%. The hard part is I have to edit the books myself, hire illustrators and book designers, learn Amazon ads, crank out several books a year, etc. But I prefer this to the glacial pace of publishers who don't care about me. If and when I strike gold, it'll go into my pocket.
In regards to Social Media I'm taking the approach a few of my friends do. They stay off of Social Media for a while, and progress in what they do (Art, Music, script-writing etc.) and when they near completion, they make an announcement they have something prepared and state a date, usually about two weeks later. It builds up the hype and talk around it while knowing, mostly, what the fanbase is in for. It gets them talking amongst their friends and their families while leaving enough time for them to fine-tune, if needed, any little things.
You know what? I love that strategy. It makes so much more sense to me, both in terms of not wasting time on sm as an artist, but also for effectiveness - building up hype, like you said. REALLY great idea.
Michelle, it takes a lot of courage and mental prowess to speak this transparently. I have mad amounts of respect for your channel and for you personally. Penguin random house is the number 1 publisher in the world and it is heartbreaking to see how they treat their authors. (I dare not imagine what other publishers do) Have you ever considered writing an adult book? Maybe a Dark Psychological mystery/thriller 😃
Wow, thank you so much, jp!! And HA, it's funny you'd say that because that is my fav genre to read...which is maybe why I'm afraid to try it. I haven't gotten an idea for one yet and I'm not sure I could pull of a twist as great as my favorite books! but if I ever get that idea, I'd go for it for sure.
Watching this today, and that bit at 00:50 killed me. Great comedic timing and editing. I'll be laughing about that all day. I deeply appreciate you talking about all of this. I've written a first draft (no idea if or when I might publish it), but I am watching and listening carefully. Also, as I have kids that are beginning their reading journey, I want to find the hidden gems - not just point them to whatever 4 titles are trending right now. I picked up a couple of new books (thank you Goodreads) for my daughter along with Charlotte's Web. We'll be hitting up the library also. And now, I have two more titles to check out. Thank you!
Great video, Michelle! If I were still teaching, I’d share this with my students. This level of transparency and analysis is so important in helping aspiring and mid list authors set realistic expectations for the publishing experience. It helps to be able to identify what is and isn’t inside of your realm of control because disappointment and frustration can really mess with our ability to practice and love the craft.
Honestly, it's authors like you that make me want to try my hand in the publishing world and be one more voice in the fight for better conditions. Thank you for this video.
Oh gosh, thank you so much! That's a huge compliment and please let me know if you decide to come down this path! (There are upsides too, I swear! lol)
I’m definitely going to have to read that report. I have to admit that I’m glad you put that disclaimer in the beginning about trying to be positive about traditional publishing because the more mess I hear about it, the more I’m just like is it even worth it? Lol also the comment about how they run their business had me laughing hard. It really doesn’t make sense. I will definitely be looking forward to next week
Thanks so much, Daja! :) Honestly, sometimes it's hard to argue that it's worth it. One day, I'll make a truly positive video about the benefits of trad pub. (But today was not that day lol)
Hi Michelle, I just discovered your videos (wish I'd discovered them 3 years ago!!) and want to thank you so much for all your advice, support and encouragement to aspiring authors. I'm an aspiring author, hoping to be traditionally published one day, and despite all the obstacles, your videos give me hope and inspire me not to give up. Thank you for everything you do!!
I think publishing is traditionally elitist, which is why nothing you said surprised me, Michelle. It's just one of the sad facts of life. Thankfully, the world is changing. We can now publish our own books, and if we are willing to work just as hard at marketing as we are at writing, we can turn a profit. Independent publishing is coming into its own. It's not just vanity publishing anymore. It's an opportunity to be in control of our own destinies, as much as that's possible in the world. For those writers who can't bring themselves to market their books, (and I do understand it's not for everyone), you might consider setting up cooperative publishing houses. It would require a serious investment of money and time, as any business venture does, but it would allow you to do your own thing in your own way. You could publish your books, and those of individuals who can't do it for themselves, for whatever reason. You could take on the big guys and beat them at their own game. I don't think traditional publishing will ever change. There are too many writers who are desperate to see their names in print,and have the bragging rights that go along with being associated with influential publishers for that to happen. I don't think the traditional publishers will ever give the midlist books the attention they deserve. They're not glamorous, and in the entertainment industry, glamour carries the most sway.
Sadly, I think you're right here, Heather. I love that idea of setting up a co-op house...with the right people, that could be something really amazing. I know there are tons of small indie presses working hard to support their authors. It's just so hard to break into those brick and mortar stores, and that's the reason so many authors choose the trad pub route.
@@MichelleSchustermanAuthor Getting books into libraries and retail shops is something that would require a strategy, but I believe it can be done. Librarians, as you know, tend to be interested in good books, regardless of their origins. Retailers are simply in business to make money. Find a way to help them do that, and regardless of who you are they'll listen. I believe the time for change is now, and there are probably clever independents out there right now who are working hard on the problem. After all, there's a big pie to be divided up: I read that audio books alone made over a billion US dollars last year.
Thank you! When my first book came out, I was expecting riches. Wha-wha-wha. Next time, I'll be publishing for the right reasons and have managed expectations.
Two things really; 1) I was thinking of traditionally published much earlier in my journey because I know I would be able to sell free water in a desert so them having marketing power was an attraction, but obviously not. Along with life that was a reason for the delay in my journey. 2) to go with publishing being a prehistoric enterprise, the very fixed genres they follow is also an issue. I've heard a lot of people, even published authors talking about how they get rejected because publishers don't know how to market the new and innovative idea (which considering the lack of market is just an excuse). Think of some of the genres and categories that are popular and earning money in self publishing but don't in publishing because they stick to what they know and don't learn or grow
Oh man, GREAT point, Jenn. Even just the strict separation of MG and YA alone is something really specific to the US market - in the UK, it seems to me, it's easier to sell a book that crosses/includes both age groups. I understand the need to know 'where to shelve' a book but it really does create some unnecessary restrictions.
Thank you so much, Valerie!! Talking about it is pretty cathartic for me, so I'm really happy it's resonating with you too! (Even though it sucks that we're all in this stupid boat together lol)
Thank you so much for your transparency, in all your publishing videos but especially this one! It's so important authors--and everyone who works in publishing or with books--has these conversations so we can figure out how to make the industry more equitable and the midlist sustainable.
Yes! Be positive! It goes against the grain & it's really helpful. It's easy to be negative, because it's easier to see problems which already exist than solutions which are possible. And authors are good at using their imagination. Right?
Yes!! The video I ha e been waiting patiently for. Bring it on, I got a warm cup of tea to help me deal with the anxiety this topic is sure to dredge up. Also, the puppy appearances always cheer me up. Bring on the doomsday video! We need to save the mid list. “But first I’m going to trash publishers...” 🙌 I better find this white paper and read it. Because my TBR isn’t long enough. A 50 page report of doom and gloom...yay! “An impoverished literary world...” Marketing and publicity departments should support ALL authors...yes to this. Yes to authors being able to call attention to unfair contract terms. I agree that as readers we have a small part to play in what and WHERE we buy from. Whew those incomes was really depressing but still a necessary part of the discussion. It does sound like a dumb ass way to run a business! And for what it’s worth I loved Spell & Spindle. PS- I sent my first batch of queries last week. I may not land an agent with this project, but the confidence to put myself out there and feeling ready is largely based on your content. Just wanted to say thanks for doing you. 💜
LOL thanks, Barrett! There's a link in the description if you really do want to read the whole thing. And HEY!! Congrats on officially querying! that's awesome, and I'm so excited for you! Please keep me posted. My fingers are crossed!!
That report almost did have me convinced that I should look into self publishing, but like you said, that's not really a better route, especially for someone who, like me, has no skills or interest in marketing. Also, as a reader, I know I'm guilty of not being willing to spend much money on books. I hate how I barely hesitate to buy a pizza for 85 SEK (roughly 10 USD), but if that's the prize for a book I want, my first instinct is to see if it's cheaper somewhere else. I'm usually pretty good at not following that instinct, and I have stopped buying books (or anything else, really) from Amazon at all, because I have *feelings* regarding Amazon, even if that means buying it for more money elsewhere. Then again, I sometimes wonder if that matters, or if that extra money is just going to the retailer and the publishers, let alone the authors, don't notice what I do at all. You know, "but what does it matter if *I* do this thing when no one else will" and that whole thing. Anyway, I appreciate the positivity, even if the depressing parts had to come first. I'm looking forward to part two! :D
SAME. I'm so guilty of that. It's hard because there is a place for Amazon, there's a lot to appreciate - people who don't have bookstores in their areas, at all, period, have a way to buy books without expensive shipping, and that's awesome. And I've also wondered, when I do go to an indie and pay a higher price, if it matters in the end, thanks to those abysmal contract terms. It really does start to feel like a rock and a hard place situation! (And thank you for watching, Markus!)
@@MichelleSchustermanAuthor Definitely, I realize that my being able to choose other retailers than Amazon is a privilege in itself, and absolutely no shade on anyone who can't or doesn't want to make that choice. Amazon has a lot of upsides, I just wish they didn't come with all the downsides X)
@@WriterMarkusRegius Exactly!! I do get a bit irritated with the "if you shop Amazon, you're supporting evil!" talk I see online sometimes because for so many people, it's genuinely the only way they can get a thing. But MAN. The company's practices are atrocious and need to change.
Publishers could also stop selling ebooks *in a pandemic* at $14 a pop. Even $7 is too high. The thing is that Amazon has helped many self published authors maintain control over their work and actually earn royalties. Whereas publishers have not done the same. Amazon is a problem but Amazon is not the only one to blame for this mess.
I am FLABBERGASTED that nk jemisin got a 25k advance for the fifth season. That's insane and so damn sad. This is why it's hard to find quality books nowadays cuz quality writers aren't appreciated/valued for their work.
I'll argue that not only is it not economically sensible to pay top authors so much in relation to smaller midlist authors. It's also a bad bet. Will fans continue to buy books by their favorite author? Yes. Do the quality of those books tend to decline? By some examples, also yes. And they don't have the draw they use to. It's usually just the diehards without pulling in new readers. Those favorites shouldn't be making the same versus when they came out.
YES! Patricia, I couldn't agree more. You're making me think I might need to devote an entire video to why 7 figure advances shouldn't be a thing. It's really ridiculous.
Geez! Wow, I knew some of this. Not all of it. The funny this is I worked my butt off for 10 years to be a full time author so I could stay home with my girls and kicked myself and hated myself for not being 'smart' enough to figure it out... then I learn that I probably couldn't have done anything about it. That's a kick in the wake up call, I tell ya. Thanks for this video.
Hold up! Absolutely not we are not doing this in 2021. It is 100% personal that they wouldn't audition you for an IP project because your sales were low. They decided amongst themselves that their unwillingness to do the work of trained professionals is a reflection of your commitment, time and ability rather than a reflection on their own inability to support a writer with drive an ambition. Ridiculous. There needs to be accountability on both sides and from what I'm listening to they seem to have have any on theirs.
I really appreciate that, Raymond. It really is a complicated thing - I know a lot of people in publishing, editors, publicists, etc and they really do care. When I say it's not personal, I'm thinking of them. But you're right, that doesn't mean there shouldn't be accountability. And any insinuation that the author is to blame needs to go, for sure.
@@MichelleSchustermanAuthor thank you. I understand. I didn't mean to imply that it's all bad just the overall energy of it. It's personal only in so far the common decision seems to me to be, only support a few writers at the expense of most others because those few writers are easier to make successful. I should not have used such emotional language.
I don't think they're (publishers) necessarily looking at what they're doing as ' knee-capping' themselves because like all things publishing, they're still functioning on prehistoric beliefs that if you don't like the terms of the contract, there will always be another author out there quite happy to publish with them under their terms to be traditionally published. In other words, if you don't like how they're doing things, then go somewhere else, if you can. I hate the fact that royalties are now being based on the sale rates of books. Of course there are many other things that are just wrong with the publishing industry; and absolutely agree that authors are their bread and butter; and why publishers don't get out of the caveman era of conducting business is baffling. Perhaps, it has something to do with the phrase, " if it's not broken, why fix it" mentality? One thing is for certain, self-publishing has developed because of dinosaur methods used by publishers for conducting business. Authors are getting tired of compromising out of desperation. They are turning to self-publishing because they want to make more than $4.00 per book, (whether they do or not is grounds for another discussion) a book that in some cases may have taken them six months to a year to write and edit.
Yeahhhh you're right about that...although it's pretty myopic of them if they don't realize we can't go anywhere else because they're all the same lol. The industry really is mired in the past. It's really absurd. I mean, many of them still cut paper checks to their authors, which...direct deposit, guys? Is a thing? But anyway, yup - I think we're going to see an increase in talented authors turning to self-pub unless something changes with how these houses are run.
As depressing as it is and infuriating as it must have been for you making this (reliving/rehashing your own experiences plus finding how much racism is embedded in the traditional publishing industry) I do think it's a video we all needed made so that we can make informed choices about our publishing future. Like for me personally, I plan to self publish my series because (if I remember correctly) you and a few other authors said in a live stream that an already written series would be hard (if probably not impossible) to get traditionally published. (I'm assuming that's because the publishing house can't guide you into writing the series how they want it to be?) But any stand alone novels I write? I kinda feel those might do better traditionally published, and if I get helped into making them a series, that'll be awesome. Because it's my stand alone book ideas that I can only see the one "short" story for, in that unlike my series that just grow as I write them, expanding out into something more than I dreamt. These novels just like to stay in their tiny space that I envisioned them in. So yeah, knowing what I could be in for for either route of publishing is great. Likelihood is that I'll be on the low end of the income bracket there, so understanding and preparing for that is good. (No giving way to fantasies of Rowling levels of cash....😬) And knowing that my traditional publishing career might not take off beyond a book (if that) is another good thing to keep in mind. But.....this has me all thinking. If I did go and get a stand alone published and it did do semi-well, would that be a foot in the door for my pre-written series as well? Or would they still nix that because they have no say on the entirety of the plot and it's twists/character development?🤔 I dunno. Thank you, though, again for making this video given how hard the subject matter was/is. I'll be eagerly anticipating part 2.💜☺
Thanks so much, K! That's exactly why I make them - this is the kind of stuff I wish I'd known before I signed my first contract. Generally, yeah, it's harder to sell a completely written series, but I do think that if an editor really loved it and the author demonstrated flexibility, it could still happen! An author who's determined not to change a thing about a series, especially if it's their first book(s), that's kind of a red flag. If you had a standalone that sold well, you would be well-poised for another deal, including a series! The pre-written thing is really just about whether or not the author is willing to take edits, including potentially big ones - not so much that they want a say in how the story unfolds. Thank you for watching, K!!!
@@MichelleSchustermanAuthor in order, though, to have the author do those potentially big edits, though, wouldn't the editor have to read the entire series before suggesting them? Because even inconsequential seeming things early on in my stories are there to make an impact later. So if an editor told me to cut them out, without knowing how important it was, they would likely consider me inflexible, no? Because I can't quite see an editor reading through 7 books just to tell me what they want changed in book one. (Though I'm probably not giving them enough credit thanks to overworked/booked editor "horror" stories I've read) I dunno. I'll try and keep this semi-thought out plan as a "what if" for now. (Otherwise I'll stress over something not even possible right now) But I get what you're saying, and thank you for saying it! (I have *a lot* of work to do on myself and my stubbornness before I give any of this a shot, to be frank. Hence why self-publishing has so much draw for me😅) Anyway, good luck on your writing today!
@@kanashiiookami6537 ah, I see - and in all honesty, yes, they might consider that inflexible, simply because one book takes 1-2 years to publish, so a trilogy, you're looking at 3-6 years, and an editor very likely won't read the entire series right from the start. (And definitely not seven!)
@@MichelleSchustermanAuthor that's what I thought. 😅 I'm so used to getting books a long time *after* the series has been published that I hadn't thought about the years between each book until a friend and me were discussing this topic today. So that settles my idea to use traditional publishing just for stand alone novels. 🤔 I think that would make it "best of both worlds" then. I can self publish my series and get that to readers so that they don't age out of the books (because, yeah, 7 at least in the one series. And that's not counting how some of the books may end up split up if all my edits bring them over the expected page count for my genre. So that would take a while in traditional publishing. 😃) and piddle around with trying to traditionally publish novels that I won't mind sparing time on the whole process for. Anyway, thank you for getting back to me. It's helped me figure things out, at least publishing goals wise. 💜 Enjoy what's left of your evening, and good luck with writing tomorrow.
@@tirill452 Oh, I'm sorry! "Midlist" refers to all books that a publishing house publishes that aren't bestsellers - they don't sell in big numbers. Most authors/books are midlist.
Have you ever thought when rights to your two children's book revert back to you... maybe self-publish them again under new covers? Traditional publishing does this all the time.
Reading Dark Age America gives me a new lens--the publishers are Full On Intermediation and ...tending toward the parasitical. I mean, I don't want to be Bad News Brenda either, but...
I actually gawked when I saw Jemisin's advance. That's criminal! Even on days when I feel most negative about trad pub, I remember that I do NOT have the money to (successfully) self pub. I don't have a few grand lying around to hire an editor or cover designer, so there's really only one way forward if I want my books to see the light of day. Luckily, writing is a hobby for me and I have no plans to quit my day job lol.
It's beyond outrageous. Yep, that's why I went this route too! Ack, I always wince when I hear about debuts quitting their day jobs. This isn't exactly work with job security...
Let me boil this down to someting simpl. Traditional publishing views books like produce. If it doesn't seel in 30 days, its stale and they think the need new stock. So they move money and markeign to the next big thing. Selfpublished authores on the other hand view their books as annuities that generate income over time. So indie authors keep marketing their books long aver the initial publishing date. . And people, readers, don't care or remember how well your last book sold. Hell, they don't know how well or poorly your last book sold, so the idea to not use you to ghost write that book was BS. And readers, most readers don't know or care about author awards, so the idea that awards should inifluence advances is silly.
Oh, and don't get me started about celebrity books and the privilege they received just for being... them. How do you compete????? Ya, you don't. And since everyone in Hollywood is writing a book... need I say more? A sure thing is a terrible thing to base the quality of literature for the masses on. I mean, how often do you think "Trixie, The Talking Gerbil," written by academy award winner actress can sell? Yet, six figures and a movie deal it is... Arrrrg!
Yes yes, to all of this. I enjoy a good book to film adaptation; there are some celebs whose books I genuinely want to read...but overall, it'd be cool if we could keep publishing and Hollywood separate industries kthx??
The gaslighting you and everyone else is going through in the industry is downright disgusting. Between stuff like that and the lack of control, I admit that is part of what nudged me towards being an independent. I'll still have to publish traditionally for my middle grade projects, I imagine, because the indie pipeline doesn't really put those books where they need to go as far as I can see, but maybe I can pick your brain on the active middle grade market later since you're in the thick of it. It's a shame for the authors who are either failing to earn out those ridiculously huge advances through no fault of their own and dinging their careers, and then we have your situation where they design the situation for failure and then are shocked at the result. Imagine miraculously ending up DOA when you receive zero actual support and are shouting into the void that is social media. Shocker. More on self-sabotaging systems with the 10 o'clock news, I guess. And, honestly, even with the apples to oranges ... the situation with N. K. Jemisin is pretty horrifying. It brings to mind the anti-$15-minimum nonsense, honestly. Most writers need to be paid more, full stop. Our work is seriously undervalued across the board, which is saying something considering most other creative industries are built off of ours. (Farmer to market scalping analogies also comes to mind, considering the farm as one of my day jobs.) Basically, yeah, it's a giant big-damn-sigh. Looking forward to next Monday's video, though. All the best to you and Rosa!
Thanks so much, JS! I'm here for any MG questions. (Also, if you aren't subbed to Lindsay Puckett, she's an MG author recently agented and on submission! She's documenting all of it and sharing a ton of great info!) Self-sabotage indeed! It's all just so....bad. And DUMB. That's what I just don't get. It makes me want to get an MBA to find out if I'm missing something. Thank you for watching! :D
I'll be sure to check out her channel, thanks for the recommendation! I will admit it's a very tempting thing, if only to figure out if there's a method to the madness. As you said, it's a terrible way to run a business - basically like shooting yourself in the foot and then trying to run a marathon. (Ack. The ONE time I comment from my phone, autocorrect makes me look like an idiot. Gotta love the enforced grammar errors. Just noticed that in my original comment. X_x)
Fantastic vlog!!! I laughed, I cried...well, no tears because I already knew a lot of these points. But wow, you did a great job presenting and I love your special effects. Can't wait to see the POSITIVE one next week! You totally rock. LOL :D (Blatant self promo: USA Today Bestselling Author here, indie author for 10 years, Amazon, iBooks, Google Play, Kobo, and Ko-fi.com )
