Friday Fun, Change and Writers Behaving Badly

Every mother’s fear when she goes to pee…

Happy Friday! Today, I have a small announcement. After I finish my structure series (which should be Monday), I am going to drop blogging to only one day a week. I will be blogging Wednesdays and keeping Fridays for any guest posts. Here is a warning. I might blog more than just one day a week because I dig checking in, chatting, and I’m always learning cool stuff that I love sharing here for your benefit.

Yet, here is the deal.

Not only am I working on a new WANA book, but I am also teaching classes then traveling to teach and speak. I am in LaJolla, California next weekend, then Boise, Idaho the weekend after that, then New Orleans, Louisiana the weekend after that…and then I plan on collapsing into a coma the weekend after that.

Yeah, he’s not happy…

This past year my travel schedule has taken off at warp speed, which is AWESOME. I LOVE getting to meet you guys in person, and it is my joy to teach you how to be successful. I love the invitations, but I am lacking a cloning device and there is only so much of ME.

…which probably why God won’t let me have a cloning device. The world is ready for only so much Kristen Lamb.

I’m doing a lot of flying, which means I need to be at the airport 7 hours early to prove my shoes won’t detonate and that my facial cleanser isn’t radioactive ebola. Thus, when you have to leave the house at 5:00 a.m. on the Friday you are posting and then you get home at 2:00 a.m. on the Monday you are posting, this is a one-way ticket to Crazy Town.

I strive for consistency, so I will consistently post on Wednesdays. Anything other than this is just extra. I have tried doing shorter posts….

…yeah, we all know how THAT went. Anyway, I think this might be a good change in that I can spend more time on my posts and also put a lot of this information into books so that you have the lessons handy where you can read, highlight and study.

There will be a quiz.

Okay, kidding about the quiz.

….maybe.

Anyway, enjoy your weekend. Here is a laugh to celebrate your Friday…

Have you run into authors behaving badly? What do you think of writers writing their own reviews? Have you actually seen this happen?

I love hearing from you! (Contest details below)

Quick Announcement: Have trouble putting down and enforcing boundaries with yourself? With family? Always putting everyone else ahead of yourself? I am teaching a new class called Good Fences–The Writer’s Guide to Setting Boundaries and it is only $15 so I hope you will take advantage. This class is perfect for those who want to do Nanowrimo. I’ll help you learn the Art of the Loving NO.

***Class fee does not apply to meth-addicted howler monkey with a sidearm to guard your office door.

To prove it and show my love, for the month of October, everyone who leaves a comment I will put your name in a hat. If you comment and link back to my blog on your blog, you get your name in the hat twice. If you leave a comment, and link back to my blog, and mention my book We Are Not Alone in your blog…you get your name in the hat THREE times. What do you win? The unvarnished truth from yours truly.

I will pick a winner once a month and it will be a critique of the first 20 pages of your novelor your query letter, or your synopsis (5 pages or less).

And also, winners have a limited time to claim the prize, because what’s happening is there are actually quite a few people who never claim the critique, so I never know if the spam folder ate it or to look for it and then people miss out. I will also give my corporate e-mail to insure we connect and I will only have a week to return the 20 page edit.

At the end of October I will pick a winner for the monthly prize. Good luck!

I also hope you pick up copies of my best-selling books We Are Not Alone–The Writer’s Guide to Social Media and Are You There, Blog? It’s Me, Writer And both are recommended by the hottest agents and biggest authors in the biz. My methods teach you how to make building your author platform FUN. Build a platform and still have time left to write great books.

57 comments

5 pings

Skip to comment form

  1. You must be a type A on steroids. If I only had half your energy!

    1. I don’t know if I am Type A. I really just LOVE sharing information with you guys and helping. Maybe a Maven on steroids. I know I felt lost for a very long time, and it was such a relief when I found answers so I love passing it on. As far as energy. Exercise, green juice and get to bed early. And regular Bikram yoga. That’s my formula at least :D.

  2. I can certainly relate to life intruding! And I’ve actually signed up for NaNo what was I thinking? I believe I was thinking it was past time to get seriously serious about writing again.

  3. I see authors behaving badly ALL the time, especially on Twitter. When will they get it through their thick skulls that acting like a carnival barker on Twitter will NOT help their brand or increase books sales. In fact, quite the opposite. Which is why your blog posts are so helpful. Should be required reading for these n00bs. Or b00bs. ;o) And I take it that your Q about authors writing reviews of their OWN book is rhetorical, because that’s just wrong…especially if it’s under a fake name.

    1. Yeah, I’ve been around a lot of those BBAs and also the forums where they are discussed. It’s not a pretty picture. The really sad thing is when a long time writer decides to complain about their “bad” reviews. Hey, it happens to all of us!

  4. Wow, Kristen, you’re human after all! I was in shock when I read “blogging one day a week,” but when you described your schedule … oh yeah, fully understandable. After all, that cute Spawn of yours is growing fast, and it’s not like you’re going to fade off the radar. Good luck to you with the books and classes and travel and everything else that didn’t get mentioned!

  5. That’s a lot of traveling! Good luck with it, and don’t wear yourself out 🙂

  6. No worries; looking forward to Wednesdays more now, that’s all! I wish you continued success, with the hope of catching up at another conference soon. Don’t forget to sleep, and, oh yeah eat 😉

  7. A wise decision on your part Kristen. Take it from one who’s been over tasked by church, family, friends, organizations shave off the stuff you can. Say No with no reason given. I’ve not had the busy travel schedule, etc. I’d have been a basket case if I had. Congrats for taking this step to reign in your life.

  8. Good on you, Kristen! I appreciate your willingness to be real with yourself and allow yourself to create calm in your life. Your decision is resonating with me as I have no production schedule on my blog, just a general compulsion to write, and most people seem to appreciate it, although I am wondering if I might be better off with more quality, intention and discretion in my choices of what I write about. At first I saw writing as a way to bridge the chaos, to talk about stuff I see and observe and to be present with myself. What has happened though, is that it has morphed into a chore at worst, a distraction at best and personal challenge in the neutral spot as I tend to feel guilty for not coming up with something to say/write about. I suspect that freeing the gray matter will let the juices flow and I’ll be better off in many aspects – the least of which is not my floundering fitness pursuits which has definitely taken a back seat to the writing (and let’s not talk about back seats…). Anyway, thank you. Take care of you. Once again you inspired me. -Molly

    1. Thanks, Molly *hugs*

      1. You’re very welcome. The fact that I can’t shake the feeling 48 hours later tells me I’m on to something. I’m linking back to you in my post about this and I really am grateful to you. Humbly, Molly 🙂

  9. Sounds like you’ve more than earned a once a week blogging schedule, Kristen! It’s awesome that you’ve got so many events on your plate, but I’m glad to see that you’re going to cut back a bit in other areas. Boundaries are SO important, and it’s so easy to forget that we need a little time for ourselves too.

    I’ll definitely remember that Wednesdays are Kristen days!

  10. Good for you, cutting back on your blogging schedule. I agree, you don’t need the added crazytown when you’re traveling!

    Regarding writers writing their own reviews, I hate it. I think it’s awful, and I am SO glad I don’t know anyone who’s actually done it. And if they have, they aren’t admitting it now, lol! Cheers, dear – fly safe!

  11. To answer your question about ABB, YES! I am tired of a couple #whoshallremainnameless for now, but who ONLY have time to pitch me their book.

    Seriously?

    I heard you the first zillion times. And by the way, once in a while you could RT or help me thankyouverymuch.

    Thanks Kristin, for asking, and letting me rant. #breathingdeeply #takingitalltoopersonally

    Is there a kind way to let them know they are alienating? OOO!!! maybe we can send them a link to the Bad Bloggers Chair (renamed Author Behaving Badly chair) on wanacommons by Lynn Kelley!

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/lynkelwoohoo/8125156833/in/pool-wana

    Have a terrific time in LaJolla! Lovely city.

  12. *bowing down* We’re not worthy. LOL We really appreciate all your hard work and teaching. I love that you can get the point across with so much humor.

    Here’s a care package for your journey *sends digital brownies and an invisible bartender*

      • Joanna Aislinn on October 26, 2012 at 11:47 am
      • Reply

      So are there lesser care packages from Sonia for those who manage to complete about 3/8 of what Kristen does, lol?

    • Joanna Aislinn on October 26, 2012 at 11:49 am
    • Reply

    Haven’t posted here in a while (doesn’t mean I don’t lurk ;)) and very excited about all you have going on, Kristen. I must admit that I’m tired LOOKING at your itinerary. Don’t know how you do it but glad you do. I’m always inspired.

      • Lanette Kauten on October 26, 2012 at 2:57 pm
      • Reply

      I’m a serial lurker, too. 🙂

  13. THANK YOU! SO glad to know you are NOTa cyborg. You know I was worrying. Glad to know that you are going to live a little and be mommy and exercise and eat, too! We will always read you and be here. I think having Lisa as a guest blogger was a wonderful idea. There are so many smart WANAs out there! You have taught us well. 😉

  14. With that schedule, it’s a wonder that you can spell the word “I” correctly these days. Loved the video. Oh so true! There are a few writers that give the profession a bad name. Thankfully, so many more of us are busting our butts to write good books for the readers out there. Best wishes, Kristen!

    • lynnkelleyauthor on October 26, 2012 at 12:28 pm
    • Reply

    “A one-way ticket to Crazy Town,” for sure! I’ve been amazed that you’ve been keeping up with it all this long. Glad you’re doing what you need to do. This sounds like a great plan, especially so you can get more books out there. You go, Kristen. Safe travels!

  15. Though we haven’t seen it with our own two eyes, we’re completely taken back by the thought that writers are out there, under false names, not only giving themselves good reviews, but giving fellow authors bad ones. It’s just downright nasty. I mean, we’re not in high school anymore, let’s show some civility. When we started networking, we were floored by the welcoming from our peers and couldn’t believe how supportive the writing community was. We think it gives a bad name to not only writers, but the business as well.

  16. When are you in Boise, and where do I find the class you’re doing or whatever to see if I can make it?

  17. 7 hours early is crazy town! I’m in awe of all that you do, we should all pitch in for a spa weekend for you when you get back 🙂

  18. Cutting back makes sense given your travel schedule. Loved the video.

    Unfortunately I do “Internet know”/used to be FB friends with authors who behaved badly including being proud of writing reviews for themselves and trashing others books… Who knew? In the end it hurts them as eventually the information comes out.

    Make sure to take care of yourself with all that travel. Excited to here there is a new WANA book coming out in the future.

  19. Your blog is inspirational to me as an up and coming writer and blogger ….http://denshispeaks.wordpress.com

    • Melissa Lewicki on October 26, 2012 at 2:36 pm
    • Reply

    Are you going to be at the New England Crime Bake? I heard you speak at the DFW writers conference earlier this year and would love to see you in action again. When I say “action,” I mean action. Your energy level is amazing. During that whole conference I never saw you walking from place to place. You strode–briskly!

  20. Ha! Love the video!!! 😀

  21. Wow, that’s some travel schedule, Kristen. I’ve never been to half those places. Have fun and be safe!
    Also, you may be scaling back to just Wednesdays, but I’ll stick check daily to make sure I don’t miss a word of your wisdom 🙂
    Have a great weekend…and get some rest.
    Tamara

  22. For writer’s behaving badly I nominate writers who have an entire twitter feed consisting of “buy my book” and “here’s another great, awesome line from my book you should buy.” I tolerate it for a day or two, but after that, it’s unfollow time.
    I’ll also nominate writers who spend their time and energy trying to explain how their bad reviews are really bad reviewers who “didn’t understand the book.” Really? When most people who read your book don’t “understand” it, perhaps the fault lies in the writing?
    Good luck with your crazy schedule and look forward to your weekly posts.

  23. On writer’s behaving badly: I recently had a writer email me to tell me that my publisher was not “really” a publisher, that I had no style to speak of, that I had no chance of ever landing an agent and then go on about her nine published books and how I should check them out because they would provide valuable information on various How-to writing subjects. She proceeded to go on about how her “real” publisher was super particular and blah, blah, blah. Despite my deep desire not to I took the high road on my reply to her and maintained my own professionalism. I simply told her I appreciated the email, but I wouldn’t ever dare to take up the time or efforts of someone who was so busy or important. Afterward I removed three books from my shelf that bore her name as the author and donated them to the library sale!

    Be sure to take time out of that crazy schedule to take care of yourself! Look forward to your blogs every week.

  24. An author asked me to do a review for his self-pubbed anthology. It was pretty obvious he needed to do more work on it (especially considering the comments in the afterward that said all the stories had been rejected by publishers). When I went into to review it, I was surprised to see he gave himself a glowing review. Just so tacky. Didn’t look like the book sold well, and hardly anyone reviewed it. Doubt if he liked my review, since I gave it one star.

  25. We all need to prioritize from time to time. You sound busy, busy. Writers should always write in a professional manner.

    • cydmadsen on October 26, 2012 at 6:33 pm
    • Reply

    Well, this is disappointing. Not that you’re whittling down the blog (there’s nothing more appealing than someone who knows their priorities), but the contest. My next blog post was going to include a link to this blog and mention your book, but there was no intention of getting a goodie 🙂 I just wanted to write a post that was actually helpful.

    Writers behaving badly? That would be a, “Yes, Ma’am!” There’s a forum on Amazon about this subject, and my email inbox is jammed with posts. I’ve come across at least three groups of writers who review each other with glowing stars when they could be better friends by offering to sit down and give an honest beta read. I’ve seen friends post multiple positive reviews, using their own name, on a friend’s book. How they get away with it is beyond me. And then there are the writers who come running to Facebook so they can pout about a bad review and beg for sympathy, hugs, and–oh, gee–a new slew of positive reviews. It’s far too easy creating a false identity on Amazon to trust reviews, which is a shame.

    I believe it was Huff Books today that ran an article about why indie authors aren’t being taken seriously (there are so many excellent indies!). Poor editing was #1, with lack of gatekeepers also on the list. If I can’t trust reviews to guide me in how I spend my time (once lost, never to be regained), then I’m out of the game, both as a reader and writer.

    Enjoy your travels, keep spreading the love, treasure this time with your little one, and please be here for us.

    1. I totally agree with you. I am an author with an Independent Publisher and for a while I couldn’t understand why I had so few reviews and these books that were, well, shall we say hadn’t jumped through the hoops to get it as close to perfect as possible (among other things), had reviews coming out the wazoo. But when I learned how they were doing it I was disgusted. I never pay for a review, ask a friend for one and now don’t fret that I don’t have a hundred of them. I think anyone who is tired of that crap notes that a handful of good ones and an outstanding honest reviewer is worth taking a look at. I think they really make themselves stand out to anyone paying attention and I don’t mean in a good way.

        • cydmadsen on October 27, 2012 at 9:14 pm
        • Reply

        It’s going to take time, Honey, but this will sort itself out. I’m taking this as the best time to be writing because there’s no rush, just wait until the dust settles and keep writing beyond my abilities until sanity returns.

  26. Congratulations, Kristin. I found your books in January of this year and have since watched YOU grow, while you were helping US grow. Here’s to your continued success:)

  27. Oh my gosh, busy lady! Have fun, be safe, stay healthy and go spread some WANA love!

  28. I am so glad you are doing this…wait, I mean, you know what I mean. It’s the best, healthiest thing for you. Good. And more books? Yay!

  29. What a busy lady you are, make sure you get plenty of rest and eat well. A new book can’t wait!

  30. I can’t hit the like button, because I’ll miss you, but I am so glad that you’re raking in the attention you so completely deserve. I’ve never understood how you managed all the stuff you did anyway. Happy traveling!!!

  31. Will you ever come to Canada? The Ottawa area in particular? I
    had to ask. Have a great tour!

  32. Reblogged this on saudmakar.

  33. This sounds like a good plan. Although I will miss reading your hilariously serious and informative posts very regularly , it will do none of us any good if you end up in a room with padded walls. Safe travels!

  34. Even a little Kristen Lamb is better than none at all, right?
    Before you scale back, I have a question: what do you think of Wattpad? I recently became aware of this site and your opinion would be invaluable.

    1. No idea what it is *shrugs* And knowing me, I will post more often than once a week. I just need to make it where Wednesday is the only GUARANTEED day. For instance, I am flying back from LaJolla this Sunday. Well, the plane doesn’t take off until almost 6, West Coast time. So this means I will not even be landing here in DFW until almost midnight and then another hour and a half to get luggage, get to car then drive home. So I have to be realistic.

    • Yvette Carol on October 28, 2012 at 2:57 am
    • Reply

    Hey, Kristen, that’s great that you’ll be changing things up for a while. A change is as good as a rest.

  35. Good for you for dialing back a bit. You have to balance your life. 🙂

  36. I don’t know how you’ve kept it up so far! There must be times you feel you’ve taken off in the plane and left yourself at the airport.

  37. A smart move on your part, m’dear. Now perhaps I can actually keep up with your posts. 🙂

  38. Good luck with all your traveling, teaching, writing and blogging. 🙂

    • jodenton445 on October 29, 2012 at 11:01 am
    • Reply

    You poor thing! But you obviously love what you do so no pity party because you get to do what you love. So good luck with everything and safe travels.

  39. You’re going to be in Boise? Where and when. That’s close enough for me to attend if it’s an open workshop.

    • lucewriter on November 1, 2012 at 8:29 pm
    • Reply

    Just found your blog this week. Very impressive!

  40. I’m a newbie freelance writer and I’m so glad I randomly stumbled across your blog! I love that you call your kid The Spawn too! I thought I was the only one! ^__^

  41. Loved the video! It is true, too many authors bombard you to the point you wouldn’t care if their story was the newest Gone With the Wind or War and Peace. Too much of “in your face” turns me off. Great post, Kristen. I missed you in Boise! I guess I’d better pay closer attention to the local events!

  1. […] Friday Fun, Change and Writers Behaving Badly. […]

  2. […] from Kristen Lamb’s Blog, who, in turn, stole it from YouTube (this is all in good fun, but a seriously good message can be […]

  3. […] site is super easy to use.  (Thanks to Kristen Lamb for telling me about it!)  Just upload your pictures and start […]

  4. […] decision is buoyed by a timely post written by the inimitable Kristen Lamb and then seeing a Twitter post by August McLaughlin about their own thoughts about trimming their […]

  5. […] blogger gurus Michael Hyatt and Kristen Lamb are jumping on the […]

I LOVE hearing your thoughts!

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.