I have a better anti-piracy device

[cfrizz]

Originally Posted by Catlady

I guess I'm in the minority. I'm not uplifted or inspired by a story of people churning out books to make a quick buck.

They did it to keep a roof over their families heads! They not only succeeded in doing that but they have obviously made thousands of readers very happy with the books that they are putting out.

Some of you people need to get over yourselves and your superior attitudes.

What this shows is that it is possible to succeed if you are willing to work for it. They didn't throw up their hands and just let everything go and go on welfare. they came up with an idea, did the work and turned their lives around in the process.

[SteveEisenberg]

Originally Posted by Catlady

I'm not uplifted or inspired by a story of people churning out books to make a quick buck.

It certainly didn't inspire me to become an author. And the chances of imitating their success may be similar to that of winning a big lottery pot. But they're surely harder working than most authors, and most people in general, and I find that a bit uplifting.

On the other hand, Ina and Robert Caro, who I mentioned in #8, actually did lose their house in the seven years it took them both to research, and Robert to write, The Power Broker. So while I find the indie story moderately uplifting, this major publisher story is more uplifting:

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/15/ma...anted=all&_r=0

[jgaiser]

Originally Posted by cfrizz

Some of you people need to get over yourselves and your superior attitudes.

[xg4bx]

I'm sure the books are far from my cup of tea but good for them for having some pride, motivation, and work ethic instead of simply giving up and becoming yet another burden on an already broken system. This used to be the American way but alas.....

[caleb72]

I can't comment upon the quality of the works they've produced but I'm not going to assume that the quantity they have produced automatically points to a lack of quality.

I'm just happy that the self-publishing industry has offered them an opportunity to use what skills they have without crippling financial investment to pull themselves out of financial ruin. They are self-made in their success and I think that is admirable.

[mobilelover]

sounds like a great success through an ebook, even this field is flooded with competition these days specially with the advent of mobiles

[TGS]

Presumably if their books are any good they are being pirated. So, if the story shows anything it is that you can still save your house even if you do get pirated. Cool...no need to feel too bad about stealing the bread out of the mouths of babes

[crich70]

Originally Posted by TGS

Presumably if their books are any good they are being pirated. So, if the story shows anything it is that you can still save your house even if you do get pirated. Cool...no need to feel too bad about stealing the bread out of the mouths of babes

And it proves that anyone with a bit of hard work can still be a success as long as they have access to the right tools for the job.

[Bilbo1967]

Originally Posted by cfrizz

Some of you people need to get over yourselves and your superior attitudes.

Gosh, excuse us for holding a different opinion to you.

When you start telling people to get over themselves, you might want to think about who's exhibiting the superior attitude.

[Prestidigitweeze]

Originally Posted by Bilbo1967

When you start telling people to get over themselves, you might want to think about who's exhibiting the superior attitude.

Well said (though I'd use before instead of when in the rewrite); you've got karma.

People who live to trash snobs are merely exhibiting a different kind of snobbery.

Still, as I said, I'm happy for that couple.

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by caleb72

That was a great story. Looks like imminent foreclosure may well be a great remedy for writer's block.

Congrats to them.

I was fortunate to have been able to pay off my mortgage (thanks to my day/previous job) before embarking on my second attempt at writing so I don't have that hanging over my head, but I certainly do have to pay taxes and monthly bills and keep food in the dog bowl! I'm certainly not making the progress the couple in the O.P. seems to have made, but I'm still at it, getting more written each day and the story gives me hope.

Thank Sydney's Mom!

[RZetlin]

Congrats to the couple who paid off their mortgage by writing books.

Very few people can claim they can do such a task.

[Katsunami]

Originally Posted by crich70

And it proves that anyone with a bit of hard work can still be a success as long as they have access to the right tools for the job.

In the same way, it's always said that studying computer science will make you rich like never before and will give you the chance to write software that changes the world.

Do you know where most people who study CS end up? In a company, writing or maintaining some sort of administrative application, that serves as a front end to manipulate the data in a database. If you're lucky, you end up writing technical software that actually uses some algorithms to get things done.

The people that actually manage to change the world (by luck, or by being at the right place in the right time, or just having the right product at the right time) can be counted on two, maybe even one hand.

It's the same in writing. There are more and more books written and published each year, but there are very few that rise to the very top. There will be even fewer that will be remembered 50 or 100 years from now.

I've stopped believing in the "If you do such and such, you will be successful, rich and famous"-mantra, where people are pointing to a select lucky few who succeeded to show that it must be true.

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by Katsunami

In the same way, it's always said that studying computer science will make you rich like never before and will give you the chance to write software that changes the world.

Do you know where most people who study CS end up? In a company, writing or maintaining some sort of administrative application, that serves as a front end to manipulate the data in a database. If you're lucky, you end up writing technical software that actually uses some algorithms to get things done.

The people that actually manage to change the world (by luck, or by being at the right place in the right time, or just having the right product at the right time) can be counted on two, maybe even one hand.

It's the same in writing. There are more and more books written and published each year, but there are very few that rise to the very top. There will be even fewer that will be remembered 50 or 100 years from now.

I've stopped believing in the "If you do such and such, you will be successful, rich and famous"-mantra, where people are pointing to a select lucky few who succeeded to show that it must be true.

Truth! I have literally been there, done that. I bought into the Compute Science dream for a long time and do not really regret it -- as I said, it paid off my mortgage -- but I realized some 10 years ago exactly what you say --

In a company, writing or maintaining some sort of administrative application, that serves as a front end to manipulate the data in a database. If you're lucky, you end up writing technical software that actually uses some algorithms to get things done.

I spent the next 10 years getting things in order to do exactly what I'm doing now, giving writing another last best shot while I still have a few years in my old decrepit fingers and mind.

[Bilbo1967]

Originally Posted by kennyc

I spent the next 10 years getting things in order to do exactly what I'm doing now, giving writing another last best shot while I still have a few years in my old decrepit fingers and mind.

Don't put yourself down, Kenny. I'm sure your fingers are just fine.