Go ask the lizard-guy something....

[Chozon1]

When you have to get up so early, it actually makes more sense to not sleep at all?

[CRCBrony]

Have you ever been to Canada, or out of your country?

[Sstavix]

When you have to get up so early, it actually makes more sense to not sleep at all?

That really stinks. The best way to avoid that dilemma is to go to bed earlier. At least try to get in a quick cat nap before you have to get up.

Have you ever been to Canada, or out of your country?

I've been to Canada twice. Once for World Expo 1986 - a vacation with my parents that I barely remember - and once to Victoria, BC on my honeymoon. That trip was fantastic - great food, and so many neat things to see that my wife and I would love to go back there again someday.

[Chozon1]

That doesn't work with me. People have been telling me that since literally the age of four. And it doesn't work; I can't sleep at all that way, and it just makes me grumpy.

When someone does something annoying, and all you can think to shout is "WELL MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU"?

[Sstavix]

That doesn't work with me. People have been telling me that since literally the age of four. And it doesn't work; I can't sleep at all that way, and it just makes me grumpy.

Well, everyone has their own sleeping habits. I suppose you'll just have to go to bed earlier, then!

When someone does something annoying, and all you can think to shout is "WELL MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU"?

I've come to the point of just ignoring annoying people. Or sending them to their room. (I have kids, remember? Once you have kids, you find that a good portion of the people in the world are a lot less annoying than them....)

[CRCBrony]

Have you ever been to Canada, or out of your country?

I've been to Canada twice. Once for World Expo 1986 - a vacation with my parents that I barely remember - and once to Victoria, BC on my honeymoon. That trip was fantastic - great food, and so many neat things to see that my wife and I would love to go back there again someday.

Cool! Did you pass through Ontario?

[Sstavix]

Not even close, unfortunately. British Columbia is directly north of Washington state (where I was living both times, actually) so there was no reason to travel so far east.

I wouldn't mind visiting Nova Scotia someday ("New Scotland!") so I would imagine I'd have to pass through Ontario then!

[Chozon1]

Maniacal laughter?

[Sstavix]

Maniacal laughter?

Can be highly addictive.

[Chozon1]

Entirely too true.

Have you checked out the prizes for NaNoWriMo?

[Sstavix]

I certainly have! I have that Web page up in another tab, actually. I'm not sure which ones - if any - I'll redeem, though. I'm thinking about the free proof copy from Fast Pencil, but I'll want to read more about it on the site first. (And, of course, finish my book first. There's at least three chapters and an epilogue I need to get completed.)

[Chozon1]

The deuce. I'd love to have a printed copy of my book. <3 It would be just such a sense of accomplishment. Like...yeah. But not only do I have to finish, I've gotta go back and proofread...I have the nasty habit of forgetting to type words. So "He leaped out of the way" in my head becomes "He leaped out way" on digital paperscape. -_-

I'm uncertain what they mean by "publish" though, and I'd hate to lose the rights to the book in some way.

Late night trips to Wal-Mart?

[Sstavix]

The deuce. I'd love to have a printed copy of my book. <3 It would be just such a sense of accomplishment. Like...yeah. But not only do I have to finish, I've gotta go back and proofread...I have the nasty habit of forgetting to type words. So "He leaped out of the way" in my head becomes "He leaped out way" on digital paperscape. -_-

One thing to keep in mind is that this is supposed to be a proof copy. Basically, a picture of what you're book is supposed to look like before it goes up for sale. So you could get a print copy of your first draft and not have to worry about it being distributed in a mass market after that. You're expected to make changes to the text, the cover, etc., based on what you find in the proof. Just something to think about.

I'm uncertain what they mean by "publish" though, and I'd hate to lose the rights to the book in some way.

If it's a legitimate publisher, then you will still retain the full rights to your book. My question is whether or not this is a self-publishing company, or a vanity press.

A self-publishing company - like Amazon's CreateSpace or Lulu.com - are print-on-demand companies, meaning that no copies of your book are actually printed until the customer orders one. The company keeps its' cost for printing the book, and you get what's left over. The companies will let you know how much it will cost to print the book, and you get to choose the price to sell the book - for best results, you should choose a price higher than the cost of printing.

A vanity press is similar in many ways, but there's a nasty catch - you have to pay them up front before any books are printed or sold. Sometimes the company may offer teases like editing services or professionally-done covers, but it's a trap to get authors desperate to get their names out there to pay thousands of dollars for shoddy work. (We actually received one of these that was published and distributed by Tate Publishing called Alvirithian Archives, which I reviewed here.)

In both cases, the bulk (if not all) of the marketing and advertising falls upon the shoulders of the author. They just publish the book - it's your job to sell it. In the former case, at least you're not set back a ton of money before it even gets to the press portion.

Here's an important thing to keep in mind - a legitimate publisher will pay you to publish your book. If a company seems interested but wants you to pony up a bunch of cash, it's time to walk away.

Late night trips to Wal-Mart?

Those can be pleasant, actually. Same with early morning trips. You can get a bunch of shopping done and not have to worry about other customers getting in your way.

[Emwok]

What do you call a belt made out of clocks?

[Sstavix]

What do you call a belt made out of clocks?

If it's a belt that fits around the wrist, I call it a watch.