Scammers flourish in places where art and business intersect, because too many artists (including writers) don’t learn to protect themselves and their rights. The best way to protect yourself as an author is to learn as much as possible about the publishing industry, including how to identify the warning signs of predatory publishing deals. Today, we’re kicking off a mini-series on scam avoidance with a look at predatory “pay to play” publishing contracts. Industry standard publishing contracts: — Do not require the author to pay for anything up front, including publishing costs. — Do not allow the publisher to deduct the costs of publication from
Read moreMonth: November 2016
Tokyo Ueno Hotel – and the Joy of Japanese Hotel Toiletries
Travelers in Japan have an enormous range of options when it comes to overnight stays.
Read moreTraditional Japanese Cakes (and Temple Approaches)
The approaches to many of Japan’s Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples are lined with vendors selling a variety of edible and non-edible treats.
Read moreThe Giant Sandals of Sensoji
A pair of giant woven sandals hang on the back of Sensoji’s hozomon (main entrance gate). The sandals, or o-waraji, measure 4.5 meters tall and weigh 2500 kg (over 500 pounds) apiece.
Read moreA Visit to Senso-ji
Sensoji is Tokyo’s oldest Buddhist temple, and remains both an active worship site and a popular destination for visitors to the Japanese capital.
Read moreNiomon: Japan’s Well-Guarded Temple Gates
Most Japanese Buddhist temples have gates at the entrance. In some cases, these gates perform the standard function: indicating the entrance to the temple precinct. In other cases, the gates are larger, more elaborate, and also serve a secondary function: they house the temple’s nio or kongōrikishi, guardian statues who protect the temple and its treasures. (Gates with nio in them are also often known as “niomon”). The statues stand guard inside enclosed bays at either side of the gate: While the one with its mouth closed is vocalizing “ɦūṃ” (Sanskrit: हूँ):
Read moreTracking and Managing the Costs of Publication
How much did you spend on your last book release? Many authors don’t know, and that’s true regardless of the author’s publishing path. In my experience, author-publishers (sometimes also called “self-published authors”) often (but not always) have a better grasp of expenditures than traditionally published authors do. Regardless of your publishing path, you should know how much you spend on each book release, & in what category expenditures fall. Tracking expenditures properly is the first step toward evaluating whether your expenditures are effective, and whether or not you should repeat them with subsequent books. Create and maintain an expense and expenditure spreadsheet (or notebook) for
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