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Wednesday, May 12, 2010
The Ark by Boyd Morrison
Many thanks to Joe for hosting me today. I wish I could kick things off by sharing with you the joke I told him the night we met at the very first Thrillerfest conference, but the story about Snowflake, Feather, and Piano just won't work in the written form. You'll have to get Joe to tell it to you the next time you see him in person.
This is a big day for me--the official release date for my first print novel, The Ark, a thriller in which former army combat engineer Tyler Locke has seven days to find Noah's Ark to stop the end of the world. I qualify that milestone with the word "print" because The Ark was actually for sale last year for three months as an ebook on the Amazon Kindle store. And if I hadn't self-published electronically, I wouldn't be holding a print book of mine today.
Like Joe, I went through years of rejection before I got my first publishing deal. The Ark is the first of my books to be in print, but it's the third thriller I wrote. The first was called The Adamas Blueprint, written during graduate school. I sent it to five agents, one of whom read it and gave me encouraging feedback. I was quite a novice in the publishing biz at the time, so I had no idea how good a one-out-of-five response rate was. I got discouraged and stopped sending The Adamas Blueprint to agents, much to my wife's chagrin (she promised she'd see it published some day; I've since learned to listen to her).
But I still wanted to write thrillers, and at that time my wife was just applying for medical school. So we made our own deal. I would support her through nine years of pre-med, med school, and residency, and when she was a full-fledged doctor, I would get to quit my job and write full-time, with the goal of getting published in nine years.
Right on schedule in 2005 when my wife became an attending physician, I quit my job in the Microsoft X-Box group and started writing my second novel, The Palmyra Impact. When I finished the book, I sent it to agents, but I didn't quit at five. I did stop counting the rejections at 50. At least five agents read the entire manuscript, but nobody wanted to represent it.
So I did what I would recommend to everyone who wants to make writing their job. I wrote another book. One huge mistake I've seen writers make is that they keep re-writing the same book over and over, year after year. My advice is let it go. Move on. You can always do something with it later, as Joe has found out by self-publishing all those books that no agent or publisher wanted.
In 2007, I completed my first draft of a thriller I called The Noah Covenant. That year, Thrillerfest inaugurated a new program called Agentfest, where agents looking for new thriller authors could listen to pitches from unpublished writers. This was before the speed-dating kind of sessions they have now, so I sat at a table with eight other authors and a well-known agent named Irene Goodman. She had primarily been representing romance and non-fiction and was looking to branch out into thrillers.
Irene went around the table and asked every person to pitch her their books. If you ever pitch your book at a conference, you need to have a pithy two-line hook that makes an agent want to know more. When Irene got to me, I was prepared with the following pitch:
A relic from Noah's Ark gives a religious fanatic and his followers a weapon that will let them recreate the effects of the biblical flood, and former combat engineer Tyler Locke has seven days to find the Ark and the secret hidden inside before it's used to wipe out civilization again.
As soon as I said "Noah's Ark", she wanted to read the first three chapters. I had completed my first draft, but it wasn't polished yet, so I told her I'd send it to her as soon as I was finished buffing it up.
Two months went by, and she thought I'd forgotten about her. On the contrary, when the final draft was ready, she was among the first agents I sent it to. She received the chapters on a Monday and called me that afternoon because she was so excited about it. I was blown away. No agent had ever called me before. Irene asked if I could overnight the full manuscript to her. After I picked myself up off the floor, I casually said sure and then ran every red light to make sure I made it to the Fedex office in time.
Irene received the manuscript on a Tuesday. She offered representation on Thursday. I accepted on Friday. That was a good week.
We did some editing to flesh out the characters a bit more, and she made one major suggestion. She thought The Noah Covenant was too Ludlum-esque and suggested that we just call it The Ark. Short. Simple. I liked it, and we were ready to send it out to publishers in early 2008.
So now it was just a question of letting the offers roll in, right? Uh, no. No offers. Not one.
We got what I call "rave rejections." Editors loved the premise, plot, and characters, but they just couldn't see how it would fit into a crowded thriller market. We went to every major imprint that published thrillers, and all 25 publishers turned The Ark down. Any publishing hopes for it were effectively gone.
In early 2009, I was just completing my web site (www.boydmorrison.com), and I decided, why not try to build up a readership by giving my books away? I mean, they weren't doing any good just sitting on my hard drive. At about that time, the Kindle 2 was about to come out, and Amazon was starting to let unpublished authors put their manuscripts up for sale on the Kindle store.
The Kindle store was really an afterthought on my part. I thought, why would readers buy my books on Kindle when they could download them for free from my website? Still, I decided to put all three books on the Kindle store just to see what happened. Irene was fully supportive of the plan. I had nothing to lose.
What I didn't do was self-publish in print because I would have something to lose. From the beginning, my goal was to get a traditional publishing deal (remember this was in early 2009, which seems not so long ago, but the ebook market was still in its infancy, and making a living from self-published ebooks seemed like a pipe dream). If I had published print books, not only would it be a hassle I didn't want to deal with, but it would also mean my novels would need ISBNs.
ISBNs are international standard book numbers that can be tracked by publishers. If my sales were low, publishers would be able to see that and might not even want to look at my next book. But with ebooks on the Kindle, you don't need an ISBN. If my sales were bad, no one would ever have to know. And if they were good, I could use that data as evidence that readers were interested in my books.
I figured if people could find my books for free on my web site, I had to set a low price on Amazon. I priced my first book, The Adamas Blueprint, at the lowest price Amazon allows, $0.99, as an introductory offer, and my other two books at $1.99, marked down to $1.59 by Amazon. My only expense was the small fee I paid to a graphic designer to create professional-looking covers for my books.
I was armed with glowing blurbs from generous authors like James Rollins, Douglas Preston, Jon Land, and Chris Kuzneski, all of whom I had gotten to know through Thrillerfest. Amazon let me choose up to five categories under which I could list my books, so I maxed those out (technothriller, suspense, men's adventure, action & adventure, and thriller).
In the second week of March 2009, I put my books on the Kindle store and on my web site. I had no plans for marketing or advertising. My plan was just to see what happened.
Within several days, readers on web discussion forums noticed the low price on my books (there were very few self-published authors on the Kindle at the time). Through the magic of Google, I was notified about these posts, and I went ahead and introduced myself to members of Kindleboards.com, Mobileread.com, and the Amazon discussion boards.
Because the books were priced so low, those readers made an impulse decision to take a chance on an unknown author like me. Within a week, I started hitting a few of the genre top 100 bestseller lists.
As I wrote this blog post, I went back and looked at my email archives because I remembered that around this time, Joe got interested in what I was doing on the Kindle. It was early April, about a month after my books had gone on sale, and I had already sold 826 copies. Not bad for a newbie author after four weeks.
Joe emailed me to ask how I had gotten my books onto the Kindle because he had some unpublished books for download on his web site and wanted to see what would happen if he put them on the Kindle store (we were so green back then). I told him to go for it. If I could get those kinds of sales as an unknown, I thought he could move some serious numbers as a published author. Pretty soon, he had loaded all his unpublished books onto the Kindle store, and the rest is well-documented history.
I radically underestimated the power of the Amazon bestseller lists and word of mouth. My sales didn't plateau as I thought they might. They kept going up. I reached the lower rungs of the technothriller bestseller lists through word of mouth and great reviews, but the rankings for my books just kept rising. My theory is this: Kindle device sales were exploding, and the first thing any new Kindle owner would want to do is download some books. So what did they do? They looked at the bestseller lists, saw my cheap books and good reviews, and downloaded them, in many cases all three at once. Because of these sales, the rankings increased, which kept them on the bestseller lists, and so on, creating a virtuous cycle.
In three months, I sold 7,500 copies of all three books together. The Ark was the number 1 technothriller for over a month, outselling books by Tom Clancy and Brad Thor, and sometimes my books occupied the top three slots in multiple genre lists. The Ark was even ranked in the top 25 thrillers overall. By June, my books were selling at the rate of 4,000 copies per month.
Because of the velocity of my sales, Irene was immediately able to take that data to publishers. She couldn't go back to publishers who'd already rejected it (you don't resubmit a manuscript unless they have specifically requested it), but Touchstone, an imprint of Simon and Schuster, was just making a transition into the thriller market. They saw the reception for my books and offered me a deal. That phone call from Irene will always be one of the most amazing moments of my life.
As far as we can tell, I was the first author to get a Big Six publishing contract for a self-published Kindle book. Touchstone acquired The Ark and its sequel in a two-book deal. On the strength of that deal, my foreign rights agent, Danny Baror, was able to secure deals in fifteen foreign markets covering over 100 countries and territories (for those confused by that scenario, the UK is considered one market, but they publish the book in Britain, Australia, New Zealand and 75 other countries in English; same for Spanish worldwide rights—one market, many countries).
Since then, Pocket Books acquired the rights for The Adamas Blueprint and The Palmyra Impact, so essentially I have a four-book deal with Simon and Schuster. The Palmyra Impact will be released as a mass market paperback and ebook under the title Rogue Wave in December 2010, and The Adamas Blueprint will be released under a new title in December 2011.
So why did people buy the Kindle versions of my books instead of downloading them for free from my web site? First, readers may have only seen my books in the Kindle store and not even known they were on my web site. Second, at less than five dollars for all three books, it might not have been worth the hassle to download the books and then figure out how to get them on their Kindle in the right format. And third, some people just wanted to show their appreciation to me by buying them.
Would I recommend self-publishing ebooks? It depends what your goals are. If you want to see your book in print, as I did, I wouldn't choose that path as your first option. I was in a unique limbo because I had an agent and blurbs from bestselling authors, but I couldn't get a publisher. Once my sales jumped, my agent was able to act on it immediately. If I had to start the agent search from scratch at that point, it would have been much more difficult.
I don't want to seem discouraging. Obviously, I did it, so it can be done, and it has been done by John Rector, among others. Some people may even forgo publishing print books altogether and make a living solely on ebooks, as Joe has proven possible. And if you are confident that your work is the best you can make it, electronic self-publishing might be the way to go, especially if your genre is a niche market.
Some might ask, if I was doing so well selling ebooks on my own, why did I give S&S those rights? Well, I wanted a print deal. And no publisher would sign a new author for print rights without getting the electronic rights as well. Stephen King might be able to swing it, but I couldn't. So the choice for me was either to sign over electronic rights, or no publishing deal. It was an easy decision.
My goal was always to be traditionally published. I wanted to get my books in front of as many readers as possible, and while ebooks are the fastest growing part of the market, they still represent only 3-5% of all books sold. If I wanted to reach a broad market, I'd have to be in print, and the only way to get into most bookstores is through a traditional publisher. Plus, foreign rights, which represent a surprisingly large segment of the market, would have been virtually impossible to sell without a deal with a traditional publisher. And as much as I love ebooks, there's still no substitute for holding a print book in your hands to make you feel like a real author.
Today, I'm lucky enough—and persistent enough—to hold a book in my hands and call myself an author.
Joe sez: I love Boyd's story. It's encouraging, uplifting, and has a great ending. But allow me to anticipate the question many of you are asking: Did Boyd really make the correct deal? Chances are, if he'd kept his books on Kindle, he'd be making several thousand dollars a month, and over $10k a month once the royalty rate changes in July.
That didn't seem possible back when Boyd signed with a publisher. Like all smart writers, he was looking to find the widest audience and make the most money, and that's what he did. Boyd was absolutely right when he signed those print contracts. I would have done the same.
But the last few months have seen some major changes in the publishing landscape. As someone said, "The happy ending to self-publishing success is landing a big print deal." That was true, earlier this year. But I'm not sure it's true anymore. I'm now thinking the happy ending to self-publishing success is getting filthy rich with zero stress. If you look through five years of this blog, you'll see the stress I went through in order to succeed, and that was tied directly with print.
To live the life of a writer, without the stress of self-promotion, worrying about numbers, or bending over backwards to please my publisher--that's worth a lot to me. It's liberating in ways I never dreamed of.
Ultimately, it comes down to goals. If you want the widest readership possible, you should sign with a print publisher. Print is still the dominant form of book media. You'll learn a great deal by working with agents, editors, publicists, and booksellers. And you can make a lot of money, and reach far more people than you could on your own.
But there are downsides. Lack of control, small royalties, and having your rights tied up for years when the ebook market is booming---these are all considerations to take into account.
I still believe the most important thing is the book, and that too many newbies try to publish before they're ready. Traditional publishing is still a good way to test if your book is good enough for prime time. It's impossible to judge that on your own.
However, unless the deal is significant, or has tangible benefits that I can't achieve on my own, I can't see ever signing with a print publisher again.
As a writer, you need to make a list of your priorities, and set your goals accordingly.
Also, as a reader of this blog, you need to buy a copy of The Ark. Boyd is an inspiration to all of us, and we should show him our support. Plus, it's a damn good read.
52 comments:
- CJ West said...
Ok now here is a link that works...
- Joseph D'Agnese said...
Boyd and Joe,
Thanks for this. I love hearing these kinds of success stories. Someone asked me recently how long it took to get an agent. I said I worked my way through the Guide to Literary Agents, 10 letters at a time, until someone said yes. I started at the A's, and stopped when a P agent said yes. That probably took a year's time. A dozen or so years later, that particular book is still unpublished and I'm onto my third agent. Print is nice, and as you say, dominant, but I am still fascinated by the idea of self-publishing. But, enough: I'm Arking it up. - 10:42 AM
- Frank Zubek said...
Inspirational to say the least
Continued success to you
Thanks for sharing your story
Frank Zubek - 11:00 AM
- Zoe Winters said...
Congrats, Boyd! If a print deal is what you want, I'm happy for you!
What you say about not being able to keep your e-rights if you wanted a trad print deal is one of the reasons I don't want one. Ebooks may be a small part of the market now but they are growing FAST. I know everybody has to take the path that makes the most sense for them, but for me, parting with e-rights for seven or more years when technology grows and changes as fast as it does, just isn't a bet I'm willing to make.
(Of course, I could be wrong in my betting on E taking over, so i guess we all take risks.)
However, having said that, I assume you are putting eggs in both baskets, which is smart. - 11:07 AM
- Morgan Jaimes said...
Congratulations Mr. Morrison! I am happy to see that persistence does pay off eventually, and I'm very happy for you as well. As a new author with no published works, my nearly finished manuscript, 'A frail New World', a technological/thriller with a twist, will also be published to the Kindle site soon. Thanks for the encouraging article, and keep up the good work!
Morgan James - 11:19 AM
- Stacey Cochran said...
I have no doubt that Boyd's novels can compete with NYT bestselling authors like Jim Rollins and Steve Berry.
It may take a couple of novels from S&S to get there, but I think he can do it.
And if you get to the top of traditional world's bestseller lists, you're going to make a hell of a lot more than as a Kindle author. Even a bestselling Kindle author.
Plus the added credibility, reviews, conference invites, etc.
Of course, Boyd, it doesn't hurt that you're a great guy to begin with. I wish you all the best.
Stacey Cochran
Bestselling Kindle Author of THE COLORADO SEQUENCE - 11:19 AM
- Aaron Brown said...
I'm finishing up reading The Ark now, and it's one of the best books I've read in a while. Really enjoying it. I definitely recommend it to thriller fans (especially Rollins fans). Congrats on the release, Boyd.
I'm now in a similar situation as to what Boyd found himself in. I signed with the first agent to whom I submitted (Danny Baror, Boyd's foreign rights agent). I thought the publishing deal was in the bag, but like Boyd, I've received many rave rejections. There's still hope that I'll land the deal, but Boyd's story definitely provides inspiration in my current situation.
Keep up the good work guys, and thanks for sharing your story.
Aaron L Brown - 11:36 AM
- CJ West said...
Hey all, sorry my message got mangled above.
If you'd like to talk with Boyd live, he will be on my Blog Talk Radio Show at 1:00 PM EDT (in 20 mins). We'll be talking about THE ARK.
Here is the link again.
http://www.22wb.com/btrshows.htm - 11:42 AM
- Edie Ramer said...
Congratulations! I mostly lurk on this blog, but it seems to me that whichever way you went, you're a winner.
- Unknown said...
@ Boyd: Congrats on your success (and may you have much more, btw)! I had to laugh at your story, because it is so very similar to my own.
My wife is also a doctor, and we also had a deal during pre-med, med-school (I call it my indentured servitude): I'd work and support us, and when we were able (for us it started in residency), I'd write full-time (or mostly, I do still tutor at a local middle school a couple of days a week). I've been doing so for a few years now. (She's finishing residency next month < WOOT!> and will best starting a Hem/Onc fellowship.)
During that time I've worked on a story that I'd started way back in the med school days (I ended up shelving that one, though), completed another story (that I'm work shopping as we speak with the hope of presenting to agents soon), and have started drafting another. So, your advice about not sitting on the same story for years really hit home. Being a newbie, I've always felt that I didn't want to have only one story in my basket.
I'm not at the point that I'm ready to only consider eBook publishing, but because of stories like Joe's and your own, I'm beginning to think of it as a real possibility. I'm writing for the YA/MG crowd, so I'm not sure how that will work in the ePub world (I'm guessing most kids don't have $400 eReaders … yet).
Thanks for sharing, and it's nice to know that there's another Dr. Man-Spouse in the writing world!
@ Joe: You're awesome ... that is all.
My blog, it's occasionally funny.
http://the-open-vein-ejwesley.blogspot.com/ - 12:02 PM
- CJ West said...
Thanks for stopping into the show today Joe. Boyd has a great story to tell and it is a fascinating time to be a writer.
- Jack H. H. King said...
Boyd & Joe,
Have you considered a 50/50 split? Write one book for New York, then one book for Kindle. Go back and forth. Experience the best of both worlds.
It takes longer for a print book to release. You could finish a Kindle book and self-publish it right when your New York book hits stores. Use each to promote sales of the other.
- Jack - 12:32 PM
- JA Konrath said...
Have you considered a 50/50 split?
None of the big NY houses would allow that. They have what's called a "first look" clause, which means they have the first option to buy the next book you write. It's possible to reword that clause, but as ebooks continue to become more popular, publishers are going to insist on it more and more. They simply can't afford to let writers get away. - 12:41 PM
- Boyd Morrison said...
Thanks for the congratulations, everyone! It's great to see so many people pursuing their writing dreams. I achieved my own writing dreams because I married a smart, successful, supportive woman who could pay the bills while I was struggling to get published.
Jack, right now I'm going the traditional route just because it seems like I'll reach a broader audience that way. But I will certainly keep an eye on self-publishing. I have some SF ideas, and many times publishers don't want you to stray from your genre, so putting some new stories on Kindle might be an option in the future.
The lag time between finishing a book and seeing it published is a big difference from self-publishing. Another difference is the amount of information you get. When I had my books on Kindle, I could see my sales numbers in real time and correlate that data with the Amazon rankings. Now I have to wait to get my sales data, so I have no idea how the book is selling in most stores (I can still see the Amazon rankings, which is probably the reason most of us writers get obsessed with Amazon). It can be frustrating, but in the end, I have to focus on the one thing I truly have control over, and that's writing the next book. - 12:44 PM
- JA Konrath said...
@Boyd - You'll get your first accurate sales data next March. Your first royalty statement will come in October, but that will only be for May and June and won't account for returns. The March statement should be more accurate, but it won't be as accurate as the following October statement.
Your publisher may give you sporadic updates, and Bookscan figures, but you aren't actually going to have a realistic view of how many books were sold until October 2011. - 12:57 PM
I love this story.
I've made my money self-publishing, but I really understand the author's desire to get a book deal with a big publisher. In the same situation, I may have done exactly the same thing. - 1:16 PM
- Shanna Wynne said...
@Boyd, your story is very inspiring. I agree with you about wanting a traditional print deal. I remember last year when John Rector first announced his success publishing through Kindle, and I contemplated e-publishing as an option, but I'd rather give traditional options a chance first.
As it is, I'm very lucky to have a supportive spouse as well. I had not considered writing as a career, or even a dream, of mine. It was just something I did because I liked to write. I had planned to be a virologist. (LOL. If those aren't two of the most diverse career goals..)
But my husband saw that I had talent and encouraged me. We function as a team, and though we've hit a few stumbling blocks over the years--life getting busy at times and all--we've finally settled in a time and place where I get to write, full-time, and he supports me by encouraging me, giving me goals, and finding me markets to submit to, while I do his college homework. (Yeah. He uses those writing skills for his advantage, too!)
I'll bring your success up to him and we'll be keeping it open as a consideration in the future.
Thanks for sharing!! - 1:26 PM
- Unknown said...
You make some very good points. Six months ago, I wouldn't have considered e-publishing, but now, after reading several success stories, I think it's a viable alternative. It's definitely something to consider. Thanks for sharing.
- Jude Hardin said...
Congrats, Boyd!
I still think print contracts are majorly exciting, but I'm also watching the developments with Joe and some of the others in the ebook world. While I don't think self-publishing is generally a good idea (because most writers simply aren't ready), self-pubbed ebooks do provide a great opportunity for some.
None of the big NY houses would allow that. They have what's called a "first look" clause, which means they have the first option to buy the next book you write.
I think I have the perfect solution to that, but you probably already know what it is. ;) - 5:06 PM
- Jack H. H. King said...
You're already doing a 50/50 split. You're self-publishing Kindle books NY rejected. Correct?
Even a "first look" clause gives you freedom. If New York refuses to pay you 200K for a killer NC-17 thriller, you can put it on Kindle.
The Big Publishing process is like Hollywood. They make safe stories for mass markets. And that's fine.
But you seem like you're a hardcore kind of guy, in your literary soul.
That's what I meant by 50/50 split. One for the masses. One for the base. You time your release dates to increase the size of your base. To make money off your "high-risk" experiments. Create a deeper Brand.
Everybody wins. - 5:59 PM
- Jude Hardin said...
A guy just commented on your Facebook link that he was going to buy Boyd's book, but that the $11.99 price tag was too high.
For a new release.
From a real publisher.
What a shame that some people think books are only worth $1.99 these days. Maybe soon the perception of value will be $0.00. Great for the consumer, I guess, except there won't be any new books worth reading. - 8:04 PM
- Rex Kusler said...
For a lot of people $11.99 is an hour's pay. Or more.
- Jude Hardin said...
Hey, life's expensive. That's just the way it is. You can buy a book with your $11.99, or you can take a date to Burger King.
And there have always been options for people who genuinely can't afford to buy new books. - 8:52 PM
- Rex Kusler said...
Also--I bought a floor lamp at Walmart for $11.99. It had plastic shades, but I was so impressed with it I bought another one six months later.
I make good money, but I haven't bought THE LIST yet, because it's $1.99. If it were $.99 I would click it without a second thought. I'd spend $1.99 to help a guy out (I've given up to $20 a pop to homeless people on the street). But Joe doesn't need any help. Either does Boyd. No doubt they're both top notch, but I've bought a lot of top notch novels I didn't like. - 9:00 PM
- Jude Hardin said...
See, it's all about perception of value. I would rather have a good book than a cheap-ass floor lamp or a couple of Quiznos subs, but that's just me.
- Rex Kusler said...
The thing about Burger King. When you order the extra large fries for $1.99, you know what you're getting.
- Jude Hardin said...
Exactly. Frozen potatoes and grease.
Only, they might have been cooked five minutes ago, or five hours ago. And the sodium content depends on how many shots of tequila the dude wielding the salt shaker had before work this morning... - 10:32 PM
- Rex Kusler said...
You're right. Next time I've had too much tequila, I'll get the hot dogs from 7-11.
- Jude Hardin said...
Next time I've had too much tequila, I'll get the hot dogs from 7-11.
Or, you could try the latest $1.99 self-published ebook. The relative quality will most likely be about the same. - 11:13 PM
- Linda Pendleton said...
Great story, Boyd. Good luck with the book.
- bowerbird said...
boyd said:
> I decided, why not try to build up a
> readership by giving my books away?
> I mean, they weren't doing any good
> just sitting on my hard drive.
that's the attitude that'll fuel change.
it can be smart to accept admission
into the major-publisher clubhouse;
good for the ego and the reputation.
but make sure you keep track of
exactly how much it's costing you,
so you can decide if it's worth it
when you go to the next round...
-bowerbird - 11:41 PM
- Author Scott Nicholson said...
I love this story because it is so beautiful and human--the simple power of dreams. Only a writer or a crazy person would cling to a wild dream that long, and fight through the obstacles. I don't blame Boyd a bit for taking the deal--that was his dream, and presumably the money was good, and he can always write more books, and for the rest of his life.
If the industry collapses in five years, he can still write and self-publish and he doesn't have to give the money back. In retirement years, he may have lost money overall if he gave up the typical ebook rights common in most contracts. But it's still the right move, right now.
I came at this backwards, 400 rejections, then six NY books, then nothing, then starting all over. I'd take a print deal but I am not counting on NY to make my career and that's not my dream anymore. Success is a moving target and goals keep changing.
Just the way agents sneer and smirk at writers in their blogs and tweets is enough to make me want to avoid the whole process, because it is so closed off now. "Submission" has taken on a whole new meaning. Power has been given to people who know nothing about writing, only about selling books. But, like Joe, I don't need to give anyone power over my ability to pursue my dreams. Not to be negative in any way, but to me Boyd's success shows that just maybe readers and consumers are better at picking winners than agents and editors are. Now they have the chance.
Boyd didn't, either. He made his dream. He wrote those extra books when everyone said "No." He made his luck. I love it.
But I also don't think it's going to happen that way for anyone else, but that's the way dreams are. Perfect timing, good product in a popular genre, commitment, and a likable personality.
Everyone who makes it has carved their own path--from Joe to Boyd to Oprah to Sandra Bullock. They simply don't know the word "No."
Scott - 7:17 AM
- Zoe Winters said...
@Scott. Totally agree with you. If someone's dream is a print pub and they make that dream, then YAY. Boyd got his NY publisher. Jude got his first print publisher... that's awesome.
But I'm with you on wanting to avoid the whole process. There is a lot of stuff in life I don't personally want. But it doesn't mean I don't recognize the hard work it took for someone else to get there or how it fulfilled a dream "for them." Which makes it great.
But I agree totally with the "new take on 'submission'" Yeah, no thank you. - 7:42 AM
- Smaranda said...
Thanks for this advice! I uploaded an anthology (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003LSTEJQ) to Kindle yesterday and priced it at 99 cents. Two people have already bought it. Sure, 70 cents of profit certainly isn't much, but the feeling of having my writing out there is great! Thanks again.
- Unknown said...
Thanks, Boyd and Joe. As a writer, I've learned a lot from both of you about digital publishing with an eye to edging toward the printed market. You've given me a lot to think about and act upon. Keep up the good work.
- Helen Hanson said...
I admire the willingness of Joe, Boyd, and others to share the logic of this rather personal decision. I have one question, if I may.
@ Boyd When you set your ebook price at 1.99 and Amazon marked it down to 1.59, at which price were your royalties based?
I've read the Amazon terms and didn't see an answer to this question. I know they reserve the right to markdown from the list price, at least in the current iteration of the terms.
Print pub or E-pub? There's no single correct pub path for everyone. Makes me want a pint of John Courage just writing that. Fun to order, too: "A pint of Courage, please."
Take care, all. - 12:23 PM
- Boyd Morrison said...
Helen, the royalty is based on the list price, so for a list price of $1.99 (set by me) marked down to $1.59 by Amazon, the royalty is 35% of $1.99, or $0.70.
- Helen Hanson said...
All the best for rampant success! - 1:55 PM
- Jack H. H. King said...
I'm somewhat new to Joe's Cafe. Why is "self-publishing" a dirty word?
I became an author on accident, after ten years of playwriting, directing, and life in the theater. Joe is the only writer blog I read.
My editor owns her own small press. She's a friend of mine. She made me adapt one of my screenplays into a novel, at penpoint. Working title was 'Hot Naked Battle Lesbians' but she made me change it to something less interesting. It sold too well, so she made me adapt again, except with my stage play 'Dr Weil Gone Wild.' So I'm new to the lingo. Is "small press" a dirty word?
Did my editor lie to me? Am I not a real "author"? Am I a "small author"? Or am I just a "typist"?
Not that I care. I never worshipped New York. I have one God, and his name is David Mamet. But Mamet believes in semantics, so I would like to be able to label what I am.
I only have 300 books in my book cube, half of them plays. But in my life I never made a decision to buy a book based on the publisher's name. Do readers secretly do this? I can't even name the Big Six.
Movies, video games, music, plays, paintings, sculptures, architecture etc... Are books the only artform where indie = bad? - 5:41 PM
- Jude Hardin said...
If I buy a $200 camcorder and post some home movies on YouTube, does that make me an "indie filmmaker"? If I buy some midi software and burn a CD on my computer, am I then allowed to call myself an "indie musician"?
Pretty ridiculous, huh?
Boyd landed an agent before he self-published, which automatically put him in a different league than most "indie authors."
There's nothing wrong with being independent; the fact is, most of the titles simply aren't of publishable quality. Authors like Joe and Boyd are the exceptions.
As for small presses, all are not created equal. If a press isn't recognized as legitimate by professional organizations like MWA and ITW, then I would say writer beware. - 10:00 PM
- JA Konrath said...
Are books the only artform where indie = bad?
I've judged many writing contest for a big magazine, and the overall quality of the submissions was abysmal.
Self-pubbing has a stigma attached to it for a reason. Everyone thinks they can write a book, but very few take the time to understand and learn the craft, and they believe the 60,000 words they strung together are good enough to release to the world. As a result, many newbie authors get burned by vanity presses who take their money and their rights and offer only disappointment in return.
So for years I've cautioned people against self-pubbing.
Then this Kindle thing came along, and I've tempered my advice. I still believe writers have to find a way to show their work is worthy of being read (which is impossible to judge yourself.) But now self-pubbing is free with no risk other than bad reviews and bad sales.
I know several authors who do fine self-publishing their work. But they are the exceptions. The overwhelming majority should have concentrated more on rewriting and editing. That's been my experience, and I have more experience than most. - 10:17 PM
Jude. If I released a movie or music on my own and people paid for it and liked it and told their friends about it and they bought it and ... you get the idea. Yes, I think I could call myself a successful indie film maker or musician.
- Jude Hardin said...
If I released a movie or music on my own and people paid for it and liked it and told their friends about it and they bought it and ... you get the idea. Yes, I think I could call myself a successful indie film maker or musician.
Like I said, there's nothing wrong with being independent. Good is good. But the handles "indie filmmaker" and "indie musician" and "indie author" are largely meaningless when people who don't know what they're doing adopt and use them freely. The internet, great tool that it is, has fueled the delusions of many a clueless "artist" who simply isn't ready for any sort of public showing. - 11:11 PM
- Moses Siregar III said...
Congratulations Boyd! And thanks for sharing your inspiring story.
"However, having said that, I assume you are putting eggs in both baskets, which is smart."
Mark your calendars, folks. Zoe Winters said traditional publishing is "smart." LOL - 4:14 AM
- Jack H. H. King said...
If 80% of the books published by New York never make a profit...
Maybe 80% of professional authors should self-publish.
- Jack - 2:16 PM
- Jude Hardin said...
If 80% of the books published by New York never make a profit...
Maybe 80% of professional authors should self-publish.
That argument sort of collapses on itself, because a higher percentage of self-published titles never makes a profit, and professional authors and self-publish don't belong in the same sentence.
With the previously noted exceptions, of course. - 11:42 PM
- Zoe Winters said...
Another time I agree with you! Self-publishing has been SO scorned by people throwing out manuscripts their cat probably puked on for public consumption... that it's almost synonymous with "couldn't get a publisher."
That's a pretty stifling world to live in if you're entrepreneurial and don't see the sense in the trad pub system as it stands.
The term indie author isn't a term meant to be thrown around by those SAME lazy people unwilling to do the research and work.
While most authors can't know the quality of their own work that doesn't mean one can't find out. It's ridiculously easy now to gather the information necessary to "self-publish right." There is a plethora of good information and advice on the topic.
I'm okay with it if someone wants to self pub unedited drivel for them and their family members, but when they put it out to a larger market it causes me to be painted with that same brush.
The term indie author should only be worn by those who have EARNED IT.
And earning it doesn't necessarily mean having wild and crazy sales. It means educating yourself about the business you're entering into and doing the work to put out something of quality that a "real publisher" could have published.
People who aren't willing to do that don't deserve to call themselves indies.
While I want to be inclusive, I do think we have to stand up and say what you need to be willing to do to call yourself indie. Otherwise it will become as bad a label as "self-published." - 8:31 AM
- Zoe Winters said...
HAHAHAHAHA Come on now, this is how rumors get started! I said it's smart to put your eggs in more than one basket.
We all know I haven't taken that advice, but that's just because if epub never makes it big, I'd rather work within the niche than deal with NY publishing as a system.
I think if what I'm writing is good enough, over time I'll build all the platform I'll ever need and will continue to be happy as an indie. If I'm not good enough, I won't. So to me it's not a big risk to avoid NY altogether. - 8:38 AM
- Jack H. H. King said...
Let's say there are three kinds of books. We'll list them by sales. Above 5000. 5000 to 50. 50 or less.
80% of the books published by New York fall into the middle. They're good enough to get an agent and a publisher, but fail to sell enough to make New York a profit.
These books, by professional authors, could be self-published for free on Kindle. Every sale is 100% profit. A $2.99 ebook could earn a $2 royalty. If their book sells only 2500 copies in its life, the author will make more money than if they stuck with New York.
How does this hurt anyone? New York no longer takes the loss. The author gets the same money or more. The book exists if any reader wants to try it.
It's win-win-win.
- Jack - 10:12 AM
- Mark said...
This is a great story but a Black Swan event not to be repeated.
- PILAR BERTUZZI RIVETT said...
Thank you for sharing your experience with us. I look forward to meeting you in Seattle at the end of July, Pilar
www.pilarrivett.com - 1:55 PM
- Lisa said...
Wonder how things are going now for Boyd. Think I'll go and find out. Thanks for posting this.


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- 80% cotton 20% polyester blend
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The exhibition's point of departure is Reflektorische Farblichtspiele (reflective coloured light games) by Kurt Schwerdtfeger, an apparatus he designed as a student for the Bauhaus Lantern Festival in 1922. Experiments of this kind were key elements of Bauhaus party culture, which blended music, costume and performance. They fed into the stage workshop, and would go on to find new contexts in commercial design and popular culture. Still Undead opens by locating this "light games" alongside a selection of sound and light pieces from the 1920s and early 30s.
When the National Socialists came to power and the Bauhaus closed in 1933, a number of its masters and students – including Ludwig Hirschfeld-Mack, Walter Gropius, Otti Berger, Margaret Leischner and Edith Tudor-Hart – came to Britain. A lack of stable employment pushed many of these emigrés towards a variety of projects, making everything from sci-fi special effects and documentary photography to shop-window displays.
The exhibition goes on to trace how Bauhaus pedagogy, including the preliminary course, reshaped British art schools in the 1950s and 60s, exploring influential courses developed by artists including Rita Donagh, Richard Hamilton and Victor Pasmore. Around this time, a young generation – among them, Mary Quant, Terence Conran and Vidal Sassoon – began to reimagine the aims of the Bauhaus for an era of consumerism and commercial design.


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County =
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SEO takes more time than running PPC or display ads. How fast a website ranks depends domain age, traffic, website design, geographical location, competition, content, and on page SEO.
On average it takes a website six months to start seeing results from SEO. It might take longer for more competitive industries where SEO is prevelant in ranking for top position. In industries like these brand-building via social media marketing and PPC ads can bring traffic in quickly until a website starts ranking.
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In the long term ranking high means saving money on PPC ads. SEO works out to be a better way to get lots of high quality traffic, which would otherwise only otherwise come from pay-per-click advertising (PPC). It's worth spending extra money on good SEO by a expert SEO company.
SEO is an ongoing competition. You want to stay one step ahead of your competitors, who are also likely using SEO. When you stop competing at SEO, you lose your current position to your competitors. That's why we don't recommend you stop investing in SEO even after your website starts ranking.


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- The National Association of REALTORS® recently surveyed their members for their Confidence Index.
- The REALTORS® Confidence Index is a key indicator of housing market strength based on a monthly survey sent to over 50,000 real estate practitioners. Practitioners are asked about their expectations for home sales, prices and market conditions.
- Homes sold in less than 60 days in 35 out of 50 states and Washington D.C.
- Homes typically went under contract in 30 days in March!


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Sorin Boutique Hotel
In addition to the standard of SHA Plus, all guests get free Wi-Fi in all rooms and free parking if arriving by car. Conveniently situated in the Mueang Surin part of Surin, this property puts you close to attractions and interesting dining options. Don't leave before paying a visit to the famous Surin Bhakdi Airport. Rated with 3 stars, this high-quality property provides guests with access to massage and restaurant on-site.
SHA Plus Certified
More than 70% of SHA-certified establishment employees have been vaccinated.
Front desk [24-hour]
Airport transfer
Bicycle rental
Valet parking
Shuttle service
Free Wi-Fi in all rooms!
Check-in/out [express]


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MyTub service is second to none in the UK, no other company aims to fulfill your requirements like MyTub does. We have fully trained and experienced staff ready to take your order, find the nearest branch with the goods ready on the shelf to deliver to your address and ensure you get your order delivered to you as quick as humanly possible. We keep you informed of the progress of your order, good or bad news. Our experienced team offer pre sales service to answer any questions you have relating to the products by liaising with the manufactures. All our flamco flextherm eco products are genuine branded goods. If the item is in existence and on a UK shelf we will source it for you, in some cases when the part has even been obsolete for quite some years.
Please take the time to read through our customer's feedback, we are a modern company on the internet, that believe in old fashioned values.
Contract pricing and quantity discounts available on flamco flextherm eco, our contracts department can also aid in specification if needed.
MyTub are always here to help you, looking after your interests, our aim is to provide service that far exceeds the expectations of our industry which has been going since ancient Rome.


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Local Traffic Tickets
Practice Details
We have a localized practice for this jurisdiction. Scroll down to read more.
Sunnyvale, TX Traffic Tickets
Citations in the City of Sunnyvale Municipal Court
There are many reasons to hire an attorney if you receive a Sunnyvale traffic citation. Unfortunately, most people don't. In fact, only about 5% of people who receive traffic citations hire lawyers for assistance. Of the 95% who don't hire lawyers, the overwhelming majority simply pay their ticket. Although it seems like the easiest thing to do, simply paying a ticket can have disastrous results; Paying the ticket means that you are pleading guilty, and are therefore, convicted. That can cost several hundred or even thousands of dollars in fines, increased insurance rates and Texas Department of Public Safety surcharges.
Have You Received a Sunnyvale Traffic Citation?
You only have a few days from the day you received your Sunnyvale traffic citation to either set it for a court hearing or pay it. If you don't, a warrant will be issued for your arrest. Don't just pay your court fine. Instead, pay the law office of Todd E. Tkach a small fee to try to get your citation dismissed and protect your driving record!
If you simply pay the fine for your citation, you are pleading guilty. If it is a moving violation, that becomes a part of your driving record and could raise your insurance premiums. In that event, you end up paying the full amount of your fine several times over the next few years.
Our goal is to have the Sunnyvale charges against you dismissed. If we cannot get your citation dismissed, we will aggressively negotiate with the prosecutor to achieve the best possible result for you. A large percentage of our clients' citations are dismissed and will never appear on their driving records.
You only have a few days to either request a court appearance or pay your fine. If you do nothing, a warrant for your arrest will be issued. Don't wait! Hire us now to take care of your citation.
Has a Warrant for Your Arrest Already Been Issued?
No problem. If you hire us, we'll post a surety bond to lift (remove) the warrant and have your case set for a hearing. Then, we'll fight to have your citation dismissed.
We Cover All DFW Metroplex Jurisdictions and Most of Texas
We cover all jurisdictions and courts in the DFW Metroplex.
The DFW Metroplex is one of the USA's "mega-places" as measured both in physical size and population. It contains 13 counties and 210 cities and towns
Each city, municipality and Justice of the Peace Court throughout the Dallas / Fort Worth metroplex has its' own unique procedures and fine amounts for citations. Each court has its' own procedures and guidelines. Knowing each court's procedures and guidelines is crucial to achieving a favorable outcome.
We cover all DFW Metroplex jurisdictions and most of Texas
We also cover most jurisdictions in Texas.
In addition to the greater DFW Metroplex, we also can cover almost any other jurisdiction in Texas. The only ones we don't cover are those in Harris County (including Houston Municipal) and Bexar county (including San Antonio Municipal.) If you have a question about if we can help you in the jurisdiction where you have a ticket, warrant, CDL issue or other legal matter, please call us.
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We serve your community and cover all aspects of traffic ticket cases.
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Our traffic tickets video library
Please explore our video library about traffic ticket cases.
See Our Entire Library of Traffic Ticket Videos
You need knowledgeable and skilled representation if you get a traffic ticket
Getting a traffic ticket impacts your for years: your driving record, insurance costs and potentially state surcharges. Don't simply pay the ticket. Instead, get a better outcome.


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Property Details
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This residential property was built in 1985. When this property was assessed in 2023, the assessment value was $260,310.00. This 1 story location has a total living size of 1372 sq ft, has 3 bedrooms, with CENTRAL Heating/Cooling. Additional outside features include a Garage, Attached. Use Diedinhouse.com to learn of any stigmatized details and history about 8826 AGATE CT.
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Neither Simply Put Solutions, Inc. (SPS), the creators of Died in House™ (DIH), found at www.diedinhouse.com, nor DIH or any owners, officers, agents, or employees of SPS or DIH warrant the accuracy, reliability, or timeliness of any information on this website and shall not be liable or responsible for any losses caused by such reliance on the accuracy, reliability, or timeliness of such information, including but not limited to incidental and consequential damages as well as any alleged lost sales or loss in property value. The information appearing on any SPS or DIH website and/or owned application could include technical, typographical, or photographic errors and is provided "as is" without any warranty or representation, implied or express, including but not limited to the implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, or non-infringement. Learn More: https://diedinhouse.com/Disclaimer
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In Most states, a death in a home, no matter how it occurred, is not considered a "Material Fact" and it's not required to be disclosed. A murder could have occurred days ago and the seller does not have to let you know.A death in a home, especially a violent death, can decrease the home's value by 25% and increase its time to sell by up to 50% longer than comparable homes.
Would you want to know that a murder, suicide or even a bizarre death occurred at the property before you sign the contract?
Before Buying or Renting Your Next Home, Use DiedinHouse.com to Learn the House History!


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North Korea successfully launches long-range rocket
Updated 11:47 p.m. ET
SEOUL, South KoreaNorth Korea fired a long-range rocket Wednesday morning in its second launch under its new leader, defying warnings from the U.N. and Washington only days before South Korean presidential elections.
North Korea declared the launch of a rocket and satellite a success, and state television broadcasted a brief report confirming as much on Wednesday.
South Korean and Japanese officials confirmed that liftoff took place Wednesday morning. Each nation had been urging North Korea to refrain from a launch widely seen as a cover for a test of banned ballistic missile technology.
In a written statement, North American Aerospace Defense Command officials "acknowledged today that U.S. missile warning systems detected and tracked the launch of a North Korean missile at 7:49 p.m. EST...Initial indications are that the missile deployed an object that appeared to achieve orbit. At no time was the missile or the resultant debris a threat to North America."
The White House condemned the launch calling it "a highly provocative act," that was both a threat to regional security and a violation of U.N. resolutions.
"North Korea is only further isolating itself by engaging in such provocative acts," U.S. National Security Council spokesman Tommy Vietor said in the statement. "Devoting scarce resources to the development of ballistic missiles and nuclear weapons has not brought it security and acceptance by the international community--and never will."
South Korean Defense Ministry spokesman Kim Min-seok told a nationally televised news conference that a South Korean Aegis-equipped destroyer deployed in the Yellow Sea detected the launch but South Korea still didn't know the launch was successful. North Korea had indicated technical problems with the rocket earlier and had extended its launch window to Dec. 29.
Japan said one part of the rocket fell into waters west of the Korean Peninsula and another part fell in the sea east of the Philippines. South Korean President Lee Myung-bak planned an emergency national security council meeting Wednesday, and Japan protested the rocket launch.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un took power after his father Kim Jong Il died on Dec. 17 last year, and the launch also comes about a month before President Barack Obama is inaugurated for his second term.
The North says the Unha rocket was meant to put a satellite in orbit. A similar launch in April broke apart shortly after liftoff, and the condemnation that attempt received is likely to be repeated. Washington sees the launch as a cover for a test of technology for missiles that could be used to strike the United States.
Rocket tests are seen as crucial to advancing North Korea's nuclear weapons ambitions. North Korea is thought to have only a handful of rudimentary nuclear bombs. But Pyongyang is not yet believed capable of building warheads small enough to mount on a missile that could threaten the United States.
North Korea has spent decades trying to perfect a multistage, long-range rocket. Experts say that ballistic missiles and rockets in satellite launches share similar bodies, engines and other technology. This is the fifth attempt at a long-range launch since 1998, when Pyongyang sent a rocket hurtling over Japan. Previous launches of three-stage rockets weren't considered successful.
Washington sees North Korea's pursuit of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles as a threat to world security and to its Asian allies, Japan and South Korea.
North Korea under new leader Kim has pledged to bolster its nuclear arsenal unless Washington scraps what Pyongyang calls a hostile policy.
The launches Wednesday and in April came from a site on the west coast, in the village of Tongchang-ri, about 35 miles from the Chinese border city of Dandong, across the Yalu River from North Korea. The site is 45 miles from the North's main Yongbyon nuclear complex, and is said to have better roads and facilities than previous sites and to allow a southerly flight path meant to keep the rocket from flying over other countries.
Tensions are high between the rival Koreas. The Korean Peninsula remains technically at war, as the 1950-53 conflict ended in a truce, and Washington stations nearly 30,000 troops in South Korea as a buttress against any North Korean aggression. Tens of thousands more are in nearby Japan.
This year is the centennial of the birth of national founder Kim Il Sung, the grandfather of Kim Jong Un. According to North Korean propaganda, 2012 is meant to put the North on a path toward a "strong, prosperous and great nation."
The launch also follows South Korea's recent cancellation, because of technical problems, of an attempt to launch its first satellite from its own territory. Two previous attempts in 2009 and 2010 failed.
International condemnation is likely to follow quickly.
The U.N. Security Council has imposed two rounds of sanctions on North Korea following its nuclear tests, and a 2009 resolution orders the North not to conduct any launch using ballistic missile technology.
The council condemned a failed North Korean launch in April and ordered seizure of assets of three North Korean state companies linked to financing, exporting and procuring weapons and missile technology.
Under Security Council resolutions, nations are also barred from buying or selling weapons with North Korea, a key source of revenue for its authoritarian government.
North Korea has capable short- and medium-range missiles, but long-range launches in 1998, 2006, 2009 and in April of this year ended in failure. North Korea is believed to have enough weaponized plutonium for at least half a dozen bombs, according to U.S. experts. In 2010 it revealed a uranium enrichment program that could provide a second source of material for nuclear weapons.
Six-nation negotiations on dismantling North Korea's nuclear program in exchange for aid fell apart in early 2009.
A February deal for the United States to provide 240,000 metric tons of food aid in exchange for a freeze in nuclear and missile activities collapsed after the North's April launch.
North Korea said it chose a safe flight path so debris won't endanger neighboring countries. But there are still concerns over falling debris, and Japan's defense minister issued an order to missile units to prepare to intercept the rocket if it or its fragments threaten to hit Japan. Government spokesman Osamu Fujimura said Wednesday that no debris hit Japanese territory.
The first stage of the rocket was expected to fall in the Yellow Sea and the second stage in waters east of the Philippines, according to South Korea. Fujimura described two confirmed debris sites in those general areas after the launch.North Korea said it chose a safe flight path so debris won't endanger neighboring countries. But there are still concerns over falling debris, and Japan's defense minister issued an order to missile units to prepare to intercept the rocket if it or its fragments threaten to hit Japan. Government spokesman Osamu Fujimura said Wednesday that no debris hit Japanese territory.
The first stage of the rocket was expected to fall in the Yellow Sea and the second stage in waters east of the Philippines, according to South Korea. Fujimura described two confirmed debris sites in those general areas after the launch.


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In the rough-and-tumble of a town hall-style presidential debate, the facts took something of a beating Tuesday night.
Mitt Romney wrongly claimed that it took 14 days for President Barack Obama to brand the assault on the U.S. Consulate in Libya a terrorist act. Obama yet again claimed that ending the Afghanistan and Iraq wars makes money available to "rebuild America," even though it doesn't.
A look at some of their claims:
OBAMA: The day after last month's attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya, "I stood in the Rose Garden and I told the American people and the world that we are going to find out exactly what happened. That this was an act of terror and I also said that we're going to hunt down those who committed this crime."
ROMNEY: "I want to make sure we get that for the record, because it took the president 14 days before he called the attack in Benghazi an act of terror."
OBAMA: "Get the transcript."
THE FACTS: Obama is correct in saying that he referred to Benghazi as an act of terrorism on Sept. 12, the day after the attack. From the Rose Garden, he said: "No acts of terror will ever shake the resolve of this great nation, alter that character, or eclipse the light of the values that we stand for. … We will not waver in our commitment to see that justice is done for this terrible act."
But others in his administration repeated for several days its belief that the violence stemmed from protests over an American-made video ridiculing Islam. It took almost a month before officials acknowledged that those protests never occurred. And Romney is right in arguing that the administration has yet to explain why it took so long for that correction to be made or how it came to believe that the attack evolved from an angry demonstration.
OBAMA: "Let's take the money that we've been spending on war over the last decade to rebuild America, roads, bridges, schools. We do those things, not only is your future going to be bright, but America's future is going to be bright as well."
THE FACTS: What Obama didn't mention is that much of the money that has been paying for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan was borrowed. In fact, the government borrows nearly 40 cents for every dollar it spends. Thus using money that had been earmarked for wars to build schools and infrastructure would involve even more borrowing, adding to the federal deficit.
ROMNEY: "As a matter of fact, oil production is down 14 percent this year on federal land, and gas production was down 9 percent. Why? Because the president cut in half the number of licenses and permits for drilling on federal lands and in federal waters."
OBAMA: "Very little of what Governor Romney just said is true. We've opened up public lands. We're actually drilling more on public lands than in the previous administration and my — the previous president was an oilman."
THE FACTS: Both statements ring true, as far as they go. Obama more correctly describes the bigger picture.
According to an Energy Department study published in the spring, sales of oil from federal areas fell 14 percent between 2010 and 2011 and sales of natural gas production fell 9 percent, supporting Romney's point. The lower oil production was a result mainly of a moratorium on offshore drilling imposed by the Obama administration after the April 2010 BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, the worst offshore oil spill in U.S. history.
According to the same report, though, oil production from federal areas is up 13 percent since Obama took office despite last year's dip, and analysts say Gulf oil production is expected to soon exceed its pre-spill levels.
Natural gas production from federal areas has been declining for years because drillers have found vast reserves of natural gas in formations under several states that are cheaper to access than most federally controlled areas.
OBAMA: "For young people who've come here, brought here often times by their parents, have gone to school here, pledged allegiance to the flag, think of this as their country and understand themselves as Americans in every way except having papers, we should make sure we give them a pathway to citizenship. And that's what I've done administratively."
THE FACTS: His administrative actions do not provide a pathway to citizenship. The administration is allowing as many as 1.7 million young illegal immigrants to apply to avoid deportation for up to two years and get a work permit. And the government has begun a policy of prosecutorial discretion under which illegal immigrants with long-standing ties to the U.S. and no criminal history are generally not arrested and deported by immigration authorities. But these steps do not extend legal status or a process resulting in citizenship.
ROMNEY: "I know he keeps saying, 'You want to take Detroit bankrupt.' Well, the president took Detroit bankrupt. You took General Motors bankrupt. You took Chrysler bankrupt. So when you say that I wanted to take the auto industry bankrupt, you actually did. And I think it's important to know that that was a process that was necessary to get those companies back on their feet, so they could start hiring more people. That was precisely what I recommended and ultimately what happened."
THE FACTS: What Romney recommended did not happen, and his proposed path probably would have forced General Motors and Chrysler out of business. He opposed using government money to bail out the automakers, instead favoring privately financed bankruptcy restructuring. But the automakers were bleeding cash and were poor credit risks. The banking system was in crisis. So private loans weren't available. Without government aid, both companies probably would have gone under and their assets sold in pieces.
OBAMA: "And what I want to do is build on the 5 million jobs that we've created over the last 30 months in the private sector alone."
THE FACTS: As he has done before, Obama is cherry-picking his numbers to make them sound better than they really are. He ignores the fact that public-sector job losses have dragged down overall job creation. Also, he chooses just to mention the past 30 months. That ignores job losses during his presidency up until that point. According to the Labor Department, about 4.5 million total jobs have been created over the past 30 months. But some 4.3 million jobs were lost during the earlier months of his administration. At this point, Obama is a net job creator, but only marginally.
ROMNEY: "The proof of whether a strategy is working or not is what the price is that you're paying at the pump. If you're paying less than you paid a year or two ago, why, then, the strategy is working. But you're paying more. When the president took office, the price of gasoline here in Nassau County was about $1.86 a gallon. Now, it's $4.00 a gallon. The price of electricity is up. If the president's energy policies are working, you're going to see the cost of energy come down."
THE FACTS: Presidents have almost no effect on energy prices; most are set on financial exchanges around the world. When Obama took office, the world was in the grip of a financial crisis and crude prices — and gasoline prices along with them — had plummeted because world demand had collapsed. Crude oil prices have since risen even as U.S. oil production has soared in recent years because global demand is reaching new heights as the developing economies of Asia use more oil.
Other energy prices have fallen during Obama's term. Electricity prices, when adjusted for inflation, are down, and homeowners are finding it much cheaper to heat their homes with natural gas. That's because natural gas production has surged, reducing prices both for homeowners and for utilities that burn gas to generate electricity.
OBAMA: "What I've also said is, for (those earning) above $250,000, we can go back to the tax rates we had when Bill Clinton was president."
THE FACTS: Not exactly. The Bush tax cuts set the top income rate at 35 percent. Under Obama's proposal to raise taxes on households earning more than $250,000, the president would return the top rate to the 39.6 percent set during the Clinton administration. But he neglected to mention that his health care law includes a new 0.9 percent Medicare surcharge on households earning over that amount — and that tax would be retained. The health care law also imposes a 3.8 percent tax on investment income for high earners. So tax rates would be higher for the wealthiest Americans than they were under Clinton.
ROMNEY: "I'm going to bring rates down across the board for everybody, but I'm going to limit deductions and exemptions and credits, particularly for people at the high end, because I am not going to have people at the high end pay less than they're paying now."
THE FACTS: Romney is proposing to cut all income tax rates by 20 percent, eliminate the estate tax and the alternative minimum tax, maintain and expand tax breaks for investment income, and do it all without adding to the deficit or shifting the tax burden from the wealthy to the middle class. He says he would pay for the tax cuts by reducing or eliminating tax deductions, exemptions and credits, but he can't achieve all of his goals it under the budget rules presidents must follow.
The Tax Policy Center, a Washington research group, says in a study that the tax cuts proposed by Romney would reduce federal tax revenues by about $5 trillion over 10 years. The study concludes that there aren't enough tax breaks for the wealthy to make up the lost revenue, so the proposal would either add to the deficit or shift more of the tax burden on to the middle class.
Romney's campaign cites studies by conservative academics and think tanks that say Romney's plan will spur economic growth, generating enough additional money to pay for the tax cuts without adding to the deficit or shifting the tax burden to the middle class. But Congress doesn't recognize those kinds of economic projections when it estimates the budget impact of tax proposals.
ROMNEY: "A recent study has shown that people in the middle class will see $4,000 a year in higher taxes as a result of the spending and borrowing of this administration."
THE FACTS: Romney's claim is based on an analysis by the conservative American Enterprise Institute that examines the amount of debt that has accumulated on Obama's watch and in a potential second term and computes how much it would cost to finance that debt through tax increases. Annual deficits under Obama have exceeded $1 trillion for each year of his term.
However, Obama is not responsible for all of the deficits that have occurred on his watch. Most of the federal budget — like Medicare, food stamps, Medicaid and Social Security — runs on autopilot, and no one in a leadership position in Washington has proposed deep cuts in those programs. And politicians in both parties voted two years ago the renew Bush-era tax cuts that have contributed to the deficit. Even under the strict spending cuts proposed by Romney, the debt would continue to rise, just not as fast.
Associated Press writers Tom Raum, Jonathan Fahey, Tom Krisher, Stephen Ohlemacher, Andrew Taylor, Bradley Klapper, Matthew Daly, Matthew Lee and Alicia A. Caldwell contributed to this report.
Copyright © 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.


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Free 1-year $3750 anti-theft protection
Part Numbers
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University of Sussex, and Arts and Humanities Research Council, The Barlow Collection, supervised by Regina Krahl, Maurice Howard, and Aiden Leeves (Sussex: University of Sussex, 2006), no. C27
earthenware, glaze
Ceramic material made of clay which is fired to a temperature of c.1000-1200⁰c. The resulting ceramic is non-vitreous and varies in colour from dark red to yellow.
Vitreous coating applied to the surface of a ceramic to make it impermeable or for decorative effect.
Objects are sometimes moved to a different location. Our object location data is usually updated on a monthly basis. Contact the Jameel Study Centre if you are planning to visit the museum to see a particular object on display, or would like to arrange an appointment to see an object in our reserve collections.
© 2013 University of Oxford - Ashmolean Museum