Hens Lay Eggs
food for thought
A wonderful story
When it comes to entertainment, especially when I’m not in the mood to read, write, or paint, nothing beats a good costume drama. It’s a good bet you’ve heard of Bridgerton, the popular Netflix series based on the book series by Julia Quinn. I read the books years ago, and Quinn is one of my favorite authors. Therefore, watching the series is a must for me, despite the liberties taken. I thoroughly enjoy the series in both visual and written formats and appreciate each version on its own.
Literature serves as a key resource for film makers. Other movies and series I’ve enjoyed and which were based on books include Game of Thrones; The Black Stallion and The Black Stallion Returns; the Harry Potter series; Pride and Prejudice, Emma, Northanger Abbey, and Persuasian; The Phantom of the Opera; the Longmire series; Father Brown, the Hercule Poirot series; Sherlock Holmes; and Spenser. There are a lot more. Rarely does the video presentation of a book inspire me to read the book, although having read the book inspires me to watch the show. Thus far in my life, only four series have had that effect: Robert B. Parker’s Spenser series; J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series, Craig Johnson’s Longmire series, and Louise Penney’s Three Pines series.
I don’t know if it means something that three of the four are mysteries. If so, it’s probably because I can’t plot a mystery, although I enjoy reading and watching them. Some of my favorite authors are famed for their mysteries: Robert B. Parker, Robert Crais, Lindsey Davis, Dick Francis. I can ghostwrite a mystery (and have done so) given the client’s plot outline, but to come up with one myself? Nope, not gonna happen.
I recently finished my latest costume drama obsession: The Cook of Castamar. As noted, it’s not often that something I watch makes me want to read the book; but when that happens, it becomes a driving compulsion. The Cook of Castamar by Fernando J. Muñez is a Spanish period drama set in the early 1700s. The Netflix series is filled with large scale and small scale dramas, intrigue, treachery, politics, period-specific manners and mores, murder, sumptuous costumes, love, friendship, passion, and more—everything that makes a truly wonderful story, except for humor. There really isn’t much humor in this story.
I don’t recommend books, movies, or television shows often, but this one get an enthusiastic two thumbs up, à la Siskel & Ebert. (By the way, the English version will be available from Amazon in January 2025, but you can pre-order a copy now.)
When I write a story, I hope to incorporate many of those aforementioned elements that combine to create a great story. For instance, not every story must have swashbuckling, but those that do need the other elements that complement it. For a great story, none of these elements stands alone. The layering of those elements adds depth and richness to the story. It deepens the reader’s engagement with the characters.
However, it’s a fine balance. Too much of any seasoning ruins the dish. While the seasonings may be applied with a liberal hand, too much of any one herb or spice overwhelms the other flavors and prevents a harmonious melding to create a palatable meal. And too little of a needed ingredient becomes obvious by its lack: something necessary is missing.
That’s an analogy Clara Belmonte, who is the fabled cook of fictional Castamar, would have appreciated.
A matter of business ethics
One of the due diligence practices I learned in my publishing journey was to research companies before I queried them. Since that was back in pre-internet days, my resources were limited to what I could find in the library, mainly the Writer’s Market and the Literary Marketplace. Through those venerable sources, I learned to be wary of vanity presses and what to look out for.
That doesn’t mean I don’t make mistakes. It does mean that I’m wary.
With publishing being an unregulated industry, it’s rife with bad actors. Yet aspiring and ambitious authors remain unwary, desperate for validation, I suppose. Recently on two Facebook groups geared toward writers, editors, and publishing, I saw some worrisome posts basically along the lines of “I need X.”
Posts like that serve as blatant invitations to scammers of all sorts.
It’s good to know when you don’t know what you need to know, because many people don’t know what they don’t know. However, an open-ended “I need help” message without any additional qualifying information leaves a person wide open to being exploited.
Because I have a conscience, I make an effort to set folks straight.
Every week (nearly every day), I receive inquiries as to what Hen House Publishing publishes. These inquiries demonstrate laziness. Anyone who sees the company name and is interested in being published should go to the website: henhousepublishing.com. On the website under the SERVICES menu, you’ll find what my company does.
I admit, the business’ name is misleading because I don’t publish other author’s books. I publish my books. And I assist authors in their publishing journeys.
You see, when I started the business, I intended to become a small press, a traditional press, not a vanity publisher. However, to quote poet Robert Burns, “The best laid schemes o’ mice an’ men / Gang aft a-gley.” That means what I planned or intended did not come to pass.
I ghostwrite, edit, proofread, and design other authors’ books, but I don’t publish those. I seldom offer cover design. I certainly do not offer marketing. If a client needs assistance in the publishing process, I’ll offer guidance. I do not offer services I don’t do well or cannot perform to a high, professional standard.
What distinguishes Hen House Publishing from hybrid or vanity publishing companies is that I don’t own the copyright and I don’t command a share of the royalties—unless we work out a contract otherwise. I get paid for services rendered, which means I don’t work “on spec.” (Working on spec refers to working for the promise of potential future payment of unknown amount.)
I explain that every day, sometimes several times a day, to authors who fail to exercise their own resourcefulness and check out the company before asking me to publish their books.
That lack of resourcefulness shows up in other ways, too, mainly naivete. Lessons delivered by the school of hard knocks are painful; there are better ways to learn. I suggest you learn from my errors and save yourself some grief. So, if you want to publish your book, do the following:
- Research the service(s) you want to hire. Get referrals from people you trust and know what you should expect to pay a professional.
- If you want to hire an editor or proofreader, get a sample edit first. A sample edit show you how the editor will treat your manuscript and informs the editor as to the effort needed to whip your manuscript into shape so it’s worth of public consumption.
- If you want to hire a book designer, check out the designer’s portfolio of work.
- If you want to hire a cover designer, check out the designer’s portfolio of work.
Avoid low-bid vendors. You may find a young professional working to build his or her portfolio and willing to work for a low rate, but most cut-rate vendors deliver substandard service—if they deliver at all.
In the publishing industry, it’s caveat emptor. Buyer beware.
Be careful out there.
The 2024 Show Season Has Begun!
Last year, my calendar was jam-packed with events. I hardly had a weekend free from May through November. It was a lot of fun and a lot of work, but exhausting.
Each year imparts lessons learned. As I get older, I realize I can’t do or endure what I did even five or 10 years ago. This getting old stuff ain’t for sissies!
One of the lessons learned was to track expenses, revenue, and mileage for each event. I track my “hard” expenses: the vendor registration fee, expenditures for food and beverages, hotel accommodations, etc. I do keep a record of money spent on inventory and other stuff (e.g., table signs, table coverings), but those are categorized as other costs. I don’t keep track of how many copies of which books I sell at each event, although I probably should.
Mileage is a different category of expense. I track mileage when I’m driving. As I go to most events with my best friend, artist Cindra Phillips and she has the larger vehicle (i.e., more cargo room), she does most of the driving. When we take her car, she’s responsible for tracking mileage.
I don’t count hours either. If I assign an arbitrary rate to my hours, anywhere from minimum wage ($10.45 per hour) to my freelance contract rate ($65 per hour), then I’m definitely not going to show any sort of profit for any event.
This year, I’ve scheduled fewer events. I’m participating as a vendor at some new-to-me events and returning to other events that have proven profitable without being onerous. I did go to one show last year that was profitable, but the hours were grueling.
The more experience I get at doing shows, the more particular I become when it comes to deciding to register. If an event is a first-time occurrence, meaning it’s never been held before, and doesn’t do particularly well, I’ll generally give it a second chance. I did that with Lust in the City. Its inaugural show in East Lansing, Michigan suffered from some unfortunate circumstances, so I registered for the second one in Owosso, Michigan. Although the organizer did a wonderful job in arranging everything and promoting the event, I failed to cover my hard costs. That made it a no-go for any subsequent years.
Another return trial is Art on the Hill in Mantua, Ohio. For the second time in its 11-year duration, we had rain. Because books and paintings don’t hold up well to wet weather, Cindra and I left early. However, we both thought the event deserved a second chance, so we’re going back this year. We’ll keep a close eye on the weather and bring her canopy just in case. (Her canopy has sides; mine doesn’t.) We’ll need to sell a lot of paintings as well as books to make this one profitable. Fingers are crossed.
I haven’t yet registered for any of the Beech Grove Artist Collective’s First Friday Art Walks in the Indianapolis, Indiana area. Event registrations open three months prior to each scheduled date, so there’s nothing yet available for registration after June—and that weekend in June is already scheduled. Cindra and I enjoy the BGAC Art Walks. They’re generally profitable because registration has been free and we bunk down at my brother’s house for the night. (It’s great to have family upon whom we can impose.) We really enjoy patronizing the 5th Avenue Grill; they have a good selection of local craft brews and good food.
This year’s show season kicks off in Urbana, Ohio on Saturday, April 6. The Urbana Chamber of Commerce is hosting a monthly “Second Saturday” street fair, although the city’s attempting to capitalize on the solar eclipse by scheduling the first event of the year right on the first Saturday of April. The forecast shows chilly weather and a stiff breeze. We’ll layer-up to keep warm.
Our next show is Art on Vine, hosted by Rhingeist Brewery in Cincinnati, Ohio on Sunday, April 14. Our first foray to Art on Vine introduced us to a well-heeled and eclectice crowd. A second registration took us to Washington Park for an outdoor event; that didn’t turn out nearly as well as the first. We’ll see what happens this time and reserve judgment until afterward as to whether we’ll return a fourth time.
At the Springfield Antique Show & Extravaganza in 2023, the vendor next to us imparted some wisdom. He stated that it was the event organizer’s responsibility to bring in the crowds and his responsibility to sell his products to attendees. I thought he had a good point.
So, if you’re out and about, check my calendar of events. I enjoy going to craft shows, arts and music festivals, and book-oriented events, so if you come across one that looks like a good venue, send me a message with the event information. I’m willing to travel to Indiana, Michigan, Kentucky, and maybe even Pennsylvania.
If you attend an event where I’m participating, stop by my booth and say hello! A friendly face is always welcome.
Author
Hard boiled, scrambled, over easy, and sunny side up: eggs are the musings of Holly Bargo, the pseudonym for the author.
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Karen (Holly)
Blog Swaps
Looking for a place to swap blogs? Holly Bargo at Hen House Publishing is happy to reciprocate Blog Swaps in 2019.
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