Making rules, breaking rules, changing rules, changing minds

One of the great joys of being both a writer and publisher is the freedom to do what I want.

I can pick a book's subject, title, length, price, cover design, page size, fonts, margins, paper color, publication date, everything--even spelling and punctuation.

George Bernard Shaw avoided possessive apostrophes, James Joyce used dashes in place of quotation marks and e. e. cummings shunned uppercase letters.

A self-publisher can fight against pet peeves, rebel against the constraints of tradition, try to start traditions—and willingly risk the slings, arrows and snickers of critics, readers and competitors.

My first self-pubbed book came out in the fall of 2008. It's now the beginning of 2025. I've just finished book #44, and have begun work on others. 

In my first two books I fought tradition with fervor and naivety.

• It had always seemed stupid to me that the first pages of books had no numbers ("blind folios"), and were followed by pages with Roman numerals, which were followed—eventually—by good old Arabic numbers. In my first two books, there was a familiar "1" on the bottom of page-one.
• I didn't like the spaces surrounding em-dashes. I thought that by attaching the dashes to letters they united only specific words, not complete thoughts; and I wanted to unite thoughts. Most book publishers shunned the spaces but the New York Times used them. I followed the Times style. Later I stopped inserting those spaces.
• Speaking of the Times, in my first book about publishing, I put the The in The New York Times in italic type because I considered the "The" to be part of the paper's name. This policy led to abominations like "the The New York Times bestseller list." (Actually, that was just a theoretical abomination. I never allowed the "double-the" to be printed, which resulted in inconsistency.) In my next book about publishing, I treated the "The" as an ordinary word. It is not ucased (journalists and programmers know what that means) or put in itals. (Anyone should be able to figure out what ital means.) Unlike the New York paper, the Los Angeles Times does not include a "the" in its nameplate (official logo at the top of page-one). The LA paper, founded in 1881, is 30 years younger than the NY paper. I changed my rule and decided to follow the example of the younger, presumably hipper, west-coast medium when referring to the old "gray lady" published in the east.

That points out another great joy of being a writer and publisher: the freedom to change my mind.

Not only did I change policy on "The," I modified both my rebelliousness and my adherence to tradition in other style issues.

• Starting with my third book, I had blind folios in the beginning, followed by Arabic numbers.
• Starting with my ninth book, there are no spaces surrounding em-dashes. I now think that this style looks just fine and don't understand why it bothered me before.
• I originally decreed that I would use serial commas in serious books but not in casual books. The newer books have serial commas only when needed for clarity or when I want the reader to pause.
• In my first books I used numerals for numbers starting with 10 (i.e., numbers composed of multiple digits). Starting with book #11 (or maybe it's really #12), I spell out ten. It’s traditional to use digits starting at 10, but ten is such a short word that I like to spell it. The New Yorker magazine, in contrast, spells everything—even “one thousand, six hundred, forty-seven.” Yuck. I continue to use numerals when they have a more "number-like" function, like he ignored paragraph #14. 

• (above) I've always been troubled by the "headers" on the tops of book pages. They are an ISPITA (Industrial Strength Pain In The Ass) to set up and have dubious value. Many books have the book title, chapter names and even the author's name up at the top. Frankly, this seems pretty stupid. Do readers need constant reminders of the title of the book they are reading? If a reader forgets, couldn’t he just look at the cover? Despite the lack of logic, I kept up the tradition until around book #8. My recent book have nothing but page numbers as headers. 
• In my early books I boldfaced and underlined URLs (web addresses) so they'd look more URL-like. Unfortunately, the underline masks underscores which can be part of a URL. I ditched the underlining in later books but kept the URLs in boldface.

As a writer and publisher, I am also free to reverse my stand on issues of language and culture.

• I have often (online and on paper) bitched about vanity publishers calling themselves "self-publishing" companies. Word usage changes over time. Radio Shacks are not shacks which sell only radios. "Don we now our gay apparel" has a different connotation than when the lyric was written. The term "self-publishing company" seems to be acceptable to most people, so there is little point in continually knocking my head against a brick wall. I've even written a book that grudgingly acknowledges the term.

I may change my mind again in the future.

A self-publisher can do that.

When is a book not a book, and a funny way of counting pages

The United Nations's Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has declared 49 pages to be the minimum length for a book.

A publication with fewer pages can be a leaflet, pamphlet, booklet or brochure. Call it a book, and you risk offending nearly 200 nations. (When I was in college, I rented a room from a family that called TV Guide, "the book.")

The maximum page number is determined by printing equipment and what people are willing to pay, carry and read.

Despite the UNESCO decree, no book has 49 pages. Books have an even number of pages—even if some of the pages don’t have numbers printed on them ("blind folios"). An individual piece of paper in a book is called a "leaf." Each leaf has two sides, called pages. A 100-page book contains 50 leaves. Or leafs.

Although I've attacked Outskirts Press

for claiming that its books contain 161, 163 or 225 pages, publishers probably won't be attacked by United Nations soldiers for breaking UNESCO rules.

Outskirts Press can make “books” with as few as 18 pages, the minimum from CreateSpace is 24 pages, and Lulu can do 32 pages. Most printers can produce books with as many as 800 to 1,000 pages, but books with more than 500 pages are unusual. Tolstoy’s War and Peace
 is about 1300 pages long, and some of Rowling’s Harry Potter books have over 700 pages.

(soldier photo from Life.com)

 In awe of authors

I majored in journalism in college. I've written many hundreds of articles for newspapers and magazines. I was an award-winning advertising copywriter for several years. I've written over 40 books and more are "in the oven."

For a while I kept a "clip file" of all of my published articles, and had a portfolio of my ads that I could use to impress a prospective employer.

But, after 60-plus years making money by tapping a keyboard, I no longer think writing is a big deal.

I won't say it isn't fun anymore. It is fun. usually lots of fun. One fundamental Marcus maxim is, "If it isn't fun, don't do it."

If writing wasn't fun, I wouldn't still be doing it.

When I was younger, I loved getting fan mail from people who liked my articles and reviews in Rolling Stone. Later there was lots of satisfaction when I was told how many dollars in sales my ads and websites generated. It was cool seeing people wearing T-shirts I had designed. In more recent years, I've enjoyed reading "five-star" reviews of my books on Amazon.

I still love tweaking, adjusting, massaging and reworking blogs and book pages so they sound and look just right—and I'm generally pleased with the results.

But writing a good book in 2024 just does not generate the same smiles and internal giggles as the first big cover story I wrote for High Fidelity Trade News in 1969, or getting into movies and concerts for free when I showed my Rolling Stone press ID in 1971, or getting lucky after giving a girl a stack of records I had gotten for free when I worked for Stone. (I almost got lucky when young ladies thought I was Jerry Garcia, Rob Reiner, Sonny Barger of the Hell's Angels, or Tony Dow—who played Beaver Cleaver's older brother Wally.)

Maybe the problem—if it is a problem—is that writing is much easier than it used to be, so I don't feel I am overcoming a challenge. I was fired from my job in 1970 when I had a two-week dry spell, but it's been decades since I've suffered with a severe case of "writer's block."

Maybe simply getting older—and accumulating more experiences—makes it easier to write.

At age 78, I can write about almost anything.

I had a demented high school English teacher (she's in Stories I'd Tell My Children (but maybe not until they're adults) who made surprise attacks on our class. One day she commanded us to "write 500 words about tobogganing." Another time she wanted 500 words about "How Capri pants are the downfall of western civilization."

I hated the evil idiot, but she provided good preparation for later on when my paycheck depended on my being able to write about things I knew absolutely nothing about.

I know a lot about electronics. My first job after college was as the assistant editor of a magazine that went to hi-fi equipment dealers. I sometimes filled in at other mags that the company published, dealing with health foods and art supplies. Later on, I worked for several advertising agencies. I was hired because I could write about hi-fi equipment, but I kept my job because I could also write about computers, light switches, motor oil, food, floor tile, wristwatches and bathing suits.

Getting published is infinitely easier now than when I was younger. Years ago, if I had a brilliant idea for an article or book, I had to query editors and publishers to try to ignite their enthusiasm.

Today, if I have something to say, I write a book and publish it myself, or post something on one of my blogs, or comment on someone else's blog, or on Facebook, or start a new blog or website. It's infinitely easier than pitching an article to an editor or convincing investors to put money into a new magazine.

Those of us in the book biz know how easy it is to publish now. But many “civilians” are still in awe of authors.

I was reminded of this about 20 years ago when I was at a Sunday brunch meeting of about 25 members of a burial society that I’ve inherited membership in.

Although I’d theoretically been a member since birth, that day was the first time that a meeting was held close enough for me to conveniently attend. I was surrounded by relatives I am scheduled to spend eternity with—but I had never met any of them before.

During the meeting, someone was speaking about a milestone in family history about 100 years earlier, and I casually mentioned that I had written about the incident in one of my books.

I was surprised by the response. Some people were in awe! Someone said, “Oh, you wrote a book!” and there was at least one “Wow.” People asked the name, the subject and where they could buy it.

I answered the questions quickly and politely. I didn’t want to hijack the meeting and turn it into a book promo event.

My extended family (mostly sophisticated New Yorkers) thought that meeting a writer is unusual.

I certainly don’t think writing is unusual or that writers are unusual (well, maybe a little unusual). I spend a lot of my online and offline time communicating with writers, editors, designers and publishers. My close relatives and neighbors and employees know that I write and publish, and they are not impressed.

I know how easy it is to get published; but to this group of strangers--who share some of my genes and will share a final address—it was a big deal. I’m certainly not a celebrity like Elvis, JFK or Shakespeare, but some of these folks seemed to be a bit excited to be related to an author and maybe even to be buried near one.

It made me feel good. Not as good as getting laid because I was an editor at Rolling Stone—but nevertheless, good.

Magicians don’t explain their best tricks. Maybe we shouldn’t reveal how easy it has become to publish books and have them sold by Amazon, B&N and other booksellers.

You're not stuck with stock photos,
or any photos

Stock photos—from such sources as Fotolia, iStockPhoto, Adobe, Getty and ShutterStock, and found within and linked from MS Word—are an excellent alternative to expensive custom photography for book covers and interior pages.

Millions of photos and illustrations are available from skilled pros and amateurs for a tiny fraction of the cost of hiring a photographer and models and renting a shooting location and paying for travel and food.

Prices range from FREE to a laughable 14 cents to about a hundred bucks, depending on size, resolution, and what the photographer feels like charging. I paid $60 for one cover shot, but most of my pix cost $4 or $6 each.

Unlike some "stock photo house" policies, you are buying a license for nearly unlimited use. You don't pay more money based on the readership/viewership of your media, or the purpose of your project. All the files available on Fotolia are royalty-free, meaning they can be used with no limits on time, number of copies, or geographical location.

About the only limitations are that you can't put any person in a photo in a bad light or in porn or a violent situation or use a photo to support a political party or religious organization.

One other possible limitation is that despite a nearly endless selection from Fotolia and its competitors, you may not find a photo that's exactly right for you.

That's where someone skilled with Adobe Photoshop can remake a stock photo into a custom photo.

The photo in the book cover at the top was nearly perfect, except for a generation gap. I needed a picture of a father speaking to a child, but the original man (in inset on the right) was obviously old enough to be a grandfather, or even a great grandfather.

Carina, my ace cover artist, gave him a hair transplant, eliminating the effect of decades.

In the second row, Carina doctored my 1971 wedding picture, to remove my wife, clone some hair onto the right side of my head, and remove a reddish cast from the photo.

In the bottom photo, Carina removed a cluttered background, straightened out my tilted head, and removed my right hand that looked like the deformed appendage of a Thalidomide baby. In the future I may ask her to give me more hair and darker hair, remove the wrinkles and change my eyeglass style.

Carina is too busy to work for others right now so I won't tell you how to find her, but you should be able to find a suitable substitute.

Review your reviews

Every writer likes to get good reviews

and hates to get bad ones.

Most published reviews are positive, and that's nice.

Some negative reviews are written by people who are clueless, vindictive, or have not even read the book they are condemning. If you write a book, it's important that you regularly check for reviews. Good reviews should be used to promote your book. Unjustified bad reviews have to be dealt with.

Years ago, I discovered a review of one of my books on Amazon. It gave me the minimum one-star ranking and said my book must be terrible because it did not have a "Search inside the book" feature. There were a few other meaningless complaints which revealed that the reviewer had never read the book. I assume the review was from a writer I slammed on this blog. (I don't put negative reviews on Amazon to minimize the chance of a flame war or pissing match.)

I complained to Amazon, and the review was deleted within a few minutes.

Another time, I was criticized because the typeface I used was allegedly too big. I responded that the 12-pt type I used is the size specified by the U.S. Supreme Court to insure readability of court documents.

And another time, one of my books was criticized for being out of date. I responded that the reviewer bought the wrong book, and should have bought the replacement book. I even offered to provide a freebie.

Set up Google alerts for your name and your book titles. You'll get automatic notifications so you'll know what's being said about you and can respond appropriately.

The year is almost over. But it's not too late for tax tips. 

Writers and other members of the media can often get away with business tax deductions that ordinary people can’t get away with.

The author has been making his living as part of the media since 1969. His income tax returns have never been audited and his deductions have never been denied. He is not worried if this blog posting attracts the attention of the Feds.

​In order to maximize the money you keep, obviously you must maximize the money you make. You must also maximize the income tax deductions you take—but don’t be greedy or stupid about it.

​Every piece of media you consume—and the equipment and services that go with the media—should be deducted in the range of 25% to 100%. Deduct movies, CDs, music downloads, games, concerts, artwork, vacations, pay-per-views, MP3 players, big TVs, little TVs, iPad, smart phone, books, magazines, newspapers, cameras, subscriptions to Spotify, TiVo and Sirius/XM, museum visits. . . all the stuff that helps you stay aware of news and culture.

​If you are an author or a journalist, the key to creative tax avoidance is to write about things you like, whether it’s wine, sports cars, clothes, travel, cameras, horse racing or sex. Then you can deduct everything you spend on fun—if you classify it as “research.”​

1. If you like to travel, write about travel, and then deduct the cost of traveling.
2. If you like cars, rent some really cool cars, and write about them.
3. If you like to eat—and who doesn’t?—go to lots of restaurants, attend cooking schools, stock your pantry, and write about food.
4. If you smoke, write about pipes, cigars, vaping, tobacco, hashish or marijuana—and deduct the cost of your research. A trip to a cigar factory, a bong or nickel bag can be as important to your writing career as Microsoft Word.
5. If you like sex, deduct the cost of sex toys, enhancement drugs, porn, trips to Bangkok or Nevada, hookers or gigolos—and write about them.
6. If you like building things, buy lumber, hardware, tools and paint, write about building, and deduct the cost of your research materials.
7. If you like to sew or knit, write about craft and deduct the cost of your fabric, patterns thread, yarn, trim, buttons and zippers.
8. If you like to take pictures or paint pictures, write about art and deduct the cost of your equipment and supplies—even software.

Be sensible. If your writing specialty is the Peloponnesian War or pizza, the IRS probably will look askance at a deduction for learning how to ride a horse. If you want to deduct the cost of those lessons, write about horses.

​​

No matter what you write about, deduct the cost of your computer, fax machine, Internet access, e-readers, books, magazines and newspapers.

In addition to tax deductions, this book covers a wide range of business topics of importance to writers, including record keeping, hiring an accountant, retirement funding, starting and running a company, profitability, licensing, getting help and dealing with a tax audit.

https://www.amazon.com/Writers-Apparently-Deductions-Ordinary-Publishing-ebook/dp/B00AP487TM?

You can sell the same words more than once.

When I was in Mrs. McGarthy's class in fifth grade in New Haven, Connecticut, each student had to choose an American president to write a report on. I don't remember why, but I picked James Buchanan. It may have been because I was a stamp collector and had a "plate block" of three-cent stamps showing Buchanan's home, Wheatland, which was issued in 1954.

Buchanan was the 15th president, serving from 1857–1861, right before Lincoln. I don't remember much more about him. He was the only president from Pennsylvania and the only non-married president.

Buchanan's significance to me greatly outweighs my knowledge of him, because that report became the source of a valuable lesson that has served me well for over sixty years: You can sell the same words more than once.

When I was a school kid, I wasn't selling words for money as I did later, but I did have to convince my teachers of the value of my words to get good marks, so the processes were related. Then and now, it's good to maximum results and minimize effort.

The Buchanan report I wrote for fifth grade was subsequently improved, modified and lengthened and submitted to my teachers in sixth, seventh and ninth grade, plus my junior year in high school, and for an American Studies course in college.

I also wrote a report on Warren Harding and used it in two classes. I think my brother recycled it, too.

Ironically, U. S. News & World Report ranks Buchanan as the worst president ("He refused to challenge either the spread of slavery or the growing bloc of states that became the Confederacy.") and Harding as second-worst ("He was an ineffectual and indecisive leader who played poker while his friends plundered the U.S. treasury."). Was there a subconscious pattern to my picking?

After college, as a freelance writer, I often sold variations of the same article to multiple magazines with different audiences, such as Rolling Stone and Country Music, or Esquire and Ingénue.

It works the same way with books.

Years ago, I published Become a Real Self-Publisher: don't be a victim of a vanity press, which was written for people who don’t use self-publishing companies. I later published a spinoff--aimed at writers who do use self-publishing companies, called Get the Most out of a Self-Publishing Company: Make a better deal. Make a better book. I also updated the original book as Independent Self-Publishing: the complete guide. Later came another spinoff, Brainy Beginner's Guide to Self-Publishing, aimed at writers who are unsure of their path to publication. Parts of the first book were also used in my Stupid, Sloppy, Sleazy book about Outskirts Press.

All of those books include material originally posted on my blogs, and some material written for my books eventually shows up on my blogs.

Look at what you've already written and figure out how you can recycle, reuse, repurpose, revise, sequelize and serialize.

My first book about phone equipment has had FOUR spinoffs, and more may be coming (if I get in the mood).

My funny memoir has had four spinoffs—so far.

A book I wrote about religion has been spun three times, and at least two more spinoffs are "in the oven."

SPECIAL SALES

Many thousands of books reach readers without booksellers. They are distributed—sometimes for free—by entities that want information or opinions circulated. These “special sales” can generate high profits, with no risk of returns.

A book you’ve already written may be perfect for use by an association, corporation, government, charity, foundation, university or a political party. Perhaps a book you’ve written needs just slight changes and perhaps a new title and cover to become perfect. Maybe information in your book is fine, but the book needs a new point of view or emphasis. Make a deal.

(Buchanan portrait is public domain, from the White House)