I think it was earlier this month when a bunch of us were talking about how important it is to be friends with your peers in the publishing world instead of clout chasing and boy do we have some real proof now - ThreadSky

ericafails.bsky.social • 456 days ago

I think it was earlier this month when a bunch of us were talking about how important it is to be friends with your peers in the publishing world instead of clout chasing and boy do we have some real proof now

Reposted from Iron Spike

Sooooo.

A little advice.

When you finally get that book deal for your first fantasy novel? I do not advise review-bombing other novelists, 30 at a time, on GoodReads with single-star reviews with legions of sock puppets.

gizmodo.com/cait-corrain...

Comments

savagewhit.bsky.social•456 days ago

Honest question 🙋🏻‍♀️

Could it be a ploy to become online influencer? Writer felt it was gaming the system & now will go on to create YouTube following or something off this?

Or it’s just gross behavior. My belief is most people are good at heart. Read article but any chance writer was “framed”

abracadocious.bsky.social•456 days ago

The "Lilly" branch of the story means it was not a frame-up.

savagewhit.bsky.social•456 days ago

Right on. 👍

Hopefully that writer will learn many lessons & grow into a kinder human. Mean it 💜🙏

abracadocious.bsky.social•456 days ago

Hope is a powerful force.

But given the subterfuges used I recommend pessimism for this individual. Like, I recall sociopathy checklists and this seems to cover the gamut.

savagewhit.bsky.social•456 days ago

Understood. Sad for them & others.

jlavery522.bsky.social•456 days ago

I remember talking to an artist who said they got a break when a friend of theirs was very busy with a project, so they got recommended by their friend to the publisher for another one that needed an artist. Never happened from being a hanger-on to big name artists at the bar.

ericafails.bsky.social•456 days ago

This is exactly how the industry works!! A lot of us got work like this

zachrabiroff.com•456 days ago

I'm not an expert on anything, but my understanding is that the secret trick for survival in most fields is to be a) good at it, and b) not a huge schmuck to people.

andykhouri.bsky.social•456 days ago

And almost no one gets their start on a dream project. It’s those fill-ins and other unglamorous gigs that put you on people’s radars — employers and the audience. It’s your friends/peers who get you those opportunities.

jlavery522.bsky.social•455 days ago

If someone can make the deadlines and produce quality work on those gigs, that will give the employers confidence in the artist being able to do that on their larger projects. Plus, the experience gained on those smaller projects can be very useful.

erikburnham.bsky.social•456 days ago

Co-signing. Almost everyone I know has got at least one gig this way.

cartoonsara.bsky.social•455 days ago

Quite a few industries. The panelists at a voice actors panel I went to years ago were talking about how many careers started with “Frank Welker is busy right now, but have you tried….?”

douglaslambert.com•450 days ago

For some reason I was blocked by the user whose text you just reposted... I'm really a nobody here, so I have no ideia what happened... 🤔

ericafails.bsky.social•456 days ago

Although this is less being friends with your peers and more about not going out and attacking them all in a very traceable way

cheriepriest.com•456 days ago

Like, just *be nice* to people. Writers are (overwhelmingly!) nice folks who want to help you (other writers) out! Jfc!

fidelioscabinet.bsky.social•456 days ago

I think of all the books I’ve read in the past 20 years because one writer or another was talking up someone else’s work, from LiveJournal to this joint.

ericafails.bsky.social•456 days ago

This is true because the ones that act like this get their 2024 releases pulled and can no longer be called professional writers

kenlowery.bsky.social•456 days ago

I want to ask people who get caught up in stuff like this "do you know most people don't live this way? Do you understand this is optional?"

kmcorby.bsky.social•455 days ago

She could have spent all that time and energy lifting other writers up instead of running them down.

cat-appreciator.bsky.social•456 days ago

Also, like, the effort it would take? To do all that sockpuppetry? Who has the time???

savagewhit.bsky.social•456 days ago

That’s what I was considering. What if this is a revenge scenario from someone?

I don’t know said writer in any capacity but always believe most are good. Seems weird.

neilhimself.neilgaiman.com•456 days ago

Everything good that happened in my writing career happened because someone, normally another writer, helped me. Suggested me for something, put in a good word, and so on. The idea was always that you help others and they help others in their turn. It's not a win or lose game.

keithb10.bsky.social•452 days ago

It's not pie, there's room for everyone!

troytassier.bsky.social•450 days ago

1st (non-fiction) book coming out in Feb. Only got published bc an incredibly kind author showed me step by step, almost word by word, how to rewrite my proposal, target agents, etc. Never would have happened without him taking an interest in me and my work.

litterygeniarse.bsky.social•455 days ago

That's where I'm going wrong being anti-social, practically shielding and having no influential friends. I do try to help others when the opportunity arises though: kinda like a hermit messiah [Blair complex] who's given up on the human race but gets sucked back in occasionally.

paulross.bsky.social•451 days ago

A case in point https://x.com/paulywauly1/status/1682167463494967298?s=46

genocideman.bsky.social•455 days ago

But this is how the industry feels toxic, also. New authors know that their career depends on someone helping them, and if nobody ever does...over decades, that breeds resentment. It hurts to know that you failed because others neglected you.

thewombwellrainbow.bsky.social•451 days ago

Excellent advice.

trai70.bsky.social•455 days ago

Not for nothing, but this is a fairly succinct description of how society in general should work, in my opinion.

cindyloohoo73.bsky.social•456 days ago

For me, reading is a genuine love: it expands rather than contracts the more I let it. A good book makes me want more, not less. That can be more from the same author or more from others or both. It isn't a zero sum game

sanjuro89.bsky.social•456 days ago

I think that's true for all of us who truly love to read. There's nothing better than finding a new author to follow, particularly if they have a substantial back catalog!

anotherdemocrat.bsky.social•451 days ago

It's funny, yesterday one of my co-workers talked to a patron who was upset we don't have large print of everything by Author X. Alternative A - nope, B- nope.....She only wanted that one author. Made me think of how many now-favorites I found because they're similar to others.

cindyloohoo73.bsky.social•451 days ago

I go through phases where i can't process new media. I often discover missed gems because I raced through them impatient to see how they ended. There is comfort in revisiting an old friend. Lack of accessible content would frustrate and sadden me

anotherdemocrat.bsky.social•451 days ago

She talked her into audiobooks, we have all of her favorite in audio. Wish we had the budget to get everything in every format. But she's going to run through everything by the favorite; then what? I hope when she calls again in a few months, she'll take some by another author.

jragon.bsky.social•451 days ago

I just can't understand people who say, "I don't read ." Reading, whether fiction or nonfiction , expands your knowledge base. The more knowledge you have, the more connections you make, the more you understand about the world. To me, "smart" is more about knowledge than inherent ability.

cindyloohoo73.bsky.social•451 days ago

I love reading as a way to understand others even if it's fictional. It's like taking an affordable vacation to someone else's experience

stromberg.bsky.social•455 days ago

Hear hear.

Writers’ quote of the year.

geoffedwards.bsky.social•451 days ago

I'd like to think this philosophy applies to other creative realms. I know actors think this way. Musicians maybe... Creatives should band together. Lots is better when creatives collaborate.

hmcd.bsky.social•456 days ago

Absolute same in game writing.

pixelbandits.bsky.social•301 days ago

On this subject. Could you give any tips on how to properly develop an idea?

I've got the very basics for a starting point for a novel. But not a clue where or how to start on turning that into the storyboard / first draft.

I'd really appreciate any advice on how to develop from seed to oak.

neilhimself.neilgaiman.com•301 days ago

There's a lovely book by Al Zuckerman called Writing the Blockbuster Novel which is really good on the step by step building process of it all.

Writing the Blockbuster Novel https://a.co/d/cNejwXo

pixelbandits.bsky.social•301 days ago

You're an absolute gem of a person, aren't you. (there's a joke there somewhere about diamonds being sharp and you having a cutting wit, but I can't find it.

Thank you!

dragnflite.bsky.social•455 days ago

People who read general read many books in a year. I am never not reading something. Even if it's the comfort of an old friend.

tonythescribe.bsky.social•450 days ago

I got a writing gig on an (paying) indie film because of this sentiment.

humoringholly.bsky.social•450 days ago

Success through networking is proof that human connection and teamwork are the most important parts of individual success 🙌

bigdai100.bsky.social•456 days ago

Good advice for life in general

johnhudgens.bsky.social•455 days ago

You helped me out almost 20 years ago, and I've in turn helped out others on their projects - it's what responsible and friendly adults *DO*... :)

I much prefer having friends in the business than enemies...

secretoriginz.bsky.social•454 days ago

It makes you wonder how many talented people never got anywhere because they had no one to speak up for them?

bbolander.bsky.social•452 days ago

this is the only way i've ever gotten anywhere, ever

drsurekhadavies.bsky.social•456 days ago

Yes! As a new assistant prof, two other new assistant profs at the same university & I worked around the dining table once a week. We helped one another understand an internal research grant competition; we all applied. In one of our weekly sessions, we learned that all three of us had won grants!

eviecorwell.etheirys.social•450 days ago

Didn't Good Omena literally only happen because you were mates with Terry Pratchett?

prashanthsrivatsa.bsky.social•455 days ago

I wouldn't be where I am even in my nascent writing career if not for a host of people who helped, guided, and above all, offered a community to be a part of. Cheering for the success of another's work is a beautiful deed, one we must aspire to even if we don't have much to be cheered in return for.

alyssaaskani.bsky.social•454 days ago

I can go for that. We should all help each other as much as we can.

ameliacrowley.bsky.social•451 days ago

That being the case, would you mind saying you’ll never read my book?
(I don’t think this should be too onerous, since I think you said you don’t even have time for the books you *want*to read, but it would make a good quote.)

jimmyhid1.bsky.social•155 days ago

(9 months later) I'm not sure that you'll be wanting a quote from Mr. Gaiman now.

maeiart.bsky.social•455 days ago

True, every time someone is good to me I almost feel like karma coin credit ticks and I think that I better not forget to give it back to the world. It does sound like a win win game.

tagart.bsky.social•452 days ago

Yes. You, Alan Moore, Bryan Talbot, Will Eisner and many others have helped me so much. I try to pay it forward.

tagart.bsky.social•452 days ago

Yes. You, Alan Moore, Bryan Talbot, Will Eisner, Jonathan Ross and many others have all helped me. I try my best to pay that forward.

tagart.bsky.social•453 days ago

❤️

cogenteur.bsky.social•456 days ago

"It's not a win or lose game."

Essentially true of all that is human, and of our pre-human ancestors. We are social animals.

Somewhat inconveniently, this is the root of our very worst pathologies.

jonathanstrahan.bsky.social•456 days ago

This is 100% consistent with my experience as an editor. There was always someone to help, support, provide information, or make suggestions.

jii.salaisuustaso.fi•450 days ago

This. And every, every word of encouragement.
For when the spark has lit that makes one to tell stories, it might stay just a spark we alone see, let someone else come to the circle and say that they're delighted too.

Process is golden for a maker, but sharing makes the heart lighter.

wergend.bsky.social•454 days ago

Many might cringe but I do love Arnie's acknowledgement of the same camaraderie that supported him when he had nothing and was newly arrived in the US.
Nobody exists in a vacuum.

bonniegrrl.bsky.social•454 days ago

Amen! 🙏

lifeisamazing.bsky.social•455 days ago

The first episode of The Bill I wrote was thanks to my sister in law mentioning me to a script editor. I was 23 years old when my first TV show was made, and it was mindblowing for me at the time.

alicefraser.bsky.social•453 days ago

Yes, I think people readsomething good and then go, ooo, that was nice, what else is good that I can read? Rather than, well, that was good. Better never read another book.

dayv.wtf•452 days ago

"Whew, read one! Not doing that again anytime soon!"

(To be fair, it sometimes feels like that's what my attention span is thinking.)

gillplusfive.bsky.social•455 days ago

Couldn't agree more!

andymangels.bsky.social•297 days ago

I wish that were true with me, Neil. As the 1st openly gay writer in mainstream comics, I struggled for decades, & not a single writer helped me. Most editors wouldn't hire me, tho a few did, despite the "gay thing." I went away for a while, came back, only 1 writer ever suggested me for a job.

neilhimself.neilgaiman.com•296 days ago

That's crazy. I remember reading you in Amazing Heroes and being so proud that we had an out gay writer in comics journalism. I figured you were an established part of the ecosystem. I'm so sad to learn the truth.

andymangels.bsky.social•295 days ago

DC & Marvel have now put out 4 Pride anthologies each (soon 5) and have never once asked me to be a part, nor responded to my messages. I don't think that's homophobia, but others have suggested ageism.
So many steps along the way people in power could have helped, but instead kept me "in my place"

dragongirlb.bsky.social•455 days ago

@neilhimself.neilgaiman.com and those are things you know about. I would guess there are so many more times someone suggested you or compliment your work that lead to more work or help that you never knew about. "Lucky" is often about showing up and being a good person &friend.

neil-ramsay.com•452 days ago

As a jeweller/artist, I've found a lot of other jewellers to be super helpful overall at least with information and advice. But it's hard to cross promote. I one day hope to build the brand to the point that I can highlight other jewellery artists on our site and drive traffic to them. Someday maybe

poemsandfungus.bsky.social•450 days ago

In addition to valuing non-competitive communities, I also just want my peers to succeed and write great books because then I get to read them.

stephallen.bsky.social•450 days ago

So much this.

trevoramueller.bsky.social•455 days ago

Fantastic to know this. My friends and I are always trying to do the same - refer and recommend each other for projects. That way, we also get to work together!

viphoria.bsky.social•451 days ago

Thanks for this.🍁 I've spent every spare minute for two months working to help an unpublished author I fiercely believe in get their debut ready. Walking them through edits. Showing them the path.

This gives me heart that if I walk once with her, she'll find her wings and keep flying.

astartiel.substack.com•456 days ago

Wish I had experienced more of that in my life. In most of my jobs (never had a career, writing or otherwise), it felt like other employees & managers/supervisors were often trying to sabotage others (to get "ahead") rather than treat each other well & help one another. Would've been nice.

elisabethhobbes.co.uk•450 days ago

I’ve definitely worked with teachers who hoard all their glue sticks towards the end of the term. 😁

iesornozines.bsky.social•453 days ago

So true of many companies

astartiel.substack.com•453 days ago

One of the BIGGEST problems with the capitalist system is the hierarchical system within it that puts some above and most below. Throwback from Kingdoms & Serfdoms. But no one has found a true way to fix this, yet.

iesornozines.bsky.social•453 days ago

It's all mercantile kingdoms fighting with each other for domination under a feudal system with the serfs hoping to survive and a whole layer of minor lords vying for power and not worrying about the consequences on the serfs

astartiel.substack.com•453 days ago

Pretty much.

dragongirlb.bsky.social•456 days ago

Yeah I had some of that and some help.

astartiel.substack.com•452 days ago

Here's hoping my next boss is myself in the 3D printing business I just started. Hit me up, if you want anything printed...

ohmydays.bsky.social•455 days ago

That's so shitty. Hope you find a job/manager that supports you

astartiel.substack.com•455 days ago

Well, weirdly, the convenience store job I have now is one of the best jobs I have because of my boss & manager being cool like that. Only one of 3 jobs (a college radio job & a dialup internet job 20 years ago, when I thought I'd have a tech career) that I can say that about.

astartiel.substack.com•454 days ago

That said, I don’t even know how much support I really do have at this job. Feel like I could lose it over something stupid and petty, like toilet fresheners. 🤷🏻‍♀️🙄

joexyoung.bsky.social•452 days ago

Very much this.

laralucretia.bsky.social•455 days ago

So true

jeanmue.bsky.social•455 days ago

I think when people appreciate and support each other, it's always a win-win situation.😉
Have a good day! 👋👋👋

turveyface.bsky.social•451 days ago

I was first introduced to your writing (and Terry Pratchett) many moons ago, when I was getting over surgery and was bought good omens to read. I've been a fan of you both ever since. Keep up the great work.

dna50505.bsky.social•452 days ago

You are very fortunate

madsparrow.bsky.social•451 days ago

I studied comics in college and I always felt like that concept was taught in every class. Eventually you’re going to get an opportunity that doesn’t fit you and we were taught that if we reject a job we should take the opportunity to talk up someone we know who would excel at that prompt

ripleylacross.bsky.social•451 days ago

I also studied comkcn college and tbh I think the networking thing was what I was really paying for. I made friends that referred me jobs or I referred them. The community is real!

ramseycampbell.bsky.social•455 days ago

I owe a great deal to August Derleth’s help at the start of my career, and I’ve tried to do the same for other writers.

wrtrstat.bsky.social•454 days ago

August Derleth grew up not too far from me here in my home state, here in Wisconsin.

noclevername.bsky.social•454 days ago

I grew up in his town. He is the most (only?) famous person from there.

Well, until Craig Culver.

ramseycampbell.bsky.social•453 days ago

I visited in 1975 - a memorable few days.

wrtrstat.bsky.social•453 days ago

Hopefully not during winter. Gets a bit brisk and snowy here then. =)

wrtrstat.bsky.social•454 days ago

Culvers restaurants creates decent comfort food.

wrtrstat.bsky.social•454 days ago

Wonder if neilhimself knows about Culver's from his time in Wisconsin?

wrtrstat.bsky.social•454 days ago

I think it's imperative we encourage and help other authors. We are all a part of the same eco-system. Best, -C ...There are so many stories to discover.

aptshadow.bsky.social•455 days ago

Amen.

sff180.bsky.social•454 days ago

Amazing to think what that foolish woman threw away. She literally had the brass ring in her hands, and tossed into a sewer.

hap.bsky.social•455 days ago

you are a gem, quite possibly even a treasure.

scottimann.bsky.social•455 days ago

“It’s not a win or lose game”, yet somehow I manage to keep losing… 🤣🤣🤣

mayamedia.bsky.social•452 days ago

❤️❤️❤️ Well said. Thank you.

richardfadams.bsky.social•456 days ago

Despite networking and mixing like hell, I’ve never had a single reference on down the chain like that.

dunn4authors.bsky.social•451 days ago

@neilhimself.neilgaiman.com sums up the writing community for the win.

ursulakats.bsky.social•456 days ago

First you'd need to get to know other writers who could help. The writers I know in person could only tell me that finding a publisher was very hard and basically impossible.

kevinlrichards4.bsky.social•456 days ago

Or, ... Another interpretation could be - it's not what you know but who you know.

hauman.bsky.social•455 days ago

Then I'd suggest that what you should know is who to know and how to work with them, or how to work with who you know.

kevinlrichards4.bsky.social•454 days ago

Valid point.

neilhimself.neilgaiman.com•450 days ago

Not particularly. For example, I got Princess Mononoke to script because Quentin Tarantino when asked told the exec that he should hire me instead. We'd never met. He just liked my work.

drakyn.bsky.social•450 days ago

Tarantino was offered Mononoke? That's such a wild, out-of-pocket choice

jdcburnhil.bsky.social•450 days ago

It reminds me of the sequence from "Shirobako" where an animator is desperately needed for a sequence of horse-riding and our desperate heroine wangles an introduction to a famous animator... whose specialty is mecha.

jdcburnhil.bsky.social•450 days ago

(Which results in a hilarious visual joke where they imagine what the results would be if he did it in his accustomed style...)

thx3188.bsky.social•450 days ago

I can understand why Neil wouldn’t want to mention him by name, as it’s never pleasant to have garbage on your tongue, but the exec is Harvey Weinstein (::turning around three times and spitting over my left shoulder::) and QT was probably talking to him about it at a party

drakyn.bsky.social•450 days ago

My guess was 90's execs had flattened all of Japanese anime into a single box. Wouldn't surprise me if HW thought "Another one of those Akira movies? Yah, I know who to give this to"

Good on QT to understand the film well enough to recommend NG for it.

welcome2geektown.com•450 days ago

I got to interview you at the press junket for Princess Mononoke. I still tell people about your dedication to the lip flaps with your story about the wolf monologue...

mrmikeatl.bsky.social•450 days ago

So that means it’s not who you know, but who knows you.

crowslabyrinth.com•450 days ago

Ok, this post is an eye opener.

lifeisamazing.bsky.social•450 days ago

Just when I think I've got a handle on the extraordinary breadth of work you've done, you drop something like this. Blimey.

teagoodomens.bsky.social•450 days ago

Sadly, I had no idea you were a part of Princess Mononoke, then I read this article and found out why:

https://www.cbr.com/princess-mononoke-neil-gaiman-miramax/

jojjecore.bsky.social•450 days ago

I didn't know about @neilhimself.neilgaiman.com s involvement in this movie but I can't write enough words of how much I love it and particularly how stellar the english version is in its language so I shouldn't be shocked that Gaiman had plenty to do with that.
Thank you Neil, truly.

neilhimself.neilgaiman.com•450 days ago

You are so welcome!

bouffon-rustique.bsky.social•450 days ago

According to this page, he was hired as "English translator and scriptwriter". I did not know that Mr. Gaiman is also fluent in Japanese, wow.

davidgoldfarb.bsky.social•450 days ago

As far as I know, he isn't. He was given a literal translation, and turned it into natural-sounding English. Example: "This soup is watery." In Japanese, a terrible insult; in English not so much. Neil's version: "This soup tastes like donkey piss."

mxfee.bsky.social•449 days ago

@alt-text.bsky.social

alt-text.bsky.social•449 days ago

Alt text retrieved

nicoichi.bsky.social•450 days ago

I'm a Japanese. I watched English version of もののけ姫 long time ago as an English learning material and I can't tell how much I was really impressed by the translation! How did you learn Japanese culture that level of deepness? I always think that cultural difference is harder than language barrier.

neilhimself.neilgaiman.com•450 days ago

Thank you so much. A lot of research.

richardlevangie.bsky.social•450 days ago

I trained and taught karate in Canada for 17 years, but only touched the surface of Japanese culture. It’s such a rich vein to mine.

nicoichi.bsky.social•450 days ago

Have you done any other translations? Or will you?

beatrixkiddo.bsky.social•450 days ago

They're not wrong, that script is a masterpiece and perfect for that cast

scdotdave.bsky.social•450 days ago

That is insane lmao

6sidedgames.bsky.social•450 days ago

Wait. Hold up. You were involved with Mononoke? Holy cow.

crutledge.bsky.social•450 days ago

The second part of the equation is you need to be able to deliver the goods. Anyone who has recommended me for a writing gig thought I could to it well. They're putting their rep on the line by giving you a shot.

nalohop.bsky.social•451 days ago

Often the people who have helped me have been total strangers.

scalzi.com•450 days ago

Likewise.

kevinlrichards4.bsky.social•451 days ago

I have not had that experience. But I'm glad that type of kindness still exists.

nalohop.bsky.social•449 days ago

Human nature is still the same; some ppl are helpful, some are indifferent, some are buttwads.

nalohop.bsky.social•450 days ago

It does. To be fair, sometimes ppl recommend me based on my work, even if we’re strangers. But it also happened before I had any kind of rep.

aspholessaria.bsky.social•455 days ago

This is true in so many walks of life. Sadly.

duncanwilson.bsky.social•455 days ago

One of my dreams, if ever I achieve such a career.

kmcorby.bsky.social•455 days ago

There are more good people than bad, but the bad do an outsized amount of damage.

aspholessaria.bsky.social•455 days ago

That's true. Sadly, many of those bad, or baddish people are in positions of power.

joadsprocket.bsky.social•455 days ago

Well that and the amulet you found under the wailing willow tree during that vernal equinox when you were 14.

just totally ignoring the amulet huh

it's gonna stop pulsing if you keep this up

goshdarn.bsky.social•455 days ago

We rise or sink together.

heyshivana.bsky.social•456 days ago

i keep TELLING these kids, befriend your peers!!! BEFRIEND YOUR PEERS!!!!

victreegal.bsky.social•456 days ago

To think otherwise is so strange to me. Like... people can purchase and enjoy multiple books from different authors. Somebody's success does not detract from your own. It's not cutthroat capitalism like Apple vs Microsoft or Nintendo vs Sega.

kmcorby.bsky.social•455 days ago

Just a crazy story.

cat-appreciator.bsky.social•456 days ago

Also it seems like “hyping the releases of authors who are writing books similar to yours” is a good marketing strategy? Readers will always want More Stuff, you can share fans, not compete for them!

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