Is 2018 The Year Authors Become Activists? by Rolynn Anderson

I marched January of 2017; I'm set for another public 'appearance' on January 20th, 2018, pink pussy hat perched on my head, this time with six of my friends instead of three.  I'm not comfortable in these big crowds, but standing up for human rights is worth it, and the situation is dire enough for me to display my displeasure.  

I never thought I'd have to roll up my activist sleeves for the good of writers, but recent reports about Amazon coupled with our lackluster sales makes me wonder.  

In order to get our stories to readers, trad and indie writers are facing grave issues, according to Mark Coker, owner of Smashwords.  I encourage you to read his predictions for 2018 and listen to ALL of Scott Gallworthy’s video:  http://blog.smashwords.com/2017/12/2018-book-industry-predictions.html

Only last month, thinking worldwide was the way to go, I clicked the button to end my exclusivity (BAD LIES and CÉZANNE’S GHOST) with the big ‘A.'  Though Amazon still sells all eight of my books, Smashwords offers six of my novels through KOBO, iTunes, B&N, and other distributers.

No matter how much I'd like to bury my head in creating stories, how can I ignore the politics that prevent writers from being paid fairly and keeps readers from buying our books?

Have you come up with some ways to gain power in this situation?

1.  Certainly I could use more information.  Which experts have a good handle on the dynamics of our industry?

2.  I have left KU.  Do I stay out and support others who to do the same?

3.  Would selling my books on my website be the way to take power back? 

4.  Your question goes here:

Weigh in if you have some ideas about Coker and Gallworthy's concerns.  And if you think I should start knitting another hat, let's figure out a color and a shape :-)  As always, we mush on!

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Meanwhile, want fly with me to Italy?  You can pretend you’ve got a chance to win a golf tournament helped by the caddy of your dreams.  Here’s BAD LIES http://a.co/0DuYNPn:

Italy’s haunted caves spell danger for an American golfer and a NATO geologist

***

Sophie Maxwell is a late-blooming, unorthodox golfer, and mother of a precocious thirteen year-old. Determined to put divorce, bankruptcy, and a penchant for gambling in her past, Sophie goes to Italy for a qualifying golf tournament.

Jack Walker turned his back on a pro golfing career to become a geologist. As a favor to his ailing father he’ll caddy for Sophie; off hours, he’ll find caves on the Mediterranean coast, suitable for NATO listening posts for terrorist activity.

Someone is determined to stop Jack’s underground hunt and ruin Sophie’s chances to win her tournament.

On a Rome golf course and in the Amalfi coast’s haunted caves, all the odds are stacked against Sophie and Jack.  In their gamble of a lifetime, who wins?

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Public Protests: When, Where and Why? by Rolynn Anderson

I’m taking part in the San Luis Obispo Women’s March on January 21, one of many marches taking place that day, internationally.  https://www.eventbrite.com/e/womens-march-san-luis-obispo-registration-30208514480   It’s touted not as a protest, but rather as an event to show solidarity for women’s issues.  Still, the timing of the event, following the U.S. President’s inauguration, speaks volumes.  Take a look at some of the signs women will carry:

https://www.facebook.com/WomensMarchesAroundTheWorld/

Now, I’ve always been a fighter as a teacher and principal.  I remember one time when I led a teacher protest in my school to prevent an architect’s rendition of a remodel to be implemented.  The teachers prevailed, but the fight was a draining, contentious one, creating rifts we struggled to mend afterwards.

But it’s the public march/protest I’m talking about here. 

I started to think about the times I’ve marched in public, holding up my sign to passing motorists and smiling when I got a honk from a car horn signaling solidarity.  I thought you might want to traipse down memory lane with me.  When have you carried a sign out in public and stood/marched for a cause?

On my college campus (St. Olaf, a Lutheran affiliated school with only 2,000 students), we protested against the Viet Nam war a couple of times.  These were polite, low key events; a Northfield, Minnesota second-string reporter might have recorded the occasions.  First-stringers were busy at the University of Minnesota, and in the city of Minneapolis taking pictures of the more rabid protests against the war.

My other ‘marches’ in my life, were all about fighting for decent teaching salaries: Teacher strikes. When state budgets took a hit, teacher salaries were the easiest (and sometimes only) place where belt-tightening was possible for the local government.  We couldn’t stand by and watch classroom sizes burgeon and programs drop by the wayside.  I may have marched six times in my teaching career, persuading the community to raise pay.  In all cases, we were able to boost our paychecks a little bit, anyway.

I give money to causes and I’ve signed a few petitions in my time, but I haven’t marched since I was a high school teacher.  (When I was a principal I was part of administration so I couldn’t march, even though I was for enhanced teacher pay.)

So I’m curious.  Did you march/protest out in public in your past?  When was the last time you did so, and for/against what cause?

Six Suspense Novels Spiked with Romance

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