Nice things and bloody hoops

[erastes]

No, Paypal, I’m not a bloody money launderer. I’m a WRITER, and I don’t earn a fortune. 

I have a “Merchant’s Account” with them, and this morning they accuse me of being a launderer because I’ve had over a certain amount of money transferred in a year.  (This sum consists of probably a months salary for most people, specially if they live in London, so don’t go thinking I’m getting in a fortune) – it’s not exactly much cop for a merchant’s account then, is it?

I bit the bullet and bought a laptop yesterday. Dad had offered to get me one for my birthday 2 years ago and I hummed and hah-ed for several reasons, don’t like to sponge, it’s a lot of money, do I REALLY need one blah blah but I just went and ordered it yesterday and blow it. It’s probably the wrong one, but I don’t care.  It means at the very least I can sit in different places and work on the PC and won’t get stared at by people who’ve never seen someone sit at the PC for hours.  (Haven’t they ever been in an office?)

The nice thing was getting a royalty payment for Standish which is still selling as strongly now as its release. (which spurred the “MONEY LAUNDERER” shouts from Paypal.  I continue to be grateful and amazed and very pleased about my first book. Thank you to anyone who bought it this last quarter (Or in fact, at all, to be honest)

HELP NEEDED – It seems almost impossible to find a royalty free picture of a Oxbridge type of student (preferably in flannels) lounging around – if anyone has anything similar or is a whiz at stock photography searching, can you have a look and helps?  Speak Its Name needs a new cover and Alex Beecroft is tearing her hair out as the usual lack of suitable photos.

Talking of covers…

  This seems to be rather foolhardy – wearing so little in the snow – specially when the heroine is all wrapped up..

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Comments

[beckyblack]

This seems to be rather foolhardy – wearing so little in the snow – specially when the heroine is all wrapped up..

Clearly the man's a Geordie and therefore impervious to cold. ;-)

[erastes.livejournal.com]

*laughs * i love it.

"aw way, lass poot that goon doon,like!"

[sleveen.livejournal.com]

Could you get a couple male friends to pose for a photograph? And then edit it? Just an idea...

[erastes.livejournal.com]

Sadly I don't have any-- I've been banging on for months if not years that someone needs to do this - with the digital cameras it would be so much simpler too.

1. Get two guys
2. Find a place to photograph them (it doesn't matter where, as graphic manips can simply cut the men out)
3. Hire a variety of costumes
4. Photograph, singly and together.
5. Sell for real money. Cover artists are crying out for historical covers - just see how difficult it is to get a picture suitable!! And it will only get worse. The person who jumps on this bandwagon will do well.

[spindriftdancer.livejournal.com]

LOL, I should ask my husband about that. He's a fantastic photographer...

Not sure he'd be into having guys making out, but he takes excellent portraits.

Hmmmmmm.

What does an 'Oxbridge student' look like? Is there a specific type? I have some good looking male friends who might not be put off by being on the front cover of a m/m romance book ;p They probably even have flannel pjs (or, do you mean something else by 'flannels'?). How old do they need to look? What is the period? (I haven't bought your book yet, obviously. Sorry :)

Not promising anything, but if I get more info I can at least try.

You're going to *love* your laptop. A word to the wise, though. Get yourself a proper backup device. The hard drives have a tendency to poop out on you with no notice. It's worth the extra $100 to not have all your hard work vanish.

[erastes.livejournal.com]

Yes, but the thing is, the men don't have to make out - and "headless torso" is the style of the day, no matter how I get bored with it.

Look at Transgressions, look at False Colors, the men aren't making out, they aren't even touching. I believe that Donald Hardy's guys in his book coming out in the Autumn have one hand on a shoulder (shocking) but that's it. It's far far far sexier to show the attraction, or even as far as one hand on a waistcoat than to have constant naked men smexing it up on a cover.

Plus - you can take it on a train with you, leave it on a sideboard without anyone getting hugely offended.

What I've seen with the artist's work who has done Transgressions and False Colors (Larry Rostant - his website is here - http://www.rostant.com/theredemptionbys.html) He is good enough to swap faces - and i'm sure that someone will soon develop the same kind of skills.

This is Alex's lJ where she wails abotu the lack of pictures, and she posts a picture which is what she's after - but can't obviously use.

http://alex-beecroft.livejournal.com/88737.html

I hope he considers it!!

[spindriftdancer.livejournal.com]

It's sort of like the headless Venus statues... but reversed ;p

My husband was definitely interested when I mentioned it to him. I have a friend at the Stratford Festival, so I'll see about costumes. Edwardian?

The very funny thing is, yesterday, my model-worthy neighbour... decided to shave his hair into a short mohawk. He got my other neighbour (a very nice, but completely unartistic guy) to start it out on his front stoop... and I came along and had to fix it. He still looks good, but he's outside the realms of Edwardian now. And I didn't even get a chance to ask him first ;p

What was that about swapping heads? The cover artist might have to try cloning hair. LOL. Again, the best laid plans... Maybe he can wear a hat.

But, I'll muddle forward. It might yet work (:

[erastes.livejournal.com]

I know that one of my publishers is already looking at this post with interest!

Yes, Edwardian! Hurrah!

Pass the word around, and don't hesitate to give anyone my email address.

Thank you!

[spindriftdancer.livejournal.com]

May I say, though, that 'Snow Queen' just about broke my heart... I wasn't expecting an unhappy ending ;p But it was fantastic, nonetheless.

[sleveen.livejournal.com]

That would be an excellent thing to do - although if they were pros, you'd have to pay them model's rates...this is a great idea, though...I wonder if you could get government money for it?

I bet you could get it in Canada. We love throwing money at things. :D

[erastes.livejournal.com]

any old blokes would do, thanks to digital manip and the passion for headless torsos, they'd only need to be a couple of friends you bribed for a beer or two!

[semioticwarrior.livejournal.com]

What happened with Paypal? Did they freeze your account or have a lawyer call you? Or was it one of those e-mails that says "there's a problem with your account" and asks for your password and bank account number?

[erastes.livejournal.com]

No, I've got to jump through hoops - it was a bona fide email - not a link to a dodgy site. I have to prove it's my account by giving them the amounts that they put into it in the next couple of days.

[spindriftdancer.livejournal.com]

Bizarre. You'd think they were used to dealing with authors by now...?

[hybridartifacts.livejournal.com]

Whatever happened to the days when people commissioned an actual artist or photographer to create the cover rather than just rely on stock?

I guess us artists are just too expensive to hire (though lately all the covers I seem to have been doing seem to be either for terribly small amounts or on a royalty basis i.e. effectively unpaid). It's odd though, since we can actually create something just how you want it.

I agree about the guy in the snow btw - he really ought to put something on before he freezes to death. Maybe he intends to steal her coat, and she is warning him off with the gun?

[erastes.livejournal.com]

Sadly, the tiny presses simply don't have the budget for it - I have no idea how much a professional photo would cost to buy, but the entire budget is usually around $50 including the creation, so that's why they rely on stock.

I am sure that Anne Cain can command a lot more for her painted commissioned covers, but then people will be drawn to a book with her pictures on them.

This is why we need someone to be creating, - I'm sure that the small presses would pay more for exactly the right photo. If Alex says "I need a 1920's student in flannels, leaning against a wall" that can be done.

[hybridartifacts.livejournal.com]

An open agreement with a photographer to shoot material that can be used for a cover and then the shoot itself being usable as stock might make sense. Or even some sort of arrangement with some of the people creating stock on something like deviant art (some of whom are actually quite good).

The problem is alas that in the end you generally do get what you pay for though. It's always a problem for small presses. I see it an awful lot with the rpg industry as well. I guess the big hope is that people create some stock that will fit their needs, but in the end I imagine that's often just luck. Informing a few photographers of what might be useful could perhaps help-as you say, you need people to be creating things that would be useful.