The Writer's Mailbag: Installment 179

Bill

Congratulations on making seven years here, and a couple of thousand articles, all of which are a delight to read.

I think that's one of the keys here on HP, infact with writing in general, write quality, but as we're self publishing, there's also going to need to be quantity, simply so that we can get our writing into people's hands!

You're spot on with the historical fiction, but you can also use a historical character, and build they story around them, as if they're telling the story.

Bernard Cornwell does this with his novels of Saxon England, his character does all the work, but all the while, the story of why he's written out of the official history is part of the novel (King Alfred needs him, but hates him as well!)

Great material here.

A lot to learn here, like always.

No ruler indeed. But Grammar is a very funny thing, or so do I allow myself to think. A few grammatical mistakes are sometimes fine, and there are others which will cause noses to wrinkle. Now the number of noses and number of wrinkles is dependent upon so many things, and this is what in my opinion makes Grammar funny. How much of a Grammar snob the nose owner is, how much of the correct usage would smell divine, what percentage of claimed correct grammar knowledge does s/he possesses in reality, and so on and so forth.

About the money, I would like to add something very important. Most of the money made on the HubPages would be via the organic traffic. So, "the more you write, the more you earn" is as much a mythical concept as "the better you write, the more you earn". Quality and quantity both might not grab money or generate views. And although there are no guarantees of success, best bid would be to research for topics, keywords which are searched for, and attempt to generate content which people could come looking for. Sometimes I write stuff which targets money, sometimes, not so much. Connecting with other authors brings a different genre of wealth, but not everyone will or can or must value it.

As usual interesting questions and useful answers. I've missed reading this mailbag. Glad you have kept it going. Thank you.

I'm formatting my first book for CreateSpace and having a difficult time with it. I'm told that 6X9 is the best size for a novel, but none of the word processing programs I've tried have that size, nor do any of them have a custom size that works. I have finally resorted to Word Online. It has the custom size, but appears to lack the full editing functions of Word or Open Office.

BTW all my sources are free versions. Maybe that's the problem. I'm hoping to make enough money from this book and a couple of others to upgrade my software.

I'm considering paying to have it formatted just to get it done. The final option is to go with CreateSpace's template, but I am not sure what form the original must be in to use that. Any suggestions from you or your readers would be welcome. Happy Holidays.

Another great Mailbag Bill. In the long distant past I showed a difference in characters speaking using quotations, yet used italics to show difference. Is that a no-no too?

Always something to chuckle about here on the Mailbag. I'm intrigued by those who think making money on HubPages is an instant option. I've been here 8 years and I'm finally seeing a small revenue stream on a regular basis. Not enough to quit my day job, lol. It does take a good bit of patience and consistent writing. You set a great example.

Also your answer on quotation marks is interesting. My hubby often spoke of his school days with Sister and her ruler. I wonder if they can still teach using that method.

Interesting questions this week. As for the one about making money of HubPages, you give the best advice: keep writing!

Excellent installment this week! Thank you, Bill!

Hi Bill. Another excellent installment of the mailbag. I started shortly after you did here at HP so I am also coming up on seven years, my how the time flies. Have a great week.

I too am so thankful for Hubpages and the community here. Without the support, I wouldn't have carried on writing.

I now see the potential of becoming a digital nomad.

Although historical fiction isn't my favorite genre, my husband loves it. Wilbur Smith is one of his favorite authors.

It's a 91°F (33°C) down here in the tropics, so I'm staying inside until it cools down a bit.

Ah, Shannon.

I hope that she is doing well. Extend my Love. Peace.

Another well finished Mailbag! It has been a great year of learning from your hubs.

Thank you for another informative mailbag. I have a feeling that December is going to just fly by.

December is an exciting month, but I don't want to think about Income Tax Day yet! There's always something interesting to read in your mailbag articles. Thanks for this edition. 179 installments is impressive.

Really good question from Prabock today, Bill. I'm glad he's interested in that subject. About quotation marks, since I was born, went to school in, and learned about punctuation in the Dark Ages, I would like to point out that I never see split quotations anymore. Sometimes I like to use them and will continue to do so myself, but am I alone? Do you ever see anyone use split quotations in their writing anymore? For example: It's a lovely day," Jim said, "but I would like for it to rain on my garden." (See, I watched the video, and I did punctuate the sentence as I was taught.) This isn't a good example, but as I say, I sometimes find a need for them. Have a good day, friend Bill. Where did November go?

I can only stick my neck out here. A logo file is perhaps a file which tells how to make logos and their importance to the company; or a file with different logos to choose from.

The logo itself is the necessary brand or company identity, like the Nike swoosh -- that curve on their shoes and clothing - that make it stand out. Logos are essential to the well-being of the company, like that of British Airways or American Airlines.

Another short but great mailbag. Lots of good will and the Spirit of Peace coming your way.

Cheers Bill, I like your free spirited approach. Thank you.

I appreciated your comments on historical fiction, of course. I have so enjoyed writing many, many stories, and a few novels, in the very mode you suggested!! ;-)

The Mailbag is brimming today!

Re: To Quote Mark or Not to Quote Mark? The only rule worth following is whether it helps the reader understand the passage. If so, use it. But I would agree that if you are hoping to be traditionally published, follow the accepted rules. Frankly, I would find it confusing without the quote marks.

Re: Logos. Coming from the promotional products industry, I'm all too aware of logo issues! Wrote a whole post here on HP on it titled, "Key Elements of a Great Corporate Logo." Everything you wanted to know (or not). Briefly, though, you want your logo designer to provide you with a full set of vector and web-ready files (.ai, .eps, .jpg, .png) in black and white and color (CMYK for print and RGB for web).

Re: Show Us the Money. Honestly, I've been seeing better revenues since HP organized into the network sites. I know this money question comes up frequently in the Mailbag. I wonder what the expectations are? Hundreds? Thousands? Good luck making either on HP or even your own self-hosted blog these days. HP is not an employer, but an entrepreneurial opportunity. Okay, rant over.

Happy First Week of December!

I really like all of the information you share with us each week, but also like the consistency of your being here each week, right on time, never miss a week.

"Yes, there are rules in grammar, but unlike a tombstone they are not etched in stone." Bill, I could nominate you for president for this gem. :-) It is so true. There are times when we shouldn't sacrifice style for the sake of grammar. It isn't easy as there are certain rules that are sacrosanct -- and we may have to, on occasion, do battle with our editors -- but that's part of the fun of the challenge. Great hub, my friend.

Thanks for another amazing episode of Mailbag Bill,,I have started Christmas shopping too,,loads to buy,,always forget some at the end.

And yes,I do add up many things online,,not a good surprise for my hubby though.

Overall I love doing Christmas shopping and getting things cheaper on Black Friday sale.

Bill, I haven't been as active here as I'd like recently due to a number of things so just letting you know I am still reading when I can. A short but sweet mailbag and I wish you and yours a happy Christmas if I don't talk to you before.

Bill, Thank you for the informative Mailbag. I had to chuckle when you said your wife usually adds stuff online. It reminded me of myself. :)

Talking about quotation marks, I remember reading a book a few years ago that was supposed to be 'modern and blah blah...' in other words it had no quotation marks, exclamations, question marks and so on. It was Australian, can't remember the author, and it won all the prizes, booker etc, and it was appallingly bad! lol! but it was elite enough to be different!! LOL!

Hello Bill - your readers crack me up - imagine using HP and money in the same conversation. ha

As for those pesky grammar police, grammar is for the reader's use. It is tough enough to keep a reader interested without messing with the road signs. I agree 'do what you want as a writer' but there is a cost. Not long ago I turned the page to a Chapter two: two people were talking, no introduction, no idea where they were - just no idea. It did not make me curious, it made me stop reading.

Glad to see another Monday and the mailbag. Not that I'd ever want to do it, I don't think it would make a good story at all, but if I wrote a story about Lincoln surviving the gunshot - is that just unacceptable, or is something like that considered something other than historical fiction. Just a thought question. Thanks for another great mailbag!

Happy Monday.. The quotation symbolizes conversations in stories.. am I right? Or was Eric asking about it in general.. just curious on why you said go for it... :)

I'm already panicking about Christmas shopping, bill, and now you've made it worse!

Seriously, I'm pretty organised this year which is probably a first.

Great mailbag, as ever. I think it's refreshing for some writers to come up with different presentations regarding speech marks etc, even though I'm usually purist about it all. The trick is to do it with style and not make things confusing - we can get away with most things if we do it with panache and conviction!

Mailbag Mondays are magnificent! Here's more power to your elbow, bill!

Ann

Good morning, Bill. Thank you for another great mailbag.

I actually have a question about historical fiction, since it came up. Would a novel that is totally fictional, but uses some historical facts, only as background, qualify as historical fiction? The way I see it, the lines are so blurred, it is hard to qualify most works of fiction. Thanks so much, and have a great week.

Great mailbag Bill as always. Paul needs to learn patience and share his hubs. My earnings have increased slightly on the upswing last month, due to my niched hubs lately. I might make payout real soon. But we do learn a lot from your hubs every week.

Very entertaining mailbag with some new questions the answers for which I would also like to know like that Logo File one.

The first person and the third person shifting is being asked by many of us and it's a kind of revision.

Eric's question is very interesting and your answer reminding that teacher with a ruler is entertaining. I enjoyed reading it.

Historical fiction is also a good point to be discussed.

Thanks for this nice mailbag.

Oh my god, Bill! I thought I checked and rechecked before I sent that question. Stupid auto-correct fought me hard on it. That's because it's not a logo file; it's a kobo file.

All I managed to learn is that Kobo is a Canadian eBook store, maybe a regular bookstore. Not sure yet. I just know that authors can send e-books with that file and it is compatible with Kindle. Beyond that, I don't know much about it and, from an author's perspective, I was very curious. You know, you see how books are available in so many different formats these days. Hard to figure out advantages and cons to various programs without knowing what all is out there.

So sorry! Didn't mean to waste your time. :(

I love historical fiction and I agree with you Bill that you can't really change events but you can weave people around it or present it with a different perspective. I always enjoy the creative approach writers do and that's how they make the events more interesting.

Reading the Mailbag on Monday mornings is always comforting and inspiring. I wish I had read it before the other news of the day that always puts me in a sour mood. I'm done with all my Christmas shopping, and now we're decorating the house. When I was teaching and the boys were young, the holidays were always so crazy busy, exhausting, and not much fun for me. Now I just keep it calm and enjoy all the little things that make this time of year special. Have a great week, Bill.

Happy Monday Bill! 20 days till Christmas?! Do you know that as I type this it is 57 degrees outside? IN MINNESOTA! Well, fear not, it is short-lived and by tomorrow we are suppose to be back in your typical "winter weather" with a snow storm and everything...I can't rely on the weather to be consistent but at least I always know my mailbag will be waiting to be read on Monday morning!

Have a productive and prosperous rest of the week!

I love this HubPages community too Billy:) Today is my five year anniversary and that in itself must surely be worth celebrating! I love how this community helps you with the answers when you don't have the answer, namely Janine this time:)

Bill, it's frightfully cold this morning, but it's Monday and I knew there would be a mailbag. I actually climbed out of my nice cozy bed so that I could make that first cup of coffee and "listen" to you. Now, if that isn't friendship, I don't know what is.

Tax day, New Years, Christmas. It seems that the days and years are flying by. (I guess you pick up speed once you head down the other side of the hill).

Don't worry about your gift; it will be the same thing I gave you last year {{wink}}.