New Web Site!

My old, old web site died with my old computer. When I called my ISP and told the tech guy I had built it using FrontPage he literally laughed. Not a good sign. My old web site was more than a little lame. But I just got the new one up, and I'm pretty happy with it. I never updated the old one because I couldn't stand looking at it, but I should be able to keep this one current.

The address is www.jameslnelson.com

For those of you who got to the blog via the web site, sorry to send you back.

I discovered the other day that my kids, wired as they are, don't know what "www" stands for. I think you have to be between the ages of forty and sixty to know that. Any younger and you've never heard anyone talk about the "world wide web," any older and you missed it.

Dangerous Habit

I was going through some old photos and I came across this one. It reminded me that I once seemed unable to shake this dangerous, filthy habit - namely working aboard traditional sailing ships. I get so upset seeing this it makes me want to go have a drink and a smoke.

This was taken aboard the Golden Hinde somewhere off the Yucatan Peninsula. I hate to say what year.... Okay, 1989. There, I said it.

Okay, here's the problem...

My wife came across this interesting graphic showing what an average American family spends on what per year. You will notice that, in a society that has largely abandoned smoking, people still spend 0.7% of their income on tobacco and only 0.2% on reading! And we writers wonder why we can't make a living. From now on, I'm offering a free packet of Camel Filters with every copy of my book.

You will also notice folks spend 0.9% on booze. Could it be that people are drinking so much that they forget to read? Still, that's just a little more than $38 per month on booze. Are we becoming a nation of non-drinking, non-reading lightweights? What would Papa Hemingway say?

I know I'm ready for a little 0.9% right about now.

Oh, Brave New World...

Hey, this self-publishing stuff is fun! The new book, first one I've tried to publish myself, is out and getting some great feedback (example of feedback" "Did the guy who took the cover photo do it by accident after stabbing himself in the foot?")

Not quite sure why I'm finding this so exciting. I've published seventeen books in the traditional manner. I guess one advantage is that I can go to my account on-line and see how many copies have sold, which is more direct feedback than you could ever get with a publisher. Another, I suppose, is having so much control over the process. Whatever it is, I'm enjoying it. Reminds me of driving the golf cart at Maine Maritime Museum. I'm not sure why for a guy who drives a real car every day driving a golf cart is so much fun. It just is.

This self publishing thing would be even more fun if everyone who has not yet bought a copy rushes out and does so immediately. That can be accomplished by clicking here.

Nor'easter!

Got hit pretty good here on the Coast O'Maine! It was still snowing when my son and I went out to dig our way to civilization, such that it is around here.

The view out the front door. The wind made a weird vortex between the house and garage, piled all the snow on the porch and left some pretty spectacular geometric shapes. Note the snow 3/4 up the garage doorin the background. But on the other side of the driveway, my daughter's car didn't have a speck of snow on it, and no snow even surrounding it to a distance of two feet! God loves her and does not want her to have to scrape her car!

I guess the tarp and strongback on the boat will need a little adjusting. My daughter's car on the right with not a flake of snow on it.

Getting there...

The slow progress of self-publishing my Viking novel, Fin Gall: A Novel of Viking Age Ireland goes on, in much the same manner as one of my favorite Far Side cartoons, pirated above. Cover art is done, but for some reason I can't seem to copy and paste it, but I'm sure I will be able to down the line. I'm having quite a bit of fun with this process, I have to admit.

I've been thinking a lot about the great upheavals in publishing these days. Publishers are getting cheaper and not doling out the advances like they once did, and I have to guess that has to do in part with e-books cutting into their profit margins, never great to begin with. The ease of self-publishing removes the traditional filters of agent and editor, which means anyone can get their books in print, for better or worse, but also puts more books in the marketplace, thus making it harder for any one individual to earn a living. Illegal distribution is suddenly a real problem like it never was when books were just in print format. It's like pick-up sticks, you can't move one thing without effecting everything else.

But don't get me started....

I've been talking with my old friend George Jepson about an article along these lines in his wonderful newsletter The Quarterdeck, put out by McBooks Press, and an absolute must read for anyone who loves maritime fiction. You can follow the link to subscribe.

All right, coffee break is over. Back on your heads.

So why is it...

First big snow of the Winter, 2012/2013

...the tarp that you so laboriously cover your boat with sits placidly, completely enveloping the vessel in its protective bounty until the weather turns to snow or rain, i.e. when you actually need the tarp to do something, and then it peels aside and invites all manner of precipitation aboard?

My wife points out that snow and rain storms are often accompanied by high winds that might tend to displace a tarp that was not as well lashed down as it might have been. I don't see the connection. She always takes the tarp's side.

Honestly, I don't know why Maine ever chose the Tattered Blue Tarp as the State flag.