RFB makes me so happy! Yay!

I just published my first e-book on Amazon this month. Marketing has been a challenging process and I've been second-guessng my decision to bypass mainstream publishing. Your advice, plus the excellent comments here, all encourage me. I was lucky enough to find an excellent copy editor who would work within my low budget, but had to forego the content editing, other than feedback from first readers (which actually helped a lot). Thing is, I got excited and made something; a contemporary fantasy and it's a story I believe in. My next step is to move the novel into print, and Lulu has been at the top of my list to investigate (thanks for that confirmation, too!). Is Lulu cost prohibitive to someone with limited resources?

You really brought me into the scene. Loved it!

I agree completely and appreciate your clarification. Even though I don't know Wil personally, I think we all have a sense that he is a fair-minded, decent person (Hi Wil! I'm talking about you on your own website like your not in the virtual room!) My point was that this is a tricky issue in these times, and I know that people who want to be working really hard are not being given the opportunity to do so, while others are thinking they don't have to work hard at all and deserve everything without earning it. I happen to know a few people who are really struggling now, and I feel they too often get lumped in with the "entitled" category.

Unfortunately, both sides are true. The narcissism, the sense of entitlement, going on in this country (and not only by young people) is off the scale. Yet the state of the going-global economy is not helping very talented, very educated people find living-wage jobs. Someone very dear to me has 90K in student debt, two degrees and has been unable to find a job in 2 years. I know this very hard working person, and I find the "they are just lazy" statement a cop out. There is a whole lot going on in this country and none of it fits into a nice neat package that can be easily labeled.

First SciFi books! Like so many, mine was A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle (recommended by a librarian) followed shortly thereafter by Heinlein's Tunnel in the Sky. Speculative Fiction has done more to form my character and my world-view than any other influence in my life. Go Librarians!

[::blush::] Righteous anger gets the best of us all, sometimes. Oh, the irony :)

It's "preys" not prays. Just so you know. And I really hope you were kidding because if you weren't you are obviously very ill-informed.

Here's the thing, I never thought for one minute that Wil Wheaton has ever represented himself as a political activist. My understanding is that you are an actor, a writer/blogger, a gamer-dad (ha!) and that you do more in those roles to promote the gamer culture than nearly anyone in any other role. Now Mr. Wheaton, if you so choose to enter the game of politics, and run for some government office, I would probably vote for you as an intelligent, honest-type person of whom there are too few. But to call you out for not being an activist when you've never claimed to be one, when what you actually are is an advocate and perhaps a spokesperson for our culture, that's GamePolitics being a dick. I thought so last night when I first read the twitter exchange and this remains my very strong opinion. If I were you, Wil Wheaton, the top of my head would have blown off when that was thrown at me. No apology necessary, sir.

I'm having such a lousy week and that was so frakking funny! Thanks for the laughs. And although I love all you Wootstock guys, you Wil Wheaton, are the obvious actor. Those facial expressions...

You can never have to many yesses. yes's? crap. Yes.

Between your twittering (couldn't bring myself to type tweeting, for some reason), your blog and RFB, you make me smile or laugh everyday. +5 ElevatingOthers.

I recently quit Facebook over privacy and scumbag concerns, and am also waiting for Diaspora. It became too creepy, and though I miss my friends (who are not on twitter) I feel that it is an issue of integrity. I've got some, they do not.

Ach! I'm not so good at amusing. You and Felicia put me in Geek Heaven, however, so knowing that you "do good" might make up for any lack of jocularity. Many thanks for being a "web master" who links all us together!

I agree about book stores/record shops. A few books I've "accidently" found have had a profound influence on me. So many cool things would be missing in my life without those happy coincidences. Thanks for another entertaining WFB! Yay Wil!

Haven't listened yet, but just so you know - thanks for keeping up the podcasts. I am entertained, thank you very much! Merry Christmas to you and yours!