First Cup of Coffee - March 25, 2024

A rant today on author coaches and the predatory nature of scavengers who feed on creatives, prompted by a request I received to share my "query letter" for a "free database." So much no to these people!

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Transcript

00:00.25
jeffekennedy
Good morning, everyone! This is Jeffe Kennedy author of romantasy. I'm here with my first cup of coffee only. it's not really it's a glass of water I'll explain but the water is good today is monday. March Twenty Fifth ah 3 25 24 and I'm recording a bit later this morning because I went out and had breakfast with the delightful Megan Mulry at which point I drank 2 lattes already. So I don't need more coffee. But it was um, it was good and it was great. Conversation. Ah first I think I don't think we've ever met for a breakfast before and I was somewhat shocked when Megan suggested it but we hadn't been able to connect over the weekend and so yeah, it was great. It was delightful. Me go. So um I have a long delayed topic to discuss with you all today. It's been moving down my to do list since before the unexpected and tragic death of my stepfather which caused all sorts of. Inconvenience to various plans. Ah if you all don't know this about me I have a dark sense of humor. Um, apparently it's I've been having to explain this to people lately that I um yeah sense of humor dark. it's it's a coping skill.

01:34.92
jeffekennedy
So So anyway I've been wanting to talk about this for a while and I'm hoping I haven't lost the the impetus I think I can get back into this but I've talked about this somewhat on threads and um various places. And I know that it's a topic that I come back to frequently here on the podcast but it's the whole idea of like coaches getting professional advice from various types and um, it's problem I think it's a real problem. The thing is is as. Creators writers are the source We make something out of nothing so it's a different kind of profession right? You know we don't really work for somebody Else. We don't go to an office where we do a job that somebody else describes for us. Um, we're not even like a producer of widgets right? because we're not um, taking materials resources and converting it into something else. We are creating something from nothing right? It comes in and we make stories from it. Um, and I'm leaving out the people who are like using a I think where they basically take other people's stories and crutch it. That's sort of like the factory version right? Crunch up all the words and make it into a new story. We've just won't go there right now except that I actually.

03:11.26
jeffekennedy
Going there aren't we um, there are people absolutely doing this that they're especially in historical romance apparently I met with a friend of mine last week who is telling me about it that there are absolutely people creating historical romances. Using Ai and you know it's going into Kindle un limited and she even had a friend send her 1 saying that they thought it was good and she's like it's word salad she doesn't even get it. Um, but that's that's where we're at.

03:48.20
jeffekennedy
Anyway, writers other kinds of creators too by. We got to stick with writers. We are the source we create a thing and there is a perception you know that we take this thing it comes from nothing. So essentially we have no expenses. Right? We could we we can dove into that is it really true. You know that obviously there are you know I can hear some people out there yelling at me. Well you have to pay for Facebook ads and all this sort of thing you don't have to that's all like extra but essentially to be a writer all you need is. Something right on and something to write with whether pencil paper computer. Um, you don't have to buy paint in order to be a writer right? You don't have to have a musical instrument. So yeah, you could choose to have a computer you might need the internet. You know if you're self publishing you know those are other expenses but I'm going to argue that that's the publishing side right? you need resources to be a publisher to be a writer. All you need is some way to get those words in a place where it can be read right? so. And then you make money from that you know magically magically you convert nothing into money and there are not that many ways. Not many I don't know professions occupations in the world where that is the case and then there is a perception that writers are wealthy.

05:23.39
jeffekennedy
That writers because we are making money from nothing spinning gold from straw right? and that it's a lot of gold because everybody looks at Stephen King and J K Rowling and Nora Roberts and so forth Stephanie Myer so what this does is this attracts the predators and the scavengers and there are a lot of them. There are a lot and more all the time because these are the people who are also looking to make money from nothing right with as little effort as possible and. They are looking at writers as a nice juicy source.

06:29.67
jeffekennedy
It's it's disheartening the other aspect that makes writers a nice target is there's a level of desperation and I'm not saying that you but it has been me. And there are certainly those out there. You know the people that are craving success as an author I saw on threads threads is interesting because it shows me a lot of author and writer discussions. So the algorithm is spot on but I'm seeing stuff that I don't normally see and I saw something from a debut self-published author and she was asking if anyone could tell her how much she would earn. In the first week of publication and so I'm just going to pause there she she goes on the internet tells people. She's a debut self- publishlished author and wants to know how much money she's going to make in the first week and if you're on video. This is my face if you're not you're just gonna have to imagine it. Um I mean I just want to tear my hair out I I remember there's in the early days of Twitter there was an agent who would always talk about setting her hair on fire and I feel like yes.

07:55.21
jeffekennedy
I want to set my hair on fire when I read questions like that. The fact that somebody could even ask that question ask that question like as if there's an answer and it's the it's not even like the first year it the first fricking week. She wants to know and I noticed I looked at her by all because I'm like who the hell is this person and she's like change in psychiatry and people I was so close I I do try to be a nice person and a supportive person but I was so close to setting my hair on fire. But this yet i. Almost replyd to her and said about as much money as you made in the first week of psychiatry because I mean that's roughly equivalent right? That's people think that it's this sign asho. Ah. I don't know I don't even know what she's thinking she thinks she's thinking she's gonna get rich. She wrote this book. It's probably first thing she's ever written. She's self- publishing at trola chale and she thinks that there's going to be a definable amount of money that she will make in the first fricking week and this is when I get and I I cut what my. My cane to shake at these kits to get off my lawn because this what happened to putting in some time and effort I mean I I am almost without words people.

09:25.82
jeffekennedy
And this isn't even my point I know I'm being rante this morning. This isn't even my point but these are the people who are out there who are asking stupid questions and I am the there are no stupid questions person right? I'm a huge believer in that. Ah, and I and I hate that I'm being this person in my Patreon and discord I have a channel that is there are no stupid questions. This was a stupid question. It is so poorly thought out and reveals such a. Deep level of ignorance about a profession. She's going into? Yeah ah okay, I'll stop now I'll stop now because it is not my point my point is is that these are the fat juicy lambs out there that. The predators and scavengers are eyeing right because they look at that and they think oh what I need to do is tell her to spend $10000 on my coaching service so that she can learn how to make this much money I'll tell her she can make. That much money $10000 in the first week of publishing if she signs up for my course and this person and I'm sorry to be picking on this particular person. But it's so emblematic of the attitude who knows this person might do it right? because they're like oh okay, you know they think that there's an answer out there and.

10:55.87
jeffekennedy
This is how they get it. Ah So what? my actual point of all of this is was to establish that there are these predators and scavenngers out there I received an email through my website. From a a coach who asked me for a copy of my query letter. She said that she was putting together a database of query letters for authors to use. Um. That would be totally free to access and that more information helps everyone. So This came right after I did the Publisher's marketplace announcement of the Tor Bramble Deal. So I Assume that's why she looked at that and where she where she got it like. Can you share your query letter. So for those of you who have been listening to the podcast for a while who know anything at all about me as clearly this chick did not and I don't mean that me misogynistic way. But. I Don't even know what color this person isn't it interesting how you could say person and make it sound bad this person this random person who emails me and asks me for my query Letter. What query letter She clearly has no idea.

12:26.78
jeffekennedy
Right? She sees that I sold a book so she thinks oh I should ask her for her query letter and I know of other people did she's like just been blankening you know contacting all these people. Well you know I've I've been with my agent for years and years and years right? so. Any query letter I would have written would be irrelevant at this point and my current agent I did not query her I didn't even query my first agent I queried before that. But the way that I got my first agent was because she read one of my books and asked to represent me and then when she. Left the agency I went to another agent at that agency because the head of the agency asked me to and then when I left that agent I went to Sarah Sarah Younger at Nancy Yos Literary who is awesome but close to new clients. Alas, ah. I went to her because she represented my friend. Okay and we sold this book because Sarah took it on submission and sold it for me. There's no query letter. There's none. Okay, so this person like doesn't bother to know that much about me. May not understand enough about the business to have ferreted out that much information which would imply that she was actually spending time doing any of this which I think she wasn't um because then I go and look her up right? and.

13:54.12
jeffekennedy
She has yes this website where she's offering coaching this person has published one book traditionally published a book that came out in June of 2023 and it has 58 ratings on Amazon. Okay, 58 and I'm not saying that this is bad I mean not everybody takes off on the first book most don't take off on the first book. Um, but this person is not. A is not a position to be offering advice to anyone right? So now I look at her and she's got this very very slick website where she's offering these very expensive coaching packages teaching writers how to publish. Um, how to get published how to write um with her her enormous experience I guess which she doesn't have I mean I'm I'm just going to be very bald that way because I feel like it has to be said if somebody is offering coaching services. In a profession where they have not yet succeeded. Their advice is of worth anything. Um that you think it is there know which she can't make money writing she'll make money teaching it right? So yeah, so here she wants to develop this database.

15:29.52
jeffekennedy
Using other people's query letters that she got for free and she dresses it up as um, oh you know you're giving back to the community and it would be free to access. Maybe it would be free to access I I kind of believe her on that part except everything about her website screams. Monetization for her benefit. She's not doing this to help the community. She's doing this to help number one herself. Um and I kind of wonder living in the era of language learning models as we are that you know. She might have the idea that she's going to feed all of these query letters into ah a a language learning model ai I'm putting that in the air quotes and that you could then generate your own query letter from it right for a price I'm sure. Ah. There are a lot of query letter examples online. It's really easy to Google you don't need to hire some I'm sorry half asked coach this person who clearly knows nothing. She's slick though. I looked and I saw that she has like this Tick Tock video ah that's very nicely done where and you all know if you know anything about me why this would set me off immediately but she um had you like.

16:56.71
jeffekennedy
Writers still pantsing their novels and she's shaking her head sadly at the poor fools still pancing their no, not that bad that I'm so upset I can't say pancing their novels. Um and she yeah shaking her head. Oh these poor ignorant souls and she. Has these quick clips right? I mean it's very slickly done nice video production and ah and lots of views full of no meaning whatsoever. She shows some like standard plotting books. You know like save the cat which has been out for what 30 years something like that and in her. Working at her computer and yeah and so and then she sold her book which has had 58 ratings on Amazon in nearly a year I'll be fair I'll say nine months right? Um, look at these things people. Um. I think that's I think that's my take home message. Do I have one besides the ranting um like does this person even understand what pan is no right? She has no idea because she thinks all you have to do is learn some. Plotting structures and then you don't have to pants anymore. Ah, and I'm going to come back to something that one of the things that makes me really annoyed about people coming down on intuitive writers but like myself and saying that you need to be taught.

18:30.76
jeffekennedy
That you need to learn how to pre-plot that all you have to do is learn saves the cat and then you will be good at this thing. It's because they want to be able to teach you something you can't teach people how to be intuitive writers you you can maybe help but accessing that creativity. Um, allowing the story to develop on its own that isn't something that's easy to teach but you can teach people save the cat for you know, whatever your coaching package is so this is a rant that has been saved up. For several weeks um this is what I would ask for everyone because I see writers going online and saying you know like who's a good coach who's a good teacher who can I learn craft from and a lot of the same names pop up and. The thing is is when you see these people doing their slick Tick Tock videos and positioning themselves as authorities go and look at their what they've done right? look past the testimonials on their website. Look past all of that stuff and see what they have actually done right? If someone has a book that's been published for nine months and it's on Amazon and it only has 58 or 53 ratings. Whatever I said. Um.

20:07.13
jeffekennedy
58 ratings. Okay not a lot of people have read this book. Um, and you know again, no harm, no foul. That's sometimes those are the breaks but that is not a person that you want to emulate right? That is not a person who has a lot to teach just. Be careful out there. Just remember there are a lot of predators and a lot ofavenngers. They all want to um, eviscerate you and they don't care about you I care I actually care. But that's beside the point right. You can look and see what I've done and I'm not making my main living from the coaching and so forth I am making it from writing that and that's how I want it to be so there's your Monday ram ah I hope you all have a great week. And I will talk to you on Friday you all take care bye bye.