What It Is (posts below left; rate sheet, client list, other stuff below right)

My name is Bob Land. I am a full-time freelance editor and proofreader, and occasional indexer. This blog is my website.

You'll find my rate sheet and client list here, as well as musings on the life of a freelancer; editing, proofreading, and indexing concerns and issues; my ongoing battles with books and production; and the occasional personal revelation.

Feel free to contact me directly with additional questions: landondemand@gmail.com.

Thanks for visiting. Leave me a comment. Come back often.

Friday, February 8, 2013

Haiku Monday: Like Nobody's

Thanks, Karl, for the handoff. I have to write fast because I have, of all things, an employee coming shortly.

Who I really need working for me is someone like this:


But, alas, some Baptist pastor has thrown in her lot with Land on Demand -- yes, "her" and "Baptist pastor." And it's not exactly Land on Demand, perhaps, entirely, in the long run. And while she's probably tough in her own way, she's no Reid Fleming.

Some changes goin' on.

After the last few days mulling over the pros and cons of two excellent HM prompts, an entirely different one just popped into my head based on current events -- those current events being that as of about 5 this morning, I'm now officially running a new enterprise, with an LLC and an EIN and everything. Website development began last month, logos being designed, copy being written, ad strategies, bank account. All new concepts for me, but in pretty familiar territory.

I'm starting a publishing house, sort of a different kind of home for authors who want to self-publish. Let's just say that now folks can buy it wholesale.

This week's topic, I don't think covered before, is business. Whatever that word inspires is fine. 5-7-5. Submit whatever you like in the comments section below; indicate two for judging. Audiovisual addenda be fine.

I just heard from a publisher in upstate NY that she's going home because of a snowstorm. Ah, another deadline diverted. Even so, I gotta head back down to the dungeon. Need to get that Protestant work ethic thing going.

And as Reid Fleming says, "Tell your friends."


21 comments:

moi said...

I look forward to hearing more about your new biz!

And I'll work on that Haiku toot suite. Once I get this ding dang Bachman Turner Overdrive song out of my head.

fishy said...

You know bloggers are wannabe authors right? Inviting Pandora into your quarters can be lethal. I am uncertain if I should offer you congratulations or condolences! Maybe I should just wish you more sleep?

New biz'ness model;
bloggers becoming 'authors'.
Freudian mishap?

darkfoam said...

Mercenariness..
Unencumbered greed stampede..
So screw Black Friday.


Oh, and congratulations on your last win.

Ps: I looked up mercenariness. Seems to be an actual word. Who knew?

Rebecca said...

here are my entries though not very good as this topic did not inspire me much
jumping, giggling
Laughter runs wild through the house
Monkey business fun


deadlines, stress, headaches
drowning in sea of paper
being the boss sucks

Anonymous said...

Hi Czar,

Here is one. Silly business.

Big money beesness;
beekeeping for orchardists.
Honey of a deal!

Visual ia up at http://serendipitouswildmoments.wordpress.com/

czar said...

@Fishy: Bloggers' money spends the same as everyone else's, although I might have to change certain aspects of my virtually amoral Land on Demand business ethics for this venture.

@Foam: I must admit that, as an editor, I derive an inordinate amount of pleasure from nailing authors on words they claim to have made up. For example, "Stick-to-it-ivness -- a term I just invented -- refers to. . . ." Query:
Per Merriam-Webster's, "stick-to-it-ivness" entered the English language in 1867.
[Gloat, gloat.]

Becca: Your haiku are usually inspirational to me, and I've had you winner in more weeks than one.

S: Love the "beesness."

Colonialist: Thanks for the haiku. Some Marx Brothers' movie has someone ask Chico (or Groucho) to use a sentence with the word "innuendo." The response: "Love flies out the door when money comes innuendo." Humor, often, too.

General note
Don't feel you have to stick with business/money. "Business" is part of all kind of great colloquialisms: nobody's business, mind your busness. Bidness. My dog's aforementioned business. Field's open.

moi said...

Up with visual, etc.

Libertarian
Creed: Hands off. Ask first. No one’s
business but our own.

Hey! Nice to see Foam!

czar said...

PS to Foam: Credit to you, though, as you did more than many authors do, which is look it up. I meant no slight.

@Moi: In your honor I will now return to the dungeon and put on my old "Free Market, Not Free Lunch" button, with the universal no over the hand sticking out.

fishy said...

@ Czar,
"...I derive an inordinate amount of pleasure from nailing authors..."

Is this your new tag line?

Karl said...

Good evening Czar,

Best of luck on your new LLC,

Winter endeavor
Striving in new commitment
Bountiful harvest

Grand aspirations
Bun heads desired career
Honey...please, real job.

And for Fun:

Search Monkey Business
All these things if I were King!
A delightful tune.

Amen Moi!

czar said...

@Fishy: I daresay it's a requirement, although "nailing" has a number of connotations of which the czarina might not approve. And then it depends on the personnel.

@Sir Karl: Presuming "bun heads" isn't an auto-correct trick, that's damn hilarious. And it's a good thing your "for fun" wasn't "for judging." Groucho tugs at my heartstrings about like the Seldom Scene tugs on yours.

Karl said...

Bloody hell it still seems to be messed up. Try this:

http://youtu.be/5Cy2SxOUL7s

Karl said...

Czar, No it wasn't auto correct.

Could you play the video on the one just for fun?

czar said...

Karl: The last one worked. Google Chrome didn't like the other ones, but sent me to a screen where I could click through to it.

Monkey Business and Horse Feathers are two touchstones in the czarist family culture. My son who is now an actor once performed "Whatever It Is, I'm Against It" for his Montessori classroom at age five:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7cry-4pyy8

Karl said...

I must say, I would love to see the video of that performance.

All my best to your son, may he excel to the point of not working for scale.

czar said...

@Karl: "Working for scale" at this point in his life would make him feel like the richest man in the world. He's still getting there. But he's working full-time for an equity theatre, this year as an intern, in a plum location. He did auditions in Memphis today for next year for theatre groups around the country. Vagabond life that even puts his dad's freelancing to shame.

Yes, I look forward to the day when I can live in his basement like some crazy old uncle.

Great video, by the way.

Karl said...

Czar: If he's working fulltime, he has potential.

Bun head, has two months to practice before her audition.

czar said...

@Karl: Thanks for the explanation. I was thinking "bun head" was your grandma trying to dissuade you from running away to join the Bolshoi, but something wasn't quite clicking.

I would imagine those auditions are intense. You don't say "Break a leg" to a dancer, I guess.

Anonymous said...

Serendipity here, droping by with a different kind of business. If I don"t drop off anything else, this is second for Judge Czar.

Makes your blood run cold
to look down the business end….
ANY caliber.

Aunty Belle said...

Lol, the CASH LOAN spam during business Haiku.

I have Chickory's problem too. You gave no deadline ( or, if you did it PROVES that I cain't think). May be back before midnight PST if I wake wif' a ku...jes' got home after beastly day and am dropping' in tracks.

Good luck to all!

czar said...

@Serendipity: Thanks for the addition. I am sure that's quite true. That's somebody else's business for me.

@Chikry and Aunty: It's all good.