You've got to laugh ...

I read this on the main page of freado.com:

"I am an established mainstream published author ..."

I read it out to my husband and he said: "In brackets 'penniless'."

That is funny. Now if only I could become "an established mainstream published author." Guess I'm stuck with "an unestablished downstream..."

A non fiction publisher would call an author established if they google the area in which they write, and/or the author’s name, and links to their works came up top in the ratings. Mainstream, I guess refers to the sort of publisher but it might refer to the sort of work. If they are an established author with a mainstream publisher they probably penniless. But if they are an established author in a mainstream subject then they might be worth a few quid.

I can’t think why they adopt such a convoluted description of what they do.

I guess my husband and I are on the same wavelength. I burst out laughing.

Freado is part of BookBuzzr, a website for authors to show off their books and allow readers to read part of the book. My book, Mr. Planemaker's Flying Machine was a top ten finisher in January (second of over 3,000 books) and February (5th of over 3,000 books):

http://www.bookbuzzr.com/topten.php?sMonth=1-2010

The book placed third is by a bestselling author whose books have collectively sold over 28 million copies. There is no need for him to say that he is a "published author" -- mainstream or anything else.

If you have to convince people that you are a "mainstream" author, then you are not sitting on a pile of money. I read out the statement to my husband and he gave the right answer. I laughed. But I do that a lot.

Shelagh wrote:

I read this on the main page of freado.com:

"I am an established mainstream published author ..."

I read it out to my husband and he said: "In brackets 'penniless'."

He is starving and so is his ego.

She not he. In a way, she is starving, and she's trying to stand out above the crowd. I checked out the "mainstream" publisher. It's an ebook publisher with just four books published to date:

http://www.endaxipress.com/?P=2

Wow!

It’s a hard business to start out in. It’s got harder and will I guess get harder still. Even if you manage to get your snout in the trough the pickings are thin. I wish her every success.