Frequently Asked Questions

...with answers!

Who are you?

I'm a humanoid, of Northern European descent, a U.S. Citizen, a husband, a father of three wonderful daughters, and a right-wing leftist. In the context of Syraqua, I am a professional writer, having published more than a dozen books and over 200 articles — on real paper, no less! Most of my work has involved computer technology and software engineering; click the coyote to see my business web site.

What is this thing called "Syraqua"?

Syraqua is many things, but the simplest description: This is where I publish "stuff" that really isn't related to my technology consulting business.

Why not publish the old fashioned way?

Fair question. I've done the "real" writer thing, with publishers and editors and paper and such. The bottom line comes down to creative control and focus. Frustration plays a big part, too

Ignoring the crappy pay rates — 5-10 cents per word for fiction, a couple thousand bucks advance for a paperback novel — consider this: When I was writing for big-name publishers, I'd have to fill out a questionaire for each book. At every publisher, two of the questions were: "How is this book unique?" and "Name other books just like yours that are selling well." Uh...

Oxymoronic marketing practices and low pay rates aren't the only frustrations of "real" publishing. I've sold stories to magazines that went out of business before "my" issue saw print. I've received letters from editors saying how much they love my work, but that "we're overstocked right now". Then there's the "Where's my check?" issue, as in actually getting paid.

Non-fiction has better pay-rates than fiction, but is not immune to annoyances. I was once fired from a job as a computer magazine columnist for publishing benchmarks that made an advertiser look bad. No one argued with the truth of what I wrote — the problem was that the facts were "inconvenient". Now you know why I'm bald...

Hence, Syraqua.

Why should I send you money?

If you like what someone does, why not support them? The core of most ills in today's society is the Jack Sparrow principle: "Take what you can, give nothing back." Don't fall for that selfish idea. If you like something, pay for it. If you don't like it, no one is forcing you to read my work.

Your stuff stinks!

Constructive criticism is always appreciated (or at least tolerated), but if you have bile to spew, aim elsewhere.

Why don't you write something "normal"?

Define "normal", please.

I write what I write because it seems important or interesting to me. I'm not driven by advertising, nor is there an editor telling me that my dragon should be pink and not purple.

Syraqua exists because I have stories to tell — stories that nibble at my brain, refusing to go away, insisting that they see the light of day.

Are you crazy?

Most certainly. It goes with the job.

How often is the site updated?

At least two new non-fiction articles every month, one new short story per month, and a new chapter of Facets of Redemption every Tuesday. I have a backlog awaiting publication, so I should be able to maintain that schedule.

If you have the book written, why not publish the whole thing right now?

Several reasons, foremost among them: Artwork. One idea behind Syraqua is to include illustrations with each story and chapter. The books will have full-color artwork; line-drawings accompany stories. Sometimes, I may publish a piece before the artwork is ready.

What is "Rebecca's Ramblings?"

Rebecca is my second-oldest daughter; she wants to be a journalist someday. Her section is a separate sub-site of Syraqua; she does all the writing and HTML herself, and I exercise no editorial control whatsoever over what she publishes. If you have comments about her "ramblings", direct them to her.

What about forums?

I'd like to run forums, but don't have the time at the moment to spend on set-up and moderation. Forums are part of the web site's future, though.

Will you have dead-tree books (and other things) for sale?

Yes! Coffee cups, posters, and (of course) dead-tree, printed editions of the novels. Stay tuned...

Why does this look ugly in my browser?

I test this web site on Linux and Windows Vista, using the latest versions of Firefox and Internet Explorer. The HTML is very simple compared to most sites, and I use style sheets for most formatting. You do not need Java or Javascript to explore Syraqua.