Ever wonder why you’ve never received thirteen of anything for the price of a dozen at any bakery you’ve ever visited? Well, wonder no more, because there’s no point in worrying about it.
And, while you’re getting over your disappointment, enjoy the follow “Baker’s Dozen” links on publishing and writing!
glebe. The soil; cultivated land; especially, land assigned to a clergyman as part of his benefice… Gleby soil … is rich, fertile soil.
– Dictionary of Early English by Joseph T. Shipley (1955).
A blanket-weaver from the eastern hills
sold forty quilts for three Amalgam jacks:
He did not charge an extra for the frills,
but dropped the price by one to counter tax.
I could literally fill one of my typical publishing links entries with “end of year stats” from various agents, and I encourage writers to go out into the agentosphere looking for them, because their variety provides some real insight into the diversity of the literary representation biz.
But no, I will not roll out a runner of stat links. Instead, I offer a list of recent writing and publishing links that seem curiously bound by the themes of fear, death, and the macabre, perhaps more appropriate for this dark time of year than it might seem.
New Year’s gifts The giving of presents at this time was a custom among both the Greeks and the Romans, the latter calling them strenæ… Nonius Marcellus says that Tatius, king of the Sabines, was presented with some branches of trees cut from the forest sacred to the goddess Strenia on New Year’s Day… Magistrates were formerly bribed with gifts on New Year’s Day, a custom abolished by law in 1290.
– Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase & Fable, Sixteenth Edition revised by Adrian Room.
Since most writers, agents, and editors are enjoying the holidays, there really aren’t many publishing links this week, although you might find Janet Reid’s adventure with a self-sabotaging author funny yet disturbing.
But, there is good news for the new year: a study at the University of California, San Diego, has found that the internet has reversed a long-term downward trend in reading probably caused by television.
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Amalgam’s calendar was brought to court:
in counting out the seasons, it fell short.
Its harvest was too far into the frost,
and every year some farmer’s crop was lost.
Jollies Another name for the Royal Marines. Originally all soldiers carried on board a British warship were known as “jollies,” with a “tame jolly” being a militiaman and a “royal jolly” a marine.
– Ship to Shore: A Dictionary of Everyday Words and Phrases Derived from the Sea by Peter D. Jeans.
HAVE A JOLLY CHRISTMAS!
Over Amalgam’s noon a call was heard
that was no robin, jay, or other bird.
The priests knelt down and prayed to God for luck;
the monks then shrugged and said it was a duck.
“Hey, John!” I imagine you say, “Why are you not writing more of The Crow and the Kinnebeck, instead of posting another round of links to other blogs?”
Well, first of all, I am still writing, but I am also doing some reading and research essential to getting the historical and literary references just right.
Secondly, stop italicizing the title of that short-story-gone-rogue as if it will become a novel! I don’t care that you’re only italicizing it in my hypothetical typed form of an imaginary conversation with a notional reader. Do not conspire with the Muse. She has a strong enough grip on me already. Note how She recruits even my psychological projections to do Her bidding?
So, where was I? Oh yes: more publishing and writing links! I know the last bunch were professedly for Christmas, but just consider them the “under the tree” links. You know how, every year, you ravenously tear open all the “under the tree” presents until you’re sitting there (possibly breathing hard) in a nest of bows and shredded paper feeling a sudden, inexplicable emptiness? Then HO-HO-KAPOW: you remember the stocking!
Consider this is your link stocking. And, for some odd reason, just like real footwear all of the items below come in twos.
Lydia Sharp shares her dream about meeting — and then becoming one of the — characters from Twilight. If this sounds like an awful stocking gift, consider this spoiler (alert!): unlike the fictional Bella, and unlike millions of emotionally manipulable readers, Lydia loses/rejects both of the B-grade YA Romeos.
I have also added the following publishing-related blogs to my reading list: Alice’s CWIM Blog (why are there so many YA and Children’s Lit blogs?) and Booksquare.
Rachelle Gardner offers up some good words on who should and shouldn’t self-publish, and how her insane work-out schedule helps her help you!
And finally, guest contributor Randy Susan Myers at Pimp My Novel offers up a smorgasbord of books on writing, conveniently organized into two categories: “Part One – Before: Technique, Tools, and Support” and “Part Two – After: Selling Your Book Without Selling Your Soul.”
