Another week, another round-up. Or roll. Or soup. Whatever you like to call it.
Sadly, many publishing pro blogs are suffering the same summar blahs that have afflicted the lit agent blogs. (*Knock Knock* Mr. Rinzler? Ms. Kroszer? Are you okay in there?) But, I still have plenty of intriguing stuff for you to check out!
So, let’s get right to the publishing pro links: Continue reading
“So why,” you ask, “do you keep alternating the name of these round-ups between ‘links’ and ‘roll’?”
“Because sometimes they are spicy and meaty, and other times just a hearty helping of carbs!” 😀
You sigh at my dumb joke, and click the link below to see this week’s awesome publishing links.
On a roll.
A little history/archaeology news before we move on to the publishing links. A dig in Coventry has uncovered a 13th Century copper badge displaying the three lions of the English Coat of Arms.
This is particularly intriguing to me, as the intertwined history of badges and heraldic symbols (particularly animals) is central to the Observer Tales.
Now, on to the links! Continue reading
Let’s just dive straight into the links this week!
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♣ The Author Magazine blogster reminds us that a really good story forces us to ask the question: “What do I want most?” (This is also true of magical compasses, I hear.)
♣ Moonrat at Editorial Ass(istant) tells us how to throw an awesome book launch.
♣ Kassia Krozser at BookSquare points out that change in the publishing biz must start at home, with the executives who run it.
♣ The Moby Lives blog asks whether we are seeing the end of book ownership.
Finally, the ever-prolific Eric at Pimp My Novel:
♣ issues a call for guest posts (you have until 16 June!);
♣ warns us of the approaching E-Pocalypse;
♣ explains the difference between billing and point-of-sale; and
♣ analyzes publishing trends like The [Adjective] Wife, vampires/werewolves, literary mash-ups, and the world ending in 2012.
Before I get into the links to publishing pro blogs, let me do a short follow-up on my Lost-inspired “Advice From A Dude” column. I was surprised to find it one of my most well-received advice pieces; I really expected a lot of defensive Lost fans in the comments trashing my trashing of the show’s creators. Thanks for being kinder to me than I was to them.
And thanks to Jade Smith for including me in a Lost-oriented link soup. If I am missing anyone else who linked me up, just speak out!
Also: I am the creator of the parody Lost – Gilligan’s Island graphic used in the article. I consider it covered by the Fair Use doctrine; one of the perks of being an American! Insofar as I have any control over it as an original composition based on sampled (parodied!) pieces, I hereby free it for use to anyone who credits me, John Nelson Leith, with a link.
And now, on to the publishing links! They may seem a little thin this week, perhaps because everyone is busy at Book Expo America 2010.
♣ Speaking of which, MediaBistro‘s GalleyCat is promising all the news and snarks on BEA 2010.
♣ The Author Magazine blog opens up the forum to Deb Caletti, author of The Six Rules of Maybe, who advises writers to be who they are.
♣ The Moby Lives blog follows up on Editorial Ass‘s recent piece on giving your book a title that another book already has. (That phrase just seemed more descriptive than “duplicate titling.”)
♣ Eric at Pimp My Novel offers his own take on the Lost finale, a little peek into the future of self-publishing with Barnes & Noble’s new PubIt service, and a few pointers on writings (and selling) literary fiction.
Also, as a bonus
Do you guys know how hard it is to come up with these quirky little introductions? After flagging the articles around the web I want to share, devising a compelling preface is often the most difficult part of the process.
The pressure to tap out enough text so that it wraps down below the badge! Something topical, quirky, engaging, and yet not too distracting from the cool links to follow?
The need for a new joke, a new angle, a new … oh, hey! Hmmm, I guess I’m done.
And now, links from publishing industry insiders: Continue reading
We have some interesting links from publishing biz pros this week. By the way, subscribed yet? Check out the sidebar and sign up!
The Author magazine editor’s blog attacks some intriguing issues for writers: the great discipline it takes to write without an outline, ending a story before the readers expect it to end, and how the lowest of lows proves that there is a high within us. Good reads!
Rob Asghar explains, in a special and snarkily funny piece for the Huffington Post, seven lessons for aspiring authors: Go Rogue! Definitely worth the click.
Eric at Pimp My Novel explains the epistemology of publishing in five easy minutes, while the Moby Lives blogs addresses something near and dear to my heart as a religious scholar who focused on Islam during my heady days at the University of Virginia: better textual analysis of early copies of the Qur’an.
Alan Rinzler of The Book Deal asks “Is a bestseller hiding in your academic papers?” and offers some insider tips for preparing and delivering a winning pitch.
Finally, Moonrat at Editorial Ass answers the following ass-tastic questions:
Enjoy!
Topping the list of this week’s publishing links is Kate Harding writing for Salon.com on the (perceived?) duality of women’s fiction: self-pitying “misery lit” vs. fashion-and-romance “chick lit.”
I would say that it’s a must read for anyone with a word processor and a pair of X chromosomes, but male writers could also benefit from it: the piece might help them look at their own writing to see how it fits or violates various ideas of what constitutes “dude lit.”
Consulting editor Alan Rinzler at The Book Deal reveals how one young adult author landed two multi-book deals, while Dennis at the Moby Lives blog reveals an alternative to all those Amazon associates links and discusses redactive poetry and the Fair Use doctrine.
(Also, there’s a really funny example of redactive poetry there: “How To Be Charitable, Glenn Beck”)
Moonrat at Editorial Ass answers reader questions about submissions that need more work, what books should be made into movies, and whether one even wants to be published at all!
Finally, Eric at Pimp My Novel dives into the factors affecting how many of your books an account will buy, and how the approaching “e-pocalypse” is unveiled* in the iTunes store.
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* You have no idea how much this trans-linguistic pun pleases me.
Okay, let’s kick out some links from publishing and editing professionals. It’s my slimmest category of link soups, but this week’s ingredients are tasty indeed.
For example, there’s a bit of hope for authors having a hard time breaking into the industry: Eric at Pimp My Novel is wondering if print-on-demand is the future of print, while Alan Rinzler at The Book Deal explains how self-publishing can lead to a real book deal.
Moonrat at Editorial Ass explains what the standard submission process is like, and the Moby Lives blog tackles a slew of publishing issues: the new ISBN format, the trouble with iPad’s text-reading functionality, and 21st Century information overload.
Booyah! I am thrilled to be on to my second round of publisher/editor links. Splitting up the authors, agents, and publishing house professionals was such a good idea!
Editor Alan Rinzler tells writers how to use a voice journal for character development, while Melville House‘s “Moby Lives” blog celebrates the fact that books outnumber games on iTunes.
The Editorial Ass answers questions about writing in your favorite genre, why he became a book editor, and how book deal advances are divided up.
Finally, Eric at Pimp My Novel has punched out some good stuff, including: the face of the publishing industry, how to read an ISBN, and the four things it takes to succeed as a writer.
Enjoy!
