Thanks to everyone for participating in Writer Appreciation Week. Hope all the writers out there feel, well, appreciated.
I know lots of people are probably skipping out early to get in their last BBQ or trip to the beach on this fine Labor Day weekend, but this blog stops for no one! No one, you hear!!
Only it’s going to stop this coming Monday and Tuesday. Just a quick Labor Day Weekend blog break, and it will be back in full force with a You Tell Me on Wednesday.
Now then.
Devastating news from PBS: the iconic show Reading Rainbow, a show little Nathan was completely obsessed with and directly resulted in his life in publishing, is no more, ending a truly amazing 26 year run. LeVar Burton: you are a great man, and Reading Rainbow will be sorely, sorely missed. The New Yorker’s Book Bench reflects on what it was like watching it as a kid.
Meanwhile, in other television news, “Will & Grace” veteran and literary agent sibling Gail Lerner is developing a comedy show about the publishing world called “Open Books.” Oh my. (via Jonathan Lyons)
I just caught up with this post from How Publishing Really Works that itself was catching up with a PW article from 2005 (if the blog existed then we would so have been all over this), analyzing some, shall we say, eye-opening stats from iUniverse. In 2004 there were 18,108 titles published on iUniverse. 83 of them sold more than 500 copies. Average copies sold: 43.8 per title. (via Self-Publishing Review)
Gawker investigates: the last remaining ways of getting a book deal?.
Neil Vogler pointed me to this great post at the Guardian about how, in many ways, the writing life hasn’t changed all that much.
There are some very nice words out there that need adopting! You too can be the proud parent of the word “sacriolist.” (via John Ochwat)
Something I always tell the query-averse is that summarizing your work doesn’t end with the query. Published authors have to give a brief description of their work constantly. In fact, my client Jennifer Hubbard, author of the forthcoming THE SECRET YEAR, points out that for purposes of conversation and marketing it’s usually helpful to whittle it down to a one-liner.
As an agent who advocates some consideration of SEO when choosing titles and pen names, I found this blog post pretty awesome: testing out character names using Google Ad Words. (via John Ochwat)
And finally, you know you want to sing along one more time. “Butterfly in the skyyyyyyyyyyyy…”
Have a great (long) weekend!
Kimber An says
We're mourning the end of Reading Rainbow too. Dearly loved it ever so very much, our whole family. One consolation is every public library I know has the episodes on video or DVD to check out for free.
Anonymous says
Should I confess that I downloaded the Reading Rainbow theme song to my iTunes a few years ago?
Caitlin says
On the one hand, I had no idea that Reading Rainbow lasted this long. On the other hand, how can it be over??? And suddenly, I must hear that theme song immediately…
AM says
Perhaps Reading Rainbow reruns will return when PBS's funding improves. We can always hope.
Five-year-old statistics? Five years is half a decade – the equivalent of a century regarding new developments in today's ever-changing world. Isn't there anything more recent regarding self-publishing – in comparison to the entire publishing industry – today?
And that got me thinking: If book sales are down across the board, what is this doing to the number of solvent agents out there in the shrinking publishing world? It must be grim in your neck of the words too.
The economists are declaring the end of the recession as of August (but we'll still be feeling it for another 12 months or so). I sure hope they are right and this isn't a double-dipper. To see light at the end of this tunnel would be a relief for everyone.
I wonder what the short term and long-term recovery will look like in the evolved publishing industry. Can we expect a boom or sizzle?
Thanks for the great links.
I hope everyone has a great holiday weekend.
Anonymous says
Great post as always, Nathan. I particularly enjoyed the link to the AdWords name testing.
On the issue of SEO, I always Google the titles I am thinking of, and I shy away from phrases that are used often enough to make it challenging for a book website of that title to rise to the top. For what it's worth, I also check WhoIs to see if a title is available as a domain name. If it's not, I reconsider. If it is, I buy it ($8 or less a year). If I don't use it in the end, it's not a major loss. But if I do want that title, the publisher will probably be pleased to know that I already own the domain.
Regina Milton says
My extreme eye for detail tells me that you liked Reading Rainbow just a bit.
I too, was a fan as a child. I have also been known to sing the song in public. I have also been known to make up my own extra verse to the song.
Monkey Mama says
The Reading Rainbow even taught my baby monkies how to read.
Mira says
Awww….that's so sad about Reading Rainbow! Why are they closing it down? That's so sad.
Well, sad or not, I hope you have a great long weekend, Nathan. Hope you're doing something fun and revitializing and that has nothing whatsoever to do with queries!
Speaking of queries, I would like to publically state that I am not query-adverse. That would be the under-statement of the year. I hate the query. I hate the query with the red-hot passion that some people may reserve for certain sports figures.
But it's not because I can't write one! I can write a darn query. I can summarize my work. For example, here's a summary of my work: "My 5-page biology paper is a masterpiece." See? Pithy and compelling. Darn good summary.
If agents must know whether a writer can summarize their work, request the evil query with the partial or full. Let those who you pass by because their M.S. isn't good enough yet, go back to working on their writing instead of obsessing that their query wasn't good enough.
Oh, sorry. I am on a roll about the query. I'll stop now. Sorry.
Have a wonderful weekend!
Marsha Sigman says
The demise of Reading Rainbow is sooo depressing. But LeVar Burton will alway be Jordy from Star Trek-Next Generation to me.
Have a great weekend! I will be writing..writing..writing..
Deaf Indian Muslim Anarchist! says
I didn't even know that Reading Rainbow was still around until I heard the news. I thought the show was killed off in the early 90s. Oh well.
Rebecca Knight says
The remaining ways to get a book deal article cracked me up! 😀
Step 1: Buy a puppy
Step 2: Write about adorable puppy antics
Step 3: BOOK FAME.
So easy! 😉
Linda Godfrey says
Reading Rainbow was one of the great ones. What can replace it?
Wii-ing Wainbow?
Marsha, I too will alway still see LeVar in his cool Jordy vision-shades. Or as Kunta Kintay. He has done some great things in his life.
Marilyn Peake says
I'm so sad to hear about the ending of Reading Rainbow. Very sad! Thanks for Writer Appreciation Week and for so many fascinating links today. Have a fantastic long weekend!
Lydia Sharp says
"Published authors have to give a brief description of their work constantly."
Admittedly, this frightens me. I've found a good way to practice, though. Read a book and summarize it in three sentences (it's a lot easier to do when it's not your own), then do the same to yours. Eventually, you'll come up with something that effectively brings out the key points of your story in a paragraph or less.
My two cents on Reading Rainbow: Best show ever when I was a kid…aside from Mr. Wizard.
Crystal says
No! Not Reading Rainbow! I grew up with that show (and the awesome old school theme) and loved it so much! Though the last few years weren't as great in my opinion, our later generations shouldn't be deprived of such an awesome show. It will be sorely missed indeed.
And thanks for the song Nathan! Brings back wonderful memories and makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. 🙂
Margaret Yang says
The "save the words" website was soooo funny! I loved the examples. I want to adopt vicambutate…or was it vicambuate?
Darn it.
Bane of Anubis says
Never watched Reading Rainbow, but loved Geordi La Forge… Have a good weekend, everyone.
Robert McGuire says
New milestone for me– witnessing people feeling nostalgic for stuff that I'm too old to have experienced myself. (i.e. Reading Rainbow.)
Sissy says
I show Reading Rainbow videos all the time to the kids where I teach. I love how the show introduced kids to books they wouldn't have looked at twice.
And I love the song. The phrase "take a look, it's in a book," give meaning to my life.
Dara says
I lived for Reading Rainbow growing up! Once a week in first and second grade, the teacher would put on Reading Rainbow. I still remember the one episode about ancient Egypt and the book about Egypt's mummmies–one of the first shows to ignite my love of reading and history 🙂
I hope they put the episodes on DVD…I'd buy them in a heartbeat!
D. G. Hudson says
Enjoyed the postings this week, with the emphasis on writers.
How about coming to Canada for one of your workshops, Nathan – west coast of course (it's closer to your home base & and much like Frisco)? I know some of the readers of this blog hail from eastern Canada, so they might take issue with that.
Here's wishing everyone a great long weekend as we see another summer slide into fall.
Linda Godfrey says
I'm double-posting because of what Rebecca said about books on puppies; I recently put this short bit about my Lhasa apso, Grendel, together for family but now I see that it could be my ticket to the big time. LOL and thanks, Rebecca. Grendel meets the Cranes is hereby posted on WordPress, https://wp.me/pqKSF-2u.
PS Bane I am embarrassed that I unthinkingly mispelled Geordi.
Anonymous says
This morning I went outside and walked down the narrow walkway that leads to my garden gate, and just before I got to the gate I saw a beautiful spider's web strung across the path.
The morning sunlight had caught the web, and I saw how intricate and beautifully made it was. Then I saw a tiny spider up in the corner of the web, waiting for something to fly into its web.
I had to destroy the web because I use the walkway about twelve times a day. Normally, when you cut the string on a spider's web, the whole thing will collapse in on itself, and the spider will come to life and start reeling in the web. This time, though, the spider just sat there and did nothing. It moved its legs a little, but you could see that it was drained of energy.
It had constructed the most beautiful web, which never caught a fly. All that energy spent on creating such a beautiful thing – for no reason at all.
Mira says
Anon 10:20 – I can't let that pass.
You don't know if it was for no reason.
Maybe it was for you.
J.J. Bennett says
Mira, Mira, on Nathan's Wall
Who's the chattiest of them all?
I'm so sorry but I bet my daughter you'd already posted twice …and you had. (LOL)
I love your comments though. I really do.
Matilda McCloud says
My kids loved Reading Rainbow. When I worked in children's book publishing (around the same time the series started), I sure loved it, too, when one of our books was selected as a Reading Rainbow title.
Anonymous says
I also saw a cockroach this morning that was completely out of the way and minding its own business, but I went over and stepped on it with my big boot – pow, into the next world.
s.w. vaughn says
Oh NO! Now the Reading Rainbow theme is lodged firmly between my ears.
It took me a WEEK to get it out last time.
*sigh* Take a look, it's in a book…
Anonymous says
Troll alert.
nkrell says
It's okay, Little Sparky. Something else will come along to help inspire children to continue reading. (I hope!)
Times have changed. The next generation is already watching Word Girl and improving their vocabulary. (Aren't they?) Or have Twitter and texting ruined the English language beyond repair?
A moment of silence, please.
Kristi says
What next – no more Sesame Street? Then you give us the stat of 43.8 average number of copies sold per title? This was so not a warm, fuzzy way to end Writer Appreciation Week – I was willing to wait until next week for my cold, hard splash of reality.
Oh well, Happy Holiday weekend to all. 🙂
Scott says
I never even heard of iUniverse. No wonder their numbers are so low. ;^)
Very good article about synopses and one-liners. People'd save a whole lotta time––ours and there's––writing about something they can sum up succinctly. Usually means there's something there.
R.I.P.R.R. :^(
Jack Roberts, Annabelle's scribe says
"Little Nathan"? LOL
At the Roberts household, we're big fans of the show as well. It'll be missed.
Anna says
For a long time my kids thought it odd how Geordi LaForge could be on Reading Rainbow as well as Star Trek TNG. What a fab show indeed!
Reading Rainbow, that is… :))) TNG didn't reach any heights until the cast were given collars on the uniforms, and even then…
Kristin Laughtin says
Oh no, not Reading Rainbow! I had the theme stuck in my head randomly earlier this week…perhaps it was prophetic.
Like the commenter above me, I thought it was odd how Geordi hosted Reading Rainbow as well, and when I was very young, wondered how he did so without his visor glasses. When I got a little bit older, I just thought it was awesome.
Scott says
That's terrible about Reading Rainbow. My kids have all outgrown it, but it was a great show and I always dreamed of being featured on it someday.
The other big "publishing" news, of course, the one that has me lusting mightily for more than I can afford, doesn't really have anything to do with publishing as we define it here: the Beatles are finally getting some decent CD treatment…
Andrea Cremer says
Reading Rainbow is off the air?? *sobs*
ryan field says
So sad, about Reading Rainbow.
KayKayBe says
Between the Lions, anyone?
Jil says
Having grown up in another country I never saw Reading Rainbow but it sounds wonderful. It seems so much is ugly these days, on tv etc.,kids need something to teach them the finer and beautiful side of life.
Which brings me to the spider web = such a work of art and a great parallel to us writing spinners. Mira's right though, until we've been inside that spider's head we don't know what he thinks. After reading Charlotte's Web I ducked under those early morning strands for a long time, more and more of them decorating my walkway until it must have become a minefield for the insects.
Is the glass half full or half empty then? May you all have a very full weekend!
Kristine Overbrook says
Just the other day I was just singing this song to my kids (14 and 10) and they were looking at me like I was crazy.
I expanded on it by telling them of the show about the goats. I forget the name of the book, but it was the one where the little girl goat was a picky eater and her parents convinced her to eat salad with sliced tire in it. That was my fav episode.
It's so sad to hear Reading Rainbow's going off the air. It helped me to feel better about my love of reading. A child on the school bus ask me what was so good about reading. (sixth grade) I replied proudly, "It let's your mind soar." Needless to say, I heard about that one until I graduated.
Christy Pinheiro, EA ABA says
Thanks for the link to the Self-Publishing Review. I'll be damned if I didn't try to name my blog the same thing. I changed it last night.
The article "Self Publishing: Best Idea Ever" was fantastic. I don't let myself get down about the statistics. There's a lot of losers out there, but there's also a lot of Aaron Shepards (my hero).
All this "doom and gloom" won't last– this is such an exciting and innovative time. I think the industry is just re-setting itself.
T. Anne says
I can't wait to see Open Books. It should be interesting to peep further into the pub biz. (If it is at all the slightest bit factual). But hey if that show doesn't pan out they can follow you around all day Nathan! Now that would be some fun reality TV! Better yet they could alternate from you to Janet Reid to Rachelle Gardener. That for sure would be some must see TV.
susiej says
I cant' wait to adopt a couple of lovely words. Waht a fun site. Thanks for the link.
alysongreene says
Nathan, just want to say thanks for Author Appreciation Week.
Per your suggestion, I downloaded the kindle app on my iphone. I was skeptical and didn't download any books until Published Authors Appreciation Day, when I felt guilty for all my library borrowing, but was too lazy to leave the house and buy a book. Who knew (you did) but I LOVE reading on my iphone!
Also, thanks for the old school Reading Rainbow clip. I remember when that was the opening credits montage. I also remember that great feeling as a kid when I thought, man, these books are too babyish, I'm going to go read some big kid books BY MYSELF. We need some kind of online Reading Rainbow for this generation.
Laura Martone says
Thanks, Nathan, for the terrific links – as always!
It saddens me to learn that READING RAINBOW is no more. Not only did it inspire me to read as a kid, not only is the theme song still burned into my brain, but it also makes me wonder if the ratings have slipped because kids are less interested in reading these days. Say it ain't so!
Have a happy Labor Day everyone – even if you live in Canada, Australia, England, or other non-American parts of the world, take some time to chill out! And I'll be trying hard to follow my own advice – hehehe.
Laura Martone says
Kristi, LOL!
I was thinking the same darn thing… I was feeling so good about Writer Appreciation Week… and then I read those book stats. But, hey, at least that was back in 2004 when the state of publishing was, er, uh, BETTER than it is today.
Oh, darn it all, now I am bummed! Thanks a lot, Nathan!
P.S. I'm sorta kidding. Sorta.
Laura Martone says
Okay, I just have one more thing to say and then I promise to go away…
While I was reading the article "The Last Remaining Ways to Get a Book Deal," I thought… hey, what's the deal with puppies? What about kitties? If I write a book about my kitty, am I guaranteed a deal, too? Where's the love for kitty lovers of the world?
Shoot, now I'm rivaling Mira for the number of posts in one day. Soon, J.J.'s gonna start teasing me, too! I promise – you'll hear not a peep from me for the rest of the weekend. See y'all next week!
Fresh Water Mermaids says
Reading Rainbow was one of our family's most treasured and favorite children's educational shows ever.
It will be missed.
Sigh.
-Bobbi
Chuck H. says
What Robert McGuire said.