Thanks again so much to everyone for your kind words about JACOB WONDERBAR, I really, really appreciate it!
But meanwhile, there was a week in publishing and let’s summarize it, hmm?
First up, lest ye think I’ve gone all high-fallutin’ on you, Anne & May are hosting an America’s Next Top Model elimination pool where you make your picks for the top three and then guess who will be eliminated each week. The winner gets a $25 B&N gift certificate and the incredible, immense pride that goes with correctly picking the winners of a bizarre reality television show. In case you’re wondering: yes, I’m entering, and yes, I’m going to win. You’re know you’re too “catalogue” to beat these smiling eyes.
Your Amazon Controversy of the Week is brought to you by their Kindle loss/theft policy and the letters WTF. When your Kindle is lost or stolen Amazon refuses to shut it down or aid in its recovery unless directed by court subpoena. Yup. The article notes that they are hardly alone in this policy, but there is no real procedure for legally transferring ownership of the device. Or, you know, stopping the guy who stole yours from using it.
Amid rumors that Time Warner is contemplating entering the e-book reader device game, David Pogue caught up with Steve Jobs and asked him about the future market for dedicated e-readers. Jobs’ opinion may sound familiar if you read the comments section of this blog: “I’m sure there will always be dedicated devices, and they may have a few advantages in doing just one thing. But I think the general-purpose devices will win the day. Because I think people just probably aren’t willing to pay for a dedicated device.” I think a lot of people around these parts will concur.
In innovative book news, Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman’s NURTURE SHOCK, an incredible book about the latest thinking in parenting, has an awesome blog over at Newsweek and, coolest of all, starting on September 14th, chapters will be posted on PoBronson.com, Nurtureshock.com and Twelvebooks.com, and readers will be able to annotate the text and add their own footnotes, creating a shared book. Should be pretty interesting.
The juggernaut that is James Patterson signed A 17 BOOK DEAL with Hachette. The best part? This only covers the books coming out in the next three years.
In other Hachette news, the NY Times was able to break the embargo on Ted Kennedy’s memoir by obtaining an unauthorized early copy. Yen at the Book Publicity Blog reflects on the history of embargoes and their importance. And it turns out that Hachette was so miffed about the embargo-breaking that they hired a private detective to sniff out who leaked it. Wow.
And this got me to thinking: which literary detective should they put on The Case of the Broken Embargo? Make your pick in the comments section. I’m going with Harriet the Spy.
Sad news this week as startup Quartet Press announced that it was closing, and Kassia Kroszer reflects on what she learned about the e-book market. Her post is an absolute must read about the challenges of this new marketplace.
Are Amish romances the new vampires? EW’s book blog investigates the pressing question of the day.
There have been a couple of blogging-related awards this week. First up, Book Blogger Appreciation Week has announced its shortlists for the Best Writing Blogs, and I’m flattered to be among some incredible company for Best Publishing/Industry Blog along with some of my very favorite sites: GalleyCat, Follow the Reader, Jacket Copy, and, of course, Pimp My Novel. Click through to vote for your favorite. Editor Unleashed also released a terrific list of the twenty-five best writing blogs. The good blogs! They abound!
And SPEAKING OF, over at Pimp My Novel, which, as you may recall, and if you don’t recall oh let me not so gently remind you, had its birth right here on this blog: an incredibly hilarious and informative take on a day in the life of a publishing sales assistant. At this point I’d say Pimp My Novel is the greatest thing since sliced bread, ONLY IT’S FAR, FAR BETTER THAN SLICED BREAD. It’s just an incredible blog. I can hear it now….. a tense moment on the Death Star…. lightsabers clashing….. Eric’s words echo: “When I left you I was but the learner, but now I am the master…..” Sheesh. The force is strong in this one.
My wonderful client Natalie Whipple has been hard at work on some revisions, but thankfully for all of us she took some time to provide a checklist of ways to beat revision fatigue. Really great advice.
And finally, one of my great loves is public transportation, and the Book Design Review has a pretty cool roundup of some transit map inspired book covers.
Have a great weekend!
I know your superpower! You need no sleep. That must be it!
Congratulations on your book deal!!! Love your blog – I read it all the time. You provide great information and inspiration for hopeful authors!
(Nathan, I hope you don’t mind my posting this. Just delete it if you do.)
Here’s an interesting article I discovered through Creative Screenwriting:
Josh Olson Will Not Read Your Script
"Easily offended or easily discouraged beware: screenwriter Josh Olson has some harsh words about why he will not read your script. (Harsh language abounds, so proceed with caution.)"
Even though the essay deals with screenwriting, many of Olson’s points apply to any type of writing, when the beginner wants the expert to read his work and give him feedback. And the comments in response are illuminating.
Excerpt:
“It rarely takes more than a page to recognize that you're in the presence of someone who can write, but it only takes a sentence to know you're dealing with someone who can't.
(By the way, here's a simple way to find out if you're a writer. If you disagree with that statement, you're not a writer. Because, you see, writers are also readers.)”
Marilyn,
You are always so nice and gracious to everyone.
I have read Natalie Whipple’s blog too, and you reminded me that I should comment on how much I enjoyed it. Thanks Natalie!
wow, i can not read even past the first three paragraphs of josh's link.
sorry, but (josh) you lost me at hello.
I'm traveling–congratulations and congratulations!
I know he's from TV and not books, but I would choose Inspector Gadget. He wouldn't find anything, because he's hilariously incompetent, but he has a hat that turns into a helicopter. A helicopter!!
The Case Of The Broken Embargo,I go with the classic and classy, Philip Marlowe, private eye.
Auguste C. Dupin could do a touch of leisurely observing and get to the heart of the problem.
Thursday's comments made interesting reading – rant-tastic!
Nathan's news paled into insignificance compared to the most stunning and unexpected event of my week. The English football team playing with confidence and skill and walking the qualification for the World Cup.
Capello speaks Italian, Spanish, French, English, and confidence it seems.
Jessica Fletcher gets my vote for detective. Especially if she has a bunch of Love Boat alumni as her suspects.
Anon @ 10:24 PM,
Thank you so much. Your comment meant a lot to me, especially this particularly rough week as I struggle through all the frustration of rewriting and editing a manuscript. 🙂
I'm in a bit of a query predicament… I'm from the US, but this month, I'll be going to London to get a degree in English/creative writing. (Not an exchnage year, but a full BA degree in the UK.)
Should I even bother querying American agents while I'm overseas, or would my location guarantee a rejection? And if I do query, should I mention where and what I'm studying?
Congrats on the book deal, by the way!
I'm so joining that Top Model contest 🙂 It's the only reality TV show I watch.
I'm also really curious what happened to crazy Amber…I know they said she had to leave unexpectedly and I wonder if it's because she was a little too loopy 😛
Anyway, I think this is gonna be a great season–I'm loving the "short" girls. Even though 5'5" in the real world isn't short!
"This Embargo Business" by Dashiell Hammett, featuring the Continental Op, a sleuth so ordinary, you don't notice him sitting right next to you.
BTW, I finally had to close the book halfway through on the Joe Gores' "Maltese Falcon" prequel. And no, I wasn't think "If only they'd ask ME to write it." (I would've run for the nearest hill; ditto James Patterson's 17 novels, but different reasons, there)
This week, I wrote about the Monterey Bay Aquarium at my Red Room site: https://www.redroom.com/articlestory/the-monterey-bay-aquarium-heaven-is-made-water
Not quite detectives, but I'd choose the Hardy Boys. They'd probably be thrilled to investigate a crime that isn't smuggling.
I couldn't resist checking out the Amish romance novel link. My goodness, everyone is being quite snarky about this! I doubt that any of the people in the first page of comments that I scanned has actually read one.
I've read one or two, and glanced at them in the PA turnpike roadside shops.
What people are totally overlooking, and I apologize if someone here has mentioned it already, is that most of these Amish romance novels are Christian romance novels. They are put out by Christian publishers like Bethany and Zondervan, and present a very clean, wholesome love story. At least, all the ones I've seen here in NJ and PA seem to be Christian.
I think people are tired of cynicism and casual sex. I'm very glad to see this genre explosion, and glad it's there as an option for romance readers.
I do wonder how long it's going to last, however, as it has been going strong for quite a few years now.
PS I should add that the Amish novels aren't just on the turnpike. They are in the CVS drug store pharmacy waiting areas on their own special display stands, they are in Wal-Mart, K-Mart, the grocery store… everywhere. And of course the Christian bookstores are full of them.
Christine H said…
PS I should add that the Amish novels aren't just on the turnpike. They are in the CVS drug store pharmacy waiting areas on their own special display stands, they are in Wal-Mart, K-Mart, the grocery store… everywhere. And of course the Christian bookstores are full of them.
The novels are also at the large chain bookstores. I work at one and we sell tons of them.
Just found an interesting link on Twitter to an article by writer Jeremy Blachman, responding to John Olson's article which has been heating up discussion on the Internet and was mentioned earlier on this blog by Marla Warren.
Marilyn Peake said…
Just found an interesting link on Twitter to an article by writer Jeremy Blachman, responding to John Olson's article which has been heating up discussion on the Internet and was mentioned earlier on this blog by Marla Warren.
Thank you for posting this, Marilyn. It is interesting, as are the comments that follow.
Comments on an article tell you a good deal about the audience of a particular website or blog.
Marla,
I just discovered that mention of Josh Olson's rant has been added to his Wikipedia page.
Thanks for the links. I've been so darned busy that I'd miss everything if it weren't for these weekly updates.
They are greatly appreciated 🙂
Thank you for the round-up. I'm quite sure I congratulated you, if not, well done, again.
I remember thinking "Gosh, his sci-fi boys adventure will be published before mine, lucky fella"
Speaking of "fellaness", what on earth are you doing watching ANTM – it's auful, hideous and the worst example of culture present. Wasn't that girl Bianca nuts?
Ciao 🙂
I'm sitting at my computer with a 102* fever. iGoogle pops up, and there is a window to your blog. I don't know how it got there… my computer lives a completely separate life from mine.
Congratulations on your book (and I'll admit that I wish it was mine!)! Cool blog…I'll have to keep reading.
No, that's not the 102* fever talking.
Again I would like to say congrats on your book deal. And to throw in my two cents about the embargo, I'm going to say Lawrence Block's Matthew Scudder or Bernie Rodenbhar(Sp?). Neither of them are really Det., but both would get to the bottom of the situation.
Regarding the Olsen article, when I first started getting "into" the Internet and this whole social networking thing, I found myself having an email conversation with a published writer whose blog I had joined.
I asked her if she would mind looking at my first chapter, and she responded in a politely huffy way that she would take a quick look, but she does critiques for a fee and has clients working two jobs to pay for her services, so she really doesn't think it's fair to look at mine for free.
I immediately responded that I had no idea, and if I wanted her to look at it in the future I would pay her accordingly.
Of course I can't pay her and have no intention of contacting her again. But it was a sobering wake-up call for a complete newbie.
Another writer who is a personal friend of a personal friend, just didn't respond to my request, even though I told her that our mutual friend had suggested I get in touch with her. I figured no response was clear enough, and haven't contacted her again either. I'm too embarrassed. I wouldn't even ask her for an autograph now. Which is a shame, because I really, really like her books.
Christine,
I am sorry for your disappointing experiences. If it’s any consolation, many of us have experienced similarly awkward and embarrassing situations.
I wonder, have you asked your friend about not hearing back from her author friend? Did she give you the author’s contact information?
Perhaps your friend is not as close to the author as she presumes, and she was out of line when she handed out the author’s contact information, or perhpas your email simply fell through the cracks – as sometimes happens. Ask your friend.
BTW: The published author who bragged that she has people working two jobs to pay her fees sounds like a real ass. IMHO. 8)
Keep it up. Who knows, one-day new writers may be asking you to read their chapters – won’t that be a pleasant switch? I hope that we all remember how it felt to be a new, uncertain, struggling writer.
Marilyn, thanks for that info. It is an incredible relief to a mother who isn't so hot with routines, but does make homemmade play dough. However, I'm not sure if research supports this, but I have always seen a link with many of my favourite accomplished people and the ammount of time they spent in the outdoors as children. You can't understand your place in the world without proper exposure to clean air, tall trees, and clear streams.
Anon ~ Thank you for the kind comments. Regarding the writer who didn't respond, I had actually contacted her by email prior to sending the chapter and let her know who the mutual friend was and how much I loved her books. The mutual friend is pretty good friends with her. She seemed quite flattered by my email.
However, she may still have felt that I and/or friend had overstepped the connection, or that the chapter was so awful that she didn't know what to say, or simply didn't have time to look at it. I wasn't going to risk over-reaching again to find out.
I suppose, in one sense, I envy Olsen his self-confidence, if not his jerkiness! 😉
On the Kindle issue, it seems to me that as long as you are able to cancel your credit card so a thief can't run up a big tab, that's all you can ask for. I dont think we should expect Amazon to be in the law enforcement and private detective business. Dont they have their hands in enough businesses already?!
Congratulations on the book deal, Nathan
I'm a bit late, but congratulations on your book deal, Nathan!
Thanks for sharing Kassia's blog post and Natalie's tips. But I'm going with Encyclopedia Brown over Harriet the Spy.
Hercule Poirot and his little gray cells or maybe that frog Maigret.
Thanks again for the workshop Nathan. I had a good time and used it as my blog post today.(There's a picture too.) The flight to Las Vegas (and drive to Southern Utah) wasn't bad and we made it back home before midnight.
Question: Ways to get to know if you want to query and agent? You spoke of trying to get a sense of personality from a soon-to-be client…Besides, looking at who each agent represents, books they are passionate about, and possibly attending worshops…Are there other ways for writers to see who they think would be a good fit for them?
Late on this but just wanted to congratulate you on your book deal! Read about it in Publisher's Lunch, and I whooped!
Nero Wolfe, he's the only one who will bill them what they deserve and can afford to pay.
However, she may still have felt that I and/or friend had overstepped the connection, or that the chapter was so awful that she didn't know what to say, or simply didn't have time to look at it. I wasn't going to risk over-reaching again to find out.
I think a better place to look for feedback is a critique group. (They don't work for everyone, but I love mine.) I believe authors, in general, truly want to help their fellow writers when they can. But it gets sticky when we're asked to read and comment on the work of someone we've never met. You don't know if the person really wants honest feedback or just some nice words of encouragement.
Some authors also make it a rule not to read unpublished work because of legal issues.
Word verification: moxiness
I'm a big fan of Douglas Adams, and it reminded me of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy in some if its worlds and shenanigans. At the same time, though, it was original (there were no corndogs in The Guide, but a Pan-Galactic Gargle Blaster would be ideal to wash one down, come to think of it!)