This week!
First up, apologies to email subscribers, who have received the 100 Books Challenge like 17 times now. I’ve been having trouble with my MailChimp RSS feed, which keeps bumping it up as I update the post with new participants. Sorry!
In the meantime, please don’t miss my very interesting chat with agent Sarah LaPolla on things authors can do to stand out and the current state of the publishing business.
Now then! Lots of links this week, let’s get to it.
If you’re a restaurant fan you’ve either eaten at Grant Aschatz’s Alinea or wanted to, and Nick Kokonos talks about why they’re self-publishing their next cookbook. It’s a good read, though it includes a few dubious (and common) publishing economics assumptions, especially that the cost of printing = the bulk of a publisher’s costs and everything else is profit. Not even close. And I can tell from the offer he detailed that they didn’t have an agent, which really could have helped.
Speaking of which, check out Chuck Wendig’s assorted business advice for authors.
Amazon is starting a new bestseller list that includes both weekly top sales and “most read,” which is based on data from Kindle and Audible.
Want to be more creative? Stop being so busy.
Freelancing is on my mind now that I’m, well, freelancing, and I came across this old-but-good Freelancers Union post about whether you should choose sole proprietorship, LLC, or S corp for your business. Oh, and Freelancers Union is holding a contest where you can share a picture of yourself and the new Freelancers Union app for a chance to win free legal advice! You may recognize the author of the post.
Electric Literature talked to author Meg Howry about her acclaimed new novel.
In books and politics news, someone created a, well, interesting Ivanka Trump bookstore display, and John Altman talks about the strangeness and challenges of writing novels in the Trump era.
FLYING CARS ARE COMING SOON LIKE MAYBE FOR REAL THIS TIME.
This week in the Forums:
Ask me anything!
Try your hand at a query critique
Nominate Your Query for a Critique on the Blog
Nominate Your First Page for a Critique on the Blog
Comment! of! the! week! goes to Anonymous, who had an interesting riposte to an interview I posted in the last link roundup with a professor on the use language in politics:
The Berkeleyside article made a lot of good points. I agree that emotion and irrationality play a far bigger role in decision making than people like to think.
But there is one glaring hole in Lakoff’s approach. If he he has really discovered a general principle for crafting persuasive messages, then why has he been unable to craft his own message to progressives in a language that will allow them to hear him? Or is he falling into the same trap that most of us fall into–speaking our own language instead of the audience’s?
And finally, for the sports fans out there… a heartbreaking look back at the game that broke my beloved Sacramento Kings.
Have a great weekend!
I’m available for manuscript edits, query critiques, and consultations! And if you like this post, check out my guide to writing a novel.
Art: Photo by me. Follow me on Instagram! @nathanbransford
Chuck Wendig's warnings are acerbic but persuasive. And his skepticism about social media is interesting.
I agree about the value of walking for creativity.
The Freelancer's Union post author not only looks like you, he has the same name! What a coincidence!