One of the most persistent myths in the writing pantheon is that “serious” writers write every day. Like many myths, this one contains a kernel of truth, namely that many writers do write every day. The rhythm and discipline of sitting down every day is important to some writers, and many of them believe so […]
Publishing Myths
Why newsworthy events do not lead to newsworthy novels
Whenever there’s a big, surprising, newsworthy event like a strange kidnapping or someone blowing the whistle on a spy agency and going on the run to a quasi-dictatorship, I often hear from aspiring authors who happen to have a novel in the drawer that just happens to align with the news. These authors want to […]
No, Agents and Published Authors Are Not “Working” For Publishers
There’s a popular idea that regularly floats around the bookosphere that literary agents and some prominent published authors not only like publishers, they’re actually working for publishers or are in bed with publishers (that’s a popular one) or are hopelessly beholden to publishers or have been kidnapped and brainwashed into thinking that maybe publishers aren’t […]
These Past Few Weeks in Books 7/2/12
Where does the time go?? Well, strike that, in the past few days I know exactly where it’s gone, to moments like this out hiking in Point Reyes with Tahereh Mafi, Tana Gandhi and Randa Gill: I’ve been enjoying being done-done with Jacob Wonderbar and the Interstellar Time Warp, so I may not have had […]
Traditional vs. Self-publishing is a False Dichotomy
Us vs. them is fun. It gets people’s blood boiling. It instills fear. It’s thrilling to be on a team, especially when you feel like your team is winning. These days it seems like traditional and self-publishing are increasingly pitted against each other on blogs and forums, as if one side or the other is […]
Be Wary of Anyone Who Tries To Tell You There’s Only One Way to Find Successful Publication
I have tweeted this before, but it’s worth saying this in a blog post and reiterating it once again for good measure: Be wary of anyone who tells you there’s only one way to go about the publishing process. There are as many ways to find success writing books as there are books. Anyone who […]
