From unknown to famous via Social Media. Does the NYT think we don't know this yet? But the examples are worth reading. 

The What does a book smell like? Its the kind of question that raises more questions.

Karl Lagerfeld just launched a new perfume with Wallpaper and Steidl inspired by the scent of paper. 

When I stated this blog 8 years ago, almost to the day, it was the first blog at Publisher's Marketplace. My goal was to create a place authors and agents and publishers and pr people and website designers and everyone else in the biz could read about and write about what gets buzz.

What works. Why. What doesn’t. Why. What is a waste of time. Of space. What reads like hype. What takes balls but is worth it.

We're making ourselves visible in a way that we haven't been able to do before and we need to be cognizant of the pitfalls as well as the perks.

We need a dialog – a way to share with each other ideas. To brainstorm. With more books being published than ever,new ways to discover them is more important than ever.

I thought Facebook and Twitter and Pinterest would take over from blogs - and in a lot of ways they have but they have limiations we don't have here so I'm going to  open the doors to this blog again. And invite anyone with an idea to discuss.

Let’s talk.

There are a lot of people debating the pros and cons of the DOJ suit.

That’s not what this post is.

I have a question that has come out of what I’ve been reading on other sites, blogs and articles and would like to ask it here and open up the floor for comments because I am really confused about this one issue and feel like I'm missing something.

 I both self publish and traditionally publish.

 But for the purposes of this post I’m speaking here as a self published author only!

 Many self published authors are saying the Agency model is not in the interest of authors but rather supports publishers and the old system.

 But for me the Agency model has been a huge boon to my self published sales.

 I’ve been able to put my self-publisheid novels up for sale for whatever price I want – and I’ve mostly used $3.99 as well as have done special introductory offers at 99c and free.

 All my prices are far below what traditionally published books cost.  (Including my own btw.)

Many many readers, who won’t pay the price of agency model books and price shop only,  have bought my self pubbed books. (Over 50,000 of them have sold in less than a 8 months which has been terrific.) And I’m sure I am hardly the only author who has benefited by being able to price my self published books below the cost of traditionally published books.

 So my questions is -  if the Agency model goes away won’t self publihsed authors books be at a disadvantage? Won’t self published authors lose?  Can someone please explain to me how the eradication of the Agency model benefits all authors – self and trad published.

Exchange the goals depending on your genre and this by Katharine Weber is great!

STAIRCASE WRITING - Katharine Weber's Writing Journal: A WRITER’S FIVE STAGES OF GRIEF AT AWP 

Springtime brings in the arrival of the much anticipated London Book Fair 2012. The literary buzz is that the readers and writers will be joined together under one roof at Earls Court Exhibition Centre,

 The London Book Fair has been attracting world-wide spectators and lovers of the written word for 41 years. The 2012 Exhibitor directory professes over 1900 participants thus far.

The London Book Fair 2012 is a well-respected event for promising new comers, established authors, publishers and their audiences. The book fair opens its doors promptly at 9AM on April 16^th up through April 18^th.

Besides browsing the booths, there are over 250 seminars and events taking place.

The “Author of the Day” series is a popular pastime.  On opening day, the first speaker on-hand and “Author of the Day” will be Peter James, offering creative insight into his novels, including “Dead like You.” Since the 1990’s, Mr. James happens to be an advocate of the e-book concept

An international array of guest speakers has been included in several programs. The London Book Fair celebrates the literature and culture of China with scheduled seminars.

The acclaimed Chinese writer, Bi Feiyu, winner of the 2010 Man Asian Literary Prize for “Three Sisters,” has been designated as the “Author of the Day” on day two of the fair. He is the recipient of other literary awards, including receiving the Xu Lun Prize twice. Bi Feiyu is a screenwriter also and co-wrote the script for the Golden Globe nominee film, “Shanghai Triad.”

On the last day of the fair, children's author Patrick Ness is selected as the “Author of the Day.”  Her highly credited accomplishment of “Chaos Walking Trilogy” is acknowledged by Amazon.com and Publisher's Weekly's listing of the “Best Books of the Year.” The work has won the Costa Children's Book of the Year Prize, the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize, and the Booktrust Teenage Prize.

All ticket holders are free to attend any seminar available for that day. However, they are limited in seating capacity, making attendees a first-come first-serve scenario.

Planning a visit:

Secure a hotel room in London for the London Book Fair by visiting cheaphotels.org or holidayapartments.net as a sure bet for the extra space an apartment provides.

Location of venue: Earls Court Exhibition Centre Warwick Road London SW5 9TA

To visit the London Book Fair 2012 public transportation is the way to go.

Tube: Take District Line (green) in Zone 2 to Earls Court station

Train: Eurostar arrives at St Pancras International Station in London. From there, take the Piccadilly Line (dark blue) to Earls Court.

Bus: The following buses stop outside Earls Court on Warwick Road; 31, 74, C1 and C3.

The Book of Lost Fragrances is out today and I do hope you'll buy a copy.

Publisher’s Weekly named it one of spring's 10 best suspense books and called it a “deliciously sensual novel of paranormal suspense.”

 It’s an Indie Next Pick for March. A Starbucks Book Club pick and a Pulpwood Queens pick for this summer.

Heres' what some early reviews and readers have said... and here's a link to buy the book at the store of your choice.

"The historical data and the liberal sprinkling of invented historical detail mesh together like an ancient puzzle with the modern and real current world events.Rose has entered another realm and written what is bound to be one of this year's best books." - Seattle Post-Intelligencer

“A spellbinding love story and historical novel of mystery, reincarnation, ancient Egypt. Rose's in-depth research about fragrance adds to the pleasure in what I think is her most exciting book yet. Being immersed in Rose's fictional world is one of those times when you don't want to come back to the real world." —Bookworks

"Smoothly blends historical events, compelling characters, and international intrigue into an absorbing and thrilling ride through the centuries." —Library Journal

"Amazing... utterly engrossing. Elegantly written, with unforgettable characters. Will keep you up all night—and leave you with powerful feelings of revelation, wonder, and the infinitude of human possibility." —New York Times best selling author Douglas Preston

"A simmering brew that mingles the erotic sensuality of Patrick Suskind's Perfume with the dark and timeless obsessions of Rider Haggard's classic, She." —New York Times best selling author Katherine Neville

"Sweeping, heartbreaking and full of sumptuous detail..." —RT Top Pick 4 1/2 stars

"Resonates with spirit, blending myth with reality, tragedy with triumph, pain with joy. You'll find yourself questioning everything you believe—and wanting more." —New York Times bestselling author Steve Berry

“Clever, with beguiling characters; a wonderful mixture of suspense and pace and good old fashioned storytelling." —New York Times Bestseller, Kate Mosse

Los Angeles is many things to many people but seems to carry a torch with the written word. For the 17^th year in conjunction with the Los Angeles Times, the occasion is simply titled as the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books to be held at the University of Southern California (USC).

The complete schedule has yet to be released, but promises to be just as exciting as 2011. 1,140,000 people turned out to celebrate the sounds of text hosted by more than 200 international exhibitors and authors. 

The annual literary gathering is open to the public and considered one of the country’s largest outdoor book fairs. This year’s event is organized by returning sponsor Target Stores. They donated four thousand books to a donation station last year to benefit classrooms and libraries.

Prior to the event’s date of April 21^st to 22^nd, the Los Angeles Times Book Prizes is scheduled for April 20, 2012. The honors bestowed will be given out at USC’s Bovard Auditorium.  Finalists and winners have been preselected by a three writer board with experience in the chosen genre they are judging.

The coveted Robert Kirsch Lifetime Achievement Award will go to Rudolfo Anaya, author of such books as “Bless Me, Ultima” and “The Man Who Could Fly and Other Stories,”

The late Robert Kirsch, the man behind the award ceremony, worked for year at the LA Times as the newspaper’s book critic. In addition to his critiques, Kirsch was a novelist, editor and teacher.

Come face to face with hundreds of authors on numerous panels that are planned to take place. 2011 was the first time that USC was used as the venue. The large campus proved to be a rousing success by waving in a sea of students and visitors.

Attending the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books is free of charge.

Planning a trip:

Secure accommodations for Los Angeles and be near to the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books by visiting LosAngeleshotels.org.

Location of venue: The USC is at the intersection of Exposition Blvd and S Figueroa St, Los Angeles  

To visit the LA Book Festival, use any of the following:

Shuttle Bus: Target provides free shuttles that will run continuously. Known as the Bullseye Bus, it will run between Union Station, Los Angeles Convention Center and USC.   

By Metro: The Red, Purple, Gold lines stop at Union Station. Take the free Bullseye Bus to USC.

The Blue Line heads to the Pico/Convention Center stop. Pick up the Bullseye Bus there.

By Dash: The DASH “F” line reaches the USC campus.   

A guest post about  Salon de Livre 2012

In Paris the written word rules. Books have always held a place in the heart of Parisians, with many writers from near and far calling Paris their home. Expats such as Ernest Hemingway and Gertrude Stein have resided here, and their legacy is celebrated year after year at the Salon du Livre.

The Salon du Livre 2012 is considered one of the top cultural events in Europe, held this year from March 16^th through 19^th. There is anticipation that those who attend this once a year event will discover a premier marketplace for all those in the book industry. 

Open to the general public, it also brings together publishers and booksellers with more than 250 conferences. Salon du Livre 2012 will introduce new works with book signing from sought-after authors from France and the international community.

Audiovisuals will also be made available, including a documentary film that shows how the written word transposes to the cinema, reinforcing the strong bonds existing between the two.

Each year a theme is emphasized to make the book fair event memorable. This year, a special exhibit will be dedicated to the Japanese verse. Approximately thirty Japanese authors consisting of novelists, mystery writers, children’s books, and poetry will be highlighted and available for seminars.

A tradition continues at the Salon du Livre 2012. One city is highlighted as the guest of honor and this year’s event has chosen Moscow. 10 authors will hold a dialogue with the viewing public by sharing their personal inspirations gathered from their city.

Planning a Visit:

Address of venue: Porte de Versailles – Pavillon 1 - Boulevard Victor, Paris 15ème

Secure accommodations either near the Salon du Livre 2012 or anywhere else in Paris by visiting parishotels.net. 

To visit the Salon du Livre 2012 Paris Book Festival via public transportation by:

Subway: Board the number 12 to Porte de Versailles or number 8 to Balard

Tramway: Embark lines T2 & T3 to Porte de Versailles

Bus: Take 39 – 80 to station Porte de Versailles

It’s taken me a long time to understand something about why some books sell and others don’t. 

 It’s taken me having written novels and marketed more than 1200 others via AuthorBuzz.com.

Sales don’t always have anything to do with good or brilliant or original.

Sales are about appeal. 

The marketability, the success of a book, ultimately rests with whether or not people will find the concept/characters/title/cover appealing.

What’s appealing?

It’s in the eye of the beholder, but readers know it when they see it. And we see the results.

Bridges of Madison County, The Da Vinci Code, The Help and Sarah’s Key have very little in common with each other. But they all had that certain indefinable something that appealed to readers.

Nora Roberts, Stephen King, Lee Child and George R. Martin write wildly different books. Their writing, plotting and styles little or nothing in common.  But they all write books /characters that readers find appealing.

It’s helped many writers I know… writers who sweat every word… who write truly magnificent books… when I explain this seemingly simple idea.  

You can write the best book you can and that might still not be enough. Appeal isn’t something that most writers can’t strive for or identify. It 's something even the best agents and editors can’t always identify. 

So beat yourself up over a whole lot of other things, but don’t assume that because you book didn’t take of it wasn’t good. Or even brilliant. It might just not have been appealing enough.

AUTHORS AND TWITTER

Last Sunday's NYTBR featured an article by Anne Trubek on the benefits of tweeting for authors. In it, Trubek addresses the "common conception of 'the author'" as solitary and asocial, noting that a number of writers use Twitter to establish closer communication with readers. She writes:

Many authors have little use for the pretension of hermetic distance and never accepted a historically specific idea of what it means to be a writer. With the digital age come new conceptions of authorship. And for both authors and readers, these changes may be unexpectedly salutary.

She goes on to quote clever tweets from writers that may draw additional readers to their books and to describe ways that writers can collect reader feedback, presumably as a type of market research.

I think it's great that social media offer writers whose books aren't necessarily getting a big push from their publishers a way to connect with readers directly. But I have questions about what seem to be the underlying assumptions of the article.

First, how much do we want writers to be influenced by readers? Of course, most writers want to reach the widest possible audience, and both professional and reader reviews can be important in helping writers recognize when they are not communicating well or are indulging in flights that are significant only to themselves. But I can't help wondering whether constant back-and-forth with readers is likely to result in a homogenization process.

Second, while it is true that not all authors require "hermetic distance," some are more social than others, and some really do need hours of focused effort to write. There is not, as far as I know, any correlation between a writer's personality style and the quality of his or her work. So I don't think Mat Johnson's statement that "It’s a meritocracy; if you’re interesting, you get followed” is accurate. Rather, it seems to be a popularity contest: If you can entertain potential readers and make them feel a personal connection to you--and possibly allow their opinions to influence your choice of covers, titles, etc., as Jennifer Weiner does--then your books may sell better. There is nothing wrong with that, but it doesn't make you a better writer than the person who can't bear the constant interruption of Twitter or who doesn't think in one-liners. And as publicity becomes more and more the job of the author, I am afraid that these quieter voices may be drowned out.

 Susan O'Doherty, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist with a New York City-based practice. A fiction writer herself, she specializes in issues affecting writers and other creative artists. She is the author of Getting Unstuck without Coming Unglued: A Woman's Guide to Unblocking Creativity (Seal, 2007). Her Career Coach column appears every Monday on Inside Higher Ed's Mama, Ph.D. blog, and she is a regular guest panelist on Litopia After Dark. She can be reached at Dr.Sue at mindspring dot com.

Thoughts on Publishing Envy

In this week's Kind Reader column, Jessa Crispin offers interesting and helpful advice to an unpublished writer who is repeatedly asked to share in her/his friends' joy in their publishing success. Crispin reminds the LW that William James was not published until he was forty-nine, and urges him/her to channel these feelings of envy into greater focus and productivity.

I think this is excellent advice, as far as it goes. (And it goes exactly as far as intended, since the premise of the column is the application of literature to life problems.) But it assumes that the writer will, eventually, be published, and statistically, this is nothing like a sure bet. Maybe the LW is a lousy writer. Maybe s/he is a wonderful writer whose subject matter doesn't have great popular appeal. Maybe s/he is a great writer on universally appealing topics, who yet will never be discovered. There is no way to know.

So the question remains: How do we deal with envy and resentment toward friends who have achieved (or, we may feel, been handed) our hearts' desire?

I think one important factor is acknowledging that life is inherently unfair. If it were fair, nobody would own two houses while others go homeless. We wouldn't eat in nice restaurants while some people are hungry or malnourished. And so on.

This is not to shame anyone for having a more pleasant or easier life than others may, but merely to point out that we can only play the hand we're dealt. And the deck is not distributed equally among players.

Some  are dealt superior intellectual or artistic gifts, or experiences that foster the development of self-confidence and assertiveness that will help them push forward in the face of repeated rejection. Some have educational advantages; some are economically privileged, able to pursue writing time, coaching, and workshops that others cannot. Some are born into the "right" ethnic group or social class. Some are physically conventionally attractive, which is increasingly important to publishers' marketing departments. And some have simply led lives that others deem more interesting or valid.

The point is, there is no such thing as a level playing field. Each of us starts at a different place and follows a unique trajectory. Conventional success doesn't indicate artistic or moral superiority; neither does starving in a garret for pure art.

So comparisons are futile. Our friends' success has little to do with us--it's not a race, and the finish line, if there is one, will be different for each of us. The best "cure" for envy--either envy of others or fear of others' envy--in my experience is to acknowledge this and live by it. We choose to write because writing nourishes us. We choose our friends because we love them. We are not in competition, because we can't be. So we can rejoice in their happiness while still wishing for our own, possibly elusive, success. There is a conflict only if we create one.

Obviously, this is easier to say and understand than to put into practice. But I think it is worth keeping in mind.

An artist friend sent the following quote as her New Year greeting this year. I plan to make it my resolution:

"Don't think about making art, just get it done.  Let everyone else decide if it's good or bad, whether they love it or hate it.  While they are deciding, make even more art."

--Andy Warhol

 Susan O'Doherty, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist with a New York City-based practice. A fiction writer herself, she specializes in issues affecting writers and other creative artists. She is the author of 

A WISH FOR 2012

Three friends and I were invited to sing at a local solstice festival. The song we chose was Susan Werner's "May I Suggest." There was no recording allowed, so when I tell you that we sounded exactly like this, no one can prove me wrong.

I wish each of you a happy and peaceful new year.

 Susan O'Doherty, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist with a New York City-based practice. A fiction writer herself, she specializes in issues affecting writers and other creative artists. She is the author of Getting Unstuck without Coming Unglued: A Woman's Guide to Unblocking Creativity (Seal, 2007). Her Career Coach column appears every Monday on Inside Higher Ed's Mama, Ph.D. blog, and she is a regular guest panelist on Litopia After Dark. She can be reached at Dr.Sue at mindspring dot com.

DEAR BOOK BIZ SANTA,

The holiday season can be a beautiful, joyous period of renewal and connection. It can also reinforce feelings of loneliness and inadequacy in sensitive, vulnerable people. This includes everyone, but writers tend to struggle in particular ways. Those lucky few of us who can support ourselves through writing spend our working hours in isolation, which can feel burdensome when one is surrounded by images of congenial merrymaking. For those who toil at unrewarding day jobs to pay the bills, the bills tend to mount at this time of year, forcing increased hours that push writing time to the bottom of the list.

In addition, writers are readers. No matter that we turned to more cynical material as we matured, most of us were nourished on A Christmas Carol,  Cricket on the Hearth, A Child's Christmas in Wales, A Christmas Memory, A Visit from Saint Nicholas, and so on, and our own celebrations and connections can't help but come up short.

This was hard enough when publishing was working. This year, I have heard uncountable horror stories from clients and friends about being shunned by formerly supportive agents and editors, being neglected by publicity departments, and being stabbed in the back by colleagues turned "frenemy" as the perceived pie shrinks.

Obviously, if you could turn the economy around we would all be grateful. Lacking that, here is my request: Please deliver the following message to every discouraged writer on your list.

It isn't you. We are all in it together. We will weather this. Keep writing, keep reading, keep digging for the truth and expressing it as only you can. The world needs you now more than ever.

Love,

Dr. Sue

 Susan O'Doherty, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist with a New York City-based practice. A fiction writer herself, she specializes in issues affecting writers and other creative artists. She is the author of Getting Unstuck without Coming Unglued: A Woman's Guide to Unblocking Creativity (Seal, 2007). Her Career Coach column appears every Monday on Inside Higher Ed's Mama, Ph.D. blog, and she is a regular guest panelist on Litopia After Dark. She can be reached at Dr.Sue at mindspring dot com.

I thought it would be fun to list the books I'm going to be giving as presents... so if you get one of these... sorry I didn't keep it a surprise:)

I'm in love with this book of photos by Annie Leibovitz - Pilgrimage.  There's a wonderful article and some great shots from it in this article at the NYT. 

Who is is for - the most soulful of your friends or family. Someone who will be awed by the details of Emily Dickenson's dress. 

Just the cover shot will leave you breathless.

Have you become addicted to Downton Abbey?

I have and so some of my friends are getting a boxed set - box coutesy of me - Season 1 of the show via the PBS website   and the book The World Of Downton Abbey.

The book takes a look at the real and fictions pre WW1 world of this British estate and those who live and work there.

Jealous?????????

(And full disclosure - none of the books or videos I'm giving are books that AuthorBuzz has marketed. These are personal recommendations based not paid for in any
way.)

After seeing Merrill Markoe Marckoe on Jon Stewart  talk about her new book I knew it was a perfect book to buy for all the people on my list who either love to laugh or need to laugh.

She's hysterical and I've loved her previous books. And hey - she invented Stupid Pet Tricks and Stupid Human Tricks. For that reason along you need to give this book.

“Now that I’ve read Merrill Markoe’s latest book, I’ve learned a lot—about virginity, fetishism, sociopaths and narcissists, and how she explained the BP oil spill to her dogs. Also that Merrill is funnier, smarter, and more honest than anyone any of us knows. Just accept it—I have.”—Winnie Holzman, creator of My So-called Life, co-author of Wicked

“Alarming and reassuring . . . Wait, that’s impossible.”—George Meyer, writer, The Simpsons

Writing on the Air

My regular improv class is on hiatus, so to keep from getting rusty I recently took a trial class at another school. It was fun, and fascinating to experience a very different approach to the same material. One exchange between John, the teacher, and another student stayed with me, because it highlighted something I think all improvisers feel but that I have never heard articulated before.

In a scene involving food preparation, the student had been holding an imaginary pot when he got into an argument with another character and started waving his arms around. Afterward, John asked, "So what happened to the pot?"

The student acknowledged that he had forgotten all about it. "I was worried about where the scene was going," he said, "and I lost track of where I was."

"That's what's so hard about this business," John commented. "You have to wear all the hats, at the same time. You're the writer, the director, and the prop manager, in addition to being the actor. You have to be completely authentic in the moment, and at the same time you have to be aware of the narrative arc and where you're pushing it. There are no rehearsals, no do-overs. It's just you and your co-creators, up there, naked."

He made it sound difficult and scary, and it is. It is also incredibly freeing.

When I write, I am a compulsive reviser. I have to force myself to send stories out, because I never believe they are really done. I rip them apart and put the scenes together in different order; I rewrite them from the point of view of a minor character; I change the setting, the time of year, and the characters' names and vocations. I have been fiddling with some stories for more than 15 years now.

This is fun, but it can be hard to know when to stop--when there really is more to be gotten out of a story, vs nit picking that keeps me from moving on.

Improv is really helping with this. I can't look on anything I do as a draft. I can't revise. I am constantly learning from my mistakes, but I can't go back and fix the mistakes; I can only try to do better next time. And sometimes what I think is a mistake--a spontaneous expression that I would, if I were writing, go back and delete--turns out to be exactly what the scene needs.

It is an exciting, humbling, and confidence building art, and it is changing everything.

 Susan O'Doherty, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist with a New York City-based practice. A fiction writer herself, she specializes in issues affecting writers and other creative artists. She is the author of Getting Unstuck without Coming Unglued: A Woman's Guide to Unblocking Creativity (Seal, 2007). Her Career Coach column appears every Monday on Inside Higher Ed's Mama, Ph.D. blog, and she is a regular guest panelist on Litopia After Dark. She can be reached at Dr.Sue at mindspring dot com.

Dear Dr. O'Doherty,

 With the most recent extreme example of plagiarism all the publishing buzz at the moment (Q.R. Markham's Assassin of Secrets, published by Mulholland, turns out to be entirely composed of text taken from well-known published books), would you please tell us something about the impulse to plagiarize? These cases arise every so often, most recently, for example, the case of Kaavya Viswanathan's debut novel, published in 2006 and withdrawn when her plagIarisms from Megan McCafferty, Salman Rushdie, and a few other published authors came to light.

With Assasssin of Secrets, it isn't just a few cut-and-pasted sentences, but an extraordinary crazy quilt of appropriated text on, possibly, every page. (It is a remarkable feat, in its way, crafting a Frankenstein's monster of a novel apparently coherent enough to garner starred reviews in PW and Kirkus.) Even his answers in an online Q&A about the book turn out to be words stolen from other writers.

How could someone capable of composing a readable manuscript, getting an agent, signing with a publisher, and going through all the stepsone goes through over many months or even years when one publishes a novel never have second thoughts about this sufficient to withdraw the manuscript? (And the author is part-owner of a Brooklyn bookstore, so he might even have awareness of the impact on booksellers when something like this happens.) How could someone's (apparent) ambition to be a published writer lead to the delusion, especially in this internet age, that "writing" such a book could succeed undetected?

Obviously, the publishers need to do some soul-searching on their side. I am asking you to explain something about the author's behavior and thinking in a situation like this. While of course you cannot know what was going on for this individual in this case, can you shed light on what may be going on when someone does something like this? What happened here?

-- Curious and Disturbed

Dear C & D,

As you may know, since you wrote, Quentin Rowan ("Markham") himself has published an account of his process. You will need to decide for yourself how truthful and self-aware this is.

Regarding the more general issue you present, it is fascinating and complex and deserves a fuller response than I can give here, but I will try to hit the main points.

There are many possible motivations for covert antisocial behavior. Some individuals have an inflated, possibly delusional, sense of their own cleverness; they may believe they will never get caught and even enjoy the sense of hiding in plain sight.

Others are thrill-seeking; the excitement of doing something risky (such as speeding, sneaking drugs and alcohol into the school dance, or, yes, plagiarizing, particularly in an obvious way) is enhanced by the knowledge that the consequences of being caught may be dire. This seems to be, at least in part, the process that Rowan describes: substituting the addictive thrill of alcoholism with that of plagiarism.

Still others may struggle with deep-seated feelings of guilt over unrelated acts and actually wish to be caught and punished.

And our culture tends to value form over substance; the state of being famous rather than doing something worthwhile that may also make you famous. Some writers struggle with a perceived need to be published, or famous, and this need can become so intense that it overshadows morality and realistic thinking.

But keep in mind that, although plagiarism is illegal and arguably deeply immoral, it is not unnatural. The idea of intellectual property is a relatively recent one; for earlier generations, stories were passed down and refi

LOU READS

This week, Lou Reed visited my local independent bookstore to publicize his new book, The Raven. Or that was why I assumed he was coming; after having seen him I'm not sure why he was there.

I was admittedly not the target audience for this reading. There was a period in my youth when I thought he was a genius, and I still find much to admire in his songs and his stance. And I'm grateful to him for serving as a gateway to the Beat poets, Rimbaud and WS Borroughs, all of whom provided me with entertainment, inspiration and courage at difficult times in my life. But I'm older and more tired now, and the only reasons I attended the reading were that my friends wanted to go and the bookstore is a quick walk from home. So I was in a good position to observe the audience-author interactions from an outsider perspective.

I have attended many readings in which authors have presented as anxious to please their audiences, going out of their way to respond politely and in detail to such questions as, "What is your favorite color?" and "Why didn't you write about [fill in pet topic]?" I have even attended a reading at which the author was actively hostile to the audience, ridiculing their questions and accusing members of not knowing how to read. But this was my first encounter with a writer who seemed completely indifferent to the other people in the room.

He read in a monotone that was at times difficult to understand, and instructed the employee in charge of the accompanying slideshow to linger on or return to his favorite illustrations so that he could meditate silently on them. He dismissed questions, not with anger or contempt, but simply, apparently, because they did not appeal to him. And although I could not wait to leave, the rest of the audience seemed entranced. (And no, very few people appeared stoned. That was my first thought too.)

I was especially attuned to this because I am scheduled to give two performances this week, neither of which is high-stakes, but about both of which I am extremely nervous. Both my musical theater teacher and a friend who is a professional musician, to whom I have been neurosing ("I know there is nothing to be afraid of--the same way a child knows there aren't monsters under the bed, but doesn't want to turn out the light") insist that nerves are a good thing--that a lack of complacency makes us work harder, and provides that all-important charge between performer and audience.

I'm thinking, too, though, about a wonderful acting teacher who used to tell us, "Don't cater to the audience. When you cater to anyone--a lover, a child, an audience--you lose them. Do what you do based on who you are, and the audience will find you there."

I think there is wisdom in both stances. But I have to admit, I would have appreciated a little nervous energy the other night.

 Susan O'Doherty, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist with a New York City-based practice. A fiction writer herself, she specializes in issues affecting writers and other creative artists. She is the author of Getting Unstuck without Coming Unglued: A Woman's Guide to Unblocking Creativity (Seal, 2007). Her Career Coach column appears every Monday on Inside Higher Ed's Mama, Ph.D. blog, and she is a regular guest panelist on Litopia After Dark. She can be reached at Dr.Sue at mindspring dot com.

So we're opening up the floor again this year for your letters to Book Biz Santa. Just email them to him c/o me at MJRoseAuthor at gmail.com and I'll post them here. Everything will remain anonymous. 

Dear Book Biz Santa,

Please, PLEASE give this to our agents and editors.

Please manage our expectations. Don't tell us you'll get back to us in a week and then be MIA for a month. We try to be professional, turn in our manuscripts on time, return your phone calls and emails in a timely manner. That's all we want from you, which doesn't seem like a lot to ask. In the event that you're unable to meet a deadline...

Communicate with us. A simple email saying, "Sorry this is taking me longer than I expected. I'll definitely have it to you by X DATE," only takes a minute and goes a long way to easing our angst and the constant stress of waiting to hear news that has a significant impact on our career and future. It's hard to work and be creative when you're in a heightened state of nervousness over a period of weeks and/or months because someone hasn't gotten back to you when they said they would. Along these same lines, don't spend time tweeting about bullshit when you owe us a call or email from two weeks ago. This (rightly) pisses us off. Throw us a bone here and show us the level of professionalism expected in ANY business. 

If you're an agent, take some time to strategize our long-term career direction. Taking it a book at a time might be good for your schedule, but it's too little, too late for any kind of meaningful goal-setting related to our career. This business moves slow. Really slow. So when thinking about where we want to be in 2-5 years, we have to act NOW. The book we start writing now, might be the book we sell in a year and the book that's published in three. We count on your expertise and guidance to get us and keep us on the right track. 

Don't play favorites. No one expects you to remember their birthday, wedding anniversary, or the date of their oldest daughter's ballet recital. But social networking has made publishing a very public business. Don't wish one client a very public Happy Birthday, fete their book on release day, or congratulate them for an award and then totally forget about others. Even those of us who claim to not care will be hurt. And it's already too easy to feel insignificant in this business. If your'e not confident you can stay on top of news for ALL your clients, staying mum would be the better, kinder bet.