By: Monica Gupta,
on 7/21/2016
मेरा देश बदल रहा है ये गीत नही बल्कि प्रश्नवाचक चिन्ह लिए है ?सडक पर हो या टीवी पर.मार काट, लडाई झगडा, जातीय हिंसा, राजनीति, अमर्यादित शर्मनाक बोल, महिला असुरक्षा, भटकता युवा, दलित मुद्दा, असहिष्णुता और भी न जाने क्या क्या मुद्दे हमारे भारत देश में छाए हुए है.. लग रहा है कभी सोने की चिडिया […]
The post मेरा देश बदल रहा है appeared first on Monica Gupta.
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By: Lizzy Burns,
on 7/7/2010
Children’s and YA Book Blogs: Enhancing Library Services.
Sunday, June 27, 2010
8 a.m – 10 a.m.
I presented with Travis from 100 Scope Notes and Pam from MotherReader. Despite competing popular programming, such as the YALSA “speed dating with authors” coffee klatch, as well as an 8:00 a.m. start date, 130 people attended this panel on using book blogs to assist in library services such as collection development, readers advisory, and programming.
The PowerPoint, should you want to look at it, is available at SlideShare at http://www.slideshare.net/eaburns/ala-presentation
Travis has a terrific video at his website; and Pam also reports on ALA at her blog. The Photo is from Mitali Perkins. (Thanks Mitali who doesn't know I borrowed it...well, she knows now.)
Blogs mentioned in the PowerPoint, in order they were initially mentioned. All were accessed and live as of June 2010; I added a couple of updated URLs were appropriate.
Elizabeth Burns, A Chair, A Fireplace & A Tea Cozy, http://yzocaet.blogspot.com/
Pam Coughlan, MotherReader, http://www.motherreader.com/
Travis Jonker, 100 Scope Notes, http://100scopenotes.com/
Melissa Wiley, Here in the Bonny Glen, http://melissawiley.typepad.com/bonnyglen currently blogs at http://melissawiley.com/blog
Cybils, http://dadtalk.typepad.com/cybils and http://www.cybils.com/
Robin Brande, http://www.robinbrande.com/
Annual Kidlitosphere Conference, www.kidlitosphere.org/kidlitcon and information about the October 2010 Conference is at http://kidlitcon2010.blogspot.com/
Kidlitosphere Central, http://www.kidlitosphere.org/
A Fuse # 8 Production at School Library Journal, http://blog.schoollibraryjournal.com/afuse8production
Kids Lit, http://kidslit.menashalibrary.org/
American Indians in Children’s Literature, http://americanindiansinchildrensliterature.blogspot.com/
Charlotte’s Library, http://charlotteslibrary.blogspot.com/
From the Mixed Up Files . . . of Middle Grade Authors, http://www.fromthemixedupfiles.com/
Little Willow, http://slayground.livejournal.com/
Scrub-a-Dub-Tub, http://childrens-literacy.com/
Color Online, http://coloronline.blogspot.com/
C
By: Lizzy Burns,
on 7/6/2010
Katie Davis of Book Burps about Books created an ALA 10 video that asks authors, illustrators, publishing folk and a blogger or two the question: "If you could work for any character in children’s literature, who would you work for and what would be your job be?"
I, totally unprepared for the question, could come up with only one answer.
While Fuse #8 figured out how to embed it, I could not. So click thru to watch the video.
Yes, I'd be the equivalent of a monster hunting redshirt, dead in the first ten pages, I'm sure. But oh, what a ten pages they would be!
Go, Team Monstrumologist!
By: Lizzy Burns,
on 2/25/2010
Why, what is that over at Scrub-A-Dub-Tub, the blog for The Reading Tub website?
An interview with me!
While there is some bits about blogging, it is mostly about Braille literacy and my "day job." (Which has nothing to do with this blog, my opinions are my own and not my employers, you all know the drill.)
Amazon Affiliate. If you click from here to Amazon and buy something, I receive a percentage of the purchase price.
© Elizabeth Burns of A Chair, A Fireplace & A Tea Cozy
By: Lizzy Burns,
on 12/5/2009
Why not buy your favorite library or librarian a copy of Pop Goes the Library: Using Pop Culture to Connect with Your Whole Community? Sophie Brookover and I are the authors.
You can buy it directly from our publisher's website, Information Today; or your online bookseller of choice. Most of the reviews are at the book blog; the book got good reviews from American Libraries, Library Journal, and Booklist, among others. The Booklist review, available at Amazon, calls it a "powerful tool" and "required reading." You can also get a preview using Google Books.
The "year of programming" section of the book has tons of ideas for all ages and all libraries; Library Journal says it has "terrific programming suggestions, including a month-by-month calendar of ideas." Does the FTC require a co-author to state the obvious, that is, I earn royalties from the sale of this book?
Next, given the School Library Journal cover controversy, another idea for your favorite library or librarian is You Don’t Look Like a Librarian Shattering Stereotypes and Creating Positive New Images in the Internet Age by Ruth Kneale. Disclosure: I wrote the foreword for this fab book. Which, by the way, earns me nothing but boasting rights.
Amazon Affiliate. If you click from here to Amazon and buy something, I receive a percentage of the purchase price.
© Elizabeth Burns of A Chair, A Fireplace & A Tea Cozy
By: Lizzy Burns,
on 11/2/2009
Or books, blogs, and what I wore.
If you've seen the cover of the November 2009 School Library Journal, or read it, you'll have had the pleasure of seeing me not once but twice!
The first photo is the cover; the second is with the article, This Blog's For You.
Betsy Bird (aka Fuse #8 Production) emailed me asking me if I wanted to come up to NYC for the cover. As luck would have it, I had no outreach, visits, or meetings scheduled for that day; and the people at MPOW allowed me the time to do this (thanks!!).
The bloggers in the photo: Monica Edinger aka Educating Alice, Cheryl Klein aka Brooklyn Arden, Elizabeth Bird aka Fuse #8, Jennifer Hubert Swan aka Reading Rants.
Then, the big worry. What would I wear? Those of you who know me in real life know my usual uniform outside of work is jeans, Doc Martens or Dansko shoes, and a T shirt and sweater. In work, it's very J.Crew lite, with trousers and cardigans. Quickly we decided that we wanted a grown up look, something dressy, something, dare I say it, Mad Men.
In other words... I was looking for an excuse to go shopping. And I had been handed that excuse on a silver platter.
So, for you fashionistas out there, after much trying on of clothes, I went with the Wool Seamed Dress from Ann Taylor: "A flattering sheath dress in wool with stretch for a perfect fit. Jewel neckline. Sleeveless." Color: Dark Heather Gray. In addition to looking good, it was very, very comfortable, which is what I wanted for the train ride to and fro NYC, not to mention finding the photoshoot.
Wanting to add a bit of color, I indulged in the Perfect Luxe Scarf, also from Ann Taylor, color Raspberry Ice, which you can see in the cover. The sweater in the second photo is from J.Crew; last summer, maybe the summer before, so no link or details on that. Shoes are Franco Sarto, The Artist's Collection; they are black, peep toe, with a buckle decoration. I bought them this past summer, so, alas, no link to photo for you. Jewelry: the pearls I got for High School graduation (thanks, Mom!). Hair is by DeJensen, and whenever my hair looks good, it is because of them. I did my own makeup. I also bought all these clothes myself.
The photo shoot was at The Globe, 158 East 23rd Street, New York, NY. It was my type of bar; tons of old-school details, hard wood, tin ceilings, you know the drill.
This is actually my second photo shoot with SLJ. Back when I wrote Curl Up With a Cup of Tea and a Good Blog for SLJ (February 2007), I blogged about the Photo Shoot.
There were a few differences this time around. First, I wasn't involved in the setting up of the lights this time around! SLJ had a few people there, who were assisting with that type of thing so I got to chat with the other cover ladies. Second, this time around I had the benefit of years of viewing America's Next Top Model (thanks to Carlie and Melissa for introducing me!) Thus I could smile with my eyes and watch my elbows.
Amazon Affiliate. If you click from here to Amazon and buy something, I receive a percentage of the purchase price.
© Elizabeth Burns of A Chair, A Fireplace & A Tea Cozy
By: Lizzy Burns,
on 10/31/2009
The November / December 2009 issue of Horn Book Magazine has an article about fanfiction:
In Defense of Fanfiction by Becca Schaffner
As you may remember, Carlie Webber and I wrote an article about Fanfic called When Harry Met Bella for School Library Journal in August. Schaffner references that article: "On the other hand, more well-intentioned efforts like School Library Journal’s August 1, 2009, article on fanfiction cover the mechanical basics of fanfic writing and culture and try to relate them to something more traditional and tangible — that is, the print world whose value we take as a given." Schaffner's piece is more of a personal essay than the SLJ article. Whatever your level of participation in fandom (not at all, "hey so that's what I was writing in High School," or you're a BNF), it's a great article to read.
On a kinda related point: Schaffner makes the point that fandom is about the community.
And I've had a few real life conversations with people about the similarities between fandom and book bloggers. And I've seen others online who see this also. At YA Fabulous, Renay wrote: A big part of the book community is that it’s still a very new fandom, and the fandom I am a part of is definitely not young anymore, so half the time I see the drama llamas flying through the tubes and I’m like, “Oh! How sweet! ALL GROWN UP AND HAVING ITS FIRST WANK!” Or I’ll watch BNFs throw hissy fits or bribe readers with giveaways because they’re not The Center of Attention and Worshiped By The Masses and I think, “Boy, this reminds me of something! Oh right, wait, I’ve seen this before….10,000 times.” It's part of a footnote at a post at YA Fabulous.
Thoughts? Is it like a fandom? Or is it just like any other community, especially a community with no real rules?
Amazon Affiliate. If you click from here to Amazon and buy something, I receive a percentage of the purchase price.
© Elizabeth Burns of A Chair, A Fireplace & A Tea Cozy
By: Lizzy Burns,
on 10/23/2009
Are you going to the Internet Librarian 2009 Conference?
Then you have two chances to meet me, you lucky person, you!
First, on Monday, October 26? I'll be at a Meet the Authors program.
Second, I'll be giving a presentation on Wednesday October 28 with Sarah Houghton-Jan, Digital Futures Manager, San Jose Public Library author of LibrarianInBlack.net, called Technology: The Engine Driving Pop Culture-Savvy Libraries or Source of Overload?
Technology often drives pop culture trends like iPhone mania and texting addictions, and it can also be used to improve all kinds of library services when we embrace the idea that information technology is everyone’s job. By establishing a tech-friendly atmosphere, libraries can harness the latest real-world and web-based techno tools to engage customers in an ongoing discussion to identify and meet the pop cultural & life-learning needs of their communities. Find out how to use trendspotting, experimentation, and continuous training to create a technological sandbox at your library and hear about creative strategies and practical, imaginative solutions from the field for you to use in your community. Then hear how to deal with information load through ten principles including organizational techniques, how to filter your input, time and stress management, managing overload in different media: email, RSS, interruptive technologies, the telephone, print media, multimedia, and social networks. Come away with a plan for tackling your own mound (physical or virtual) of overload!
Stop by, say "hi." Tell me I sent you.
Amazon Affiliate. If you click from here to Amazon and buy something, I receive a percentage of the purchase price.
© Elizabeth Burns of A Chair, A Fireplace & A Tea Cozy
By: Lizzy Burns,
on 10/20/2009
Is that what I look like?
Huh.
A Year of Reading has a great video of interesting, articulate bloggers talking about A Lifetime Of Reading. Oh, and I'm there, also. At least I didn't mispronounce anything!
Amazon Affiliate. If you click from here to Amazon and buy something, I receive a percentage of the purchase price.
© Elizabeth Burns of A Chair, A Fireplace & A Tea Cozy
By: Lizzy Burns,
on 10/12/2009
YALSA (Young Adult Library Services Association, a division of the American Library Association) has announced its slate of candidates for the 2010 election next spring. As usual, the list is a who's who of people who give a lot of time and effort into making YALSA what it is.
Remember: you need to be a member of YALSA to vote! And you do not have to be a librarian to be a member of YALSA.
YALSA President
Sarah Flowers
Sarajo Wentling
YALSA Board of Directors
3-year Term
Shannon Peterson
Chris Shoemaker
Priscille Dando
Alexandra Tyle Annen
1-year Term
Jerene Battisti
Gail Tobin
Angela Carstensen
Jack Martin
Printz Committee
Joy Millam
Todd Krueger
Patricia J. Campbell
Erin Helmrich
Elizabeth Saxton
Drue Wagner-Mees
Ian Rosenior
Gail Zachariah
Edwards Committee
Susan Fichtelberg
Dawn McMillan
Amy Chow
Jonathan Hunt
Walter Mayes
Emily Dagg
Nonfiction Committee
Mary Burkey
Jennifer Hubert Swan
Megan Fink
Diane Colson
Michael Cart
Mary Anne Nichols
Elizabeth Burns
Eva Volin
Yes! There are some great blogosphere names, including Jonathan Hunt, of adbooks and the Heavy Medal blog at SLJ; Jen Hubert from Reading Rants; Mary Burkey from Audiobooker.
I'm sure I missed someone..... Let me know in the comments. I know many of the candidates blog at the YALSA blog.
Who else has their own blog?
Oh yeah! There I am. "Elizabeth Burns," running against a hell of a lot of very brilliant people up for the Nonfiction Committe.
This is the type of thing with no campaigning. YALSA has a "meet the candidate" at Midwinter, and ballots are sent electronically with information about the candidates, so I'll keep you up to date on that type of thing.
Amazon Affiliate. If you click from here to Amazon and buy something, I receive a percentage of the purchase price.
© Elizabeth Burns of A Chair, A Fireplace & A Tea Cozy
By: Lizzy Burns,
on 9/16/2009
I recently began looking at my upcoming Fall calendar.
I think I need ice cream.
Here is the short version of what I'm doing and where I'll be; if any of you are at any of these events, let me know!
October 3
New Jersey State Library Talking Book and Braille Center Fall Festival, Trenton, NJ
October 15
New Jersey Youth Services Forum, Manalapan, NJ. I'm co-presenting the General Session, Listen to this! Audiobooks for K-12. Full program description here.
October 17
Third Annual Kidlitosphere Conference, Washington, DC. I'll be on a panel, talking a little bit about ARCS.
October 28
Internet Librarian 2009, Monterey, CA. I'll be on a panel: Technology: The Engine Driving Pop Culture-Savvy Libraries or Source of Overload? More information here.
November 7
New York Public Library Children's Literary Cafe, NYC. We'll be chatting about the Cybils.
November 13
New Jersey Association of School Librarian's (NJASL) Fall Conference, East Brunswick, NJ. You get to see me twice! First, Pop Culture 101 with Sophie Brookover; next, talking Audi0books.
November 23 - 24
ALAN, Philadelphia, PA. I'll be doing .... nothing! Except listening, learning, enjoying.
Oh, man. I need a LOT of ice cream.
© Elizabeth Burns of A Chair, A Fireplace & A Tea Cozy
By: Lizzy Burns,
on 9/13/2009
You know what happens when your friends and colleagues get their issue of American Libraries before you do?
You get a lot of "you're in American Libraries!"...and you have no idea what is said.
What a relief when it's something great!
It's the August/September 2009 issue (as of this writing, not yet up at their website.)
On page 59 is Learning with Blogs by Mary Ellen Quinn. Many rock-star blogs are listed; and there is Pop Goes the Library!! Quinn's succinct analysis: "it's fun." AND THEN, it gets even better, because it mentions the contributors to Pop and their blogs: Carlie and her blog, Librarilly Blonde; Melissa and her blog, Librarian by Day; and me and Tea Cozy.
I'm not sure what is more thrilling; Pop being listed in the article, or our cluster of blogs being called fun.
So, thank you, Mary Ellen Quinn and American Libraries; and readers who have found their way to Tea Cozy -- pull up a chair, have a cup of tea (or pumpkin spice latte!) and enjoy yourself.
© Elizabeth Burns of A Chair, A Fireplace & A Tea Cozy
By: Lizzy Burns,
on 6/15/2009
Brian Farrey of Flux Books interviewed me for the Flux Podcast.
It's up on the Flux Blog; and it's also here. And here.
I talk about my job and the Printz Award and other bookish stuff and how books were literally climbing my stairs. There may be a horror movie in that.
© Elizabeth Burns of A Chair, A Fireplace & A Tea Cozy
By: Lizzy Burns,
on 6/11/2009
School Library Journal's BookExpo America 2009: ‘Catching Fire’ Tops the Kids' Books Buzz List talks to real! live! people! about what books they "have" to read.
Who are these real! live! people!? Well, me for one. "Scott Westerfeld’s Leviathan (Simon Pulse) also topped the list for Liz Burns, a youth services consultant for the New Jersey Library for the Blind and Handicapped. “Leviathan was one of the two books I waited online for to get signed,” says Burns, also the voice behind the popular kid lit blog, A Chair, A Fireplace & A Tea Cozy."
And lookee here...another familiar name to Tea Cozy readers, Carlie Webber. "By far, the book my colleagues and I talked about the most was Catching Fire,” says Carlie Webber, a young adult services librarian for New Jersey’s Bergen County Cooperative Library System. “We’re dying to know what happens next, and a lot of us librarians are having friendly arguments as to whether Katniss will eventually ride off into the sunset with her longtime friend Gale or with Peeta, her fellow Hunger Games winner.”"
And there is also Laura Lutz: Going Bovine by Libba Bray (Delacorte), who breaks out of her Gemma Doyle trilogy with her latest book, a laugh-out-loud comedy about a teen diagnosed with Mad Cow disease and whose quirky cover has “captured the attention of even the adult selectors I work with,” says Laura Lutz, a children's materials specialist at New York’s Queens Library and the blogger behind Pinot and Prose.
OK, I think any more quotage and I'll be in trouble with the copyright police. Go over and check it out for yourself. I know I'm shifting books on my TBR pile!
By: Lizzy Burns,
on 6/10/2009
So My Friend Amy asked Who's Your Oprah? "Who, when they stamp their seal of approval on something, do you listen to? An author? An artist? A blogger, perhaps? I'd love to know!!"
And guess what? I'm someone's Oprah! Not just anyone, also -- Jen Robinson. It put a smile on my fave so since it's always all about me, I just had to share. Thank you, Jen!
© Elizabeth Burns of A Chair, A Fireplace & A Tea Cozy
By: Lizzy Burns,
on 6/1/2009
As of this very instant moment, when you go to the School Library Journal website, you see this lovely photo.
Yes, that's the incredible panel I was on at SLJ's Day of Dialog; from L to R, it's Laura Lutz of Pinot & Prose, me, Cherly Klein of Brooklyn Arden, Libba Bray, and Betsy Bird of Fuse #8.
Here is the link to the actual SLJ article on the Day of Dialog. The panel itself was tons of fun; the people at DoD were awesome; and how can I not love an article that begins with, "When Betsy Bird and Liz Burns speak, people listen." There will be no living with me now.
More about SLJ's Day of Dialog from Rasco From RIF.
Twitter posts tagged for SLJ DoD.
© Elizabeth Burns of A Chair, A Fireplace & A Tea Cozy
By: Lizzy Burns,
on 5/27/2009
I will be at the SLJ Day of Dialog tomorrow; and BEA thereafter.
I'm hoping to hear interesting panels and not overload on books.
Please say "hi" if you're there!
© Elizabeth Burns of A Chair, A Fireplace & A Tea Cozy
By: Lizzy Burns,
on 4/27/2009
Day of Dialog? What is that?
Join School Library Journal for its first Day of Dialog—a free, day-long program where librarians, editors, authors, and vendors meet to discuss the changing world of books, reading, and libraries. This year we’ll investigate whether blogs are changing our reading and buying habits, hear about the next wave in audiobooks for kids (Guys Listen!), and explore the future of books (like 39 Clues) that are leading readers beyond the page and into the digital world.
Blogs! Yay! What blogs/bloggers in particular?
Panel I: THE BLOGGER, THE BOOK, AND THE BUZZ
Are bloggers having an impact on what we read, what we add to collections, what we recommend? Here what avid bloggers Liz Burns (A Chair, a Fireplace, and a Tea Cozy), Laura Lutz (Pinot and Prose), Cheryl Klein (Brooklyn Arden), and author Libba Bray have to say about it.
Moderated by Betsy Bird, SLJ blogger and librarian, New York Public Library
Hey, that's you!
Why yes, yes it is.
When and where is this Day of Dialog?
Thursday, May 28th, from 8:30 to 4:30. It's at Dwek Center for Contemporary Culture, Central Library, Brooklyn Public Library, Grand Army Plaza, Brooklyn, New York.
But, um, Liz, aren't you phobic about urban driving and parking?
Sh! No need to share all the bad stuff about me. But if I'm going to overcome that phobia (or find some way around it), you know it's for a good reason. Forget me (tho, blatant self promotion, I do think the blogging panel is going to be great). There will be audiobook discussions! Authors! Technology changing how we tell story! It's going to be fun, informative, and you will regret not going.
So click through to the full description of the Day and sign up now. And stop back here to let me know you're going!
© Elizabeth Burns of A Chair, A Fireplace & A Tea Cozy
By: Lizzy Burns,
on 3/11/2009
The March 2009 issue of American Libraries reviews Pop: The Book. If the link doesn't work, it's page 64. Teaser: their ideas will help keep your library popping.
The book is available from the usual sources, including the publisher (see the sidebar for sales information.)
© Elizabeth Burns of A Chair, A Fireplace & A Tea Cozy
By: Lizzy Burns,
on 3/2/2009
This week's post at ForeWord is about ARCs: ARCs: Just like the Hardcover, only Free!
ARCs are free the way radio is free. The end-user doesn't pay for it, so thinks "free." Those involved in creating it now that it costs money. So it's not really "free".
This week I asked some friends, What is an ARC and why do publishers print them?
Here's the teaser: Andrew Karre explains that an ARC "is a promotional piece and a sales tool." Brian Farrey adds, "it's primarily a marketing/publicity tool aimed at generating advance interest and excitement for a forthcoming title."
© Elizabeth Burns of A Chair, A Fireplace & A Tea Cozy
By: Lizzy Burns,
on 2/23/2009
I have another post up at ForeWord Magazine: eBooks, PDFs, and Audiobooks, Oh My.
Here's the sneak peek:
I admit that I have techno-lust for an e-reader: they are so sleek! So shiny! So small! Think of how uncluttered my house would be if the books were all in this one small reader!
© Elizabeth Burns of A Chair, A Fireplace & A Tea Cozy
By: Lizzy Burns,
on 12/5/2008
The book I co-wrote, Pop Goes the Library, is available from the publisher, Information Today, at a special sale rate!
As you can see on the advertisement to the left, the book usually costs $39.50.
The special sale rate is ...
drumroll, please!
$23.70!
That is a 40 percent savings. See Information Today to find out more titles that are part of this "Holiday Blowout Sale."
Follow the Pop The Book tag on this blog to see some of the reviews that have come in about this must-own item!
By: Lizzy Burns,
on 11/18/2008
The YALSA blog has a number of podcasts up from the YA Lit Symposium.
I'll highlight a few.
Part I by the kidlitosphere's own Lindsey Dunn (whose Libba Bray Tea Party was highlighted in the Fandom program Carlie and I did), where you can hear me speak. Lindsey does a great job! Stay on for the whole podcast, and you'll hear Tea Cozy's Melissa Rabey speak about the Fandom program.
Part II: Beth Saxton talks to Carlie about the presentation we did.
Part III: Tea Cozy's latest contributor, Melissa Rabey, speaks with a number of people about the Symposium.
Do you see a common theme? Yes, at Tea Cozy, it's all about Tea Cozy.
By: Lizzy Burns,
on 11/18/2008
Library Journal's review of Pop Goes the Library: the Book is in the November 15 issue of the magazine; and it is also available online.
I'm pleased as punch with it: "This entertaining book by the creators of the "Pop Goes the Library" blog is a breath of fresh air for those progressive librarians wanting to secure their library's future by making patron interests the focus of library services" and "an exciting and essential book."
For a writer with an ego as overinflated as yours clearly is, you ignore fundamentals such as grammar, spelling, and punctuation in your rant and then have the temerity to dismiss readers as trolls. Amazing!
Your obnoxious arrogance and your assertion that readers are fools but that you are a perfect writer are sufficient to dissuade me from reading your work. I would not be surprised to learn others feel the same.
Hack writers were called hacks not because of the speed with which they wrote but because they cranked out garbage. (Can you relate?) Writers like Rex Stout and Georges Simenon wrote fast, but neither has ever been labeled a hack. William Faulkner wrote As I Lay Dying in six weeks. No one has ever called it a hack work.
Typical it takes an anonymouse to place up such words and not take responsibility for them. As to spelling errors in a blog, get a grip.
I do not condemn all readers; in fact, I love intelligent readers. I grow tired of short-sighted readers who dismiss an author on the basis of say an amazon review for instance.
Rob
Furthermore, where do I say ALL READERS are slow? I am a university professor who routinely sees college students with a 3rd grade reading level...Yikes! As to my having an InFlAtEd Ego, whoever Anon is obviously does not know me in the least. Whatever ego I ever had has been kicked the shit out of me long time ago by this business. But also regarding my ego, if anyone ever deserved a big one it oughta be old timers like me who have put up with having every kinda sorta rugged pulled out from under their legs by publishers and more promises broken than a dog has fleas...but I guess time and experience in the novel writing business counts for nothing in Anon's fevered brain.
And so it goes....the Anonymouse squeaks.
Rob
OH DEAR LORD, I dropped an i for an o in one sentence, perhaps transposed a d with an e in another...did I drop a comma, OMY!! Behead the man! Behead the man!
99 percent of my rant is leveled toward publishers and professionsl or so called professionals who have made my life miserable, Anon, and not 99 percent of readers. Just that piss-poor brain dead 1 percent that go around saying crapola and always ending in, "I will never read your books ever! So there!" As if that is going to make or break someone.
Gore Blimey....God Save me! SHEEZE. And hey Anon, GET A LIFE.
Rob
Paying someone to write reviews for your books on Amazon does seems wrong. They can't be unbiased or factual. In truth, someone getting paid to read a book is equivalent to getting a tooth pulled, you may not like it, but you still have to get it done. I would consider myself a "hack reader" if I tried reading something not for the love it, but for monitory gain. It would be like writing a book about something you hated just because it's what's popular "now." I see no arrogance in what you wrote Rob. You have opinions and views based on what you feel, have experienced, ect. I think you have a right to be proud and happy about what you write, if not then why are you still doing it? I have seen many writers that don't promote their books in the least, and I wonder - how do they think they are going to sell any books??
"Typical it takes an anonymouse to place up such words and not take responsibility for them."
If that's what you're upset about, my name is Les. "Place up"? There's a construction! Oh--and you should've put a period after typical and capitalized It, Walker-mite.
"As to spelling errors in a blog, get a grip."
You posture as a professional. Pros proofread their work and take pains to present it as correctly as possible, whether on a blog or elsewhere.
"Furthermore, where do I say ALL READERS are slow? "
Where do you think I accused you of making such a statement about all readers? Examine my original post and you'll see no such accusation.
"I am a university professor who routinely sees college students with a 3rd grade reading level..."
Stop writing down to them.
"As to my having an InFlAtEd Ego, whoever Anon is obviously does not know me in the least."
I know you from various web groups, and have seen how you make any and every thread all about yourself in blatantly unsubtle efforts at self-promotion.
"Whatever ego I ever had has been kicked the shit out of me long time ago by this business."
I take it that ungrammatical sentences like the foregoing are also acceptable on blogs--professor.
"But also regarding my ego, if anyone ever deserved a big one it oughta be old timers like me who have put up with having every kinda sorta rugged pulled out from under their legs by publishers and more promises broken than a dog has fleas..."
Rugged?
You sound like a pouty kid. Pick up your marbles and go home already!
"...but I guess time and experience in the novel writing business counts for nothing in Anon's fevered brain."
My "fevered" brain? You're the one who couldn't handle the criticism in my original comment to the extent of having to post three separate responses. Seems like I pushed your buttons. :-)
"Behead the man! Behead the man!"
It would put a lot of readers out of their misery....
"99 percent of my rant is leveled toward publishers and professionsl or so called professionals who have made my life miserable, Anon, and not 99 percent of readers."
Aside from having misspelled "professional" the first time above, and omitted the hyphen in so-called, you sound like a whiny, bitter, egotistical old man who never got the recognition or acclaim he thinks he deserves. Get over it and get over yourself! Maybe you're just not that good.
"And hey Anon, GET A LIFE."
LOL! Take your own advice, chucklehead. As I said above, you're the one who couldn't let go of my remarks and had to come back three times to respond to them.
Can you say "insecurity"?
Did someone remove all of the previous comments because Walker's ego was bruised? You should call this site the Nadir Authors Link.
I read with interest this blog yesterday and the comments, pro and con, it generated. It is interesting that all those comments have vanished. Disappointing as well since valid points were raised on both sides.
I don't think there is any "pervasive" feeling against authors thinking their own work is good. I think the issue arises when the author self promotes on a list by tying every comment on every subject into his or her own work. Variations of "Interesting that you speak of Mayan Spaceships, Mary. When I was writing "insert title here" now available on Kindle, I learned that blah, blah, blah" certainly turn me off as a reader. I don't think I am alone in that. My sense of it is that authors who hammer list mates with constant ads for their work, don't get read.
In general, the pervasive attitude I am hearing from more and more readers is that the Kindle, Smashwords, etc is the new vanity publishing. Folks who don't want to be edited, can't get a traditional publishing contract for whatever reason, etc. are finding refuge there. That folks who go that way, no matter how many books they claim to have excellently written, aren't worth reading.
I don't see that as being totally true though I do believe the idea does have some merit. That perception is out there and spreading. Instead of blaming readers, (always a bad idea in my opinion) maybe the focus should be on writing and perfecting the next book?
Kevin
(an unpaid reviewer at Amazon and numerous other places online and in print)
http://kevintipplescorner.blogspot.com/
Just when the debate between Robert Walker and Morecombe was getting interesting, you removed their posts. Unfair!
I would also postulate that "published author" is now becoming a meaningless phrase because anyone can do it.
The notion that the title 'published author' is antiquated because there are new ways of becoming one is silly. The notion that "anyone can do it" even more so. One need not look very far to find lots of people trying and only a very small percentage of them actually finishing and publishing a novel, no matter how you define publishing.
Clearly not silly at all if you pay attention to what is happening in the industry.
By the way, Larry, I have a question. On Amazon, your kindle book is listed as published by "Xylocopa Press."
Who, exactly, is that? Is that you?
I did some internet searching and they don't seem to exist.
Kevin
Any healthy alpha male has an ego and without any ego we get those people who spend their entire lives on the porch swing. If I have too much ego for anyone, that anyone can lump it. I have for over forty years helped out other authors, have sold and published a book on average one and two a year. Began writing in 1955 in 4th grade or so and now at 62, have written 50 booklegnth works, a few that are pretty good, good enough to have won praise and acclaim and a couple of awards.
I don't have to waste my time with people who have only one interest and that is to attack others. As a group over the years, I have been judged a single genre author, and that was my main lament, and still I say anyone who can't see beyond his nose that I write in more categories than most READERS read in because so many decide they can only read in one category...well none of that would bother anyone who has NO Ego or reason to have No ego. You know the pedantic type.
rob
Where did my comment go??