new posts in all blogs
Viewing Blog: POD-dy Mouth, Most Recent at Top
Results 51 - 75 of 111
POD-dy Mouth is a blog written by an author and teacher.
Statistics for POD-dy Mouth
Number of Readers that added this blog to their MyJacketFlap: 5
By: Poddy Mouth,
on 10/27/2006
Blog:
POD-dy Mouth
(
Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:
Add a tag
Maybe not at PublishAmerica or Xlibris, but the retail prices of POD books seem to be dropping. Check out Lulu's new distribution options page for the costs to produce a book. This is dynamite.
I am hearing less and less from folks about how the cost of POD (to purchase a book) is keeping them from buying. The prices for midrange novels (say, 250 pages) has become pretty darn close to commercially published books by some POD companies--within a buck, in many cases, if not the same.
The real headache now is the issue of production. Let's hope the new machines at Lightning Source speed up the process, because in this country people want stuff now. So many people wonder why Amazon hasn't taken over the world (it's certainly on its way). It's because Amazon cannot get you a book tonight. Most people want to browse a book and take it home. The problem with POD, of course, is not only do you have to wait for Amazon to ship it, you have to wait (in most cases) for it to be printed at Lightning Source. You can't be in a hurry when it comes to POD. Heaven help you if you need a book to do research for a school project.Now, if the fable of POD machines in bookstores comes true someday . . . _______________________In case you didn't see this, it's a must read. Wired magazine has a piece on ultra short stories. Like, six words. Some of them are just great, like:Gown removed carelessly. Head, less so.--Joss WhedonIt's behind you! Hurry before it--Rockne S. O'BannonEpitaph: He shouldn't have fed it.-- Brian HerbertCommas, see, add, like, nada, okay?-- Gregory Maguire
By: Poddy Mouth,
on 10/25/2006
Blog:
POD-dy Mouth
(
Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:
Add a tag
Last year, I reviewed a tasty little novel written by Arthur Edwards titled STUCK OUTSIDE OF PHOENIX. It was a heartfelt story about an introspective (and physical) journey, and written by the former bass player for The Refreshments.Well, it turns out musicians (especially songwriters) have a real talent for penning novels, because today's pick, RANSOM SEABORN, was written by Bill Deasy. Yes, that Bill Deasy, the singer/songwriter from The Gathering Field. I guess sometimes you just need to tell a story that requires more than you can fit into a set of lyrics.
Deasy's novel is a sort of coming-of-(late)-age tale about young Dan Finbar and his relationship with college buddy Ransom Seaborn. Poor Ransom only survives forty pages, leaving Fin and Ransom's girlfriend, Maggie, to sort out the whats and whys of what happened--and how to move on. It's an earnest and rewarding journey, a simultaneous opening up and closing down of the human spirit, like a gentle walk through the woods--while learning how to avoid tripping on the broken branches. Bill Deasy knows how to pen compelling prose, capturing the mood and style of classic American writing.
The book is filled with delicious snippets of the transition from adolescence to adulthood, like this one, where Fin had been drinking before a dance at his Christian-infused college:
The song ended and Lynn asked, "Can we step outside for a minute?" This was going even better than I'd hoped. Standing in the cool, night air, I gazed into her almond eyes awaiting her cue. After what seemed like an eternity she said, "Have you been drinking, Finbar?"
It gets fuzzy after that. She became the missionary and I the unconverted native. I mostly tuned out her speech, which revolved around her God and her values and the dangers of alcohol and the fact that I had held her too closely. It became the sound the TV makes when a station runs a test of the emergency broadcast system.
The book references J.D. Salinger--both literally as well as in writing style--repeatedly, and fans of Salinger's magnum opus will certainly not be disappointed here. Fin wanders through his days at college in a haze, reconstructing his life piece by piece, page by page, until you reach the unexpected and vaguely hopeful end.
If N. Frank Daniels' FUTUREPROOF is the post-modern adolescent abyss, RANSOM SEABORN is several fields from the edge of the cliff. This is a sweet, enjoyable read--absolute fantastic literature. And at $12.95, it is exactly what Random House would charge you if they had published it. One final note: This novel has one of the best covers (front, and especially the back) that I have seen in the realm of POD to date. Buy two copies; the holidays are upon you.
By: Poddy Mouth,
on 10/24/2006
Blog:
POD-dy Mouth
(
Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:
Add a tag
If you caught my brief comment on Macmillan's New Writing program last week (a sort of where are they now update), you may get the impression I was hammering Macmillan. I was. A little. Though I have always had high regard for the publisher.Well, I received a cogent response from Ian Hocking, author of DEJA VU, a POD-dy pick from 2005. Being in the land where Macmillan has more of a presence (England), he could offer a more valuable insight. Ian had this to share:Just read your post about Macmillan New Writing - I think your comments are a little unfair. The UK press have been pretty hard on the outfit, but the imprint has put has put its money where its mouth is re: publicity and editing. The books are widely available in branches of UK bookstores (virtually impossible for POD and self- published stuff). I've read a couple of them, and the overall quality is high - both content and general editing. I wrote a review of Roger Morris's book here. Morris has a recent blog entry in which he gave details of his first royalty cheque. I don't know too much about PublishAmerica, but it might be a little unfair on Macmillan to put the two in the same basket. BTW, I don't have any connection to Macmillan NW (in fact, the gits turned down my latest novel). You might also be interested in my review of the book written by Michael Barnard, who set up the NW imprint - a couple of the other NW authors responded to my critical comments.Click to all these links. The royalty link is of particular interest. And I can tell you the sales and figures are pretty close to your average American midlist novel. Excellent stuff.___________________________Carol Hoenig, author of the lyrically haunting (and 2005 POD-dy pick) WITHOUT GRACE, has won yet another award for her book, this time taking the fiction award at the 2006 DIY Book Festival.___________________________And if you thought self-publishing might be a dead end (and while the odds are in great favor of that), you just never know. Check out this recent book deal from Publishers Marketplace:Rights to Teri Woods's originally self-published TRUE TO THE GAME, plus to two sequels and two stand alone street novels, to Karen Thomas at Warner, in a major deal, by Marc Gerald at The Agency Group (world). For those of you who don't know, a "major deal" means it was worth a minimum of $500,000--which is the entire financial career of a midlister.___________________________
And if you think I am insane for trying to wade through the sea of POD / Self-published titles, here's a guy with an even greater mental defect than I: The Unsung Critic. Instead of self-pubbed novels, he wades through screenplays. He's going to need a life-preserver for sure.___________________________
Also - check out this very cool interview with Jeremy Robinson, author of THE DIDYMUS CONTINGENCY, where he discusses at length his writing and the impact of POD.___________________________Lastly, check out this unpublished author who uses an econometric forecasting model to determine the publication date of his novel. For one out of 5,000 of us, it is simple: never.Tune back in first thing tomorrow when I uncover one of the best jewels of 2006 so far!
By: Poddy Mouth,
on 10/20/2006
Blog:
POD-dy Mouth
(
Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:
Add a tag
Well, talk about a long road. This clever, engrossing novel came out in 1999, significantly before POD had dug in its heels and overloaded the listings on Amazon. Add to that that it took me a half a year to get around to reading it, and you've got a book that was a long time coming.
Well, it has arrived.
The book I'm talking about is MONKEY WRENCH by Harland W. Carson (real name A. A. Allan), not to be confused with the book by the same name by P. J. Tracy (MONKEEWRENCH).
I haven't read a captivating, funny mystery like this since MOTHERLESS BROOKLYN. Mysteries, with me, are a tough genre. Like romance, it's easy to step out of bounds and go somewhere ridiculous. But not so with MONKEY WRENCH. He had me from the first page--the first line even:
Face your fear and conquer it, or die slowly by degrees of self-loathing.
WRENCH tells the story of a weathered, mid-life-crisis-aged private eye, Harvey Stubbs.
Jesus, I must have guzzled down a drink for every color there was in the rainbow; only wish I'd stopped at Creme de Menthe for green.
Like any good cozy, it's a mystery that unravels from the opening pages and keeps you guessing chapter after chapter (I tend not to synopsize mysteries, if you happen to be new here). For those of you who enjoyed last year's Needle Award winner, ISN'T THAT BIGAMY? by Mike Vogel, you will be the perfect audience for the page-turner.
I was glad to see somebody else was occupying my preferred stool as I wedged my way up to the bar. Nostalgia for your old routines won't cut it if you're trying to set a new stage in your life. A simply marvelous book. Loved every word. Grab it on Amazon for $15 and change.
By: Poddy Mouth,
on 10/19/2006
Blog:
POD-dy Mouth
(
Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:
Add a tag
Received a great email from Jim Barnes, the Managing Editor and Awards Coordinator for Independent Publisher Online/Jenkins Group Inc. The Independent Publisher Book Awards (or IPPYs) are yet another classy/prestigious award for books coming from independent publishers (just like ForeWord). Jim got in contact after I ran the blog entry about the increase in POD presence at the ForeWord awards and he had this to write:
I run the Independent Publisher Book Awards and we also received a lot of POD entries in last year's 10th Annual IPPY Awards. We don't name as many semi-finalists as ForeWord - 464 total for our 60 national, 20 regional, and 10 outstanding book of the year categories - and a total of 11 titles from the major POD houses got awards (down a bit from the previous year). There were 3 category winners, all Fiction titles, one each from iUniverse, AuthorHouse and BookSurge. Complete results at http://www.independentpublisher.com/awardwinners.php
This year, one month into entries, out of 155 titles we have 12 iUniverse entries (8 entered by iUniverse from their Star program); 6 BookSurge, and one each from Xlibris, PublishAmerica, Hard Shell and Books on Demand.
My message to POD authors is a typical one: don't scrimp on cover design, layout, and editing. The competition is very tough and gets tougher every year. It should look like it belongs on the shelf at Borders, and customers should be drawn to it and want to pick it up. And when they do, by all means make sure the first few pages are perfect - a typo or awkward language on page one is the kiss of death. You MUST impress the reader immediately.
This month we're running an article, Independent Authors and Publishers Unite! about a call to organize a clearinghouse for reviews and promotion that POD and self-published have so much trouble getting from corporate media today.
Sage advice and great insider info! And you have to remember, getting awards for your POD title is what will make it stand out (second only to enormous sales) with a traditional publisher.
By: Poddy Mouth,
on 10/18/2006
Blog:
POD-dy Mouth
(
Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:
Add a tag
I always feel a little happier (yet curiously melancholy) when I can reference the Smiths and the literary world in the same sentence.Anyway.Where James Frey was getting pounded for being too loose with the facts, it seems poor Augusten Burroughs is getting pounded for being too honest. What a (literary) world we live in.I feel bad for all those future memoirists out there. Unless you're an attorney, how do you make sense of it all?
By: Poddy Mouth,
on 10/18/2006
Blog:
POD-dy Mouth
(
Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:
Add a tag
Are you a crime novelist? Well, here is a contest (a real one, unlike the Sobol nonsense) that can get you a direct book deal with Regan Books (that's HarperCollins for those of you knew to the scene).
Court TV is hosting the "Next Great Crime Writer Contest”, where not only are the judges accomplished writers (i.e. Lisa Scottoline) but also Judith Regan herself.
Best of all, the public is going to help determine winners by voting on the site. So no more complaining about the publishing industry snubbing you.
And what do you know: It's free.
This is a must see if you are an aspiring crime writer.
By: Poddy Mouth,
on 10/16/2006
Blog:
POD-dy Mouth
(
Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:
Add a tag
Bryan Appleyard writes. You should read.It's just *sniff* beautiful.
By: Poddy Mouth,
on 10/13/2006
Blog:
POD-dy Mouth
(
Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:
Add a tag
As if this blog hasn't convinced you that there are oodles of great reading in the sea of POD titles, then I . . . would . . .
What's so funny?
Okay, maybe not oodles. Let's say one oodle. There is one oodle of great reading in the sea of POD titles. Let me check Wiki real quick.
Yes, one oodle means 58. There are exactly 58 instances of great reading in the sea of POD titles. And I found them all.
But there may be more. I'm sure there are more. The real sign that much good writing has been overlooked by New York is the increase in POD published titles winning awards (and being finalists) in the ForeWord Book of the Year Awards. (All this chatter about Nobels and NBAs and such got me thinking). This is not some goofy award given out to just POD books (like, ahem, mine). The ForeWord Book Awards are handed out to independent publishers. Who does that include (besides iUniverse and the like)? Oxford University Press, McSweeneys, Rizzoli, Llewellyn, Other Press, Marlowe, Pelican Press, Howard, as well as a slew of university presses. My point? A lot of POD titles wiggled there way in considering they are battling full blown publishers for the same spots--and the PODers don't get the benefit of editing, cover design, and so on.
A few of my picks have shown up there as well, including Nicole Hunter's WAITING FOR THE WORLD TO END, Carol Hoenig's WITHOUT GRACE, and Faye Freimuth's A MULTITUDE OF MERCIES. But this year (the 2005 awards) has a surprising number of self-published/POD books.
So what POD companies are producing the most (read: what POD companies did the majority of winners and finalists use to print their books)?
iUniverse: a stunning 19 (including seven medal winners)
Authorhouse: 10 (including two medal winners)
Xlibris: 3 Aventine: 2 (including one medal winner)
PublishAmerica: 2
Lulu: An embarrassing zero--which is confusing considering how many good titles have emerged from them.So that's 36 titles out of 613 winners and finalists (not including any POD presses I didn't recognize)--or in other words, 6% of the titles. Now, as much as you might hate POD (we all have our moments), you have to admit: Where would all of these great books be without POD? Buried forever.You can read the entire list of winners and finalists here.
By: Poddy Mouth,
on 10/11/2006
Blog:
POD-dy Mouth
(
Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:
Add a tag
Even more . . . (6) Naomi Hirahara interviews Sue Ann Jaffarian, where she discusses her transition from POD (iUniverse) to getting a commercial deal (Midnight Ink). You get a good feel for her experiences with POD and her reasons for going down that dark alley in the first place.(7) Daniel Scott Buck (author of POD-dy pick THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH) has a thought-provoking post over at the riotlit blog, a Frey vs. Lauck discourse with high entertainment value.(8) Lastly, have some fun checking out PublishAmerica's twisted statistics. You can pretty much make everything sound good if you wrap numbers around it. For example:"FACT #2: Each day, an average 125 new authors who are looking to find a book publishing company ask us to publish their book, more than 30,000 per year, an absolute record in the industry." You've got be kidding. Random House probably gets 125 requests a day from agents. Never mind the stuff falling over the transom. Sorry, PA. Not only is this nowhere near a record, it's not even in the ballpark.Now, here's a real telling piece of info. Go back to FACT #1 and read: "PublishAmerica counts nearly 20,000 happy authors. Each day, an average 10 of them ask us to also accept their next work . . . ." Okay, so let's assume they sign 100 of the 125 aforementioned authors who come knocking on their door each day (we all know it's 125, though). This means only one out of ten PA authors wants them to publish their next book. What does that tell you? You think Simon & Schuster has that kind of retention problem?"Bookstores appreciate that thousands of our titles are returnable." Because they usually get returned."All authors are treated equally here." That is, ignored."We assign a graphic designer who comes up with a unique cover design." And they must be prolific, coming up with about four covers a day.And perhaps most inane: "FACT #9: Does the use of the digital on-demand printing technology make a publisher a POD house? No, it does not. Of course not. According to www.acronymfinder.com, there are 57 different meanings for POD, from Post Office Department to Point Of Departure to Proof Of Delivery. In our world, POD is vanity publishing, and PublishAmerica is no vanity publisher, by any stretch of the imagination." What, exactly, does that make them?
By: Poddy Mouth,
on 10/10/2006
Blog:
POD-dy Mouth
(
Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:
Add a tag
Check out these fun POD/Publishing tidbits for some good reading:(1) Xerox has found yet another way to make the point that you "can't do this without POD technology" with their new offering of customized Teacher's Edition books. This is the kind of thing (not the publishing of countless bundles of inferior fiction and memoirs) that can/will reshape the publishing industry.(2) Check out this new blog by an anonymous PublishAmerica author. It has some worthy insights. Best of all, the first post is an open letter to PA and starts with this: "You don't know me, but I published my first book through your company in April of 2005."(3) Romance writers and readers are getting picked on. Again.(4) A very new and cool blog is out and about in the land of literary anonymity: The Rejecter. He/She works as an assistant literary agent and offers advice on how to get past the first line of rejections. In the vein of Kristin Nelson's blog and Miss Snark, there is some great info and advice here.(5) PubGuy has a cool little interview with Susanne Severeid (author of the POD-dy pick, THE DEATH OF MILLY MAHONEY) and her subsequent landing of an agent.
By: Poddy Mouth,
on 10/9/2006
Blog:
POD-dy Mouth
(
Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:
Add a tag
Not really. Please don't start sending your unpublished manuscripts my way because you think I'm acquiring for HarperCollins or some such nonsense.
What I mean to say is, I feel like an editor.
I have not edited anyone's manuscript, but there have been so many (more than usual lately) that are incredibly close to perfect, but they are missing that tight editing to make it truly a joy to read. I try to give it the benefit of the doubt as long as possible, but eventually I just can't take it any longer and close the book (a.k.a. delete the file).
But perhaps I have become most like an editor in this way: I am always looking for a reason to dislike a book. I have such a backlog of reading that it is easier to pass on them than to struggle through and look for the gleam of possibility. Granted, I usually don't have to try hard; the crappy ones stick out like a cold sore on a sunny day. Of course, that means the books I ultimately select are the absolute best, and the ones where I am thirty pages in and still engrossed usually go all the way and end up getting reviewed (though there is a recent exception from three weeks ago where the novel really went down the drain in the final 25 pages--a classic case of I-don't-know-how-to-end-this syndrome).
So, while I hope to impart my wisdom on the legions of writers and readers everywhere, perhaps I have been taught a bit of a lesson as well: no matter how much you think there might be a short cut to good writing (either on the production end or the consumption end) there isn't one, just like there is no short cut to success in writing. This is a long journey for everyone, including me. All we can ask in the end is that we have something to show for it.
By: Poddy Mouth,
on 10/6/2006
Blog:
POD-dy Mouth
(
Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:
Add a tag
If you're looking for a good read this weekend, I would (of course) recommend any of the picks to the right. However, if you were a big fan of the Needle Award Finalists last year, here a few new tidbits for you to buy and devour over the coming holiday weekend (yes, some of us still get Columbus Day off).
Jeremy Robinson, author of the ultra-compelling DIDYMUS CONTINGENCY, has released his next novel under his own imprint (he is publishing selected works by other authors as well). His new book, RAISING THE PAST, is already off to selling in similar hotcake-fashion to his debut title. The man is one creative dude.
Jeremy Robert Johnson (not be confused with the aforementioned Jeremy Robinson), author of the mind-blowing, literary-horror masterpiece, ANGEL DUST APOCALYPSE has two new treats out and about in the marketplace worth reading. Both SIREN PROMISED and EXTINCTION JOURNALS (each under $10) were released a few months ago and have further cemented the opinion of readers everywhere that JRJ is a writer to be watched.
Both authors have landed top notch agents, by the way, for all you drooling book-peddlers out there.
And don't forget to check out Todd Noker's new and improved (Star version) RATED F, a book that still tickles my funny bone to this day, even though it was one of the first books selected here at POD-dy Mouth Industries.
Lastly, if you feel like getting out of the house--and looking to grab a signed copy of one of my recommendations--N. Frank Daniels is wrapping up his book tour of FUTUREPROOF. So if you happen to be in New York, Philadelphia, or Richmond, give him a visit--and get a copy of what will ultimately be a cult favorite:
Friday, 10/06/2006 08:30 PM - N. Frank Daniels, Tony O'Neill, Jolene Siana @ the KGB Bar 85 West 4th St., New York, NY 10003
Saturday, 10/07/2006 07:00 PM - N. Frank Daniels @ Wooden Shoe Books 508 South 5th St., Philadelphia, PA 19147
Sunday, 10/08/2006 04:00 PM - N. Frank Daniels @ Chop Suey Books 1317 W. Cary St., Richmond, VA 23220
Well, that should you keep you busy through the holiday. If not, stop by for more hidden treasure next week!
By: Poddy Mouth,
on 10/5/2006
Blog:
POD-dy Mouth
(
Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:
Add a tag
In case you think self-publishing is a total waste of time (which it is if your manuscript sucks), think again. Where would Will Clarke be today without POD? Hanging out in Dallas with some awesome manuscripts sitting in his desk drawer. And he certainly wouldn't be here -- making Rolling Stone's 20th Annual Hot List.Click on the image to read it all.Okay, now go buy LORD VISHNU'S LOVE HANDLES and THE WORTHY, both of which have been optioned for major motion pictures.The Rolling Stone article starts, "America's latest cult comic novelist is Will Clarke...."What more could an author ask for?
By: Poddy Mouth,
on 10/3/2006
Blog:
POD-dy Mouth
(
Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:
Add a tag
I am not one to put watching television over reading. In fact, I rarely watch television unless I am sick or hung-over. However . . . if you read Jeff Lindsay's DARKLY DREAMING DEXTER (or even if you didn't) you have got to check out DEXTER on Showtime.Not only is the show (at least the premiere episode) true to the book, but the filming is literary in nature, almost akin to an independent film; CSI this is not. There hasn't been a serial killer this lovable (and creepy) since Hannibal Lecter, and Dexter's a hell of a lot better looking than Hannibal. No matter how hard you try, you can't help routing for him. He really can't kill enough for my taste. Check it out and see what I mean.Well worth investigating, and a must for those who were gripped by the book. I chose to try the first few minutes and see what I thought. I didn't get up until the credits.
By: Poddy Mouth,
on 9/29/2006
Blog:
POD-dy Mouth
(
Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:
Add a tag
Connie Biewald's novel is comprised of literary favorites: a teenage girl suffering from the loss of her father (a Vietnam veteran who did not die in the war but by accidental means after returning home), the overwhelming ennui of small town life, a family that has seemed to alienate her, and a restless desire for love and contentment.Where these items lead, however, is the real enjoyment of this book.You'll be only a few pages into DIGGING TO INDOCHINA before you sit back in your La-Z-Boy and cozy up for a long night of reading. And you'll read even less before admitting that Connie Biewald is a wordsmith. She manages to grasp complex points and deliver them with deft accuracy:All the old photos showed happy people. The only record of the raging fights between their parents was the mutable one of memory. Ivy and Bryan carried their own versions of those short years as a family of four, more distinct than mere variations on a recipe, more like the difference between chocolate and vanilla.The story, ultimately, is of the aforementioned Ivy, a seventeen-year-old girl in search of the love missing from her crumbling family, how she finds it in a guy named Gil Thompson, a man who goes from lover to abuser, and Ivy's return home, pregnant and disintegrating.Sounds like a downer, I know--but so does THE LOVELY BONES until you get to the core of what is going on. The book is absolutely worth a read, if for no other reason than the delightful writing. If you've had your fill of cookie-cutter thrillers, take a break and read something that will make you think; I'll bet, just like me, the characters will still be inside your head several days later.Just superb stuff! Perfect for fans of Alice Sebold and Anne Tyler.And, as luck would have it, iUniverse added it to their Star collection. Which means it's cheap. You can get it on Amazon for $10.17, which is less than the price of a pizza. Why not feast on some words for a change?
By: Poddy Mouth,
on 9/28/2006
Blog:
POD-dy Mouth
(
Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:
Add a tag
Publishers Lunch has a great link to a Lulu release:Lulu.com has worked out a deal with Bowker to give self-publishers who use their service individual ISBNs that are particular to the authors themselves (without having to buy numbers in blocks of ten). Lulu says they are adding 2,000 new titles every week. Yes, every week.Ultimately, this is really putting power in the hands of self-pubbers. Check out Lulu's release.
By: Poddy Mouth,
on 9/28/2006
Blog:
POD-dy Mouth
(
Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:
Add a tag
MJ Rose has a fantastic post today about how the publishing industry (needing to keep up with what is going on and the pressure to perform and produce) is starting weigh down on its authors.It's interesting because I remember many of my writer friends criticizing John Grisham (not to his face, of course) for writing A PAINTED HOUSE a few years ago, and that he should stick to his what he does best. And I remember thinking at the time that John Grisham must get sick of writing about courtrooms and crooked prosecutors and dead judges and probably wanted to try something new. Granted, John got the chance because of who he is--but he managed to write a decent book. And I think most people would consider it a literary work. Same for Stephen King, whose books far less resemble horror than they do the internal machinations of the human mind--and I don't mean telekinesis or the ability to start random incendiary events with mental focus, but things like grief and sorrow and regret. Granted, Mr. King's transition was much slower, more subtle--but it is there nonetheless.But what if you are a proven author (with sales) who wants to branch out? Does the publishing industry really foster creativity and experimentation? Almost never. It wants stability and sales. And anything that might push it in the other direction is quashed. So now we have talented authors (as proven with MJ's post) burning out because it is no longer about writing; it's about product.If you are an aspiring writer on the cusp of a book deal, enjoy these days. Those moments you wrote your novel or memoir in some dimly lit corner of your house at the oddest times will be the most romantic memories you'll have of creating your art.
By: Poddy Mouth,
on 9/22/2006
Blog:
POD-dy Mouth
(
Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:
Add a tag
I found this book in the strangest of ways, or should I say it found me? This is a story I've been looking forward to telling.While flying back home from my much-needed Labor Day vacation, I'm seated next to a chatty gal about my age and weight, married, two children, new job (and a whole host of other information that you [and I] have no interest in.) Finally, after two hours (two hours!) of her talking about herself, she decides to finally inhale. Then she asks, "So, what do you do?"The plane lands.By instinct, I want to respond with a brief diatribe about my day job: the tedium, the motionless moments, the necessary paycheck for living in the bloated Washington DC housing market. Then I realize the potential of this moment: I'm a writer (damn it!) and I'm going to sell my book to this chatmonster and have her endlessly buzzing (her modus operandi) my books to her friends and family.I get this much out: "I'm a writer, a novelist."She sucks in that deep breath with a wheeze and slaps me on the knee and says, "Oh, I have a book you've got to read. It is just fabulous! I just finished it and it just (sits back, puts hand to her chest, closes eyes) moved me.I want to move her right out my window and onto the searing tarmac.She unbuckles her seatbelt, grabs her bag, reaches past a mostly empty bag of cheesepuffs and pulls out an artificial-cheese-encrusted novel and drops it in my lap and walks down the aisle and out of my life.My first thought was how I would be able to shove that book into one of those little airplane toilets.But alas, as I sat on the plane virtually alone (for a layover), boredom turned to curiosity and I brushed the orange film away and noticed a familiar logo on the spine of the book; it was published by iUniverse.Serendipity.A MULTITUDE OF MERCIES by Fay Freimuth, with a paperback price tag of $18. It was like a little overpriced slice of home.And what can I say . . . it moved me, too.The only flaw with this entire book is that the logo on the spine shouldn't be for iU as much as it should be for Knopf or Viking or Little, Brown.Ms. Freimuth writes a superb and stunning (and biographical?) story of how the protagonist and her family come to terms with her sister's sudden-onset schizophrenia. Sounds depressing, but it's not. It's an uplifting story, at times invariably humorous and always deftly written. The book possesses everything the New York publishers love: despair, hope, emotional familial love. And while the story is something that would reach a varied readership (even more than THE MEMORY KEEPER'S DAUGHTER has), it urges you to continue reading no matter what your taste. The novel is compelling, but even if you have no interest in a story about a person with mental disease, the writing is so beautiful you have no choice but to read on.Here's the opener:"There's a difference 'tween being sick in your body and being sick in your head," Grandma explained to Mama as they sat on the porch. "You tell someone you've got a cold, they say they hope you get better. You tell someone you've got diabetes, they feel sorry for you. You tell someone you're a schizophrenic with serious paranoid tendencies, they scoot their chair farther away." She studied her stitches, then continued, "What can they say anyway? Sorry you're crazy? They can't say, 'Oh, it's been goin' around. Had that myself last week.' They don't tell you about their aunt Verna. The one they all suspected lost her marbles when she started setting out the fine china for her cats and took up smoking a pipe and singing "Swing Low" 'stead of saying her prayers at supper. Aunt Verna's the one people just don't talk about to outsiders. Sure they send a pie once in a while, or a card, or come in just for a second, leaving the kids in the car to make sure the visit will be short."You immediately grasp the tone of the novel. From here it is a page-turning onslaught that will result in you burning dinner and holding your bladder until the very last possible moment. And Ms. Freimuth doesn't do this through trickery or thrilleresque manhandling. She does it the old fashioned way, through great writing. Oprah would dig this novel, big time. It's right up her alley, assuming she could get over the Frey thing. (What did she expect from a guy who wrote this?)So, what can I say? My cheese-puff-loving neighbor tipped me off to one fantastic read--though I was annoyed she didn't get to hear the sales pitch for my novels. I really believed she was the kind of person who would grab on to a book she liked and get it in the hands of the nearest person.What do you know; she was.Buy it on Amazon. Ignore the price and indulge.
By: Poddy Mouth,
on 9/20/2006
Blog:
POD-dy Mouth
(
Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:
Add a tag
What is it, exactly? It's a collective of writers, both commercially published and self-published, who have joined forces to make a simple point: It's all about the writing. These are authors of important books and definitive styles, with varying backgrounds, who have come together from the fringe (as it were) to shed light on some great writing, on works that fall between the immense cracks in the publishing industry. I, as a writer, was fortunate to find an editor and publisher who were willing to label my books in a way that are bookstore friendly. But what about all those books that aren't? Well, unless you're new here, you already know that the POD/self-pub world is picking up the slack--and sadly, most are going unnoticed.Riot Lit is the closest thing (finally!) to "indie lit" I have ever seen, and the coolest band of writers to come along since the Memoirists Collective. Indie rock is considered so cool and hip that some folks (including some friends of mine) won't buy anything produced by major labels anymore. Why should literature be any different? (I know--a heap of horribly-written self-published books is why.) My point (and what I've been trying to prove for a year and a half now) is that indie lit does exist; it's just wicked-hard to find.Well, Riot Lit is changing their little corner of the literary world, and absolutely worth checking out. Even if you are not into the types of material listed on the site, it's worth perusing for no other reason than it's one of the coolest websites I've seen.But most of all (and I swear on my grandmother's grave this is merely coincidence) no less than three authors of books I have selected are part of the collective (Jeremy Robert Johnson, N. Frank Daniels, and the newly-inducted Daniel Scott Buck.)But hey, this post is not merely a plug for their collective. I'm putting my money where my mouth is; I just ordered a copy of Brad Listi's ATTENTION. DEFICIT. DISORDER. and pre-ordered a copy of Kate Holden's IN MY SKIN. So there.
By: Poddy Mouth,
on 9/19/2006
Blog:
POD-dy Mouth
(
Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:
slushpile,
Add a tag
Everyone is getting hung up on the money issue of the Sobol Award--which they should, since Sobol stands to make up to $4.2 million on this bogus venture.
But let's look at another side of this. Let's say they actually got 50,000 entries. How on earth are they going to judge all of them? I saw one poor soul on the Publishers Weekly comment board justifying the $85 because she will "get her manuscript read" by so-called professionals.Uh, I don't think so.If they actually look at every submission, which is highly doubtful, how much of any given manuscript can they really read? Let's say they get 50,000 entries. And let's say they get 50 judges (in reality, probably 1/10th of that). That's 1,000 manuscripts apiece. Let's say they read ten pages of every manuscript, including the winner. That's 10,000 pages, or approximately 40 full length books.Get real. No one has that kind of spare time. This is why agents and editors have other people vetting for them. And if they actually read every page of every manuscript? Yeah - an extra 1,000 novels this year, or three a day, every day, including holidays. That's realistic.This is the most bogus thing to have come along since James Frey's attempt at a memoir. In the words of Stephen P. Hull (publisher for the excellent Justin, Charles & Co.) from the PW discussion board: ". . . it's an agency representation scam that is a purely profit-making venture."I hope they get 10 entries and are forced to pay out the six figures anyway.
By: Poddy Mouth,
on 9/15/2006
Blog:
POD-dy Mouth
(
Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:
Add a tag
I finished Daniel Scott Buck's novel while on vacation. Let me rephrase: His was the only book I finished on vacation. I went with 103 (digital) and came back with one (to review). And what a winner it is.
However, and is typically the case when you are out of the contact with the world, Michael Allen,
the Grumpy Old Bookman, beat me to the punch and reviewed this treat first (and makes a good many of the points I would have made here, though his are probably better written.)Well, you know what? This tight little book is so good it deserves two raving endorsements.
THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH is a postmodern satire, a dark and devilish look into, among other things, reality television. And no, it is not a rambling jaunt into a behind-the-scenes expose of Survivor, but a compelling story about manipulation, confusion, and fame.The writing here is wonderful, and I had to keep reminding myself that this was a self-published book. Very well-edited and clean as a whistle. And the prose is just marvelous:The beginning of a tantrum appears of Meme's face. She sounds out each breath to get my attention. I swear she thinks her cryptic fits are a phenomenon not to be missed, like comets or shooting stars.The novel is comedic, I suppose, but do not underestimate the power of its dark side. And most of all, pay attention; there is a lesson to be learned here that most authors would not take the time (nor have the skill) to deliver. Books like this simply do not get written much anymore (and never published) and it is quite a shame, because upon having finished SHOW, I realized what we are all missing.Highly recommended. And at $11.95, it's a super deal.
By: Poddy Mouth,
on 9/14/2006
Blog:
POD-dy Mouth
(
Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:
Add a tag
The article on Yahoo is here, but don't get excited. As always, anything that looks too good to be true usually is.For starters, you have to pay $85 to enter. Secondly, they are capping the contest at 50,000 entries, a number they suggest they want to hit (which further suggests 4.2 million in revenue--a huge, blinking light on the scam-o-meter.) Thirdly, it may seem great that they are giving $100,000 to the winner--but, then again, with 4.2 mil' sitting around, what's a hundred grand? And lastly, please do not confuse the Sobol agency (who will "shop the winner" to publishers) with Nat Sobel of Sobel Weber Associates, an agent who happens to be on top of the game.Some pieces of the article:Shomron [the organizer] himself had to shop a novel, "NETfold," which he ended up self-publishing, making it ineligible for a Sobol prize.What a shock. Smells and tastes just like the morons from PublishAmerica.The award was created by Sobol Literary Enterprises, a for-profit venture started by technology entrepreneur Gur Shomron, as "a venue to discover talented, unknown fiction writers and help them get the recognition they deserve."Blah, blah, blah. All you need to notice from that drivel is the term for profit.Sobol officials include Roger Riger, a vice president at Barnes & Noble Inc.; Greg Tobin, a former editor-in-chief of Ballantine Books and author of several religious works, including "The Wisdom of St. Patrick" and "Saints and Sinners"; and Neil Baldwin, former executive director of the National Book Foundation and author of biographies of Thomas Edison, Henry Ford and others.Really? Well, then I've just lost all respect for B&N, Ballantine, and the NBF, who are all clearly getting paid to vet these manuscripts. Art used to be about freedom (not only of expression, but cost) and it seems that now that the publishing industry has a chokehold on creativity by having to answer to stockholders, they figure they might as well go after the unpublished writers as well.How absolutely pathetic. Here's to Sobol getting no more than a dozen entries.
By: Poddy Mouth,
on 9/12/2006
Blog:
POD-dy Mouth
(
Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:
SCBWI,
Add a tag
It's much easier to let someone else do the hard part.
But in case you are wondering why it takes so long to hear from editors (assuming you have an agent) then this might help:
Publishers Marketplace recently posted two job openings for editors, one at Penguin Putnam and one at Random House. If you ever wondered what it is an editor does all day, the job description (for a Senior Editor position) covers a good portion of it (editors do a lot more than this):
Razorbill is looking for someone who will:
1. Act as the acknowledged ‘go to' editor for all the biggest YA titles on submission
2. Acquire and edit approximately 10-15 original titles a year, as well as oversee additional paperback reprints of hardcovers from previous Razorbill lists
3. Help strategize with Publisher to make each new Razorbill list commercial, high quality and appropriately placed in the marketplace
4. Formulate campaigns for lead books and know the market
5. Present titles at launch meetings for sales and marketing
6. Communicate, brainstorm and regularly liaise with sales and marketing teams on best publishing strategies for upcoming titles; liaise between marketing/publicity and authors; attend regular sales/marketing imprint focus meetings and is accountable for results from those meetings
7. Build strong relationships between Razorbill and agents and authors; search for new authors
8. Attend conferences a few times a year as a direct representative of Razorbill (ALA), and attend writers' conferences external to the company such as SCBWI events, to look for authors and connect with agents
9. Mentor editorial staff
10. Create TI's and catalog copy for books; generate jacket and cover copy
Please apply to join Razorbill if you have:
• At least 7 years' relevant experience including experience editing middle grade and teen or adult fiction
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Strong contacts in the adult and young adult industries
• Excellent interpersonal skills
• Proficiency with Microsoft Word
• Ability to travel up to 5 times per year via airplane, train and/or automobile a plus
Ooh, probably had most of you until the seven years of experience came in, eh?
So this editor is responsible for approximately 25% of the imprints titles. Geez, that's low stress, huh?
Now, over at Random House they have a position open for an Associate Editor (much further down on the food chain) which requires much less:
Your tasks:
Morgan Road Books, a division of Doubleday Broadway, seeks an Associate Editor. Responsible for heavy developmental and line editing of books (non-fiction) acquired by Morgan Road. Manage production of interior as well as jacket schedules. Major contributions expected to TIs, checking and writing copy, managing author and agent relationships. Evaluating and taking over submissions as well as some agent relationships.
Our requirements:
Strong background in how-to as well as general non-fiction, three to five years of editorial experience necessary. Need editing and writing samples.
Required skills:
- Do you have a Bachelor's Degree?
- Willing to relocate for this job at your own expense?
- Do you have any prior office experience?
- Do you have at least 2 years of editorial experience?
See that? You need to have editorial experience and the ability to relocate yourself at no cost to that massive German conglomerate. How could you resist?
All for lousy pay and lousy hours. Next time you see an editor on the street or in a bar, give her a hug (and please, for the love of stones, leave your manuscript in your trunk.)
Lastly, Kensington has an opening for an Editorial Assistant (this is the bottom of the food chain) and you probably qualify instantly. In fact, any writer who has received several dozen rejection letters (we all have) could probably deftly craft some new ones for good ol' Kensington. The post:
Editor-in-Chief of midsize commercial trade publisher seeks editorial assistant. Looking for a self-motivated, high-energy beginner with a strong interest in commercial fiction. Job responsibilities consist of providing administrative support and reading manuscripts, drafting reject letters, and contacting agents and authors. Qualifications include a bachelor's degree and proficiency in MS Word and Excel.
Sure, send those resumes out now. Then start trying to figure out how to live in Manhattan on $30K a year.
By: Poddy Mouth,
on 9/7/2006
Blog:
POD-dy Mouth
(
Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:
Add a tag
. . . to add to the snack below. You can check out a brief interview with yours truly over at Bloggasm.
Read it, baby.
View Next 25 Posts
