How to use this Page

It looks like opportunities are like trouble: when it rains, it pours. So, on Friday afternoon I had an email, and later a call, from an insert director of a TV programme, asking if I'm interested in working on one or two episodes with them using my children's stories.I couldn't say YES fast enough!The first season of the series is already being broadcast on a national TV station , so my story

Work on a new blog for the Joburg Centre for Software Engineering is going well. The cache of articles that I said I wanted to build in preparation for the launch of the site are progressing well.Domain name is registered, template selected, and now we’re doing a bit of customisation and branding of the site.Launch will be in July, when the students are back from the winter holidays. Of course

I was going to a meeting that was due to start in 10 minutes, and I was more interested in mentally preparing myself rather than the people in the lift.That's why I almost missed connecting with Simao Kikamba, an old friend from the mid-90s, when we both lived in Yeoville.Luckily Simao noticed me when I was getting off the elevator, and his mind made the connection despite not seeing me since

If you are interested in comparing the offerings of DOZENS of Print-on-Demand publishers, do check out the recently (Feb 2008) POD Database listing prepared by author Dehanna Bailee. This 22 page PDF is free from Dehanna. Enjoy!

Sometimes I get so absorbed that I don’t notice things going on around me. I didn’t realize my teenage nephew, Agisanang (aged 18) writes poetry until this past Christmas holiday. While Baby was playing in his computer, she found the poems. Many were written in collaboration with his friend and schoolmate, Obakeng Phiri. Today I posted one of the poems, "I Miss You" in my free stories blog.

Hi all,

The special publishing issue of Voice in the Dark Ezine is out for your reading pleasure.

In this issue...

Editor's Note
Fictional Character Interview
Special Publisher Interviews
--Meet Lida Quillen, Publisher, Twilight Times Books
--Meet Kathryn Struck, Publisher, Awe-Struck E-Books
Featured Interviews
--Meet Lida Quillen, Publisher, Twilight Times Books, Interview by Mayra Calvani
--Meet Lynda S. Burch, Publisher, Guardian Angel Publishing, Interview by Mayra Calvani
--Meet Elizabeth Burton, Publisher, Zumaya Books, Interview by Mayra Calvani Book Excerpt -- Tremolo by Aaron Paul Lazar
Gladiator's Arena--by Mayra Calvani
Short Fiction
Articles
--It's my Book! Right? by Ghost Writer
--Traditional Publishing, Self-Publishing and Subsidy Publishing by Barbara Hudgins
--The Perils and Pitfalls of Publishing: Who Can an Author Trust by Dee Power and Brian Hill
--How Do Books Get on Book Store Shelves by Dee Power
Sanctuary -- Columnist Mayra Calvani
Whodunit? -- Columnist Billie A. Williams
Pam's Pen -- Columnist Pamela James
Seedlings -- Aaron Paul Lazar
This & That -- Columnist Dana Reed
Reviews
Notes
Events
Resources

Just go to www.MysteryFiction.net and click on Voice in the Dark on the left sidebar.

Enjoy!

Best,
Mayra

New Chapter in the Chronicle/Blurb Story...

You may have seen it reported recently that Chronicle Books was forming a partnership with print-on-demand publisher Blurb.com in which Chronicle would refer writers to the service and in turn receive a fee from Blurb.

Now Publishers Lunch quotes Sarah Williams at Chronicle saying that information cited in Newsweek was not correct: "Chronicle Books will not receive a referral fee for recommending Blurb.com to aspiring authors or artists," she said.

She goes on to say: "Chronicle will provide a landing page from our website to which our editors may refer authors or artists whose works they feel are a good match for Blurb.com. For their
part, Blurb.com will offer us discoveries they might make in terms of online trends, notably how consumers are finding books online. There are many self-publishing options in the marketplace, though far fewer for illustrated book authors and artists. As an independent illustrated book publisher in San Francisco, Chronicle Books felt an affinity for the locally-based
Blurb.com and the quality of the product it is offering the public."

We can't help but wonder here at the Writer's Digest Books office whether Newsweek got it wrong or if Chronicle changed the terms of their partnership after the fact due to reactions of the writing/publishing world. It makes me uneasy to think that a reputable publisher like Chronicle would enter into such a deal, referring rejected writers to a self-publishing outlet for a fee. Even without the fee it still feels a icky.

I read some interesting news last week. I’m adding the links so you can read the whole story if you wish.

"KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Tom Wayne has amassed thousands of books in a warehouse during the 10 years he has run his used book store, Prospero's Books." Thus begins this article by DAVID TWIDDY, Associated Press Writer for Yahoo News.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070528/ap_on_re_us/book_burning

What is the world coming to when a man is forced to burn thousands of books as an act of protest because nobody wants them? I only wish he would have asked me!

Another news which quite surprised me, in a positive way, is the new business agreement between Booksurge and some of the top NY publishers. Some publishers like Harper Collins have made an agreement with Booksurge to have some of their current and back-list titles available in POD form. This might change the outlook of many people about the POD stigma. It seems that finally some of the top houses are realizing the pros of using print on demand, like saving storage/warehouse costs and having old titles available and making money instead of keeping them ‘out of print’. Read the full story here:
http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=176060&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1009383&highlight=

Lastly, another interesting thing I read last week has to do with Amazon reviews. It appears that Amazon will not be posting unlimited reviews by reviewers and readers as it is doing now. Instead, only three reviews per book will be displayed, and the reader will have to go to another link in order to read more reviews. Who will select these reviews? What will the criteria be? Could their decision have to do with all the controversy about the fraudulent reader reviews? It seems some authors, adopting fake names or even impersonating real people, have been posting rave reviews of their own books, while at the same time posting harsh reviews of their competitors’ books. Read the article, "Amazon Reviews are a Farce" here: http://weblogs.java.net/blog/monsonhaefel/archive/2003/11/amazoncom_revie.html (this link was passed on to me by SF author M.D. Benoit).

It amazes me what some people will do to promote their books-lie, cheat, assume a fake personality. Is this what book promotion has come to? Keeping this in mind, I’m not surprised why ‘legitimate’ reviewers from newspapers and other print publications have lately offered so much criticism to online bloggers and reviewers. Giving freedom to people to post reviews is a wonderful thing. Unfortunately, some people will always abuse that freedom and transform it into something ugly. In the end, the good people always suffer because of a few black sheep.

It was with great sadness that I realized today that POD-DY Mouth is moving on and will no longer be running her website (you can find her official post here). If not for the anonymous P.M. I would have never discovered Will Clarke and the many other fabulous authors who decided to strike out on their through print on demand. Her insight into the POD world--and the accompanying round-up of articles related to it--was unequaled (in my opinion) by any other site on the net.

That said I completely understand why now would be the time to quit, and I'm glad that she stuck around this long.

So long, POD-DY Mouth, and thanks for all the books.