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Holy cow is it an exciting time to live in San Francisco, and most especially to live two blocks away from AT&T Park during the World Series. I've almost gotten used to helicopters buzzing overhead, having to reassure my dog that the world is not about to come to an end when military jets do flybys, and my wife and I have gotten quite adept at high fiving deliriously happy/drunk Giants fans in the neighborhood.
Only I'm going to be in New York next week, so I hope the neighborhood is still standing when I get back. Go Giants!!
Oh, and last thing about the Giants, but I find it so funny that the national news about the series usually takes the tack of, "Wow, those liberal San Francisco hippies sure do like their oddball baseball team!" I'm not sure whether to be offended or proud.
Meanwhile, first actual publishing update is that I'm still way behind on queries and manuscripts. No need to follow up.
And it's Friday, so that means it's time for Page Critique Friday. The page up for critique is posted in the Forums. UPDATE: my critique, and more on avoiding choppiness and semicolons, here.
News in publishing!
The big news this week is that B&N unveiled a color Nook that looks pretty darn impressive, if you ask me. Retailing for $249, the Nook Color runs on the operating system Android and has a "Stunning 7 inch VividView™ Color Touchscreen shows more than 16 million colors on the best-in-class IPS** display. Incredibly clear, sharp text and images from an unsurpassed high resolution display at 1024 x 600 delivering 169 pixels per inch (PPI). Reduced glare and optimum brightness for reading indoors or outside. Backlit for eady reading day or night.” The Nook also is going to have a feature where you can access entire e-books while in a bricks and mortar B&N store. CNET came away impressed.
Meanwhile, one of the popular features on the Nook was the lending feature that allows you to lend some books to friends, during which time it is unavailable on your own Nook. Amazon will now offer the same feature on the Kindle. Mike Shatzkin has some analysis about how Amazon had ridiculed the lending feature when B&N unveiled it.
And speaking of Amazon, indie publisher Dennis Johnson of Melville House made waves this week when they pulled out of the Best Translated Book Prize that was partially sponsored by Amazon, citing what Melville House sees as Amazon's "predatory and thuggish practices" and that "Amazon’s interests, and those of a healthy book culture, whether electronic or not, are antithetical." In a blog post, the organizer of the award says that Melville House's books will still be considered, and that he's "sorry that Dennis has chosen to try and undermine the awards in an attempt to make a political point." Writing at Publishers Lunch (subscription required), Michael Cader notes that Melville House books are still sold on Amaz
34 Comments on This Week in Publishing 10/29/10, last added: 11/1/2010
I'd like to see the Giants take the series, and they've made a great start. Too bad you're away from all the baseball action, Nathan. Duty calls, I guess.
Not sure if you know this, but ova here in Jerzee, we're not getting the World Series because our cable company is fighting with IDK!!!! In fact, we didn't even get the NLCS. Is this for real-I can't believe it. I was really looking forward to it. When was the last time the Giants won the pennant! The Giants won the pennant! The Giants won the pennant! :) I'm a huge sports fan and this has been very disappointing. We've missed football games too! On the other hand, I've written more... I'm pulling for the Giants, but I'm also happy to see another forgotten team, the Rangers, in the Series as well. Go Crazy Cat Lady--I mentioned that I agreed with her!!
I'm at our local B&N, and they now have Nooks laid out on parallel white tables at the front of the store so you can play with them. It's sort of Apple Store-ish. I'm liking it.
As a Baltimore fan (with little hope of making it back to the playoffs, much less the World Series in my life-time), I cheered when the Rangers knocked the Yankees out of contention. So special place in my heart for the Rangers.
But I'm a big fan of Aubrey Huff (from his days in the AL East) and am slightly fascinated by Lincecum who I secretly imagine to be the grown-up version of Mitch from Dazed and Confused.
Go Giants! And in publishing terms, I will buy a great many books that recap this bizarre little season for my beloved team. I may even write one myself.
Wow, it would have been great to be a fly on the wall in that meeting between Obama and Franzen. Bet the discussion was fascinating!
I like Natalie’s idea of NaNoReaMo. I already jumped ship, swimming away from NaNoWriMo as quickly as I could late last night, for the island of my science fiction novel . All my excitement over NaNoWriMo and outlining a new novel for it helped tremendously, though. It motivated me to visualize a better plot and some exciting new ideas, and to begin creating a solid outline for revisions to my science fiction novel. In lieu of NaNoWriMo, I’m going to try to buckle down and work very hard on the science fiction novel, in addition to getting ready for the holidays, celebrating Thanksgiving, and reading as many books as possible. Good luck to everyone who participates in NaNoWriMo!
ENOUGH about Franzen. I tried to read his first book a couple of years ago, and it bored me to tears. He's nothing special. Talk about Nick Hornby writing the lyrics for Ben Folds! THAT is news! :)
Libraries have been trying to negotiate lending rights for e-books for quite a while, with some attempts being more successful than others. Right now, most of our e-books have to be accessed through a computer and can't be downloaded. I'm hoping these features on Kindles and Nooks will help us come up with a new way to provide access to books!
I was actually in San Francisco when the Giants won...whatever the Giants won. (It's not that I'm not a Giants fan as such, but I don't really follow sports of any kind at all. Except for the Oregon Ducks, which my mom keeps me updated on religiously.) Our hotel was right on Columbus Street, and when I finally fell asleep at 1:00 am, there were still cars honking, people shouting, and general pandemonium right outside our window. It was awesome. Go Giants!
Nathan - Had to laugh when I saw this post. Apparently I was hanging out not far from you (about 3 blocks from the stadium) on Thursday while my husband interviewed. All I could think when we got off BART was, "Man, this Superman shirt was definitely the wrong wardrobe choice."
Hope we'll be moving into your neighborhood soon! :)
J. T. Shea said, on 10/29/2010 11:10:00 PM
Liberal hippies in San Francisco? Who'd ever have guessed?
Bravo to Crazy Cat Lady! 'Don't delete' is my slogan too. I never throw anything away. You should see my house!
Thanks for posting that you are still behind in reading queries. I won't panic yet.
Although I care nothing about baseball, I can certainly feel the excitement going on around you. I worked downtown Salt Lake during the 2002 Olympics. Being totally not a winter sports fan, it was really strange being surrounded by the Olympic fans. What an exciting time that was.
Thanks for your blog. I read it constantly and always look forward to the next one.
No time, school demands, but really wonderful links, Nathan, I did get a chance to look at them - and a really wonderful page critique this week. I was very impressed.
Hope your week in N.Y. is not just work, but fun too. Should be lovely in the fall.
And I'm very proud of our oddball baseball team! Yay, Giants! :)
I hope you mention the Giants again today. Since now it is practically over. I have friends dying their beards black left and right all over facebook. Certified Ninja wannabees.
Hey babe, Giants season tickets! Yes! I've lived in the Bay Area for 20 years and I have never loved a team like I love this one - freaks, geeks, rejects and rookies - my kinda team! Last night (Sunday) was brilliant! More pitchers should work with horses.
First off, thank you so much to everyone who entered the Guest Blog Contest Festival Event! There were actually so many spectacular entries that I decided to expand the number of contest winning slots. That's right folks, this blog is going seven days a week. Well. At least until I get back. So! Please come back tomorrow for the first guest blog post! I have notified the winners, but shant reveal them so as to preserve the surprise.
Also, there will be no Page Critique Friday this week or next as I'm out of the office. I'll be back on the 19th, enjoy the guest posts in the meanwhile.
Now then. Publishing news!
The biggest literary prize of them all, which you may know better as the Nobel Prize in Literature, was awarded to Peruvian Mario Vargas Llosa for "his cartography of structures of power and his trenchant images of the individual's resistance, revolt and defeat." He is the first South American to win the award since Gabriel Garcia Marquez in 1982. The US of A remains shut out since Toni Morrison's win in 1993.
In possibly just as big news, Jonathan Franzen had a tough week in the United Kingdom. First he discovered during a reading that the books that were printed were from an earlier draft and contained errors (HarperUK issued an apology). Then his glasses were stolen from his face. No. Really. Not joking. The perp was later caught, and Franzen didn't press charges. Don't miss Patrick Neylan's great roundup from the Guest Blog Contest.
In publishing economics news, the Wall Street Journal took a look at some of the factors behind declining advances in the publishing industry and their effect on literary fiction in particular. And a used book salesman who travels around scanning barcodes and trying to find profitable books talked about his profession and the unease and detachment he feels about his line of work.
And Malcolm Gladwell made some waves last week when he argued that social media is not an effective tool for social change. Writing for the New York Book Bench, Rollo Romig used Gladwell's article as a jumping off point to consider what social media and social change do have in common: narratives. And writing for Change O
9 Comments on This Week in Publishing 10/8/10, last added: 10/9/2010
I finished reading Franzen’s novel, FREEDOM, this past week. The man is a genius. How he can write so many separate characters in so many different stages of their life with such exquisite detail and incredible insight, as if he had lived through each and every stage, is mind-boggling. (Of course, most of the characters are dysfunctional and less than admirable, but they provide a wealth of insight into the culture within which they live.) My first reaction after completing the book: to feel like a complete and utter failure at writing compared to Franzen. I also felt deeply moved by Franzen’s picture of U.S. culture and why it is what it is right now – a kind of escapism to avoid some very deep and frightening issues for which everyone wants to devour entertainments in order to block out reality. And, as though to prove Franzen right, the literary world joined in, commenting more on his stolen glasses, his brouhaha with Oprah, and his personality than on what he had to say. La la la, scary information, don’t want to hear it. Unfortunately, I joined in, too. Couldn’t resist the Franzen glasses situation. Started sending out tweets about how maybe he writes through magic glasses, and if a writer just had those magic glasses, they could write with the same skill level as Franzen. I have taken somewhat to heart Franzen’s approach to writing by trying to stay off the Internet during writing sessions, and I did get a lot more done in a much more serious tone of writing than ever before.
That was a really interesting article in the Wall Street Journal. I love literary books, and recently have discovered some incredible literary books published through small indie press. I’m planning to buy the novel SLEIGHT talked about in the article. I read TINKERS by Paul Harding, the novel that received a boatload of rejections, then was published by an indie press and went on to win the Pulitzer Prize last year. It was a beautifully written, very moving novel. I loved every minute of reading it. As a reader, I love good literary fiction, and will purchase it no matter who publishes it.
Marilyn, I really liked your commentary on Franzen's book.
Nathan - I'm so glad you're off having fun. I hope you have a lovely, refreshing, renewing wonderful time.
But I will certainly miss having you around the blogosphere!
But I will totally enjoy the guest posts - I guess there will be eleven (!) of them. How fun to have weekend posts - this is wonderful for everyone.
I also want to say YAY for J.T.! That was a very funny and clever comment. Nice work, Mr. Shea.
A couple links stood out for me. First, I think it's wonderful that a Peruvian won the Nobel Prize. Way overdue.
In terms of the Franzen eyeglasses thing. Yes. Soon all famous authors will be dealing with the paparazzi and obsessive fandom. Matter of time. Utterly serious.
The Wall Street Journal Article was both sensational and inaccurate. Boy, e-books really must be making a splash if the Wall Street Journal is resorting to anti-e-book propaganda, leaving out a few relevant facts, for example that it's the publisher's (heavily critiqued) decision to keep e-book royalty rates low, and that royalty rates for e-self-publishing are huge. Propaganda.
Gladwell is wrong, wrong, wrong. Sorry, but he is. Social media is absolutely the best thing that ever happened for activism in the history of the world. Look at all the recent activity around the book about rape that was supposedly 'soft porn.' Powerful voices rose against this.
Great Harry Potter site!
congrats again to J.T.! Looking forward to the guest posts. :)
Have a wonderful vacation, Nathan!
J. T. Shea said, on 10/8/2010 3:48:00 PM
Jurassic Park? What's a Jurassic Park? Google... Who's this Michael Crichton? I've been pirated! Years ago! Time-travel, obviously. Oh, he's dead. But he wrote a book about pirates! Which was published posthumously. I'm haunted by Time-Traveling Pirate Ghost-Writer! A SEVEN FOOT TALL Time-Traveling Pirate Ghost-Writer!
Seriously, Michael Crichton was great, not just tall. He drew his characters broadly and briefly, making them cool to the verge of coldness at times, but that seemed to suit his fast-moving economical tales. He made much of his movie of his own novel THE GREAT TRAIN ROBBERY in Ireland, in and around Cork, where I live. I will be very interested to see what Steven Spielberg makes of PIRATE LATITUDES.
Mr. Shea, Mira? If we're going to run Barnes & Noble together, just call me John. And yes, both the WSJ and Gladwell articles oversimplify things, to say the least.
Enjoy the Czech waters, Nathan! Though I might give the vodka enemas a miss...
Have a great time, Nathan! In the meantime, I'll be looking forward to tomorrow (and the day after that, and the day after that...).
If the Twilight hands lady wants to make it as an actor, I don't think an article on how she carries an apple in her purse to prove that it was her will do it. Auditioning, maybe, but not going around convincing strangers of the Importance of her Hands in the Twiverse.
I'm pleased about the Nobel award. That's a great piece of news.
Page Critique Friday is alive and well!! It's happening over in the Forums. You do not need to register in the Forums to check out the Page Critique thread, but you will have to register if you'd like to leave a comment. To register, just click here and it should be quite self-explanatory. Other than that it's the same as before, so stop on by.
Lots and lots of news this week, so let's get started.
First up, the most comprehensive review I have ever seen about the relative environmental benefits of e-books vs. paper books was published by Slate's The Green Lantern. The winner? E-books on every count, provided you read more than 18 books on an iPad and 23 books on a Kindle. Even on chemicals/metals, often cited as a problem with e-readers, the Green Lantern judged the side-effects of producing ink more harmful than the metals that go into e-readers. Worth a read.
Random House and agent Andrew Wylie have settled their standoff over the rights to backlist e-book titles that Wylie had announced would be exclusively published by Amazon. In the end, Random House and Wylie came to terms, and the e-books will be published by Random House after all. Word this morning is that Wylie and Penguin are negotiating as well. Bloomsbury publisher Peter Ginna has a great analysis of some of the implications. While early reports tended to characterize this as a "win" for Random House, Ginna points out that it really depends on the deal that was struck (and the ones yet to be struck).
Dude, you can train bunnies? Sorry, I was going to say something about your post, but now my life has changed. I love that guy's "YES!" reaction after that black bunny made it over that tall obstacle! Go bunny go!
There was an article on Yahoo this morning that I think might have gotten a rise out of you. I wish I had kept the link, but I was a tad too disgusted at the time to think of it.
The article included the top ten reasons people should not buy ereaders. One of the reasons being that ebooks are severely overpriced considering how much cheaper they are to produce as opposed to paperbacks. Another reason was because you can download classics for free without an ereader, and classics are better than most of the stuff coming out today anyway.
Let's just say the article did not convince me to not go out and buy that kindle I've been wanting.
I like seeing all these positive links about e-books. Back in the day, I was against e-readers and e-books because I couldn't conceive of giving up paper. I don't know what it is exactly, but ever since I've gotten my e-reader, I've been reading more than ever.
Anonymous said, on 8/27/2010 1:03:00 PM
I wonder if the people buying ereaders also drive gas-guzzling SUVs--a bigger threat to the environment than books. Books can be recycled, passed on to friends, sold in church or library book sales, sent to other countries where people need books etc etc. So, sorry, I'm not convinced--and yes, I'm a tree hugger.
Although you blogged about so many important things, it's the bunny-jumping that I'm responding to. Bunnies are a whole lot smarter than most people think and are skilled at more than simple jumping. My mini-lop, Madison, could jump straight into the air about three feet from a dead halt, turn 180 degrees midair, and take off like a cheetah. And yes, Project Runway was great last night. You may now resume your regular program.
Holy WOW, Nathan! There are, like, a bajillion links here! How do you have time to read all this stuff, on top of your job, your life, and reading for fun?
I'll probably look at the links about e-readers, but I kind of feel done with the conversation. They're happening; my books will probably one day be available on them; I'll avoid them for as long as humanly possible, because it's just not my chosen format; all of this is fine.
I'm very interested in the articles about Wylie, and in Shatzkin's post. I'll check in later with my opinions on Tao Lin once I've read the articles.
Not sure why the Franzen stuff has novelists trying to eat their own. Why bust on the guy for doing something no novelist has done in a decade. The author in general is becoming slighted, the hate's not just reserved for commercial writers. Be glad for the guy, when a book is in the news, it brings people to the bookstore...
Sierra McConnell said, on 8/27/2010 2:00:00 PM
I'm sure I had something intelligent to say but I must sum it up in one word:
New Thriller Sells More E-Books Than Hardcovers By Jeffrey A. Trachtenberg, August 26, 2010 Weeks after Amazon.com said that it is now selling more electronic books than hardcovers, a leading book publisher said one of its prominent new titles is generating greater e-book unit sales than hardcover unit sales during its first week on sale.
Laura Lippman’s thriller, “I’d Know You Anywhere,” went on sale Aug. 17, and in its first five days sold 4,739 e-books and 4,000 physical hardcovers, said News Corp.’s HarperCollins Publishers.
“This is the first book of ours of any consequence that has sold more e-books than hardcovers in the first week,” said Frank Albanese, a senior vice president at HarperCollins. “What we’re seeing now is that if a book gets a good review, it gets a faster lift on the digital side than it does on the physical side because people who have e-readers can buy and read it immediately.”
Ms. Lippman, who has written more than a dozen books, is well-known in mystery circles and has authored four novels that have hit the national best-seller lists.
In recent weeks, a number of leading publishers have indicated that e-books today account for about 8% of total revenue, up from 3% to 5% in the same period a year ago. Some expect that e-books will account for as much as 20-25% by the end of 2012.
I had no clue that such a thing as a rabbit leash existed. Thank you, Nathan, for expanding my bank of knowledge today. Now I'm wondering how much bunny poop is on the floor of that place, as rabbits generally leave little pellets behind when they bounce.....
I'm so glad finally someone did a comprehensive environmental impact review of ebooks vs. paper! I'd seen speculation before, so this is nice to have (even if I was a bit scared to read it at first because I didn't want to see how much either process probably wrecks the environment...) Post over, I'm happy since I'll probably get an e-reader as soon as I can afford one.
(And to address Anonymous, gas-guzzlers disgust me and I don't plan to every purchase or drive one. And print won't go extinct for a long time, so all the things you described will still be doable, and I'm fairly sure e-books will eventually be loanable. We library-types are arguing constantly for that, anyway...)
Just kidding, I read the rest of the post. I loved the royalty breakdowns and am also intrigued by the Literati. (Oooh, comes with 150 e-books?)
Anonymous said, on 8/27/2010 3:13:00 PM
I've nothing against e-readers or e-books (though don't use them, yet). But I have the wishful hope that children's books will always be books.
Watching my young baby learn to turn the pages of the hard cardboard, seeing his delight when we pull out oversized books (sometimes bigger than him!) with colorful illustrations that he can touch and lift-the-flap books he can manipulate. Pure joy to watch and he learns so much from the tactile experience as well as from looking at the pictures and helping 'read' the words.
I hope all generations can experience that. Pictures on a screen, while neat, just don't seem the same in this case.
It's wonderful that you'll be doing Page Critique Fridays! And lots of great links to check out. I’ve been following many of those stories online – interesting stuff. Have a great weekend!
So does anyone know if the Literati is e-Ink, or...?
Not that I still don't have me some major iPad lust, but I'm liking the idea of a single-purpose, really light and portable eReader, and the backlighting, like on my iPhone, yeah, not easy on my eyes.
I do not dig Tao Lin at all. He is one of those authors who tries to appear to be exploring big themes by writing about nothing (and writing poorly).
If you ask me, a vast emptiness is not primarily vast; it is primarily empty.
This dude is a virtuoso of self-promotion, but he hasn't got the goods to back it up. I'd bet the people who bought shares of his book won't get their money back
My daughter wants a Kindle, I'm too technology challenged to want one or an ereader. Somehow I don't think they would be good for reading in the bathtub.
So, the discussion this week has tuckered me out (a discussion you handled so beautifully, imho, Nathan.) And here I see you have out-done the out-doing of the out-diding of yourself on links this week. Uh oh.
I can see I'll need to prepare to comment on the links. Some finger push-ups. Nutritious meals and plenty of sleep. Manicure and pedicure. Deep muscle massage. Weekend trip to a full appointment spa. It will be a rigorous training routine, but anything for the team.
Before I go though, I have something extremely important to say: I want a bunny!!!! OMG, so cute, cute, cute, cute, cute.
Btw, Nathan, this was the week you were on the panel, right? I was so distracted by the topic on Wed., I forgot to ask! I hope it went really well, and I hope you blog about it, if you want.
Back to comment on the links - have a fun weekend, everyone!
At one of the trade shows, Amazon had an aquarium, and they were dropping Kindles in waterproof cases into the water.
I think the possibility of losing or breaking a device that still costs a lot more than a book and can access your credit card information is problematic, but the beach/bathtub issue is not a huge issue for dedicated e-readers, though the poor performance of the iPad's backlit LCD in sunlight is a serious drawback.
Nathan, I'm sorry, that was a Friday about three sheets to the wind joke about writer suicide. I'm old, and I have a bad sense of humor. E-book? You can't even kill yourself with it. I guess that's one for those guys they have locked in a room figuring the safety angle of e-books. And an example of a writer thinking everyone can see the interior of his mind and therefore not making writer-sense, and other such things. Love ya! Read ya next week!
I like what Jeff Fischer said about him being old and not having a sense of humor. Like aging and a dwindling sense of humor go hand in hand. Hey! We're all getting older everyday! That's not true, is it?
Your post made me smile Jeff Fischer.
katelacy said, on 8/28/2010 4:18:00 AM
The debate over e-books seems to have run out of steam. They came, we saw, they may conquer. So? Like TV their accessibility and convenience is irrefutable; why keep hammering on the subject? When TV became popular, especially with good news reports (once upon a time) newspapers were supposed to die and somehow they survived. Our times are achanging, that's all. Something's got to go now and then or we'd still be buttoning our shoes.
Surely debating the production of ink is beyond time and energy. What's next? What's new? What's going on with cross readers and cross genre books? Let's get back to enjoying our stories and not be doomsday naysayers about the efforts of getting them written and read. If one wants to post and let it be downloaded, go ahead.
I'll hang onto paper copies awhile, awhile.
Anonymous said, on 8/28/2010 9:32:00 AM
What I want to know, is this:
If I buy four e-readers (a personal one for every member of my family and one for the family "library.")
If I buy an e-book, can I download it on all of my family e-readers or do I have to buy it four times?
(I know, we could trade e-readers, but I like the idea of having my own and my kid wouldn't take as good of care of hers and my husband's would smell like his peanut butter sandwiches...)
It depends on which e-reader you go with, but Amazon allows you to share across (I think) six devices with one account. I share one with my wife and we have no problem reading each other's books - she reads on her iPhone and I read on either my iPhone or iPad (and used to read on my Kindle).
I think with Apple it's five but I'm not positive, and B&N has a lend-me feature where you can lend one of your books so someone else with a nook.
Anonymous said, on 8/28/2010 10:24:00 AM
Wow, that's sooo cool. I am thinking how my daughter and I often want to read the same book at the same time and one of us has to wait. And for being out of town, how cool. I have been pretty possessive about books leaving my library (and getting lost or mistreated). My husband wouldn't have to wait for me to come back from Argentina (as an example) to read the book I took with me. Cool. I am starting to think Christmas. The Kindle 3 sounds like it's about to sell itself. Thanks for answering. (The e-reader people should pay you a commission, Nathan.)
Anonymous said, on 8/28/2010 10:26:00 AM
Nathan, Can you tell me how you can write or take notes on a Kindle 3 too?
I agree that you shoud get a commission Nathan. For the environment, anybody with a heart will make the switch. But, one thing. We readers, that like paper books, are the ones that read instead of, say, going shopping and wasting bags which is worse for the environment. We readers are filling are minds, not wasting away in front of the television, which could ultimately be worse for the environment.
There have always been books; the health of the environment has been compromised in far worse damaging ways. So we readers have to adapt. Hmmm. Well, okay. If it's for the environment.
So, I meditated in an ashram in India. I hiked the mountains of Tibet. I walked on hot coals in the place where you walk on hot coals. All in perparation to respond to Nathan's awesome assortment of links.
I am ready.
(I am also lying. I did none of those things, but I did take an extra long nap on Sunday, which I figure is in the same ballpark.)
First up, Page Critique Friday. Cool. I noticed that people are getting into it on the Forums. Maybe it feels safer or more intimate. And your critique was terrific, as it always is, Nathan.
So, e-books. Yay! I have had the Kindle app for about 3 weeks, and in that time, I've bought twelve books. I'll probably have bought eighteen by tonight, which means two things: a. I will have saved the enviroment, and b. I'm going to be broke by the end of August.
I love e-books.
I KNEW Wylie wasn't ready to put Random House under such a strain, at least not yet. I figured he was just holding out for more money. But....I think the key phrase here is....not yet. He's a sharp cookie. I liked Ginna's article alot.
I also like the article about digital devices. That was interesting that looking at funny cat videos wouldn't really rest your mind. But did we really rest our minds that before digital devices anyway? I think we just looked at real cats.
I have no clue what Mike S.'s royalty graph means. What's a trade? What's a wholesale? Why all the complicated jargon? I can't figure it out, so I'm still going on the assumption that if I make 70% royalties on e-books, I make more money that way.
You know, in the article defending literary fiction, it seems like she is giving some authors a hard time for 'selling out.' Why is the idea that authors want to make money too ignored and/or discounted as not important?
Woo hoo! Finally. I'm so glad some women are challenging the male bias in publishing. Yes! I have no actual statistics that it's happening, but OF COURSE IT'S HAPPENING.
Saying all fiction is women's fiction, however....well....maybe there's a way to get more men to read. I wonder if e-books will work better for men.
I don't know. This Barnes and Noble thing seems all distracted by the power struggle, but I sort of feel like the main point is that the bookstore is in trouble.
I can't get the link for Tao Lin to work, but that would be a great discussion.
I definitely think that agents should take on 10 clients each November. Soon, we'll all be represented. I see absolutely no downside to that scenario. I also like the idea of NaNoReadMo.
Good comments of the week - that was a really interesting discussion on Thursday. I found the article by Lisa to be rather touching, actually.
Okay, I'm done. Once again, I have foiled you, Nathan, in your attempt to out-link me. Ha! I am triumphant! I am the Victor! I am the friday-long-post King! I am also going to take a nap.
Hope everyone is having a happy Monday! Thanks for the great links, Nathan.
"environmental benefits of e-books vs. paper books was published by Slate's The Green Lantern. The winner? E-books on every count, provided you read more than 18 books on an iPad and 23 books on a Kindle."
Wow- this is great info, but it makes me sad. I like my paper books. I don't think I can ever give them up.
I don't think it's either paper or ebook... I like to think it's simply more books with more options. I love my paperbacks. I love hardcovers. I also am coming to love my ebooks.
Side note: reading on an iPad is a wonderful experience. Very cool! I hear tell there are rumors of a 7-inch version of the iPad due to come out perhaps by year's end?
And, finally, after a bit of snooping around online, I'm going to predict an upswing in the popularity of tablet devices like the Cruz. I'm already thinking it would make a great gift for my mom. She can read ebooks on it. She can also check her email & FB, and browse the internet, in color, and the price point is right in line with a dedicated ereader. Granted there's a backlit screen, which means glare and eye-irradiation, like any computer screen, and that is a downside, but I think multifunctionality may eventually win out.
There were a few controversies this week in publishing. Firstly, if you have ever attended a conference with the fabulous YA Author Ellen Hopkins, you know that in addition to being a brilliant writer and storyteller she's also a terrific, honest, and inspiring speaker and devotes a huge amount of time to mentoring up-and-coming writers. So it was very distressing to hear that she was dis-invited from the Teen Lit Fest in Humble, Texas, due to a librarian's complaint. In the wake of the news about Hopkins, several additional writers subsequently withdrew from the event in protest.
Secondly, bestselling author Jody Picoult made some waves this week when she accused the NY Times Book Review of a white male literary fiction bias in the wake of Michiko Kakutani's rave about Jonathan Franzen's upcoming novel FREEDOM. While I leave it to you the reader to agree or disagree with this characterization of the NYTBR, PWxyz's Jonathan Segura recalled the Kakutani/Franzen spat of 2008: After Kakutani slammed Franzen's memoir THE DISCOMFORT ZONE, calling it, "an odious self-portrait of the artist as a young jackass: petulant, pompous, obsessive, selfish and overwhelmingly self-absorbed," Franzen shot back, calling Kakutani "The stupidest person in New York City."
And in further controversy (or is it?), industry sage Mike Shatzkin wrote a post that characterized print books, as "On a path to oblivion." The crucial takeaway: "Indeed, the insistence by some people that they will “never” give up the printed book — which leads to rather ludicrous glorification of the smell of the paper, ink, and glue and the nonsensical objections that the screen would be unsuitable for the beach (depends on the screen) or the bathtub (I can’t even imagine what the presumed advantage of the printed book is there) — must ignore the fundamental dynamic. Print books aren’t getting better. Ebooks are." No doubt there will be lots of reactions to this article, and we have already been discussing this in the Forums.
@Mark Terry - you've got some fantastic ideas, maybe you should find a way to facilitate this venture. ;)
SB said, on 8/20/2010 11:59:00 AM
Your quote from the Shatzkin article (the "rather ludicrous glorification of the smell of the paper, ink, and glue") struck me as even more ludicrous given something that occurred to me earlier this week.
I was driving up the east coast from Florida to D.C. and passed at least three paper mills -- I know this because I could smell them through the car's closed windows. It is a scent reminiscent of burning tires, nail polish remover and rotten eggs. This scent plagues entire communities that are downwind of such plants, not to mention the sickening effects of living near the particulate air pollution caused by the milling process.
As a writer, I was saddened. I asked myself, "Do I really want to write books when the publishing process requires the existence of plants like these?"
As a technologist and scientist, I know that other products can cause just as much pollution, and that environmentally-informed consumption really just requires choosing the lesser of many evils.
But as a serious e-book devotee, I was comforted by the fact that I am able to buy e-books, supporting the book industry without supporting the paper industry.
In the future, I will suggest to anyone who tells me that "real" books are better simply because of their scent to spend a day next to a paper mill. After that, the scent of all that paper might just make them ill.
On the other hand, we mine a lot of heavy metals (or rather, miserable people in even more miserable third-world hellholes do) or strip the metals from garbage heaps for the metals used in the batteries of e-readers and other devices. It's not clear at all if e-readers are "greener" than books. Probably not.
I definitely would not say the case for e-readers is overwhelmingly clear cut, but there are quite a few problems with that article. The transportation section doesn't taken into account that books are often printed overseas in Asia, shipped to distribution centers in the US, shipped to bookstores, then a good chunk shipped back to bookstores, then pulped. That article treats transportation as if the book is printed in the bookstore.
Anonymous said, on 8/20/2010 12:20:00 PM
Ellen Hopkins joins Tom Green in being too controversial. Pretty good company.
I've read John Green. He's amazing (a-man-zing). I haven't read Ellen Hopkins. What are the controversies?
About agents and companies who passed on projects that later became successful.... it's all very well for them to be supportive and such, but I betcha that the other, still unidentified agent and the 11 publishing companies who turned down the then-unknown JK Rowling have been kicking themselves for years.
It took a couple of decades, but the record company that declined on the Beatles because "guitar groups are on their way out" finally admitted it was the dumbest thing they'd ever done.
I think it's an incredibly complicated issue, whether books are greener than e-readers. Well, like most issues when it comes to the environment. But I think there are plenty of reasons (I think) to get an e-reader--I've got a Kindle and my wife has an iPad, and I've got an iPhone and probably will buy an iPad in the next year, although not necessarily as an e-reader--but because it's "greener" than books probably isn't one of them.
I really don't understand why print book lovers are made fun of so viciously, like we're crazed glue-sniffers obsessed with the smell of books. Why can't we like print books? What's the big deal? Ebooks have their place and no one's trying to get rid of them. I'm all about adapting, but I don't think print books should just disappear. I personally NEED to have a book in my hand and carry it around with me and lend it to friends and relatives to read. I've tried reading on a Kindle and it was a frustrating experience for me. If people prefer ebooks, that's great! But some of us don't and never will. Why can't there be room for both?
I'm still where I've been on this whole issue for a while. I don't think that Books/eBooks = CDs/MP3s. There is a difference in the actual experience of reading in the former, while there's no difference in how you listen in the latter (well, okay, not totally, because audio quality is worse than it used to be with the latter).
I think eBooks will grow to become a substantial portion of the book market but that there will still be a greater number of paper books sold, at least for the next couple of decades.
And I still don't know what eReader I'd like to buy.
SB said, on 8/20/2010 12:47:00 PM
Mark - I completely agree that it's hard to decide which is greener. Like I said, trying to consume more eco-consciously is really just trying to pick the lesser evil -- not consuming at all is better for the environment, but that's not going to sell us any books.
But I also don't know anyone who is sticking their nose in an e-reader and telling me that it's better because of its delightful, plasticky scent. :) Arguments like the one you pointed to are much better arguments in support of the whole e-book vs. "real" book debate -- I'd be very interested to see a comprehensive review of such studies.
Maggie - Yes, this whole glue-sniffer thing is rather ridiculous. My comment is just that the scent of paper-making makes this argument even more ridiculous. I am totally open to other arguments -- the comfort of a real book is definitely one of them -- and I agree that even arguing is a tad pointless. Of course there is room for paper and digital books. As long as books are being bought, we should all be happy, right? :)
I agree with you, Maggie. I find comfort reading printed books--so easy, no hassle, and I do like sharing them with people after I'm read them. I don't understand why e-enthusiasts are so quick to put down people who aren't embracing the eworld wholeheartedly. I use my ereader and sorta like it, esp when I'm stuck in a motel room and need something to read. But I prefer books--just love the whole experience of reading printed books.
No doubt. I do wish there were some more comprehensive studies, because it's an important issue.
Maggie-
I actually think there's hostility on both sides (inasmuch as there even ARE sides). I mean, look at this post from the Seattle Post Intelligencer in response to Shatzkin's article. This person says Shatzkin doesn't know what he's talking about, then goes on to say a bunch of wildly inaccurate things, like if you lose an e-reader you lose every e-book you've ever bought (not true at all - every e-book company I've bought from has stored my purchases and with Amazon and iBooks you can download them across devices.)
I can't speak for Shatzkin, but every time I post about e-books the same arguments keep coming up: smell, bathtub, I'll go blind. At some point I do start feeling a little frustrated, like, look, reading in the bathtub isn't going to stop this change! We need to be ready!
Of course on the individual level it's totally fine for people to prefer paper books and there's no reason anyone should be rude to one another. I want bookstores to succeed, I don't think it has to be either/or, I like paper books too. It's not that I look down on people who read print books, but if I had a nickle for every person who told me they would never read an e-book and now has an e-reader I'd already be a rich man. I know it's not for everyone, but to a certain extent I don't think people yet realize the extent to which their own habits will inevitably (yes inevitably) change.
Just a small point to add to the e-book/paper book discussion:
Have you ever gone on vacation and stayed a hotel or inn and they had an available library where you could basically take a book and leave a book? I like those. Sure, e-readers can store enough books that you wouldn't NEED to do this just because you finished a novel early, but it's fun to see what people leave behind. Sometimes there are notes and other weird items in them, too.
Speaking of which, do e-readers have a way of annotating margins?
I personally think the glue-sniffing, feel-of-paper thing is a bit overrated, but I confess to liking books as "objects." That is to say, I like the covers, I like the feelings of the heft, the layout of the print on the page (not so much on the Kindle, that's for sure). I like bookshelves and the look and appeal of books on those shelves. Each book casts a memory and an experience and I don't have that same sort of thing with an e-book.
So far with the Kindle I buy some e-books and some paper books. Of course, if market pressures push up the price of paper books (I don't see how they can't, actually), I suspect I'll be buying more and more e-books. I still like music CDs and I still like DVDs over just having a video file, too, because they seem more tangible and are even more portable, but the handwriting's probably on the wall (hey!, a new format) for them, too.
Thanks for the links, as always. I don't agree with Picoult, but even if her assertion were true, I don't know why she'd care. If you've chosen to be a commercial writer-- well, then, success is measured by sales and by what the public thinks, not by what the critics write. So, clearly she has succeeded. Why even bother herself with this?
Oh boy! Look at all the wonderful links. You outdid yourself outdoing yourself last week, Nathan.
Fun, fun, fun.
I'll come back and comment after I've READ them. But I did want to weigh in on the conservation issue. Although I suspect neither is good for the environment, I do think e-books win. One reason for that is sheer volume. I will only buy one I-phone, probably every five years or so. I've bought....what hundreds? A thousand? books over my lifetime.
On another note, I couldn't help bu notice that Mark Terry got Comment of the Week and not me. I totally agree he made a great comment and he said tons of things I agree with.
But it made me ponder. Why? Why didn't one of my ten comments on Wednesday alone win? (Epecially the one about my profile picture). What am I missing here? I scratched my head and then it came to me! I realized that, like with most things of this nature, winning comment of the week is a numbers game. If I post often enough, I'm bound to hit on a good comment through sheer statistical probability.
So, I'm thinking of 25 as a good round starting amount of comments to any post. If I do that daily, that's 150 comments a week. (I'll give Nathan Saturdays off.) Surely, with 150 posts, something in there will be coherent.
I'll be back to comment more later on the links (was there ever any doubt?)
Hope everyone has a truly great weekend!
SB said, on 8/20/2010 2:38:00 PM
Mark - It's funny -- I feel the exact opposite about books. I think we are a good case study for the two sides of this debate. Call me lazy and wimpy, but I seriously dislike the heft of a real book. I love the fact that my Kindle takes up almost no room on the bookshelf (I've gotten rid of most of my bookshelves and those that I have, I simply consider to be "shelves" as there are hardly any books on there). I love that I can read in bed without getting fatigued from holding it open, that I hardly have to move to turn the page, and that, when it's lights-out time, I can read on my iPhone without needing a booklight. I do get attached to my e-books, in that I have my favorite parts of favorite books bookmarked so I can flip to them easily whenever I want. If I want to see the cover, it's either already in the e-book book (in full color on the iPhone), or I look it up online. When I get tired of the layout on Kindle or iPhone, I change the colors or type size. I am seriously in love with e-books. I feel the same way with other file types -- hand me a CD or a DVD and I'm already looking for someone to pawn it off on. I'll keep a digital file forever (or as long as the DRM lets me, but that's a whole other issue).
I HAVE been accused of being a little too much of a techie.
I appreciate your openness to changing formats because, like Nathan, I think it's an inevitable shift.
Nathan - I hadn't realized how many people who said they'd never read an e-book are now reading e-books -- excellent point. I think your take on this is very optimistic: Just because you say you won't change doesn't mean it's true. Why not prepare?
And, incidentally, I stopped reading in the bathtub when I dozed off and saturated the bottom half of Harry Potter 5. Nothing is safe in there! :)
I'm in the Kate and Mark Terry camp. The books I really love I consider objects of art. I love the art work on the cover and often consider this part of the book. Call me old-fashioned. And as Kate mentioned, when I see someone reading a book I try to look at the art work on the cover and figure out what sort of story they are reading. After all the hub-bub of the transition is over, and both are alive and well, it seems the marketing of e-books will be the interesting game.
p.s. Nathan, I hope you know that I'm just playing. I don't really care. I just thought for a moment you might get worried I was serious. I promise I won't post 25 times in any particular post.
24 is my absolute limit.
J. T. Shea said, on 8/20/2010 3:02:00 PM
Jody Picoult vs Michiko Kakutani re Jonathan Frantzen etc.!? And we Bransforumites were complaining recently about unpublished writers being nasty to each other! It seems publishing success does not mellow some people.
Relating the Ellen Hopkins and Mike Shatzkin links presents another powerful argument against E-books. You can't burn them! You could burn the aptly-named Kindle, and I-Pads and Nooks, but somehow it's not the same. Not to mention 'Smell, bathtub, I'll go blind'.
In Ireland, you pay extra for plastic bags. That has solved all the country's problems, and Jeremy Irons lives here in a pink castle.
On the subject of e-Books versus printed paper books: reading large volumes of text on screen makes my eyes hurt; reading a paper-printed book does not.
Consider the flicker factor--the monitor refreshes itself several times a moment as you look at it, meaning your eyes are refocusing refocusing refocusing refocusing refocusing refocusing refocusing refocusing to keep up with it. It's a tiny movement, but too much of it causes eye strain.
Since we spend much of our time during work days at a computer terminal, then in front of the TV at night, isn't it nice to know there is at least one form of quiet entertainment that doesn't require yet another monitor?
SB said, on 8/20/2010 4:40:00 PM
I think I am commenting too much on this post, but...
Jeanne- You are right about staring at LCD monitors, but this is precisely why e-readers such as Kindle and Nook use e-ink. The e-ink displays do not constantly refresh like an LCD monitor and therefore do not cause flicker-related eyestrain (see blog post).
Like I said before, I'm not anti-paper books. I'm just a big e-book fan trying to stick to the facts. :)
Ami said, on 8/20/2010 4:54:00 PM
Hilarious video! You know what else should be eliminated?
Lawns.
They waste TONS of water, give us unnecessary work on the weekends, and are completely useless.
Rock lawns ftw!!!
reader said, on 8/20/2010 4:56:00 PM
Re: Franzen's newest novel FREEDOM -- NYT book reviewer Michiko Katutani says this:
"...While “The Corrections” attested to Mr. Franzen’s discovery of his own limber voice and tamed his penchant for sociological pontification, the novel was something of a hybrid in which the author’s satiric instincts and misanthropic view of the world sometimes seemed at odds with his new drive to create fully three-dimensional people. It felt, at times, as if he were self-importantly inflating the symbolic meaning of his characters’ experiences, even as he condescendingly attributed to them every venal quality from hypocrisy and vanity to paranoia and Machiavellian conniving..."
I've read it three times and still have no clue what it means. I like my reviews in English, please.
Also, and not that I have to worry about it, but if TIME magazine called me the greatest anything, much less writer, I'd think I'd suffer a nervous breakdown from the expectation. Come to think of it, I wouldn't want to READ anyone who thought he was the greatest writer. I like humble writers. Their books are much more authentic, I think.
Speaking of the plastic bag and human ingenuity, someone recently drew my attention to one of the greatest obstacles to the modern city, if not the biggest obstacle to the modern city. Come-on Manhattans, kick-in! One of the biggest obstacles to the modern city was...Poop! The modern city almost didn't exist for this reason. But humans are very ingenious when their life is on the line. So, now we can brag about the our chic skylines, but what is going on under the ground made it all possible. You gotta love it!
Nathan, Thanks for the video link in your post, which spurred me to write a blog about plastic bags that's been simmering for a few days. It is timely with the ban in California pending. http://dawnpier.blogspot.com/2010/08/screwing-planet-with-plastic.html
Read the Ellen Hopkins' posts and I sympathize with her comments and attitude. Small-town censorship is alive and well in the USA -- and always has been. Some states are worse than others. It's more an affliction of the small-town protective mentality, than indicative of the USA or any other country. Small minds can proliferate anywhere.
Also read the Jodi Picoult incident. Interesting but not surprising. Reviews are the OPINIONs of the person writing them. They may or may not be FACT. I can't see that it's to Picoult's benefit to challenge them. But, it's her choice.
Eric's interview by Tahereh was great. I like his attitude, and he remains respectful of his following. A good blog check out.
Thanks for the links,Nathan, and the interesting reading. Hope everyone has a great weekend.
Well, I'm for paper, but it's the books that matter. I want paper, but if the books I want end up (at some point) only coming out as ebooks, I'll probably get a reader and be happy enough reading. But I still prefer paper.
And I'm not entirely sure about the inevitability, still. Certainly ebooks will get bigger. But in the near future how much bigger will they get? Yes, I hear stories of people who said they will never take up ebooks and now love them. But for every one of those stories I also hear one about how someone bought an ereader and no longer uses it. They've gone back to paper books, and their ereader is one more gadget sitting on a shelf.
I hear a lot of both, and it makes me think this really is a shifting demographic. People are adopting and leaving, adopting and keeping, not adopting at all... it's pretty early in the game, really, and so much is speculation and curiosity. People are trying to feel out what's best for them. It's gonna be interesting to see where it all goes. I'm hoping for multiple reading platforms myself -- a nice balance where everything is available to everybody in whatever format best suits them.
I don't ask for much, I know.
Anonymous said, on 8/20/2010 7:29:00 PM
I agree, Byran. I have friends who were incredibly excited about reading books on their iphones, but they've mostly gone back to reading printed books. My ereader gathers dust most of the time...I do think there's a lot of hype out there generated by Amazon (for the Kindle), Apple (for the ipad, iphone). Not everyone is going to drink the Kool-Aid...nor should they be compelled to do so.
Anonymous said, on 8/20/2010 7:35:00 PM
Nothing about the continuing Dorchester saga? After going completely ebook, it appears they are downsizing the staff:
Ami: With the exception of a narrow strip of grass between my house and my neighbor's driveway (a concession because we share use of that strip of land), my husband and I have eliminated our front lawn. I spent all of May stripping off the grass, laying landscaping fabric, putting in native plants, and spreading soil and mulch. We have had nothing but compliments from the neighbors. And I didn't have to work out at the gym.
D.G. Hudson: "It's more an affliction of the small-town protective mentality, than indicative of the USA or any other country."
A-MEN!
Regarding the e-book vs print book debate, I think that there should be room for both. And I hope that the shift toward e-books isn't inevitable; thinking of it as such makes me sad.
I look at it this way. When an artist paints a picture, they are not just thinking about color and composition and content, which are the two-dimensional elements of a painting. They are also thinking about brush strokes, thickness of the paint, layering, texture... These are three-dimensional elements, and they are lost when a painting is translated to an electronic medium.
I think of books in a similar way - each book is set in a certain type, printed on specially selected paper, and bound in a certain way, with a cover that may be flat and smooth or have raised lettering or other three-dimensional elements. The cover is designed to look a certain way when positioned spine-outward on a shelf, and to look another way when positioned facing out. A lot of careful thought goes into all of these elements, and they are all lost when a book is translated onto an e-reader.
We wouldn't malign an art lover for refusing to give up all of his paintings in exchange for bare walls and an e-reader full of flat images. Why denigrate book lovers for feeling similarly about their carefully arranged shelves of beautiful, colorful books?
Also: I disagree with the idea that e-readers will be a wonderful thing for picture books. I give my children actual physical toy cars and trucks and sticks and blocks and dolls to play with, and I do not think that artificial interactions with an electronic interface is healthy play. Books afford the opportunity to utilize the imagination to picture whatever the words conjure up, and giving children e-picture books that move and dance and do the imagining for them is akin to sticking them in front of the television with subtitles running along the bottom. So in that regard, I hope that the shift to e-books is NOT inevitable.
The Feds, in very heavy-handed fashion, have made it clear that colleges cannot use e-readers for textbooks and cannot distribute any ereader to students that is not completely accessible to the blind.
The motto is that if blind students can't have Kindles then no one can . . .
On the other side of the plastic bags issue...an Australian show, The Gruen Transfer, each week challenges 2 advertising companies to come up with an ad for something really "unsellable." Here is one of the ads created to sell plastic bags. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=npf6qns0JhU
flibgibbet said, on 8/21/2010 1:38:00 AM
Getting rid of heavy text books sounds like a good thing to me. Kids can now excuse themselves from homework assignments by complaining about battery failure, etc. The dog will no longer have to take the blame.
I personally have no need for an ereader, but I can see why others love them. For me, reading paper books (fiction mostly) is a non-problem, something I don't need to spend $ to solve. In fact, I want the actual object, one that I can loan out without someone else's permission, one that I can add to my library and enjoy regardless of the newer, better, must-have tech toy.
I completely understand Picoult's rant. We live in a patriarachy where men still make up most of the rules. And the minority of women who get to participate are still working off of those same male standards as if there's no other paradigm. So good for her.
Really sad to read about the censorship in Houston, but not surprised. People tend to hide behind "the children" when they have a personal beef with public content.
In ireland they reduced plastic bag usage - not through banning but by charging 22c government levy on each bag! Government makes money and reduces usage :)
When I lived in Korea they started charging for plastic bags in the stores there too. I think it's a great idea. I think charging for bags may be less controversial than banning them completely. It works for reducing usage.
Okay Nathan so a couple of things I am going to take from your post today are: Ellen Hopkins should publish on ecologically sound stone tablets therefore she can pitch them at the superintendent's thick skull, and regarding the plastic bag issue, how about shopping with the always reuseable shopping tote made form Shatzkin Butt Hide.
It's a shame I just missed the author top ten earnings list but then again who would want little old self-absorbed, pompous me... oh wait that was last year. This year I'm into screenplays, ever heard of Oscar?
Okay, if there's an e-reader with intuitive note-taking capabilities to replicate my margin scrawling... I would bite. Especially if you could keep it all one place on a computer.
I noticed, at an agent's contest, that there was an entry from a "Marjorie" at 2:38 PM. My entry was from me, Marjorie, at 9:43 PM.
If you click on the first "Marjorie" to view her profile, you are are taken to a page that shows the name was created this month and the blog has under 10 visits and no listed personal blogs.
I want to state that I am not that person and I did not create that profile. My comments will always take you to my profile which lists my blogs and over 6,000 visits.
I do not know if this was coincidence or deliberate... but I do not appreciate it because the same name, Marjorie, makes it appear as if I am the author of the comments or contest entries posted.
I wanted to post this so in some way I can disassociate from a name that may have been created to impersonate me and may be leaving comments on blogs that appear to have been written by me.
This is what happens on the internet I suppose, but with this post I have taken some proactive step to clarify what does concern me and make others aware.
Elle: At our house, we use the emptied bags/packaging that we end up with when we buy loaves of bread, apples, potatoes, onions, toilet paper... You'd be surprised how much plastic the average family disposes of when you really stop to look at it.
Anyone who cannot see the value of a paper book over an e-book when reading in the bathtub has clearly never dropped their book in the water. Likewise with beach reading, frankly. Even though I have switched to e-books, I will still buy and check out paperbacks from the library for reading in those "high risk" places. I can afford $5.00 to replace a mass market paperback; I cannot afford $150 to replace my Kindle or $300 to replace my iPhone.
Spam and rejections Rejections and spam Waiting for the windfall Yes ma’am I am Books in the hardrive And backed up on disc When the call comes I’ll take the risk Cuz query I may And query I might It all comes down to How well I can write. (titled writers prayer) Thought you'd get a kick out of it. Just killing time waiting for replies to my queries.
I want to clarify my comments on e-readers. For practical reasons, I have actually made the switch to e-books. I believe most of my book purchases in the future will be done through the Kindle store. However, I still find there are times when only print will do, and it frustrates me when that is completely blown off.
I know it must get old to hear the same arguments over and over, but that doesn't mean they are invalid. Perhaps if those arguments were acknowledged, we wouldn't feel the need to repeat ourselves. Perhaps if members of the e-book revolution spent as much energy finding an answer to the Bathtub Dilemma as they do mocking those who mention it, the problem would soon be resolved.
I do believe in e-books; I read them and love them. That doesn't make me blind to their limitations, however.
sooper said, on 8/22/2010 1:51:00 PM
re: e-books vs. print books:
I'm an orthodox jew and I do most of my reading on saturday when I can't operate any sort of machinery or appliance or what have you. Maybe there aren't many of us but there are certainly people out there who prefer print books for more than just aesthetic/nostolgic reasons. Plus, until I can afford to quit the library,there's no way I'm getting an e-reader.
That's a solution I hadn't considered. It amuses me that you recommend plastic bags two days after you posted that fantastic video, but I assume you mean a Ziploc bag--something that could be sealed. In that case, vive la'revolution!
J. T. Shea said, on 8/22/2010 4:44:00 PM
Don't mind the Bathtub Thong Dilemma, what about EMP? Electromagnetic pulse. Your new-fangled E-readers and E-books won't survive World War Three! Us paper fans, on the other hand, will still be able to enjoy reading (in between hunting and eating each other and dying of radioactive suppurating sores and the usual post-apocalyptic stuff).
LOVE the Plastic Bag mockumentary! I have watched Planet Earth and Blue Planet so many times with my kids that I have a special appreciation of the genre.
JaimeLoren said, on 8/23/2010 8:37:00 AM
Man, the whole 'ridding the world of plastic bags' thing sounds good in theory, but we've been banned from using them here in South Australia, and let me tell you it sucks. Not only do you have to add a new room onto your house to store the new 'environmentally friendly' bags, but you also have to remember to TAKE them with you to the shops so that you don't have to keep buying MORE 'environmentally friendly' bags (hence the addition of the new room).
Also, the new 'environmentally friendly' bags are not so environmentally friendly. It takes longer for them to break down than plastic bags.
As someone who owns two dogs, plastic bags are sorely missed in our household.
Here in San Francisco stores just use paper bags, which we then re-use to hold the recycling. They're also compostable. So if you forget the re-usable bags you don't have to buy more. It's really not that big of an inconvenience, if at all, considering that collectively San Francisco is saving 180 million plastic bags a year from landfills/ocean.
I am quite aware, Mr. Bransford, that you are trying to out-link me. You believe that if you place oodles and oodles of wonderful links within one post, I shall fail in my ablility to comment on them all. It is a diabolical plan - but ha! Ha, I say. You gravely underestimate my ability to ramble, Mr. Bransford.
It may have taken me until today to READ all the links, but I shall now commence to comment upon each and every one of them.
First up: Censorship. Censorship is bad. Seriously. You may have the right to guide the reading of your own children, but you do not have the right to control the reading of mine. So good for those who boycotted the conference that banned Ellen Hopkins.
I haven't studied the printing habits of the NYTBR, but I did notice she accused them not only of giving favorable reviews to white males, but giving them more review space in general. My educated opinion is this - of course there's a white male bias. Where isn't there? Besides, like all ethical issues within publishing, publishing is notable for having almost no accountability and/or sanctions when it comes to both covert and overt discrimination. I also noticed that the Time Magazine covers were - (wait for it) - almost all white men.
Mike Sh. is right on the money about how e-readers are getting better and paperbooks are standing still. I loved what Saundra Mitchell said about ad placement: that integrated product placement should be extremely expensive and acceptable to the author. Yes!
So, I have this new idea about helping agents not overlook bestsellers. I think literary agencies should get organized. They should find out what agent has an eye for what type of writing, and that agent only represents that genre. All YA queries get sent to Carol, who represents YA, and all Literary queries get sent to Tom, etc. Doesn't that sound organized and efficient? I thought so, too.
James Patterson makes alot of money. Know what else James Patterson does? Advertise on T.V.
Oooo. Research. I get to critique research!! Here we go: The movie research looks interesting, but it appears to leave out some important variables like cultural context and economic factors.
I'd better hurry if I'm going to buy Barnes and Noble. I still only have 44 dollars. I wonder if they'd accept barter? I'd be willing to critique some research for them - I'm good at that.
Cute article by Natalie Whipple. Tahareh asks the BEST interview questions I've ever seen. Eric is charming and funny, even if he is wrong about the self-publishing thing; I disagree with him every time on that! Good article by Jennifer Hubbard, except I don't agree. I think agents should be at their writer's beck and call night and day to meet every little whim that passes through their client's mind. I think the reasons for that speak for themselves. Every book I write will have the same first line: "If you don't keep reading this book, your hair will fall out." That should keep them reading.
Funny and quite pointed video. I like the English accent. Adds just the right touch.
Ha! I'm done. It may be too late - you might have posted Monday's post as I write - no one may read this - but it's the principle of the thing. I shall not be out-linked!
Thanks for all the wonderful links, Nathan. Hope everyone is having a happy Monday!
J. T. Shea said, on 8/23/2010 10:49:00 AM
Mira, don't read all Nathan's links. Just PRETEND you did.
White men on Time covers? Like Hitler and Stalin? Not necessarily an honor. And I'm a white man, but I've never been on the cover of Time(yet)!
$44? Does that include my $22.50? In which case, what did you spend the other dollar on? As for B & N accepting barter, I have a great collection of plastic bags.
'If you don't keep reading this, your hair will fall out.' Brilliant! 'But if you're already bald, reading this book will make your hair regrow.'
SB said, on 8/23/2010 11:23:00 AM
Nancy and Nathan -
Re: The bathroom thong. The first time I tried the plastic bag thing, I was using a box of cheapo plastic bags (who can afford Ziplock brand?). When I dropped my Kindle in there, the bottom of the bag broke open and my Kindle fell to the floor. Insert trombone sound effect -- lolarious.
The baggie totally works, but proceed with caution. :)
I usually forget to baggie it, though, and bring it to the beach anyway. I've done this at least a dozen times and it's remained in pretty good shape. I even checked my email on for free from the beach in France using the 3G. That was pretty sweet.
And also, I live in a nice metro area where I can check out e-books from the library. Any regular library users should check to see if this awesome feature is available for them. Some of the books are also available as audiobooks to download to my iPod. Libraries rock.
SB said, on 8/23/2010 11:27:00 AM
Ha! I meant "bathtub thong", as in, the derivation from "bathtub thing". If anyone else refers to the "bathroom thong", though, I suggest changing it to "bedroom throng" or "bathroom throne" or some other happy alternative ;)
JaimeLoren said, on 8/23/2010 6:09:00 PM
Nathan -
Your Mayor's people should call my Premier's people and do lunch :)
Lots and lots of links to get to, but first I wanted to give a heads-up about the upcoming Central Coast Writers Conference in San Luis Obispo on September 17th and 18th. Spots are still available, and there will be keynotes and workshops and all kinds of good things. I'll be giving a speech on the internal combustion engine (or maybe the writing life, haven't decided yet), I'll be doing a query game/workshop, and there will be more! Here's the website, hope to see you there!
Now then, let's get to the links, shall we?
The big news this week that has everyone talking is Barnes & Noble's announcement that after being battered by a low share price, they might be open to selling themselves. What does this mean? Well, somewhat unclear. Investor Ron Burkle had been looking to increase his stake but had been prevented from doing so, and this could potentially open the door. But founder/chairman Len Riggio may be able to prevent that and has stated that he's considering organizing a private investment group. Stay tuned.
In other book news, Google has apparently determined that there are a measly 129,864,880 books in the world. Don't worry, we still need more!!
Last week we discussed our favorite villains, and almost simultaneously The Millions featured a great article called In Search of Iago that traces Iago and other sociopaths through literary history.
Rachelle's post was amazing, especially the quote about success. Thanks for the links, although now I'm wishing I didn't renew by B&N annual membership. Happy Friday!
LOl! Hilarious video! I've been thinking all week about Rachelle's post. Her comparison between writers and athletes is right on. Have a great weekend! And how I wish I could go to the conference!!!
I was always losing bullets whenever I crossed rivers in The Oregon Trail.
Watching School House Rock Live! on stage two months ago was the best money I've spent reliving my childhood. "Conjunction Junction. What's your function?"
Jabez raises some good and insightful points. Although, just for kicks, I'll now argue the opposite -- hat it's harder to define good writing than good storytelling. If you take his (her?) second point further and define good writing separately from "writing in a literary fashion", it soon becomes really nebulous what good writing is. What exactly does it mean for writing to "serve your purpose?"
To see if your storytelling is good, just look at how engaged your reader is. If she can't put your book down and can't stop thinking about it afterwards, then chances are you told a good story.
Thanks for plugging the CC Writers Conference--one of the best weekend conferences around.
Blog friends, this conference is an incredible deal, and YOU GET TO MEET NATHAN!!
So if you're going to be anywhere near the Central Coast of California on the weekend of Sept. 18th--come on over/down/up for a great conference, a laid back atmosphere, perfect weather, AND YOU GET TO MEET NATHAN!!
Of course I've signed up for the query-game workshop. I can't wait.
Nathan, I'm the person who suggested they invite you (after Laurie McLean dropped some hints at last year's conference about how you might be interested.)
I know you'll love staying in Morro Bay. See you there!
Storytelling is a great subject. Some storytellers hit tons of people just right. I think a lot of it has to do with timing. Not only the pace of a story fitting with the story being told, but what the story is about, how it's told in relation to what is going on in the reader's life.
I'm under 25, as well, and my younger brother and I both played Oregon Trail... That was hilarious!!!
Now, I have a favor to ask! I'm a regular reader, but don't comment a lot. I swear I'm not trying to spam - but rather trying to get information out to people I think would find it...interesting, maybe?
I am trying to establish a horse rescue in Arizona. Horses, especially here in AZ, are regularly dumped in the desert and the side of the road because the owners can't afford the upkeep anymore. That being said, we have been approved to run for a Pepsi Refresh grant, which would grant us $250K if we win.
I need help. I've been trying to get the word out, but we're staying steady around 175th place. I was reading the post today and thought I'd share it here. I know I don't comment a lot, but I AM here everyday.
To vote, the website is www.refresheverything.com/fourhooves.
Our website is www.fourhoovesequine.weebly.com
We're also on face book - "Four Hooves Equine Rescue".
I just saw this video a few hours ago and totally worth it to watch again. "Nobody wants to be the carpenter!" Fond memories of the 90's and clunky IBMs in the computer lab at school.
Thanks for another great round-up
Anonymous said, on 8/6/2010 3:38:00 PM
Re Jabez' comment:
There is indeed a difference between good storytelling (involving pacing, characterization etc) and a good idea (the outline.) The difference is you can only suss out one from reading a query letter/synopsis.
I'm not trying to bash anyone here-- I just think the system is set up to favour unique ideas/concepts over good storytelling/prose.
Christina B. said, on 8/6/2010 3:39:00 PM
I'd say Dorchester dropping the mm format is pretty big news--and a huge deal for the authors/editors/agents involved in the books scheduled for release next month and this fall. I can't even imagine...
My kids love the Oregon Trail game! All I can think about is the Donner Party taking a short cut. My husband would have taken that short cut, despite my protests, and I swear, he would be the first person I'd kill and eat! Nice links! Might take a chance on that writer's conference. Oh, go Iowa!
Daaaang-a-laaang! My brother. Dang-a-lang! I ain't no never played dem dere Video thingys, ain't never been thingymarized by dem dere E-lectricty play thingies, but dang! You know it. Just when I thought it was the yellow brick road. Go figure. I, not too long ago, worked with an angry guy in a warehouse in O-re-gon who showed off his pistol to me after work. Literally, he had bullets rolling around on his floorboard. Dang-a-lang! My brother.
P.S. Nathan, you have lifted my spirits yet again. Man oh man. I can't even tell you in a short outburst.
I'm way over 25, but I never played video games. But it would be a trip to wake up one day and find out my whole life was just that. Has that story been written yet?
Being a good storyteller and being able to plot out/outline your story well are not mutually exclusive; the latter is a crucial part of the former.
Therefore the query system doesn't favor people who can come up with good ideas over people who can tell a good story, because if your ideas and outline are poor, you've probably got a little of work to do on developing your storytelling craft.
What the query system does do help identify the people who are good writers and also good at crafting interesting ideas into a plot that is compelling. A writer who is truly a master of his craft is a writer who can effectively shape words to whatever purpose he needs. This means being able to write a good narrative, and then turn around and write an effective query.
Also: "No-one wants to be the carpenter!" HA-HAHAHAHAAAAAAAAAA! Oregon Trail rocks. I can't wait to play it with my kids. (grin) How do you find these gems? (And is that trailer for real? Because if it is, I totally want to watch that movie.)
"The social shopping site Blippy made a big splash in the tech blogosphere earlier this week with an unlikely feature: the most amazing 404 error page anybody had seen in awhile."
Nathan, your 'In drinking news' announcement was a big turn off. If a person can drink to enjoy then more power to them, have fun. But for a lot of people like me, a lot of writers too Nathan, alcohol is a poison with deadly consequences. Similar to saying, 'In crack cocaine news'.
They are fruitful writing events and your attention to them warranted but it really could've done without the 'In drinking news'.
I know a lot of people think I need to take a chill pill about this. Maybe I do. But alcohol is just another drug. A legal one.
Anonymous said, on 8/7/2010 9:03:00 AM
People who are not addicted to alcohol are not responsible for maintaining the sobriety of those who are.
Sheila, as difficult as it is, please deal with your own addiction without imposing the politically correct police.
To really appreciate the Oregon Trail video, apparently the problem is not being under 25. How about over 35? I never played that game, although I'd heard of it, and now I wish I had played it. I was probably at a keg party at the time. Meh.
Cindy, you are absolutely right. There are probably only a few of us in the Oregon Trail-less gap. And until today, we never knew what we were missing. *sigh*
J. T. Shea said, on 8/7/2010 7:48:00 PM
129,864,877...129,864,878...129,864,879...Oh damn! I lost count again. And 58,364,974 of them are BEHIND OTHER BOOKS, so you can't see the titles. I hate that.
Anonymous said, on 8/8/2010 12:45:00 AM
Ishta Mercurio-
You're right about the query system in that you need both a good idea and good writing to get noticed, but I meant to say that the good idea is usually what gets you noticed first. That is, if you have a great idea and decent-but-not-amazing prose it's quite easy to get picked up, but if you have great prose and a decent-but-not-amazing idea it's a bit more difficult.
I also think there are a lot of people who can come up with interesting ideas but can't necessarily deliver on the storytelling behind it. Coming up with ideas is a creative process involving imagination; coming up with plot is a mechanical process involving logic.
BTW, Anon 9:03AM: maybe it's just me but I thought Sheila was making the point that alcohol is as dangerous as any other drug (illegal or otherwise) and people should be a little more aware about it. The fact that alcohol and drinking is so openly encouraged whilst people get sent to jail for possessing a bit of marijuana is absolutely ludicrous, and really it is just another double standard.
Anonymous said, on 8/8/2010 2:25:00 AM
Anon 12:45, Anon 9:03 here. No argument that people can have serious alcohol problems. But still the addict is responsible for his or her self. For Sheila to come to this blog and ask the agent to walk on tiptoe because of her own personal problems is out of line.
Way cool links, Nathan. That's alot of work, linking all that, and it is appreciated!
First, the Conference!! I can't go, because it's the week before school starts, and I'll be spending that weekend shaking my fist at the sky, shouting "Why me?? Why must this upcoming nightmare of darkness and horror be visited upon me??" I'll be doing that for HOURS and it will be VERY SATISFYING.
But then I went to the site - and you're the KEYNOTE SPEAKER!! Arrgghhh. Two full days. Oh, so so tempting. Major fun. I was in your query game workshop last year and it was really fun. I didn't win because our group was robbed by another group that wrote a better query. I wish they wouldn't do that kind of thing. But I really can't go, it's a terrible weekend, but I wish I could!! Someday school will stop ruling my life. My hat is off to the organizers, though. They couldn't have picked a better keynote speaker! You'll be terrific.
So, I have to hurry or this post will be so long, I'll have to split it in two, which would just be embarrassing.
I thought long and hard, and I've decided to buy Barnes and Noble. I have $22.50. That might not be enough, so if someone, who is really rich, wants to partner with me, let me know. I'm up for it.
Did Google count the e-books? I'm just saying.
In terms of Shatzkin, I believe e-books devices will be like cell phones. Only a few will really dominate, so it doesn't matter how many players there are. Amazon has a built in on-line advantage that will probably not be successfully challenged, even by Apple.
I liked the Iago article alot. I especially liked that they pointed out that villians always have super-villany names. I agree with Eric that even self-published folks could benefit from agenting. I really, really liked Moonrat's article. Except she left out e-book publishing, which seemed alittle odd. (?) When I publish, I'd like a place that will help me brand my product. That was an inspiring article by Rachelle Gardner, although I do think sports and writing are somewhat different. Pushing in writing can backfire, sometimes. I would LOVE to get an MFA. That's because I love school.
Is there a word count on commenting? I don't know who Carolyn Kellog is, but I love that someone was discovered through blogging! Yay! That was funny about Clark Kent.
That was a very interesting comment of the week! Thought provoking. I really liked what she said about great writing crafts the prose to match the story and genre. Yes!
In terms of the alcohol stuff, I don't want to step on any toes, and I understand that Sheila has strong feelings about this, but.....I like Nathan's jokes - I thought his "in drinking news was funny" and so was the article about authors telling people how to drink. I hope he doesn't stop because alchohol and writing are funny together....As an addict myself, I think it's good to relax about this sort of thing.
Oh, and I've been enjoying the Rejectionist's blog lately.
Okay, I'm done. Hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend. :)
Well I am 31 so I guess I fall into the right age group because I totally grew up on that game and was obsessed with it!!! My parents only let me play "educational" games - so the Oregon trail and "Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego" were total obsessions. What I can't figure out is -is that movie for real? Is it meant to be as stupid and hysterical as it looks in that trailer? Man I haven't laughed like that in a long time. Thanks for sharing that Nathan!!!
- Rena
Anonymous said, on 8/8/2010 11:29:00 PM
Anon 9:03/2:25: Yeah that's true. In context it was a bit uncalled for. My frustration about the issue is more about the lack of responsibility on the part of authorities and society in general rather than this blog specifically (I didn't really take any offense from the joke.) I just think alcohol is sometimes overly glorified and the way some people go on and on about it is vaguely tedious. Could you imagine if I wrote an essay about all the different ways you can drink coffee? YAWN.
Anyway I'm starting to rant here, but thanks-- I'm glad you acknowledge that drinking is not fun and games for everyone.
Even if Barnes & Noble sells, I would be surprised if whoever bought them changed the name of the company. To the average everyday store visitor, they wouldn't know the difference. The sign would still say Barnes & Noble, and that's all they would care about. It's an interesting story, and one I've been keeping an eye on since they made the announcement. For the fiscal year 2012, they are expected to make $1 billion less than they made in 2010.
Anonymous said, on 8/9/2010 7:30:00 AM
I love how that video used one of my favorite songs. If you haven't seen the video yet, look for the music video "Home" by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros. It's a beautiful, happy song that never fails to brighten my day.
This Friday I am actually out of town and thus may have missed some news from the last few days. Please feel free to fill in any links that I may have missed! (and please forgive iPad-generated typos)
First up, while I really love spam sandwiches, I do not love spam Tweets (see what I did there?). My real Twitter account now has a verified tag, so please make sure the verified one is the one you follow and not one of the phony imposter fakeries.
Mashabale recently polled their readership about their reading preferences, and found that a plurality still prefer paper books to e-books. Though dare I say I anticipate these results chnaging quickly in the coming years.
And speaking of which, the price of e-readers continues to tumble as Amazon debuts a WiFi enabled Kindle for $139 and a 3G device for $189.
Penguin is celebrating their 75th Anniversary, and Shelf Awareness had a great article about the history of the company, which famously helped popularize a crazy new fad in bookselling called the paperback.
And CNet took a look at e-book self-publishing options, so if you're considering that option you might check that out because it's quite a comprehensive and informative article. (via @JaneFriedman)
And finally, argh because the iPad makes it virtually impossible to use YouTube to embed videos, but here's a link to one that has been making the rounds this week. Jane Austen Fight Club
Have a great weekend!
31 Comments on This Week in Publishing, last added: 8/3/2010
You know how you said you don't appreciate readers who say things suck? The Jane Austen fight club thing sucks. I am Jane Austened to death! Oops! Better watch my back, the Jane Austen Zombies may get me for this one!
Re- the Jane Austen Fight Club: Fighting, boxing, wrestling - all gladiator sports. Don't care for them -- but seeing all the prissy ladies act out their 'real' unlady-like feelings was humourous.
Jane Friedman's blog is always informative, although self-publishing isn't on my radar at this point. I also like how she rounds up all the best articles & tweets for the week.
Enjoy the weekend, Nathan & all -- we have lovely summer weather here on the northwest coast, and it's a long weekend for us British Columbians (Canada).
Oh no, the Jane Austen video is hilarious. At least to me. I laughed and laughed.
I also admire the production values, and how much work a video like that would take. Who does this kind of thing?
Nathan, I hope you're having fun being out of town, and it's very cool that you posted links anyway! You're so conscientious. I wish I owned a literary agency. I'd hire you, pay you a HUGE salary, and then take naps all day because you'd take care of everything!!
So, I guess it's time for my regular "bug-Nathan-by-critiquing-research-that-he-linked-to-out-of-interest-no-one-said-this-was-high-science-it's-just-an-informal-survey-for-crying-out-loud critique. I took a class in research last Spring and I've been IMPOSSIBLE to live with since then. My friends won't let me critique research with them any more, so I have to do it here.
So here's the thing about the Mashable poll and why it's not valid research. Anyone can vote multiple times at multiple comupters. The sample isn't random. And the results reall don't say they prefer paper books, anyway. 41.9 like paper, 23.24 like e-books, but 34.86 like BOTH. That means 58.1 like e-books. That's means e-books WIN. I could critique that conclusion as well, but I don't critique my own stuff. What would be the point of that?
I very much like the recommendation system at Amazon. I don't know about the others, but I'll check them out. I rarely buy a book now (and since I got the Kindle, I buy ALOT of books, I love, love, love that thing) without checking the reviews.
Yay for Penguin and paperbacks!
Very interesting about the self-publishing possiblities. Thank you for linking that. You are so cool to link that, Nathan. I'm going to hire you and...wait. I already said that.
So because there's no comment of the week, I assume this comment is in the running for next week? Awesome. I'll get my acceptance speech ready. This was definitely one of the best comments I've made ever.
I'm with Mira--I laughed myself silly watching the Jane Austen Fight Club. I think some people aren't getting the point. It's making fun of the all-Jane Austen-all-the-time craze--showing how silly it all is.
Now I'm going to check Anon's Salinger link. Nathan, you are the hub of the book blogosphere!
I'm glad I'm not the only one who's a little sick of Jane Austen parodies lately. Don't get me wrong, I loved PRIDE AND PREJUDICE AND ZOMBIES, but that was about all I needed.
Haven't heard of Shelfari before. I'll have to check it out!
I have nothing insightful or even mildly entertaining to add ... but I would like to thank you Nathan for all you do, posting from your iPad even while out of town? Awesome.
Gotta love the Jane Austen Fight Club, if only for the irony. It's a perfect combination of two novels about society's gender assignments.
I know I came in here for something said, on 7/30/2010 3:41:00 PM
Big Austen fan here, and I enjoyed the JA Fight Club. Given the exuberance of her “Juvenilia” (“I murdered my father at a very early period of my Life, I have since murdered my Mother, and I am now going to murder my Sister.”), I think Jane would have enjoyed seeing some of her more deserving characters haul off and smack a few of the others.
I wonder how far e-readers will go down. I saw an e-reader I'd never heard of in one of those unsolicited catalogues this week where they sell everything from training bras to computers. And this e-reader was less than 100.00.
Yay Penguin! Yay book recommendation sites! (I like Goodreads, because I can see what my friends like, and I know how their tastes compare to mine, so it gives me a solid base to work from.)
Yay Nathan for more awesome links!
treeoflife said, on 7/30/2010 10:54:00 PM
I know I posted here a while ago saying that I was waiting for ereaders to get cheap enough before I gave in and bought one. Well, $139 does it for me. I've got one pre-ordered.
Seriously, that was some great critiquing as well on the Mashable poll.
And regarding the Jane Austen Fight Club, seems lots of folks (including in a not-so-recent episode of the tv show "Chuck") taking the idea of the "Fight Club" without realizing the point of the story was that the club didn't really exist...but I won't spoil the book for potential readers...:)
And Happy Birthday Penguin! Their paperbacks added mightily to my education when I was oversees without television and in long lines, and on long train rides!
The paperback is/was the e-book reader of the past (in my humble opinion).
Bezos of Amazon re: ereaders... "Color is not ready for prime time!"
Well, lad, if Apple can do it, why can't you? I mean, after all, pixels do make color! I know... go here, the first three illustrations are nothing but pixels...
It was a pretty eventful week in publishing this, um, week so let's get right to it.
The news that everyone is talking about is agent Andrew Wylie's move to deal directly and exclusively with Amazon for e-book rights to many classic works by authors such as Vladimir Nabokov, Hunter S. Thompson, Philip Roth, and more. Basically, the original contracts for these books were signed before e-books were a glimmer in Jeff Bezos' eye, and Wylie is taking the stance that these rights belong to the authors and not the publishers.
This, as they say, is a pretty big deal for publishers. As author Jason Pinter writes in the Huffington Post, backlist sales represent a huge amount of money for publishers, and could drastically affect the publishers' revenue in the future if they don't have e-book rights to their backlist.
And meanwhile, there was other big e-book news as Amazon announced that e-books have been outselling hardcovers on Amazon for several months. It's not quite apples to apples considering the lower price of e-books, but still, another benchmark as e-books continue their rise.
And yet amid all of this e-book hullaballo, @OtherLisa linked to an article about how indie bookstore sales have risen this year. Go indies go!!!!
I think this is quite an interesting post to read alongside the e-books debate and in particular the fear of authors, even agents, about missing out on potential royalties by holding onto rights or wanting to see them as a subsidiary right. Evan Schnittman has just been appointed Managing Director Group Sales and Marketing, Print and Digital at Bloomsbury in the UK. http://www.blackplasticglasses.com/2010/07/15/ebook-royalties/
Go Jacob Wunderbar, go. Are you allowed to give us sneak previews of the cover as and when it becomes available, like a blog community bonus, ahead of amazon?
LOL about the 5 stages of querying. I'll admit to the first two, although I did leave those things out of my actual query letter. :-) Soon after my first rejection, I discovered SCBWI and realized how naive I had been. Talk about a steep learning curve!
Congrats on Jacob Wonderbar being available for preorder! That must be so surreal. I dream of living a day like that.
Re: Andrew Wylie: WOW. Talk about balls. Especially after this article. I guess it really isn't feasible for publishing houses to go back over every contract they've ever signed and fix it to definitively include or exclude e-rights.
The film and television industries are going through a similar issue, with most of the profits from old movies that are now released on DVD bypassing actors altogether and going to the producers. There are also lots of issues around electronic media, like the replaying of episodes on network websites, etc. in terms of whether and how much actors get paid for that.
Speaking of actors and authors and publishers wrangling over rights and profits in the new e-dawn, my word verification for this post is "nosay". How prophetic.
Conrgatulations Nathan! I can't wait to read your book. I started reading your blog around the time I began mine, and FATTY LEGS will officially be released Aug 01 (though it has been avail since June). It is a very exciting feeling. So, to go with your new published writer ego you need a voice mail to match. http://oldspicevoicemail.com/
Everyone's mentioning the ebook thingy, but I leaped on one of the OTHER links--that of Hannah Moskowitz's blog topic, why boys seem to skip reading YA. And, just as I suspected: mostly cuz there aren't many boy YAs out there! No wonder boys don't read; there's not much of a selection.
And yet, according to agent/author Mandy Hubbard's blog post re her recent trip to NY (7-20 post at http://mandyhubbard.livejournal.com/), editors are wary about selecting books SOLELY geared toward boys--because books for girls simply sell better. Sounds like a conundrum to me. How do we start to fill the gap if it doesn't initially make good marketing sense for editors and publishers?
Meanwhile, I'm still writing my sci fi WIP with a male MC...
THAT WAS MY COLLEGE LIBRARY! I've actually been there! Woohoo!
Anonymous said, on 7/23/2010 2:55:00 PM
Quote #1:
Macmillan CEO John Sargent spoke out this afternoon: " A basic tenet of publishing is that our function is to reach as many readers as we can. We disseminate our books and the ideas within them as broadly as possible."
And all this time I thought their function was to make money. Now I realize that what they truly want to become--are libraries.
Quote #2:
“Therefore, regrettably, Random House on a worldwide basis will not be entering into any new English-language business agreements with the Wylie Agency until this situation is resolved.”
Where did they get their playbook--Amazon?
Quote #3:
Governor Tarkin: Princess Leia, before your execution, you will join me at a ceremony that will make this battle station operational. No star system will dare oppose the Emperor now.
Princess Leia: The more you tighten your grip, Tarkin, the more star systems will slip through your fingers.
May of 2011!!! Yay you! Are you counting down the days? I'm really thrilled for you! I'm going to purchase a copy but greedy me wants an author signature as well. Will you have book plates available? Have a great weekend!
The Amazon pre-order moment is one of those weird milestones on the road to publication, to be sure. At least it was for me.
I'm going to go with my optimistic take that eBooks might expand the market for books as a whole. And that the indie stores who are bucking trends and doing well are an example of the sort of community and connection that people increasingly crave in the virtually connected, physically disconnected world so many of us live in. Plus, with everything so speeded up in our lives, I predict that more people will turn to reading, and reading real books, because it's an experience that engages us in a unique way and slows us down.
I plan on pre-ordering everyone's debut novel. Keep 'em coming, people.
TonyB said, on 7/23/2010 3:59:00 PM
Nathan, maybe you can help us unravel the mystery of Amazon’s ranking system. You could plot Jacob Wonderbar’s bestseller rankings, and sales, over time as the book moves from #80,013 to #1.
I read your take on e-books yesterday, Nathan, and just wanted to say kudos to you for being more on the ball than the rest of your profession. As to Random House, I've been following it all day. I blogged about it, too.
From an Indie Author POV I'm loving seeing Random House floundering around, but even better has been John Sargent. I popped over to his blog and read his post where he states he is worried about little companies like Bookswim. Tellingly, the CEO of Bookswim posted a comment saying he isn't worried.
In fact, the only people who do seem worried Random House and Macmillan. And as for why... at the end of the day, publishers are starting to scared. Who can blame them? If I had as little sense as they constantly prove themselves to have, I'd be terrified.
On a final note, as to Random House claiming they own those e-book rights, that's like me going to the cinema and claiming that means I own the DVD.
Anonymous said, on 7/23/2010 4:56:00 PM
I signed many contracts long before digital rights were "a speck on the horizon" and I can tell you it's not a good feeling when you see these backlisted books released in digital format and you're not getting paid a cent.
I've been following the news about The Wylie Agency and Amazon all week. Interesting situation. Here’s a bit of humor on the subject from GalleyCat: Disguise Your Kindle as a Newspaper. Thanks for all the links on so many subjects. And congratulations on your book becoming available for pre-order! Have a great weekend! Also, LOL on the Old Spice Guy and the parody on the Old Spice Guy. Oh, the Interwebs.
Scathach wrote: "On a final note, as to Random House claiming they own those e-book rights, that's like me going to the cinema and claiming that means I own the DVD."
No, it isn't. It just isn't that simple. An author may write a book and refine it and present that draft to a publisher, but when the publisher takes it on they walk the author through yet more edits, design a cover and choose a typeface and style that suit the tone of the book, market the book, and distribute the book. The story belongs to the author, but the presentation is the publisher's. It's a grey area, and if we're talking about a backlisted book, there are several ways to go. Ultimately, my feeling is that it isn't fair for the author not to get a cent for e-versions of their book. On the other hand, it isn't fair for the publisher to get nothing either, since the book would not exist in that form without their edit requests and copyediting expertise and what have you.
@The First Carrol, the funny thing is, in communities like mine bookstore owners don't care about local authors. I found in my own that they no longer know the difference between a self-published book and a traditionally published one. At first, all I got was offers to sell the book on commission. I explained that it was carried by Firefly and got nowhere. Then I said "It's published by the same publisher as Robert Munsch," very slowly and clearly. The independents said they'd order a few closer to the official launch and Coles said MAYBE they would see about a table in the mall some Saturday afternoon and MIGHT order up to twenty copies (Guess the Team Edward Backpacks just require too much room). The book is on the cover of the publisher's catalogue, concerns a very hot media topic right now, has garnered movie interest (just interest) and sold out or come to close to it several times since June on Amazon. It is also of Aboriginal interest and we are immediately surrounded by three reservations. The best I can get in my own town is twenty books and a table. I'm not holding my launch party at a local bookstore. None were interested. This brave new world of books has muddied the waters and in a small city all the bookstores want is Stephen King, Stephanie Meyers, Dan Brown and J.K. Rowling. Granted my small city is a semi-remote community, but even the bookstores no longer have a clue. I'll take my chances with bloggers, interest groups and community organisations like the Friendship Centre (lakin to an Aboriginal YMCA) where I will be holding my launch. Probably in big cities you can get some good independant bookstores behind you, but up in the middle of nowhere, my footwork was a massive waste of computer marketing time.
Susanna Daniel's post on the quiet hell of taking ten years to write a novel was interesting. That's a lot of years out of one's life! (However, she sold the book so some of her investment was realized)
I liked San Francisco legend Broke Ass Stuart's guide to the best literary bars in San Francisco. I love the the City Lights Bookstore and think Kerouac Alley was a long time coming.
Regarding the Amazon one star reviews of the Best Books -- the comments, the lack of objectivity -- especially with Kerouac, Hemingway, Vonnegut or Kesey or many of the others is evidence of the poor reading education many of these reviewers exhibit. So why does anyone pay any attention to Amazon reviews??
Nathan, congrats on your book hitting the web for pre-order. That must make you feel great!
Here we go again. Ten years along since the digital publishing war began, and Andrew Wylie, owner of The Wylie Agency--doesn't accept unsolicited submissions--reopens an old battlefront. He's a top coyote in a coyote world.
Random House knows what it's up against. They lost the circa 2000 Random House v. RosettaBooks suit over digital copyrights, the first salvo in the e-book rights war. For the court papers, briefs, opinions, appeals, and decisions;
http://rosettabooks.com/legal.php
Interestingly, cofounder and CEO of RosettaBooks, Arthur Klebanoff is a literary agent, owner of Scott Meredith Literary Agency, lawyer, and one time author/e-book pubisher of an autobiographical book about agenting, The Agent: Personalities, Politics, and Publishing. Not surprisingly, RosettaBooks is the original digital publisher.
If these guys have their way, agents will co-opt publishing. Writers will trade one self-serving master for another. During the chaos of upheaveal, writers will once again lose out on the lion's share.
Anonymous said, on 7/24/2010 12:38:00 PM
Will all this evolve to a system where the author sells all reproduction rights for a set period of time?
"All this" includes print on demand, electronic (including audio) translation, time limited copies for lending... Maybe publishers become promoters. They'll take some percentage for advertising and promotion.
What are the stages of "publishing" in an mostly electronic world: write the book, gate keeping, formatting, physical production (paper, electronic, audio), advertising/promotion, and delivery.
Absolutely fascinating doings in the world of books this week. But first, to the important thing:
Hellloooooo, Old Spice Guy. I don't believe we have had the pleasure of being introduced, good sir. And I say 'good sir' with the upmost respect bordering on reverence.
That boy will play James Bond someday. I'd put money on it.
So, I had to laugh when Wylie said he was surprised by Random House' response. Ha, ha, ha. I'm sure this is one move in a game, and that sharp cookie Wylie is enjoying it. It should be fascinating to watch.
As an aside, I had an absolutely lovely daydream where Andrew Wylie and Nathan Bransford were fighting over who got me as their client. It was a very long and complicated daydream, involving my frequent protests of: "What? Little ole me?" There was a thrilling car chase, a brilliant chess game and the denuoment would have made stone statues weep. I don't want to give away the ending, but I'll give you a hint: Nathan won. Of course. Was there ever any doubt?
So, prophetic daydreams aside, there were tons of other fun links this week - thank you, Nathan! I haven't read them all yet - so I shall return.
Hope everyone in having a lovely weekend.
Anonymous said, on 7/24/2010 1:29:00 PM
I've been reading some of the other blogs/news stories about this and I got to wondering. The initial problem seemed to be whether the contract between the writers and the publishers covered e-publishing.
What did the contract between the writers and Wylie cover? Did that have to be negotiated with each author? Did all authors accept the same deal?
Dave K
treeoflife said, on 7/24/2010 2:57:00 PM
I love the title of the Ken Follet piece... Need money to fix your car? (Just) Write a best seller! Ahh that easy huh? :P But seriously, it was a good interview. Follet is simply incredible.
Very interesting posts this week Nathan.
How does it feel going to amazon where your book is being presold, and seeing (Author) after your name?
Really great collection of links this week, Nathan. Thank you!
But first, one question about Wylie. I'm sure he must have talked to the author's estates...? Because there's nothing in his contract about digital rights either, right? Anyway, I suspect he'll negotiate. He's probably just using this for leverage. Too soon to alienate and hurt print publishers, imho.
So, I thought Tahereh's five stages of querying was funny. Re the poster above - maybe someone else took on the same theme - that's okay. Tahereh's take is original and smart.
Owwwwww. That quiet hell article was beautifully written and seared my very soul. She got it exactly - walking the line between accomplishment and failure. Owwwww. Extremely motivating, though!!
I had no idea such a thing as literary bars existed. And I need $750 to fix my car, so I guess that means my bestseller will go international. Hannah's article was very passionate. I want to add something. It's not just characterization that YA needs, but themes. YA is a helpful guide to teens about how to function in this crazy world, and books that address the themes boys stuggle with might be attractive to boys. And a promotion plan for authors is an excellent idea!
That was an terrific comment by Scott. I thought so at the time, and think so upon having re-read it.
And finally, the most important - Jacob Wonderbar! Awesome!! Very exciting. You know, I went to Phitz coffee a few weeks ago, and almost started pointing and squealing when I saw their coffee (not that I ever squeal). "That's Nathan's coffee! That's Nathan's coffee!" I resisted. Thank goodness. You can count on me for a few copies, Nathan. :)
And that Jane Austen Fight Club video is hilarious. Who makes these things???
Hope everyone is continuing to have a nice weekend!
Yesterday, I was mowing the backyard. I was mowing diagonally, from the A/C unit near the house to a small tree in the other corner. So there I was, making pass #2 toward the small tree, when one of the neighbor's very tall and apparently very dead trees! fell...boom! right across my path, maybe 20 feet away, tearing away some of the branches of our small tree.
Now, I didn't hear the tree come down, because the lawn mower was going, and I had earplugs in, to preserve my medical transcriptionist's hearing. I just saw it in front of me, until it hit the ground with something of a lawn-mower and earplug-filtered thud.
But then again, how much noise is a leafless dead tree going to make, as it keels over from its base, I mean, there was no stump remaining, just a spot on the grass where it had been.
Anyway, I had the vision of my brain, which I think of as the source of my novel, something very interior, private, inexplicably imaginative; pictorial, not verbal...and therefore slow in unfolding (let me sing the praises of my brain)...I had the vision of my brain as this little bit of squishy matter in a skull smashable as an eggshell...
...it made me really appreciate how far I have come with my novel - I mean, I'm still here to finish my novel! I'm still here to read Stephanie Plum novels (a recent find, yes, I'm late to every party), and Russian poet prose, and Carl Sandburg's collected poems, very prosy...
I mean, to all the novelist laggards out there, crawling along out there...just think, another day has gone by, and a falling tree hasn't landed on you - you've still got time.
Congrats on your book hitting the pre-order stage! I love the BYU library. I could live there. Like Natalie said, I'm so proud of my collage for making such an awesome video. I actually know the guy, Steve Jones. He did an awesome job.
As we look toward our coming e-future, where we will soon be growing food on the Internet and driving flying books, there have been a series of articles putting the brakes on your technoptimism. First, writing in Slate, Jan Swafford posits that e-books and print books will have to co-exist because.... well, I think because tpyos are easier to sopt on paper? Hard to tell, really. I was reading the article on a screen so...
And finally, David Brooks took note of a study that showed that giving twelve books to disadvantaged kids at the end of a school year improved their test scores vs. their peers, no doubt because forcing the kids to lug twelve books home in the summer heat scared them away from manual labor and motivated them to do well in school. I may have made that last part up. Brooks is actually making a point about print literary culture vs. the short attention span online world, but again, reading on these screens! I'm not getting anything!! Are you getting this? Should we talk about Jake and Vienna instead?
Big congrats to Eric at Pimp My Novel, who is celebrating his first blogoversary (or is it birthablogday?) with some awesome year in review posts. The first is all about co-op, and second on covers. Next year's birthablogday will recap how he conquered the Internet in only two years.
Being a teacher, I've seen how brutal kids can be to each other. But nothing's changed. I saw it when I was a student in the dinosaur days. Kids will be kids. That's why we need adults.
At my school, we have seen scores increase from running a Summer Reading Program with incentives and a drawing for prizes. While it does interfere with my summer vacation, it helps keep the kids in a somewhat school frame of mind if they are reading and answering basic questions about the book.
What clique were you in at ole Colusa High? Looks like a nice small town, though!
It's been great to see their run so far. They haven't even been firing on all cylinders yet. And they need to if they want to beat Spain.
I hope to be celebrating in Amsterdam on Tuesday!
J. T. Shea said, on 7/9/2010 1:16:00 PM
Growing food on the Internet? No, my laptop isn't that dirty, yet.
I hate E-books! Apart from the fact that I'm writing one. Well, three actually. A Word novel text is an E-book. AND I'm reading Nathan's THIS WEEK IN PUBLISHING, which is an E-text. AND typing this comment, which is also a (shorter) E-text. So really, I love E-books. I think...
Comment of the week! I'd like to thank my parents, siblings, first cousins twice removed, teachers, the doctor who delivered me, bookies, bartenders, and particularly the Irish Beet Industry, which was the root of my inspiration.
I watched that whole show - it was absolutely amazing. I wish they'd come to my school, & I NEVER wish stuff like that haha. Thanks for posting it, Nathan :)
Note re-the vid. Says 'Unable to show it in your region'? That's the first time I've seen that message. (the Pacific Northwest, or is it because it's Canada)?
On further investigation it's due to MTV-USA regs. Figures - it's that border line again.
Re Swafford, I don't understand how typos being easier to spot on paper means that print books rule. It's not like we want our paying readers to spot our typos.
A colleague of mine does dyslexia/reading research only using an old school tachiscope, because he found that the results changed when you switched to CRTs. I think it was the lower resolution you get on computer screens that messes with your ability to focus your visual attention. Question is whether that will change for a generation that grows up reading on screens.
I can forsee a future where textbooks are downloaded to e-readers/netbooks. Notes can be added to digital copies, term papers can be cited with ease, and students will read them more.
And backpack manufacturers and chiropractors everywhere shudder at the thought of students not lugging 6-10 three-pound books around all day.
And what will a digital chia-pet look like? That's the trouble with that Trible.
Oh, I loved the David Brooks article! I had never thought about e-media versus print-media in those terms before. I read an article about e-culture and the short-attention-span it engenders quite some time ago ("Is Google Making Us Stupid?", The Atlantic, Summer of 2008), but I've never thought about it in terms of whether or not it teaches us to defer to the intellectual authority of another. Interesting.
As for reading books faster than reading e-books, I do, but it's because when I read a book, I can skim more easily when I can flick through the pages than when I have to click through them. In other words, an e-reader forces me to actually read every word, whereas if I have a book that has some parts that bore me or put me off I can just skim them or skip them altogether. I feel a little guilty about that...
Wow, your high school was really small, Nathan. Sounds like maybe the small population intensifies the conflict between cliques because students are always in close contact with each other. Challenge Day and the MTV show look really fascinating! Also, interesting about the "Nerds" group, many of whom may grow up to get great jobs and run the world someday (e.g. people like Bill Gates and Steve Jobs).
I’ve noticed that many Kindle books, all published by the major publishing houses, contain glaring formatting errors (e.g. no space between two words, single paragraphs that are turned into two paragraphs in the middle of a sentence, etc.) and more than the normal number of typos. (Right now, I’m reading a popular novel in which many sentences have no punctuation marks at the end.) I’m hoping that this will improve over time. Maybe more editors who are also computer experts are needed.
Have a great weekend!
J. T. Shea said, on 7/9/2010 3:07:00 PM
I've just finished following all the links. Once again, Nathan, you've stolen my Friday! But the video showing your old high school isn't available in Ireland either.
The idea of undead paranormal literature as a metaphor for teen romance tickles me. As I recall, undead was a fair description of my high school romances.
A clairoyant octopus in Germany has been predicting World Cup soccer match outcomes. Teams the eight light-fingered mollusk has predicted will lose and then lose have purportedly threatened to make it into calamari.
Does no one fact check anymore? Calamari is squids used as food, plural, singular calamaro, and maybe cuttlefish. Actually, I suspect the newsmedia's overactive imagination is behind the seemingly contrived commentary, not actual soccer nationality citizens nor soccer teams and fans.
Octopus has tough flesh, about as tough as conch, too tough for fried calamari-like preparations. Octopus fritters is another matter, polpo con salsa, octopus gumbo, Tako Poki, octopus and stewed tomatoes.
Visual media publishing sure handled the ball on this one. Red card.
Word verificate: outim; outing 'im for patently contrived insipid reporting.
Lesa Stember said, on 7/9/2010 5:11:00 PM
I'm old school. I love holding a book in my hands. Walking into a bookstore and smelling ink and brewing coffee...wow. I'll be 40 this year, but I appreciate that times are a' changin. The newest generation has been raised on digital technology. And publishers can print e-books without worries about page requirements, printing costs, etc. E-books get an artist's work out there at an incredibly economical (and, therefore, attractive, price). Not to mention the trees we're saving. While to old schoolers like me who love holding paper in hand the demise of print is sad, I embrace the fact that I can download a book in seconds on my iPad and start reading. Because after all, it's about the story, n'est ce pas? Lesa Stember
"lug twelve books home in the summer heat scared them away from manual labor and motivated them to do well in school."
I almost fell out of my chair...lol.
treeoflife said, on 7/9/2010 9:12:00 PM
Re Jan Swafford's article about having to print stuff off in order to edit it, I'm not sure if that means paper is better for spotting errors, or that we're simply addicted to circling stuff with red pens :P
I vote the later.
Anonymous said, on 7/9/2010 9:41:00 PM
IDK if you meant to provoke this sort of reaction, but that MTV show was THE BEST. It was so moving, I started crying. I wonder if you're going there was more accidental to posting, seredipity, because it certainly felt like mine, & that was land far, far away, in a time long, long ago. And it reminded me why I write books w/teens in mind. Thank you for posting that.
I liked the video. Wow, if that isn't the exact same high school I grew up in, I'll eat some of this delicious homegrown food I just cultivated on the internet. :)
Maybe it's every small town in America. Kamas, Utah (my hometown) is cut from the very same cloth.
Oh good! It's Friday. Which means Nathan has tons of fascinating links, and everyone writes these eensy, teensy, tiny posts.
Except Marilyn, thank god - where have you been, Marilyn!? I missed your links.
So, I've given up writing short posts on Friday. My new tactic is hypnosis. I will hypnotise everyone into thinking this is a short post.
You are getting sleepy. Sleepy. You feel relaxed and peaceful. Everything is green. You suddenly realize how short this post is. Especially the four paragraphs I wrote before ever addressing the links.
So, good links. The anti-ebook research studies all have huge holes in them. Swafford made alot of unsubstantiated statements, the Askins study had a tiny sample size (and also quietly hides the fact that those 24 people said they prefer reading e-books to paperbooks in an off-hand sentence that is not referred to again), and the article about giving kids books was pretty much pure rhetoric. What this tells me - as a staunch e-book supporter - is that people are feeling threatened enough to try to back up their anti-e-book opinions with weak research. Yay! When the doomsday folks come out, then you know that e-books are getting stronger.
That was a fun and interesting article by Kiersten.
Happy blog anniversary to Eric! I remember when he was a guest blogger here, and that whole thing took off from this site.
I guess I see it abit differently than Mary Kole. I think books are art, and that art is then sold for money. So, I think I separate the functions more than she might.
Think of the sci fi covers on e-books!
J.T. can be very funny. And very punny. Ha, ha, ha!
The forums are so much fun. Thank you for the forums, Nathan.
I loved the video. What a powerful and wonderful program. I can't imagine a better use of television. That was very moving, thanks so much for sharing it. Fun to see your high school, too, Nathan. Also, it struck me there might be a use for that type of thing in the adult world. For example, if two countries were at war, they could have a Challenge Day, and air out their true feelings about having bombs dropped on their families. That might make a difference. So, stuff like that.
Okay, the post is over, so I'll unhypnotise you now. When I count to three you will wake up refreshed from reading this short post. You will also have a great weekend! :) One, two, three!
When I'm reading my prose, I always read it on the screen and printed out, because each way "looks" different - and here's the weird thing: if I email my prose to someone/somewhere and then open the sent attachment and read it again, I'll sometimes find things I didn't before. Funny how funny our brains are...strange mass of clicks whirrs and general la tee dah going on up there.
Just finished reading Mira's eensy, teensy short post.
I agree with all of it, almost as if my agreement was a predestined suggestion.
But I also have to support Spain, Mr. Agent Man. Sorry. Lived there too long not to.
An interesting optical illusion was run as a diversion by some friends on the internet. It was from a stuy that shws peples brans insert missing leters in print, on screens or on paper...
Mira's right, I think. When the "doomsayers" come out to decry ebooks with weak arguments based on little to no real research, the new technology has arrived and threatened the status quo...
That said, I prefer to buy books that are art, though I don't believe all are.
There is art in the book covers, of course, and some artistry in the very act of putting words together in an interesting and compelling manner.
But to me, art in writing, as opposed to artifice, is more valuable than currently commercially offered.
I'm sure I've mentioned it before, but I long--and probably always will--for a Maxwell Perkins to show up at a publisher's, find real literary greats that no one wants to risk any money promoting, and contribute to the art of literature what Perkins did.
I know Scribner's is still making money off it. I wonder, did they when he was with them?
Oh. And I graduated from a public high school in a small midwestern town. My graduating class consisted of 590 students.
Don't talk to me about "groups" or "cliques" in high school.
I, too, was a "floater," somehow fortunately not tied to any specific defined group, though many often tried unsuccessfully to place me in such groups.
Our idea of "Challenge Day" resulted in some major fights that turned into near riots.
But it was a different time.
Went to my 30th (yes, I'm that old) high school reunion 3 years ago. Let me tell anyone younger, age is a GREAT leveler.
If you really knew me...ah wait, that was then, this is now.
Great video.
Terin 7:15, is absolutely correct, age is the GREAT leveler, plus time, experience, and wisdom.
If you can just make it through without being too damaged and without damaging others, life can be grand.
Terrfic post !
Um...e-books vs. paper? Please tell me books, with covers and pages will never be obsolete? Please ! When they sell a spray can of 'new book smell' for your e-reader publishing is in trouble.
J. T. Shea said, on 7/10/2010 9:28:00 AM
A pun my soul...still in Mira-induced trance...agree completely with everything Mira says, has said, or ever will say...fresh out of puns at the moment...very sleepy...zzzzzzzzzz
I had successfully avoid all things MTV since Ruthie went to rehab. How dare you suck me into the vortex that is MTV reality programming. Now I gotta go through MTV detox. Do you know how hard that is during the derth of summer television?
Nathan wrote: One guess about which color I mean team I'm rooting for in the final.
That reminds me of the film The Blind Side, when Sandra Bullock's character tells her son he should accept a football scholarship to the U. of Tennessee:
"...I promise that I will be at every game cheering for you...But I will not wear that gaudy orange, I will not."
That line cracks me up, because I have a lot of relatives in Tennessee.
You wrote such a short post...such a short post. **hypnotism wears off** Wow, Mira, I enjoyed your lengthy comment with so many great points. I especially liked your point about Challenge Day for adults. That is a fantastic idea. Although, with countries at war, there would need to be a Pre-Challenge-Day-Summit or something in which opposing sides bickered about where to hold the Challenge Day, how many news organizations would be allowed to attend...you, know, grown-up stuff. :)
Glad you like my links! I’ve missed chatting here this summer, but have been having a really busy summer, traveling, as well as taking day trips. It’s been fun. Hope you and everyone else here are having a wonderful summer!
Can't let it go without more about "Challenge Day" for grownups.
How many anti-UN folks know, or ever knew, that was the real purpose of creating the United Nations, and locating it in New York? To theoretically "prevent" by unanimous consent, or at the very least chastise, countries for waging "wars of aggression" on other countries?
To "talk out" differences, and generate understanding?
Yet folks who'd like to see the UN abolished never suggest giving the land back to the Rockefeller family.
Viva Espana! (And I admit, I'm a "Barca" fan over any team from Madrid, especially considering the history of Atletico--Francisco Franco's favorite team).
I believe Wry Writer's right. That will be the death knell, or scent, of "books". I hope not to live that long...(admitting to enjoying, truly, the scent of old paper).
Of course, there's history to the Holland/Spain battle as well. There was a time--a fair amount of time--that Holland, also called "the Netherlands," or, in Spanish, Paises Bajos, Lower Countries, was part of the Spanish empire. Of course, that's when Spain was part of Napoleon's French empire, but I'm sure such old rivalries never rear their ugly heads in grown up games...
A Pakistani girl escaped murder in the name of "honor" on campus... she has written a stunning blog (http://theterrorland.blogspot.com) explaining how her west-educated teachers wanted to kill her at a university in the terror-hit country...
Nathan! Can she write a book about Talibanization and killing of women in the name of "honor" which could be a way of self-catharsis after the trauma? She writes well but is shy!
Marilyn - yes! I definitely miss you when you're gone too long. Glad you're having fun, though. :) And you're right. Given that we're dealing with grown-ups, we'd probably need to have several pre-challenge subcommittees. Then we'd probably have to have challenge days to help the sub-committees all get along. You know how mature and efficient adults are.
J.T. - Wow. Such power,such responsiblity. I'll have to contemplate how to use it for personal gain. I'll get back to you.
TerinTashi - One of the reasons I really like e-books is it allows all books to be published, especially the ones that are overlooked for various reasons. With paper books only, great books who couldn't find a publishing home quietly died in some drawer somewhere. With e-books, the author can self-publish and reach an audience. If the book is truly great, I have faith readers will find it.
And the United Nations is a great and idealistic vision. Too bad it became so corrupt. Sad. I must consider hypnosis on the U. N. If it worked on J.T.....
Thank you for sharing the video. I bawled all the way through. I wish they could do this at every school. Maybe it didn't stick with everyone, but I'm sure a lot of kids had their eyes opened.
What a week! My visits are always a whirlwind of meetings, lunches, meetings, meetings, drinks, meetings, and meetings, but it's always fun to be here, get a sense of the pulse and make new connections. And thankfully the weather decided to take mercy on me - I was worried there for a moment.
Now then! I did keep track of some of the news and links this week, and I aim to share a few of them with you. Oh - did I mention I'm writing this from my iPad? First iPad-generated post on the blogt! History being made. Only not really. (Please be extra forgiving of typos!)
The cool kids over at Shrinking Violet Promotions have a terrific post on how best to develop a personal brand as an author. The key? Letting it evolve naturally. Much much more in the post, and definitely worth reading.
In this day and age when everyone is wondering what the next vampire/angels/post-apocalyptic/zombies is going to be, agent Rachelle Gardner has a good reminder about what's happening when publishers buy books in hot genres:, it's often about what's selling.
Agent Jim McCarthy from Dystel & Goderich attended a writers conference where they asked him to be positive in a speech, and it got him thinking - are we in publishing actually too nice?
Comment! Of! The! Week! goes to Laurel. Lots of people mentioned overuse of the word "just" as one of their writing tics, but I loved Laurel's way of showing it:
I just can't stop using the word just. It's just so invisible that it just keeps creeping into my MSs no matter how many times I just search and destroy it.
And finally, an enterprising mixologist has created a new cocktail and called it the Literary Agent: part whisky sour, part Hemingway daiquiri. On that note...
Have a great 4th of July weekend!!
10 Comments on This Week in Publishing, last added: 7/2/2010
You mean you still write on computers OTHER THAN your I-Pad!? Big Brother...I mean Steve Jobs will get you for that! Remember, the I-Pad does not belong to you. You belong to it!
And, if you find your office on fire and full of rubber chickens, scuba gear, hula dancers, pizzas, moneys, yaks, vaseline, rubber tubing, soapy frogs, corndogs, and marshmelons, you'll find an explanation on the Forums. BUT I'M NOT RESPONSIBLE! Margot and Downthewell and the others MADE ME DO IT!
Sounds like a busy week, Nathan. I hope you're having some fun in there! And thank you (!) for taking the time to post here - that's very cool of you!
J.T., I have no idea what you're talking about. We're having an extremely well-behaved and sophisticated party in the forums. Besides, as Heather B. put it, why would Nathan go out of town if he didn't want us to party? Well said, Heather.
But we do need us some Literary Agent drinks!!! Perfect timing.
So, onto the links. I like the whole website at Shrinking Violet - those of us who are introverted can use help with marketing.
No!!! Publishing people are not too nice. I believe that discouraging someone from writing is heavy, heavy karma. Let them work out their own journey. You never know where people will go. Kindness can have an impact beyond our awareness.
I wish I'd written Laurel's comment. Clever.
Lastly, isn't your birthday somewhere around here, Nathan? I'm not sure what date, but isn't it the end of June or something? I hope it's not a secret or something, since I just mentioned it......
So, Happy Birthday, Nathan!! I hope you have wonderful year ahead of you, full of fun, happiness, fulfillment and enlightenment.
Happy Birthday! My son's 1st birthday party is tomorrow (the actual b-day is the 5th).
I must say I did not appreciate the cool weather you brought with you to New York. I don't know how you did it, but I didn't like it.
As far as those in the industry being too nice, I have mixed feelings on that. Though I would love to get nothing but positive reinforcement to suit my own fragile ego, I prefer knowing precisely where I stand. If I need to improve, I want to know it. I don't like the idea of wasting years to figure out I needed to improve in an area when someone who knew could have told me earlier on.
That being said, I like the sandwich method.
J. T. Shea said, on 7/2/2010 3:14:00 PM
Happy birthday, Nathan! Mira, at least I didn't mention your coffee table tango dance with a rose between your teeth...or was it a corndog?
happy birthday! lucky for you 30 isn't old. no seriously, not sarcasm. it isn't old. lol
treeoflife said, on 7/2/2010 5:37:00 PM
Jim McCarthy's post is certainly interesting. I would have to say that yes, people in the publishing industry are too nice.
I used to read too many "how to" books on writing, and every one of them will have a chapter about what to do when you sell your manuscript, like it's some forgone conclusion. None talk about the poor odds, and could easily leave one assuming that after you're done editing your work, you go straight to negotiating your advance.
But I guess people like me wouldn't have bought more than one of these books if they told us the real odds.
While it's hard to get a firm number on what the odds really are, I look at NaNoWriMo. Over the years, hundreds and hundreds of thousands of people have registered, and of them, maybe 20 have had their books published. 1 or 2 have been successful. So going from someone who wants to be a writer, to an actual published writer, it seems your odds are something like 1 in 40,000.
(And yet for some reason I press on, but just haven't quit the day job!)
First up! Please do not forget that there is still time to enter your query to win a critique on the blog on Monday. All you have to do is enter it in this thread in the Forums, and I'll use a random number generator on Monday to choose the one up for critique.
Second up! Booooooooooooooooooooooooooooo referee booooooooooooooo!!!! Should have been 3-2 USA, but I guess we'll take the draw.
Oh! Also this week:
The rather decidedly positive reviews are still pouring in for Lisa Brackmann's ROCK PAPER TIGER, with none other than the Atlantic's James Fallows calling it "definitely worth reading," and none other than The Rejectionist saying, "we tore through the fantabulous Rock Paper Tiger with RECKLESS ABANDON AND DELIGHT." Go Lisa go!
Jeff Abbott passed along a great blog post by Seth Godin about the myth of the magic lottery ticket/fairy godmother in, among other things, the publishing process. Seth's advice: rather than waiting for someone to give you a winning lottery ticket, best to go the hard work route.
Comment! Of! The! Week! goes to Patty Blount, whose response about the most important person in your writing life was incredibly moving.
And finally, part Why I Love the Internet, part How in the World Does Anyone Have This Kind of Time?!, someone did a stop motion animation of the original Super Mario Bros. IN POST-IT NOTES.
Just finished reading your interview at Onomatopoeia Magazine. With all the interviews and blogs I've read in just the past month alone, I have learned from a lot of my silly mistakes! How to query, what makes a scene suspenseful, etc.
PS I was disappointed to hear that the Lakers won the NBA Championship, as I've never liked them either. I'm from San Antonio, so I was raised to root for the Spurs!
Every time I try to get work done on a Friday, something like this crosses my path and before I know it, it's dark outside! Argh!
I was pleased to realize that I'd actually read or stumbled across many of the things in this post all by myself this week. Wow. I might actually be getting somewhere!
Either that or I'm spending waaaay too much time on the Internet rather than writing. This is what happens when I'm between manuscripts!
Okay. I'll start writing right now. BIC. I mean it! (do not click...do not click...) :)
I'll admit I haven't gotten around to it yet, but I saw one of my colleagues reading ROCK PAPER TIGER two days ago and we had an excited conversation about it. Because we are library nerds. It is what we do. And it's become much more exciting to see and/or read books after learning about them on the agent's blog.
Yes, USA was robbed. Lakers were not! So happy. Good times here in L.A. Have a great weekend.
Samuel said, on 6/18/2010 5:22:00 PM
Not sure if this has been mentioned in a previous post, but over at Poets & Writers Jofie Ferrari-Adler continues his wonderful series with 'a story about good literary agents and bad literary agents and, more specifically, a story about the tireless, often intangible work that good literary agents perform for their clients during the period after the contract is signed but before the book is published.'
Thanks for the Seth Godin link. When I met with my critique partner this morning, I told her, "I've decided that getting published is like winning the lottery . . . without the money."
treeoflife said, on 6/18/2010 7:14:00 PM
In regards to Seth Godin's piece, he certainly can't be more correct.
Overnight success truly doesn't happen overnight... more like a decade or two.
I'm 29 now, and write every single day. I'm just focusing on learning the craft now, and hopefully by the time I'm in my 40's, I'll get it right at some point. In the mean time, hey maybe I'll get lucky, but I'm not holding my breath.
That call was total BS. Luckily after England's draw we're in great shape. Did I mention that Ink picked England to take it all in our bracket pool? Mwah hah hah hah ... yeah he's Canadian so what does he know about futbol anyway?
Anyway Nathan I've been thinking that what the US side needs is a classy nickname. Like the Azzurri, for Italy; or Le Bleu, for France. Not that those are helping them that much but I'm just not quite sure The Yanks is cutting it.
J. T. Shea said, on 6/18/2010 9:10:00 PM
The King of the Universe? You mean Jacob Wonderbar gets to meet James Cameron? Wow!
Well, obviously if you don't get the mushrooms a koopa shell will kill you! lol! Definitely "how do they have that much time?" material. Off to post it on facebook :)
I just realised why that look so familiar. That's a Japanese school. Now it all makes sense. Kids must have been at it for weeks. (Japanese people seem to have a higher threshold for keeping at pointless stuff. )
As an independent observer with little bias... I agree with your assessment of the disallowed world cup goal. Good to see the US joining us in the world game ;-)
I fully admit that I picked with my heart and not my head.
But England can still win it all. You know, as soon as they start listening to me. I'm expecting a call from the English Federation, oh, any minute now.
That Was The Week That Was. From the ultimate high of having my work critiqued by Mr. Bransford and his fantastic followers to the devastation of crashing my bike in Decatur, Alabama, it's been worse than riding a glider in thermals. Thanks for all the links and the video (never was much of a gamer but I loves me some stop motion). Have a great weekend all!! I've got to go see if I can straighten a footrest bracket. Anyone have a prybar?
No serious injuries, one cut and my right leg is purple from toes to knee from having 700 pounds of bike fall on it but no broken bones.
Bike is a little banged up but I rode it about 80 miles yesterday with no probs. And you are right to distrust Decatur. I think they have moveable street signs.
For whatever reason, I'm thrilled that you're watching the World Cup. I must admit that my heart is with Argentina. One, because I was born there, and two, because of Lionel Messi. The reason futbol was invented. But I love the USA team too. Everyone's team, like the Univision ad says. I even got emotional when the stadium sang the Star Spangled Banner. The worldcup is so amazing!!!!
Your interview in Onomatopoeia Magazine was really interesting! I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.
I recently read Lisa Brackmann’s ROCK PAPER TIGER ... and, wow, what an amazing book! I loved it! Congratulations to Lisa; and kudos to you, Nathan, for recognizing the potential of this book and signing Lisa.
Loved the blog post by Seth Godin about the importance of hard work in order to succeed. Excellent post!
And Super Mario Bros. in Post-it Notes is awesome! Thanks for sharing that.
Thanks for the Comment of the Week accolades. My apologies for being the downer of the week, too. I'm coming to grips with it and greatly appreciate the nudge to remembering that.
That's my goal now. To remember rather than lament. To smile, rather than cry.
I know I'm late, but thank you for the links, Nathan! Very interesting.
I am so sorry for the sports thing, even though I have no idea what that's about. My condolences. Booooooo!
Love that Lisa's book is taking off! Go, RPT! I have my book being delivered soon - that and Jennifer's book. I'll read both, and report back.
In terms of Seth's advice, thank goodness it doesn't apply to me. I'm waiting for a genie in a bottle, and he didn't mention that at all.
I LOVED your interview at Onomatopoeia. You sound so confident there. You've really come into your own the last year, Nathan. You probably hate that I keep saying that to you, so I'll stop. On the other hand, nothing compares with Tahereh's interview, where she asked you about your shoes. NOTHING.
I read the interview with your agent - she sounds very cool!
And that is the best video of anything I've ever seen ever. EVER.
I found the comment by Patti very moving. Patti - my heartfelt wishes for you.
Yup - it's a tie between Josin L. McQuein and Bane of Anubis. While I considered disqualifying Bane on the grounds that he is a Lakers fan, I figured he suffered enough last night during the Lakers' loss to the Celtics, so I am hereby declaring them both winners!
Congratulations!!! Winners and finalists, please e-mail to discuss prizes.
Meanwhile, there was a week, um, last week and many publishing-related happenings.
Amazon is hard at work on a new Kindle that will release in August, according to Bloomberg. It will be thinner and sharper picture but will not, per Bloomberg's sources, have a touch screen or color.
And speaking of e-books, the Wall Street Journal looked at the impact of e-books on the self-publishing landscape, and notes that while most big authors are still published by publishers, the idea of going it alone (or with an e-book-focused company) is beginning to take shape.
The Hobbitses are once again on their own amid news that Guillermo del Toro can't quite swing spending six years on the two planned movies based on Tolkien's THE HOBBIT and will be departing the project. io9 held a survey on who should replace del Toro.
Also, Bryan/Ink is accepting submissions for Flash Fiction, so if you want to be featured on a terrific blog, head on over!
Bookstores aren't dead and neither are novellas! One of the greatest bookstores in the world, Paris' Shakespeare & Company, is starting a magazine and a biannual prize for the best novella from 20,000-30,000 words.
"Dilbert" cartoonist Scott Adams had an interesting take on the landscape of media content and how the Internet is putting enormous downward pressure on the perception of value. He looks ahead to a world when the idea of an author making a living goes the way of the blacksmith as the value of content goes down to zero. Agree? Disagree? (via Bridget McBride)
There was a controversial article in Salon last week, which examines the outsourcing of book printing amid a study that suggests that many children
54 Comments on The Winner(s)!!! (And Last Week in Publishing), last added: 6/9/2010
Congratulations on a well-deserved victory! Woohoo!
And thanks for the news updates, Nathan. I'm shaking my head at The Hobbit info though... Why, oh why can't they simply bow to our desires and just. make. the. movie. already. (As awesomely as possible, of course.)
And thank you to everyone who took the time to read over the entries and leave a comment. As Bane said, it does give you an unaccustomed warm feeling to know others enjoyed what you wrote.
Though I have to say, after seeing a section of my work posted online, I've since revised the scene three times! It will never be done, I swear.
Nathan, I didn't realize finalists would be getting prizes. I wanted to make sure I wasn't misreading your message before I sent you an email asking for a prize.
Also, thanks everybody who submitted and voted.
(By the way, the way I heard it, The Hobbit's on hiatus because the company that owns the rights is not financially stable enough.)
Nathan, I noticed that most of the finalists (4 of 5, I think) were written in first person, present. Any thoughts on that trend?
Clearly, we all seem to agree it produces great tension. I'm curious about your advice for carrying that same action into a different type of voice though.
I think it's a coincidence, any tense/perspective can be done well, it's more about what suits the story rather than making that determination ahead of time.
Wow! Thanks Nathan, and everyone who voted. You made me feel much better than I did earlier (and no, it's not just the cold medicine kicking in this time;-) )
Anon,
FWIW, mine's action oriented, but not a male POV. The MC is a girl.
Bane, you are providential. As one who voted for your writing (and in a tie - the KEY voter), I would have been hard-pressed to bolster any form of Laker-lover. C'est la vie - Enjoy your triumph even if due in part to Nathan's forgiving nature. But be forewarned that your clouded taste in BB teams might skew the future literary judgment of some.
Anonymous, thanks for mentioning Wordle. Out of curiosity, I wordled my novel manuscript. The word 'back' is fourth most common, after just, like, and the name of the female love interest.
Ooh, congrats to both winners! (but mostly to Bane 'cause he's such a cool cat, Lakers fan notwithstanding)
Anonymous said, on 6/7/2010 5:29:00 PM
I agree with Kelly Wittmann--the Adams view of the future is extremely depressing. In his view, there would be no more professional writers or editors; everyone would be an amateur and have to make their actual living some other way. I hope that instead, there will be some click-to-pay model where thousands of people are each paying a small amount to view or download, thus generating income for the content producers. Or that the old TV/radio model applies: for decades (pre-cable), people got TV and radio content for "free," but it was paid for by advertisers, and the people who worked in TV and radio certainly got paid.
I am so pleased that these two tied. I follow both blogs - not as faithfully as I should - and delight in both of their writing styles. I liked each so much I couldn't decide which to vote for, so I didn't.
All the finalists displayed excellent writing skills in their excerpts. Each submission peaked my interest to read more. What a daunting task it would be to read through so many fantastic entries and have to pick only a few, and then one.
My hat's off to everyone who even submitted. Good luck in your further writing adventures Bane and Josin (listing alphabetically of course), and congratulations on your mutual win.
Congrats to the winnners. I feel better now that I didn't vote, since two got to win. As for that Scott Adams piece on value of content approaching zero, I will optimistically disagree with him, at least when it comes to books. For one, if the expected sell price of digital books got to zero, you'd likely lose about 90% of writers publishing stuff. Which to some, may actually be a good thing. It might also generate a rise in the crap factor, as fewer and fewer writers who put their stuff out there will care about the cover/formatting and so on because there will be no return for the investment. People will pay for quality. It's been proven in just about every business.
There's also the perception issue of free content as being less than paid content. Whether accurate or not, I think folks will still gravitate toward places where content is curated and thus costs at least some amount of money to purchase. Personally, I'll pay every time if it means I can be reasonably assured of getting worthwhile reading as opposed to sifting through endless databases trying to find what I want. People like free, but only to a point. Downloading free songs to check out is more convenient than doing the same with books. Readers will get tired very quickly of free content that sucks most of the time.
Anyway, I think Mr. Adams is being overly pessimistic when it comes to free content, at least regarding books.
treeoflife said, on 6/7/2010 9:25:00 PM
First off, congrats to both winners. Two very good excerpts!
Second, I disagree with Scott Adams...
Piracy and electronic distribution won't push everything to zero. That's not an equilibrium. One day it won't be so easy to just google a simple illegal source for whatever. Copyright laws will catch up to technology.
I'm sure people made the same arguments about the printing press and photocopiers...
Congratulations to Josin and Bane! How awesome--not just a tie, but the blog's first tie! :) We should make note of it in a The-Big-Post-of-NB-Blog-Memorable-Moments forum thread, or somesuch thing. For posterity ;)
Also, I found Scott Adams article interesting if not extremely doomy. I do agree that revenue streams will switch from material-based to auxiliary products. Music artists will sell more merch and, hopefully, tickets to their shows thanks to increased exposure, which means they will receive a higher % of the money from their work. At the moment, a great deal is taken by record companies, who are the ones in real trouble.
For authors, content value protection is indeed problematic. Words are just too easy to share. I'm focusing on Indie booksellers, and that niche of consumers who are looking for something the big pubs have missed. They like to go to bookstores and pay for books. Those are my people, and while my audience may shrink among the masses, I'm more than happy to receive a greater % of profit for my work and have it contribute to those who want me to continue writing.
In many ways, value has dropped because quality has dropped. Consumers are getting their revenge. Give them something of higher quality, and that may engage their conscience. It may not stop thievery for all, but it may slow it down until technology gets a conscience of its own.
I knew that dragon named Baby would find its way into the winners circle.
Congrats to both winners. Great contest.
Tansy said, on 6/8/2010 10:12:00 AM
Adams' view of the future - just plain wrong. There ARE still both blacksmiths and cowboys, and there were authors back when there wasn't big money to be made from writing.
Longtime reader/commenter and maven of the Public Query Slushpile Rick Daley is soliciting submissions for a cool experiment. He posted a prompt and is asking people to submit a query and first five pages based on the prompt. The questions under exam: is it really harder to write a query than the pages? How different will the resulting pages be? Can't wait to see the result.
Some big news afoot as Google looks set to enter the e-book sphere very soon as they will start selling e-books under the banner Google Editions. Details (and pricing) are still being worked out, but it looks as if they'll use a device agnostic cloud model, where you can access books from any device, sync up when you move from one device to another, etc. etc.
Word nerds rejoice!! The Historical Thesaurus of the Oxford English Dictionary has been released, which has apparently been forty-four years in the making. Costing $422.75 and coming WITH AN INSTRUCTION MANUAL, the Historical Thesaurus is indispensable for tracking the history of the English language and when words entered the lexicon. If that's the kind of thing you like to do for fun.
Nathan, this has nothing to do with today's post, but you so often post on Kindle and other e-readers, that I thought you would get a kick out of this very tongue-in-cheek blogpost from feministmormonhousewives. Check this out: http://www.feministmormonhousewives.org/?p=3088#more-3088
Wow you're hauling in some serious ca$h for the partial critique! It's for a great cause. Is there a tax write off in there? Because if there is I'm mighty tempted to bid. Have a great weekend!
The LEGO Star Wars movie rocked! I'm showing it to my 6-yo Star Wars obsessed son tomorrow. Happy Friday!
J. T. Shea said, on 5/7/2010 8:33:00 PM
My WIP just happens to be a three part SF/Fantasy series. I never thought I'd learn something about synopsizing from Lego! Regarding the $422.75 Thesaurus, I'm waiting for the $2 E-book version...
Looking forward to reading the links. Loved that STAR WARS video, especially since it involved STAR WARS Legos which made it extra awesome in my opinion. :)
So I'm totally a Trekkie (lol) but I loved that Star Wars vid!
J. T. Shea said, on 5/8/2010 10:18:00 AM
Right! Random House were/are the BAD guys regarding E-books in the Rosetta case, but are now/also the GOOD guys regarding E-books and Amazon. Google were/are the BAD guys regarding E-books in the Google Book Settlement, but are now/also the GOOD guys regarding Google Editions E-books. Apple were/are the GOOD guys regarding the I-Pad book store, but are now/also the BAD guys regarding censoring E-books. I miss the Cold War. It was simpler. A Day in the Life of the Rejectionist? Great! Particularly when she asks that age-old question:- 'WHY HAS NO ONE MADE MY COFFEE!?' I ask it all the time, AND NEVER GET AN ANSWER! And Roseanne Welles is wrong. Adding dragons ALWAYS helps! I never read a book that couldn't be helped by dragons, or MORE dragons if it already has some. JACOB WONDERBAR AND THE COSMIC SPACE KAPOW AND DRAGONS. SENSE AND SENSIBILITY AND DRAGONS. My WIP has sea monsters already. Must add dragons.
...my final act in E-Lit class...smuggling my professor's thesaurus out the door, under my textbook and crammed to my thigh. Evil, I agree. But all in the act of future literary prowess:)
Holly said, on 5/8/2010 2:49:00 PM
embrdSacl
Okay, it's driving me crazy. Can you translate, please?
I think it's wonderful that you're donating for the auction, and I think the auction is wonderful as well. That follow-up phone call is a great touch. And them's some pretty big bucks that are going for you, Mr. B. - over eight hundred dollars right now. Wow.
Rick D. - good luck with your contest! :)
So, sometimes the Rejectionist is really funny. When you put that together with her commenters, it's like performance art. That was a hilarious comment by Ink about the t-shirt slogans. That type of whip-smart, fire-cracker, cynical New York brand of humor is great fun to read. I can't write it, sadly, but love to read it. That group should think about putting something together.
So, I was extremely depressed to read that I only get three pages for acknowledgements. Like all good writers, I've written my dedication and acknoweldgements numerous times, even though I haven't written a book yet. And I'll need way more pages than three. For example, the trees. I want to find out how many trees were used to produce my book, give them names and then thank them. I'll write: "To Bob, Jennifer, Rhonda, Bill, Alexis, Donte, Pam and Michael who lost their lives in the making of this book. Bless you. Rest in peace."
This is a long post.
Great comment by Sam, and I have never seen a lego video I didn't like.
Hope everyone is having a great weekend. Kudos to all the mothers on this site! :)
Julieanne Reeves said, on 5/10/2010 10:54:00 AM
So what does it say about a person, if they read the title and just kept going because they understood it???
The Thesaurus should be wonderful but, having ponied up the big bucks, I find it almost unusable. You look up a word in the index and get a reference number like 01.06.06.05.01.01. It takes me an average of 5 minutes and several false starts to find the section I want, by which time I am ready to throw the book out of window. Whoever came up with the system should be shot. So wait until it's available in electronic form. It cries out for it.
The big news this week is courtesy of the Crown Group at Random House, which underwent its second reorganization in a year. Lots of people reporting to different people and imprints created and closed and you can find the details here.
Mike Shatzkin had a great series of posts this week on what he would have said at the London Book Fair were it not for the unpronounceable volcano spewing ash everywhere and messing up travel plans. In particular I want to highlight Part II, in which he has an overview of how he sees the next twenty years in books unfolding. Brace yourselves paper friends, because he's envisioning a world of ubiquitous screens and paper books as mere antiques and collectibles, which will have a massive impact on the role of publishers and the value of content.
There are now quite a few publishing types on The Twitter, and publishers are taking to the Tweetwaves to give away books and give inside info. Follow the Reader has a list of their favorite Tweeting publishers. In other social media news, FinePrint also had a quick post that discusses the most important element in a blog's success: voice.
In publishing advice news, Jessica Faust at BookEnds had a great post where she kept track of why she was passing on queries (most common reason: a project just not feeling different or special enough), and Editorial Anonymous has a really fascinating post about the balance between deciding whether a children's book will appeal to kids or adults, and which is more important.
I think I'm going to have to stop reading all these publishing articles about the end of books. It's depressing me. I don't want browsing in a book store to be like antique shopping! I don't want to read everything off a screen. I don't want to have to wade through ten billion self published e-titles to find a decent story! Maybe I'm getting the wrong end of the stick but it all seems a bit gloomy :(
Thanks so much for hosting Be an Agent for a Day II. It was both fun and educational!
It does seem like the future of books is most likely digital. I think we’re on the brink of huge changes in our world. Sometimes it feels like we’re living in a science fiction novel, which is probably the primary reason for so much unrest and bickering. Many people don’t like change.
Sometimes we take for granted how globally connected we are on the Internet. This week, I discovered an amazing trailer for the first science fiction film to ever come out of Kenya: PUMZI, which played at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival. The trailer is AMAZING!
I agree 100% with WriterGirl above....and, in fact, there was an interesting PW article last week about how hard it is to browse on the apple bookstore...(as compared to Amazon or regular bookstore).
WriterGirl hit it head-on. I hate to go against the grain of the industry experts, but the thought of traditional bookstores as we know them getting shut down in favor of digital devices is really depressing. You don't just go to a bookstore to shop, you go for the experience. I like getting stuff on Amazon, but Amazon will never feel the same as when you hit up a ma-and-pa independent bookstore or even a Barnes & Noble.
Nothing will ever feel as good as an in-print book in my hands.
Actually Mike Shatzkin's article envisions some bookstores still surviving even in a digital-centric book environment. He doesn't envision print going away entirely.
I think it's also important to bear in mind that in the future screens are going to have a lot more in common with paper. There will be flexible and foldable displays, e-ink will get better, the technology will get cheaper, and a lot of the frustrations people have with the technology now will gradually melt away.
I still can't get over the idea that instantaneous access to almost every book ever written will soon be ubiquitous. How is that a bad thing??
John said, on 4/30/2010 2:47:00 PM
What about publishing news today makes people want to write anymore?
When considering how much goes into writing a book, does anyone feel like these dwindling incentives are still enough to pursue a literary career?
How many talented authors would craft lengthy, thoughtful works, knowing that their effort will never result in meaningful compensation?
Yes, some writers perform the act because they're driven by a deep inner need. Well, I suspect that "need" for a lot of writers is having a supplemental income. I can't see too many authors signing contracts for no advance and no royalties.
Perhaps this is an extreme example, but how far off is this from reality?
Judging from Amazon comment threads, people have come to expect certain prices. And they won't stand going beyond that $9.99 mental barrier. How long before it's $5? Will there come a time when people complain they're not getting these products for free?
Publishing has always been a business.
If people keep demanding more for less, my question to them is, When you're stranded on that physical or metaphorical desert island, do you want the company of a good book or not?
NEW YORK -- Journals kept by science fiction great Philip K. Dick about his visionary experiences are being published next year.
"The Exegesis," long an object of fascination for the author's fans, will be released in the Fall 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, the publisher announced Thursday.
Dick is known for such visionary works as "The Man in the High Castle" and "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?," the basis for the film "Blade Runner."
Dick died in 1982 at age 53.
The reporter did a lousy job -- movies include: Total Recall, Minority Report, Screamers, A Scanner Darkly, Next... Novels: Radio Free Albemuth, Valis, Flow My Tears, the Policeman Said, The Man in the High Castle, Game Players of Titan...
So, according to Mike Shatkin, we writers no longer get in line at the Publisher's Ball, to see if anyone will dance with us. In 20 years, we will have to get in line at the Web Community, who will graciously allow us to post our "content" for zero compensation, in the hopes that "eyeballs" will deign to pick up our dance card?
Somehow the value-stream seems to have turned bass-akwards here. We're supposed to cough up hard-won "content" and hope somebody throws us a fish?
Love the reorganization on the forums and the query blunder section. That's going to make so many writers feel a little less stupidly alone! (Including me.)
"kick-yourself moments after noticing a glaring typo after sending it,"
Much too clumsy to kick myself, but I do have a bruised forehead and a dent in my desk this week.
But, you know, after a while, you learn to shrug it off and it doesn't feel like the end of the world when it happens anymore. We all do are darnedest, but no one's perfect.
Re: Editorial Anonymous... yes, it a fascinating read - adult vs kids, purse strings and who to write for...
I contrast this with this week agent presented on Casey McCormick's blog stating emphatically what she does NOT want.(Boy books about sports and gross bug books)!
I gotta wonder -- does this agent know boys and their fascinations at all?
Yes, I know, I'm politically incorrect saying this!
Nathan, you bave (and like) a kindle, right? I'm not the most techy person so maybe this is just user error on my part, but what really bugs me is not knowing what page I'm on. It gives you a sense of where you're at in a story. I know the kindle gives the percent but it's not a page number. I think that's waht got me with the ipad ads--you actually know where you are in the same way as if you were holding the book.
I got my kindle about two months before the ipad came out and now I'm regretting it. I am on board with ebooks, but the experience needs to be like reading a book.
Off to check out the forums--I just accidentally sent out a short story via online sub that was SINGLE-SPACED. Ack!
Anonymous said, on 4/30/2010 3:58:00 PM
AND...to be consistent, I just posted a comment with a typo!
Yeah, I agree about the page numbers, I find it frustrating. I like the Kindle iPhone app because you can at least get a rough sense of how far in you are, but it would be nice to have actual page numbers. I'm looking forward to checking out iBooks.
Anonymous said, on 4/30/2010 4:56:00 PM
Nathan, I'm amazed at the time and effort you put into your blog. That's why I check in every day. Thanks for the wonderful service you provide. I appreciate it!
I think Tolkein would be cool with the I-Pad. But first, you'd have to open it. Which can only occur on the 29 of February, when the dark of the sun meets the sun of the dark and some extinct animal....yawns. Yes, yawns. That's the best I got. Plus, um, can openers. Can openers and...uh....light bulbs. Light bulbs would be involved. And red licorice. And bananas.
Okay, now I'm just thinking up random stuff.
Wonderful links - I think - I haven't read them yet. But you picked them out, Nathan, so I'm sure they're AWESOME. :)
I'll be back to comment on the posts later this weekend, because I will have OPINIONS.
I'm in a good mood.
I hope everyone else is also in a good mood and has a great weekend!
I tend to agree with WriterGirl, since I checked out a few of the links in today's post. My take on this? Most of the changes which are forecast will take place gradually, and those that don't will impact everyone. The image of the (film) Matrix's 'connection to the Grid' kept running through my mind as I read Shatzkin's post. Hm-mm.
But -- Eric's blog (Pimp My Novel), on the other hand, had some great information on it, which serves to lift our writing spirits a bit.
Have a great weekend everyone, and especially Nathan. Thanks for all you do, sir.
Eric's post on Thursday, April 29, 2010 about 'common misconceptions' was the one I was referring to. Thought I should clarify that.
Anonymous said, on 4/30/2010 7:24:00 PM
I stopped reading Michael Shatzkin's article, too...what a nightmare. Thank God that dreadful future world he envisions hasn't arrived yet. I hope (pray) it never does.
First, thanks for rearranging the forum, Nathan. It looks great!
I haven't had a chance to read the links yet - over here in the GTA we're experiencing a heatwave and my garden has been in need of some serious upkeep, so I spent the day raking gravel and cutting dead branches off of lilacs and pulling all sorts of weeds. I'm hoping to get to them this weekend, when it finally rains.
But, I wanted to respond to something Nathan said:
"I still can't get over the idea that instantaneous access to almost every book ever written will soon be ubiquitous. How is that a bad thing??"
My immediate thought after reading that was this: if everyone can have access to a digital record of any book on Earth at the click of a button, then the entire digital record of a book can be erased at the click of a button, too. And that's scary.
Maybe I've just been reading too much socio-political dystopian stuff lately; I just finished THE HUNGER GAMES and CATCHING FIRE, (both amazing - go buy them right now!!!), and they struck me as LORD OF THE FLIES meets FAHRENHEIT 451, so that might just be where my head is right now. But still, now that I've had that thought, I can't get rid of it.
I doubt the idea of reading books on screen is never going to gain great popularity. I would rebel! I love going to sleep to a good book and flipping through the pages. Couldn't imagine it being near as enjoyable on screen. I love the smell of a brand new book. It gives me a thrill.
I like Shatzkin's enthusiasm about new technologies, but I disagree with his forecasts. He's predicting universal adoption of technologies that don't exist yet.
There is still a huge segment of the public that is uncomfortable with computers and does not use the internet at all. Cell phones currently have wide adoption, but only a small subset of the population is carrying smart phones with data plans. It's difficult to see these technologies gaining universal adoption.
Devices get cheaper, but service tends not to; your broadband might be faster than it was ten years ago, but it costs you the same amount or more, and your phone data plan is a separate fee. If you want a 3G iPad that can be online anywhere, you have to have an additional data plan for that. The necessary precondition to wide acceptance of smartphones is for the cost of home broadband and smartphone data to be folded into a single service that costs the same as broadband.
And Shatzkin is also predicting an iPad revolution that I don't agree is going to happen; I'm not sure that there is a mass market for a device that is larger than a smartphone, but smaller than a notebook computer. And neither of those devices is poised to wipe out paper; nobody wants to read long-form content on either of them. Some people like reading books on e-readers, but e-readers are single purpose devices with special screens for reading print.
Text is the easiest kind of file to transfer over the internet, so e-books have been technically possible since the mid-nineties, but people do not want to read books on the kinds of screens that they use for all the other things people do with screens. And a single purpose device for reading books is likely to remain niche.
Shatzkin proposes a hypothetical device that folds or rolls up to the size of a smartphone, but can telescope to the size of an iPad. 20 years is a long time in terms of technology, but that's really pushing it. To replace paper, this magic device that is suitable for all purposes will have to be invented, and get higher levels of market penetration than broadband internet currently has in the US.
Paper is very cheap. It doesn't need speculative technology to bend or fold. If it is lost or damaged, the investment is relatively minor. The public at large does not seem to be clamoring to read books on screens instead of paper. Screens require battery power. They are hard to view in direct sunlight. They are expensive, and they are fragile.
Paper is also good for the book business. The need for bookstore distribution keeps bookstores and publishers in business. Because books are totally analog, they are relatively insulated from the kind of piracy that destroyed the music industry.
Nothing except gadget lust is driving publishing in this direction. These devices don't improve the experience at all. Shatzkin is right that 20 years is a long time for technology. But paper has been around for a long time, and current technology is very far from replacing it.
Prototypes of flexible displays and color e-ink are already in the works. This technology isn't twenty years away, it's a year or two away. It's not science fiction.
Publishers aren't driving anyone to change and in some cases are resisting change. Consumers are going to drive this change. Ebooks are an inevitability because consumers are going to buy them in greater and greater numbers as devices become cheaper and more ubiquitous.
I think a major point of the article is that the changes will happen slowly. He's not saying all book stores will be boarded up in 2 years, or ever for that matter.
There is, and will continue to be, a large amount of people who will like paper books and bookstores. I'm one of them. But in 20 years, there'll be a lot less of us.
I will buy an e-reader, eventually.
There's no doubt that over the next twenty years, the major publishing industry will decline relative to the size of the economy, but it will still be large and significant. There will be a role for publishers, 100 years from now.
I might anger a lot of people for saying this, especially after this week's topic, but it's a fact: I won't pay one cent for a book (or e-book) that was turned down by every agent and publisher. Just because writers can circumvent the whole system and self-publish doesn't mean people will pay for it. I'll take a chance on a new writer, but only if they're good enough to survive the brutally hard process that is required to get published.
Sure, some good books may get rejected all around, maybe, but it'd be an unlikely scenario. I'm not spending my money hoping for the highly unprobable.
E-ink is great for books and not great for anything else. It is readable in all the kinds of light that paper is readable, the power consumption is very low, so you can take it on a trip without packing an AC adapter. This technology will improve and maybe get cheaper. But e-ink is always going to be a limited market. People who buy fewer than ten books a year are not going to be very interested in e-ink, even if a hypothetical device blows modern Kindles out of the water and costs only $99.
I can imagine digital distribution replacing textbooks, just as databases have largely replaced encyclopedias and legal references. But doubt a single-purpose screen for reading text will ever render paper obsolete.
If e-books are going to replace paper, the technology for them will have to piggyback on some other ubiquitous device, and that device will have to offer as good or better a book-reading experience than paper.
Multipurpose devices, screens that are designed for computing and gaming and video playback, are going to continue to be much worse than paper for the purpose of reading books. They are backlit, and hard to read from angles or in sunlight. They draw a lot of power. Battery and screen technologies tend not to advance as rapidly as processor and storage technology. And encompassing book-reading under the umbrella of things laptops or smartphones do doesn't seem to be a priority for makers of multipurpose devices. That's why the Kindle offers a much better reading experience than the iPad.
And, in a hypothetical society where everyone had a data capable smartphone and a broadband computer terminal, most people probably still wouldn't read books on either of these devices. And the jury is still out on whether there will be mass acceptance of an iPad-like intermediate device between a phone and a computer. Shatzkin glosses over this very open question by postulating a phone that can expand into a pad. He could also postulate a screen that has both e-ink and high-def LCD capabilities. Because, despite all the technical reasons it might be implausible, technology moves fast and 20 years is a long time. But we have to assume developers of multipurpose iPad-like devices will prioritize their hardware development around replacing paper books, rather than games, video and internet applications and that seems unlikely for the foreseeable future.
And the mere existence of Shatzkin's hypothetical technology still would not put an end to paper; to do that, these screens would have to garner near universal adoption. If you look at broadband adoption patterns and the difference between higher-end smartphones and the kinds of cell phones less-affluent people use, that is a real challenge. A lot of Americans still don't even have cable television.
Of course, even if e-books become just 20% of total book sales, it will totally change book sales, and possibly render current retail or publishing business models obsolete. But I am skeptical about a paperless future.
treeoflife said, on 4/30/2010 10:56:00 PM
RE a paperless future, I agree with Dan that paper will never become completely obsolete, however I do see a day in the distant future when it is pretty darn close.
When it comes to books, I think that one day 90%+ of book sales will be e-books. I doubt it'll be in twenty years, but it'll probably be before forty years.
It's inevitable, and it's all about simple economics. The technology will get there, and be cheap enough. It's infinitely less expensive to send a text file than print, transport, and display a stack of paper. Sure paper books will have their nostalgic and collector following, but one day, a long time from now, they'll be but a small minority.
I agree that books will, over time, disappear... I disagree with Mr. Shatzkin's assertions that local storage or the local hard drive will disappear.
It will just change format and type. Processing and graphics continue to exceed networking throughput. Until that changes, we wont see everything we "own" digitally on the network. Only the smaller files, like today, will exist there.
I have a post about it here: http://fantasytechnology.blogspot.com/
Fortunately, since I'm such an old fart, by the time the "paperless" future arrives, I'll be dead--probably clutching a real book of paper, perhaps leather bound and gold embossed.
Chuck, now that's a thought -- presenting St. Peter with a leather bound gold embossed edition of DANTE'S INFERNO!
Haste yee back ;-)
Anonymous said, on 5/1/2010 3:44:00 PM
I'm late to the show here, but I am really motivated to add my two cents.
In fact, I'm pretty pissed about the way this growing fear about ebooks is crippling many aspiring authors.
It is no fun to witness, especially for one who is overwhelming optimistic about the future of publishing.
Writing is a thankless task at the best of times. We all know it requires both confidence and fragility. Not to mention more than a little 'I'm gonna show you' attitude.
Remember one thing guys; successful authors don't need an author platform, a facebook fan page, 1000 'true friend' twitter followers, a book trailer, a past success or even a $9.99 price point.
Authors need a good f#@king story.
Forget all the industry bullshit for a moment and give yourself a chance to hide from the 'business' of publishing. Switch off from it and go back to what you do best. You bastards are writers, for Christ's sake! Not publishing trend analysts. Let's break this down: your success as an author requires a writing tool (pen, computer) and some imagination. Same as it ever was.
If your story is brilliant, people will want to read it despite your social media failings. Hell, readers won't care if it is a an ebook or print book. They want to be entertained.
Have faith. Not in God or your publisher. In your craft.
Sorry for the ANON posting, Nathan. Feel free to kill the rant if you want.
The illusive dream transmutation is that a good story can go viral on electronic formats where as the old formats are controlled by the old stories and the old gatekeepers.
It really is about the thrill of having a purpose and that purpose being the creation and honing of a good story that reflects a part of your soul/essence; what people sometimes call a voice or compelling narrative
The pressure to meet certain page flow basics and grammatical unity derived by reading about the art of writing is relevant and a positive force but before some external success can be found that lasts and grows the writing comes first. Keen observation talents often are just as good as lengthy life experience.
"A story/rose by any other name is still a story/rose."
I'm allergic to some ink and chemicals involved in dust jackets so my bias grows daily. My purchase is always hard cover and judged by the aesthetics of the paper and binding. Great story and lousy publisher budget usually ends my interest.
Crazy busy this weekend. But I still want to have OPINIONS, even it it's too late for anyone to read them....
Well, my take on reorgs is they are either a chance to cut costs - or more likely - given the times - search for leadership and a new vision - which is very, very hard on the employees, but makes alot of sense.
Mike's article was frustrating for me - I'm not sure why, but I have the hardest time following him - it may be my mind doesn't work in the same way. Clearly he's brilliant. But from what I understood, I think he's right about central digital storage. I would disagree on a couple of points. I don't think we're talking 20 years, I think we're talking 10. I also would go in a different direction than content ownership - which strikes me as hard to pull off. I think it's going to be about author dynasties. You can see it happening with James Patterson and Neil Gaiman. Authors will have followers. How that will fall out in terms of authors working for publishers or the reverse I don't know.
I liked the article by Ed. Anon about children/parents. I thought Eric's list about misconceptions about the biz was great, except I disagreed about the query, of course.
I love the forums. They are so much fun.
I WANT an I-Pad. That's all. There's not much more to say there. I WANT one. I wish they would stop doing that to me!!!! It's like they want to make me want things. Very inconsiderate.
Fun links, Nathan - thank you! Looking forward to this week, which will result in new links and new OPINIONS. Very fun.
how does the change in book publishing (switching to ipads and kindles, etc.) affect childrens and YA? Specifically, because the audience as a whole may not have as much access to ereaders?
p.s. I always love the week in publishing posts- I feel up to date in a world I know so little about!
Your friendly neighborhood Amazon had a banner quarter in the first three months of 2010, as their revenue rose a rather significant 46%, to $7.13 billion, and net income rose 68% to $299 million. The Kindle continues to be their largest-selling item.
Meanwhile, in some non-iPad Apple news that I haven't seen mentioned elsewhere around the Internet, I received an interesting e-mail the other day that seems to indicate that Apple is getting into the self-publishing (or at least book printing) game. In the latest version of iPhoto they are making it pretty easy to design and print a book using your photos. Prices range from $9.99 for a medium sized wire-bound book to $49.99 for an extra large hardcover. UPDATE: Apparently this has been possible for a long time! Who knew! Um. I guess everyone but me.
Author and former editor Jason Pinter challenges the notion that men don't read, and argues that some structural and marketing issues in publishing are preventing the industry from adequately reaching male readers.
Further to my post on the Science of Buzz, Ben Casnocha had a recent post on some research into what makes things interesting. Essentially it's novelty in an easily comprehensible fashion, and interest can be heightened with increasing familiarity and knowledge. Which, uh, I find interesting. (via Andrew Sullivan)
Writing for the Atlantic, David Corn has a post on the overwhelming information we are assaulted with in the era of the Internet, and how hard it is to actually find time to enjoy media for frivolity's sake. Spontaneous Public Service Announcement: Please remember to have fun with your Interwebz!!!
And speaking of frivolity, Tahereh has a pretty spectacular mockup of the cover of the first issue of Querypolitan Magazine, including 50 query tips and "Signs the Rejectionist is into you and/or your novel." Genius!!
Over at Rachelle Gardner's awesome blog, she asks her readers why they want to be published, and as always the responses are very interesting.
Amazon currently publishes through its subsidiary CreateSpace.com. Probably has other publishing options as well.
Anonymous said, on 4/23/2010 2:57:00 PM
Re: "Men Don't Read." I had an agent use this argument for rejecting my novel. He said that 80% of fiction readers are women and that he didn't see his mom's book club being interested in my novel. This attitude is self-fullfilling so long as agents/publishers don't fight it.
Nathan -- have you read Made to Stick? It's about what makes ideas/stories catch on and has a chapter on making things interesting/inspiring curiousity. I found it fascinating, and it's a quick read. I'm probably going to blog about it at some point...
My wife did a book through iPhoto for a college class about a year ago, and it came out looking pretty darned good.
One thing that iPhoto did that most POD publishers don't: the book had both an image-wrap cover and a dust jacket. Usually you get one or the other. The cover and dust jacket matched each other very nicely, too.
The covers! The covers! I am in love, and I think I may have actually seen CAMELOT IN ORBIT in my library once! It's pretty hard to forget a knight on a...that thing it's on.
Research on interest is interesting. I actually love reading scientific reports on things that seem silly or obvious.
Querypolitan looks FABULOUS. Props to the creator.
These links are fantastic! Thank you. Lots of great information to enjoy over the weekend. On the news earlier today, an announcement kept scrolling along the bottom of the TV screen about Amazon's 46% "better than expected" rise in profits for the last quarter. Looking forward to reading the article by David Corn. I always enjoy when he's interviewed on the news programs I watch - he's incredibly smart and insightful. Have a great weekend!
Anonymous said, on 4/23/2010 4:27:00 PM
Loved the "4 danger sings to search for, before sending your novel." I also love technology. How can I live without the computer searching for things my naked-eye cannot see. Thank you, Thank you Nathan for the great link.
You probably read this somewhere, but I saw that select Target stores are going to be selling the Kindle. I don't know if it's gonna be in any stores close to me but it would be nice...
That's one step closer for me jumping aboard the eBook train--I like being able to compare things in person so if I can compare that to the Nook, maybe I can finally decide and convince the husband to jump aboard too :)
Interesting links this Friday, Nathan. Thanks for gathering them together for your readers.
Tahereh's faux mag cover was something else. Liked the headlines, too.
Regarding the bad science fiction covers, I've been told that they had sleazy covers to appeal to a certain segment of the population. Those readers seemed to like the 'Mickey Spillane' style of cover art. (women, guns, booze and crime) What's not to like? That's probably what encouraged all those female science fiction writers to give the genre a little class.
Don't feel bad, Nathan - I'm willing to admit that I've had my 1st Mac since Jan., have figured out the i-movie and i-photo and STILL didn't know I could publish a photo book - so a very big thanks for posting that tip.
Thanks again for some great links. I'm interested in how to win the comment of the week! I never worked at a fast food outlet to become employee of the week/month, but this comment gig. I'm keen! I've googled, but I can't find 'how to write the perfect comment', and Janet Reid and Jeff Herman won't take my calls. I might self publish an ecomment, and buy a kindle. Cheers, Simon.
Thanks for all the great links (Tahereh is a comic genius.)
I was fascinated by the Jason Pinter HuffPo piece on "Men Don't Read." I started to leave a comment here, but decided it needed its own post. So--for anybody who's interested in more on who does and doesn't read--it's over at my blog at annerallen.blogspot.com
I like jason Pinter's attitude, but even he uses a non-fiction sample when discussing men and fiction. The industry appears to be responding to a cultural demo, not the other way around.
Hey, nobody wants to hear good news about men and fiction more than I do, but what publisher wants to try and break the paradigm in such economically trying times?
Jason, I see your point about bringing the male audience to the fore, but as a fiction writer, I hope my knack of writing female characters and exploring internal conflicts gets me further in this industry for a reason.
Anonymous said, on 4/26/2010 7:21:00 AM
Even Faulkner's insults are too long-winded and full of themselves. The overwriting king strikes again.
Some very sad news this week as Sid Fleischman, Newbery winning author of THE WHIPPING BOY and BY THE GREAT HORN SPOON passed away at 90. These were some of my very favorite novels as a kid and he will definitely be missed.
Editor Cheryl Klein posted one of the coolest things I've seen in the publishing corner of the Internet: a 110 year old rejection letter. The reason for the rejection? "Your story is developed well on the political side, which is important and novel, but without a strong love-interest it would not go." Maybe things haven't changed so much after all.
Lots and lots of iPad related news still churning its way through the Internet, including confirmation that there will be B&N and Amazon apps on the iPad. Meanwhile, there was quite a bit of shock when, after all the fights over e-book pricing and Amazon's discounting, a website got a look at Apple's iBooks store and revealed that many of the e-books were priced at........ $9.99. Jacket Copy's Carolyn Kellogg reminds readers that this is a current snapshot and things are still under negotiation in advance of the April 3rd iPad release day.
Meanwhile, Random House remains a noticeable holdout from the publishers who have gone along with the Apple agency model and have not come to an agreement to have their books in the iBooks store. Mike Shatzkin notes that there's a very simple reason for this: Random House's books will still be available on the iPad via the Kindle app and others, by retaining old wholesale model they receive more per copy than via the agency model, and meanwhile the price to the consumer for their books will likely be less than their competitors. More money received for lower priced books? Not hard to understand at all.
Hachette UK CEO Tim Hely Hutchison sent an e-mail to agents and authors about the State of the Industry, which unfortunately I can't link to because I don't believe it's been posted online in full. He notes the continued deterioration of the brick and mortar retail landscape and hopes the remaining stores will embrace the Internet: "In short, we think a proportion (only) of the existing traditional booksellers can and will survive and even thrive if and as they adapt and refine the very different shopping experience they can offer the consumer in store and via their own focused websites." He predicts that e-book sales, which are currently 0.9% of the British market, will rise to 1% this year, 3% in 2011, and 5% in 2012.
In writing advice news, Donna Gephart posted information from Kate Messner about how to survive a Skype author-visit, and my client Natalie Whipple has a great insight about &*#$%& prof
29 Comments on This Week in Publishing, last added: 3/30/2010
I bet the rejection still stings 110 years later. I'm sure poor Mr. Shedd just rolled over in his grave - "How many people just read my rejection? Damn that William Dean Howells."
Oh Nathan, can I share my frustration regarding reality stars with questionable platforms publishing anything in book format? Did you hear that loud eerie cry? That was me screaming. *plots how to get on MTV*
Anonymous said, on 3/26/2010 11:51:00 AM
I think good is a relative concept. I used to enjoy the original He-man cartoon as a kid, but now, I don't like it at all. And this is something that might be overlooked in publishing kids and YA books. How good does it really have to be? And are kids turned off by stuff that adults considered good? I'm sure there are plenty of kids that love Jersey Shore.
As for the brick and mortar stores, I see more traffic in my local used book stores than in my B&N and Borders book stores. Maybe the big chains can learn from the local used stores; they seem to have a stronger community around them.
Although I bought my girlfriend a Kindle a year ago, I'm holding out for the Kindle 3. I cannot wait to see what amazon puts out next.
I hope the Kobo causes B&N to lower the price on their Nook. If I wind up getting an e-reader I've already decided that's the one I want. I just don't want to spend $250 for something I'll only play with occasionally.
Aw, come on, Nathan. You had time to put this together, but you haven't come out and commented on my library-loving blog post yet? I'm hurt. (Goes off into closet under stairs to sulk...)
www.ishtamercurio.blogspot.com
And great links, as always. (Plots how to get into reality show while sulking under stairs...)
How awesome that the 110-year-old rejection letter was saved! And it’s also wonderful how much feedback was provided in that letter. It’s especially interesting to me that the editor suggested adding a love interest to a novel with a strong political component. Alan Rinzler suggested that I add a love interest for my main character in my futuristic science fiction political thriller, and I’ve been hard at work the past few weeks developing such a story line. I had a eureka moment when I figured out how to do that without downplaying the futuristic science or the politics of the novel.
Well now, 110 years doesn't seem a long time at all to require a tale with a 'study of the western condition.' Doesn't the the oldest story in western society - that of Adam and Eve reiterate itself throughout the HUMAN condition. It's comforting to know that political ideals, morals and monarchys will come and go but the essence of humanity will remain. So, writers, throw in a hint of romance with your dragons, detectives and political intrigues and you are likely to have a recipe for success. Thanks for ALL the detailed info. I'm a romantic so this struck a chord with me.
I can't help drawing a parallel between old movie theaters and old book shops. When DVDs and videos threatened to eliminate the traditional movie theater all together, the movie theaters simply gave the public a reason to show up. Movie theaters became bigger, better and even MORE expensive. Yes the $ theaters are gone, but I still believe in the fact that we are by nature social creatures, even while reading. We still like to be near each other.
They will build it and we will come. I know there are large, experience driven bookstore out there, but I think someone will invent an even better experience, to make us want to show up.
I can't help drawing a parallel between old movie theaters and old book shops. When DVDs and videos threatened to eliminate the traditional movie theater all together, the movie theaters simply gave the public a reason to show up. Movie theaters became bigger, better and even MORE expensive. Yes the $ theaters are gone, but I still believe in the fact that we are by nature social creatures, even while reading. We still like to be near each other.
They will build it and we will come. I know there are large, experience driven bookstore out there, but I think someone will invent an even better experience, to make us want to show up.
I see more traffic in my local used book stores than in my B&N and Borders book stores. Maybe the big chains can learn from the local used stores; they seem to have a stronger community around them. home jobs india
Really interesting links, Nathan, as always, thanks!
I'm sorry to hear about Sid Fleischman.
The rejection letter is awesome! :) The IPad news is interesting, and I didn't quite understand the Random House thing - not sure what the difference is between the agency and the warehouse model.....I know, that's probably elementary, but there it is. That's really interesting that a CEO is acknowledging the rise of e-books. I wonder what he plans to do....I agree that bookstores with interactive experiences could do extremely well - what is Skype? I clearly know nothing.
The article by Natalie is totally dead on target I think. And I thought Zoe's comment was terrific too! Very helpful.
I have to say, though, I couldn't help but notice that I'm not Zoe Winters. That means I didn't win Comment of the Week AGAIN. It's been two whole weeks. What is it going to take?? Well, I'm not going to give up. I'm thinking....haiku.
With that wonderful thought, I'm off to write a haiku. Hope everyone is having a great, sunny weekend - it's lovely here.
Thanks for the link to Natalie Whipple's rant. Loved it! And I couldn't agree more with her conclusions. I personally don't like using curse words, but I think it's true that a well-placed word is more effective than trying to bury your reader with them. A little salt on a meal can really bring out the flavor, but when you empty the salt shaker on it (or one of your "friends" unscrews the top for a joke) the food just ends up in the trash.
I have to agree with Natalie Whipple. Most users of obscenities are very repetitive. The best and most effective use of an obscenity I've ever experienced was in an old Jimmy Buffet song called "West Nashville Grand Ballroom Gown".
I'll be doing some extensive international travelling in April and would like to get an ereader if only to cut down on the number of books in my luggage. Is the Nook a better choice right now?
The big news this week in publishing has, as usual, to do with Amazon and Apple and that whole iPad thing. Scrambling before the April 3rd release of the iCan'tWaitToGetOnePad, the so-called Agency Four major publishers (so-called because they've agreed to "agency model" deals with Apple) are hoping to adjust their deal with Amazon, who, according to reports, is making noise about removing buy buttons for both digital and print if the Agency don't cave to a three year term and favored nation status. Let's all just hope the Agency Four end up in better shape than the Oceanic Six.
The Rejectionist had a truly fantastic contest last week: query rejections in the form of re-written heavy metal songs. The grand prize winner, as announced by Wayne and Garth, was Pitch in an Elevator (sample: Pitch in an elevator/"It's like Moby Dick meets My Two Dads"/Pitch in an elevator/"Like Sixth Sense crossed with the Iliad") and the runners up were actual real life performances by Rick Daley and Tom, which are well worth a listen. Le R, all I have to say is: We're not worthy!! We're not worthy!!!
Lapham's Quarterly has a truly awesome chart: the day jobs of famous writers. The next time you lament not being a full-time writer it's worth remembering that Charlotte Bronte made $1,838 a year as a governess..... and that's in today's dollars. (via JacketCopy)
In agent advice news, Jenny Bent, who is celebrating the first birthday of the Bent Agency, has a very helpful post on some very commo
27 Comments on This Week in Publishing, last added: 3/22/2010
Having just gone over to the Dark Side—I bought a nook last week—I'm amazed at the short-sightedness of the publishers pushing the agency model.
The e-book revolution for "stream of words" books like novels and pop non-fiction will happen. Not this year, but I'm pretty sure it'll be in this decade. Trying to hold it off at the expense of lower profits is silly.
It's also making me notice that the Big Six do not have a lock on the good writers and novels (my interest).
They're not shortsighted, they're very longsighted. Whether they're right or not... we'll see. But they're looking very far in the future. Amazon selling books as loss leaders will only work for so long. Eventually the market will become fairly saturated for ereaders, while at the same time the book sales will be increasing and increasing... that means that somewhere down the road Amazon (if they changed nothing) would be losing a lot of money.
Do you think Amazon is going to do that? Me neither. Option one is for Amazon to increase the price of books at that point... which goes against their massive efforts now to push a certain low price point on the market. That doesn't really make much sense for them. Option two is to take that profit back out of the skins of publishers and authors. If they dominate the market and that is simply the way to purchase books... then they can make huge demands on publishers. Which will ruin profits for publishers, and likely run many out of business. Margins are low as it is. And that money would be coming right out of the pocket of the authors. If the pie is squeezed, the authors are gonna get nothing more than a bit of crust and a few mushed up apples. Maybe with cinnamon. I like cinnamon. But I like a big piece of pie, too. I'm hungry. And so are my kids.
I've never seen an entire idea used as something of a palindrome before (like Chiasma rhyme ideas instead of words, this video clip uses ideas instead of letters to read backwards and forwards). Thanks.
Okay, I did some of the math and I see what you're saying. Using the numbers from Money magazine repeated here, and throwing out the printer and wholesaler costs, we end up with a publisher's cost (including author royalties and agent commissions) of $9.74 for the example Grisham hardcover.
Even if Amazon kept the $9.99 price as a zero-profit zero-loss promotional program and passed along the entire $9.99, the publisher would have virtually no profit unless it squeezes somewhere else.
"Somewhere else" probably would bear a strong resemblance to the "author royalties" line, which includes agent commissions.
The numbers in that post you linked to don't look right to me. Publishers are generally paid based on the list price printed on the book, not the actual price charged to consumers, among other errors.
Also, something to keep in mind is that under Amazon's current model, publishers are not paid based on the price charged to consumers but rather on a list price. So the $9.99 is sometimes (but not always) a loss leader for Amazon. But publishers aren't actually suffering for that low price point except in value perception and in the perceived danger of Amazon wanting to change the deal.
The irony being, as I describe in this post, publishers are actually receiving less money per copy for new books in the agency model in exchange for more control over pricing and to hopefully open up the market to Apple and other retailers. Whether that is a good idea will likely hinge on whether the market does indeed open up and whether publishers are able to make up volume as they receive less-per-copy sold.
Oh -- wait, I misread that post. They were talking about the retailer discounting off of the list price, not the publisher. Though those discounts the person guessed at don't look right to me.
"it's just not true that my attention span is too small for big ideas"
This neatly encapsulates my observations and hopes for our kids and the future. The uptick in YA sales is one of the most encouraging things I've seen in this anemic economy. Kids do read, and therein lies the hope for the publishing industry as well as the rest of us.
Rick Daley - loved your song on the Rejectionist's site. Liked your style of singing, too. Thanks, Nathan, for the great links for this Friday.
The video about publishing has been used too many times to have a lot of impact. (various versions)
Hope the first day of Spring, March 21, is a nice relaxing one for all - to me it means baseball season is coming, which I prefer to watch. Major league, of course.
365beautifulife said, on 3/19/2010 3:57:00 PM
Nathan, sorry to ask an off topic question, but here goes:
Must Memoirs be strong in plot? I've read some memoirs and I have definitely read at least one that seemed to have a definite plot- The Kiss- but I've also read some that I can't recall there being a "Plot." What is one way to compensate for this lack of tension?
I loved this week's This Week in Publishing. Muchas gracias!
Risa said, on 3/19/2010 6:10:00 PM
Apologies if you have already referenced this interview with the publisher of Baen and their ebook dynamics and her thoughts of the future.
Telereader, a blog about e-books and other writing bits. http://www.teleread.org/2010/03/11/interview-toni-weisskopf-publisher-of-baen-books/
I'm fascinated by her fanatic focus on getting more readers for her authors by making it as EASY AS POSSIBLE for readers to find, buy, and read her authors. This mono-focus leads to being very open-minded about future evolutions.
Obviously more success for authors means more success and dollars for the company but I love how she pins ALL decisions (right down to typefaces) to enhancing the connection between reader and author via the novel.
If this is representative of Baen after Jim Baen's passing...the house and science fiction is in good hands.
It is going to be so interesting to see how this all plays out!
Seth Godin's blog post, with the link to the Montague Bookmill, was fabulous. I can see mainstream bookstores trending this way too, albeit in a much more cookie-cutter way, with the amalgamation of bookstore + cafe + childrens' store (with selected educational toys). This has been going on for a while.
And that DK video was COOL! I like the way they used the text to convey their message by reading it as it was written, then reading it again backwards. Very clever - thanks!
I love that DK video! I was getting all angry and defensive and then it switched and I got goosebumps! It was like she talking about me! No, it was like I was talking! lol, see how excited I am! I loved that it displayed a conscientious and multifarious youth culture, but I also loved that showed what an amazing thing language is and what we can do with it.
Two weeks ago I said, "this is crazy." An unbeknown appropriated it and told my advisor I said "she was crazy" Can you believe it? Words can really be tricky sometimes.
Hola compadres! So far so good at the San Miguel Writer's Conference. I met with some talented writers today for some manuscript consultations, sat in on a talk by Chuck Adams, publishing veteran and editor extraordinaire at Algonquin, and looking forward to a keynote tonight by Barbara Kingsolver and a fiesta afterward. And, in case you're wondering, Enchilada Consumption Count: 1. So far.
Meanwhile, there was news in publishing this week and I aim to give it to you.
The big news this week has been reported on by the incomparable Michael Cader, who sums up the latest developments in the Google Settlement hearing. The judge reviewing the settlement expressed some skepticism regarding the deal, and will ultimately decide if the settlement is permissible. (Also, that link is subscription only, but if you're no subscribing, well... probably should.)
In e-book news, the NY Times recently reported on some developments surrounding the iPad. If you recall from the Kindle Missile Crisis post, under the "agency" model, some publishers are willingly receiving less money per copy on some new titles in order to have more control over pricing. According to the NY Times, however, Apple is still retaining the ability to discount some bestsellers, and per the anonymous sources in the article the much-discussed $12.99-$14.99 price point is just "a ceiling." Which begs a question on many a publishing mind: if the goal of the agency model was to have more control over pricing, how does potential Apple-bestseller-discounting fit into the plan?
And meanwhile, Eric at Pimp My Novel spots some details about the Apple DRM, which is going to look a lot like the DRM they used to use for music. He wonders what you think about this.
An uplifting piece of publishing news from the UK for all unpublished novelists out there! Have a look at the BBC News site featuring an interview with first time novelist, Stephen Kelman (http://news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/today/newsid_8521000/8521449.stm)
He went from agent's slush pile to a bidding war between 12 publishers - not bad!
Considering what I thought of the writing for the movie, I’m dreading the Avatar novel. Besides which, novels and scripts are very different. *shivers*
Great post. I especially liked the link to your forum post "Should you share a novel before it's done." It works great for me. I have one great editor who reads it as I go. I send him a chapter or two every week as I write it and it's kinda like a serialized novel. I can't wander away from my characters or plot. I think it helps keep it tight. Then when it's all done I can step back and look for any problems. And another friend I made on Zoetrope reads the MS start to finish and helps me tidy up and looks for any problems with plot or character or jacked up geography. It works for me. But yeah, it probably doesn't work for everyone.
Didn't see Avatar. It reminds me too much of The Smurfs. I know I'm the odd girl out on that.
I'd have dinner with Cormac McCarthy or Stephen King. They both seem like interesting characters. Or perhaps Jon Krakauer - I'd love to hear about his adventures first hand.
Twilight popularity - hard to pinpoint this. I doesn't have bad language, drug use, or illicit sex scenes. I think it's basic and teenagers could read it with the blessing of their parents. People from my Gen X generation liked it because it took them back to high school and tapped the raw intensity and desire they felt with their first love.
I wasn't trying debate if I liked Twilight because I did read it and wasn't impressed.
However, no disrespect to the author, Mrs. Meyer. She tapped into something that made high school students and beyond devoured those books. More power to her because she has a huge following. It's great that kids were excited to read something for a change.
Is it wise to entertain the idea of trying to publish a diary if the only things you have in common with Anais Nin are blue eyes and a french accent?
Anonymous said, on 2/23/2010 9:17:00 AM
given that Barbara Kingsolver's novel "The Lacuna" is a PEN / Faulkner nominee, please share (or are there video links?) your experience of hearing her speak. Please!
This was quite an epic week in publishing, and on top of this epic week I still have a couple of leftover weeks because I haven't done a link roundup in a while, so... buckle up, everyone! We're going for a long drive together.
The big news this week, as we all know, is the Amazon/Macmillan kerflareup. If you have been on the moon the last few days, welcome back and here's basically what happened: Macmillan wants to set their own retail prices to open up the marketplace and are willing to accept less per copy to make this happen. Amazon wants to be able to sell books as cheaply as they want. The Kindle Missile Crisis ensued and Amazon took down buy button links for nearly all Macmillan titles for both print and e-books. Since all that went down, buy buttons have not yet been fully restored, and meanwhile, Macmillan released a full page ad for THE CHECKLIST MANIFESTO that very prominently says: "Available at booksellers everywhere except Amazon." Yowch.
I live 1.5 hours away from Maker's Mark. I'm going on the sampling tour, then I'm going to read your post again and see if I can wrap my brain around all of the info in the links.
I love Makers Mark, but their last experiment was the julep in a bottle, and it was practically undrinkable. It tasted like bourbon and mouthwash. I can't believe that they let it past product testing, sullying their very respectable name. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
I only recently discovered your blog (joined twitter - world now at my fingertips, it seems) but am so glad I did. I appreciate your take on publishing issues, both through tweets and posts. Informed but not emotive. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for the Watterson link! Years ago I got the 10th Anniversary book just for his comments - the only glimpse I could find of the guy and his views on his work. I especially liked how he said he used the sledding-into-oblivion strips as a way to keep people's attention while discoursing on philosophy - not a bad tip for any writer.
I would vote the iPad, if only because I dislike whiskey. I much prefer whisky. And yes, the lack of an E is a vital difference.
Will return after reading the gunnery of links, and that shan't be for a little while, as I'm in the midst of catching up on TV shows. And there's new Caprica in two hours (squee). So, watch this space, because I might not be back until the morn.
Also, on a totally unrelated note, my mentioning of Caprica has just reminded me that this weekend is going to kick some serious buttocks. Caprica tonight, SNOW from earlier this evening through to mid-afternoon tomorrow (I react like a 2 year old from LA every time it snows, despite living in PA, where it snows a good bit most years), the big 213th Merseyside Derby kicks off tomorrow morning (Everton fans or any fellow LFC fans will understand the importance), and then Sunday is the Super Bowl. I apologize for this totally off topic rant but I got myself way too excited. Snow, sports, and sci-fi. It's S Weekend apparently.
"And yes, the lack of an E is a vital difference."
Please explain, Nick. I thought it was only a regional thing. I think the Scotts like Whisky and the rest of the world likes Whiskey, but I'll drink either. I'm a true multiculturalist.
@Kurtis Really it's more just a preference thing. To my palate at least, there is a very definite difference between Scotch, Irish whiskey, and American whiskey (not had the others). I refuse to touch bourbon, Jack Daniel's, or any other American whiskies. For whatever reason they give me the runs, so they automatically lose for setting my stomach afire. Irish whiskey...I'm not much for the taste of any alcoholic drink, and while I know the point of it isn't to taste good it's to get you plastered, I find the taste of the various Irish whiskies disgusting and their alcohol content weak. Scotch is delicious and can get me knackered decently fast, and considered how high of a tolerance for alcohol I have, that's no easy feat. My personal favorite Scotch is The Glenrothes (http://www.theglenrothes.com/uk/).
Now, I'm not the only person who feels Scotch whisky is better, but whereas for me it's a matter of palate and ability to get drunk when I want to (which isn't often), to quite a few of my friends, there is a much bigger difference in terms of the whole process. I'm not really an expert on any alcohol though, and most of my alcohol knowledge relates to wine. So if you want technical details, I'll have to bug friends (which I am totes cool with doing).
"THE CHECKLIST MANIFESTO that very prominently says: "Available at booksellers everywhere except Amazon." Yowch."
Wow. This is bold. What interests me about all this is we, people who work in publishing and read about publishing, know all this is going on. But the general public doesn't know about it, and the mainstream media never mentions anything...unless it invovles a celeb. And I think this would be newsworthy to the public. Millions of people from all walks of life make purchases on Amazon.
It took forever to get through this and the links, but as always, Nathan, it was incredibly helpful and insightful. Especially when I can go 'Phew! I didn't do that wrong!' when I see the do's/don'ts at other pages.
I LOVE Calvin and Hobbes. Someone stole my book years ago, and I've missed it. It just occured to me while typing this, I could buy another one. See? I learn so much on your blog. :)
So, what an array of links. You really outdo yourself on Fridays, Nathan. Not just the links, but your breezy, humorous style. Your paragraph about Stephen Parrish - I laughed out loud - that was funny.
So, I haven't even started going through the links, but I'm looking forward to getting all worked up and having steam come out of my ears this weekend, as I rummage through the news.
Except I did read that one link for that Bryan/Ink fellow. That was a good post. Hope we hear more from him in the future; he's got a way with words.
And is having quite a week, being promoted on your blog on top of everything. You go, Bryan! :)
Okay, off to order my Calvin and Hobbes. Have a great weekend!
Chiming in on the bourbon/whisky/whiskey discussion. My formitive experiences with bourbon were:
1. Senior seminar class in college. William Faulkner. The class opened with a shot of bourbon because the most amazing professor in the universe said you can't read Faulkner if you've never had a shot of bourbon.
2. Infield. Kentucky Derby. I wasn't sure if the horses were moving in circles or the world was simply spinning around me. I don't drink bourbon any more.
A whisky neat looks so cool in the glass I wish I could drink that. But I can't. I'm a beer girl.
Calvin and Hobbes are cool but please tell me you don't have a sticker of Calvin urinating on something glued to the rear window of your car :). Someone once told me a sign of the apocalypse was when you see a sticker of Calvin urinating on a Calvin.
What up with Lost? Do you like the new season? I watched because I feel since I've come this far I must finish. Do you watch Fringe? Also by J.J. Abrams. I highly recommend it!
Have a great weekend.
Nona said, on 2/6/2010 8:33:00 AM
and in other whiskey news . . . http://www.aolnews.com/world/article/ernest-shackletons-whiskey-found-buried-near-south-pole/19347440?icid=main|htmlws-main-n|dl1|link5|http://www.aolnews.com/world/article/ernest-shackletons-whiskey-found-buried-near-south-pole/19347440
Nathan - a question about agents' views on references, shout-outs and tips of the hat, if you don't mind. Is there accepted preferences and / or limits amongst agents on what constitutes too much in-jokery? I have a habit of using things which anyone who isn't obsessively familiar with an old property wouldn't know.
Titling a book after something which shares themes with the novel (or is simply really, really cool) is one thing, but if a book is peppered with subtle allusions to obscure television shows, forgotten novels and comic-book characters (tastefully done references though) is it a black mark against the writing?
Anonymous said, on 2/6/2010 1:12:00 PM
What a report!
Thank you.
Question: Nathan, where do you stand on the pricing of e-books?
Lindsay Culbert said, on 2/6/2010 1:19:00 PM
With all this talk of eBooks, do you think publishing is going to go the way of, "We'll publish the manuscript in an eBook, if it doesn't make a killing, we won't have to print it." I've been trying to follow the discussion on eBooks, and from what I can gather, they are much less expensive to publish.
In the near future, do you think an author will be considered more thoughtfully by a publisher if he or she is willing to first be published as an eBook?
I ask the same question as Ryan Field - why don't more people know about this? Equally, why didn't more people know about the whitewashing issue at Bloomsbury?
I generally discuss these things with my friends and family, but being the introverted writer-actor-type that I am, that's a pretty small circle.
Another case of good content being smothered by the morass of cyber-schlock? A case of 24-hour news reporting gone wrong, because it's just the same thing over and over instead of new content throughout the day? Do people just not care anymore? I think these are all problems, to a certain extent.
And Calvin and Hobbes - YEAH! If I had any reservations about checking out your novel (which I didn't, by the way - I'm just saying, "if I HAD"), they're gone now.
Um. Hi there! Is it really after 8:00 in the evening and I haven't gotten This Week in Publishing up? Why, yes. Yes, it is.
The day. It was busy.
First up: the guest blog contest! I have selected the winners and they have been e-mailed the news. However, I shant be revealing them publicly so as not to spoil the surprise. Since all the entries were posted publicly it wouldn't be very sporting to just reveal who the winners are so that everyone can go read them before I post them on the blog. All will be revealed next week! Monday and Tuesday are pre-reserved slots, contest winners will be posted Wednesday through Friday.
Now then! There was a week in publishing.
Michael Cader has been a one man Woodward and Bernstein over at Publishers Lunch this week, collecting all the important information about the situation at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt's parent company, which has... well, let's just quote Cader: "Two debt restructurings last year still left Houghton Mifflin Harcourt parent company Education and Media Publishing Group (EMPG) straining to sustain their debt obligations and covenants, and reports from Ireland indicate yet another restructuring is in the works that would wipe out equity-holders entirely and turn the company over to its secured lenders." The good news is that the debt restructuring is anticipated to leave HMH on solid footing.
The Tenners, a group of plucky authors who have debuts publishing in '10 (including THE SECRET YEAR author Jennifer Hubbard) conducted a seriously fascinating Tenner poll. Among the interesting poll nuggets: Only 18% of the Tenners were published without an agent and only 6% still don't have one, and 82% have an unpublished novel in the drawer. Lots more interesting tidbits here.
Rachelle Gardner has a terrific post on why agents are still needed: among other reasons, agents are the ones holding the line on e-book terms and even unagented authors benefit from the pressure agents exert on publishers when establishing industry standard terms.
I worked for the company that sold Houghton Harcourt. It feels like a David/Goliath situation except that Houghton was the better company. I now go to work for its chief rival around the corner. I see the building every morning when I get off the subway and wonder if it'll still be there next year.
Thanks for the links. Interesting publishing news so far in 2010. One of my New Year’s resolutions: block out all bad news about the publishing industry, so that I can write intensely. Next week, I return to an intense writing schedule. Looking forward to it!
It's very reassuring to see that there are some debut authors getting published whilst the economy seems to be in freefall still...think I'll just take my time with my latest WIP anyhow and hope things have picked up circa 2012!
Anonymous said, on 1/15/2010 9:42:00 PM
Daniel Alarcón will also be reading from Granta with Yiyun Li (author of The Vagrants) for people who live in the San Francisco Bay Area. Feb. 2 at Modern Times on Valencia in SF and Feb. 3 at Book Passage in Corte Madera - both readings at 7 p.m.
Oops, I didn't mean to post that comment anonymously. Daniel was one of my profs at Mills College, and he's a great writer. Yiyun Li, too, is amazing - and they're reading together! I plan to make one of those readings. I hope others will, too.
Anonymous said, on 1/16/2010 4:57:00 AM
About the publicist, this only works if your publicist is professional, easy to communicate with, and on top of her game.
Many times I know more, as a mere, unprofessional blogging book reviewer, about authors than their publicists do. The authors find me easy to talk to because I listen and keep secrets. Also, I actually READ the books and love them. *You can't buy enthusiasum.* If your publicist isn't on her game, an enthusiastic reader can do more and in a much more timely manner.
Bottom line, if you're going to spend good money on a publicist, make sure she's a professional who's on her game. Otherwise, you'd be better off on your own. Paid publicity is expensive and authors are not making much money these days.
This Week in Publishing is one of the reasons I love Friday (others are self-explanatory). About the e-book piracy--and this may be a rather backwards way to think about it, but--way back when digital files of music were a pretty new thing, we all learned about it and embraced it by downloading it for free. We later learned that this was illegal (whoops), but we were already pretty into it, so we were willing to purchase it. And dedicated devices for digital music files made sense because we couldn't haul our computers everywhere. I wonder if it might benefit the publishing industry to offer a little more for free than they are in the e-book sector to get people started on reading digital.
Thanks for the updates as always!!!! Here is an interesting questions. Do you think that individuals should wait to submit because of the slush pile or hurry and submit because otherwise all the people it didn't stop will be getting published while we are still waiting?
So sorry to hear about Laura Hruska - the crime fiction/novel world has lost a true supporter.
I went over to the link you provided for The Rejectionist and had to laugh. Yes, there are 'nutters' out there. As a writer, a blogger, and a full time employee of a government agency, imagine my surprise when queries started showing up in my inbox! As a writer in search of an agent, I really had to wonder what in the heck these people were thinking - how am I supposed to help them if I can barely help myself?? Nutters, indeed!
Great links Nathan. I had skimmed Rachelle's post earlier, and was glad for the reminder to go back read it thoroughly. I enjoy her posts as much as yours. And of course, The Rejectionist always has an interesting view on things.
Nathan, I've referenced your blog on my blog, "Chick Lit Book Recommendations and Discussion".
I agree with you that marketing is what writers need to do, and that getting a "googleable presence on the web is important." I am following your advice by creating a website www.girlclassified.com and by starting a blog that I'm posting in every day www.girlclassified.blogspot.com
After 650+ entries, five finalists, and hundreds of votes: we have a winner.
And what with it being THE SECRET YEAR week and all, how appropriate that the winning teen diary entry is about teenagers with a secret.
CONGRATULATIONS to Jenny!!!
Jenny and finalists, please e-mail me to discuss your prizes.
Thanks again to everyone who entered and participated!
Now then. There was actually some news in publishing this week and over the holidays, so let's get to it.
It was end of the year prediction time before New Year's, and among those chiming in was Bob Miller, publisher of HarperStudio, with a best of times, worst of times roundup. Some of his predictions: publishers will focus on lowering overhead even as they face pressure to consolidate, big publishers focus on fewer titles even as there more self-published books out there, and authors with track records will receive still bigger advances even as the advances for everyone else shrinks. Definitely worth a read.
Looking forward to this new year is The Millions, who has a great roundup of the most anticipated books in 2010. (And by the way: are we all agreed we're saying "Twenty-Ten?" Or are some people still saying "Two thousand ten?" Help me out here.)
Also looking forward is Pimp My Novel: twas the season for the holidays and book sales, but now tis the season for returns.
And amid all the doom and gloom you normally read about the publishing industry and how we're all going to disappear and be replaced by Amazon's latest algorithm, you might be surprised to know that, book sales at ou
71 Comments on The Winner!!! (And This Week in Publishing), last added: 1/12/2010
Yay! I'm so excited. Thanks so much, Nathan. This was a blast. And a BIG thanks to everyone who voted--both for me and ALL the other finalists and to Nathan for reading EVERYONE who did such a fantastic job (whew, makes me tired thinking about it!). The comments that came with the voting were fun to read and informative.
A weekends worth of reading, thanx for the links. BTW, I like twenty ten. It sounds so very futuristic. Does that mean the future is now? Sorry, I couldn't resist.
Congratulations, Jenny, well deserved! I hope we see more from you one day.
Congrats to all the other finalists and honorable mentions as well.
Nathan, it was a real surprise to me when my entry was chosen especially among so many strong submissions. Thank you for this contest and the opportunity to remember how much I enjoy writing. It was very inspiring.
I look forward to reading The Secret Year, so one last congratulations to Jennifer Hubbard!
The amount of information you gather and post each week is amazing, Nathan. And for once, I'd seen most of them already myself :-P
Janet Reid's tally post was awesome (and a bit daunting - yipes, tiny numbers)
Sky Not Falling deserves to be a title itself. Yay good news for publishing.
Rachelle Gardner's post was great, though probably not so much for the author asking for detailed feedback. (No one "needs" to be published no matter how much they want it...)
And I've been reading Natalie's blog the last few days (found it through your tweet on Twitter) - great information there (I didn't place in your contest *cries*, but I won hers *squee*)
The world is definitely changing. But will publishing get a clue or find itself trying to catch-up like the music industry did a decade ago.
As for all the posts about agents turning down a lot of submissions, I wonder if the world is shifting to a publishing model, where the Internet decides what is good and what is bad collectively. I still think that Digg is a sign of the future. Content aggregators are going to pave the way to find good content.
As for sales being down only 3%, how far down were they in 2008? And much did the Twilight series of books help out that number?
I love my Pub Lunch. Esp. the new deal round-up. I recommend it to anyone who's serious about writing. I'll definitely have to check out the Janet Reid post on querying, since I'm about there. I find her query shark posts very helpful.
Back again to add that Natalie's post is amazing! It's a must read for anyone in the midst of revisions. I'm in the tedious, last phase she described and she's right -- you know you're in that stage if your eyes are crossing.
Amy said, on 1/8/2010 11:33:00 AM
Congratulations Jenny!! I couldn't vote yesterday cos I'm essentially anonymous, but I wanted to vote for yours! And Tara's was a close second for me. But all in all - VERY strong finalist entries; I had a tough time deciding. You should all be very proud.
Wish I could access that Publishers Lunch story as I have found myself switching from "you can pry my book from my cold dead hands" camp to the "I need one of those things!!!" category. (I was reluctant to get an iPod at first, too...)
ciara said, on 1/8/2010 11:34:00 AM
in light of all these posthumous publications mentioned on the millions a few questions nathan if you don't mind? what's the process when that happens? is it published unedited? edited without the authors involvement (obviously)? how do you feel about that?
Jenny - congratulations! Your entry was wonderful! :)
Nathan, this is an awesome post today - there is so much here. Lots of wonderful weekend reading.
So, maybe you should wait abit before the next contest, Nathan, this one was so amazing, it made the earth move. Some people think we had an earthquake, but I know it was your contest...oh, and the debut of Jenn's book, of course. :)
Wow, such great links. Thank you so much for including ours for The Lit Lab! And congrats to Jenny!
Anonymous said, on 1/8/2010 12:12:00 PM
Congratulations Jenny! Do let us know if this is part of a WIP! I would so like to read more!
Would also like to add my thoughts on this contest:
There were so many of the entries that really got to me. I didn't read them all, but wow. Some were so dear and beautiful that they were haunting. With others,I almost got sick from the amount that were angry at their mothers, and I know it comes with the turf of teenage angst, but whoa Nellie, that was a lot of mom angst. I was saddened by the amount of entries that were dealing with horrendous circumstances, like horrid, non-meaningful sex, drugs, incest, and neglect. (Time to turn that S.A.D. light back on.) In the end, I was completely relieved by the finalists. Some darn good shootin' writing out there.
RE: 2010 GrammarGirl at QuickandDirtyTips says wither twenty-ten or two-thousand-ten is fine, though polling shows that most people want to revert back to the nineteen-ninety way of pronouncing the year.
Nathan, please do these types of contests again and again . . . it was fun!
Congrats to the finalists and very congrats to Jenny!
Bonnie said, on 1/8/2010 12:57:00 PM
Nathan, you can learn about twenty-ten vs two thousand ten in Grammar Girl's latest podcast: http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/how-do-you-pronounce-2010.aspx.
Congratulations Jenny - loved the entry, a very deserving winner.
I'll be calling this year 'two thousand and ten' as I called last year 'two thousand and nine'. And I think if this was going to be a century of 'twenty-___' then we would have started with 'twenty-one'.
Definitely Twenty-Ten. If we don't take steps to introduce the Twenty now, soon we'll be saying "Two Thousand and Seventeen" and that's gonna suck. We need to save syllables, people!
PS even the newsreaders here are saying Twenty-Ten, so I take that as being cemented.
And I just wanted to add that Nathan's client Natalie Whipple has had a whole week of great posts on revising. If you're about to embark on that epic adventure, check them out.
This was a hard vote to cast. I wound up casting mine for Jaime B. mainly because of the fact that the entry started off with "Dear Pop Pop,"
This sounds like a silly way to vote, but I thought it was interesting. A teenager normally wouldn't call a grandfather "Pop Pop" in public because of peer pressure. But in a diary, where everything is so safe and secure, they wouldn't think twice. YA's are innocent, and this example, to me, was the perfect example of showing instead of telling.
Wow, I voted for the winner! That doesn't happen to me often! Congrats, Jenny.
I say both Twenty Ten and Two Thousand Ten. I only detest Two Thousand and Ten, the same way I don't like to hear people say January the fourth and such. It's just January fourth.
The Secret Year reached Malaysian market! I just bought a hardcover copy for RM 68.13. The book looks different, for one it's darker than on-screen (printing with black matte lamination does that), and it looks real! Feels good in my hands.
I saw your name on the acknowledgement page. It's weird seeing the name of someone you know (knowing is a relative term) in print. Can't wait to read your actual novel. Kapow!
Can't wait to read it. Kudos to you and Jennifer Hubbard.
Jen P said, on 1/9/2010 6:17:00 AM
Congrats Jenny.
All of these links interesting, but the one that stands out is Natalie Whipple's revisions' process. A REVELATION. Truly GREAT. THANK YOU. Can't recommend it enough. For some this may be basics and elementary, for me it is an 'aha' moment.
It suddenly makes sense why I take so long and can't get it done. I am doing it all backwards, focusing on the small stuff first and getting caught up in detail way too early. Then I have to repeat effort when I make more major changes. Or it seems so superficially polished, that the major changes which need made, get hidden.
Thank you for sharing Nathan, thank you Natalie Whipple.
Damn. I'm terribly disappointed that I missed this contest. That'll learn me for not checking up on Nathan's blog (or the internet as a whole) for a week. But I'll abstain from rehashing 'the saddest words of tongue or pen' here...
I know it's all said and done and I've only read the first page of submissions (so far), but I'd like to dispense a compliment and some constructive criticism for a random entry.
EB's entry (timestamp: January 4, 2010 3:39 PM) really impressed me. Although I found it a bit difficult to believe that a teenager would only just be seeing his mother (or a woman general) naked for the first time, further entries could establish a viable reason for such a circumstance. Beyond that, as far as I'm concerned, the writing was incredibly strong, cohesive, and compelling.
While everyone who entered deserves kudos for putting themselves out there, I wanted to offer some positive reinforcement to a quality entry that was otherwise unrecognized (which shouldn't be construed as disparaging all the other entries I read or Nathan overlooking this one in particular).
I'm looking forward to reading the next 200 submissions later this afternoon.
It is a publishing company staffed by Twilight Fanfic writers. I don't run in the fanfiction realm, but it appears that they will be taking "original" works (i.e. changing the names of characters and locations) and publishing them. Some of the offerings available are from already completed Twilight Fanfiction works that have been re-worked.
I find it hard to believe that anyone would pay for one of these re-worked books, especially if they read the original and that this is not somehow shady.
So my point. Would you consider doing a blog post about fanfiction in general and how it affects the publishing industry.
This site makes it sound so easy. You complete a manuscript and BAM! you're going to get published.
This is an off-topic but rather urgent so I would appreciate your feedback. One of London's top agents just asked me to send more material for a non-fiction book I am writing that she finds charming/delicious. I don't know what she means by "more" and was wondering if that translates as "everything". You're the first and only expert I thought of re. this, please let me know if I should flood away, thanks.
Fun contest. Congrats to all the finalists, especially Jenny. Well, deserved win.
I hope you don't mind me mentioning that Mary Kole at Andrea Brown is haveing a contest this month, too. You submit the first 500 words of your finished Ya or MG novel for a chance to win a critique from her. The entry deadline is Jan. 31.
I just wanted to say Congrats to Jenny - excellent entry. As usual, I was impressed with the quality of submissions in one of your contests. Thanks Nathan for putting these on - you're, like, awesome!!!
mkcbunny said, on 1/11/2010 1:56:00 PM
Congratulations, Jenny! I wasn't able to vote in this contest, but your entry is great. Very intriguing. I want to know what secret they share.
And congratulations to all of the other finalists and runners up. Nice work all around.
Any YA or MG authors just itching for another crack at fame, fortune, and fabulous prizes should check out the Kidlit Contest Mary Kole of Andrea Brown Literary Agency is hosting.
But first, a brief programming note: Next week I will be posting as normal (or at least as normal as things ever get around here) through Wednesday December 23rd, and I will be working my little elf fingers to the bone tap tap tapping at the computer until then. Also making toys. Then I will take a break for SANTAAAAAAAAAA OH MY GODDDDD!!!! Then during the week of the 28th I shall run some posts from Christmases past (or Junes past, Augusts past, etc.).
And then, THEN, the first week in January we will have quite the fun and new and never-seen-before contest (contest! CONTEST!!!!), which may or may not coincide with the publication of Jennifer Hubbard's heart-wrenching, sexy, gripping, unforgettable debut YA novel THE SECRET YEAR, which Booklist recently said is "a fine addition to the PANTHEON of YA literature," (bolding, capitalizing, and italicizing mine, though I'm sure they meant it to read that way), and which happens to be available for pre-order.
Then, the second week of January there will be another contest, which will mainly be held in the Forums. But we'll talk about that later because right now the thought of two contests in two weeks is blowing my elf brain.
The impact of e-books on the book industry remains more theory than fact at this point as they comprise only 5-10% of sales, but they're booming, and the massive earthquake that they represent is beginning to rumble. Publishers are attempting naked rights grabs (well, the rights grabs are naked, hopefully the publishers aren't), they're worried about the elephant in the Amazon, and after a century where they enjoyed near complete control over which books the world reads, publishers are suddenly confronting a future where they may or may not be necessary.
In part because there's so much free content out there competing for attention, the entire pricing model of the industry is under tremendous pressure, even as publishers continue to pay huge advances for the hottest titles. Because the advertising and promotion tools at their disposal have not yet sufficiently changed with the times, publishers are often relying on authors to generate their own buzz precisely at a time when the alternative publishing options at authors' disposal (particularly when they can generate their own buzz) are becoming and will become all the more enticing.
2009 is an apt year for all of these events because we're embarking on a new decade jus
78 Comments on This Year in Publishing, last added: 12/20/2009
I hate to say it but Mangst actually came from author James Dashner's blog where his fans create funny languages from his word verifiers. Mangst was cited as early as last March. =[
SAAAAAANNNNTAAAAAAAAAAA! Sorry. I couldn't help it. I love Will Ferrell.
Now that I look back at the past year, it does seem like a lot has happened. It's kind of overwhelming. By the way, I'm looking forward to the debut of THE SECRET YEAR and of course a certain space KAPOW!!! Yeah, I couldn't help that either. :)
Thank you for this fabulous round up! :D I read "mangst" on Le R's blog this morning, and it's still just as hilarious.
By the way, I'm so excited about THE SECRET YEAR now! Your pimpage has successfully intrigued me :). Thanks for the recommendation, and happy holidays!
Excuse me. I just have one question about your otherwise fantastic post, and I think it's about to open up a whole can of whoop ass.
Why would you bill a young adult novel as "Sexy"?
See, I looked it up. Over at Harlequin, the target age group for young adult is 12-18. Now, granted, you didn’t sell Jennifer Hubbard’s The Secret Year to Harlequin, but I figured they would know. No, you sold it to Viking Juvenile. And I looked up the definition of “juvenile.” It means child.
I don't remember any sex in Harry Potter. And way back in my day, Bernard Palmer's Jim Dunlap series didn't have any sex in it.
So, in light of that context, I was wondering if you’d like to comment on your marketing descriptor, Sexy.
Do you mean that when we read her book there will be children acting out sexually, or do you mean that when adults and/or children read the book they will be aroused sexually?
I’m just wondering, since you brought it up.
Hmmm. I wonder why I hear the chirping crickets signing, no comment? Why do I hear Ricky Roma's advice to Williamson: "You never open your mouth, till you know what the shot is."
So, Nathan, 12-year-olds and sex, any comments? Agent? Anything?
I would engage you on that if I thought it would come to anything fruitful, but I doubt it will and thus I won't. You have an axe to grind that is not going to be blunted by anything I have to say.
Thanks for this info, Nathan. Looking forward to so many good things, especially CONTESTS! Merry Christmas!
Anonymous said, on 12/18/2009 4:05:00 PM
I'm looking forward to reading The Secret Year - I visited this author's website, and she seems like an interesting person (she says that she's been writing stories 'most of her life').
The only problem is that I'm not a young adult. Do I have to wait to become a young adult before I can read this novel?
Gordon, I hesitate to engage you on this -- but what the hell, it's Friday ...
I think the term "sexy" in the year 2010 (almost. Wow!) doesn't mean what it did, say, a decade ago. I took nothing from Nathan's description other than the book will be another "Twilight-esque" hit with the lucrative 14-17 year old girl market. And they like "sexy" as it's used in today's parlance.
Sexy is good when it comes to YA that's being positioned for young women of that age group. I doubt we're going to see "pornography" in the book, which you seem to be impying.
Anyway. My two cents. Happy Holidays.
reader said, on 12/18/2009 5:01:00 PM
A contest? Oooo no, I used up my most recent book first para on the last contest!
I wonder if I have time to come up with a new concept and write/rewite/polish a first page, or sentence, or query, or, or, or.... Ack!!
An early Happy Holidays to you Nathan, thank you for all you do.
Are you guys talking about The Secret Year? - I thought this book was about two high school students who are experiencing love for the first time? Those emotions, at that age, can be overpowering. The wonderful thing is that you're not jaded at that age - the emotions are raw and can touch you at the core.
Man, I am really looking forward to reading this story.
As far as the sex thing is concerned I can only say that by the time I graduated from high school a good 90% of my friends had lost their virginities... virginity.
Sex is a part of being a teenager. Why are we objecting to this? Relations are beautiful. Nothing wrong with that. Nothing wrong with that at all.
M. Younger
(Wait a minute. The person objecting to the sex... is he from The Bible Belt region? I had heard about these Bible thumping individuals, but I had never met one... until today. Wow, if you live long enough you end up meeting all kinds.)
Anonymous said, on 12/18/2009 8:26:00 PM
Gordon --
Dude, Harry Potter isn't YA, it's MG. Different ballgame. And I hate to blow your fantasy world, but sex and teens are joined at the hips.
Nathan, will The Secret Year be available in e-book form in the near future? If I receive a Kindle for Christmas I might choose to wait for that. If not I may just pre-order. :)
Goodness! Deep breath. Too much in this post! The year - the week -the wild. Good thing I follow your blog so a post like this makes sense.
Two points I'd like to share: 1. Amazon's secret is in their software - and I know what that means. :) 2. sexy is the word now used for the potent wordsmith talent for sexual tension.
There's a whole flurry of books published as Inspirational romances that are wild with sexual tension - sexy from the neck up - even though nothing more than a kiss is allowed. Twilight is bursting out all over with sexual tension - and the denial of it - or so I've heard.
Sexual tension is what makes most of Harlequin's lines "sexy". Any sex in the pages is because the tension has reached levels where consenting adults behave like teens. It's part of the fantasy.
Just wanted to share that insight for future Gordon's on your blog.
mkcbunny said, on 12/18/2009 11:18:00 PM
Agent, author, blogger, AND toymaker?! When are you going to tackle world peace?
Gordon, I hesitate to engage you on this -- but what the hell, it's Friday ...
Exactly, you've had all week to rest.
I think the term "sexy" in the year 2010 (almost. Wow!) doesn't mean what it did, say, a decade ago. I took nothing from Nathan's description other than the book will be another "Twilight-esque" hit with the lucrative 14-17 year old girl market. And they like "sexy" as it's used in today's parlance.
You don't want "sexy" to mean exactly what you know it means because you really want to fit in with the publishing crowd, but you'd probably be against overt sex scenes marketed to kids. So you do the cowardly thing and try to change the definition in your mind. It won't work.
Got any kids?
Sexy is good when it comes to YA that's being positioned for young women of that age group. I doubt we're going to see "pornography" in the book, which you seem to be impying.
Oh really? Why won't Nathan talk about it then. I've asked him that directly. If he agreed with you, he'd say it. Now, I don't know about the book either. Actually, I'm more bothered by the agent marketing it as "sexy." Oh, and guess what. You're not a kid. Neither am I. Neither is anyone in this group. So, why do we need to know how sexy it is? The sexy is being marketed to adults.
Anyway. My two cents. Happy Holidays.
Have any kids? If you have a twelve-year-old daughter, would you let her read a sexy novel?
Man, I am really looking forward to reading this story.
As far as the sex thing is concerned I can only say that by the time I graduated from high school a good 90% of my friends had lost their virginities... virginity.
Sex is a part of being a teenager. Why are we objecting to this? Relations are beautiful. Nothing wrong with that. Nothing wrong with that at all.
I think MBLA makes the same argument. Good going Nathan. See, you have one book sale. This guy can't wait to get his paws on it. Now that's just good marketing.
Money, publication, money, publication, fame, celebrity, money, kids, money, fame, celebrity and publication at any cost. I think I'm going to vomit.
(Wait a minute. The person objecting to the sex... is he from The Bible Belt region? I had heard about these Bible thumping individuals, but I had never met one... until today. Wow, if you live long enough you end up meeting all kinds.)
I'm like nothing you've ever met, trust me. I'm not even a Christian.
2. sexy is the word now used for the potent wordsmith talent for sexual tension.
There's a whole flurry of books published as Inspirational romances that are wild with sexual tension - sexy from the neck up - even though nothing more than a kiss is allowed. Twilight is bursting out all over with sexual tension - and the denial of it - or so I've heard.
I saw the movie, and I don't remember any sex. Romance, but not sex. If I missed it and there is, I stand corrected. Romance is romance. Sex is sex. All you're doing is trying to weasle out of knowing the truth so you can feel stabilized.
Just wanted to share that insight for future Gordon's on your blog.
Oh, future "Gordon's." What pray tell is that? You mean people who are incensed at the sexualization of children? So, I'm the bad guy, huh? It's 2010, right?
Oh, what am I bellowing about? Kids have been abused since the beginning. They're either used as slaves in factories or abandon on the streets, or beaten. It's because they're weak and stupid. Adults can convince them of anything, after all, they look to us to see how to grow up, and they don't have any choice but to grow up, so they do what we tell them. And what we say is okay becomes the right in their definition of right and wrong.
I'm so damn old and conservative; I can remember when Pat Benetar came out with Hell is for Children. She's old now, too. But I put her on the Itunes anyway, that song. Just now.
Of course, that was just about beating them. It used to be okay to do that. Now some humiliate them, sexualize them and sell it. We make our living off of destroying innocence.
Actually, it's the major theme of the novel I wrote. I didn't even realize that until just today.
"...and you shouldn't have to pay for your love with your bones and your flesh." No truer words sung.
I'm appalled at the women in here who aren't going nuts over this. But hey, no one wants to piss off a prospective agent, huh? sexy, Sexy, SEXY! Money ho!
Anonymous said, on 12/19/2009 1:15:00 AM
,
Anonymous said, on 12/19/2009 2:56:00 AM
Gawd, I'm having a difficult time even following this argument.
What's the debate about?
The literary agent wrote the word 'sexy' in his blog - I think what he meant was that The Sexy Year... excuse me, The Secret Year... is a great read... that's it's, you know, modern... sexy... it's something that you might want to pick up... not because there's sex in it, but because the story is... ya know... well written.
I mean, I'm the last person who's going to defend this literary agent guy, but really, too much is being read into the one word that he wrote. Bransford didn't mean that one should buy the book because it's got sex in it.
I mean, jeepers, man.
I'll bet I know what the real problem is here - the cat recently rejected your stuff, didn't he? That shouldn't bother you at all - he rejected my stuff too. I mean obviously he has no idea what he's doing.
Words can have mmore than one meaning. Sexy, for example. You know, "Generally appealing and attractive." Rather a long way between that and child pornography, or so it seems to me.
It's in the dictionary, even. Of course that probably doesn't matter, since your intent seems (at least to me) to pick a fight by jumping on the worst possible interpretation of something and ignoring all others (as usual). It seems like you have a point you want to make to an audience and that's all that really matters. Or am I wrong about that? I fully admit I might be, but that's how it seems. That's how it comes across to readers, I'm pretty sure. What I can't always tell is whether you intend that or not.
"People who can command an audience are suddenly hugely valuable in a time when there's an infinite array of content but a premium on those who have a following."
Uh-oh. Does this mean I have post an insanely popular video of, say, my cat sneezing on YouTube in order to get a book deal? Maybe that'll be my New Year's resolution for 2010. It has about the same odds as me exercising and eating right.
People might actually be willing to discuss this with you if they thought it was going to be a reasonable discussion rather than a hysterical argument to further your own personal agenda. You seem intent on the latter, so "debating" this with you isn't particularly appealing to me or anyone else (though some who are better people than me have nonetheless tried to reason with you). You're not going to listen to what I or anyone else has to say, so why engage you on this?
Frankly you've been extremely rude to everyone and I've let it slide, but I'm not inclined to let you keep attacking everyone.
And oh. Disclaimer. I didn't read any of the other comments before posting mine so if mine seems outta left field, that's why. Reading backwards now, yikes.
Anonymous said, on 12/19/2009 11:51:00 AM
Didn't President Obama just say insulation was sexy? I think people do use the word to mean exciting or interesting. I don't know how Nathan meant it, but there are other uses in conversation.
And did I mention that I saw part of ELF on the plane? I'd never seen it before.
Anonymous said, on 12/19/2009 1:00:00 PM
I'm almost tempted to go over to Gordon's blog. But I won't. I have a feeling he only does these things to get attention, and I'd rather not help him in his quest.
Anonymous said, on 12/19/2009 2:01:00 PM
For me, personally, it's disconcerting (and also maybe a bit fascinating?) to see how a person can twist the meaning of just one word - let alone an entire novel.
At one point the Germans actually banned 'All Quiet on The Western Front', because they felt it was a betrayal to their country - what a twisted interpretation of a great novel.
I remember reading a quotation on the back of the book's jacket: "This novel should be distributed to all schoolchildren everywhere." - I find it almost impossible to believe that an entire nation of people could've disagreed with that recommendation. Remarque's novel was actually burned by the hundreds at book burning ceremonies. It's a good thing I wasn't around at the time, because I might've... in fact, I probably would've... stood up and said something - and then they would've burned me!
E.M. Forster once wrote: "One grows accustomed to being praised, or blamed, but it is rare to be understood."
Jesus, amen to that.
Anyway, merry Christmas to all of you cats out there, and a special thanks to Mr. Brentford - I've learned a lot from visiting this blog of yours (although, unfortunately, not all of it has been good... but oh well... I'm learning).
M. Younger
Anonymous said, on 12/19/2009 2:09:00 PM
You're right, M Youffner, some people should just leave well enough alone.
Aha! Nathan is an elf!!! That explains the insane number of things he can do at the same time while sever sleeping. (So should we thank Santa for lending him out?)
A new contest sounds cool (2 sounds even better :-D )
In the new publishing world: Everyone's got a shot. For better or worse. But hasn't everyone always had a shot? Everyone's always had the option of self-publishing and trying to market their own books. Just because the format is easier, doesn't change that. It doesn't make the books edited or non-derivative. It doesn't make the writer talented. All it does is flood the market so full of garbage, most people will by-pass browsing titles in favor of familiar authors or brands (publishing houses) because they have some assurance of quality control... kind of like it is now.
Nathan, I think you need to get one of those "Don't Feed the Trolls" banners to pull out when certain people hi-jack a thread because they want attention.
(Dear Troll: If the only time someone will engage you in conversation is when you poke at them, take a hint. Of course your attitude is nothing but mangst run amok.)
And dear troll... Harry Potter was not a Young Adult novel. It was a Middle Grade novel (just a long and detailed one) The characters were 12 when it started, not teenagers. Which is not to say 12 year-olds are oblivious about sex, and if you think they are, you're oblivious about 12 year-olds.
Bransford didn't mean that one should buy the book because it's got sex in it.
I mean, jeepers, man.
How the heck do you know what he meant? And could you stop saying "jeepers" it's creepy. It's like in the Dead Zone when Dodd keeps saying to the girl he's going to murder, "Gazeeebo. You like that word, Gazeeeeeebo."
I'll bet I know what the real problem is here - the cat recently rejected your stuff, didn't he? That shouldn't bother you at all - he rejected my stuff too. I mean obviously he has no idea what he's doing.
I don't submit my stuff. I publish it.
Though I might do his contest, depending on what a person wins. I was against contests for artistic reasons, but if a person can actually win something, then, yeah, I'll write a freakin paragraph or whatever. I hope he gives away a toaster. Ours is old, and I feel like I'm forcing an 80-year old to cook for me and then stand there watching me eat whenever I use it.
People might actually be willing to discuss this with you if they thought it was going to be a reasonable discussion rather than a hysterical argument to further your own personal agenda. You seem intent on the latter, so "debating" this with you isn't particularly appealing to me or anyone else (though some who are better people than me have nonetheless tried to reason with you). You're not going to listen to what I or anyone else has to say, so why engage you on this?
My agenda? No, you're right I do have an agenda. I am sick of the sexualizing of children. I'm sick of it everywhere I encounter it. But you're right, if I'm going to pounce on anything you say like pit bull who wags his tail until you get close enough to pet him, then it's not really fair to you. After all, we're talking one word here.
And to be quite honest, I'm more appalled now at the reactions from others I've encountered in this blog and mine than I am at your use of the word "sexy." I'm appalled by those who defend you when you haven't even said what you mean. I'm appalled by those who want the book to be sexy so they can rush out and buy it. And I'm appalled at the liberal attitudes I've seen expressed towards children and sex in general. At least with you, I know why you said it. You sell your client's books whatever that takes. I may hate it, but at least I can understand it, and given that your an agent perhaps even respect you for working on your client's behalf.
So, if you want to comment. I won't even respond unless you ask me a question. I mean that's fair, right?
Frankly you've been extremely rude to everyone and I've let it slide, but I'm not inclined to let you keep attacking everyone.
Yeah, yeah, I've been rude, whatever. You said on a public blog that a children's book your represent is sexy. I'm a member of the public and, I maintain a blog on literary issues, so I'm asking you to clarify your position for the record. If you want to decline comment; if you want to delete my posts (i.e., throw the press out of the room). That's your prerogative. But I'm here; I'm in your face; I'm a member of the press; I write for A Literary Experience and I want to know what you meant by sexy.
As you know, and I know you do, not commenting is a comment.
But I guarantee, I will not debate you or even comment in here on what you say. Heat's off.
Anonymous said, on 12/19/2009 3:21:00 PM
/
Anonymous said, on 12/19/2009 4:00:00 PM
Let me attempt to bring this back on topic.
The Apple tablet is intriguing. I heard about it some more on Mac Break Weekly. But I'm not convinced that the tablet is going to shatter publishing.
However, the tablet does provide a nice alternative to the Kindle for reading blogs and magazines. I just don't see it replacing the Kindle for reading books. The tablet is backlit, which is okay for reading for a short period of time.
If you're not a spokesperson for Curtis Brown, Ltd., Nathan Bransford, Jennifer Hubbard or Viking Juvenile, I don't really want to discuss this with you in this blog until Nathan has a chance to respond.
You know, I got sick a couple of days ago, been pretty laid out, although I'm feeling better now.
Checking in on your blog the last couple of days, Nathan, has been fairly surreal. :)
Gordon. Please stop and take a break. As someone who likes you. You're going to damage your relationships here that you've established. Please, just take a breath. It's completely appropriate to call a YA book sexy, it's done all the time. Please just take a break.
I get it. There were times early on that I went....alittle wild on this blog. Maybe not in the same way, but I had certainly had my moments. Definitely. I think I still hold the record of the most posts deleted by Nathan. Please, don't try to beat my record. :)What's the point in that? On the other hand, I'm still here and chatting away. You will be too. So, please, just take a moment to breathe.
Back to the topic, Nathan, I want to say, about this post, I'm impressed - you outdid yourself. I'll say more later, but impressive.
Btw - I'll take that post down in alittle while. It's sort of personal....
I just re-read your post again, Nathan. Like I said, you outdid yourself - great re-cap and analysis. Really good.
One thing I noticed in the comments - I think people are misunderstanding what you meant, Nathan, when you said "People who can command an audience are suddenly hugely valuable."
Assuming I understood what you meant.
What I think it means is this: Authors who write something of quality or something with a new twist have a good chance to take off through the grassroots. This is not because the author is popular. Popularity will only take you so far.
If the book itself isn't very good, people might buy a copy because of popularity, but they won't necessarily reccommend it to their friends. But there will be many more opportunities for books like 'The Secret' or other books, I can't think of right now, to take off from the grassroots.
So, authors will need to be somewhat good at generating buzz, or hire someone who is, but it's still the quality of the book or the idea that will count in the end.
That's what I think, anyway.
Anonymous said, on 12/19/2009 5:41:00 PM
@Mira,
Nice thoughts.
@Gordon,
Check out the TV show Gossip Girls. It's so SEXY! :)
I think Nathan's not just talking about the books, but the people in the culture who can convince other people to do something, who can "command eyeballs". This is important because it's shifting in the digital age. It used to be TV and print ads. Oprah commands eyeballs. She puts a book up there and those eyeballs zero in and the wallets come out.
So who's going to command eyeballs in the digital age? Because they're out there. Who's got the twitter power? It's gonna be about, at least partially, taking advantage of these vast personal networks. Look at an author like Neil Gaiman. Obviously he can move his own books. But look what his blog can do to propel other books, other causes. Thousands and thousands and thousands of people keyed in to his tastes. If he goes wild for a book on his blog and says he wishes he'd written it... I'm guessing Amazon would suddenly light up like a beacon with sales of that book.
He commands eyeballs. I think part of the industry transition will be trying to figure out how this works and taking advantage of it. Word of mouth via the keypad. How to tap into these networks and get your product seen?
Anon - thanks, but could we drop it now and give it a rest? Please?
Ink - I think you're right. Maybe popularity alone will sell some books, your examples are pretty apt.
Although, you're talking about some major sources. And even then, could you get on Oprah, or could you get Gaiman to promote you, if you had a poor quality work? I think Oprah and such are more careful than that, because they are scrutinized as well.
But, I will say, regardless of popularity, quality has an excellent chance of making it as well.
Two things create buzz. Well, more than two things, but for today let's say it's two things because I can't think of any others:
Crimony! I get busy for a few weeks with the x-mas rush, don't check the blog, and when I come back, everything is all SHINY and NEW! And I thought I was busy. Nathan, I can't imagine how you pack all this into a day (but I'll take it)!
Yeah, I'll agree with that. If your product sucks, your product sucks. Getting your book in Oprah's hands is great. If it's a terrible book, though, it's still not getting on her show.
But assuming you have something good, it's then a matter of trying to leverage platforms that can build an audience. And those platforms are changing a lot for the book industry. Goodbye old time review outlets like Kirkus and hello social media. The book industry, for better or worse, will have to navigate this transition.
So break out your paddles, writerly folk! There be some rapids ahead.
Jennifer's book is about high school kids. Er, does everyone here remember their high school experience? It's been a while, but I seem to recall that sex played a rather significant role...
There's a huge difference between acknowledging that and "sexualizing children," and there's a huge difference between, say, a nine year old and a 16 year old.
I think our society has a pretty screwed-up attitude about this, by the way. On the one hand, there certainly are a lot of cultural forces that DO "sexualize children." On the other, our culture has criminalized sexual behavior that involves kids under 18. That is a real mixed message if there ever was one.
I think it really comes down to consent and the ability to consent, and the power balance in the relationship. That's why we look at a relationship between, say, two high school students one way and a high school teacher and a student another way.
I agree. But, personally, I like it. I think it give the writer a great deal more control than previously. Well, like Nathan was saying - everyone has a shot.
There's been a bottleneck in the industry that will disappear.
We may find that people are alot more interested in books than we thought they were. The market could expand.
I love the new ads for the Sony reader. They act like everyone wants to carry around something so they can read all day. Of course. Who wouldn't? Excellent! :)
On a side note, Nathan, I noticed that you're taking some time off. Cool. You deserve it.
I don't want to talk tpo much on this thread, but Nathan, I also want to say - I think this was a couragous post on your part. You really put it all out there.
Nathan, I've been reading your blog all year, and I have to say that one of the reasons I love it is because you're so diplomatic and friendly. Kudos to you for being so professional.
As I've told you before, I'm REALLY looking forward to The Secret Year, and I say that as the girl who married her high school sweetheart :)
Ooh! Ooh! And Go-Go-Gadget-Arms to give Other Lisa a high five for her comment at 10:50PM :)
Okay. I’ll leave this alone for now—but not for long. I’m pre-ordering a copy of The Secret Year, and if it has sex in it as Nathan has promised us, then I’m going to write an editorial for The Sun Herald, that’s our newspaper here in Southern Mississippi, The Clarion Ledger, that’s the paper up in Jackson, and the Times-Picayune, that’s the New Orleans paper. They’ll publish it, and it might even go AP. And I will get quotes from Nathan, from Curtis Brown, Ltd., Jennifer Hubbard, and Viking Juvenile. I will. I’ll get them or I’ll go with the fact that none of them would comment. I think you underestimate how red we are down here (red in the sense of a red and blue political map).
My guess is there’s nothing and no story. Nathan might have been stupid enough to use the term “sexy” and then stupid enough not to back off it. But I highly doubt Viking Juvenile is stupid enough to publish a book that includes sex scenes with minors.
I take the blame for getting Gordon riled up again. I apologize for that. I actually think there's a really interesting discussion that could be had on the gaps between how teens really behave and the mixed messages adults give them, not to mention the really screwed-up way in which very young kids are at times encouraged to act out in age-inappropriate ways.
Trying to do that in a blog post was a bad idea on my part, and there is no point in trying to engage a person who is determined to have a fight, unless it's a fight you want to have.
But I am not going to leave a comment like that, with its threats poorly cloaked in self-righteous indignation, unchallenged.
So, okay. Here you go:
Gordon, do you know anything about YA books? Anything at all? Do you know just how many YA books have sexual content in them?
I'll give you a hint: a lot.
If you really want to start a campaign about books for teens with "controversial" content in them, you are going to be kept very very busy. I'd advise you to do a little research first. Start your book-burning with the worst offenders, so you'll have proper kindling for a really good fire.
I have not had the pleasure of reading Jennifer's book, so I don't know much about it beyond the blurbs. I regularly read her blog and from that I get that she's a very intelligent and thoughtful person, and a moral one as well. Your threatening to mount some kind of crusade if you find content in her book to which you object is misplaced, to say the least, and putting in a cute little disclaimer about how there's "probably nothing so I probably won't," doesn't diminish the distasteful and self-aggrandizing character of your performance here.
Lol, Gordon, maybe I should have left my comments up on the thread.
1) Either you have no understanding of diction (an alarming fact in a writer) or you are intentionally misreading the word for your own ends. I lean to the latter interpretation, unless you'll correct me and accede to the former.
2) The book is obviously not aimed at children. It's a young adult novel. Note the "adult" on the end there. "Adult" does not equal "children". That's also basic diction, and both those words are in the dictionary. Right next to "sexy". You know, a word that can mean "Generally appealing and attractive".
3) I applaud your conviction in defending children... but it doesn't seem like you're doing that here. It seems very clear you're doing this for other reasons, or at least that's how it comes across to those reading. Which makes me wonder why you keep pursuing it.
4) It's a little ironic that you're moralizing at people while being rude, uncivil, insulting, cruel and falsely accusatory. Not exactly the moral high ground, thee.
I'd be interested in your response to any of these, here or elsewhere (since you didn't really respond before).
Regards, Bryan
Anonymous said, on 12/20/2009 5:42:00 AM
Joyce Carol Oates published a YA novel that is actually titledSexy. The word doesn't necessarily denote pornography or titillation. In fact, I think most people would agree that pornography is not "sexy" at all.
Gordon, I realize you're only trying to get attention and, ultimately, to become "known" on the Internet as a "bad-ass" so you can eventually find a real agent and get published. By a "real" publisher.
We get it. Really, we do. And I gotta tell you, it's sad but oddly fascinating to watch someone slowly commit professional suicide so publicly.
That said, I must feed the troll one final time.
I'd like to respond to your threats about writing an "editorial" in all of those newspapers, exposing Nathan's evil intents for all the world to see.
Do you know anything about newspapers? About journalism?
Now before you begin your nasty, threatening, demeaning comments, I would suggest you do some research on me first. I have been a journalist for 25 years -- a reporter, columnist and editor. My newspaper nominated my work for a Pulitzer Prize. I have won dozens of journalism awards. I work for the Associated Press.
I know journalism. Okay?
You, sir, are no journalist. One does not just decide to write an "editorial" for a major newspaper and the AP. They don't. What you are talking about is a letter to the editor. Nuts write them all the time. I know. I read them and edited them for years.
There's a difference. Trust me.
If you get an "editorial" published in a "real" newspaper and, better yet, get it picked up by the AP, let me know and I will apologize to you right here in this forum -- provided you are still allowed to post here.
In the meantime, making threats like you did under the cloak of journalism is both unethical and laughable. I would strongly advise you to cease and desist.
Neil Gaimon's a good example of how one voice on line can cause a ripple effect. Just this week, there was an author kerfluffle on Amazon when some romance writer took exception to a 1-star review and decided to blast the reviewer for "obviously having a personal agenda" against her and lamented that that one bad review was going to cost her the next contract with her publisher. A few people jumped in to defend the reviewer's right to say she didn't like the book.
Well, NG mentioned it on his blog and on Twitter and at last count there 40 pages of comments. For around 25 of those the author belittled and insulted anyone who dared dislike her book or to imply that her "defending" herself would lose her readers.
The book dropped 60,000 slots in one day.
Eventually, her comments started getting minimized so no one had to read them, she called the FBI and said someone had threatened her life in the comments (they didn't), and the commenters started calling/e-mailing her publisher to leave messages about how horribly unprofessional one of their writers was and to inform them that she was crediting her editor with everything wrong with her book because the editor ruined it. Shortly thereafter, the author disappeared from the conversation.
Both Mr. Gaiman, and this author saw the result of instant social networking - one realized how it worked, one didn't. NG sent out a message knowing it would reach a lot of people, the other author seemed to think she owned her Amazon reviews and could control them.
Kind of a ramble, but the short version is: Having the means to reach millions is one thing, knowing how to use it is another.
I've treated you with nothing but respect and I'm now sorry to say that you've worn out your welcome. I'm going to delete any and all comments you make from here on out. Sorry it's come to this, but you've had every opportunity to reform and have chosen not to do so. I wish you well.
I agree totally, and think it's going to be interesting to see how things play out in the industry. Not just in terms of how publishers try to maneuver in the new landscape, but for authors, too. It seems the lights are always on when you're online. Words and their repercussions seem to spread instantly. It's gonna be fascinating to see how it either helps or harms writers.
Anonymous said, on 12/20/2009 3:41:00 PM
For those of you who are interested, Amazon is currently listing a release date of Jan 12 for The Secret Year. (I've got to get my order in!)
Under 'product-details' Amazon claims that The Secret Year is a hardcover book with 1 page, though I think that might be wrong.
(By the way, when you guys tell other people that you're writing a novel, or that you've just finished writing a novel, do they always ask you how many pages it is? I get that all the time - and when I say to them that the novel is approximately 100,000 words [for the obvious reason] they always say they don't know what that means.)
Also, has anybody here read an advanced copy of The Secret Year? Is this the author's first published novel?
And what about that Evans game winner? I do believe that kid can play.
Anonymous said, on 12/20/2009 6:32:00 PM
Ink,
Your avatar - I totally forgot that even Snoopy is writing a novel.
By the way, a funny thing happened to me last week - I was in a family restaurant, and the guy in the booth beside me was sitting there half dressed up in his Santa costume. He had a worried look on his face, and was sitting there talking to his friend about the novel he was writing - ya gotta do what ya gotta do, boy!
Where one novelist might choose to support himself by being, say, a literary agent, another might choose to be Santa Claus. You have to respect that.
That Jennings kid is pretty fun to watch, though. Sort of like what Iverson would be if he was actually a point guard. :)
Though I'm still sort of curious to see what Griffin does when he gets back. He's a beast. But with Kaman and Camby there he won't be handed the keys in the same way that Jennings and Evans have.
And my boy DeRozan may not win Rookie of the year, but I think he has a pretty good shot at the dunk contest. That kid can rise up.
Since Gordon seems determined to not let this go and is now personally harassing me and my coworkers, I have changed the post and will explain my position because hey, it's Christmas and this isn't something I really want anyone losing sleep over, least of all my clients, my coworkers, and myself. It's distracting the discussion from the merits of the book, which is so completely fantastic it is almost indescribable.
I am obviously completely against the sexualizing of children and, as someone else pointed out, President Obama recently called insulation sexy. Obviously the word means something different to my generation than it does to others. I intended the word to mean "edgy, scintillating" etc.
I'm closing comments now and hope we can all just have ourselves a merry little Christmas and not get so worked up.
We covered the big news yesterday, which is that several of the big publishers announced that they are delaying the e-book release of some of their upcoming titles, even though according to reports they aren't actually making less per e-book copy than with hardcover copies. Mike Shatzkin speculates that this all about taking a stand against a company whose name starts with an "Ama" and ends with a "zon," though what precisely they are hoping to achieve vis a vis Amazon remains somewhat unclear.
Amazon apparently reacted to the news by slashing the prices of the delayed e-books even further, to $7.99. Which, again, doesn't mean publishers receive less money per copy, it just means Amazon loses $2 more per copy sold. So....... yeah.
Kassia Krozser at Booksquare broke out the crystal ball and made some interesting predictions for 2010, including: International rights and territorial control will be a hot issue in the e-book era, $9.99 will become a (sorta) standard, and publishers will begin to experiment with e-book first/then-print publishing. Definitely worth a read.
Mike Shatzkin (have I mentioned how much I love his blog?) also got a look at a new e-book experience via Baker & Taylor's upcoming e-book platform, which features virtual bookshelves, all kinds of options for styles and functionality, and, very intriguingly, a sync option for the audio version of the book.
Reacting to the immense popularity of the late Stieg Larsson's mystery series, some enterprising independent bookstores took it upon themselves to import and sell the UK edition, which has already been released. Only one problem with this plan: it's illegal. Indies, I know times is tough, but let's not turn into bootleggers, hmm?
Jacket Copy has a roundup of the latest rumors on the Apple Tablet: 10" iPhone like screen, $1,000 price point (youch), but perhaps most intriguing of all: a rumored 70% to publishers/30% to Apple nonexclusive distribution arrangement, compared to (according to the article) a typical 50/50 split with Kindle. As Mr. Burns would say: Innnnnnnteresting.
The fallout from Harlequin's announcement about their new self-publishing line continued to fall out, as the Mystery Writers of America took the step of de-listing Harlequin from their approved publishers list, meaning Harlequin books and authors with contracts signed after 12/2/09 are, among other things, no longer eligible for the Edgar Awards.
Editor Alan Rinzler chatted with neuroscientist Livia Blackburne about
46 Comments on This Week in Publishing, last added: 12/14/2009
I don't think computers will destroy writing; on the contrary, I think they facilitate creation. I'm concerned about how text presented on a screen is read. Will readers who are used to scanning slow down to savor every word from a writer committed to the craft?
Wow, pjd - I've just read the Rinzler. It certainly appears to be another entry in the litany of "paying millions of dollars/pounds to some boffin to state the bleeding obvious"
I especially liked Michael Stearn's (Upstart Crow) discussion of taking a sabbatical to think about where they are, where they're going . . . and why. It's important for everyone to pause and reflect and regroup, but especially the creative types.
And you're obviously one of those! Happy Agent Appreciation Day - you're not my agent, but you and your fab blog has done a tremendous service for the unagented (such as myself) - and I appreciate it!
Glad you found the Alan Rinzler interview interesting. Although my vote for best writing advice from this roundup goes to the Rejectionist, for "You have to have a plot." Best. Advice. Ever.
Well I certainly share DeLillo's sentiments on the typewriter. Everything I wrote in the past was scribbled on scratch and then transferred to typewriter or was done on the typewriter from square one. The only reason I'm using the computer for my writing now is because I've seen some agents who only accept e-mail queries, and even those that take both generally prefer the computerised form. Honestly, though, if I ever do well enough in my career to be able to do so with little to no hassle, I'm going back to using the typewriter. There is no feeling like a cool January morning with snow falling gently outside, sitting at an old oak desk in the corner, typing calmly at the old '52 Sears, wire-frame glasses being pulled on every time you sit down and off every time you take a break...I'll stop myself here.
And I guess if I ever want to join MWA (although not knowing what the benefits would be, I can't decide that at the moment) I'll just have to steer clear of Harlequin. Although honestly if Harlequin were the only people offering, I'd jump on it, probably.
Also, I challenge the "east coast bias". Has no one considered we Easterners are just the better sportsmen?
I echo Dick M's comment about Kirkus. I'd like to hear what Nathan has to say about the demise of the most prestigious (and snarkiest) print book reviewer.
Re: computer vs. typewriter. I'm sure many 19th cent. folks predicted the demise of good writing after the invention of that newfangled typewriting machine. Probably the same thing happened with the fountain pen vs. the quill. Progress is scary.
Love this blog. Typewriter vs. computer? Think back further... quill pen vs. Gutenberg... finger in sand vs. fire blackened stick on cave wall. Media can't kill content, but it can shape it. Toby Gerhart is a beast. He singlehandedly, beat up on my Ducks. How interesting that last sentence would be if the Ducks weren't a football team... I'll bet that if he could just get his hands on the Heisman statue during the trophy ceremony, he could make it out the door without being stopped.
a) Your blog looks great! b) Publishers should take a cue from the recording industry and make the eBook and the pBook different. So the pBook has some stuff the eBook doesn't have, some packaging extra, or a prologue or afterword.
The pBook is the premiere version. It's the Oxford English Dictionary of the story and comes loaded with cool stuff you can only experience in the book.
The eBook is the bare bones, story only version with some pictures of or selected by the author and links to relevant websites; it could have specialized material not suited for print or audio.
The aBook is the bare bones audio version but has an interview with the author.
Instead of three identical versions in three formats, competing for the buyer, you have three slightly different versions offering three different ways to enjoy the story with three different kinds of bonus material.
Most people will only buy one version but serious collectors or people with enough money who love the author will buy all three versions just to have the extra stuff.
The could go one step further and take a cue from Radiohead and Cory Doctorow and offer a free version. Trent Reznor had four prices for his album Ghosts (ghosts.nin.com/main/order_options) and still made over a million bucks the first day it was out, even though one of the four versions of his album was a free download.
Of course, a novel can't be parted out the way an album can but you get the idea. EBooks can work for the industry, not against it.
Nathan: Thanks for the heads-up on Alan Rinzler's Livia interview. I totally agree with the principles (as a former 30 yr elem sch teacher I know the importance of brain-based research and used that knowledge for engaging students. Good post! Have a great weekend!
I'm not interested in self-publishing myself, but I believe this business with Harlequin and the fallout from their move will affect all of us in the end. No sure exactly how or what the timeline will be, but the times they are a changing.
Thanks again Nathan for a great recap. Enjoy your holiday. I bet your first week of January inbox quota will be huge with New Year's Resolution queries! Rest while you can.
Nathan, I have to say using "east coast bias" isn't a very good argument for Gerhart not winning the Heisman. After all, three of the last seven Heisman winners came from a Pac-10 school. Of course, Leinart only won because Adrian Peterson was a freshman. Talk about bias. I wonder what the voters think of that choice these days.
Come Dec. 30th, my alma mater will be getting an up close look at Gerhart. Or should I say, Gerhart will be getting an upclose look at the likes of Gerald McCoy, Jeremy Beal, Frank Alexander and Ryan Reynolds? :D
I'm confused... is it not okay to talk about the average an author gets for each ebook sold of their work?
Does that mean that all the blogs I've read about how much an author typically gets from a hardback sale are maybe overstepping their bounds in speaking about it? Or is it just an ebook thing?
The difference is that hardcover and paperback royalties are very much established industry standard, though even there I don't really get too specific about escalators and things. E-book royalties vary more from publisher to publisher and so I don't want to/can't get into specifics because it's much more difficult to generalize.
Although if you're curious about e-book industry standard, you can google "e-book author royalty industry standard" and you'll see what the New York Times has heard.
I admire your deds, Nathan. No wonder so many query you. I feel like sending in a query just for the sake of thinking, 'Oooh, I'll be hearing from Nathan at some point in the near future.';) However with a Stephanie Meyer's similiarity going on in the story, I don't think you'll be interested.
After New Moon came out - the movie version - with a performance from Robert Pattinson in which he seemed to have the energy and fortitude of a rag - even I've gone off paranormal. Suddenly it seems so passe, superficial and unreal. No wonder The Blind Side has eclipsed New Moon at the box office. It's everything New Moon is not.
Sorry if that sounds bitchy and demeaning to the T. franchise. I'll always love the movie version of Twilight. That haunting sound track is...to die for?
However, and speaking of ebooks, I'm going to release the passe para, and others, myself as ebooks. I've spent years on illustrations and orchestrations so it'd be fun, and I want to share. I don't think illustrations and music tempt people in if they aren't attracted by the storyline, but I love multimedia projects and increasing the dimensions of the story world.
Well Nathan, my response to that little tibit would be... it's the Pac-10. What do you expect? *snerk*
My pick from the get-go this season was Mark Ingram. And after running all over the Gators and making Tim Tebow cry, well, that's more than enough reason for him to win it IMO. Not to mention Alabama has never had a Heisman Trophy winner. Surprising when you consider what a storied program they have. I believe that will be a fact rectified come tomorrow night.
BTW... thanks for the correction. It is NYE we play, not the 30th. We desperately need that extra day to duct tape what is left of our offensive linemen together. ;)
I don't think I'll ever be an e-booker :( I still buy CDs and don't own an ipod. I live in Japan and have a phone that can do everything but make breakfast, and I never use the features. I just don't think I'll be swayed by e-books.
I realised thanks to one of Natalie's recent posts that I like paper! And then I read electronic media, I skip over parts...
So I don't really care what they do or don't do with e-books, as long as I can keep getting my paperback.
Also, happy unofficial agent appreciation day. You should be appreciated! You work so hard to be fair, informative and accessible. Thank you!
Speaking of accessible, the forums are great. It's totally fun to see you there. I can't believe, though, that you're giving feedback! Totally interesting to read, I'm learning alot from your comments on other people's work.
Have a wonderful weekend, everyone! :)
Oh, and Happy Channuka, too! May light fill your home and heart.
My inner Stanford-ite says that anyone other than Gerhardt winning the Heisman is a crime... He would have had twice as many yards had he been running behind Alabama or Florida's O-line.
The snobbery of the publishing world is coming to an end. People like Delillo can lament that we are becoming too computer- oriented, but I disagree.
There will come a day when everyone will write a novel. The amount of books in the world won't be in the millions but rather in the billions.
And why shouldn't this be the case? Is the universe not big enough? Everyone has a novel in them, because everyone has a life they have lived. Those individual lives all produce individual takes on universal themes we all encounter. Thus the more writers there are, the more unified humanity can become through the shared experience of themes presented in individual ways.
In the past, books had to be stocked in bookstores, but that's no longer the case. So why shouldn't there be more authors?
I love gothic literary art. I'd love to go to Amazon or Baker and Taylor and do a search and see that there are millions of books in my genre to choose from--maybe even a thousand books in that genre on a specific theme that matters to me at that point in my life.
We don't need less novelists. We need many times more.
Full disclosure...I'm from the South (a graduate of Auburn University) and a firm believer in SEC football supremacy. But I just don't see this kid doing that against the SEC...not that he wouldn't do well. But he looks like he runs the 40 in about 2 minutes.
On the other hand...I'm sure he's a lot smarter than most of our players. :)
Why didn't they give Toby the ball in the final moments of the Big Game? Why?????
He seems like such a great kid. I was at the Notre Dame game and he was phenomenal. I think I'll tear up a bit if he doesn't win. And I'll probably bawl if he does.
If ebooks are the next It thing and we can kiss traditional paper books goodbye, do you think it benefits first time authors to only target epublishers versus traditonal ones?
So agents are taking query holidays. I can expect that rejection around Presidents day then, splendid ;)
Sheila said: Why didn't they give Toby the ball in the final moments of the Big Game? Why?????
I was wondering the same thing. The outcome may have been different in that case. In fact, they didn't use him nearly as much as I expected the entire game.
Which was great, I thought, being an Old Blue myself.
That Guardian article was really quite interesting, it's just too bad they had to stick a few alarmist tags on at the end. Why couldn't DeLillo write Underworld on a computer? And even if he couldn't, who's to say he wouldn't have written something different but equally good? Or even better?
But I quite enjoyed the thoughtful exploration of how the digital medium affects textual creation and reception. It's the sort of stuff that's been on my brain lately. I even wrote an Ode to Paper on my blog yesterday. :) But I did see my first live Kindle a couple days ago, and I admit it's a neat gadget. (Spare me, oh Ebook Overlords!)
If only we lived in a world where eBooks and regulars could live in peace. I personally would rather have the physical book, but also I do want a Kindle. I would still buy the physical book, but load my Kindle with my favs.
This excites me "falsely enhanced sense of self-importance", because I think so many things are relative that subjective that this phrase is just kind of a passing of the torch moment. Kind of like the Junior High / High School "popular" kids lament moving on to greater lakes, anyone will become defensive who isn't able to adapt to changing conditions.
Anonymous said, on 12/12/2009 11:32:00 PM
So...basically you're telling us that you hope nobody will query, but that you wouldn't ignore it if it came. I'm sure somebody out there is thinking, "Sweet. I'll be the only query he gets this week so I'm going to send it anyway. Aren't I smart." I hope you don't get a huge pile of queries.
I think people respect you, though. The devious part of me just wished I had a project ready to go is all.
Gordon, that was beautifully written, and I agree.
I don't know if everyone has the talent for writing, but I do think that everyone has an important story to tell, and some form of creative talent with which to express it.
I've been in the field of counseling now for a couple of decades. I've listened to a couple of hundred people (at least) tell me their story. I learned two things from that:
a. We are all very much alike.
b. We all have a compelling story. Every single one of us. I have never, and (I believe) will never heard a story of a person's life that wasn't important, poignant and valuable.
We are all of equal value, and all of our stories are of equal importance.
That's what I believe anyway.
I skimmed Dellilo's article. His writing style isn't very accessible, which sort of irritated me. I think he does point to some real dangers - the blurring between the lines of fantasy and reality - but he leaves out all of the wonderful and amazing things that the world wide web has brought to us. Very one-sided view imho.
Don't bash DeLillo! He didn't write the article. :) Though the article did remind me I haven't read Underworld yet, and should. DeLillo's a mighty fine novelist. Though I'm sure he'd be pretty decent if he wrote on a computer, too. :)
If publishing follows music, then we might see book rental subscriptions in eBooks in the future. We all ready have this option with music via the Zune, and with streaming video, both Netflix and hulu provide us an option to just stream video. The idea of buying to own is becoming a thing of the past. Do I really need to own physical books, CDs, or DVDs? What we appear to give up with rental service is quality. A Netflix stream will not look as good as Blueray DVD, nor will a Zune music file sound as good as a CD. But getting the music and video now has a value that cannot be ignored. Likewise, I can BUY a book with my Kindle, but, I think, the future will be just paying a monthly subscription to download any book I want, but I will not OWN it.
re the Alan Rinzler link, there's a really cool fMRI of a brain watching the trailer to 'Avatar' on youtube. I link to it on my blog in this post- http://bookreadress.blogspot.com/2009/09/question-what-number-am-i-thinking-of.html.
The number of links this week may set a TWIP record, but holy cow was there good stuff out in the publishophere this past week. Let's get to it!
But first, before we get to the links, today may be your last chance to see the award winning (not really) circa-1999 design of this blog, featuring its square, awkwardly fonted logo and its "I slapped this thing together in a weekend" design ethos. Barring technical catastrophe the blog will be transitioning over the weekend to a fresh new look courtesy of the wildly talented web designer Sean Slinsky. Pardon our dust as we get things running.
And there may just be a few more surprises in store come Monday.
Now for real let's get to it:
First up, in the wake of the controversy about their new self-publishing/vanity arm, Harlequin announced that the new outfit will be called DellArte Press. Which is, um, an interesting name for, um... moving on!
There have been some anonymous murmurings in the comments section that I have been too focused and too pro-e-books lately, to which I would reply: 1) umseriously this e-book thing is kind of a big deal and 2) let me repeat I am not and would never advocating getting rid of print books and/or bookstores. To that end, Amazon recently released a list of the Best Book Covers of 2009, which feature some awesome can't-be-replaced-by-e-reader design. (via The Millions)
And further to that point, Bloomsbury publisher/editorial director Peter Ginna, who recently launched the must-read blog Dr. Syntax, posted an ode to the print publisher's secret weapon: the book designer.
But the e-book world marches on. My client Jennifer Hubbard thinks about what the e-book future might look like, and Mike Shatzkin has a fantastic three point publisher plan for fighting piracy. My favorite is the first one, which entails getting proactive about spreading fake book files on file-sharing sites. Fight dirty, publishers!
"I agree that Alan Kaufman is using rather offensive hyperbole. But it may come from his family's past experience. He’s the son of Holocaust survivors."
That makes his ignorance all the more reprehensible. He of all people ought to know better than to make a comparison of such magnitude. It makes him sound like an idiot and it cheapens what his parents went through. If comments were allowed at that article, I'd certainly have told him so. He ought to be ashamed of himself.
Godwin's Law, indeed. Alan Kaufman loses at the internet!
Anonymous said, on 12/5/2009 3:10:00 PM
"And meanwhile, via How Publishing Really Works comes an article on how self-publishing doesn't (usually) work."
In the future, could you please link to an article by someone who knows what self-publishing is and not someone who is still suffering under the mainstream delusion that self-publishing is the exact same thing as Vanity Press?
M'Kay?
I'm sorry, but I see this all the time from agents, publishers and writers -- I see this general 'Self Publishing is B.A.D. and no one makes any money.' mantra chanted by people who have no clue what self-publishing is or what it has become and who are ignorant of the growing number of success stories from people who have made as much (or more) money self-publishing than they ever could have done going through the mainstream press.
This is true now more than ever as both Agents and Publishers become insulated from new ideas by a poor economy.
If you want someone to write you up a Real Article on self publishing (Or How You TOO can make as much as New York Times Bestselling Author) please let me know.
I'm not anti-self-publishing in the slightest, and I think it will increasingly be a part of the publishing landscape in the future.
At the same time, I think it's important to counter a lot of the myths that are out there about how easy/rosy it is to self-publish. I thought the article was a pretty good assessment of how hard it really is for self-published authors and how a lot of the chip-on-your-shoulder-eff-mainstream-publishing attitude is an easy cover for the fact that the vast majority of self-published books are self-published because the quality isn't there. Sure, there are obviously exceptions, but there are lots of myths and exaggerated success stories out there, and the reality isn't so easy.
I've seen this new meme coming out (and you basically repeat it here) that self-publishing is vastly different than "vanity" publishing, i.e. whether you pay someone up front or not makes a massive difference. I think people are exaggerating the difference.
With what is normally referred to as "self-publishing" you theoretically don't incur any upfront costs. That is, provided you do your own production, cover design, etc. etc. But you're not going to get a particularly good deal from a self-publisher and will have to give up a pretty big chunk of the profits. With a self-publisher like Lulu it's extremely difficult to set a $14.95 price point for a trade paperback and hope to make any money at all.
Meanwhile, with "vanity" publishing, assuming the deal isn't a ripoff, you are essentially subsidizing the print run with cash up front, but authors typically get far more on the back end. You pay for the books, you keep more of the profit.
Either way, you're sharing a chunk with the self-publisher. There's just higher risk/higher reward with "vanity" publishing and lower risk/lower reward with self-publishing.Provided you're not getting ripped off there's really not a massive difference between the two. Self-publishing is self-publishing.
And it ain't easy no matter how you slice it. Everyone who is considering it should go in eyes wide open.
Jelle said, on 12/5/2009 3:33:00 PM
So am I the only one looking at the anti-piracy "fake book" plan and the Harlequin Horizons/DellArte plan and thinking that combining the two ideas may just be a win-win situation here?
Anonymous said, on 12/5/2009 4:06:00 PM
The advantages I've seen from self-publishing go beyond personal vanity or memento publication.
Number one, affordable short print runs for specialized or localized projects. Chapbooks, recipe books, yearbooks, project manuals, guide books, etc., of a local, regional, or civic, religious, municipal interest. Nonfiction.
Fiction, affordable short print run self-published for advance review copy distribution, course work, (nonfiction too), local interest, and memento publication.
No content at all, lined casecover journals. I once put together by hand a dozen casecover journal books in stitch binding. The covers were wrapped with blue dungaree fabric with the backseat pockets (Levis) on the front side. Get it? Pocket books. They were a big hit with the family's teenage girls I gave them to as gifts.
I do these sorts of projects for fun, profit, and prestige, for gifts too. For churches, for civic organizations, for municipal organizations, for friends and family, for acquiantances who come my way and want my expertise. Sometimes I do it for the money, sometimes as a volunteer, civicly responsible citizen.
I have no illusions that if there's no advance interest in a self-published work, there's no sales beyond a memento value. But every self-published work I've done exceeded fulfillment expectations.
Word verificate: grucked, what a bookbinder feels like after a week of hand-stitching books.
You're just trolling at this point. I've never been anti-self publishing and am well aware of the pros and cons as well as the different models. Feel free to point out where you disagree with me but at least try and read what I wrote and have written before casting insults about.
CreateSpace, part of the Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) group of companies, today announced a new agreement with Lightning Source Inc., the print on-demand unit of Ingram Content Group Inc. The collaboration between the two companies will expand CreateSpace’s distribution options for its members beyond Amazon.com and CreateSpace eStores.
Under the new agreement, CreateSpace’s Books on-Demand platform will allow members to print and then distribute their titles to thousands of bookstores, libraries and online retailers. CreateSpace members will have access to this enhanced print and distribution option as part of the CreateSpace Pro Plan, a program which gives members access to lower print pricing for their own book orders and better royalties for sales on Amazon.com.
“With this expansion, CreateSpace members will not only be able to reach Amazon.com customers, but they can also reach the thousands of bookstores, libraries and online retailers that work with the Ingram Content Group, ” said Dana LoPiccolo-Giles, managing director, CreateSpace. “With Lightning Source and Ingram, our members can make their titles available to the larger book marketplace while remaining inventory-free with print on-demand.”
“At Ingram, we are passionate about books and the book industry,” said Philip Ollila, chief content officer, Ingram Content Group. “Our new relationship with CreateSpace is a continuation of Ingram’s long-term strategy to offer the broadest selection of books to our customers worldwide.”
For more information about CreateSpace, please visit www.createspace.com.
That's called a cash cow. They take the writer's money for "distribution" and likely send a list of their self-pubbed titles to bookstores (if they go that far). Which the bookstores then ignore. At which point the writer is out even more money. I'd be very, very careful of that. It's easy to promise "Hey, we'll get you in bookstores!" And much harder to do.
that sports illustrated isn't going to look so good on a kindle. but i think apple has a solution for that coming out next summer. the revolution will be apple-ized.
Anonymous said, on 12/5/2009 5:43:00 PM
"the revolution will be apple-ized."
At a retail price of $999.99 and with a standard back-lit screen rather than an E-Ink screen, Apple's upcoming Tablet PC will be outside the price range of the normal person and will be horrible eyestrain for reading books.
It will be a great product for Apple to line their pocketbooks, but it will do nothing to encourage the sale of E-books.
Or didn't we learn our lesson from what Apple did to the music industry???
What was the end result of Apple's iPod revolution? Music has been devalued (and pirated) to the point where the music industry and the artists themselves are struggling to survive.
The LAST thing any sane person wants is Apple to get involved in books.
Anonymous said, on 12/5/2009 6:51:00 PM
An ISBN or EAN are the hingepin for self-published title marketing. Online and brick-and-mortar book retailers won't touch a title without one. There's some wiggle room at brick and mortar bookstores--often clapboard and Sheetrock in the hinterlands--with an inside track approach, but none at online retailers.
CreateSpace and Lulu offer user provided numbers registration or assigned numbers. Lulu's ISBN assignment is free, user provided for a fee, or independent ISBN provided by Lulu for a fee--as far as I know, the only POD manufacturer that offers that range of choices. CreateSpace charges for either CS provided or user provided as well as other mandatory hidden costs a la carte. Lightning Source and xLibris require user provided numbers as do most other POD manufacturers. Vanity or poser publishers typically assign their own numbers regardless.
For user ISBN acquistion, R.R. Bowker is the U.S. concessionaire for ISBNs. They sell a block of ten ISBNs for a $30 registration fee and $245 regular processing fee. More for larger blocks and faster processing.
An ISBN gets a U.S. title listed in R.R. Bowker's Books in Print publications, annual paper book and online database. Physical store retailers rely on that publication or more commonly publisher catalogs for selection of titles to carry. If it's in there, though, they can order a title regardless of whether they carry it or not.
Amazon and Barnes & Noble online will eventually get around to listing most newly published titles, with ISBNs, in R.R. Bowker's database, typically six to eight weeks after release. But Barnes & Noble currently will not list a title with a CreateSpace ISBN. I expect Barnes & Noble's PODs, when or if that service becomes available, to be left out of Amazon's offerings.
Word verificate: piallari, proprietary reverse predation, pillorying the competition.
that $999.99 price tag is a myth, as are half the "leaked" details filtering out. the grail for all e-readers is $99, and by pushing it off a little further they might actually fall in line with technological developments.
what apple did to the music industry? it's what the music industry did to itself. jobs spent MONTHS trying to convince labels that "ripping" music didn't meant "stealing." they dug in their heels and they lost the battle. bands are now working OUTSIDE the "industry" and doing better then they would have before hand.
the publishing industry has some choices to make here. e-readers are here. but they aren't necessarily doing themselves any favors by aligning themselves with amazon over apple.
You list a ton of great links, which I'll read later. I got drawn in by Sports Illustrated on Tablet. I couldn't care less about professional sports, but wow. I'm not sure if those flutters in my stomach are "woo! the future" or "ooo, the future."
I thought, I might even subscribe to SI if it's on tablet. Then, the swimsuit edition - girls in action - popped up, and my feminist eye started twitching.
And I agree with you - being unhappy does tend to both focus the mind and create a drive for self-expression. So, I was joking, but I agree - I do think strong emotions help writing...
Nathan. Wow. Wow. Wow. Wow.
Gorgeous. And orange. You can not beat that.
Fantastic layout. So easy to navigate.
And.
Forums.
I'm saying that in a whisper, because it's a dream come true.
Forums. I couldn't have asked for a better surprise.
Well....
Money.
That might have been better. But the layout - wonderful.
Holy Cow is right. I thought your site was kidnapped!
I like the new design, though I do have two quibbles: I must be right eyed because the links column just seems wrong on the left. And if you are embedding links in your text, they are not popping out at me. If you aren't that could explain why not.
Thanks to you I ordered the eSlick (Foxit) because it's .pdf reflow is just what I need for archival research (Foxit). I'm in lurv.
rose said, on 12/6/2009 11:18:00 AM
oh, no! Not forums, too?
tosses eSlick over shoulder....
Jen P said, on 12/6/2009 12:02:00 PM
Love the new look, though I'm still on the change curve and will have to get used to it.
"Not since the advent of Christianity has the world witnessed so sweeping a change in the very fabric of human existence." I'm still not sure his tongue is not firmly in his cheek at points in this article. I feel, even for someone with his background, any association between the events of the 30s/40s and anything less than genocide, seems rather inappropriate. And lays any article open to be misread as attention-seeking adding weight to an subject of less substance.
PS: For any sensitive souls the Kaufmann article comes with a language warning PG-label - contains the F-word once -. (Which seemed surprising and rather unnecessary.)
Anonymous said, on 12/6/2009 12:04:00 PM
@ GhostFolk "Fiction, affordable short print run self-published for advance review copy distribution
I am MOST curious how this might work."
ARCs sent to reviewers is a traditional publishers' marketing strategy also used by imaginative and resourceful self-publishers for generating parol buzz and blurb commentary for marketing, publicity, promotion, and advertising purposes. The Four Corners of Buzz, but it still boils down to a well-crafted entertaining story talked about in the street, at the water cooler, in the everyday daily lives of readers.
Many reviewers will briefly look at any bound book recieved gratis for review purposes, deeper if a novel grabs them in some visceral way. Prominent reviewers, however, tend to only review titles with an ISBN of a well-known publisher.
Nontraditional reviewers are legion, local columnists, academics, experts in a specific subject area, accomplished authors, celebrities, library organizations, and so on.
Reviewers are generally after-the-fact sorters, a nontraditional method for screening, but imaginative and resourceful self-publishers use it to test out the parol potential and to glean copy for back cover blurbs and press releases, and blog and Web site announcements coinciding with full release. Savvy reviewers are hip to the strategy anymore, so it's just another avenue for building potential self-publisher breakout.
Anonymous said, on 12/6/2009 12:11:00 PM
Oh, and there are other ways for self-publishers to get the word out, like competitions. Writer's Digest has a self-published books contest, for example.
I will never go to an e-reader. Moby Dick isn't the same on a screen, as it's always been about more than the words for me. It's the cover art (which you mentioned), the pages, the feel. It's a huge part of my reading experience.
Just as I don't like audio books, though the words are still the words-- it's the same for me via a screen.
And blog reading is not the same as a novel for me, though I know some would say, "But you read blogs!" Please. I don't read blogs for several hours before bed. It would make me crazy.
And for me, Casablanca in the theater is a completely different experience. All movies are different on the big screen for me.
I guess reading is an experience for me, it's much more than the words.
Setting aside this controversy for a moment and the specifics of Harlequin's operation, let me just say that in principle I don't think publishers facilitating self-publishing is necessarily such a bad thing. However, there should be complete transparency, fair pricing, total disambiguation between traditional publishing arms and self-publishing arms, and every good faith attempt made to educate writers about the difference between the two. This industry obviously needs new revenue streams, and provided that the publisher's program is genuinely nonexploitive and transparent I don't see the problem, and I don't see why publishers should continue to cede ground to self-publishing companies when they have every capacity to provide the same service. It just has to be done correctly.
Now then. Other news!
Mike Shatzkin has one of the most brilliant blogs on the future of publishing out there, and this week he had a great post about some conversations he's had with agents about how our role will be changing in the new publishing landscape. He explores a possible change in the way agents earn money, the challenge of facilitating self-publishing, and his opinion (which I share) that "power is moving from 'control of IP to control of eyeballs.'"
More interesting facts. Harlequin is partnering with Author Solutions to create their self-publishing company. If you scroll down to the end of the announcement, Harlequin and Author Solutions Announce Publishing Partnership, you can see that Author Solutions also owns AuthorHouse, AuthorHouse UK, iUniverse, Trafford, Xlibris and Wordclay – which means those other self-publishing companies are not true competitors.
Exactly. When I talked about overhead, I didn't mean workforce reduction - that's the last thing that's needed. I was talking about higher end expenses and Manhattan real estate.
Who owns these companies? How invested in the business are they? If they have other lucrative businesses, can't they send some money toward publishing to get it back on it's feet?
Anon - just saw your comment. I'm late, I'm going to get in trouble. Later.
Nathan, you're amazing. Thank you.
Anonymous said, on 11/21/2009 12:27:00 PM
"There are small press eBook authors making $40,000 and more per year from sales of multiple romance books WITHOUT having to pay anything at all for publication."
This is true. I'm one of them. But it's a lot more complicated than just submitting books to an e-publisher. You must have books out with multiple e-publishers. You have to absolutely love doing it. You have to be experienced and dedicated enough to know how to produce a book a month. And you have to promote endlessly to build a fan base (and not on comment threads like this). It consumes your life, and like I said, you have to LOVE doing it otherwise it won't work.
My impression is that they don’t perceive a need to get publishing "back on its feet". My impression is that they worked hard to make publishing what it is. Making billions of dollars (over $100 billion for one of the companies) was and continues to be the goal. Here’s an interesting Media Ownership Chart.
Congratulations on your success!! I understand completely that that’s what’s involved. I belong to EPIC, and discovered that some of EPIC’s romance authors were earning that much money in royalties from multiple small press romance eBooks. Writers who work just as hard in other areas of publishing don’t often earn enough money to quit their day jobs, with some dropped by their publisher if their first book doesn’t sell enough copies, so I found the information about authors in your situation rather enlightening. Congrats, once again!!
What do you mean by "supply chain risk"? The author was paid an advance of $50,000. She keeps that regardless of how well the book does. If it had flopped the publisher would have eaten a large loss and the author would still have the $50,000. Publishers keep reserves against returns to play it safe... and some of that reserve will probably reach the author eventually when further sales figures are confirmed (ie. less books will be returned than they're guarding against). And if the book earns out the author will receive royalties (and might already be receiving royalties on earlier books).
Is that what you're asking about? Or something different?
Anonymous said, on 11/21/2009 1:27:00 PM
Some firmer numbers;
Viehl states she earned a $50,000 advance and had $24,500 net off it. So that's what, 20% for Writers House, LLC? $10,000. Leaving $40,000 gross, so 15,500 in taxes and expenses. At 32% income taxes, including self-employment tax, that would be about $12,800 and allow for $2,700 in expenses, probably promotional expenses, travel and lodging for events and so forth. Not unrealistic.
However, I don't find her claim that Penguin grossed $453,839.68 realistic, nor her supposition that they netted $250,000. In order for 61,663 copies to earn that much, the average sale revenue per copy would have to be $7.36. Condsidering the cover price is $7.99, that means the distributed wholesale discount is only 8%. Not realistic.
Most of a publisher's mass market paperback sales are at 60% of cover price, allowing 5% for disributor rake, and 35% for retailer markup. The realistic numbers are $5.45 average revenue per MMPB copy, for a publisher revenue on 61,663 copies of $281,563. (10% MMPB direct retail sales at 100% cover price, 20% wholesale sales at 80% cover price, 70% wholesale sales at 60% cover price.)
One other point of interest, most returned paperback books are not physically returned. They're remaindered, meaning the cover is stripped off and returned for credit and the book block is sent off to be pulped. And of late, more and more booksellers are merely filing an affidavit for returns rather than stripping off covers and mailing them back for credit, ripe for abuse. One stat I encountered suggests that remainder fraud runs between 20 and 40%.
Anyway, that means that returns are not available for restocking. At 40% average remainder on MMPBs, and Viehl's royalty statement bears that out, that's a cost of publishing that no one legitametaly makes revenue from. I project there were 100,000 books printed. A paperback costs about a buck to make and another 35¢ for handling, so that's roughly $135,000 in production costs, add in Viehl's $50,000 advance, $185,000 out of $281,563 revenue. $100,000 gross for the publisher for distributed operating costs, like payroll, utilities, Internet, postal expenses, etc., rent, if they don't own, but Penguin largely does own it's work space. Then there's distributed overhead costs, interest on mortages, capital expenses like computers, office furniture, carpet, vehicles and so on. I don't think there was a whole lot of net profit on the novel.
Anonymous said, on 11/21/2009 2:10:00 PM
Whoops, I slipped a digit. I calculated on 51,663 copies, actual61,663 copies times $5.45 equals $336,063. Minus $185,000, maybe Penguin did realize a little net profit.
The self-publishing debate always drives me insane.
In the music world, if someone believes she has talent, she will form a band, record a CD, play local clubs for pennies, post the music online, and hope to hit it big.
In the art world, if someone believes he has talent, he will buy some supplies, paint some pictures, open a gallery, post his work online, and hope to hit it big.
Why should writers be denied the same opportunity? If the work is crap, oh well, it would have never been published anyway. But if it's good, now writers can establish themselves without assistance from traditional gatekeepers.
The publishing industry reminds me of a grumpy old man yelling at the neighbor kids.
Nothing happening is good or bad, it's just different. Those who embrace the new reality will thrive. Those who don't will fade away.
The Penguin Group is doing fine, though, making money on its books. I did some research tonight to add to the interesting conversational thread going on about Penguin here in the comments section. Interesting article written in March 17, 2009: Penguin Posts Record Profit in Down Economy. According to the article, "Nearly every segment of Penguin Publishing showed improvement in 2008 helping the company achieve a growth of 26% over 2007 and a profit margin of 10.3%. Sales were up 3% not withstanding the increased value of the dollar." In addition, Penguin is owned by Pearson PLC. Pearson PLC operates through three primary groups: FT Group, Pearson Education, and the Penguin Group. According to the Pearson PLC Profile, Pearson PLC’s overall sales for 2008 amounted to $6,963,000,000.00 with a net income of $467,500,000.00. And here’s information on the earnings of their top executives.
In today's Sunday paper there is an article about how many more people are reading now, but they borrow from the library instead of buying their books. In this economy they can't afford such high prices so many towns are building huge new libraries while book stores are closing,
Does this not pose a difficult situation in a few years=for everybody?
Marilyn, your research is amazing, and fascinating! So, that raises the question of just how much publishing really is struggling?
Maybe it's not. Maybe it's just cost-cutting.
Cost cutting that the author, in part, absorbs. And yes, Anon 12:12, I agree with you. I think that writers have bought into the idea that they are incredibly lucky to be published. They should be grateful and accept anything they are offered.
I noticed, though, that Nathan is out of town, so I just erased the rest of my post. :)
I'm reluctant to get too controversial on his blog, while he's off in another State.
That NY Times article brings out my delimma exactly regarding the purchase of an e-reader (kindle or nook) or just getting the iPhone with all the added extra applications.
One of my supervisors at work has the iPhone and allowed me to sample the "notes" kindle features. The trouble with the iPhone is simply the size of the screen.
I can't imagine reading an entire novel on a space no bigger than this comment window. It would work short term - as in standing in a long, long supermarket line - but would cause headaches and eyes strain, I'm sure over a long period of time.
And when I sit down with a book, I intend to spend serveral hours if not several days with it. And who needs the distraction of the internet while reading. I get mad enough during the last few chapters of a good book if my family interrupts for for silly things like dinner and rides to their friends. Getting an IM or blog update would frustrate me.
Thanks for the links Nathan. I really enjoyed that the general public outcry was able to change the mind of a conglomerate like Harlequin. Nice to know purchasing power has its influence still.
I don't know... what does it mean that one publisher out of many is doing well? I mean, if there's any publisher with a "brand" in the public consciousness it's Penguin. Because they've made wise investments doesn't mean everyone else has. And if Penguin is doing well, that means Penguin's authors are doing well, too. That's the whole point of royalties - the author shares in the success of their book. If the book exceeds expectations they'll make money on top of their advance. And those advances are a protection for the writer - they don't share in the same risk as the publisher if the book fails to garner an audience (except in the long-term career sense).
Now, if publishers were raking in big money and authors never saw any of it... then I might see a case for exploitation.
Anonymous said, on 11/22/2009 5:23:00 PM
Thanks, Marilyn P.
I'm anon @ 12:27
It ain't easy :) But it's a lot of fun.
Anonymous said, on 11/22/2009 5:29:00 PM
"Does this not pose a difficult situation in a few years=for everybody?"
The newpapers (and the mainstream media in general) aren't taking everything into consideration and they aren't giving out all the info. Many people buying five - ten e-books a week from e-publishers at one time. And it continues to increase instead of decrease.
I have to say I agree with your basic argument. Afterall, it is rare for a music group or artist to be recognized nationally if they are not producing work locally and making a name for themselves. Creating groupies - followers.
It would seem to reason that aspiring author who have a large following on their personal blogs would also attract the attention of an Agent once the work comes across their desk (in the form of a query).
It seems to me this is the only artistic/entertainment business where self promotion is a detriment, not an asset. Over at Pub Rants last Monday, Kirsten posted that she sent a rejection letter to an author who not only had talent, but was previously published and had a very good manuscript (http://pubrants.blogspot.com/2009/11/really-good-might-not-be-enough.html).
I think this sort of rejection happens a lot. My question is: what are the chances of this talented author remaining unpublished because she/he recieved enough of that type rejection that the Author gives up and remains in a less fulfilling profession? Does the Author self publish and thereby ruin the chances of ever attracting the notice of a Big House?
I attended a workshop with an agent who said an author with a poor track record is harder to sell than an unknown author. Does that mean if you sold 150 copies of your self published novel an Agent is still unwilling to represent you with another project because you flaunted tradition and self published?
Many inde presses were started by people with the drive to search out markets for their impatient authors.
Not that I'm saying "all" self published authors are decent writers; but I'm guessing a good part of them may be at least mid-list if given the chance.
And then there's that self published guy recently in the news (Scott something, or something Scott, I forget his name) who is now a national best seller.
Your comment Steve just brought up a lot of my own questions on why it is so wrong for an author to put their wares - so to speak - out in the local markets for public opinion. Like local bands, artists and theater actors do.
- The contest is open until today at 4pm Pacific, at which time I will close it to entries faster than you can say "thank goodness no more please thank you mercy." - Tomorrow I will announce the paragraphs I have chosen as the Stupendously Ultimate Finalists, most likely in the form of a character in a television show, so as to keep with tradition. Prepare yourself. - Voting will commence in that thread and will be open until Sunday at 6pm Pacific. - The winner will be announced on Monday, and I'll also discuss my thoughts/reasons/observations/errata/postulations for all things first paragraph.
Before we get to the abbreviated week in publishing, a little plea:
I have now conducted enough blog contests to know the life cycle of every contest. At the beginning of the contest: everyone is excited excited excited! Then the finalists are announced, and a vocal minority goes from: excited excited excited! to mad mad mad! Throwing things! Shattered glass! Riots in the streets! I don't like any of the finalists Nathan is an idiot ZOMG he didn't choose the Charles Dickens paragraph I slipped in there to test him I think I'll go eat mud!
So here's my plea: please remember when the finalists are announced that this is just a contest on a blog, it's not a referendum on your skills as a writer, it's not the difference between getting published and not getting published, and with 2,300+ entrants, choosing only a couple out of such a huge number is a laughably difficult task. Let's not overestimate the importance of a paragraph in the grand scheme of things. Just because previous finalists have a good track record (he brags) doesn't mean that you also won't go on to be wildly successful. Remain confident in your abilities! If you're confident in your own work there's no need to hate on the finalists. Yes? Okay then.
I trust everyone to conduct themselves with professional decorum. But I'll be closing anonymous comments when the finalists are announced all the same.
This week in publishing!
Former Collins president Steve Ross penned the rarest of rare species: an article about how book publishers aren't actually idiots/Luddites (via Pub Rants). He points out that publishers have every reason to want e-books to succeed, even if too-cheap e-books presents quite a daunting challenge for business models.
Everyone in the world pointed me to this New Yorker Shouts & Murmurs piece about a publisher's fictional marketing plan. If so many people loved it it must be funny!
Galley Cat is breaking out its inner muckraker and is investigating an industry scourge: why isn't your agent returning your phone calls? Not this one, mind you. I call people back right quick.
Christian publisher Thomas Nelson made big waves this week as they announced a self-publishing program that has many people wondering if it's the future or simply a head-scratcher. The program is appropriating the name Westbow Press, which up until recently was an actual Thomas Nelson imprint. Thomas Nelson CEO/blogger Michael Hyatt writes that they see growth potential in self-publishing and will be looking for new voices. Rachelle Gardner, Maya Reynolds, Mike Shatzkin, and Victoria Strauss/Writer Beware all have must-read takes on the new venture and the many questions that have so far been left unanswered. Their responses range from cautious excitement to skepticism.
In e-book news, Gizmodo got their hands on some possible images of the Barnes & Noble e-reader, which combines e-ink with an iPhone like display for navigation. Well played, B&N. I wants one.
In other e-book news, JA Konrath peels back the mystery of publishing yet again with another blog post about his royalty statements. Turns out he's earning more from cheaply priced Kindle books that he self-published than from the ones that are published by Hyperion and have a higher price. THE FUTURE???????????
National Book Award nominees were announced! Congrats to publishing powerhouse Wayne State University Press for scoring a nominee. Take that, NYC!
John Ochwat passed on this really cool article in the NY Times about a woman who read a book a day for a year. That's pretty intense.
I thought I already posted this, but maybe I hit the wrong button, anyway forgive if this is a repeat.
Nathan, are any other agents reading these paragraphs, ya think?
By the number of times I have logged in to read your blog in the past few days, you wouldn't know I have a life, So. It is a pretense there is no Angst. I read your picks from the last contest and felt further humbled, so maybe Angst is too positive a word. But thank you for the fun. When it is all over, when the glasses have all been thrown, I will go back to my life. And I can see there is much to be done if I am to change that life to include being published.
Dances with Werewolves said, on 10/15/2009 3:23:00 PM
I'm on to you, Nathan. You think you can blog and still keep your secret a secret, but you can't. The long hours, the incredibly fast response times (you rejected me in 2 hours), the ability to read almost 3000 first paragraphs....
You're a freaking vampire. The question is--do you sparkle?
I think vampires are representations of "Mr. Right" and that is why woman love them so much. Immortal, powerful, and perfectly beautiful, with a dash of dangerously deadly. They are the paranormal bad boy we can't take home to meet the parents but sure don't mind having naughty fling with during those crazy college years.
Mercy me (or rather YOU)! Your fans have already surpassed my 2x estimate (2428) - and the last-minute avalanche hasn't even kicked in (yet)!
Oh my. Good Luck!
Anonymous said, on 10/15/2009 4:19:00 PM
Esquire has missed the point -- women love vampires because they would like to believe that if they actually found a man who surpassed the minimum standards of acceptablity (put's toilet seat down) he would live forever. lol.
I'm surprised to read that some people have thrown fits in the previous years. I see many people saying, here and elsewhere, that they feel a little daunted by the really good entries and feel their own paragraph needs a lot of work. That's definitely what I'm thinking right now. So maybe we're just the humble ones?
I'm really curious to see which ones you pick and what your criteria is. This has been such a learning experience already. Good luck!
steve said, on 10/15/2009 4:57:00 PM
OK, so you scared me on the opening paragraph length. I went from 241 to 60 words. Extra credit is expected.
Great links. Steve Ross' article on the trials and tribulations of publishers made me understand better what they're up against.
Also, loved the Bookslut's commentary. Hmm. I once had a crush on a handsome, brilliant, gay guy. But neither he nor I were vampires. Maybe that's why it didn't work out... Or maybe he just wasn't that into me.
Good luck choosing the finalists. I know I'll have a hard time voting.
LMAO on the vampire bit. Um...I've seen some pretty hot gay men in my time but none bed-lust worthy! haha.
But I believe there is a desire for a chase to get an ungettable get. Not sure it's just women though. I just think people want what a) they can't have OR b) is dangerous for them.
Thanks again for doing the contest. You have never-ending energy to be doing everything you're doing. Whatever you're on...tell me. I want some...even if I have to get an Rx for it! :D
Now...back to nodding and drooling on my computer!
Just wanted to add my thanks for offering this contest, Nathan. I can hardly wait to read the books behind these amazing first paragraphs. What an incredible learning experience this has been!
mkcbunny said, on 10/15/2009 6:13:00 PM
Nathan, I don't know how you find time to do everything you do. Just when it looked like you'd maxed out your time (agent! blogger! author!), you posted another contest. You're insane—in a good way.
Anybody who can do this contest and muster the time and energy to do anything else (maybe shower or sleep) must be some kind of reading Hercules. I can't imagine doing this and working a job too let alone fielding all the querys, dealing with the egos and irate people etc. . You have truly shown me that literary agents EARN THEIR MONEY!
I clicked on the link to the previous contest and was really impressed with the finalists. This whole thing has made me think more than I ever have of the importance of every little word in each paragraph. I'm excited to read and learn from the finalists tomorrow.
Anonymous said, on 10/15/2009 9:37:00 PM
Just read the NYT bestseller's opeing paragraphs. chapter Ones free online. that's how you really learn.
I'm thinking the Thomas Nelson self-publishing move might be the future, for Christian publishing. Seems everyone I meet who is in the business of church has a book to hock.
Come to think of it, I guess the original bible was self published, no?
I had a fleeting moment of regret for not entering the comp (my first paragraph is actually ready to go - my book is in its FINAL editing pass OMG). But, I think it's going to be much more fun sitting back and watching how it all pans out!
Wow! "This Week in Publishing" provided a panoramic view of the publishing industry’s painful transition.
Steve Ross proves himself a nobleman among commoners in his article in which he argues that the publishing industry should be uplifted rather than trampled.
About WestBow, I agree with Rachelle Gardner that Thomas Nelson should select another name for its self-publishing imprint. I’d be interested in seeing Nelson’s answers to the questions Mike Shatzkin posed. And JA Konrath made a compelling argument for self-publishing with e-books.
Lots and lots to think about.
I wonder if next year, if Ms. Sankovitch would be interested in reading an unpublished book every day to review on her blog?
Anonymous said, on 10/16/2009 2:33:00 AM
Agree with anon 10:46; it's not the fact that they're "gay" that's appealing, but rather that they're effeminate.
Basically, effeminate men = cultured men = men who are most probably filthy rich. Trufax. Being posh is not a manly characteristic. It's been proven in linguistic studies, for example, that speaking with a cultivated accent is by far a feminine trait.
In other words, it's not their "gayness" that's attractive, but their effeminacy (and all the implications that come with it: education, wealth, prestige.) Gay = likes sleeping with other men. Effeminate = possesses feminine qualities. Contrary to popular belief, the two don't necessarily have to overlap.
Anon: 12:43, Nice theory,and may be true, in some cases, but the gay guy I had a crush on was quite masculine, not effeminate. So, the reasons may vary.
I agree that gay and effeminate don't have to overlap.
By: Nathan Bransford,
on 10/29/2010
I'd like to see the Giants take the series, and they've made a great start. Too bad you're away from all the baseball action, Nathan. Duty calls, I guess.
Thanks for the links.
Not sure if you know this, but ova here in Jerzee, we're not getting the World Series because our cable company is fighting with IDK!!!!
In fact, we didn't even get the NLCS. Is this for real-I can't believe it. I was really looking forward to it. When was the last time the Giants won the pennant! The Giants won the pennant! The Giants won the pennant! :) I'm a huge sports fan and this has been very disappointing. We've missed football games too! On the other hand, I've written more...
I'm pulling for the Giants, but I'm also happy to see another forgotten team, the Rangers, in the Series as well.
Go Crazy Cat Lady--I mentioned that I agreed with her!!
I'm at our local B&N, and they now have Nooks laid out on parallel white tables at the front of the store so you can play with them. It's sort of Apple Store-ish. I'm liking it.
Wilson is funny, but Rome is unwatchable. Unless Jim Everett is throwing him on the floor.
Is it possible to have too much awesome on your feet? I think not.
You are soooo lucky to have Bochy and Flannery there to coach the Giants. San Diego still misses them.
GO GIANTS!!!
From Canada, I've never been a huge baseball fan. But then, I never knew certified ninjas played baseball. I think I may have to reevaluate this...
By the way, your NaNoWriMo Boot Camp was great. Thanks!
As a Baltimore fan (with little hope of making it back to the playoffs, much less the World Series in my life-time), I cheered when the Rangers knocked the Yankees out of contention. So special place in my heart for the Rangers.
But I'm a big fan of Aubrey Huff (from his days in the AL East) and am slightly fascinated by Lincecum who I secretly imagine to be the grown-up version of Mitch from Dazed and Confused.
I'd actually be happy with either team winning.
Thanks for the update on queries. I'd just double-checked the 'reply to' address on mine.
I guess that's what happens when you get a reputation for super-fast replies.
Giants in 5.
that interview was hilarious. and omg HIS SOCKS I WANT HIS SOCKS.
wow. maybe baseball isn't so bad after all.
NO! B&N has gone to the darkside of backlighting their screens on nook.
Noooooooooooooo!
I wanted a nook, and was going to try and get one for Christmas, but now...
:-(
I can't read backlit screens without serious visual issues.
(Gotta cheer for the local boys - GO RANGERS!)
josin-
I don't believe they're discontinuing the e-ink Nooks, they're just adding the Nook Color.
Go Giants!
And in publishing terms, I will buy a great many books that recap this bizarre little season for my beloved team. I may even write one myself.
Ahahahahaha. If you've seen any short blond men going WOOOOOO and collapsing on your lawn/stoop, it was probably my boss.
Go Rangers! LA loves you!
Brian Wilson reminds me of zach galifianakis -- his comment after they won the NLCS was spot on ZG.
Oh, but I was too busy cheering the 9 point first quarter by that trio down in South Beach... First time I've rooted for Boston in years.
Were they giving writing classes at the White House? Cause that Franzen guy could stand to attend a few.
Wow, it would have been great to be a fly on the wall in that meeting between Obama and Franzen. Bet the discussion was fascinating!
I like Natalie’s idea of NaNoReaMo. I already jumped ship, swimming away from NaNoWriMo as quickly as I could late last night, for the island of my science fiction novel . All my excitement over NaNoWriMo and outlining a new novel for it helped tremendously, though. It motivated me to visualize a better plot and some exciting new ideas, and to begin creating a solid outline for revisions to my science fiction novel. In lieu of NaNoWriMo, I’m going to try to buckle down and work very hard on the science fiction novel, in addition to getting ready for the holidays, celebrating Thanksgiving, and reading as many books as possible. Good luck to everyone who participates in NaNoWriMo!
ENOUGH about Franzen. I tried to read his first book a couple of years ago, and it bored me to tears. He's nothing special. Talk about Nick Hornby writing the lyrics for Ben Folds! THAT is news! :)
Libraries have been trying to negotiate lending rights for e-books for quite a while, with some attempts being more successful than others. Right now, most of our e-books have to be accessed through a computer and can't be downloaded. I'm hoping these features on Kindles and Nooks will help us come up with a new way to provide access to books!
I like that lending feature, but I have a feeling prices may start to rise because of it. Too soon to tell, though.
YouTube seems to have pulled the plug on your Brian Wilson video, citing an ESPN copyright issue. Darn it. I wanted to see it.
I was actually in San Francisco when the Giants won...whatever the Giants won. (It's not that I'm not a Giants fan as such, but I don't really follow sports of any kind at all. Except for the Oregon Ducks, which my mom keeps me updated on religiously.) Our hotel was right on Columbus Street, and when I finally fell asleep at 1:00 am, there were still cars honking, people shouting, and general pandemonium right outside our window. It was awesome. Go Giants!
Nathan - Had to laugh when I saw this post. Apparently I was hanging out not far from you (about 3 blocks from the stadium) on Thursday while my husband interviewed. All I could think when we got off BART was, "Man, this Superman shirt was definitely the wrong wardrobe choice."
Hope we'll be moving into your neighborhood soon! :)
Liberal hippies in San Francisco? Who'd ever have guessed?
Bravo to Crazy Cat Lady! 'Don't delete' is my slogan too. I never throw anything away. You should see my house!
Thanks for posting that you are still behind in reading queries. I won't panic yet.
Although I care nothing about baseball, I can certainly feel the excitement going on around you. I worked downtown Salt Lake during the 2002 Olympics. Being totally not a winter sports fan, it was really strange being surrounded by the Olympic fans. What an exciting time that was.
Thanks for your blog. I read it constantly and always look forward to the next one.
A question from an occasional visitor and an ignorant foreigner: what is the World Series? Sports stuff?
Aha, Charlie Chan form rejection. Love it.
I Am The Very Model of A Wrimo Individual.
OtherLisa,
That is beyond awesome!! I will share that with other Wrimo individuals. :)
Great tips and links.
I'm glad for the Giants, but I'm sad the Reds didn't make it this year. They were so close! Next time.
No time, school demands, but really wonderful links, Nathan, I did get a chance to look at them - and a really wonderful page critique this week. I was very impressed.
Hope your week in N.Y. is not just work, but fun too. Should be lovely in the fall.
And I'm very proud of our oddball baseball team! Yay, Giants! :)
I hope you mention the Giants again today. Since now it is practically over. I have friends dying their beards black left and right all over facebook. Certified Ninja wannabees.
Hey babe, Giants season tickets! Yes! I've lived in the Bay Area for 20 years and I have never loved a team like I love this one - freaks, geeks, rejects and rookies - my kinda team!
Last night (Sunday) was brilliant! More pitchers should work with horses.