Articles from October 2007

Best American Fantasy: A Look Behind The Scenes

October 30th, 2007 · 1 Comment

BS: One day back from vacation and already leaning on guest posters to make it through the week! We are privileged to know the uber-charming Matthew Cheney, proprietor and wiseacre behind The Mumpsimus, a favorite way to waste time — and Matt, generous man that he is, hooked us up with a copy of Best […]

File Under: Books/Mags/Blogs

Tip Jars and Serialization: Looking To Music for New Ideas

October 29th, 2007 · 3 Comments

Nothing like the first Monday after a lovely vacation to get the creative juices flowing. Hmm, that is so not true. The Monday after a lovely vacation is spent contemplating the possibility of the permanent vacation. Why, oh why, must we work to eat? Shouldn’t life be free? It’s all about the mailing list. Alas, […]

File Under: Non-Traditional Publishing

eBook Customers: Less Testosterone Than You Think

October 22nd, 2007 · 9 Comments

[BS: The BS team is taking a well-deserved rest cure, but that doesn’t stop the fun around here (nothing stops the fun around here). We asked Malle Valik of Harlequin to discuss her company’s recent decision to release their full frontlist in ebook format. More specifically, we asked her to address the question of “who […]

File Under: Non-Traditional Publishing

Barnes and Noble, Blackberries, and Human Nature

October 16th, 2007 · 4 Comments

There is nothing like October — the falling leaves, the shorter days, the endless aisles of Christmas ornaments. Around here, October says “Goodbye old year, hello new!” Or, people, it’s nearly time for me to stop staying, “People, it’s 2007.” Publishers and online retailers and content providers have this fascinating love affair with partnerships. Stay […]

File Under: Back To Basics

Looking At Spinebreakers

October 15th, 2007 · 1 Comment

Last week, I mentioned the new Spinebreakers website from Penguin UK. I noted that it was pretty much everything I wanted a publishing website to be. Or, if you’d prefer, it’s a publishing website that targets readers. The delightful message is less “buy buy buy” (or “sell sell sell”) than it is “stay stay stay”. […]

File Under: Publishers and Editors

Strikewatch 2007: Further Apart Now Than When They Began

October 8th, 2007 · 2 Comments

As you know, the potential for a writers’ strike in Hollywood has been occupying more than a fair share of my brain power these past few months. Since I’m just an interested but casual observer, I can well imagine the tensions it’s creating for the real players. Especially since it appears the two sides are […]

File Under: Square Pegs

Why Publishing Contests Can’t Compete With “Dancing With The Stars”

October 1st, 2007 · 4 Comments

As I read my morning edition of Publisher’s Lunch (for me, it’s really more of a breakfast thing), I noted this line from Michael Cader: “It’s interesting that as online contest fever for unpublished works continues to grow, press attention is diminishing.” He then goes on to detail the latest social networkesque publishing contest to […]

File Under: Square Pegs