Author name: Booksquare

Dissecting the publishing industry with love and skepticism.

And Then There’s the Hollywood Approach

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Martin Literary Management offers a twist on the Hollywood style: rather than pushing fiction (even the truest of true stories is fictionalized for your viewing pleasure), they focus exclusively on non-fiction. Non-fiction with a People magazine sensibility. Yes, non-fiction that appeals to a wide range of readers and tastes. Sharlene Martin likes works that can be marketed to studios, and she likes authors who are willing to invest in their careers. To learn more, as always, check out the MediaBistro interview. The details: Martin Literary Management, 17328 Ventura Boulevard, Suite 138, Encino, California 91316. Pitching an Agent: Martin Literary Management […]

Agents

It All Depends On Your Definition of Obscure

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Milwaukie-based Dark Horse is now enjoying another growth spurt thanks to the popularity of a once-obscure Japanese comic style called “manga.” We’re presuming the author of this fine article means that manga was once obscure in the United States, as it wasn’t particularly obscure in Japan. But that’s not our concern at the moment. As it turns out, retailers are devoting increasing floor space to manga (as they are anime — much to our delight). Apparently, humans are visual creatures and like pictures. Yeah, that’s why we subscribe to so many magazines. It’s not like we’re reading the articles or

Books/Mags/Blogs

Will The Last Person To Be Surprised Please Return The Books?

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Genre fiction is popular with library patrons. Yes, yes, we know. Blurting out shocking news is rude. We should have prepared you. To be honest, we tried to ease our way into this post, but found the best approach was fast and blunt. It’s how we’d want to hear this. So, as it shakes out this week (which apparently closely resembles other weeks, except more people are on vacation), mysteries are hot. Romances are almost as hot. Mysteries with romantic sub-plots or romances with mystery plots (yes, we typed correctly…no matter how much you try, “romance” isn’t really a plotline)

Books/Mags/Blogs

On Marketing Run Amok, also On Cooking Tips

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Houghton has put more than a little marketing steam behind its “Polar Express” line. It’s brought schools across the country on board, encouraging teachers to take the Polar Express into the classroom with not only the classic book but “Polar Express” teaching units, math problems, train-track reading logs, puzzles, crafts and party recipes. Success `Express’: Houghton Mifflin’s ship, er, train has come in

Quote of the Week

On Altruistic Heroes

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Halfway through Michael Crichton’s new thriller, “State of Fear,” the hero, John Kenner, finds himself trapped with a comely blonde, dodging bolts of artificial lightning. Fortunately, Kenner, an agent for the government’s National Security Intelligence Agency, has the presence of mind to advise the blonde to strip down to her underwear, and, as a result, the two survive long enough to save the world from a diabolical plot. Getting Warmer

Quote of the Week

Back To The Real World

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We stretched our vacation as long as possible (you know it’s a conspiracy to avoid reality when even the cats get in the act), and now we’re (theorectically) revived and ready to get back to whatever it is we do to fill our days. Probably that means acquiring food while revisiting the New Year’s goal of quitting eating. Life is always full of contradictions. We cannot thank Jill enough for taking over while we were gone — especially after all the hard work she’s done here this month. We returned to find the flowers blooming, the mail neatly sorted, and

Wrapped Up In Books

Taking Flight

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As you read this, we are high over the Pacific Ocean, worrying about the physics of flying. We’re still not entirely sure the math works, and are quite convinced that some day planes will figure this out. We’ll be gone for a week, unless we’re seduced by the weather, in which case we’ll be sending out pleas to pack up the house and put the cats on a comfortable cruise ship headed west (if felines were meant to fly, they would have mastered the technique on their own). Jill has graciously offered to pop in as her schedule allows. She

Square Pegs

In Which We Have The Talk You Were Supposed To Have With Your Parents (or Your Creative Writing Teacher)

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Yes, it’s that talk. The one that makes you squirm and look for an exit. The one where you defiantly announce that you don’t need our help — you’re doing just fine on your own. The one where you say, “That’s not my style. Besides, if Tom Wolfe failed at it, what hope is there for me?” Writers are, by nature, observers. Sex is, by nature, participatory. As evidenced by his rather bizarre language, Wolfe approached his sex scenes from the former perspective. That never works. There are few human experiences that cover the breadth of emotions that sex does:

Tools and Craft

Looking At Investment in Your Career From Another Angle

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Just moments ago (in Internet time), we posted a link to a series of lovely letters from authors to the publishing industry (particularly their editors). MJ Rose suggested we visit Mad Max Perkins to continue the discussion. As we don’t know Max personally (but have it on the best authority that he’s a stand-up guy), we opted instead to visit his blog*. Mad Max (we’re not sure if he prefers to be known as Mad or goes with the first name-middle name affectation. We’ll err on the side of too much.) has entertained what would formerly be called a modest

Square Pegs, Tools and Craft

Though Not Seemingly Possible, Some Authors May Not Feel Jolly About the Publishing Industry

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Over at M.J. Rose’s Buzz, Balls & Hype, the letters to Santa continue. Or, in this case, letters to the Book Biz Santa. For the past three days, she’s posted a series of three letters to publishers from authors (common theme: without authors, there would be little to publish). We strongly recommend checking out all three days (this being a blog, you scroll up to get to the end…it’s like a fun game only with a mouse). Just a few favorites from Day One: 1. No more legs, asses or boobs on the covers of women’s fiction. Believe it or

Publishers and Editors
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