Author name: Booksquare

Dissecting the publishing industry with love and skepticism.

Against All Odds

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This morning, a very cheery MJ Rose tells us that, give or take, there are approximately 500 new titles being published each week. Let us make that more clear: 500 new books hit the shelves every week. No wonder we go to dinner parties and have no books in common with the person sitting next to us. What are the odds we’d ever find the same two titles? We agree with MJ that the problem isn’t too many authors — it’s a combination of things. First, of course, is telling the world you have a book. Or rather, telling the […]

Books/Mags/Blogs

Harlequin Launches New Line, Authors Everywhere Polish Synopses

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We had a friend recently describe Harlequin’s recent efforts as something akin to lurching around in the dark. That !@#$ light switch must be somewhere! While avoiding every bit of our helpful advice, the publisher continues to tinker with ideas and concepts, looking for something that resonates with today’s readers. We would suggest a bit less focus on “lines” and a bit more focus on stories, but that’s probably why we’re not a multinational corporation. The new Epic Romance line is targeted toward readers (and writers) of, well, the love story aspect of J.D. Robb’s “In Death” series. None of

Publishers and Editors

Universal Truth Number Seven: Romantic Heroines Must Be Insipid. Also Klutzy. In a Cute Way.

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A confession. We have a soft spot in our little black heart for romantic comedies. However, and this is important, even we were not sucker enough to see Miss Congeniality 2. Why? Because it was a foregone conclusion that the character played by Sandra Bullock would be like many of the other characters played by Sandra Bullock, who has the misfortune of typifying the modern romantic heroine. As Carina Chocano describes this monster: Quirky but impeccably soignée, Charlie (the boy’s name implies you can trust her) works a series of sporadic, menial jobs but is not poor. In fact, she

Tools and Craft

We, Too, Are Committed To The Word

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Please pardon us while we work through our confusion. It centers on the definition of the word “word”. While we are too lazy to pull out the OED, we are not too lazy to consult with the fine folks at dictionary.com. They, oddly, have the same definition we have for the word: A sound or a combination of sounds, or its representation in writing or printing, that symbolizes and communicates a meaning and may consist of a single morpheme or of a combination of morphemes. We bring this up because the recent article in the New York Times quotes Frank

Square Pegs

Try To Wear That On My Sleeve; It’s All Wrong

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Hey, sometimes the song fits the mood. Also the song really does have a killer guitar riff. But that’s beside the point. The Happy Booker tagged us earlier today to let us know that she’s posted a fun article about love and critiquing. Not necessarily in that order. We’re not saying anything (much), but Kate and Jim Lehrer aren’t the only couple to have the following exchange. Whether being like the Booksquare household is comforting or terrifying is up to them. Say, I read a chapter or first draft of Jim’s new book. All amiability, I begin by telling him

Tools and Craft

Blogs & RSS & Flickr, Oh My

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There’s a pretty good chance that the person reading this post doesn’t realize they’re reading a blog. A blog is, after all, just a website. We’re hoping the person who chanced upon this item was looking for information about how they can make updating their website easier. Or how they can reach more people. Or how they can promote their work more effectively without knowing jack-diddley about technology. Below, more links to articles designed to open your mind to possibilities. If you’re thinking you’re not the right person, the quote below offers a hint of the subject matter. It’s your

Square Pegs

Inside The Editor’s Mind, Or Why Good Sentences Make Good Neighbors

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Reagan Arthur, the editor of Case Histories, is guesting over the Litblog Co-op today. She talks about the book from the perspective of the editor, but more so from the perspective of being a fan of the author. It is heartening to read such enthusiasm for an author’s work, especially considering how many words an editor must encounter on a day-to-day basis. As a reader and as an editor, I’m always happy to encounter a gorgeous sentence but I’m happier still to find a novel filled with them when they’re all in the service of that tricky taskmaster: Plot. A

Books/Mags/Blogs

Solving Publishing Industry Challenges, One Step at A Time

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As always, the nuances of the publishing industry escape us. Maybe it’s because the things we think should be easy…aren’t. For example, accurate data about books. While we would expect various interested parties to update their databases throughout the life of a book, it doesn’t seem to be so. Luckily, Bowker and Ingram have stroked their chins and puzzled over the problem and come up with a solution to “provide the most robust and accurate bibliographic content in the book industry.” As we understand it, Books in Print (Bowker) will talk to Book in Hand (Ingram) and somehow accurate data

Square Pegs

On, Well, Boogying With The Big Boys

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“The Washingtonienne” is proof positive that the book industry, when it sniffs the rich aroma of profit, can fling aside its 18th-century ways and boogie with the big boys. Ordinarily it is the dumbest business on the planet, taking nine months to a year — or more — to shepherd a manuscript through editing and production, a process that involves endless expense-account lunches at which absolutely nothing is accomplished, sales conferences (sometimes in exotic locales) at which editors’ immense egos are stroked and/or destroyed, and the demolition of whole forests to print news releases that nobody reads. Capitol Hill Siren’s

Quote of the Week

Jill, Meet Tod. He Can Teach You New Obsessive Behaviors

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Jill, we know you’re busy. This makes us sad because we’d rather be spending our days on IM, too. No, of course we’re not going to admit our separation is all our fault. We abandoned you in your moment(s) of need and you turned to a, say it isn’t so, real job to keep you company during those long daylight hours. We feel especially bad because we know you’re waiting for us to get back to you. And we’re getting right on it. It’s been a long, ugly day. If Mercury is not retrograde, it’s not for lack of trying.

Tools and Craft
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