Author name: Booksquare

Dissecting the publishing industry with love and skepticism.

And From Yesterday’s News

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As it turned out, we barely had time to do more than look at the pictures in yesterday’s newspaper. Figures…the day we skip our avid cover-to-cover consumption of all things newsworthy, there’d actually be a story that makes us laugh. And cry. But mostly laugh. Thankfully, the husband caught this gem and, in his subtle way of communicating with us, left the folded newspaper on our desk. Such is our brilliance that we realized, this morning, that we were supposed to pick up the section and read it (exhaustion had us thinking he’d accidentally left the paper there for reasons […]

Square Pegs

On Addiction

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Though he had more books than he could finish, Rudy prowled estate sales and thrift shops, always looking for more. When a community four towns over closed its school, he bought out the whole library — two pickup loads of outdated textbooks and teen novels. As Elsie puts it: “He was forever buying something for a little bit of nothing.” Pop.: 1 Plus 5,000 Volumes (Note: It’s not cheating to link to the same article twice. It’s called repurposing content.)

Quote of the Week

Triumph of the Spirit

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Did we not say that the libraries will triumph? Hmm, probably not those exact words, but it was on our list. Today, we bring you the story of a library that defies the odds, and a man who loved books. Reading this story made us cry, especially because we identified with Rudy Eiler and the library he wanted. And it’s our kind of joint: “How to Get Filthy Rich, Even If You’re Flat Broke” recommends reading obituaries so you can assume a dead man’s identity to throw creditors off the hunt. “Adventures in Science with Doris and Billy” — circa

Books/Mags/Blogs

One of Those Days

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Before we begin, let us describe our day. Lots of cars, and we worried about bridges collapsing due to the weight of potholes. We arrived for our ten o’clock meeting at 9:59, only to discover racing down seven flights of stairs and into the building was wasted calories. Meeting cancelled. Oh, we didn’t tell you? Really, you should check your email while driving. Also, applying mascara at 70 MPH wouldn’t hurt. At one point, we walked by an open office door. Inside, there were three people. The topic of conversation, as only appropriate for a day like today, was the

Square Pegs

We Admit That We’re Easily Amused

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Or maybe it’s that there’s something in the Kool-Aid this week. Everyone’s writing about blogging, and not in the way you think. Suzanne McMinn has a great post at Romancing the Blog, and Dan Green of The Reading Experience parodies Suzanne’s nightmares. We’re also working up a little piece, though not nearly as entertaining as the two referenced below, about how to blog or not to blog shouldn’t be the major question authors ask when it comes to the Internet. How To Annoy Me (with your blog) Meeting Strangers

Books/Mags/Blogs

I Am Not Meeting Sales Expectations

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If there’s one thing we like, it’s public relations-speak. You know what we mean — that attempt to put positive spin on something, only to come off as if you’re trying too hard. Like, oh, pretending I Am Charlotte Simmons is doing much better than the numbers (apparently) indicate. We will admit this was one book we chose to avoid based solely on reviews. Also, the Bad Sex award didn’t help. It’s possible it’s a fine book and well-told story. And we are the last to suggest that not meeting previous sales levels indicates dire consequences. Though, again, it does

Books/Mags/Blogs

Filling Time Between Work Projects

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While we continue to wrap our pathetic little mind around the idea of televised literary awards, someone else has gone and put thought into the whole enterprise. We’re guessing coffee addict. Don’t get us wrong, if it weren’t for Awards Season, we’d live in a place of endless summer. Dull, dull, dull, and now we’re beyond intrigued by the idea of Thomas Pynchon laying down props to his favorite designer. Seriously, we hope as the Quill Awards move from grand idea to televised spectacle, the buzz will build until the audience share exceeds that of Lost. Is Quill award more

Square Pegs

This One Speaks For Itself

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Jill, apparently too lazy to login and post this herself (but, oddly, not too lazy to email us about fifty times this morning), sent us this link as a continuation of yesterday’s romance novel cover discussion. For what it’s worth, we might be tempted by the Lord of the Tube Socks… Longmire Does Romance Novels

Square Pegs

Someone Got Held Up in Traffic

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Let’s just say that when Warner Books rsvp’d for the party, everyone assumed they’d show up before the last bottle of champagne was opened. We’re going to call it close — the foil was off, that little wire cage thingy was loosened, and we think Red Dress and Downtown Press were fighting over the honors of releasing the cork. Then Warner sauntered into the room, announcing, “Hey, look everybody! 5 Spot.” After determining it wasn’t a plea for helping paying cab fare, the others learned that Warner is launching a (wait for it) chicklit imprint. Or, rather, trade paperback line

Publishers and Editors
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