Speaking of Obscene

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Every now and then, we feel an overwhelming urge to state the obvious. We beg your indulgence for a moment because now is one of those times. It is 2005. If the publishing industry wants to remain viable (and there have always been questions on that point), it needs to think like a real business. This might mean addressing the issue of advances. It means addressing the issue of print runs. And it means addressing returns. Most of these things should be done sooner rather than later. By sooner we mean the year 1999. Returns are the dark side of […]

Publishers and Editors

More Fun With Graphical Standards

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We are not suggesting that the new RWA graphical standards have stirred up a bit of discussion on the Internets, but, well, they’ve stirred up a bit of discussion. All over the place. Sure, we could pick and choose our favorites, but why spoil the surprise. Here’s a sampling of what’s being said by taller, smarter people. We do not want to influence our readers in any manner, but we might suggest that certain sites should not be read with coffee in mouth. It saves the keyboard. In related news, why are they called “graphical standards” when they also apply

Square Pegs

How Stupid Can Stupid Be?

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We don’t have much faith in the current Romance Writers of America Board of Directors (their lack of communication with members is unparalleled), and they’ve just given us another reason to doubt their skills as leaders*. Recently, they put their heads together and developed, uh, graphical standards for the organization. Now, our first thought when seeing those words was “huh?” We are now thinking, “Are they insane or just clueless?” The RWA board has, in its infinite wisdom, decided that the national organization and its chapters must adhere to a new, bizarre set of rules regarding linking to objectional sites.

Square Pegs

Just Another Nice Girl From Oklahoma

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Sure, we could be rushing out the door right (one must always rush toward the inevitability of sitting on the freeway), but instead we allowed the distraction of this interview with Sarah Vowell to derail our plans. As we read it, we thought, “This is the sort of pleasure we’d miss if we were in New York*.” We would return to an over-overflowing inbox and would be in frantic skim-and-delete mode. It’s much better this way. For those who have been sleeping through the media blitz, Vowell’s new book Assassination Vacation ties together the first three American Presidential Assassinations, omitting

Books/Mags/Blogs

Enough With The BEA Already

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It’s like all our friends have gone to a party and we’re stuck at home. Except for the part where we chose to be stuck at home. And we’re terminally shy, so would still be a wallflower. However, TEV checks in and shares the critical news from BEA as he attends a panel on blogs and publishing. Not necessarily in that order. Mad Max owns a bitchen Gandalf costume. And: Michael Cader gets it. He has since day one. He’s a man who has perceived and grasped the potential of blogs from their earliest moments, and he’s full of sensible

Square Pegs

More BEA Snark For Those Of Us Staying Home This Season

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We do not often fall prey to hyperbole, but do sometimes indulge our curiosity. Call it our little way of confirming everything we believe to be true. Like when Publisher’s Weekly claimed their BEA blog was the wittiest, most knowing, etc. coverage of the convention. Right, we thought. Sure. Been there, read that. But what do you know? They’ve actually managed to start off interesting. A Mystery Blogger (should be easy to identify — how many bloggers would notice pink metallic shoes?) and John Searles share blogging duties, and Searles starts his long weekend o’fun in disguise: The nice lady

Square Pegs

Pre-Book Expo Fisticuffs And Other Nonsense

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Setting aside, for the moment, the fact that Publisher’s Weekly is referring to today as “BEA Eve”, we are finding the coverage of the event fascinating. Yes, dear readers, that means grown-ups are behaving in manners unbecoming of publishing industry professionals*. It almost makes us wish we were in New York. Almost being the operative word — why fight the crowds and such when others can do it faster and better? It seems tempers were flaring at the first of the pre-show panels, and it’s all the fault of those darn young ‘uns who don’t read. What is a poor

Publishers and Editors

Los Angeles: Still The Destination

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Just a quick update: ReganBooks is still moving to Los Angeles. It is still cheaper to live and work here than in Manhattan. We have art and culture. We have flowers and great weather and cute shoes. Year round. We’re all good. The LA Weekly offers up its profile of Judith Regan, complete with requisite snark. Not that we’re opposed to snark — we just take issue with sexist snark. You never see them describing the color of a man’s bracelets, do you? Though the interview doesn’t reveal much that is new, unless you count Regan’s assertion that it’s called

Publishers and Editors

How He Learned To Stop Worrying And Think About The Future

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John Scalzi (Old Man’s War) has some thoughts about book piracy. Yes, it’s a real threat (as we’ve seen this week). Yes, new technologies are going to make piracy easier than ever before. Yes, he needs to take it into consideration. But he’s also a new author trying to sell his first novel to the public. This, as we all know, is harder than it should be. He starts by wondering what’s so bad about the Amazon sneak peek program. Let’s face it — readers can stand in front of the shelves in a bookstore and skim your entire novel

Books/Mags/Blogs
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