Square Pegs

Or maybe it’s always been common. We don’t get out much. As authors move into alternative methods of publishing their work, they also need to look at alternative ways of selling their work (aka, the author as the shill). Handselling books comes naturally to some, as a teeth-gnashing necessity to others. We realize the outcome of most booksignings is, unless you’re on the National bestseller lists, a bit paltry. But this story about an author who purchased her own signing stock offers hope. Author buys her own signing stock Author buys her own signing stock (Original story)

A long time ago, in a galaxy far away, romance novels had covers (not) affectionately referred to as bodice rippers. Now, some of you may know that romances are targeted primarily toward women — and we certainly don’t share the male fascination with the female bosom (we are, actually, a bit pragmatic about our body parts). Those lurid, awful covers were geared toward male buyers for book chains and distributors. Women were, to put it politely, ashamed to be seen in public with such covers. Then came Fabio, and, while women appreciate a good-looking man, the covers were still embarrassing.

The Reading Experience has posted additional thoughts on the state of publishing today. For us, it’s often a bleak and cynical world — then someone we know receives a call from an editor, and we rejoice because, despite the odds, the system works. There is no straight line from talent to publication. It’s often a combination of drive, timing, connections (yes), storytelling ability (which is not the same as writing talent), writing talent (which is not the same as storytelling ability), the state of the world, even coincidence (which should never be underestimated). We said before that this is a

As mentioned, writers are fascinated by the craft of other writers. We think it’s because each and every one of us fears we’re doing it wrong. Because, as we all know, there is a right way to do it. But nobody’s quite figured it out yet. Walter Mosley writes nude. In a weird way, it makes perfect sense. How many brilliant thoughts are lost between the sheets and sometimes fruitless search for the bathrobe? Not to mention figuring out the blasted coffee maker. So much better to leap straight from dream-land to writing (there is a difference — we’ll explain

Toward the end of the Chicago Sun-Times BEA wrap-up is a thought attributed to Margo Hammond about the astounding success of The DaVinci Code. It seems the book was beyond-belief successful without so much as a review from The New York Times. “How, Hammond wanted to know, could that have happened, and what does it tell us about the relevance (and long-term survival) of book pages today?” Hammond didn’t review the book either. The idea of a gulf between reviewers and readers isn’t new — every week we wrinkle our brow at the choices made by the book reviewers for

There is a corner of our soul reserved for vindictiveness. Only our closest friends know about this aspect of our personality. It brings us shame. Sort of. We imagine that John Sutherland felt a smidgen of similar shame as he turned over this paean to the bad review received by the man who reviewed Sutherland badly. Obviously, revenge is too sweet to stop the presses. We’re sure Sutherland volunteered time serving soup to keep his karmic balance. Blood on the page

For the few of you who haven’t discovered the brilliance that is Arrested Development, well, we wish you would. But that’s not what this post is about. In one episode, Tobias discovers he’s a gay icon (well, he doesn’t really cotton to all the implications, but there are a lot of things Tobias doesn’t get about himself) despite the fact that he’s a married, straight guy. In theory. In a case of life imitating TV, author Allison Burnett has discovered he (see how the confusion starts?) has the same problem. We know it’s tough to believe, but…novelists make these people

Monica Ali, author of Brick Lane, answers readers’ questions. Something tells us someone vetted things to ensure the really rude stuff didn’t slip through. We advise you to read through to the end — Ali echoes our recent advice: skip the second book, go straight for the third. Monica Ali: You Ask The Questions AKA Sophomore Slump

We have followed the news from Hollywood this past week with our usual half-asleep-at-the-wheel approach. But there has been a disturbing trend (which may or may not affect National politics…that’s not our area of expertise) we feel needs a little clarification. This is probably only of interest for anyone writing about the movie biz (please do — we can’t work up the energy to relive a single moment of that torture). It is said that you’re not anyone in this town unless you’ve been fired. Apparently, because this is the town that invented failing upward (or refined it, depending on