Monthly Archives: June 2010

Link Bonus – The Importance of the First Reader

Posted on by

As it occasionally happens, I discovered a great piece of advice not on my usual rounds of favorite writer, agent, and pub-pro blogs.  Today’s iteration of this phenomenon is from Andreas Kluth, a correspondent for The Economist.  His site, The Hannibal Blog, is ostensibly about composing a book, so I guess this is technically a writer link. 

Pazoom — writer-link icon activated!  (Hope Andreas doesn’t mind being represented by Sappho.)

Anyway, to the link itself.   Invoking a few historical examples along the way, Kluth stresses the importance of having a good First Reader.  Every aspiring author should find this quite interesting.  Enjoy!

Publishing Links – Trends, Desires, and the End of Things

Posted on by

Let’s just dive straight into the links this week!

_

♣ The Author Magazine blogster reminds us that a really good story forces us to ask the question: “What do I want most?”  (This is also true of magical compasses, I hear.)

Moonrat at Editorial Ass(istant) tells us how to throw an awesome book launch.

Kassia Krozser at BookSquare points out that change in the publishing biz must start at home, with the executives who run it.

♣ The Moby Lives blog asks whether we are seeing the end of book ownership.

Finally, the ever-prolific Eric at Pimp My Novel:
♣ issues a call for guest posts (you have until 16 June!);
♣ warns us of the approaching E-Pocalypse;
♣ explains the difference between billing and point-of-sale; and
♣ analyzes publishing trends like The [Adjective] Wife, vampires/werewolves, literary mash-ups, and the world ending in 2012.

The Amalgam Poems

Posted on by

amalgamThe ghoulish white Amalgam’s flag displayed
was changed to golden yellow by the one
who swore the paler cloth was quickly frayed
under the glitter of the Autumn sun.

Continue reading

Category: Amalgam | Tags: , ,

Lit Agent Links – Writing Contests, Writer's Syndrome, and Retellings

Posted on by

As you might have noticed, I have added some sidebar graphics for the short stories Tyson’s Corner, The Chameleon Missive, and The Dun Cat of Mill Bridge, as well as a new graphic to add mood to the master page for all of the Observer Tales.

I will probably work something up for Reading Cats, too.

And, before we get to the main links, two contest announcements:

First up, in honor of the release of Rock Paper TigerNathan Bransford announces a contest to (in his words) “write the most compelling chase and/or action and/or suspenseful sequence. It may be something you have written for the purpose of the contest or from a work in progress.”  The prizes?  Hey, I didn’t put that link up there for nothing!  Go, go!

Rachelle Gardner also announces a combination contest and exercise, to write a one-sentence summary of your book.

Now, on to the (other) links! Continue reading

Writer Links – Criticism, Fantasies, and Love Triangles

Posted on by

Everyone having fun back at work after the long weekend? 

A little spring cleaning note: I will begin going through my sidebar links and removing the ones that connect to blogs where there have not been any new postings for two months.  The one exception will be Miss Snark, which shall remain as a memorial to one of the coolest literary blogs of all time.

Now to the writer links! Continue reading