Here we are at the beginning of another week, on a day that happens to be the anniversary of several significant events in the history of written things. 

Four hundred eighty years ago today in London, a list of heretic books was ordered burned.   A short 13 years later on this date, Copernicus published the landmark work on the heliocentric model of the solar system, De Revolutionibus.

On this day in 1610, on the 3rd anniversary of the founding of Jamestown, Sir Thomas Gates establishes a draconian civil code for the colony.  (Fourteen years later to the day, Virginia is declared a failure and its charter is revoked.)

This is also the birthday of magazine and newspaper publisher Samuel Irving Newhouse (1895-1979) and United Press International (1958). 

Now, on to the book-oriented side of publishing, with this week’s literary agent links!
♦ ALERT: Rachelle Gardner of Rants & Ramblings will be teaching a webinar this Thursday!

♦ Nathan Bransford explains how to write a one-sentence pitch.

Jessica at BookEnd, LLC:
♦ explains why it’s better to include competition in a proposal even if the book is represented by the agent,
♦ discusses why agents are hesitant to represent novellas,
♦ relates a little tale of fake agents and a “joke” gone too far.

At Dystel & Goderich:
♦ Stacey offers up some uncommon wisdom about self-publishing,
♦ Michael points out who really gets hurt in publishing controversies and boycotts, and
♦ Rachel touches on the highs and lows of presidential reading.

♦ Finally, in a strikethru-tainted-decorated quasi-rant narrative, The Rejectionist reveals what literary agents talk about when they talk about rejection.