I have received a few submissions at Facebook for the graphic icon for “Reading Cats,” and I should have the final decision — and a developed icon — by the end of the weekend.  Thanks to all of the entrants, and a great looking bunch of felines; for your own safety, may they never learn to read!
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And, without further side-lining, let’s get to what you clicked that link to find: publishing industry professionals offering up their advice and opinions on books, writing, and all things literary! 

♣ Alan Rinzler at The Book Deal — God bless ‘im! — drags us back from all of the technological speculations  and business processes to the true heart of writerdom: the content of the book.  Quoth Alan,

Before all else, keep your attention on the core concept and execution of your book — the writing, the story, the characters, the point and the purpose.

Amen!

♣ Mark Byrne at Mediabistro’s GalleyCat blog reminds us that celebrity can have an enormous influence on sales, as Barbara Kingsolver’s The Lacuna shoots up over 800 percent in sales after receiving the Orange Prize.

Ironic that The Lacuna should reveal a lacuna in our often unduly meritocratic vision of writerly success?

♣ Seth Godin offers four suggestions how Kindle could head off the iPad’s soaring success.  Thanks to the Moby Lives blog for pointing the way to this.

♣ And finally, Eric at Pimp My Novel sounds the death knell of large print and audio books, explains how publishers identify the “lead titles” behind which to rally their resources, and add his two cents to the running theme on how to name a novel.