Game Changer: Barry Eisler Signs with Amazon

For those of you who don't know, author Barry Eisler recently turned down a two book, $500,000 deal with one of the major publishing houses and self-publish instead. On J.A. Konrath's blog he said "I know it’ll seem crazy to a lot of people, but based on what’s happening in the industry, and based on the kind of experience writers like you are having in self-publishing, I think I can do better in the long term on my own."

So, imagine my surprise today when I heard that Barry Eisler has taken the same kind of deal but with Amazon. You can read about it on agent Janet Reid's blog.

What made Barry change his mind, and what does this mean for self-publishing?

Well, from what I understand, Amazon has changed the playing field yet again.  Not only are they launching their own imprints that publish authors in a more traditional structure, they pay advances AND still give the authors 70% royalties on reasonably priced e-books.  They also give authors more artistic control.

Basically, instead of either choosing to self-pub to maintain control and get higher royalties, Amazon has given authors a third option:  Get traditionally published, but with a better deal than the Big 6 publishers can ever hope to provide.

Did Barry make a good move?  What do you think about this new option for authors?

I'll be interested to see what you all think :).

Extra, Extra: Read All About It!

Eyyyy, it's us pissed off tiny newsies here to tell yous guys about what's going on in publishing.  A lot was goings on last week, so let's go through some of the headlines.  Read it, or fagetabawtit.

Amazon Taking Over Our Libraries!  Next: World Domination?! 

Read all about it.  Last week Amazon announced that it will be participating with over 11,000 libraries across the U.S. to create e-book lending programs for Kindle and apps everywhere.  However, there was a bit of controversy because patrons may be able to leave notes in the books, which only they will be able to see when they check it out a second time. 

The problem?  Librarians say it infringes on personal privacy, since records of what patrons check out will have to be kept to make that possible.  You hear that kids?  No more checking out the Kama Sutra:  your local librarian will know your dirty secret and give you her patented Evil Eye.

Agent Warns Against Fine Print:  Hang on to Your Rights!

Read all about it.  Agent Kristin Nelson posted "Not to be a downer on the Friday but a lot of authors are super excited about getting their rights reverted and then being able to digitally publish those titles themselves.  By all means, I’m certainly not opposed but you might want to check that agency agreement you signed before you run out and do that."

Some agencies have something called "in perpetuity" language in their agency contracts which basically states that they get paid forever on your book sales, even if the rights have reverted back to you and you self-publish. 

You read correctly.  Even if you paid the agent their 15% on the traditional publishing book deal and for all those print and e-sales, when your rights revert back, you get to pay them all over again until the end of time on every e-copy you sell. 

Kristin is an awesome agent whose agency (Nelson Agency) never uses this language.  She's just warning writers to beware of the fine print!  Thank you, Kristin!

Royalty Statements Gone Wild:  Do YOU Know Where Your Money Is?

Read all about it.  This blog post by author Kristin Kathryn Rusch stirred the pot AND rocked the boat simultaneously last week when she called out that not only were her royalty statements fishy, but when she compared her e-book numbers as reported by her publishers and the numbers reported by Bookscan and various retailers, they were straight up wrong.

She and other writers looked into their statements, and the general word is that she was not alone.  Many have written to their writers organizations and are currently auditing their publishing house's records.  It doesn't seem like it's intentional, but it seems like e-book sales are being underreported by a huge margin. 

Kristin urges authors to CHECK THEIR STATEMENTS, do the math, and make sure everything is stacking up.  E-books are changing the way that publishing houses have to keep their records, and the old formulas may not be working. 

Becca Knight Jumps the Gun:  Gets Overly Excited, Starts Contest Too Soon!

Heh heh.  Welp. 

I told you last week that when I have a new project I get *SUPER* excited about it, and, yes, sometimes I go a little nuts ;). 

Remember when I started this contest last week for the launch of my short stories?  Well, it's only my second week back blogging, and of course folks are still trickling back in, realizing that I'm back in action, etc, so no one is playing.

I definitely jumped the gun :P.  But can you blame me for being enthusiastic?  You can? 

Crap!

The contest will be back when I am finally ready to launch the real deal:  LEGACY OF THE EMPRESS.  There will be partying in the streets, a bigger giveaway, free copies for reviewers, and fun times shall be had!

Until then, the short story contest is postponed.

However, I did upload new cover art, which you can check out HERE.

Also, please let me know either through the comments or email if you'd like a free copy of either one to review on your blog or to review on Amazon! :)  I'd love to hook you up!


That's it for the news this time--what do you guys think of what's going on in the world of publishing?

Some Exciting News!

As promised, I'd like to share some exciting news with you today :)!

Some of you may remember when the kindle first came out, and I blogged about the end of physical books as we know it.  Well, thankfully, the hardcover isn't going anywhere soon, BUT new opportunities have opened up for the aspiring author as far as e-publishing goes.

I'm sure by now everyone's heard of Amanda Hocking, the 26 year old author who self published her YA Trylle Trilogy on Amazon, sold 450,000 e-copies, and just signed a $2 million book deal with Random House.  This definitely got me thinking--she may be a stand out, but what is the downside to publishing your own e-books?  IS there a downside?

The publishing industry is rapidly changing with the new impulse-buy-ability of e-books.  Now, self publishing doesn't have to be a dirty word.  A writer's options are no longer limited to either a traditional publishing contract, or paying a vanity press to print books that will never see the light of day.

The e-book train is moving down the tracks, not just for the one-off success stories like Amanda Hocking, but some established authors are opting for self publishing when it comes to their e-releases, because they take control of the profits.  When authors are already doing their own promotional work, suddenly releasing an e-book starts to make sense.

For those of you who read my blog before I took my break, you know I am not a pie-in-the-sky type person, but rather a work hard, practical person.  E-publishing my book that isn't a popular genre right now is speaking to my logical side (high fantasy hasn't been sellable for awhile in lieu of more contemporary fantasy, even though it has its niche).

After a lot of research and debate, I've decided to self-publish Legacy of the Empress as an e-book.  I see it as gambling on myself--I don't pay anything out of pocket, and I stick to the same marketing plan as if I had a physical book coming out.  I'd always planned to do the legwork myself, so putting my own book out there seems like an ideal plan :).  I believe in this book whole heartedly, so why not put it out there?

So there you have it:  I have an artist cooking up a fantastic cover for me right now, and I'm getting ready to launch this mofo.  More info to come!

What are your thoughts?  How do you look at e-publishing versus traditional publishing?  Have you ever impulse bought a low-priced e-book?

Link Roundup a go go!

I was browing my favorite blogs today, and found this amazing link roundup from everyone's favorite Editor, Moonrat!

I read and was totally entertained, especially by the list of Top 10 Most Harful Books To New Writers: check it out!

What about you guys? :D Are there any books that you feel didn't help you when you began writing?

Amazon Vs. MacMillan: The E-Pocalypse is Nigh!

The big drama in the publishing world this week, came from Amazon removing all the "buy" buttons from MacMillan books on their site. MacMillan was in talks with Amazon, suggesting a new e-book pricing model, and Amazon reacted by basically black-balling them. They haven't let up yet, and the MacMillan/Tor authors are reaping the consequences.

If you haven't been following this e-book battle, check out the links below.

For a basic overview of what happened, agent Kristin Nelson breaks down what happened. John Scalzi, an awesome MacMillan author effected by this... incident... speaks out Here, awesomely calls for author support Here, and updates us on how this effects him and others like him Here.

The SFWA makes a stand Here, and Kristen Nelson has another update, and a letter from John Sargent, the CEO of MacMillan Here. Agent Jessica Faust talks about how this effects authors Here, and there's a lovely post on how Amazon's actions utterly screw all of us, consumer, publishers, and writers alike, Here.

I urge you guys, if you're buying a book anytime soon, to please consider supporting MacMillan authors during this time. They are the ones caught in the middle of an argument between publishing entities, and suffering for it, despite having no control.

Please check out http://www.powells.com/ if you're looking for a great indy bookstore to purchase from instead of Amazon :). Buy a MacMillan/Tor book today, and make a difference for those authors. I know they'd really appreciate it!

Also, if you happen to buy any books, let me know in the comments, for a chance to win my fabulous Book Love Contest! It ends 2/14/10, so get your book love in now :).

How do you guys feel about this Amazon/MacMillan bruhaha?

New Writers' Forums & Things To Come!

EXTRA, EXTRA! READ ALL ABOUT IT!

... or else.

(don't those newsies look like they want to beat you up?)

Anyway, I have exciting news for all of you fellow wanna-be authors out there :). There's a *new* and exciting place to hear about publishing news, interact with a cool agent, and get query critiques!

This week, beloved agent Nathan Bransford added FORUMS to his agent website and blog. Yes, now we can cyber stalk him in style, and on his own turf, too! (Restraining order sold separately.)

I went over there today to start helping out w/ the queries, and there are some cool and talented people there already. Go! Sign up! Strangely enough, my user name is RebeccaKnight. Let's hang out :).

In other news, I'll be posting and interview I did with author Lisa Dale on Monday! I read and loved her most recent book, IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT (women's fiction/contemporary romance), and now have her debut, SIMPLE WISHES on my Christmas list.

Also, don't forget to enter your ideas for my Deal With the Universe contest by midnight this Friday! I'll pick my favorite three and let you guys vote on what I'll have to do *when* (fingers crossed) I get my first book deal.

Any news to share on your end? :)

What Would You Do For a Book Deal?

There's a new craze sweeping the blogosphere! What is it you ask?

Why, bargaining with the Universe for a book deal, of course!

Yes, everyone's doing it these days. Just take writer Kiersten White who just dyed her hair purple to pay the Universe back for helping her sell her book, PARANORMALCY.

Or else check out Carrie Kei Heim Binas who is pondering wheelin' and dealin' with the Universe. If she gets an agent, she's posting a video of herself dancing to delight the Universe with her potential humiliation. AND if her books sells in a decent amount of time after that? She's getting a tattoo.

Well, now I can't let other people have all the fun without me! So, I need your help, gentle readers. What do you think would be a proper deal to strike with the Universe in exchange for a book deal?

Off the top of my head, I'm thinking:

--Karaoke to something like "Bootilicious" and film it

--Eat lutefisk

--Flash a librarian

So, you can see why I need your help!

Please leave your ideas for what I should promise the Universe in the comments, and I'll pick three finalists next week for YOU to vote on :D. The winning idea wins not only my public (potential) humiliation, but also wins a mystery prize! (Well, and my undying gratitude when I get that dang book deal.)

So, what's it going to be guys?

I'll be taking entries until Friday at midnight!

Publishing Debate: Harlequin Horizons

Or as I like to call it, Poo Storm 2009!

There's been a lot of drama in the publishing world this week surrounding Harlequin's announcement that they are opening their own vanity press, called Harlequin Horizons, and offering it to rejectees from their slush pile.

There was helpful info posted on the Writer Beware blog summing up the announcement and potential controversy, then the agents began posting fervently, keeping us in the loop!

Agent Kristen Nelson first asked if this was "Exploitation or Empowerment", then clued us in yesterday that the RWA had laid down some smack, letting everyone know that Harlequin was no longer recognized as a real publishing house because of this recent move. Yesterday, she filled us in on a letter from Donna Hayes, the Harlequin CEO, announcing that they were removing the Harlequin name from the vanity press due to all the hoopla from their authors (no kidding,) and that they thought the RWA were being jerks.

Janet Reid, the Query Shark herself, was also in the middle of the action, announcing the first signs of the approaching poo storm, revealing how pissed off she is that Harlequin seems to be preying on newbie authors, and then further endearing herself to authors everywhere by telling Donna Hayes to stop blowing smoke and basically either fix it or go take a long walk off a short pier.

Rachelle Gardner chimed in today with a rant on the quality of literature (which I totally agree with), and asking her readers their thoughts on vanity publishing as the wave of the future.

Even sci fi author John Scalzi threw his hat in the ring, discussing RWA, the MWA and SFWA all stepping in to chastise Harlequin.

Needless to say, this whole thing has made me feel like I'm taking crazy pills. I mean, seriously, Harlequin? I don't even want to know what their poor authors must be thinking.

So, my question for you is: What do you think of all this?

Exploitative or smart business move?

What I've Learned This Week

As a couple of you know, I've been at home from work healing up from an illness for the past week, and have been taking some to relax (Feeling much better now, btw!)

Over the course of this relaxation, I learned a few things:

1) Netflix is the best invention ever. Sanitation? Not that important. The wheel? PAH! Let's see "the wheel" get me instantly streaming dating reality tv shows. Yeah, that's what I thought. I love you, Netflix.

2) Taking an icy beverage with you into the shower is fun! Seriously, try it. It feels so wrong, yet so right. Pure home alone awesomeness.

3) GRACELING, by Kristin Gashore, is one of my new favorite novels! It's fresh traditional fantasy, if that makes any sense, and I LOVED this book. It's been awhile since a novel made me as happy as Hunger Games, and this one did it :). If you love Fantasy, I highly recommend it.

4) My internet friends are the best. I mean, okay, I already pretty much knew this. But I love you guys! I got a couple of emails from my writing buddies just checking in, and it completely made my week.

5) Agents are hilarious. I tentatively got back online today and almost fainted when I saw how behind I am on reading blogs, but came across a few gems as I was surfing. This post from Janet Reid (the Query Shark) made me laugh out loud. I missed this stuff, man.

6) The odds of getting published are awesome if you are an awesome writer! Yes, if you don't totally suck, the odds go from 1/100,000 to something much more manageable. Just take Lisa & Laura (ooh, and go enter their Kindle contest before it's too late!) and Christine Fonseca who got publishing contracts (YAAAY!), and Elana Johnson, who just got an agent! WOOT!

Just like the picture of the afro duck above, this week has been a very pleasant surprise.

How are you guys doing? Anything you've learned? ;)

Maybe the Publishing Industry Isn't So Doomed!

If you're like me, you probably get an icy tingle down your spine every time someone mentions that THIS IS THE END OF PUBLISHING AS WE KNOW IT and that BOOKS ARE DOOMED.

I like books. I like the publishing industry. I would like to get to know the publishing industry better, if only it would return my calls (j/k).

After all, it's only my life long ambition to make my living as a writer! :P I have a vested interest.

So, when I saw this Huffington Post article this week, it made me smile.

Finally, someone defending the publishing industry in an intelligent fashion!

Take a look, guys--I'd love to hear what you think.

Steve Ross, former CEO of Harper Collins, makes some great points about e-book pricing I hadn't considered. What's to be done? It sounds like there's a reason there's a debate going on over Amazon's low low $9.99 price point, aside from E-BOOKS SIGNALLING THE DESTRUCTION OF ALL MANKIND. It's actually quite fascinating. I'm excited to see what happens!

It's nice to read a more optimistic (and I think perhaps, realistic) view point once in a while :).

What do you guys think? Doomed? Or just trying to adjust?

How to Blog

Today, author Nicola Morgan posted a very interesting and informative piece on how to blog successfully to build an author platform on her blog.

You can read her post here.

The thing that got me thinking is WHY we blog, and what makes other blogs interesting or good reads. Are we doing it for ourselves? Other writers? Both?

I know for myself, I started blogging because I wanted to reach out to other writers and a) pal around, and b) help folks learn tips and tricks to getting an agent, and eventually, being published. I wanted to take everything I've been learning around the web, and discuss it with other writers and, ideally, create a writer community where knowledge could be pooled and friends made. Who said riding the Query Train couldn't be fun? ;)

For those of you who blog, why do you do it? Like Nicola said, are you giving back 60% and taking 40%, or is it all promotion? Then again, is it all giving and not enough promotion? Where is the line?

I want to open the floor up to you guys: Why do you blog, and what makes a good blog you want to read?

What kind of blogs are you attracted to, and why?

The Man's Been Keeping Us Down, Man.

Have you ever encountered those writers who tell you the reason they're not published yet is that the MAN (or "Big Bad Publishing Industry") is keeping them down?

Well, let me tell you a little secret I learned today.

Come on, don't be shy... Lean in as I whisper it in your ear....

IT'S TRUE!

OMG!

IT'S ALL TRUUUUUE!!!!

I knew it!

The Rejectionist said so today on her blog. And take it from me: The Rejectionist never lies.

So, quickly Everyone! Grab your manuscripts and head for the hills! The only way to overthrow publishing's agent-driven, literature-crushing, tear-fed war machine is by living in a commune and distributing our manuscripts to one another hand scratched upon leaves and bound with forest vines. I've thought this through, and it seems like a solid way to stick it to The Man.

JOIN MEEEEE!!

I'll bring snacks for when the Revolution comes :).

After all, no one likes to revolt on an empty stomach.

You Tell Me: What Would You Like on Your Blog?

Remember those old Tombstone pizza commercials? Where the guy asks "What would you like on your tombstone?"

Well, now I ask you: What would you like on your blog? (And you can't say pepperoni and cheese!)

There are publishing blogs and writer blogs, aspiring author blogs and agent blogs. Where does that leave us here at Writer In Progress?

When I first created this blog, my hope was for it to be a place where writers could come to get a handle on the process of writing a novel, querying an agent, and basically share publishing tips, tricks, and resources.

I just realized I've been blogging for six months now (HOORAY!), and wanted to check in with you: What is it that you'd love to see more of on this blog?

Publishing news? Book reviews? Writing tips/tricks? Me ranting about revising my novel (hopefully this will change to "working on my new novel" soon)? Links and author resources?

You tell me :). You guys are the reason I started blogging in the first place!

I'd also like to thank you all, both my loyal readers and my new followers. Your comments and contributions are what make this blog a joy! Thank you for your input and for hanging out with me on a daily and weekly basis.

YOU ROCK!

Agents and Editors Debate

Scandal!

Outrage!

Eating Babies!

Yesterday editor Cheryl Klein announced on Twitter that she had A Modest Proposal she'd like agents to consider.


Being a voyeur, and wondering if it was about eating babies, I trucked over to her blog to see what's up.

Turns out, editors have an issue when an agent starts accepting offers for a book in the blink of an eye and asks other editors to throw their hats in the ring with only 2-3 days notice. To resolve this, and make sure that the editor whose offer is chosen is the best for the book and not just the one with the fastest trigger finger, she asks if agents would consider not accepting offers for 4-8 weeks to give editors time to collect the proper support from their publishing houses and do their thang.

Okay, close your mouths everyone, and wipe that drool off your chins ;).

I know this is every aspiring author's DREAM to hear stuff like this. I think it falls under the catagory of "word nerd porn." But it gets more interesting from here!

Agent Michael Bourret of Dystel & Goderich Literary Mangement rebutted with some thoughts of his own, namely:

a) This is all well and good, but we don't want to offend anyone by declining their pre-emptive offer. We have relationships with editors to maintain.

b) Fast editors are the ones that are usually the most enthusiastic about the book, and therefore the most desirable for the author.

c) Waiting longer makes authors sad pandas :(.

In response to his response, Cheryl said that, yes, thank you, it would totally work if all agents set up the timeframe ahead of time. Then editors would be able to gather support in their houses properly, get the excitement brewing, which benefits the authors. Then there isn't a mad lemming-esque rush to the auction by people who will ignore the author once all the fuss settles down.

In response to her response to his response, Michael said that while awesome in theory, all agents couldn't be expected to participate. Also there is the slight issue of editors procrastinating and waiting until the very end of the 4-8 weeks to even read the manuscript. In which case it's the same as the no notice, and authors are still sad, sad pandas :(.

Agent Nathan Bransford also put in his .02 on the time publishing takes, making the point that just because an agent has quick response times to queries doesn't mean they are neglecting their clients. Perhaps this is in response to agent Jessica Faust's post yesterday on how to tell if your agent is a jerk before you sign on?

So that leaves us..... where? I'm not really sure.

As authors or aspiring-authors, what do you guys think of Cheryl's "Modest Proposal?"

Would you be willing to wait the 4-8 weeks to narrow down on your Dream Editor if you book went to auction, or would you be worried about procrastination and lack of interest without the rush?

The most interesting part is reading the comments--seriously! Agents and editors abound and share their opinions on the matter.

Also, do you judge agents based on their response times to queries?

Is faster necessarily better?

I'd love to hear what you think!

Genre Wars: Fantasy Versus SciFi

Or, I'm Sick and Tired of All These Motherf'ing Dragons on This Motherf'ing Spaceship!

(picture by Daniela Elisabeth Kaminski)

Since the Dawn of Geeks there has been a vast debate: Where is the line between Fantasy and Science Fiction?

The arguments have been heated and numerous, but recently the old stand by argument "Star Wars is totally Fantasy because Jedi are WIZARDS" came up again on the Internets, making me think... what really does separate these two genres?

I've heard Science Fiction defined as anything including advanced technology or science that can be logically postulated upon or explained using the known laws of Nature. Fantasy is defined as involving sparkly magic or magical creatures that can't be explained by current laws of Nature.

This poses a problem, though. What happens if you take into account Arther C. Clark's Three Laws?:

1. When a distinguished but elderly scientist states that something is possible, he is almost certainly right. When he states that something is impossible, he is very probably wrong.

2. The only way of discovering the limits of the possible is to venture a little way past them into the impossible.

3. Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.

At what point does technology become so advanced in your novels that it seems like magic? And at what point is magic explainable as simply being preternatural--something we can't yet understand but will as we evolve?

Also, what about DRAGONS IN SPACE?

There is a lot of blending and cross polinating that goes on between Fantasy and Science Fiction, and I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing.

Where do you think the lines are?

When does science give way to magic, or magic to science?

Does it change whether or not you want to read a book, depending on magic vs. science?

And once in for all, is Star Wars just really badly done Sci Fi, or is it Fantasy because it has Super Magic Force Wizards?

More on this debate over at John Scalzi's blog: http://whatever.scalzi.com/2009/08/20/re-the-science-fiction-failure-mode/.

Have a great weekend!

Cover Wars: To the Victor Go the Spoils!

It is a good week for the publishing industry :), and for author Justine Larbalestier.

Last week, you may remember that I posted "Cover Wars: When Cover Art Goes Wrong" expressing my surprise and outrage over the fact that Bloomsbury picked a white model for the cover of a book with a black main character because "black covers don't sell."

Well, a week later, I'm giving Bloomsbury kudos for making things right and doing a full blown photo shoot to correct the cover! Also, a huge congratulations to Justine for sticking by her guns and fighting for this change.

Sometimes it's amazing and humbling to realize that a group of voices on the internet can promote change like this. When we band together, we can actually right injustices and change things for the better. (We can also organize city-wide zombie walks, but that's beside the point.)

The best part about this is that all the hoopla over this cover issue is probably going to throw a lot of fantastic publicity the author's way, boosting sales for the new cover. Maybe now we'll have a recorded case of a black cover selling better than it's white counterpart. Stats prove that black covers sell!

Even if that doesn't happen, I think we've witnessed something very cool going down because of an author and her readers saying "enough is enough" :). Hooray!

What do you guys think about all of this? Did you follow the controversy these past couple of weeks?

Building a Platform & Other Fun Things

Who doesn't love platforms? They're sexy, fun, and.... oh, wait. Wrong kind of platform.

We've all been hearing a lot about platform building recently from agent blogs and writer blogs alike. However, I feel that it's been a bit heavy-handed about getting known online and not so much about working on publishing credentials. Sara Tribble (of "I Am Write") had a great post about this and will be hosting interviews with editors to help us learn how to get started.

She's also challenging us to write a short story or piece of flash fiction for each interview she posts :D. I'm game! Who's with me? Let's get on this bandwagon and try to build up our platforms (or at least writing skills.)

Something else going on soon is Book Blogger Appreciation Week, which you can read about here read about here. It's coming up in September, and there will be fabulous prizes and fun for those of you with blogs discussing books. Stop on over and check it out.

Lastly, I wanted to let you know that I'll be leaving you guys this upcoming week. I'm going to MAUI (SQUEEEE!!!!) and won't be back until next Sunday, 7/26/09. I promise to bring back pictures and to tell you all about it. I haven't gone anywhere since my honeymoon four years ago, and am so excited I'm literally vibrating with anticipation in my office chair. Is this day over yet?

Here's a pic for you, and have a wonderful weekend/week without me!

The Business of Writing

I read a couple of articles yesterday on the business side of writing that I wanted to share.

Many of us have the dream of being full time writers at some point in our lives. It's why we do what we do. We spend hours, months, years, perfecting our craft, being rejected, and perfecting it some more.

But do we ever think about what to do once we get there?

In this article, writer Jeff Vandermeer discusses some of the pitfalls of being a freelancer, and how to protect yourself for the Bad Times .

One of Jeff's readers references a similar post by one of my favorite writers, John Scalzi, who gives a ton of practical tips on how to manage your money if you plan to be a writer.

What I love about John's advice is that it is in-your-face frankness, which I will always appreciate. My Mama raised me right when it comes to money (don't buy it if you can't pay cash, save everything you can, credit cards aren't magical goodies creaters, etc), but I still learned things from this article. Stash half your money away because you'll have to pay taxes on a quarterly basis, for instance.

What do you guys think about this? Have you given thought to the kind of life you'll lead if you manage to be a full time writer? Are you full time writer and want to share how it's going?

My motto is always "be prepared," so I appreciated this look into a writer's life.

The Real Life of a Book Buyer

Happy Friday, everyone!

Today, I'd like to share a link that was on the agent blog Pub Rants: http://kashsbookcorner.blogspot.com/2009/06/random-houses-hail-mary-pass.html.

This is a post by the book-buyer Arsen KashKashian of the Boulder Bookstore breaking down his decisions to buy certain books, why he bought the number that he did, and why he may have passed on others.

Aside from Arsen having the most badass name ever, this is a fascinating look into how books are chosen to go on your local bookseller's shelves.

I'd love to hear what you guys think of the whole process. What questions does this bring up for you?

I was riveted by the thought that even though the booksellers think something is drivel, they will still buy it if it's popular enough.... as well as buy things they love even if they're not sure they will sell.

Good news? Scary news?

What do you guys think of this insight?

Book? What is this... "book" you speak of?

I found this comic today, and I had to share:

http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2009/3/9/

What do you guys think about the new Kindle coming out, and all of the hoopla in the publishing world over e-books?

The end of publishing as we know it?

Or a brave new world, where you put your e-reader in a ziploc baggy to read in the tub?