Who among us has not heard this pronouncement? “Short stories are great and all, but there’s no money in them.” The curiosity about markets: markets change. There was a long, long period in human history where there was no market for a 300 page book — a novel, if you will — because the middle … [Read more…]
A bit of humor for your week: John Cowan has built a list of 1,000+ “Essentialist Explanations” on various languages. If you’re a language buff it’s worth checking out. Here are a few to get you started. English is essentially a language that uses vowels no other language would accept. -Luís Henrique English is essentially … [Read more…]
University of Missouri Proposes New Model for Its UP After twenty years in the publishing business, I am at ease with and actively seek out new models: new production models (digital print replacing offset), new editorial models (taking risks with fiction and poetry rather than publishing solely for the backlist), new back-end models (it’s mostly … [Read more…]
If you know anything about Thomas Stearns Eliot, you know he was born in St. Louis. As an adult he moved to London and eventually became a British citizen. In the following audio I found on YouTube, he sounds more British than American: The accent sounds totally Midwestern, right? Sure it does. Compare the voice of … [Read more…]
My friend Jeff Kleinman at Foliolit has an informative post about how writers should act at writers’ conferences (at least in regard to interacting with agents; he reserves judgment on other shenanigans). Conferences happen year-round and can be important events in our writerly lives. Pay heed all those who enter: Jeff’s Guide to Conference Etiquette.