No longer in use
It costs $25.00 less than a regular Wi-fi Kindle, but it now has ads! Would you buy it? Amazon is betting many will, since the ads include store coupons and special offers. This will be interesting marketing strategy.
the $114.00 Kindles are in pre-order now—available 1 May.
In March 2011 Angry Robot Books will be accepting submissions from unagented authors for the first time. Angry Robot Books publishes cutting-edge SF and Fantasy. Check out their bookstore
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Big Romance publisher Avon has jumped into the e-book marketplace with its digital branch, IMPULSE. e-books and POD only will come from this shop; existing Avon authors are already in the mix, but submissions are not discouraged.
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Don't forget, now through 12 March is Read an e-book Week. Many authors are offering discounts and freebies, this week only. Check the e-book sites for more info.
Electronic books now have their own week. March 6 - 12 is Read and Ebook Week, and the site has some interesting information about this not-so-new gadget.
Right in time for this event, I've completed a 2-book set for the SF series, Gem of the Galaxy. It will be available for Nook and Kindle on the 8th at the bargain price of $4.25 (buying the books individually would be $5.98). It has its own web page, too, for more information.
With all the pros and cons, discussions and recriminations regarding eReaders, it's important to realize their use beyond the middle-through-upper-class use for entertainment. The international organization World Reader (WR) sees them as a viable outreach to developing nations’ education programs.
In the recently-begun a cooperative with Ghana, Kindles are now in the hands of hundreds of students. Although the WR program was developed by a former Amazon.com exec, other eReaders are also being tested for this type of use and WR administrators are hoping for the development of a more-rugged implement that will withstand the rigors of in-school application.
Impractical? I think not. One eReader, at a cost of less than $150.00 U.S., can hold thousands of titles. Twenty printed books would cost more than the device; the initial investment to provide Internet service would be the biggest outlay and with the eReaders, each child would have their own copies of valuable information. World Reader is also working with the Ghanaian councils to have Ghanaian authors’ works produced in ebook form. Not only will students have educational tools, but cultural offerings as well—a good incentive for reading.
This should be inducement for eReader companies to toughen up their products and go for a new marketing scheme. Barnes and Noble, whose textbook branch already provides the company with important revenue, could flourish in this setting.
We need to start looking at the eReader innovation as more than an entertainment gadget for affluent techy urbanites. The potential is there for so much more.
Literature nominees are up for the NAACP image awards in literature. The awards show will broadcast live, March 4, on FOX tv
The online Author/reader site Author's Den is now offering POD production at its Book Factory and while they offer a cost calculating guide, they only compare themselves to Lulu. Odd, when there are so many PODs out there.
So far, there is no indication that editing or layout services will be offered. Only three book sizes are available: 6" x 9", an odd 7.5" x 7.5" and 8.5" x 11". They allow a minimum of 150 dpi for photos (300 dpi is minimum printer standard). And, of course, you have to join Author's Den to utilize this new feature.
It is another option for self-publishing, but with track records in place for many other companies, AD's Book Factory will have to prove up to compete as a top-quality producer.
This could have some innovative benefits.
Author Solutions, Inc has now partnered with Principal Entertainment with a goal to turn books into films and TV projects. They are creating a film and media department to handle this. Details at Deadline Hollywood
The Association of Jewish Libraries, have announced the Sydney Taylor Book Awards, honoring "new books for children and teens that exemplify the highest literary standards while authentically portraying the Jewish experience." The winners will receive their awards at the AJL convention in Montreal 19 - 22 June 2011.
=======At the American Library Association (ALA) Midwinter Meeting in San Diego, the association announced the top books, video and audio books for children and young adults—including the Caldecott, Coretta Scott King, Newbery and Printz awards.
=======1. A first-person character spoke of himself and acted like someone of minimal schooling, and yet many of the passages (through this first-person voice) used language and observations that bespoke a higher level of education.Writing first person should draw the reader into the environment and emotions of the story: what the protagonist sees is what the reader sees; protagonist emotions and interests determine how other characters and circumstances are viewed. The main thrust of first person should be the impact events have on the emotions and psyche of the protagonist. If this personal impact isn't developed, the story becomes rather like someone telling about their vacation and giving way too much information (the shorter the better with first person). And like a vacation story, what's happening is only shown/told through one person's eyes. If that person isn't highly intuitive, extraordinarily impacted by the events, or marvelously eccentric, everything becomes rather bland. If you are writing a first person story (or planning to) here are some suggestions.
2. In another book, the first-person adolescent protagonist was lamenting her strict and limited cultural upbringing, yet used metaphors and references beyond the scope of the aggrieved lifestyle and her age. This disparity was enhanced by the story being told in present tense—there was no distance of time to assume she had acquired the knowledge after she matured and left the community.
3. Another problem arose when the protagonist voiced a preference or prejudice, but didn't exhibit the emotions that go with the stated feelings. In one section, the character admits having the willies in a unclean environment, yet she didn't show discomfort when entering a dirty, rundown warehouse.
4. Really disturbing is when the protagonist becomes a sort of Houdini or Superman, reading post-a-note messages upside-down and half obscured on the desk so the reader can learn the information, or realizing someone is carrying an expensive brand of wine by identifying the cork emerging from the edge of the carry bag.
5. The worst problem occurs when first-person characters know bits of information that aren't revealed in their presence. To circumvent this, I read many books where the author resorts to the Device of having the character meet someone who knows all and proceeds to tell it to the protagonist. This slows the story to a halt, with too much discourse and not enough action.
· Avoid the use of third person-type sentences: "I looked across the street and saw a dog running up the alley." In first person, it isn't necessary to identify the character—there is only one. If something is shown (the dog running) it's because the first-person character saw it: "Across the street, a dog ran up the alley." This corrected sentence provides a more active voice, and it insures the first person viewpoint.A few examples of well-constructed first-person stories: Contemporary - Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich, Historical - The Accidental Spy, by J. R. Lindermuth, Science Fiction - Muse of Fire, by Dan Simmons. (Please leave a note about those you've read and liked.) If you haven't read these, sample them at least, and think about the construction. A good test: In a paragraph, if you don't lose anything by substituting "he" (or the necessary third-person pronoun) for "I", then the first person isn't working. Writing in first person is more difficult than many people believe. When done correctly, it is excellent; when it's a bit sloppy--well, it's a bit sloppy. Of the recent first-person titles I've read, only one in four have been well constructed.
· The same is true with emotions and sensations. "I went outside and felt the cool breeze on my face..." Saying "I felt" isn't necessary; just give the sensation and reaction: "The cool breeze felt wonderful after the stuffiness of the room." (More information, more action, no "I", no "felt")
· Avoid overusing the pronoun, "I". If the voice is strong, it shouldn't be necessary—as with the "breeze" example above.
In a previous post, the umbrella companies of major publishing houses were listed. Merging has also occurred in the self-publishing market. Although many of the subsidy publishers are listed independently—especially in ads on other Web pages—many are the subheads to a larger company. This has changed some of the features the bought-out companies originally had.
A large Umbrella in this new scheme of things is Author Solutions, Inc. (ASI), which is owned by Bertram Capital. ASI has become the world leader in the fastest-growing segment of publishing. ASI brands include iUniverse (acquired by ASI in October, 2008), AuthorHouse, Wordclay, Trafford Publishing (acquired by ASI in April 2009), Xlibris (acquired by ASI in January 2009), Palibrio (for Spanish language books), Inkubook as well as AuthorHive (for marketing).
ASI also has partnered with several trad publishers who are creating their own self-publish imprints. Those are Thomas Nelson (WestBow Press), Harlequin (DellArte Press), Hay House (Balboa Press).
All this seems to fit a recent quote from a Wall Street Journal article about Internet mega-sites: "Over the long haul, competition has been the exception, monopoly the rule." Although the article focuses on Google and Facebook, it also applies to the publishing industry.
The new ASI conglomerate has standardized contracts and created several changes in author services and rights. For instance, some of the distribution perks (to Amazon and Ingrams) have been curtailed unless a stiff fee is paid. More importantly, at Xlibris, iUniverse and Authorhouse, the publisher owns the authors' files after creation, even though the author paid to have them created (this includes payment for editing service as well as formatting). If authors upload their own cover art—it's all owned by the publisher; the author has to pay another fee to get back these files. Hence, if authors decide to take their books elsewhere to republish, or if they didn't sign-up for ebook production and want to do that themselves, these files, now owned by the company, are off limits to them without paying a fee; if authors don't like the costs, it a different cost of new cover and often re-editing.
The Writers weekly Web site, which is associated with the DIY publisher Booklocker, has run a pod price comparison.. Here are pointed out the many author rights circumvented or lost in the new contracts that come from the ASI buyout. Books and Tales also has a page for a quick comparison of high-visibility POD companies.
Mark Levine, who wrote a book on self publishing lists many of the POD publishers, but he doesn't give information—encouraging you to buy his book for answers. :-\
Many sites listed in the search engines haven’t been recently updated and don’t have information on the mergers, buyouts, etc., and how those have affected the services. None of the DIY pulisher sites GITP visited had information about who owned the files. This prominent monopoly trend shows how this DIY segment of the publishing industry is growing, changing and becoming as hard to negotiate as trad publishing.
Ever notice how things pile up and when you really want something, you can't find it with out a lot of searching, moving piles, or checking in several files? If this happens to you it's time to clean up your desktop. Your computer's Desktop!
Every new computer has a desktop filled with little icons of Internet sites the manufacturer assumed you would want to be involved in. Many people never use these—and they never take them off the desktop. These are only shortcuts, and if you delete them, you aren't deleting the program, those are still in the Program or App file, but now you more easily see the icons you do use.
Now think of what you need to get to quickly: you WIP, your research, your household accounts...and so on. These are what should be on your desktop in their own little shortcut folders. No scrolling through the "My Documents" to find your WIP (was it in My Page Manager?) or checking the desktop/documents and settings/administrator/, no clicking through many lists to find that last research note you gathered online that might be buried in that hard-to-find Temporary download file.
Right click on the desktop, hit "new" and make a folder. Or go to your WIP folder, right click it and make a shortcut you can then move to your desktop. To be certain you don't lose track of documents, start them in the folder you want to keep them in. Open the folder, THEN click "new." That way when you save it, it automatically stays in that folder. If you download afrom the Internet, save the item to your desktop, and then file it later in the folder or your choice.
What programs do you use the most? I have two graphics programs that I use at least three or four times each day. I've added shortcuts to them in the "Start" bar so I don't have to click start and scroll along the program files to find them. I have a desktop folder named "work" that isn't a shortcut. But the shortcuts are within it. I open "Work" and then have instant access to my current projects, which are in other locations and folders (such as Kindle books, Nook books, Covers, or Blog Articles). Once I've completed a project, I delete the shortcut from the WORK file.
These same principles can be applied to your Internet browser. Be certain your "home page" is something you really use, and not just the generic Yahoo, Google or MSN start page. It could be your local newspaper, a weather channel or the social networking site you maintain or frequent most often. Cleaning up the folders in the bookmark or favorite tab can be helpful, and again, get rid of those generic links you don't use. They waste space and your time.
These might seem like nitpicky considerations, but when you do them, your priorities become more evident, and the organization will carry over into your writing life.
It's all well and good to have plans and ideas for your 2011 writing projects, but if you aren't really in shape, they won't come off too well. 
Physical exercise is proven to stimulate brain activity—the increased oxygen firing synapses and so on—but even that isn't enough. Your brain needs exercise, too.
Suppose you decide to knit a sweater for your favorite pooch; you even have a pattern. But if you haven't done any knitting in a while, taking up yarn and long plastic needles won't produce satisfactory results. As with any discipline, exercise is critical, whether it's knitting or playing golf, or writing. An idea will be in your head, but getting it to even a first draft can be a struggle if your brain is at a loss of how to go about it.
A good initial brain exercise is to read with a purpose. Read a portion of a piece, by an author whose writing you appreciate, and take notice of how this author has used words and sentence structure, developed pace and characters. Now try your hand at it. Create a scene that has the same type of flow. It might take several tries, but that's what exercise is all about.
Using a "What if" is also a good exercise. "What if Joanne Fosbeck, a happily married conscientious first-time mom, believes her 6-year-old daughter Shawna has become a chef extraordinaire from watching the FOOD Network." Or "What if Barry Cranston, 46-yr-old rancher, has to hunt down the cause of his stock getting killed in order to keep his newly established genetics program from going under." Develop the characters for these, write the paragraph that is Joanne's moment of revelation, or Barry's acute consternation. These particular what ifs might really seem off the mark for what you like to write. That makes it all the better. Work your brain beyond its comfort zone.
These examples can be augmented with many brain teasers, including vocabulary building and even jigsaw puzzles, which make the brain think about the logic and structure of things. Exercising your brain a few times each week will increase your writing ability, and result in more comfort when you work on your project.
According to Webster's 11th Collegiate Dictionary, the phrase ALL RIGHT predates ALRIGHT by sixty-some years (1819 vs. 1887).ALL RIGHT, as an adverb to express agreement, began usage in 1837.
Today, more than 100 years from ALRIGHT's beginning, the single word is often considered poor style. But the use of ALRIGHT persists, most often found in journalistic and business writing, as well as in fiction dialogue.
With the coming change in the calendar year, it might be a good time to think about a few changes in your writing life. Making New Year's Resolutions appeals to some people, but it's a proven fact that fewer than ten percent of resolutions are fulfilled, and most people drop away from them before January has ended. Here are suggestions to start the New Year to set up a productive 2011. Ideas coming in the next two weeks: Freshen your Library, Clean up your Desktop, Plan Marketing, Internet Info, and Exercise Your Brain.
The new Writers Market directories have been out for a few months. If you don't have the one appropriate for your writing agenda, you should look into it. Novels and Short Stories, Children's Markets, Photographer's markets are all good additions to your library. Editors and publications needs have changed in the six to eight months it took to compile and publish these books. Always check the masthead of a current magazine to be certain you're addressing your queries and articles to the proper person. Many magazines have online sites that will list their current needs.
How old is your dictionary? If it's more than three years old, you might want to upgrade. The eleventh edition of the Concise Oxford English Dictionary was published in 2004, revised in 2006, and again in 2008 (it's available on CD, and is automatically on all Kindles) with hundreds of new words added. Websters is also in it's eleventh edition. Do you have Chicago Manual of Style, or Strunks The Elements of Style? Recommended for serious writers.
Remember, your library can be virtual—with the myriad ebooks and downloads for you computer, you can have volumes at your fingertips.
Although e-mail has generally been used for casual communication, an increasing numbers of editors, agents and publishers are now accepting queries by e-mail. Treat the opportunity in much the same way you would a query sent by snail mail.
When I proofread or copyedit, I am always on the lookout for those compound and combined words (such as lookout, copyedit and proofread) that can be so troublesome. Improper forms of these English language anomalies occur even in published books. When do you use the hyphen? When are the words combined or separated? There are no reliable rules.
Single-word combinations and compound words can have different meanings, such as workout (n) or work out (v); freehand or free hand, wind bag or windbag. It is important to use the proper spelling to be certain readers know what you're talking about.
If you type a word as compound, and the spellchecker (not spell checker, although spell check (v) is correct) gives it a red line (not to be confused with redline, which refers to the upper limit of acceptability), go to the real traditionally-bound, turn-the-page dictionary to see which spelling gives the meaning you want. Check, then double-check those pesky words to get your manuscript in the best possible form.
The following are correctly spelled, although they are often misspelled in publications. Do you see a pattern?
(Not)
airship, air force, airhead, air conditioner (n), air-conditioning (n), breakeven (n), break-even (adj), cutback, doorjamb, dark-haired, shorthaired, fair-haired, longhaired, long-sleeved, long johns, chuck wagon, street-smart (the same meaning as streetwise), longtime (adj.), long-term (adj.), long-standing (adj.), anklebone, cheekbone, hip bone, wellborn, well-bred, well built, cross-legged, crossover, crosscut, cross section, nerve-racking (also spelled nerve-wracking), landgrab (n), land-grabber (n), windowsill, windowpane, window shade, workday, pent-up, streetlight, majordomo, major general, searchlight, shoreline, workpeople, townspeople, firsthand, neckband, make-believe, make-do, makeover, make way, pinprick, wingspan, midday, midyear, mid-afternoon, day-to-day, show-and-tell, short-circuit (v), short circuit (n), wide-eyed, openmouthed.
And that's just the tip of the iceberg (not ice berg).
Ernst Hemingway said, “Writing is, at best, a lonely life.” But it doesn’t have to be. In this modern age, many writers organizations exist to address all areas of the profession, from getting started to understanding a contract and even book promotion. Check your local library, bookstores and colleges to find out the organizations in your area. Post notes on bulletin boards indicating your interest in starting a writers group. Attend conferences and workshops; not only will you broaden your knowledge, but you might also meet writers from your community.
A more extensive list can be found at Books and Writers.
Writers are artists, and keeping that in mind will really improve what you write. When developing scenes, the image of the environment is evoked by the writing. The manuscript (soon to be book) is the canvas, sentences and phrasing are the brushes; your words give color. All this creates Sense of Place; Sense of Place is vital to fact and fiction; it's an element of writing most readers appreciate, even if not consciously. Readers want to feel as if they are in the scene.
Some writers overuse adjectives with the mistaken belief that this will offer sense of place. But saying "the elegant house" isn't enough. That abstraction has little substance. "The well-landscaped house set on a knoll overseeing the valley" might paint a better picture. Another attempt to set a scene is to list things.
Brenda looked around. The room had a brass coffee table, and a bright sofa flanked by two Queen Anne chairs. Three prints were on one wall, with the sheer curtains hanging at the wide window. Two ornate candlesticks set on the fireplace mantle.
Brenda has become a camera, with no emotion attached to the description. The above paragraph might work better:
Brenda liked cozy look of the bright sofa, flanked by Queen Anne chairs. She admired the three Monet prints, and fingered an ornate candlestick on the mantle. Scents of lilac wafted through the wide window, as a breeze billowed the curtains. The books on the brass coffee table caught her eye.
This second paragraph uses only nine more words than the first, yet inserts the character into the description of the room; hence, the reader learns about the room and the character.
Painting with words is not just a fiction element. Creating sense of place is important in nonfiction, too. A manual might read:
When managing a large office setting, it's important to develop good interaction between employees.
Large office setting is rather vague, and so is good interaction. To give this sentence sense of place, it could be written:
When faced with multiple workstations, harsh lighting and the continual background noises of telephones and copy machines, it's important to encourage dialogue with all employees.* * *
But fiction is where this element of writing is most useful, and the sense of place in any scene becomes stronger when it is reinforced throughout a paragraph or section to enhance the story. Take a look at a scene of a man whose car has broken down on a stretch of Kansas back road; here are the basics: Robert stood in the July sun beside his useless car. He looked around, but didn't see any houses.
Not terribly interesting, is it? Perk it up a bit: The hot July sun bore down on Robert.
The time of year has been added! Now this must carry through the scene....beside his useless car.... can be painted: Robert wiped sweat from his forehead and squinted toward his useless car. Wiped sweat (it's hot) squinted (it's bright). He looked around, but didn't see any houses... would work better as: The surrounding fields of ripening wheat seemed unending, without a single roofline or driveway in sight.
Good sense of place also engages all five senses. Include colors, smells and textures in descriptions. Here is Robert revised:
The hot July sun bore down as Robert backed from his vehicle. Why now? he wondered. He wiped sweat from his forehead and squinted at his useless car. He could smell hot metal from the engine. A puddle of radiator fluid stained the gray asphalt a sickly green. His sigh was barely audible in the dry wind, and the surrounding fields of ripening wheat seemed unending, without a single roofline or driveway in sight.* * *
Weather and nature also establish a sense of place. A story based in the tropics could be rife with descriptions of humidity, vivid sunsets, blown sand, myriad scents and colors from vegetation; on the negative, these areas also have hurricanes, riptides, mosquitoes, sink holes and sharks.
With a few well-placed phrases, a writer can provide a definite picture and sense of place. Doing this will strengthen characterizations and greatly add to a reader's enjoyment of the final product.
These two writing elements can be useful if used carefully.
Problems can arise with both of these elements if they are overused or encompass too much of the text. The above-mentioned supernova simile was set up several paragraphs before the phrase with several space references intervening; by the time the "special" phrase arrived, the analogy seemed tired.
