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Amazon has launched a Kindle First program that allows readers early access to certain titles; Jason Diamond rounds up ten must-read November books; Salt Publishing’s Linda Bennett offers an author challenge for NaNoWriMo; and other news.
The strange and beautiful universe of Denis Johnson’s fiction is marked by the enduring appeal of his 1992 story collection, Jesus’ Son.
I have a book I think would make a good e-book—it's fiction but with lots of relevant (historical and political) links to videos, archival photos, cultural analysis. Is it a good idea to market this to agents and editors as a potential e-book? Or would that seem gimmicky? Also, would it make it seem less literary?
An e-book original is, unfortunately, still perceived as a last resort for a book. Since, to my knowledge, e-book publishers operate on a no-advance payment structure (with higher royalties most of the time, to make up for that) pitching your project as a "good e-book" is like telling agents they might never make a dime on it. So, not an ideal foot to put forward! Instead, pitch the book based on all its general merit; then, in a separate paragraph, argue that your topic lends itself to unique opportunities for digital engagement in an e-book edition, which would be an asset to the overall publication if creatively constructed. Every print book is going to have an e-book edition as well, so this way your pitch sounds like there's a bonus aspect.
Starting tomorrow, Amazon will collect sales tax in Massachusetts and Connecticut; USA Today reveals what can be gleaned from two decades of its best-seller lists; Salon gathered short and scary stories from twelve authors, including Shani Boianjiu and Mat Johnson; and other news.
Halloween costumes reveal much about who we are underneath our contrived, ordinary selves. Think back to your childhood and relive your favorite Halloween costume—why you chose it, what it divulged about you, and how it felt putting on the costume. Something mysterious and compelling happens when we try to be something or someone else. Explore that experience. Write five hundred words.
Amazon has launched a literary journal titled Day One; Ernest Hemingway’s advice to a young author; Claire Messud considers Albert Camus’s Algerian Chronicles; and other news.
Halloween evokes the power of tradition, superstition, and society. Our children dress up as heroes, goblins, and villains and scamper along our neighbors’ sidewalks, lawns, and driveways beseeching candy. Write six hundred words about a confrontation between an adult homeowner and a group of children. Allow the colors, tones, noises, smells, and feel of Halloween to inform—if not define—your writing. Be funny. Be scary. Be creative.
Luc Sante reflects on the colorful life of iconic musician and poet Lou Reed; author Lionel Shriver discusses the current mode of success for writers; the last poem by Seamus Heaney; and other news.
Halloween week is here. Write a poem about something you feared as a child. As adults we fear loneliness, intellectual and financial ruin, and—of course—death. However, children experience the world and their own humanity differently; yet, their fears are just as scary, valid, and profound. Begin the poem as an innocent child. End the poem as a mature adult.
