There are at least 10 reasons why you should be blogging. One is that “Blogging gives ‘voice’ to a website.”
Most writers will be happy to know that the Google settlement to create a universal digital library was rejected. You can find out more about this here.
Writer beware! Michael A. Stackpole warns writers about Borders new ebook self-publishing platform, Borders Get Published, calling it “Vampirizing the Dreams of Would-Be Authors.”
The Orange Prize for Fiction is under attack by AS Byatt as a “sexist prize.” Other writers agree:
“John Sutherland, the academic, said that ghettoising women writers did them more harm them good. Anita Brookner, a Booker winner, has dismissed positive discrimination and is also believed to have declined having her novels entered for the Orange.”
Promotions at Little, Brown make changes in their commercial women’s fiction:
“Little, Brown’s Antonia Hodgson, publisher of the commercial division, is consolidating the Piatkus and Sphere commercial women’s fiction lists.
Joanne Dickinson, who has been at Little, Brown for 10 years, has been promoted to manage both lists as publisher of commercial women’s fiction, reporting to Hodgson. She was previously publishing director for Sphere’s commercial women’s fiction. In Dickinson’s new role, Piatkus fiction senior editor Emma Dunford and assistant editor Donna Condon will report to her.”
Anyone thinking of self-publishing a book should read this article by Smashword’s Mark Coker about DRM (digital rights management) to see why all the indie authors I know choose to go DRM free. He also touches on both sides of book piracy, including a Niel Gaiman video.
Mike Shatzkin disucsses Barry Eisler’s decision to turn down a $500,000 offer by his publisher and instead self-publish his own books.
“I am not alone in having long known that self-publishing would ultimately present big authors with the opportunity to disintermediate their publishers, but I wouldn’t have thought when I asked that question that the sci-tech journal would hold its ground longer. Now I wouldn’t be so sure.”
Dean Wesley Smith talks about it, too, and thinks it’s only the beginning.
“For the first time, traditional publishers have lost their hold on the distribution system, and over the last decade have been offering less and less value in what they give in return to writers. Traditional publishers are holding a number of very silly lines in the sand that Barry and Joe talk about. The train has left the station and traditional publishers are still thinking they can dig up the track to stop the train from leaving. Clearly, that is not working.”
