Authors
-
Writing For Free: Must We Be Blockheads?
Blogs are free. Podcasts are free. Why not e-books? Umm…. Because I hope people think they shouldn’t be? Derek Thompson takes a thoughtful look at the arguments for and against writing for free: This discussion typically ping-pongs between two extremes: (1) It’s deeply unjust and insulting to ask people for free work, including free writing; and… Continue reading
-
What They Knew #12
“WAIT.” –Franz Kafka (from the sign he had posted above his writing desk) Continue reading
-
Indie Publishing: What Would Ezra Pound Do?
We’ve seen some great examples of the indie publishing spirit, from Dr. Johnson to Stéphane Mallarmé, to Marcel Proust. Next up: poetry’s mad scientist, the original miglior fabbro (well, except for the real miglior fabbro), the Tireless Champion of the Arts who wound up living – literally – in a cage. An amazing, awful life story: Ezra Pound! Pound of… Continue reading
-
Inmates, Asylums, Etc.
Noreen Malone provides a fascinating look at Simon & Schuster’s Jeremie Ruby-Strauss, The King of Trash Publishing: He was the very picture of civilized, a quality less abundant in the books he acquires. Ruby-Strauss had just come from the set of the “Today” show, where he’d shepherded three new authors, the young women behind the… Continue reading
-
On Digitization, Democracy, and Dignity
Several times now we’ve referred to the dignity of small audiences in arguing for self-publishing as a worthy endeavor, which should be celebrated rather than stigmatized. I’m glad to see the great Jeremy Waldron (incidentally a former professor of mine, and one of my favorites) has come out with a new book on the subject.… Continue reading
-
Beta Readers: New Jacke Book Shipping Today!
Definition of a good day: A Halloween post on the indie-publishing spirit of nineteenth-century France (did you miss the Halloween connection? look again!) Shipping out copies of the next Jacke Wilson book to my fantastic early readers I’m trying a new tactic this time: hard copies, a comment sheet, and a return envelope, postage paid.… Continue reading
-
Independent Publishing: What Would Stéphane Mallarmé Do?
Steve Moyer provides a fascinating look at the intersection of technology and publishing in nineteenth-century France. As Moyer observes, Stéphane Mallarmé not only excelled in poetry, essays, and translations, but in reconceptualizing the nature of the book: He was given to imagining new possibilities for the book, and in the 1870s and 1880s, he worked to… Continue reading
-
Independent Publishing: What Would Marcel Proust Do?
This is an easy one: we know what Proust would do, because he did it: Still, for all the brouhaha, many modern readers still find themselves in agreement with the two French publishers who turned down Proust’s manuscript [Swann’s Way] in 1912. A third agreed to publish it, provided that Proust himself cover the expenses. I… Continue reading
-
Embrace Your Inner Homer (and Publish Your Book!)
Okay, before we begin, please watch this video. It’s by far the best use of 24 seconds you’ll spend today: What does this have to do with self-publishing? Well, I could point to the dignity of the little robot with his little tennis racket arm, and the moving way he pulls himself down the road… Continue reading
-
Self-Publishing Update: Moving Up the Ladder of Success
Now that The Race: A Novella has been available for sale for a little over a week, it’s time to check in on our Levels of Financial Success for Writers. As you may recall, the last time we did an update I was still absorbing the blow of shelling out 250 bucks for a block… Continue reading
Jacke Wilson 