Writing
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Author-Narcissism Theory Confirmed!
Aha! It was as we suspected after all. Recent research has confirmed it: A new British study finds people with narcissistic tendencies are more likely than others to think of themselves as creative, and to engage in creative activities. If your opinion of yourself is unusually high, there’s a good chance you long to share… Continue reading
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News from Lake Flyover
A technological accident added some unexpected profundity to Ian Stansel’s heartfelt piece “Finding the Essential in the Literary Midwest.” Here’s how the piece ended, at least when I read it (only the first paragraph was intentional): So to you folks flying over, I say this: go ahead. Go on to Colorado or New Mexico or… Continue reading
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Berlatsky the Hack: A Word of Encouragement
Cheer up, Noah Berlatsky! Your self-described life as a Hack puts you on Level 3 of our Ladder of Writerly Financial Success. Not a bad place to be! And it puts you in some esteemed company. Continue reading
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What They Knew #9
“No man but a blockhead ever wrote except for money.” –Dr. Johnson Continue reading
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Madame Slushpile Rides Again
This long Salon article by Laura Miller covers the battle at Goodreads between readers and self-published authors. High Priestess Miller once again bemoans the democratization of authorship, which in her view is marked by average readers, who, now that agents and editors can be bypassed, would be exposed to the horrors of the slush pile… Continue reading
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Congratulations, Alice Munro!
Munro is a very deserving author indeed, who has not only given great insight and pleasure to her readers, but has been a model and inspiration for so many authors, perhaps especially those of shorter-form fiction. Like Borges, she has shown that rich fictional worlds can be created in the span of a few pages.… Continue reading
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The Great Novella Tournament of Champions: Billy Budd v. The Secret Sharer
The Great Novella Tournament of Champions celebrates a classic literary form believed to be poised for a comeback. The judge is a long-time fan of the form who is in the final stages of self-publishing a novella of his own. Off we go! First up in our celebrity novella deathmatch are a couple of… Continue reading
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An Update of the Self-Publishing Update
When I put together the last progress update I forgot I had to buy my own ISBNs. I bought the block of 10 from Bowker which set me back $250, dramatically increasing my costs thus far. That climb from Level 8 to Level 5 just got a lot steeper. Ah well. I guess the fair… Continue reading
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Literary Gatekeepers and “Trends”
Great new interview with highly successful indie author Denise Grover Swank over at Simon Whistler’s Rocking Self Publishing podcast. The interview covers a lot of ground, with the primary focus being Swank’s three-part post Business Plans for Self-Published Authors. I’m sure there’s a lot of good advice in the business plan, which I haven’t read… Continue reading
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Are Authors All Narcissists?
Where does the desire to write fiction come from? Eagerness to tell stories? Desire to connect with people? Fame and fortune? Defeat death? Does it all boil down to unfettered narcissism? I don’t mean their fiction tends toward navel-gazing – it may or may not. I’m asking whether at the heart of all impulses to… Continue reading
Jacke Wilson 