AZ Shea

"Our only hope."

2012-02-02T15:03:00.000-05:00

What happens when bookstores close? What about when brick-and-mortar bookstores just don't choose to stock your book?

How do readers find books in those cases?

Jim Hines has a guest blog by fellow author Joshua Palmatier/Ben Tate on The Importance of Shelf Space.

Here's author J.F. Lewis on why you should support your favorite writers by buying their books... concluding:

But spread the word or the words you crave may stop flowing.

(Also from Jim Hines, his annual writing income post. Check 'em all out; Jim's 2007 money post has the link to Scalzi's writing advice post about finances.)

Remember, if you just figure that "lots of people buy books" or that you don't need to speak up about the books you love -- you lose. No more future books. Maybe you think that books cost too much or that electrons [and electronic books] should be free.

Air is free.

Every book is a chain of people working to make that manuscript into a book. Unseen. Many people assume a book came out of nothing. As if it's a direct route from author to editor, which goes kazam! And lo, a book.

Just as another process is taken for granted, how cars are made -- with a great deal of effort by many (unseen) people. Books have a long production process. The only human face the average reader knows is the author.

Don't forget your authors create the words you crave. Feed them. Buy their books.

MY post office.

2012-01-29T20:12:00.004-05:00

I was following links about #LetterMo today, and then read more about the post office closures.

I haven't owned a car since July 2005. I've lived in Las Vegas, in rural Ohio, and in Michigan since then.

No car makes life especially exciting in the Midwest, where nearly everyone is used to having a car -- me included.

I could walk to a UPS store in Vegas, so I could send things in a pinch when no car was about -- but the post office was a few miles away. In Ohio I could walk to the post office if I was careful (windy country road). When I lived in Center Line, Michigan, I could walk to that post office.

I mailed a proofreading test in 2008 from the CL post office. Two, actually. :D

Now I'm in rural Michigan, and the post office is too far to walk to safely. If I depended on the post office for work instead of my computer, I'd be sunk.

But I still need the post office. I mail things, people mail me things. I ordered a new desktop when mine died. What if I'd had to go to a city to fetch it? I don't live in a city or a town, I live in a village.

Rural America will lose its post offices soon. My great-uncle doesn't use a computer. He's not required to, either; the post office is infrastructure. It's to bind us together, not rip us apart.

Sure, I can work from home because of the Internet. That's a great gift. Still, not everyone has regular 'Net access!

I run a small business. If I had to travel far every time I needed ink, or a new printer -- think of how that'd add up. (Trust me, I can imagine it vividly.) If I had to pay FedEx or UPS extra for delivery, when they don't always come out here, while USPS always does...

The Founding Fathers created the post office for us all. It serves many purposes. Anyone who thinks it's only about paper letters isn't paying attention. Anyone who ignores the lives and jobs and businesses who depend on USPS is a blamed fool.

Warning: dark & personal.

2012-01-24T01:40:00.005-05:00

I started this out saying, "No one did anything bad to me today." That's true.

Then I was going to say, "No one did anything bad to me this weekend." But that's not true.

At a con in the past, someone did. Someone I didn't know tried to force me, to rape me.

And someone reminded me of that over this past weekend. So when I stopped and listened to myself -- to my inner self, to what my heart and mind was saying behind "No one did" then I heard that, that echo, that "No one yet had the chance to go further" because I know someone who probably would.

I realized it because even when you don't get forced, the attempt is a violation. Just as Scarleteen says. To anyone who has never been forced, never been raped, never found that "No" is ignored... that's a concept he -- or she -- doesn't get.

There is no words.

Years ago, I fled where I lived because I'd been raped. Again, it's something people who haven't been raped or forced or victimized DO NOT understand. I've listened to them trying to grasp it, when I explain, and saying, "But why didn't you...?" as if that would help.

When I found out my rapist planned to move to my new region, I fled again. Each time, my fleeing coincided with other things happening in my life. The second time, however, I was aware that the flight was motivated first by my rapist and second by the other things. I've never fled -- as in packed up everything and moved away -- like that again.

Except for that weekend a few years ago. At a con. I got help from friends and fled him.

Years ago, I didn't try to explain this to anyone, not the rapist, nor the flight. This isn't to make you think I expect bad things at cons. I don't.

(The boyfriend who stalked me was not from fandom, for example. He didn't try to rape me, but stalking is another victimization.)

This whole topic is just something dark that I've been thinking about. I talk about a lot of things in my life. The predators... take me time to recover from. Just like they do for anyone else who survives the predators.

I am not prey. I am a person. I know teaching people to NOT be rapists is the first and best solution. But there is a dark part of me that wishes to make them feel exactly what it's like -- something that Mercedes Lackey did to a rapist in one of her books. I've never forgotten that.

Epic ConFusion

2012-01-23T15:24:00.002-05:00

Short version: Went to con, had fun, saw friends, met new people. Did panels... but not as a panelist. Came home underslept and with my brain buzzing.

Longer version:

I'd told the good Jeff Beeler that I wasn't going to be there Sunday, and expected to attend only Saturday afternoon. So he knew I wouldn't be able to manage a Sunday panel.

When I showed up, several people asked me why I hadn't been at my Grammar Police panel... for Saturday morning. My what?? Including Christian Klaver, who had been one of the panelists!

InFusion, Fusion's daily broadsheet, had listed that "Anne Zanoni will not be here Sunday." I felt very flattered and somewhat awed. It was really nice to know that my updating Jeff meant that people cared to let attendees know a panelist would be missing.

When I got home, last night I saw that Jason Sanford had Tweeted

We're waiting for @ninja_CE before starting the Grammar Police panel b/c she's the grammar expert! Anne, we need you ASAP!

Um. Maybe I shouldn't have been Tweeting before con... it does make people think I Tweet when I'm not in the house [like most people]. Pity I can't put up a Twitter away message... but that would be really annoying on Twitter!

Christian said that despite Grammar Police being a morning panel, there was a good turnout. Huzzah!! So I'm glad the topic worked. I'd hoped that would help writers.

I managed to attend four panels. I learned more about how PDFs flow (or don't!) in ebooks, heard about crowdsourcing, Worldcon bids, saw the Sony ereaders that Kathy Becker has, and divers things...

I really enjoyed the panel about anachronisms.

I wish I had managed my time better on Toby's panel; I hate it when I'm meeting people and have to duck in and out of panels. OTOH, I didn't interrupt with a ringing phone either, so that was a win.

I also pushed folks to attend Chicon 7 and WFC 2012. Truly, the more the merrier, and hey, we're helping the economy too! =twinkle=

I found out where friends had moved, saw the kidlets of Ken Strong and Chad Childers, heard about the best place to hold a kid's birthday party -- Jim Hoxsie's place, of course! -- and other stuff. I've missed people.

I also got to meet the author (Brent Weeks) who blurbed a book for Douglas Hulick, a SCAdian, who I also met this weekend. See, Doug's book was compared to my friend Dave's book, Giant Thief -- isn't it a small world? :D

Got to spend a little time with a lot of people. The cocktail party had lovely toffee. Most interesting costume of the weekend was a Clone Wars trooper.

Gifts?

2012-01-13T14:38:00.004-05:00

Argh!

A few days ago, I was scribbling in Blogger... and didn't realize that I was writing my thoughts out in public. Bad move.

Stress doesn't excuse it, even if that was a factor.

Back in high school, the teacher got mad at the class for not understanding her, and I watched one student look around, and decide to do something for everyone.

He got her mad at him.

I observed, but I didn't really put the pieces together then. I wish I had. I wish I'd told him it was a great gift. I wish I'd been articulate then, instead of just talkative.

Thank you for that gift, Chris Carrick. I hope you're well wherever you are, and that your choices and intelligence are rewarded.

I've been thinking about that day, lately. Maybe because of gifts -- thanks, Cordelia Naismith Vorkosigan! -- maybe not.

Happy 2012. If you'll be at Epic ConFusion in a week, hope to see you there... Be well.

Christmas 2011

2011-12-23T19:50:00.010-05:00

Every so often, someone wants me to define what editors do. I got this link from Paul [below]. What's a lot niftier is when an avid reader says to me, "Well, of course an editor edits!"

I love that. It restores my faith in people.

Paul Cornell did a grand post about writing. Please, go read it! There's lots of excellent advice; it's worth several reads.

Merry Christmas!

Santa will be here soon, whether you're awaiting the Santa Thing (from "A Study in Red and White" by David Tallerman) or happily anticipating old Saint Nick.

ETA: New Angry Robot sampler chapters. Snitched from Dave's blog, in fact. You even get presents! ;)

Links: December 2011

2011-12-13T00:13:00.001-05:00

This is a grab bag about contracts and publishing and divers other things. If you do nothing else, read about the contracts and pricing. But you should keep yourself updated on Amazon's Lending Library too -- and how that will affect how ebook authors get paid -- along with other publishing issues.

Not to mention how readers will buy ebooks.

Interviewing Marc Gascoigne: Angry Robot and Marco.

Absolutely awesome. I want to frame this... and also paste it up on the foreheads of various people: Reasons Not to Self-Publish in 2011-2012: A List.

Thanks to the great terribleminds, who also brings unto us this gem of wisdom about self-publishing's perils.

Agency pricing & law breaking: or is it?

Bill Shunn explains why you won't go to hell for using two spaces. Really.

Passive Guy goes into great detail -- which, trust me, you should do yourself the favor of reading -- about how to read a book contract. Give yourself plenty of time. Take notes.

2012: cons...

2011-12-01T16:21:00.001-05:00

I've been thinking about the 2012 cons for some time. I registered for Toronto's WFC way back -- in February 2011? I loved WFC 2010.

I also got a supporting membership for WorldCon -- Chicon 7 -- a month ago. I crunched numbers; I can make it to Chicago, so I upgraded to a full membership.

Which John Scalzi is hustling people for, as of today:

My promise: If @Chicon_7 gets to 6,000 attending memberships, I'll wear a white Mr. Rourke suit for at least one day of the con. 5 hours ago
To be fair, I AM the Toastmaster of Chicon 7. Which makes me Mr. Rourke of this particular Nerd Fantasy Island. 5 hours ago

Can't you help him with his goal? :D It'd be fantastic! And c'mon, Chicago Worldcon, it's sooooo close to Detroit!! =bounce bounce=

Here in the Metro Detroit area, there's ConFusion, Penguicon, and ConClave.

I've just registered for Fusion. We usually get a blizzard that weekend -- I swear it's to stymie every visitor into thinking Michigan is full of snow. But Fusion seems to get this snow no matter what, so be prepared.

Cons I'd like to attend, but cannot manage in 2012: Readercon and Fourth Street Fantasy.

Psst. Electric Velocipede plans to have at least part of the staff at either Chicon and/or WFC... =pleased= Now that our staff's grown to five from two, that's pretty spiffy. Also a little crazier wrt meeting up in person, since we're in four states and one province!

A loss... and a win.

2011-11-22T21:52:00.005-05:00

My dad, much to my delight, discovered Lois McMaster Bujold. He read the first Chalion book and then the entire Sharing Knife series.

Last month I bought him a Nook as an early Xmas gift [since he'd had hand surgery].

Dad read The Warrior's Apprentice [and also The Mountains of Mourning] and wants to read all the Miles books. :D

So I'm re-reading a few myself. And Jo Walton's Tor.com posts about Miles, of course.

Anne McCaffrey died Monday. I keep weeping. Or sniffling... and then weeping again.

My first sf/f worlds were Pern and WitchWorld. My science teacher in 7th grade made us all choose books to read... and I chose Dragonsinger because it was thicker than Dragonsong. I loved the Bantam covers.

Charles A. Tan, bless him, has collected Anne McCaffrey tributes.

Goodbye, lady. You'll always be in my heart. Thank you so much for getting me through a really awful patch in my life, with your worlds.

I remember how I wept the first time Robinton almost died. The sky should have been dark -- not the cheery blue that lacked clouds, seen through my tears.

The sky should be dark now everywhere, no matter how melodramatic it sounds. Zair took you home, Annie.

(It is a sad comment on my feelings that although it began raining here at nightfall, and still was last I looked, that does not feel like half enough.)

Given up on yourself?

2011-11-18T02:30:00.005-05:00

I've been trying to catch up on Kris' The Business Rusch. Having a new computer makes it somewhat easier.

But today -- tonight -- I used Goodreads as my blog reader. I've also had problems, unfortunately, getting her website to load. Right now Kris is updating the Freelancer's Survival Guide. I bought it, and I can't rave enough about the Guide. Go buy it!!

I stopped reading Giving Up On Yourself tonight because Kris was talking about how she gave up editing. And -- a friend asked me lately if I went to cons as a writer.

Those are tied together for me. I am not a writer, nor do I think of myself as a writer. I can write to communicate because I happen to be pretty good at communicating.

I am an editor. I've wanted to be an editor since I was in high school. I wouldn't give editing up for anything. I can't imagine being anything else.

And despite people who have tried to helpfully suggest that I do something else over the past few years -- well, see Roger Zelazny's answer about hardware stores.

I wonder how many people do give up on themselves. :/ I gave up for some while, about a decade ago, and kept on doing temp work. It was easier.

And I was afraid for a while that I wouldn't manage to break into editing. That changed in 2005, and now I'm doing what I dreamed about.

Don't give up. Please, don't give up. Dream for yourself and keep going.

Geek toys: tablets.

2011-11-13T17:56:00.000-05:00

Or, as this blogger says, Cool New Device Ownership Hunger. Well, c'mon, you know that's what it is. :D

Mostly, I can resist cellphones. I used to have Motorola's lovely email pager, the Talkabout. It had a real keyboard. I still miss that.

But tablets that can have a real keyb... Funny, I loathe laptops [and the feeling's mutual], yet the idea of a tablet that's got a real keyb just hits my geek-toy devicery exactly right.

I was in love with the Asus eee Transformer, and still am somewhat. Then I saw two slates: There's T-Mobile's Springboard; what's far better is the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1. It has Quickoffice HD.

Oh, yeah.

;) And you thought I just wanted a shiny toy to play with; well, naturally, but what's the point in a toy that you can't work on? Or in my case, meaning: type on actual real buttons.

Maybe that's the thing, that to me a Real Computer has to have buttons for I/O for my fingers.

You notice I didn't mention a mouse, right? I remember before we had computer mice. (I think the Commodore PET was the first mouse-using PC I ever used.) I don't spurn mice, certainly, but I also do not like the sliding panels on laptops either. Mice of the computer, they ought to have tails [i.e., wires]. Otherwise the farmer's wife has been at 'em.

So this is me trying to resist the urge to go shopping and get me a Galaxy Tab...

CE: Handy work aids.

2011-11-01T16:26:00.001-04:00

Adjective order.

Grammar index. I have barely dipped into this yet. I was hunting something on Grammar Girl, and then tried the next thing Google found, which was the Grammar site. Wow!

Definitions: Creator.

Cracked.com, bless them -- and I mean that! -- for making a bunch of helpful things. Like debunking Hollywood myths on guns and a host of other tidbits. This is especially helpful when you ask the Interweb an important question and can't get good answers.

Because why should the treats only be candy? ;D

How CAN they...

2011-10-14T01:22:00.005-04:00

How can legislators attack the teachers? Where would Abe Lincoln have been had he not learned to read? Heck, where would WE be?

I've always loved Lincoln. What would he have thought of his party now??

How can they attack the post office? Yes, the good ol' USPS. Congress forced the post office to pay 75 years worth of pensions -- yes, seventy-five! -- in ten years' time. Thus reducing their finances even further.

Ben Franklin was our first postmaster general. He also [says Wiki] set up our first lending library. I wouldn't be me without the library -- all of them. What about you?

It's all about the money. I bet you can feel where this is all going.

Yep. Shut down every institution that is for the common good -- the education, the postal service, the libraries, the health systems, everything. Because if you cannot pay, say the conservatives, then these should be sold at the highest price to the profit of someone else.

Privatize.

This so feels like a very frightening book instead of real life. I wouldn't read Animal Farm in my teens. I hated Brave New World, but had to read it twice. [Funny, I love apocalyptic fiction, though.] I managed to squeak out of reading 1984.

How can we stop this? Speak out. Don't hide. Spread the word about the laws you can't stand, about the things happening where you live. Tell people all over what you think.

The world is changing, everywhere. I'm advocating speech, so don't be shy.

The greedy bastards doing all this act like they have no shame. Maybe they don't. Doesn't matter. Society has a lot of tools for social change, and shame is not the least of them.

But pressure, now, pressure is a lovely tool.

And for the ones now in office who pretend that it's time to push their personal moral beliefs into law -- time to fire their misbegotten selves. This ain't what they were hired for.

This is my world too. I'm proud of all of the people in it. It doesn't matter if we never meet, if we don't eat the same things or speak the same languages. A lot doesn't matter. But this matters; to make things change, we all have to step up and speak.

I feel no need to return to the pre-industrial era, thanks. What about you?

But if you heard me cuss half the time lately, you'd think I wished I was violent like certain relatives... two of my favorite board games in the 80s were Family Business and Tom Wham's Gangsters.

I was good at those games. :D

2011: Snippets for Oct.

2011-10-06T18:53:00.001-04:00

Absence of 9-11 from SF.

Interesting. I hadn't researched it as Andrew Fox does, but I certainly had wondered last month why it was that I didn't see hardly any SF based on 9/11.

I read a lot of dark fiction, since I like gritty urban fantasy, so it made me wonder if perhaps non-Americans might be more prone to writing about the Towers. Perhaps.

Bookmonkey interviews Jo Fletcher on her new imprint.

If you haven't seen BoingBoing's farewell to Steve Jobs -- you should really go look. Perfect.

Last but never least, the artists for Angry Robot create awesome covers! Introducing Chris F. Holm's Collector series - http://angryrobotbooks.com/Ym

I also love the covers for Giant Thief and Debris and Empire State and Edge and...

Snippets: new book recs & libraries.

2011-09-24T14:20:00.002-04:00

Angry Robot titles through to June 2012

Recommendations: My top picks from these new books are Dead Harvest, Debris, and Empire State, plus Blackthorne favorites Edge and Point. Runners-up: Damage Time and Nekropolis:Dark War.

My wish list is The Alchemist of Souls and Giant Thief; also Blackbirds.

@EV_Mag: are you an author? like libraries? go here and consider being an advocate
Also, librarians can go here to get some info on cultivating your local notable writers

Not changing rates yet.

2011-09-17T00:46:00.006-04:00

I may update them to match EFA for Christmas. Right now I've got work in my queue, and various technology issues to overcome.

My old desktop died. I am not a fan of laptops. (Not a fan is that handy euphemism since cussing is no help.) The solution to whether I end up having to get one or replacing my desktop will come presently. Still, having my desktop die at last did answer my question of what it was doing [dying the true death].

This month is my fourth anniversary as a freelancer.

It's not what I expected. My job still suits me down to the ground.

Thank you to all the fine folks -- editors, authors, copy editors, librarians, family and friends -- who are there for me all the time. Without you, I wouldn't be here.

I'm so glad that I am. This really is the best job in the world for me. The world is good.

Serendipity.

2011-09-11T01:30:00.001-04:00

Some of the coolest things about my job are the side trips. What I find while doing research, or even while proofreading. Books I'd never heard of -- maps of London (I love maps) -- you name it. :D Stuff (she says with joy).

Being an Editor by Michael Kandel

Thanks to Ursula K. Le Guin and to Michael Kandel. Wow.

Book Promotion Tips for Hardcore Introverts... Interesting.

Cory Doctorow on publishing, on being a writer first into the field, and marketing books, and the whole [complicated messy] process.

Waterstone's planning an e-reader.

"A seamless amalgam of alternate history, epic fantasy adventure, apocalyptic horror, and heartrending romance..." with vampires. Yep, you can tell I was scoping through Twitter for the later links, eh?

Snippets, end of August.

2011-08-30T02:38:00.004-04:00

Interesting things learned while doing research lately:

Shazam is a word from the 1960s.

A fascinating journalism article: Handling race/ethnicity in descriptions.

Studebaker made buses... and a car called the Dictator. Which last didn't sell too well in Europe!

A really cool site about how blimps work. :D

I'm really thankful Hurricane Irene was not as bad as people feared -- I'm grateful that the folks I know are alive. No one has mentioned injuries yet, so I hope (and pray) for the best.

From the Midwest, Irene sounded horrific. I still have friends suffering the aftereffects on the East Coast. May rebuilding and fixing things move quickly and well!

Hope you are well, wherever you are, and that you stay safe. Mother Nature really IS batting 1000.

A step closer...

2011-08-26T02:23:00.004-04:00

Okay... technical support has provided a solution. I'll see tomorrow about implementing it.

Particularly as IE, despite being updated, is even crankier than Firefox. I would not have thought it possible. =shrug=

One would think that updating the browser would be a step in the right direction. Alas, not.

Hope wherever you are that you are safe, away from the oncoming hurricane, or getting away from't promptly.

If you haven't heard Ron Reagan lately, he's been guest hosting on MSNBC's Hardball this week. Two samples of Ron when he wraps up the show here: August 24 and August 25. I hadn't heard the first -- wow! Go, Ron!

But the second wrap-up is what caught my attention.

With the exception of Jon Huntsman, who seems driven either by vestigial
self-respect or a keen urge to commit political suicide, today's ambitious
Republicans tend to see facts as annoying obstacles blocking the view of their
more colorful fantasies. We don't need any stinking science! Take your
"reality-based community" and shove it!

Brilliant. So pithy, so clever, and exactly hitting it. Kudos!

Late night update.

2011-08-24T02:14:00.002-04:00

Sorry to have vanished. I began some new projects this month; some things didn't happen as expected; and the 'Net has been very peculiar in this area lately.

I thought our ISP and cable were from the same company -- and we've had increasing problems with cable lately -- but I was mistaken.

Fall is coming, to my delight. September is a lovely month. I had meant to update my rates, but I'll work that out next month... just in time for my work anniversary.

Be well.

PSA on rates.

2011-07-31T20:42:00.004-04:00

I just tapped the EFA website, and saw that their rates have risen for copyediting.

Starting in September 2011, I'm considering raising my hourly rates to match the EFA's current rates, which are now at $30/hour. I'll post my decision around the time EV #23 goes live in mid-August.

Note that I still accept flat-rate projects.

Without stars.

2011-07-30T02:45:00.002-04:00

I was telling my mom earlier about Alfred Bester's The Demolished Man. The first time I read it, I was absolutely chilled by That Scene at the end. You know the one -- where Ben Reich cannot see the stars anymore. All the stars are gone.

And no one knows what he's talking about. Stars and starlight don't exist. There are no lights in the sky.

(Speaking of which, Deanna Hoak mentioned this on Twitter, and oh! has it ever got lovely pictures of the Milky Way...)

What would it be like? To be in a world where you remembered something that had always existed, something that no one else could remember, something that was inexplicably gone.

I love Bester's short fiction; he was a marvel. But his novels... well, The Demolished Man is a brilliant classic, pure and simple. But a creepy story. I was foolish enough to re-read it, and it's a once-read only.

Jo Walton is right on the money when she says "It’s a great idea book, but it’s also tense all the way through and none of the characters are people I care to spend time with."

Admittedly, I am a huge fan of Babylon 5 (and their Alfred Bester), so I really had to read this book. :D

Headlines?

2011-07-28T23:57:00.007-04:00

Source: London Daily Mirror; image from About.com

Remember this headline?

I want to know if somewhere, someone's written something like this:

Are These the 60 Stupidest People in America?

What did they mistake about their job description as part of the United States Congress? About it being a government job, that is. A job that entails governing.

And who elected them? Was it just everyday people, Americans fed up with the way their lives and the recession's been going? Or was it, interesting enough, "health professionals... and oil and gas interests" * by any chance?

My mother suggested otherwise. It got me to thinking...

A Conspiracy of Stupid?

They said it couldn't happen again. Not on American soil. Yet it has. A conspiracy set within the Congress itself -- the strangest ever plot of al-Qaida -- to destroy America. And if they have their way, the economy of the world!

Because everyone knows that Americans will do anything, they're fanatics... and especially their newest politicians.

Where will it end???

* Source, Wikipedia article on the Tea Party Caucus

Yes, I'm upset about the debt ceiling ----. I don't even have a word I can use for it, crisis has been done to death, and nothing suits... not even brouhaha.

Maybe this made you laugh. Maybe not. I'm glad I never wanted to be a journalist, I think I would have been far better with penny dreadfuls. :D

Before I start on about people who can't do math oughtn't hold office, we'll move on. Thursday's been a historic day. I mean, not only in American politics -- today I found out Lawrence O'Donnell wrote episodes of West Wing, including one about the debt ceiling. That is surreal.

=grin= It's easier to think in terms of things that aren't apocalypses, particularly when about to goto bed.

Maybe tomorrow will prove to be the second time the Fourteenth Amendment is invoked.

Snippet.

2011-07-16T00:36:00.002-04:00

The lovely Wayback Machine had this interview of Sean Wallace by The Fix.

Lots of good stuff. One bit is where Stephen Segal defines the three audiences for Fantasy Magazine, H.P. Lovecraft’s Magazine of Horror, and Weird Tales.

Whenever anyone wants me to explain what I like about dark fiction, I must send them hence!

But I love what Sean says when asked about writing fiction himself. :D

2011: July links

2011-07-04T01:07:00.005-04:00

Tweets from Marc Gascoigne:

RT @DonnaMHanson : RT @pyroriffic : Apex Publications has opened to unsolicited novel submissions! http://twurl.nl/xfilt3

RT @jwikert : Study: Over Half Of E-Book Shoppers Buy Directly From Author Or Publisher http://zite.to/l7rlab via @zite #toccon

RT @Liz_Hand : Mike Dirda on ditching the bestseller lists for — OMG, actually READING NEW WRITERS???? http://t.co/628K2cb

Tweet from John Ottinger III: GW: SFFWRTCHT: A Chat With Editor Michael Ray of RedstoneSF magazine http://bit.ly/j7PkdN #scifi #fantasy

Five other Science Fiction and Fantasy Writer’s Chats are listed at the bottom of John's page. :]

Interesting how pastes from LinkedIn work... enough harvesting for now.

OT: A set of links about Facebook for principals. I'll have to go back to those myself.

End of June links.

2011-07-01T00:40:00.004-04:00

As I mostly do link collections, and haven't for a bit -- and as I was ranting recently, links would be calmer, eh? :]

Writer’s Conferences—Are They Relevant in the Internet Age?

I don't know. Lately I've been thinking not, but then I don't write; I helped moderate annual workshops, sometimes twice a year.

The one time I attended a local writer's conference, I won the door prize. (Talk about irony.) Why was I there? To talk with editors... It was an interesting day.

Showing (not telling!) how to pitch!

Wow, this is amazing. All the errors, and then -- the good!

Thanks for the above to Anne R. Allen, Janet Reid, and the BookViewCafe, which is how I was led therein.

And remember the immortal words of Chuck Wendig: The Internet is 55% porn, and 45% writers.

Because he wouldn't say that if it wasn't true, would he? =twinkle=

(If you want the other immortal words, you need to go read his blog.)

I miss ELM.

2011-06-28T23:27:00.004-04:00

I must be the only person in the universe who does. Or so it feels. :C

Tonight Gmail decided that y'know, panel email clients weren't bad enough. I've been happily avoiding email served up via panel for a long time. Eudora, Outlook, Pegasus, and Thunderbird are all that style. Gmail implements some of their worst features in a new way.

So now Gmail compresses the screen when you move down the email-list or open emails -- even though their top and bottom menu bars are clones, and don't need to BE compressed -- thus shrinking what you can see. How futile is that?

Gmail and Yahoo used to be like ELM -- you had a list of your emails, you selected the message, you read it. Panel readers break up your screen into compartments: the folder menu, the email-list, and the email you're reading.

I absolutely hate the panel format. Without reservation. Whoever invented panel-style email clients ought to be in a special place in hell (and I am not kidding).

The old way -- the list format -- was more like having an uncrumpled page. I can move up and down on that freely. I get the whole piece of paper as my screen when I open my message...

Well, mostly, but Gmail and Yahoo et al have been putting stuff in the sidebars, shrinking the screen where you read your email. Still, it was far better than the alternative:

Using panels is like having a scroll; my viewing options are limited, I have to do a lot of clicking and sliding to get anywhere, and each choice gets me a smaller area. [Gotta pin that thing open, but it keeps slipping!] It doesn't matter if I'm scanning the email-list or trying to read a message, I've gone from a full piece of flat paper to a 3x5 card.

I've used Outlook, and T-Bird, so this isn't guessing; I know what they're like, and I loathe them all.

What possessed Gmail? I don't know. I'd think that a bunch of clever geeks wouldn't do this.

After using Web email since 2000, of course I don't want 300 baud back. But why would I want a scroll flapping closed every time I read email??!!?!? Fighting email to read it -> counterproductive!

SquirrelMail, bless 'em, looks like the only email client who didn't go with panels, so... if I'm still frothing tomorrow, I may have a viable option. Thanks, folks!

The TV wall & agents...

2011-06-20T00:38:00.005-04:00

From Jun 10, 2011's Real Time with Bill Maher: New Rules: "Pretty soon, all of television will be one long show called CSI: Vampire Idol." What's that? It's "where forensics experts solve murders committed by sexy vampires singing show tunes in front of Steven Tyler."

Remember the TV walls? I wonder if this is anything like what Ray Bradbury had in mind? :D

Bill's description of said show thanks to blogger Toe in the Water.

AAA will not expel agents turned publishers

In a separate statement released to The Bookseller, Cox said: "The code of conduct specifically excludes those involved in publishing from becoming a member, and it is only common sense that any member who subsequently becomes a publisher is no longer eligible for membership."

Wow. And yet, per that article, the agents involved feel there's no conflict of interest.

Kris Rusch talks about surviving the transition into the new publishing world we're in now -- and taking the time to get your sea legs. This is part of her Thursday blog series. I plan on catching up on these, since I know Kris has blogged before about the agent-as-publisher.

Here's Agents: Transition Part 3. (Yes, I know I skipped 2, but I have to go back and read that.)

Why do I care? Well, I work for editors, who have the authors whose books I work on. As a reader, I want to read books; as a copy editor, I want to work on books for readers to read.

I have a theory.

2011-06-09T14:50:00.004-04:00

Remember, way back in the day, when you'd get spam -- how you could hit Unsubscribe and it was accepted. Then you weren't bothered anymore. Nowadays you can't, because instead it means "Human at other end" and the sender[s] never stop.

An attitude shift, sure, but it's also something else.

I think skip tracers [collectors] have bought into that new system too. That a human answering means it doesn't matter if it's the human sought, it's human, and that's all that matters. The reason I think so is that my parents have been hassled by collectors for someone else. People who've never lived here; the previous owners of their current phone number.

When did half a loaf start to be more important? It's dehumanizing.

More, it's scary.

This is a little like a fairly chilling part of a Patricia McKillip book that I happen to love. One character tells another that being alive is the only criteria required.

So is it?

Style curiosity?

2011-06-06T01:22:00.001-04:00

I've been reading through Ngaio Marsh's mysteries steadily.

Last Ditch has a style variation that appears to be the author's; I don't think it was a house style choice, but I could be wrong, of course. :]

On pages 206-207, there are two styles used:

"Doctor Carey" when beginning a paragraph of narrative;
but "Dr. Carey" when otherwise used in narrative

I don't have any examples marked from my own reading for dialog.

Why does this matter? Well, I didn't notice it myself until it was in two pages facing each other. This may have been a house style choice, it may not have, it's hard to say.

But I wonder. If this had been a job, I would have queried this.

Style choices matter. They'll be invisible to some readers, and not to others. Certainly this style question didn't wreck my interest in the mystery, but when confronted by the difference, I marked it. :D

In case you're curious, I read the hardcover edition from Little, Brown (1977).

Past curiouser.

2011-05-20T23:55:00.000-04:00

A Minnesotan Republican called Neil Gaiman a thief. No, really. And then this man's mother made him apologize to Neil. (Well, sort of.)

How weird is that?

I think what Neil says in his interview is pretty neat. You can see why anyone would initially think this was some sort of prank, not real life. I mean, c'mon!

I love that Neil's Twitter followers crashed the Republican's website. :D

I realize I'm late to all this -- it happened over a fortnight ago. But... it's still staggering. Abnormally so. Too like Dave Barry's refrain: "I am not making this up!"

When I thought I'd look around a bit online last night, I didn't expect a bizarre clash of politics with an author -- particularly Neil.

Reminds me a bit of Amazonfail 2010, with someone [Scalzi?] pointing out that writers, well, write. Anyone who presumes otherwise, especially when attacking a writer, is not paying attention. Such words nowadays do not softly vanish, unnoticed; if nothing else, the Interweb has made people hyperaware.

I love reading sf/f. But some parts of it, well, I didn't expect to really happen. To live. And the people who haven't recognized yet that we're living in that unplanned and very sf future? They are, perhaps, the most frightening to me.

Bill Shunn wrote a brilliant story called "From Our Point of View, We Had Moved to the Left" (which is just amazing). I've been thinking a lot about that story lately.

This would be a good spot for a leading question or conclusion, but I'm going to dodge that.

Penguicon 2011

2011-04-29T00:39:00.002-04:00

I've been at every Penguicon since it first debuted in Warren, MI.

The usual suspects -- Elizabeth Bear, John Scalzi, Tobias Buckell, Jim C. Hines, Merrie Haskell, and many more -- will be there. Our GoH's Brandon Sanderson.

I'm trying to think of something that poor Brandon hasn't been asked a thousand times. I stymied Steve Jackson of SJG one year with a question; I swear it wasn't intentional. Steve's a good sport, though.

But I think Brandon might like getting a good unusual question. Or... maybe not. :]

If you've never been to P-con, here's his schedule and Jim Hines' schedule. To give you a tiny taste -- tiny indeed, since this doesn't include the music, such Tom Smith and the Great Luke Ski! nor the liquid nitrogen ice cream... or the Chaos Machine...

I realized I hadn't posted about the con earlier -- sorry! I'd truly meant to.

Hope to see you there!

Help from Inkpunks.

2011-04-25T22:10:00.004-04:00

I check into Inkpunks every so often. Here's some gems from Christie Yant, which Erika Holt brought to my notice through her own Standing Out in the Slushpile: Some Basic Tips:

Lessons From the Slushpile: Good vs. Great, and What editors owe us and also Your Cover Letters.

I highly recommend these. Of course I'm biased. :D We're all Tribe, sure, but I know [read "work with"] an Inkpunk friend.

But I'm biased because hey, people who write clearly and are extremely helpful are my kind of people. Even when we aren't one degree apart.

One screen that I've had my browser load automatically is "Learning to say no" and there's reason for this. We all run out of spoons -- we have limits. Know your own.

Recent links.

2011-04-04T14:02:00.003-04:00

Here's some bits and pieces, garnered through Tweets on L-In.

@jackschofield : Sign in window of soon-to-close Borders store in Chicago. Someone's a little bitter http://t.co/rwmHPOD

Another bit of joy from Borders: Jason Erik Lundberg RT @nkjemisin: RAGE. Are you kidding? Borders can't pay publishers and authors, but they can pay execs $8.3 million in bonuses?? http://on.wsj.com/ifM3s1

Profits for the largest five publishers in 2010.

Two slants on rejection:

He's Just Not That Into You (Publishing Edition)

Marc Gascoigne RT @RachelleGardner: Why does it take agents and editors longer to say yes than no? (Think Nordstrom. ) http://ow.ly/4psJT

Ngaio Marsh

2011-03-31T17:21:00.004-04:00

Ngaio Marsh is incredible. I can't quite put my finger on why I can't stop reading her writing, or how she sucks me in so hard. But she does.

When I told Dad how hard I found to stop reading, he nodded and said it was her pacing. It's excellent. Even her subchapters -- sometimes only a page long -- don't let me stop reading.

I really get impatient near the end, because that's when she very deftly muddles you. I have never read anyone who glued me to the page like this. I think I know who did it, but--!

I'm also curious, if you have read Ngaio Marsh, whether you notice that she sometimes shifts POV very briefly and without warning. Like Elizabeth Bear, it works.

It oughtn't. But she's so good that I notice it, and merely continue on.

Here's a bit from her:

The coroner summed up at considerable length and with commendable simplicity. His manner suggested that the jury as a whole was certifiable as mentally unsound, but that he knew his duty and would perform it in the teeth of stupidity.

I crack up every time I get partway through this. I can't say that Ngaio does this all the time -- if so, I haven't noticed. But when I read the previous page, it's even funnier. That'd spoil the scene, so I can't post that. :D You'd dislike me intensely.

I began with her final novel, Light Thickens. I've read five more within a week's time. I'll be sorry when I've got through all thirty-two... except that wow, what incredible writing.

The quote is from Death at the Bar.

March: Open call submissions.

2011-03-24T22:54:00.005-04:00

Lee over at Angry Robot Books is interviewed about their open call for submissions -- just for March 2011! Hurry if you have a book that fits, but make sure you read the guidelines, eh?

There's a really nice bonus section after the Open Call section about research and the importance of being pitch perfect. Please read it!

Because you know something? Those dozen tips are really there to help you. This is not a competition against The Enemy.

And check Ralan.com and the Black Hole on publishers' wait times. Do your research on any publisher you approach -- just like any agent. That's why Preditors & Editors exists, and Writer Beware, and the Absolute Write water cooler.

All of which are in my sidebar.

Keep in mind that I'm not an author; I work with Angry Robot as a copy editor. I think they're fantastic, I do. My experience is gonna be totally different from yours because it's a different relationship.

Speaking of that, a freelance writer for thirty years describes The Hardest Kind of Job: Candy Moulton on Freelancing. Because it is.

In related news, the Google Book settlement... was rejected. In a post about submitting to publishers, that just seemed like the most apropos way to round off. :D

Amy Einsohn.

2011-03-16T15:07:00.002-04:00

I like to mention books I love here. Sometimes those are writing books, like E. M. Forster's Aspects of the Novel.

But today I wanted to mention Amy Einsohn. She wrote The Copyeditor's Handbook: A Guide for Book Publishing and Corporate Communications. It's a brilliant book. Like my copy of Chicago, my TCH barely ever closes, and it's crammed with bookmarks.

Hence Amy Einsohn and the Making of The Copyeditor's Handbook.

And here's a list of distance courses in editing. :> Note that Amy teaches them for Editcetera.

Various March links.

2011-03-13T01:12:00.000-05:00

A really brilliant essay by Tim Waggoner about writing -- getting time to write, budgeting time, getting the people around you to honor your commitment... And networking.

He also has an essay about theme anthologies. This includes advice from editors and other writers. :> If you haven't read up on good writing advice lately, I recommend going through Tim's Articles.

Last link from Tim: The Long Strange Journey...

Phil Athans on convention etiquette, wherein Phil also pings folks like Kris Rusch and Jim Minz. Thanks to John at Grasping for the Wind. :>

You don’t want to be a writer per terribleminds. [Warning, much cursing but very humorous!] From terribleminds, Jane Yolen writes a pointed letter to the Today show.

Crippling libraries

2011-02-26T15:07:00.006-05:00

I'm outraged about a particular publisher deciding to punish libraries who have e-books.

Full disclosure: I don't read e-books. I may someday, but I haven't tried 'em yet.

Imagine how you'd feel if you were the 27th person who lived somewhere rural, far away from a good bookstore, whatever -- and wanted to read something that you couldn't buy this month. And the library's only allowed to "rent"/lend the e-book 26 times.

Myself, I'm awaiting a status change on Charlie Stross's new Laundry book and Patricia McKillip's latest; they're both still new and can't be requested from other libraries.

With Lois Bujold's Cryoburn, I waited until the print book was off the new book shelf and could be requested. I have checked out hundreds of library books all my life, and that's a conservative guess. Last year alone I went through most of the Ellery Queen series [about 50 books] in 2-3 months.

More from a librarian about this madness. She provides lots of details, including contact info for HarperCollins and Overdrive.

The Analog Divide also has links for Trashy Bitches and Library Journal on this, along with Neilhimself's thoughts.

And another thing; what about the re-readers? I read my favorite books over and over. I honestly couldn't tell you how many times I've read the Miles Vorkosigan books. If I owned an e-book and it had a limit on how many times I could read it, and would expire out of my library...! What if I snagged a library e-book because it rocked and wasn't available in print format -- and that meant that someone else never got to read it?

Retiring or replacing a worn-out print book is NOT like limiting how many times an e-book is accessed!

Thanks to Cory Doctorow at BoingBoing and Lee Harris for tweeting the news. Also, there are a lot of great links and thoughts by commenters at BoingBoing.

I think that people who want the libraries to have more money ought to think about donating to them instead... because we moved away from the subscription-lending libraries quite some time ago.

Profit, Amazon, and publishing

2011-02-18T00:14:00.001-05:00

Education. This is your business, if you're a writer -- or you aspire to be paid as a writer.

Sorry to sound pompous (I expect that I do!) but still.

So you should educate yourself. Find reputable people who talk about the business and listen to them. Check facts. Don't assume that everything that's on the 'Net is True. C'mon, you know better.

Cat Valente explains why publishing is important -- and if you ever thought that you could do everything single-handedly in some business, then her words will open your eyes.

"Because there's more to writing a book than typing."

After you read it, you'll understand why I want to keep repeating the bit about the cheese. Brilliant. Cat, you are a goddess.

I dipped into her comments too, and as a copy editor, I am not a gatekeeper. My job is to help the manuscript become book and get to the reader.

You don't know how happy I am that we have slush readers and acquisition editors in the world... because I sure don't want to be wading through every scrap of deathless prose hunting for good stories. I wouldn't make a good slush reader.

Thanks to Tobias Buckell; somehow I missed Cat's link last year. Toby also explains Amazon's subsidizing bestsellers on the Kindle.

And because I got this from thinking about the 2010 Amazon Fail ep, here's the highlights from Making Light. Especially as Scalzi, bless his heart, made me laugh again over the Zoloft. :D

Royalties, Borders & EV

2011-02-07T13:29:00.002-05:00

Guess who paid lost royalties today? It's a good day to be an e-book author... at Macmillan and Amazon, where they're reaping the bounty from the Amazon Kindle Outage Adjustment.

And if you haven't been following the Borders news -- that they may file bankruptcy -- here's the synopsis from Locus. Kris has been covering details about it at The Business Rusch also, along with an explanation of the nitty-gritty.

We have A Rather Large Announcement over at EV today.

Check it out.

Links: February 2011

2011-02-04T19:18:00.000-05:00

A hodgepodge of various links. :>

Gavin Grant and How to Start a Small Press (and get e-books from Weightless Books).

From Moses, Piers Anthony: "Get into electronic publishing. It’s the future."

Interestingly enough, Moses' previous post begins "I found out that Red Adept–who is THE Kindle indie book reviewer" -- it makes total sense for there to be such a person. But not being a reader of ebooks myself, I wouldn't have ever guessed that said reviewer would be a Piers Anthony fan.

Well, okay, maybe I would have. Since I was addicted to the Apprentice Adept books in my youth. :D

Amberdine asks Are you your own boss? because cathshaffer was considering Hard decisions... [and had made a list about being a tough enough boss].

From SF Signal: My Big, Fat, Name-Dropping WFC 2010 Report

Rose Fox of Genreville fame and the Secrets to Success as a Writer...

Links: January 2011

2011-01-31T20:20:00.000-05:00

Moff's law. Mentioned by Jo Walton during her 500th post at Tor.com.

Time to feed the [ellided]. Isn't it? I, Cthulhu, or, What’s A Tentacle-Faced Thing Like Me Doing In A Sunken City Like This (Latitude 47° 9' S, Longitude 126° 43' W)?

2011 Publishers Round Table -- found via comments at Kris Rusch's latest (Part 14). Yes, I am hooked on her explanations. :> I'm a publishing geek.

Last month Dean Wesley Smith covered The New World of Publishing: The Scams. Check 'em out.

And then... Readercon. Have you ever been? I've been fascinated by Readercon since I first heard about it in 2005. I think it was 2-3 days before the con itself, actually.

Kris & the Changing Times.

2011-01-14T19:45:00.002-05:00

I've been reading the Business Rusch, by Kristine Katherine Rusch. I first heard about her Freelancer's Survival Guide, thanks to John Ottinger -- then got diverted by her Changing Times series. I had added her Guide to my to-buy book list.

I can't recommend her series enough. If you want to understand publishing even a little, particularly if you happen to write, you'll be amazed by the Changing Times.

Angry Robot shows cover love -- their books between now and June 2011.

Matt Forbeck's WFC report.

Next week's ConFusion. I'm wondering if there's enough snow. ;D It seems to be a rule that Fusion has so much snow that even native Michiganders are flummoxed. Visitors must think our winter is like this the entire time... It's not, really, but how would they know?

:D

Ereader use.

2011-01-01T01:35:00.000-05:00

Maybe you heard all the ruckus back in February 2011 when the publishers all decided that library ebooks should be limited. It was a BIG ruckus. Or, as Literary Sluts put it: Congratulations HarperCollins – you just guaranteed Amazon and Kindle will win the eBook & eReader war

That's a good precis.

I bring it up because I bought Dad a Nook, and my sister-in-law got my brother a Kindle Fire. I won't use the Kindle app on my Galaxy Tab 10.1. I've added the Nook app instead. (More on this anon.)

I like Amazon's convenience, I do. But their business practices are horrible; just consider last month. Despite a long-held belief that the market is always right, it's really not. Businesses are not built to be kind, they are built to seek profit. Playing well with others is a social concept devised by humans. Corporations are not people, they are constructs made by people for a purpose.

Monopolies make for bad business practices: On eating your seed corn.

Part of why it all makes me angry is that libraries -- libraries! -- are suffering.

The economy worldwide is doing poorly, and the people who buy the most books read like the dickens. Of course we use library books. If I bought one new book a week, I still wouldn't have enough to read. I read far more than one book a week! I'm reading 2 nonfiction books [I finished The Gift of Fear a week ago], along with several fiction novels; before Christmas I'd wrapped up six novels. I finished three more by 4am yesterday.

I read a LOT.

I know I'm not the only one, since I got the seed corn link from this blogger. Except... I don't remember libraries ever limiting me to a few books (except my elementary school). I remember bringing home at least 10 or 12 in high school, which was just enough for about a week if I took it slow.

Literate people need books desperately. Publishers need new readers even more desperately. Thrusting readers back into the 1800s is the worst possible idea. We want to reach the future, our future, not fall backward into the past.

So think carefully about ebooks, oh corporations. Never eat your seed corn! How ever will it grow then??

Final 2010 links.

2010-12-31T23:13:00.003-05:00

Links before the year dies:

A Modest Proposal (regarding ebooks)

This one comes with a caveat -- muchness of cussing -- which the title alone should give you an idea of: Should I Self-Publish: A Motherfucking Checklist

And Clarkeworld just got a shiny rocket! Long awaited, that's been. Isn't it lovely?

Congrats to Neil & the Clarkesworld crew!

Happy 2011 to one and all. :D

ETA: One last link, courtesy of friends at Twitter. AT&T releases dramatic anti-texting while driving documentary

Sharing the holidays...

2010-12-25T00:53:00.010-05:00

This fantastic image is from Day Two.
Go on, read it -- you know you want to!

Over December, I've been reading the Angry Robot Advent Day Calendar as I get time -- mostly in chunks, several days at a time. [What! Haven't you?] Some guest bloggers have taken a few of the slots. Adam Christopher notices what getting e-books has done to his collector gene...

Guy Adams has A Problem of Percentages.

And don't forget the robot folktale! From the Angry Robot Roundup (of course).

Colin Harvey talks about his schedule, and about taking regular breaks -- I strongly second him on breaks. Especially when I'm proofreading, I need to rest my eyes and get away from the computer more than when I'm reading hard copy.

Soo... Happy Holidays!!

More on c/e.

2010-12-22T13:46:00.006-05:00

I wanted to post this today because I'm a copy editor... and I like to help authors understand what I (we) do, as well as what other authors do.

I typically recommend that authors read up on what Deanna Hoak says about c/e. Now I'd go read Marty Halpern's blog for the same reason. Starting with this post Writing with Style (Sheets, That Is) over at More Red Ink.

Also, well, I enjoy reading what they have to say about our mutual job. They help me learn too. Thanks so much!

Note: I actually found Marty's post because of the Inspector Chen series, now with Morrigan Books. I'm reminded of Tom Lehrer saying, "It has been a nervous year"; with the ups and downs of 2010, yes, I could agree with that.

Just three links.

2010-12-20T13:04:00.008-05:00

Today, freelance projects, charity publishing, and editors...

This came up on LinkedIn, through one of my groups there, a freelancer beware: 10 red flags that shout 'Stay away from this project!'

Charity e-book company launched. It's sf, so if you're interested in helping, hit up H&H Books.

And Peter Beagle talks about editors, with his current editor, Connor Cochran. :D Editors and of course writing.

A few book & 'zine links

2010-12-17T12:47:00.000-05:00

Books -- from paper to e-books...

On The Certain Economics Of Relegating Paper Books To The Margins Of The Business

And magazines:

Realms of Fantasy Déjà vu

I wonder if, some day, we will all look back and say, "What! Oh, e-books, remember when print was dying or dead?"

Piracy and e-books...

And as I've lately read The Misadventures of Sherlock Holmes... here's a recent article about the Great Detective.

The book that got away...?

2010-12-05T01:39:00.000-05:00

Have you heard that there's a new Miles Vorkosigan book out?

And curses, I came back from WFC, and I hadn't got it. No problem, I was trying to not kill myself in carrying things. It's a book, it's new, I can get it... =gnaws fingernails=

So Baen pulled a fast one on me. I had Esther Friesner's Fangs for the Mammaries. I thought I was safe.

Indeed not. Guess what's in the back of that?

Yep. Cryoburn. First chapter.

Lois interviews Miles herself...

Jo Walton has a great essay about Miles. I didn't link to it up top because -- if you haven't read all the series -- this tells you all about the series. For me her essay's great, since I read the Vorkosigan saga [nearly] to death. I've proofread a few of the books too. But for you, go read the series first.

It's fabulous, and I love it. I love Miles and his family.

And then you can join us on the reread. I'm sure Jo will do this again. :D

New Bordertown!

2010-11-16T15:59:00.003-05:00

Terri Windling has News from Bordertown. (And More News too.)

I grew up on Bordertown -- but I didn't, not really; that is, the inner me was all there, but I'm not sure when I found the stories first. When I found Finder some years ago, I was in alt. And then, of course, I found Elsewhere and Nevernever.

Considering that Emma Bull can never go wrong, and Will Shetterly matches her every moment with Wolfboy -- you are so in for a fabulous ride. That'll make you hungry for the rest.

Let me tell you about Bordertown...

First, some amazing authors have written stories there. Even if you start with the novels, above, you'll want to read all the stories. Get the anthologies. Cherish 'em.

If I'd been a teen when I read these, I would have run away to B-town. End of story. Despite knowing that running away doesn't always solve your problems.

But for some kids, at least in B-town, running away does solve your problems. Normally I wouldn't say that.

Kudos to my friend Wolf, the first person I'd ever met who also loved Bordertown.

Thanks to Christopher Barzak, who has a story in this lovely new anthology... I wish I hadn't missed it at WFC!!! Thanks for spreading the word, Chris!

... And yeah, I would have mugged somebody for a copy of the ARC. Probably best all around that I didn't know about it. =whimper=

Publishing links.

2010-11-08T01:00:00.001-05:00

Victoria Strauss give you a Reality Check from Writer Beware.

Which resource I highly recommend you read.

Writer Beware is there to help writers. It really is. So whenever a reality check fails... reality's gonna hit you.

More from Victoria: Getting Published is Not a Crap Shoot and The Perils of Searching For Publishers on the Internet and busting a Writer's Myth.

Plus, I agree with Victoria about the LinkedIn forums that she mentions [in The Perils]. Over and over, the people there ask the same questions. Constantly. If there's a FAQ there for "newbie professional questions" I surely don't know of it.

Do you?

And a smart author that I found through Twitter: Roni Loren says Stop Beating Me Over the Head With Your Book.

Definition of copy editing?

2010-11-06T17:54:00.003-04:00

People have asked me to explain what copy editing is. And really, the best person who does that is Deanna Hoak.

The Copyediting Process

Zen and the Art of Copyediting

Note that Deanna has a comment [Aug 9th, 2005 at 9:20 am] where she defines the difference between a proofreader and a copy editor. :D

Proofreading vs. Copyediting

Doing Our Best

In Deanna's sidebar, you'll find others in The Best of; all of them will help you in writing, and in understanding what your copy editor does to help you... and your readers.

Last weekend I got to tell Deanna thanks in person, but still -- thank you so much, Deanna!

November links.

2010-11-01T18:06:00.003-04:00

These are a mixed bag, but that's okay -- sort of like Halloween candy. The art show yesterday was giving out small bags of candy, and that candy saved us all on the mad drive home. :>

From Marco at Angry Robot: The No. 1 Habit of Highly Creative People.

Maurice has pix from WFC. Bonus points if you know everyone (I surely don't).

Want a one-way ticket to Mars? Aw, c'mon! It's for science -- and humanity. :D No, really.

And something different: J.F. Lewis has been serializing a piece of his Void City universe. Halloween was the last installment. Find them all on his blog. Enjoy!

The serialized Halloween story is frickin' fantastic. <3

Jeremy's Void City series is exactly how I like my urban fantasy -- excellent, unusual, and witty -- and Staked was my favorite debut novel.

WFC Halloween

2010-11-01T14:48:00.003-04:00

Because she was on my mind this weekend, an essay from Lois M. Bujold about distribution.

I'll be all about WFC for quite some time, I'd say. Loved it. So exhausted.

So I'll just put down a few impressions of yesterday.

Yesterday I was between two World Fantasy Awards, Margo Lanagan's and Susan Marie Groppi's. John Klima had Margo's and Genevieve Valentine had Susan's.

Gene Wolfe made me cry. He accepted his award, and when you hear the emotion in the voice of someone who's that affected by the honor... what else can you do? Now, almost a day later, I realize that I wish I could have given him a hug; I hope enough other people thought of that.

Fabulous weekend.

2011: Read this!

2010-10-21T18:51:00.004-04:00

Ahhh, at last -- I can update what I was talking about a bit ago. I'd really wanted the cover, but it wasn't posted yet.

Dark and engrossing... Continuing where we left off in Edge: Point. Amazing book, and Point is my candidate for best book of 2011. No spoilers, but I think you should read Edge first.

A good book...

2010-10-21T00:17:00.003-04:00

A new penpal got me into J.D. Carr mysteries. My second novel was The Crooked Hinge.

It's really really good. I sat down and didn't get up, except for a drink of water, and then sat back down and read it straight through. Amazing.

I haven't found the detective, Dr. Gideon Fell, as engrossing as some others -- say Joe Leaphorn, Miss Marple, Mr Campion, Ellery Queen [you knew I'd mention Ellery!]. I like listening to Fell. He's nice.

But Carr's writing is engrossing. :>

Next week: World Fantasy!

Best new urban fantasy.

2010-09-29T12:45:00.005-04:00

I'm really behind on my blogroll. Bloglines had to email me and explain that they were going away. Sad news! I liked having all my Blogger sites in one place.

But my friend Jeremy posted his newest book cover. Crossed will be my favorite 2011 book in UF, hands down. I know this because Staked and ReVamped were my UF faves. I thought Staked was the best debut novel too. EVER.

I like wit. I love it when someone can mix wit, humor, and great story. And excellent writing.
And pacing that won't let me stop reading! Have I mentioned that I love the voice yet?

AZ summary: 2010

2010-09-25T13:42:00.004-04:00

This used to be in the sidebar. I think I'll update my summary annually.

* During 2005-2007, I proofread for author Steven Brust. Then I copy edited his collaboration _A Pair of Bullets_ during 2007, which was briefly online (starting 5-Sept-2008).

* I became the copy editor for Locus Magazine in September 2007, right after becoming the then-junior copy editor for Shimmer Magazine.

* In July 2008, I began proofreading The New York Review of Science Fiction.

* In October 2008, I began proofreading Electric Velocipede.

I passed the torch and am not proofreading Locus anymore [since early 2010]. My duties increased at EV, to Shimmer's loss. I'm now the managing editor at EV.

When I went from two to four zines, I hadn't expected that two are perhaps the easier load -- but so it's proved. Particularly as I handle more books now than I did.

My favorite 2010 book.

2010-09-23T21:02:00.004-04:00

is EDGE. Dark sf.

I've been waiting for Edge to come out. And next month it's out here in the US; you can already buy Edge in the UK, it's been out since February. You should buy Edge. You really really should. An awesome book.

Plus, I have a strong contender for my best book of 2011, which is the sequel, Point. Been raving about that 'un... :D

Links & MI

2010-09-16T14:47:00.003-04:00

Back in MI, settling in; delivered the sf sequel Monday. This week I'm ^ doing the sf reprint.

Some posts, the first about Angry Robot (welcoming our overlords) and two from them: Reality 36, Sherlock with a twist, and snippets.

Also, Genreville: Suppose They Gave a Book...

Next month -- WFC! I'm so excited.

Angry Robot contest

2010-09-02T17:42:00.002-04:00

Angry Robot just launched in the US this week. So they're blogging a lot. And you could win nifty stuff for a picture in B&N!

Biased? Of course I am. :D

But I'm okay with that.

Since tomorrow's September--

2010-08-31T16:26:00.004-04:00

What's up at EV during August.

A great job ad from Orbit Books for the London UK office. Why? That penultimate line... I just love it.

Went to ConText Saturday -- had much fun, sold Electric Velocipede back issues, and a book for Apex Books. Lovely time.

But as you can see, John captured my box-land universe right now. Back to that and The Sequel that I'm in love with -- awesome book, and which my editor knew I'd like, quite rightly. =happy=

Moving house -- again.

2010-08-24T20:29:00.003-04:00

I got the chance to move back home to Michigan. Over Labor Day.

So if you hadn't already heard, since I have been minimizing email, things are a little chaotic at present.

My kind hosts here in Ohio are letting me do this in stages. I'll get to spend my upcoming birthday in Michigan, and see my niece and my new nephew... and... and... I feel very lucky.

You can take the Great Lakes out of some people, but not certain Michiganders.

More news after Labor Day, I expect.

Reading...

2010-08-21T20:09:00.000-04:00

It's summer, so I thought I'd take a break and mention some fiction I've discovered.

Kelly McCullough's SpellCrash. Series. Really fun. Ever wanted your own webgoblin? No? Whyever not?

Alas, the library has this, which is Book 5, and all the other books except Book 4 (MythOS). Mythology operating system, that's it exactly. I'm seeking the rest. :>

But my eye was caught by the purple cover, let's admit.

And I just began WebMage. Very fun.
I can see/feel the resemblance to Zelazny even more. Yum!

Sharon Shinn's "Fallen Angel" (in To Weave a Web of Magic) and Sarah Monette's "A Gift of Wings" (in The Queen in Winter). Wow! I already knew Sarah, and I've read her work. I'd read Sharon's The Shape-Changer's Wife already -- marvelous book! -- so yes, I knew these were well worth it.

I highly recommend skipping the two non-genre authors in both, after reading them in The Queen; one novella is just awful. Possibly what said author thinks what High Fantasy reads like. T'other was... jarring.

Links, late July into August.

2010-08-04T00:59:00.001-04:00

Found at Angry Robot, some Tools for Writing.

Over at Locus, Cory Doctorow details his technical devices, for -- you got it -- writing. And Stuff. I've noticed over the past decade or so that you can tell you're a geek when you drool over cool devices you don't actually need. A sort of reflexive drooling. Like that backup drive he's got? Immediately I found myself leaning forward, wanting it.

Ahem.

Moonie talks about present tense and why it's hard on the reader. I agree with her. Tense is hard to begin with.

Also, Moonrat's Rundown of Publishing Options, aka what's the difference between traditional, small press, and self-publishing?

I just subscribed to Genreville. It's the new sf/f/h blog run by Rose Fox and Josh Jasper. I highly recommend them. :>

Many cool works are forthcoming from the most excellent Peter S. Beagle.

Status report: late July

2010-08-02T17:16:00.000-04:00

Sunday night, 25-July, I delivered another historical mystery... and then I was asked to do galleys on a book I proofread earlier in 2010. That's all done and delivered now.

So mentally I was elseworld. :>

I have a reprint coming up later this summer. Also, I plan to be at ConText later this month.

Right now I'm the house guard on the roomies' cat, Meester, who got an eye infection. He's stuck inside to make sure he gets his medicine. I'm pretty sure it's a matter of time before Meester gets past me; he's generally an indoor-outdoor cat. At least he's not a kzin! :D

Are you pondering... cons?

2010-07-18T23:24:00.004-04:00

I've been thinking, I now live near Columbus -- relatively speaking, that is. The home of ConText. This year lacks conflict with ConClave, which is my usual problem; instead, the con's only five weeks away.

And these are the folks who are putting on WFC. I'm already registered for World Fantasy.

I could day-trip ConText; their panels look great... Tempting!

Maybe I really am too much like Miles Vorkosigan. (Naw!!!) I already have three travel plans for going solo and/or with companions. There's time to work things out.

July links

2010-07-09T23:10:00.001-04:00

Moonie goes into the Blue Yonder with book publicity.

And from EV comes the recent Twitter panel: Do You Believe in Science Fiction?

Shared worlds... ever write one? Want to hear about someone who has? This is a lovely detailed look by Erin M. Evans.

And an essay about reading -- from reading as an addiction to unread books. Definitely enjoyable. I just realized part of why it was so enjoyable; it's by a reader for readers.

Refreshing, especially since the Smithsonian 'zine let me down with lots of "how technology will change everything" today, reading included.

And I can't but think they're a little slow to notice. =sigh= Maybe it's that I have higher standards for the Smithsonian as versus, say, TIME or Newsweek...

Mystery characters & vanity.

2010-07-04T16:14:00.004-04:00

Josephine Tey has a premise about vanity being part of the criminal mind. Typically Kevin or Alan will speak of this to a disbeliever.

Luckily for me, this gentleman has the very quote I'm thinking of from Alan Grant.

I plan to think about this some more. But I'm wondering how many criminals as characters fit. I have a feeling that Margery Allingham had several who did.

If you must motivate a character somehow, why not with pathological vanity? This would include vigilantes to some extent; any avenger -- Zorro, Batman -- has chosen to go outside the system. Isn't it vanity, and therefore hubris, to assume that Only You can solve the problem?

Last year, I noticed that one of Bujold's characters exactly fulfills this definition... probably more do, but I happened to be reading Brat Farrar right then, and it was quite a contrast!

SF tidbits...

2010-06-10T16:14:00.001-04:00

Neil talks about A Political Football in A Teacup -- which is what he got used as. :/

Diana Wynne Jones has chosen to discontinue chemo.

Tor has where to write DWJ, via a moving post by Kate Nepveu. Now would be an excellent time to write her and tell her that you love her books. [I do, and I'm about to write next.] I love DWJ's writing, and a great many of her books are my very favorites.

Brit over at Tor has a good post about writing called Taking Advice. Check it out.

Also from Tor: David Bowie as a specfi entertainer. How odd that I never thought of that, despite being a huge Bowie fan... and I've read The Man Who Fell to Earth too. Probably because I was a Bowie fan, although it's possible I picked that up before 1986.

And OSC's Intergalatic Medicine Show is back from hiatus! Apex Magazine (NOT Books) is open to subs again, as is Electric Velocipede.

Final May links.

2010-06-02T13:07:00.000-04:00

Cover letters in fiction -- why they're exactly opposite what you learn in writing job cover letters. From Adam's friend Christie Yant. :>

From Forbes: Twenty-One Women Entrepreneurs Reveal Their Favorite Business Books.

Garrison Keillor gives a speech for Authors Guild, much like his editorial. I think I prefer the latter.

And last, one from Moonie about book launches. Many excellent tips!

'We're All in This Together'

2010-05-18T15:07:00.000-04:00

A while back, I was thinking about Diana Wynne Jones, one of my favorite fantasy writers... and this is my most favorite story shape that she uses. I got to read another and it made me very happy.

Archer's Goon is a great example, and the one I think of first. YA can start, of course, with the alienated kid, all alone, trying to get by. And that can work. Sometimes it's just the setup. Sometimes the story morphs as the kid [or kids] find that they aren't really alone.

I'm not averse to the plucky hero[ine] flying solo. Far from it.

But "we" is community. It is friends and family and allies -- sometimes all of those, sometimes not. This is not the same as a single comrade/ally story [which was Andre Norton's particular favorite], although Diana does those too. Not a sidekick but another companion in misfortune.

I could list the other "we" books, but why spoil them for you?

Do realize that sometimes Diana's work will stealthily become a "we" story. If you look carefully at the cover flap, it may warn you. :>

Archer's Goon says straight up that the family is oppressed. It is one of my very favorites. I read it every other year, I think.

I didn't grow up reading DWJ. I wanted to. I found a story called "The Sage of Theare" and it took me many years, probably fifteen or so, to discover that British authors often ended up in the kids' part of libraries... although by then I owned Power of Three and Charmed Life. I have probably read nearly every book she's written.

(If you HAVE read Archer's Goon, Howl's Moving Castle, and Witch Week, here's a fascinating thesis discussion. Except that Cat is named Eric.)

May links

2010-05-10T13:17:00.001-04:00

William talks more about learning to write...

Jeremy has the tip about Tor.com adding someone to processing fiction subs -- Liz Gorinsky! :D And if you wanted the submission guidelines for Tor.com fiction, that's the place to go. Patrick's been understandably swamped.

Also, Jeremy tortures a werewolf... sort of. ;]

John Meaney explains important factors about reputable agents -- do listen up. When you research agents, use Writer Beware / Editors & Preditors and the Absolute Write watercooler [links on my sidebar]. And really, truly research 'em. It's part of your job as a writer... unless you'd prefer to be taken for a ride by a scam artist. I hope you don't!

To leave you with a smile, try John's definition of writing, which I like.

Status report: May

2010-05-08T23:24:00.005-04:00

Where have I vanished to?

Well, after Penguicon I fell straight into the next book gig... and my latest obsession. Ahem. Yes, I am now addicted to Ellery Queen mysteries. You are lucky indeed to miss any details of the latest one I've read -- by email or in person.

Yesterday I tried to divert myself with Ellery Queen's Challenge to the Reader. It's an anthology. And the challenge? Ah, well, you are to guess the sleuth's real name.

Although I haven't read many of the Golden Age authors included therein, EQ did not "conceal" some detectives' names well enough. =sigh= Annoying. Agatha Christie's Tommy and Tuppence clued me in on at least one sleuth. :>

Thus far, I think I like Dr. Thorndyke. He is much nicer than Holmes, I must say. Also, Arsène Lupin is delightful -- definitely my kind of rogue.

So now you know. Hide while you still can! You have been warned....

(I really must snag the other three incarnations of Ellery, EQ Version Three novels get a little... depressing.)

April links

2010-04-18T11:04:00.008-04:00

The great Moonrat is listed in the Top 50 Book People [near the bottom, if you're curious]; NeilHimself is the first one, as this is the Twitter list. And speaking of Twitter, how would you feel about paying every time someone did a search for your Tweet?

I liked how Moonie listed this, so I pinched her tagline: NY Mag article about the publisher who almost got JD Salinger's last novel. Poor guy.

There is a very scary book publishing poster that Moonie found [this month], but I'm not linking to it. That way any trauma you incur is because you ran off hunting it your own self. Also, it requires extreme magnification. Last, the writer who has not finished a book is advised to avoid the trauma.

To make up for poster lack, here's The Song -- no, not John Donne's The Song. That other one. :D

I missed when Scalzi did his play which explains the point of having all those people who don't write the book be involved in publishing.

ETA: The FAQ at Midpoint Trade Books tells you all sorts of neat things about books, their jackets, pub dates, distributors, when to publish... which may be things you need to know now, and may be things you wonder about. All fascinating.

Honorables and...

2010-04-16T12:40:00.001-04:00

Shimmer and Electric Velocipede both got honorable mentions in Ellen's new anthology, Best Horror of the Year 2.

Here's three Shimmery reviews. And isn't this a pretty cover for the new EV? :D

I'm going up to Penguicon in two weeks. P-con moved again, now it's at ConFusion's hotel, the Troy Marriott.

It's interesting to see how things change; I hadn't done panels much because I'd been involved in writing workshop coordination. Now the panels that interest me are about writing and/or publishing... a logical progression, but one I wouldn't have thought about a decade ago.

It all ties together...

2010-04-12T14:33:00.004-04:00

Today I got a Publishers Weekly link from LinkedIn. Marc Gascoigne from Angry Robot tweeted said link.

The article covers new publishers Angry Robot and Tu Books, along with e-book-only Carina Press [part of Harlequin]. Sections from Tor Books and Naomi Novik are included at the end. If you've ever wondered about vowels, read Naomi's piece.

(I think Naomi's grandmother must have met my grandfather at Ellis Island, in passing...)

Final March links: sf markets.

2010-04-01T13:39:00.001-04:00

Dreams of Decadence to Re-launch

So... if you write paranormal romance and/or urban fantasy, keep an eye on this market. Also note that links to the submission engines at Lightspeed [new market], Clarkesworld, Fantasy Magazine, and EV are in this post.

Polyphony, Or -- what happened to that book I ordered? In this case an anthology, but... it's an interesting brief discussion about marketing and submissions.

It does make you think... with this many people who submit to a market, who DOES buy the result? And -- as William said not long ago, how would you know to seek the book or antho out had you no idea of its existence?

Just because.

2010-03-31T23:50:00.002-04:00

"He must be very stupid," said Ellery.
"Sure," said his father cheerfully. "They're only smart in the fairy tales you write. Now if this were one of your mystery plots, Ellery, you know who'd be the criminal?"

-- from Four-&-Twenty Bloodhounds, edited by Anthony Boucher (Simon & Schuster, 1950).

I love Ellery Queen. The wealth in that little exchange is priceless. I've just begun chasing down Queen stories, so I have a little time before I mine them out.

I recommend that particular volume, as it's a fun concoction of the Mystery Writers of America, back when they were young -- only six years old! -- with John Dickson Carr, Anthony himself, among others. And of course Ellery Queen. :D

What's signal and what's noise?

2010-03-27T13:06:00.004-04:00

I don't have an answer. That's from a Cats Laughing song -- in War for the Oaks by Emma Bull.

But here I store links. Which are both signal and noise; it just depends on the viewer's perception

William brings up where books go, from the New York Review of Books. So far I think my favorite line, in a horrified sort of way, is "the utopian fantasy that in the digital future content will be free of charge and authors will not have to eat."

A discussion about race/whiteness in a newly reviewed book...

Ahhh... technology! How college students got Tweeted -- by their prof!

The Future of Publishing: A really clever video... be strong and listen all the way through. It's worth it; through Moonie.

After the Ides: March links.

2010-03-20T15:13:00.002-04:00

Since I've been behind on blogs lately: A workshop I missed hearing about... in NYC.

And a bunch of other nifty links from Moonie. The Jane Austen one was nifty. :D

I also recommend a standard submission process and what if a submission needs more work?

I cannot believe it's really spring -- I hear it was snowing yestereve in Kansas! Mostly because it's my niece's birthday. I wonder how well she's sleeping? I know her parents and grandparents are... a little light on sleep what with my nephew's extreme youth!

It's been a long week. I hope your weekend's going well.

[Hi, Rachel!!!]

A nameless post...

2010-03-08T13:15:00.005-05:00

I don't tend to get over to LJ as much anymore. Some years ago, I did. Once I came home to the Midwest, my life was very different, and so I just don't make it out of Blogger land as often.

But today I did.

Jim Hines talks about Why Advances Matter. Right now he's doing a First Novel Survey. Also note the comments in that -- authors add in things Jim hadn't, and as always, Jim discusses things further.

Something I love about the cool people I know is that they're smart and articulate. Not only do they teach me things, but they can teach you.

And because I adore her, and have come late to this discussion... Pamela Dean talks about her WIP. It grew. It must shrink. Drastically.

Installments: 2100 words; spoilers & of coral made; Chapter Three: catch a falling star; icicles, or 4-6; empty book... as a sparrow sees it; 75%, or twice mown?

I think I would give my firstborn child, had I one, for that two-volume book that will not be.

ETA: Sharyn November's news for teen writers. Guess what? Much of this applies to grownups too. I highly recommend her links to Justine and Scalzi in #5. Remember, just because you know an author/editor, ASK. Don't assume he or she is dying to read your stuff. 'Kay?

March voting...

2010-03-07T15:41:00.002-05:00

Pepsi is doing a monthly grant program with Web voting.

John's got a proposal there for OtherWorlds. I noticed a few days ago, but today he's posted about it. :>

And the 2010 Locus Poll is open. Nonsubscribers can indeed vote. Remember that you can write in candidates for 2009 works -- up to five per category.

Go check out the voting on both, eh?

The importance of research and wonder...

2010-02-28T12:47:00.008-05:00

Crows using tools -- no, this isn't made-up either.

Story as meme, to create change... is something that Mark Chadbourn is interested in.

William defines genre. This is really excellent -- what a great spot of "finding" that I'm having. But it does come down sometimes to knowing cool articulate people, and/or expecting to find 'em. Or as a friend of Steve's said, paraphrased: Why shouldn't he write about witty intelligent people? That's who he knows!

I have neglected keeping up with Moonie lately. She hasn't failed me -- Moonie's links:

A reprint through self-pub: The Silk Road.
Literary ennui, or Our Boredom, Ourselves, at the NY Times; can you get through it?
Anomie, a shot in the arm, or... 2009's Write Your A** Off Day -- found belatedly in my case, sorry! -- which Moonie instituted this year in early Feb.
Aprilynne on why you should not abandon Your Idea [past the artwork].
Starting with Moonie's own preface, and thence to Marie Mockett's essay about why debut writers deserve a chance.
And Dadrat explains the basics of query letters to Moonie; so cool! Make sure to peek in the comments.

Now WYAOD is officially in June [thanks, Moonie!]. :D So you can still make it!

I think that's much food for thought, eh?

Particularly when I had half a night's insomnia... don't worry, I only spent about an hour or so, wandering through Moonie's links [and 31 of her own posts, sigh]. Happy March to you.

Ansible & scam awards...

2010-02-25T01:53:00.009-05:00

I found Dave at Ansible talking about mystery, when I was sadly wanting some Anthony Boucher. I've only read a little of Tony's work, and oh! He was amazing. What I really want to read now is his Nine Times Nine, written under a pen name.

Tony was instrumental in much sf/f and mystery fandom. Check out his Wikipedia page for a quick look... or stick with Dave, who lovingly writes about Tony and his work.

Another great bit from Ansible: Nick Lowe's The Well-Tempered Plot Device. Which I learned about from Neil Gaiman. :D

Plot coupons! The Lord of the... ahem. =muffled howls and giggles=

And from Victoria Strauss of Writer Beware, an alert about those awards that are really scams.
BTW, Writer Beware is seeking guest bloggers.

Two bookish links.

2010-02-18T12:39:00.001-05:00

John's interviewed about submissions, EV, reviewing stories for SFF, etc. Make sure you read the part about the brown M&Ms carefully!

Really, I mean that -- it's important.

Jeremy at Night Shade Books talks about ebooks and book-buying... I like hearing his take on this, and I'm glad for people who thus find books. Very interesting.

Yet I hate the "recommended" engines. I don't want to know what Amazon, or 'bookswap, or anyone else thinks I'd like. Why? In most cases, over ninety-something percent, they're dead wrong.

About on par with the annoying commercials, really!

I've always been pretty good at finding things I like to read. I may average maybe one rec per person/source that connects for me. But maybe I just don't keep track well either.

Sorry to have been quiet, at least wrt comments here. I should be a little better [she says with hope] a week hence.

Blizzards 2010.

2010-02-10T23:13:00.006-05:00

Maybe the great blizzards missed you, but not me here in Ohio. :>

I'd been wondering when it'd hit Michigan, and it did -- this week.

Dear Mr. Frost, about that epic snow...

Someday I can tell my nephew all about this. He was born last Thursday, so I have to wait a while. :> You know, uphill in the snow, the sort of There I Was story -- this is what happened to me the day after you were born.

I wonder what my niece will tell him...

I went hunting for our mailbox, which some driver took out Friday -- we live on a curvy road -- but it was buried by the first blizzard. Still not found before the next storm.

Anyway, wherever you live, I hope you're well and not snowbound. If you are snowbound, I hope you have horses [or cats, if not both]. They've decided that the humans need to make this stuff go away now, it's no fun anymore.

This month I got three books. It is a February of snow and words, it is! :D

Links: Feb. 2010

2010-02-05T10:39:00.001-05:00

William's take on indie presses. Something I love about the (many) smart people I know is that they tell or explain things so well... I'd be envious, except that it's too excellent.

The amiable Rachel Olivier, my generous colleague and kind friend, did an interview in 2008. She tried many options while seeking work, and did very well. I highly recommend learning how she did so.

There's a new literary project in town. Go see!

And for entertainment, another friend of mine found the Basic Laws of Human Stupidity. He listed No. 4 on his blog [hi, Joel!].

Another funny -- one debut author's take on Amazonfail. :> Enjoy!

New milestone:

I've got three books this month, which all came in this week. So that busy for this month thing? Increased.

I may be a leetle quiet here.

Definitely a happy crazy-busy though!

2010 February.

2010-02-03T14:39:00.002-05:00

Also busy. I have a book in now that's unusual and really neat, from a repeat client, and a new prospect as well.

So I may be rearranging some of my 'zine commitments.

Outside work, I am doing bureaucratic Stuff related to my move here.

Amazon Fail: 2010

2010-02-01T21:16:00.006-05:00

You've likely heard about Amazon and Macmillan. If you haven't, this is a good time. For some excerpts to pull you in, Teresa has an overview at Making Light.

Note that John Scalzi's summing-up today, which I first saw quoted by Teresa, made me laugh for a very long time. Go, John!

Scott Westerfeld defines the stakes. Kudos, Scott! It may be childish of me, but I love your PS especially. :>

Charlie Stross pulls no punches, as always. :D I got Charlie's link an outsider's guide from Scott, btw.

Tobias Buckell explains the sausage-making aspect, which includes hard figures and economics -- which he rightly bills as the "intimate details of publishing" -- and very well worth the time needed to read it.

And Scalzi also gives several reports, such as a Quick Note on eBook Pricing and It's All About Timing.

All this reminds me why I love my Tribe. I wish I could articulate why meaningfully right now, but -- damn, I'm pleased, and I love you all for thinking and then telling us all about it. Because sf readers are thinkers [paraphrase of Fred Pohl].

CNET also details why e-books aren't cheaper. [Through Scalzi -- thanks, John!!] That's plenty, except as leavening, here's a cool post by the Sage HapiSofi, from Absolute Write... on $1000 copy editing.

Links: January

2010-01-29T08:11:00.005-05:00

Locus Magazine is seeking interns.

Although I enjoyed being the runner and part-time law library clerk back in 1989... I realize now that I would have killed to be Locus' intern. Half my lifetime ago. :> They may not send you to a castle like my law firm did -- but you never know, they might.

Kid Goth: Neil Gaiman. :D 'Nuff said, right? Heh.

I agree that Coraline is creepier for adults, because I now have a serious phobia about button eyes, which I can honestly blame on Neil. I love him anyway; he's too nice a person for any other choice.

The WSNB needs YOUR help!

And I have somewhat of a personal interest, in that I have proofed two different ads for this book -- one ad's running in EV 20, and t'other ran in EV 19. Go forth and buy it! (I just did.) The cover art's lovely, BTW.

Charlie Stross on monetization, aka why Google is not my friend.
Cory Doctorow explains about new media in Close enough for rock 'n' roll.

Author Kage Baker is dying of cancer... and hasn't much longer. John posted about her in his miscellany, and Jeff VanderMeer has given contact info for reaching her. Please, if she matters to you, take a bit to write her. Today. Please.