Since schools across the world are ramping up to begin the new year (or already have begun), I thought it would be fun to visit a comedy sketch between Andy Griffith and Don Knotts (circa 1965, or two score and 14 years ago).
Know anybody like this? Dare you write them into your book?
Enjoy.
With trepidation I step into the gladiator arena of grammar. Below is a marvelous infographic from ExpertEditor.com, an Australian professional editing and proofreading company. Do you agree or disagree with these choices? Grammar rules are there for a reason. Clarity, consistency, and communication. A sloppy manuscript is a terrible thing …
To follow up on Monday’s discussion of the printing press, let’s take a five minute walk through the distribution process. Specifically Amazon.com. This video was release last week, but is already a little out of date. Yesterday FedEx announced they are severing their relationship with Amazon. The effort by Amazon …
If you ever get the chance to visit a printing press, do it. I’ve had the privilege to visit two of them. The first was Standard Publishing’s printing press in Cincinnati. Their plant is quite large and they do a wide variety of printing, everything from books to curriculum to Star Wars coloring books.
The other plant was Bethany Press International in Bloomington, MN. During my years with Bethany House Publishers I visited this plant many times since their building is about 100 yards from the back door of the publishing house! I watched them move from the old “film” method of processing to a completely digital technology.
The beauty of watching the books being printed is partly the fascination of cool machines, but also an insight into all of the incredible details that go into the manufacturing process.
So many metaphors for the writing life are expressed in this endearing video. Care to supply one of your own?
by Steve Laube
Publicity is the art of telling the world about you and your book. We recently received a few questions about publicity via the green button you see in the right hand column of our blog (yes, it really works).
1.) When should a writer hire a publicist?
I think an author should wait to see what their publisher will provide in this area. If you do hire a publicist make sure they coordinate with your publisher so as to not duplicate efforts. (Don’t aggravate your local TV station with multiple PR contacts.)
But the question was “when” not “should.” So let me re-answer.
If you are on your own with regard to your PR, you should hire that firm six to nine months prior to the release date of your book. The PR firm will be handicapped if you wait too long. They need lead time especially in the area of getting reviews for your book. Few review outlets are interested in a book after it has already been released.
We laugh at cat videos and dog videos. But what about birds? Today we rectify that oversight. Enjoy some fun with little birdies!
Oxymorons can be fun. Two words that can have contradictory meaning are put together to create a new phrase. Or it can be expanded to mean two separate thoughts or ideas that are in direct conflict with each other but when combined create something new.
For example, if you’ve ever worked in a cubicle you can see the humor in the description “office space.”
Watch and laugh again at the classic Tim Conway sketch “The Dentist.” It never gets old.
Remember the media principle of “if it bleeds it leads,” which means bad news or salacious headlines are designed to grab our attention. When authors are constantly barraged by bad news, it can be demotivating at the very least. I’m sure sales for your book could be better. I’m with …