Today is the last of the “Dog Days of Summer,” and major league baseball is in the home stretch. Thus, it is wonderfully appropriate to post today’s classic video, “Who’s on First?” by Abbott and Costello.
Four Million Books Published Each Year?
I read a statistic that estimates there were four million new books published in 2022 (sourced from https://www.zippia.com/advice/us-book-industry-statistics/). This includes all self-published books (at least 50%) and traditionally published textbooks and books for the trade. This means there is a new book published every eight seconds or nearly 11,000 per day, every day of the year. With our …
Fun Friday – August 4, 2023
Today’s Fun Friday is a bit more educational, but still fun! Learn, in three minutes, how wool goes from a sheep to your sweater and the ingenious processes that go into it. Much like all the various parts of making a book, it takes a lot of work and many smart people involved in the process. Enjoy! [If you are unable to view the video in your email newsletter, please go to our website and …
Do Gimmicks Work in a Book Proposal?
Here are a few “gimmicks” I’ve received over the years from people who mailed their book proposals to our office: Cover letter printed on fluorescent paper A twenty-dollar bill inside the SASE A wooden treasure chest full of chocolate gold coins A signed photo of basketball player Michael Jordan A rock (in a proposal about God as our rock) An 18″x24″ piece of artwork, …
Fun Fridays – July 28, 2023
A bit by the comedian Gallagher from the 70s and 80s. He was mostly known for his “Sledge-o-Matic” gag where he smashed watermelons on stage. But not today! Instead, he makes great fun of the English language. Enjoy watching! [If you can’t view the video in your newsletter email, please visit the website and enjoy.] Thanks to Deb Haggerty for the tip!
Words Can Last
We have become used to online reviews for all sorts of items. Book reviews on Amazon. Reviews of places to stay on AirBnb. Reviews on Yelp for everything from restaurants to dentists. And more. Nearly 3,000 years ago, in Babylon, these complaint letters were written on stone tablets in cuneiform and sent to the place of business. The earliest complaint letter uncovered by archaeologists can be …
Fun Fridays – July 21, 2023
Today’s video depicts a writer pouncing on an editor or an agent at a writers conference. Veteran editors are rarely surprised, but if you wait for it, “Success!”
Endorsements: How Important Are They?
How important are endorsements? (Those “blurbs” on the back of a book that exclaim, “A real masterpiece!”) Let me answer with a question. When browsing a book title, do you look at the endorsements or notice who wrote the foreword or the introduction? I suspect you do without realizing it. And if you are unfamiliar with the author but you know the endorser, then you are …
Fun Fridays – July 14, 2023
A classic song for a summer day. I grew up playing Alan Sherman’s album on our family record player! [If you cannot see the video in your newsletter feed, please click through to our site where you can view today’s fun.]
Everyone is a Critic
One of the burdens an artist must bear is the scrutiny of public opinion. It can either be exhilarating or devastating. At the risk of oversimplifying the issue, let’s look at some categories that define this topic. Opinion Everyone has an opinion. The problem for the author is to determine how much weight to give to those opinions. One mistake a writer will make is to ask someone or a group of …