There seems to be something in my eye. Maybe watching this video will explain.
I’m not crying. You are crying.
(If you can’t see the video in your newsletter, please click through to watch on the site.)
The Worst Proofreading Error of All Time
Take a close look at the picture above. Read verse 14 out loud. The word “not” is missing. As in “Thou shalt ___ commit adultery.” It is from an edition of the Bible published in 1631, now affectionately known as “The Sinners Bible” or “The Wicked Bible.” Adulterers of the realm celebrated! (Just kidding.) The Royal Printers in London, Robert Barker …
Fun Friday – October 17, 2025 – The ISBN Turns 60!
This coming weekend, a milestone will be reached. The International Standard Book Number (ISBN) system turns 60 years old. That seemingly simple group of digits has had a lasting impact on our industry. Book nerds of the world unite. Let’s celebrate sixty years of the ISBN! (Party balloons are floating and party horns are sounding.) Below is an edited version of something the International …
A Few Misused Words and Phrases
I’ve written about this topic before, but thought it good to revisit it. There are some troublesome words regularly misused in emails or book proposals. Penultimate This term is often used carelessly to mean “the best” or “the greatest.” Penultimate means next to the last in a series or sequence. Not the best of the best. When used to mean “the best,” the …
Fun Fridays – October 10, 2025
Today’s video is a bit of a history lesson taught by a couple of archaeologists. They found what is believed to be the oldest full sentence written in the Canaanite language, 3,700 years old. To put this in historical context, this would be around 1,700 B.C., the biblical time of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. To best understand this video, I recommend enabling closed-captioning (click the …
Anthropic Lawsuit Information for Authors
What follows is not legal advice. It is merely observations made by reading various sources on the issue. As many authors have heard, there has been a settlement on a lawsuit over the Anthropic AI company’s use of books to train their AI (artificial intelligence) engine. The understanding is that the books had been pirated by others, but Anthropic used that content. They used 7 million books that …
Fun Fridays – October 3, 2025
A fun barbershop quartet video today. It should make you smile. Then think of the choreography, planning, and rehearsal necessary to pull this off! [If you can’t see this in your email newsletter, please click through to watch it on the website.]
How Many People Are Involved in Publishing Your Book?
Depending on your publisher, there can be quite a few people involved in getting your book to market. Even if you self-publish, there are still many functions that you may not do yourself. Below is not an exhaustive list, but a rambling stream of consciousness when thinking about the various jobs and the people who are involved in the publishing process: author (kinda important) literary agent (we …
Fun Fridays – September 26, 2025
Travel back in time to 1947 and watch this documentary on how books are made. Fascinating. The phrase “hot off the press” came from this molten lead process. However, remember that it still begins with you, the author. [If you are unable to view the video in your email, please visit the site where it is embedded.]
Who Gets Paid in Publishing?: Publishing Economics 101
The economics of publishing is a bit of a mystery if you are just coming into the business. With all the discussion about indie publishing versus traditional publishing and the claims that writers can become rich if they follow a specific plan, I began to think. Perhaps we should take a quick look at the economics of publishing to see if anyone is profiting significantly. Sorry for those of you …