All writers and teachers of writing should get a kick out of today’s video.
Wait for it …
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Inspiration or Perspiration?
Thomas Edison was to have said, “Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration.” Apparently, he made 1,000 failed attempts to invent the light bulb. After accomplishing it, he was asked about all the previous failures. Edison replied, “I didn’t fail 1,000 times. The light bulb was an invention with 1,000 steps.” The exercise of writing can be somewhat similar. If you wait …
Fun Fridays – October 31, 2025
These famous brothers are so entertaining to watch, especially when playing their instruments. I encourage those of you with kids to watch their classic film A Night at the Opera; make it a family night. We don’t want them to be lost to the next generation. (If you can’t see the video in your newsletter, please click through to watch on the site.)
What Is a Book’s Trim Size?
Trim size is one of those terms we use frequently when talking about the dimensions of your printed book. The term originates from the printing process, where the book’s pages are initially printed on large sheets, which are then folded, glued, and subsequently trimmed to a specific size. (This linked video shows the entire book printing process.) Go to your shelf, pull down a few titles, …
Fun Friday – October 24, 2025
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 …