Six Tough Truths About Self-Publishing (That the Advocates Never Seem to Talk About) – Rob Hart writes an insightful and cautionary tale. (caution: some flagrant language is used)

22 Rules of Story Telling According to Pixar – This is an excellent article for every novelist to read.

The Amazon Effect – Read this 6,200 word article from “The Nation” very carefully. It will help to understand the economics of publishing and the market shifts that have been occurring these past few years.

10 Great Science Fiction Novels for People Who Don’t Read Sci-Fi – I have to say that I agree with only four of their choices. Such is the nature of reading and recommending fiction! (Of the 10 I would choose Card, Bester, Shelley, and Herbert.)

Are Books Becoming too Long to Read? – A stimulating article that makes you think twice about the length of your books. I do see a trend in NON-fiction toward shorter books. Fiction is still a matter of taste and storytelling ability.

How Fast Do You Read? – Staples.com provides a quick little test including a comprehension quiz at the end. How fast are you?

A Summertime “The kids are home from school!” graphic for you to enjoy: