Elmore Leonard died August 20th. Working on his 46th novel, Leonard was acclaimed for his masterful crime stories, many of which were turned into successful movies. You can find Elmore Leonard’s 10 fundamental rules for writers by clicking here.
“He fed his spirit with the bread of books.” That soulful sentiment comes from American poet Edwin Markham (1852 – 1940). By the time of his death,Markham amassed a huge library of 15000+ books. This collection was bequeathed to Wagner College’s Horrmann Library, at Staten Island, New York.
Most noted for his poem, The Man with the Hoe, Markham recognized the enduring power of books to transform us. Books are the repositories of the human spirit, a reflection of our complex selves, a roadmap connecting our past with our potential.
I’ve often heard writers say, “My book wrote itself. It started out as my concept but took on a life of its own.” Sometimes a character redirects the plot. Sometimes the plot morphs into something unexpected with a different denouement for a character. It’s as if a spirit speaks through the writer to tell a story that has to be told. In my own writing, that experience is felt as goosebumps, a tingling up my arms and across my shoulders, as if some other “presence” was slipping through me.
The phenomenon of a spirit directing a book is not restricted to the realm of fiction. This past week, author Sue Baugh’s interview on Book●ed told how her magnificent book, Echoes of Earth, went from a project to identify the earth’s oldest rocks to the revelation of how the origins of our planet exist in each of us today and what the earth can teach us. . . if we listen. You can find Sue’s interview in the Archives at www.bookedwebcast.com.
Tell My Sons by Lt. Col. Mark Weber, the next show on Book.ed, is another example of a book that had to be written. Mark Weber was “chosen” to write it. You may know of Mark and his amazing book through national interviews and news stories. Tell My Sons, an inspirational memoir with remarkable wisdom we can all apply to our own lives, made the NY Times Best Seller list. It has been acclaimed by such diverse, notable people as Mitch Albom (author of Tuesdays with Morrie), Walter Mondale (former U.S. VP), John Elway (Pro Football Hall of Fame), General Babakir Zibari (Iraq’s chief of defense), General David Petraeus (U.S. Army, retired; former director of the CIA) and actor Robin Williams, among many others.
Sadly, 41-year-old Mark Weber lost a valiant 3-year battle with cancer three days before Father’s Day this year. In his last year of life, Mark transformed his lifelong personal journals into Tell My Sons with the help of co-writer David Murray. With a devoted wife and three young, adoring sons, Mark had to choose how to spend his very limited time. I believe it was that “spirit” that worked through Mark, telling him he had a story that needed to be told. While Tell My Sons began as a legacy to Mark’s children, it took on a life of its own. We are all richer for that.
The spirit that worked through Mark to get a story told was severely challenged by his death since he was no longer available to promote the book. Out of sight, out of mind rules in the book world. But the spirit that worked through Mark isn’t giving up! Come watch my interview with Tell My Sons co-writer David Murray to hear the incredible back story of this transformative book. The interview goes online at www.bookedwebcast.com on Monday, August 19th at 8 PM, EST. In conjunction with the show, the Book Excerpts page at the Book●ed website offers links to see some of Mark Weber’s interviews.
If you’ve already read Tell My Sons, you will gain new appreciation for it after watching my interview with David Murray. And if you haven’t read the book yet, you will certainly want to!
“There is a destiny which makes us brothers; none goes his way alone. All that we send into the lives of others comes back into our own.” – Edwin Markham.
David Murray, co-author with Mark Weber of the highly acclaimed Tell My Sons, is a prolific writer of magazine articles and his own blog. To see what David has on his mind, visit his blog writingboots. David is also the Editor of the venerable 75-year-old monthly, Vital Speeches of the Day. It carries current speeches most important to the public concern from top speakers and recognized leaders.
“Put your hand on a hot stove for a minute, and it seems like an hour. Sit with a pretty girl for an hour, and it seems like a minute. THAT’S relativity.” This astute observation about time comes from a distant cousin of mine, Albert Einstein (yes, that Albert Einstein).
Time, that elusive man-made concept that confounds us! With a sense that time keeps gaining momentum, we often find ourselves looking in the rearview mirror of life, or preparing to meet a future rushing toward us. We seem to be losing the ability to live in the present and, with it, opportunities to use it well. Authors complain that it’s hard to find time to write while readers lament the lack of time to indulge in leisure reading.
Animals don’t care about time. Just think how your dog greets you the same when you walk through the front door, whether you’ve been away for five months or five minutes. Animals live in the present. So do children. But by the time we reach adulthood, humans measure everything in terms of time’s relationship to us — and there never seems to be enough of it.
Earth knows better. And, according to L. Sue Baugh, author of Echoes of Earth: Finding Ourselves in the Origins of the Planet, it has plenty to teach us — if we listen. What started out as an artistic project with colleague Lynn Martinelli to document the world’s oldest rock and mineral sites turned into an amazing 10-year journey that Sue shares in an interview on Book●ed, available starting Monday, August 12th at 8 PM (EST) at www.bookedwebcast.com.
A winner of the prestigious Nautilus Award, three Ben Franklin awards from the Independent Book Publishers Association, and the Next Generation Indie Book Award, Echoes of Earth will transform how you view time, our incredible planet, and your place on it. This gorgeously illustrated, scientifically grounded, lyrically expressed book is quite unlike any I’ve ever seen.
During my ½-hour interview with Sue, you’ll see some of the awesome sites she visited — the oldest and most remote places on earth. You’ll also hear some of her incredible adventures as “the power, clarity and beauty of those sites radically changed the course” of the book’s original goal.
The newest edition of Book●ed is shown on Watch Now and in the Archives, while all previous shows remain available in the Archives. And while you’re visiting the Book●ed website, check out the Book Excerpts page where you can purchase any book reviewed on my show. To find out more about Echoes of Earth, visit www.wildstonearts.com.
Have you ever seen the earth’s evolution represented as a 24-hour clock? On it, even the simplest forms of life didn’t exist until 4am. Sexual Reproduction has only been around since about 6pm. The Dinosaurs didn’t live and die off until late evening, and Humanity itself has been around for roughly 1 minute, 17 seconds. To see what a 24-hour hour earth evolution clock looks like click here.
My long-time (25+ years) pen pal in England marvels at my openness when writing about the most personal aspects of my life. Diana was brought up with the British stiff upper lip approach to life whereas I am ready to hop onto a therapist’s couch at the slightest twitch. I grew up in the culture of Oprah Winfrey and Dr. Phil. Whatever one might think about those media icons or the dozens of other American confess-and-be-healed talkathons, they’ve unmasked masses of the walking wounded looking for a path to healing – providing solace in sharing the lessons learned at the school of hard knocks.
Well beyond talk shows, self-help has found a welcome home in publishing. It’s estimated that more than $1 billion in self-help books sell every year. They sell in numbers large enough to be included in the New York Times Sunday Book Review, where best-sellers are listed under “Advice, How-To and Miscellaneous.”
As popular as self-help books are (perhaps magnified by the anxious times we live in), they have their critics. Anyone can hang a shingle proclaiming he or she can help you. Anyone can publish a book proclaiming it will help you.
Sandra Dolby, a retired professor of folklore at Indiana University read 300 self-help titles as preparation for her own book, Self-Help Books: Why Americans Keep Reading Them (University of Illinois Press, 2008). Her take on this genre is, “Reading them is like going to a trusted friend to ask for advice, and listening to them tell you what they think you should do and why it would be a good thing. Most people like the idea of self-education and discovery, which is encouraging.”
I come down somewhere in the middle on self-help books. Books that address our challenges with helpful advice deserve our attention. At the same time, caveat emptor – buyer beware. Check a book’s reviews and the reviewers. Peruse the chapter headings. Read some of the advice. Does it resonate with you? Each book is like a potential new friend: it must stand on its own to prove its worthiness.
One form of self-help comes from victims who became victors. There’s comfort in seeing a successful path forged by others who precede us. Wounded? Survive! Thrive!!! is such a book. It is a collection of true accounts by 101 women who faced a variety of crises yet reclaimed their lives – and who share what they learned along the way. Most contributors are not professional writers but they candidly divulge their personal stories to help others, men as well as women. As Dolby suggests, “Reading them is like going to a trusted friend.” The book also offers a list of resources.
To learn more about Wounded? Survive! Thrive!!! and hear one woman’s incredible story, watch my Book●ed interview with “stolen” adoptee Ellen Miller, starting Monday, August 5th at 8 PM (EST) at www.bookedwebcast.com.
The newest edition of Book●ed is shown on Watch Now and in the Archives, while all previous shows remain available in the Archives. And while you’re visiting the Book●ed website, check out the Book Excerpts page where you can purchase any book reviewed on my show..
We tend to think of creative writing as something to read, to ingest through the eyes. But, as I wrote in last week’s blog, most of us hear voices in our head when we read. Our brains translate what our eyes see into words we “hear”.
Writing that is meant to be spoken (think of speeches) is approached a bit differently from writing that is expected to be read with the eyes. Speeches that sound good also read well. But what seems good in print doesn’t always sound good when spoken. You can test this yourself by picking up a handful of novels and randomly reading passages aloud. See if the writing holds up when you speak it.
The best writing, in my opinion, satisfies when read and spoken. This is why writers, especially of fiction, are advised to read their work aloud, either to others or in solitude. That exercise often turns up awkward, unrealistic dialogue, repetitive verbiage or other weaknesses that need improvement.
One way for readers to test the satisfaction quotient of a book before committing to it is to attend a reading by the author. Increasingly, authors are arranging readings from their latest book as a way to market their work. These events are usually free and open to the public — at the public library or a neighborhood bookstore. Sometimes venues require a reservation and a fee – a secluded room in a restaurant, a literary conference or an arts retreat.
Large or small, free or with a fee, bare bones or full menu, there are opportunities to hear authors read their work throughout the year. You can find out about these events by checking your community newspaper and your library’s schedule of events, your neighborhood independent bookstore’s newsletter, literary periodicals that carry event news, or simply Google “author readings”.
I attended a recent book reading hosted by Janes Stories Press Foundation (JSPF). Three poets and one memoirist read from their contributions to JSPF’s fourth anthology, Bridges and Borders. Hearing lilting rhythms of poetry and a lightly accented poignant memoir directly from the authors added much to my reading of this evocative book.
You can learn more about the women behind Bridges and Borders – creative oral histories, both real and imagined — and Janes Stories Press Foundation by watching my Book●ed interview with JSPF president Shobha Sharma who is also a co-editor of the anthology. This thoughtful half-hour, exploring how women from a variety of backgrounds view the world and express it through their unique, personal writing, becomes available starting Monday, July 29th at 8 PM (EST) at www.bookedwebcast.com.
The newest edition of Book●ed is shown on Watch Now and in the Archives, while all previous shows remain available in the Archives. And while you’re visiting the Book●ed website, check out the Book Excerpts page where you can purchase any book reviewed on my show. To find out more about JSPF visit www.janesstories.org.
If the name Evelyn Wood rings a bell, you are probably a child of the ‘60s or ‘70s. She was an English teacher who gained fame as the creator of a system to increase a reader’s speed by 200-500%. She coined the term Speed Reading and built a lucrative business around it. President Kennedy, a natural speed reader, brought her to the White House to teach his staff Speed Reading. The staffs of Presidents Ford and Carter also took her course.
I took a Speed Reading course many years ago. I failed. I tried. Really, I did. I practiced all the exercises and did increase my speed while maintaining comprehension. I used it to advantage when reading non-fiction periodicals and textbooks. But Speed Reading diminished the enjoyment I derived from reading fiction, poetry and anything written in beautifully expressive language.
A cardinal rule of speed reading is to banish the voices in our heads when we read (what scientific types refer to as subvocalization). But without the voices, I lost the pleasure of the reading experience. I could not have it both ways. I had to choose. When it comes to reading books, I welcome the voices in my head. What about you? What voices live inside your head?
Speaking of voices, come watch my Book●ed interview with author Al Zimbler as we laugh our way through a light-hearted half-hour, discussing his latest book, Broadway at 77th, and his previous three books. An improvisational actor who, at age 88, still has some of the clients he served for decades as a CPA, Al brings his wild and woolly wit to his humorous short stories and poems. You’ll get a taste (think corner deli or the diner down the street) of Al’s humor when his interview becomes available starting Monday, July 22nd at 8 PM (EST) at www.bookedwebcast.com.
The newest edition of Book●ed is shown on Watch Now and in the Archives, while all previous shows remain available in the Archives. And while you’re visiting the Book●ed website, check out the Book Excerpts page where you can purchase any book reviewed on my show.
Trends in retail sales of books to U.S. consumers from 2010 to 2012 showed that e-commerce (Amazon and other online booksellers) grew by 18.7% to capture 43.8% of the market. Large chains (Barnes & Noble and the like) shrank 12.8% to hold 18.7% of the market. Helped by the folding of the Borders chain, independent bookstores saw a 1.3% uptick but still represented only 3.7% of retail book sales. As singer/songwriter Joni Mitchell penned, “Don’t it always seem to go that you don’t know what you’ve got ‘til it’s gone? They paved Paradise and put up a parking lot.” For many, the neighborhood independent bookstore is Paradise.
Think. Act.
What a wonderful start for the Book●ed webcast shows! Thank you to everyone (from the U.S. and around the world) who have been watching and, especially, to those who took time to congratulate me and my team on our successful launch on July 8th.
Every Monday, at 8 PM (EST), a new show is featured on the Watch Shows page of the Book●ed website. The show is also streamed on UStream (with 50 million unique viewers of their shows every month). Don’t fret if you miss a featured show because it is always available at www.bookedwebcast.com and www.fenmark.net in the Archives.
If you are a new visitor to this Blog, I hope you will take some time to browse through the weekly posts since its inception earlier this year (more than 6,400 visitors and more than 95 registered fans so far). You’ll find a wide variety of fascinating topics relating to books, written in a light, reader-friendly style and supplemented with links to additional information. With the launch of our webcasts, my blogs will alert you to the next book review and author interview. Of course, I’ll continue to bring you news and fun factoids. So come along and read with me!
My debut interview with Renee James — talking about her multi-award-winning murder mystery, Coming Out Can Be Murder, her challenges in getting published, and how her own life experience as a transgender woman helped shape her novel – was so fascinating, we extended it to a second ½-hour interview. If you missed part one, visit my Archives page to watch; then check out part two, starting at 8 PM (EST) on July 15th. I promise you won’t be bored! To read an excerpt from Renee’s book, go to the Book Excerpts page on this website. If you like what you see and want to purchase the book, there’s a “Buy the Book Now” link.
Take a moment to look at the sidebar of this Blog. You can register on the RSS Feed to follow my weekly posts with helpful reminders when the updates appear. You can even let me know what you think about my Blog, ask for future topics to be covered, or share information you think other readers would be interested in. After all, as I’ve always said, this Blog is for you!
Few readers pay attention to the typography employed in the books they read; few authors play a role in the typography choices for their books . But we should pay attention because typography enhances or detracts from the reading experience. Typography is a centuries-old, ever-evolving art. To learn more, visit Ben Barret-Forest’s entertaining short animated video about the history of fonts and typography.
Pop the champagne corks! After nearly a year in the making, the debut global webcast of Book●ed happens at 8 PM (EST) on Monday, July 8th. The book reviews and author interviews you’ve been waiting for will be just a mouse-click away, 24/7 anywhere in the world that you have internet access. You’ll be able to watch interviews, read excerpts and buy books via one very user-friendly website: www.bookedwebcast.com. The webcasts will also be available at other websites, including www.fenmark.net, and UStream.
As a writer moving in writing circles, I’ve learned that authors are very interesting people! And there’s almost always a back story to their book that is as interesting as the book itself. Meeting an author enhances the reading of their work. This is what my webcasts are about!
Book●ed will entertain, inform and enlighten you. It’s an innovative concept tying in modern technologies with time-tested communications techniques to connect authors and editors with booklovers. I invite you to join us on this exciting journey and let me know what you think. This concept is all about serving YOU!
For my debut show, I selected a multi-award-winning book that has broken new ground with a character that stays with you long after you’ve turned the last page. Bobbi Logan is the memorable protagonist-narrator in Renee James’ contemporary suspense/mystery/thriller, Coming Out Can Be Murder. Bobbi Logan, a sensitive, articulate transgender woman takes us on her personal journey as she transitions from a life as Bob Logan to her true gender. The very difficult, often heart-wrenching challenges she faces in her own life are entwined in the search for the brutal murderer of her best friend, another transgender woman. This page-turner takes place in and near Chicago, in evocatively-painted places that may be familiar or new to the reader.
The theme of “familiar” and “new” run throughout Coming Out Can Be Murder — in plot, place and character. Renee James brings years of editing experience to her forceful writing. She takes people, places and situations we may think of as “other than us” and helps us see the human qualities that make us more alike than different. She knows this well because she is a transgender woman.
Please join me for a fascinating book review and author interview with Renee James, starting July 8th at 8 PM (our shows are always available for viewing by visiting the Archives at www.bookedwebcast.com).
At age 105, Ida Pollock of the U.K., claims to be the world’s oldest working romance novelist. Writing under the pen name of Marguerite Bell, she recently wrapped up her 124th novel. She has no plans to stop. You go, girl!
Norwegian crime writer Hans Olav Lahlum set a new record for the world’s longest interview: 30 hours straight, speaking to journalist Mads Andersen. What happened to self-editing?
Could be!
Who knows?
There’s something due any day;
I will know right away,
Soon as it shows.*
I’m thrilled to report that Book●ed will debut its weekly half-hour video webcast on July 8th!
You’ve waited patiently. Now come the rewards. Every Monday, starting July 8th, Book●ed will present a lively new book review with an author or editor interview. From the moment the show is first broadcast, it will be available 24/7 from any computer with internet access. After one week as the featured show, it will remain available in our Archives. You’ll be able to find our shows at several websites, including (my favorite, of course) www.bookedwebcast.com and www.fenmark.net; also via UStream.
The Book●ed website will also debut a Book Excerpts page where you can find every book we’ve reviewed, easy to locate by the book’s cover, air date, title or author. Each excerpt will include a “Buy The Book Now” link, among other user-friendly features. You can go from watching an interview to reading an excerpt, or vice versa, then buy the book — all through the Book●ed website.
Book●ed is an innovative concept. Our marriage of new technologies with proven PR techniques is attracting great authors with noteworthy books that we present to booklovers around the world. The authors I interview have fascinating back stories that enhance the reading of their books.
As I writer, I know it is easier than ever to get books published but harder than ever to get read. Many worthwhile books get lost in a vast universe of 350,000 new titles annually. As a former award-winning public relations pro, I know how to build awareness among target audiences. As a booklover, I’m thrilled to find shining stars in the book universe and bring them to you.
Starting next week, this blog will feature details about upcoming shows.
Could it be? Yes, it could.
Something’s coming, something good,
Come on, something, come on in, don’t be shy,
Pull up a chair!
The air is humming,
And something great is coming! *
*with thanks to Stephen Sondheim whose lyrics from “West Side Story” I’ve borrowed and re-arranged
Summer calls for shorts. Not just the kind you wear. The kind you read. Winter is a good time to pick up a novel, a memoir, a complex text. Something you can sink your teeth into like a thick stew that fills you up with comfort through long, cold nights. But summer is all about brevity. A day at the beach. A cool mouthful of ice cream. Something comfortable you can dip into and out of. This doesn’t mean short stories are flimsy, fly-away and forgettable. Some of our greatest literature is found in the short stories of such authors as Fitzgerald, Poe, O’Connor, Chekhov, du Maurier, Asimov, de Maupissant. . . and my personal hero, O.Henry. The list could go on well beyond summer. Great writers understand the challenge and power of the short story.
It’s true that a full-length story establishes lasting relationships through details and complexities of plot that a short story lacks. But a well-crafted short story can stay with you far beyond its reading. If you think that fewer words mean less intensity, I offer up what is possibly the shortest story ever written and challenge you to remain unmoved:
“For sale. Baby shoes. Never worn.” This six-word story is often attributed to Ernest Hemingway, although it has never been verified. Does it matter? You get the point.
You can find great short stories in collections by a single author or in literary journals such as Tin House, Granta, Ploughshares, Crazy Horse, Black Warrior, Prairie Schooner and Glimmer Train.
Whether you pick up a collection of classic shorts or prefer contemporary fashions (check out the shorts of Harry Crews, Bobbie Ann Mason, Stephen King, Lorrie Moore, Jim Shepard and Annie Proulx) – it’s summer and you really should try on some shorts!code>
For a more thorough list of the best literary magazines, visit Every Writer’s Resource.
To see Listopia’s selection of best short fiction by contemporary authors, visit Best Contemporary Short Fiction.
To read some classic short stories online, visit Classic Short Stories.
Would you turn down an award for something you created? Of course not! Everyone wants recognition for their efforts. If money is part of the recognition, so much the better but (especially when the effort comes from the heart) financial gain is often of secondary importance.
The proliferation of writing competitions is the result of economics. The income from contest entrants often subsidizes publications that cannot rely solely on advertising or subscriptions for their existence. Some organizations have built their business on contests.
The May/June issue of Poets & Writers devotes a lot of space to a discussion about writing contests and literary prizes – have they lost their value to authors? To readers?
With writing contests appearing around every corner and under every rock, has the increase in awards diminished how we view them and the work that earns them? The consensus of agents, editors, publishers and writers is no. So keep submitting your work! BUT, as you do with everything else that matters in your life, proceed with careful consideration.
Well-managed competitions serve everyone: authors, agents, publishers and readers. Winners have their work recognized by more audiences and boost their chances for future work being published. Those who don’t win get practice in their craft and in the skill of submitting their work for review. Literary publications that sponsor competitions remain in business, offering their books and magazines at affordable prices.
Like most things that proliferate, you get a lot of bad along with the good. Entering contests willy-nilly can suck the life out of you. Before you know it, you’ve thrown away valuable time as well as money, either because the contest has a poor reputation or because you have no chance of winning. Your work is your brainchild – why entrust your child to just anyone?
Poets & Writers offers “seven strategies for a more efficient (and hopefully more effective) process of submitting your work to contests”: Finish first; Know your sponsoring organization; Judge your judge; Follow the rules; Don’t get fancy; Keep track; Keep writing. If you are considering entering writing competitions, or improving your chances of winning them, this article provides invaluable specific advice. If you want to understand the impact of literary prizes in today’s competitive publishing world, this issue of Poets & Writers should be on your reference shelf.
To see the Poets & Writers Writing Contest comprehensive database and read their timely blog with contest news, visit Poets & Writers.
Accepting the 1954 Nobel Prize in Literature, Ernest Hemingway said, “Writing, at its best, is a lonely life.” He was, of course, one of America’s all-time literary giants. But, despite his adventurous lifestyle, he was a lonely man who, in the end, took his own life.
I disagree with his assumption that writing only comes to those who acquiesce to a lonely life. Creating literature begins long before the commitment of words onto paper or into computer. The very act of writing invites voices and characters into one’s mind that take on their own life. While writers need time alone to contemplate what is churning in their minds, interacting with the world is how writers spend most of their time.
One of the most helpful activities writers can – and should – engage in is connecting with other writers. Absorbing the energy of other creative minds, getting feedback on works in progress and getting support when progress feels thwarted pays off in big dividends: possibly financially, usually creatively, always emotionally.
Fortunately, the internet has broadened opportunities for writers to connect. From almost anywhere in the world, we can find similar-minded individuals and groups that meet in person or via the internet. Writing groups may specialize in a genre or be open to all literary forms. Some are free and some charge a fee.
One such group, Jane's Stories Press Foundation (JSPF), is an international organization promoting emerging and established women writers, focusing on women under 25, over 50, and women of color. Programs include online writing circles and an annual writers retreat. Member Kamala Sarma says, ” Jane’s Stories Press Foundation has helped greatly in unblocking the writer in me, truly liberating!”
The Off Campus Writers Workshop (OCWW) has offered a weekly group meeting in Winnetka, Illinois for more than 60 years. Writers gather to hear acclaimed speakers address every conceivable genre and hone their writing skills. OCWW president Brenda Rossini says, “We have thrived because of the program’s excellence, a focus on essential cogs in the writing wheel, and, most important, the bonhomie and creative exchanges amongst our speakers, members and guests.”
Midwest Writers Association (MWA) is a networking base for experienced, professional non-fiction writers. Although their members work across the media spectrum, many write books that benefit from the same interaction sought by fiction writers.
Meet-up groups for writers have popped up all over. Finding one that suits a writer’s particular interests is a mouse click away.
I would be happy to help promote any writers support group through my blog. If you lead one, please let me know by clicking on “Book●ed Revealed” at the top of this page and follow the contact link. Please provide details in the message section.
Writing, at its best, can be a lonely life. But it doesn't have to be.
For more information about the organizations mentioned in Writers Helping Writers visit Jane's Stories Press Foundation , Off Campus Writers' Workshop, Midwest Writers Association and Writers Meetup Group.
Pity the poor chapbook. Although it has been around for nearly 500 years, it never makes the best seller lists. In fact, many people have no idea what a chapbook is – I never heard of the term until I attended a writers retreat several years ago. Oh, how times have changed!
Chap books are believed to have originated in England in the 1500s as small, cheaply produced books for people whose literacy was limited and who could not afford expensive books of those times. They were printed using woodcuts and were sold by traveling peddlers called chapmen. Chapbooks typically contained romantic tales of chivalry, religious and moral instruction, cookbooks, guides to fortune telling and magic, and bawdy stories full of innuendo (the same topics that sell well today). Some displayed graphic art.
As the process and machinery of printing was refined publishing became cheaper. At the same time literacy improved. Books that once were accessible only to the wealthy and educated became more available to the general population and the need for chapbooks waned.
Today’s vast publishing capabilities have brought back the chapbook in interesting ways. They are enjoying a revival of sorts. They remain a perfect format to present a short story or small collection of poetry but have left their primitive look in the past. Now, the best chapbooks are works of art, emphasizing original design as well as featuring original writing. Their publishing run is limited, typically 100-300 copies. Chapbooks have become the coveted treasures of collectors who appreciate the value of an original work of art that is in limited supply, that can be held in the hand and that touches many senses.
It is less likely that you will find chapbooks in big chain stores and book discounters. So take a trip to your local independent book store and see if they have a Chapbook section. If they don’t, share some of this information with them and suggest they devote a corner of their store to this lovely and growing revival.
To sample chapbooks and so much more, come to the 29th annual Chicago Tribune Printers Row Lit Fest June 8th and 9th. This is the largest free outdoor literary event in the Midwest with more than 150 booksellers from across the country displaying and selling new, used and antiquarian books. Several renowned authors will offer insights and entertainment at various presentations throughout the event. All events are free but tickets must be reserved for select programs. For details visit Printers Row Lit Fest.
The oldest known literature, written in the Sumerian language, dates back to the Middle Bronze Age (circa 2600 BCE). War is as old as mankind. At some unknown point in time, the two came together. The result is the literature of war.
On Memorial Day, as we commemorate those who have served and sacrificed for the freedom the rest of us enjoy, my thoughts turn to the variations on a theme known as the literature of war. War has been expressed through every written art form, including novels, poetry, memoir, essay and graphic literature. It is history viewed through the lens of each author.
Through literature, war has been glorified and vilified, made just and unjust, raised up to soaring beauty and razed down to something incomprehensively ugly. The literary depiction of war depends on whether the writer views it as winning or losing – not necessarily the actual battle, it can also be about the moral battle within one’s conscience.
Writers are challenged to convey to non-combatants, what combat is like. What the aftermath is like. How it changes those who engage in it and those who find themselves caught up in it.
As long as there is war, humanity will try to express its impact through literature. Try to give it meaning. Try to make madness logical. Mankind has never learned enough about war to end it. War literature represents mankind’s eternal paradox in words.
To read more on the literature of war, visit Gale.Cengage and Pw.Org.
Have I misjudged James Patterson? This best-selling author, known primarily for thrillers, has received mixed reviews from his peers. Many consider him more of an industry than an artist, churning out book after book. I’ve shared that view.
Honestly, I haven’t been fair to the man. I haven’t read any of his books. I tend to be suspicious of authors who constantly publish new work and self-promote on TV. Although I enjoy psychological thrillers (his predominant genre), I don’t know if his style is my cup of tea. But I’ve decided to check out Patterson’s books.
What made me reconsider Patterson is his recent Salon interview on trying to save an imperiled book industry. In the Salon interview, Patterson cites how governments of other countries support their publishing industry and suggests ways our country can step up to the challenge. The Salon interview followed on the heels of ads Patterson published in the New York Times Book Review and Publishers Weekly calling for individual, corporate and government support of book stores, libraries and reading.
Some have accused Patterson of using this platform to sell more of his books. I disagree. For several years, without fanfare, he has established hundreds of educational scholarships and donated thousands of books to libraries. He also created ReadKiddoRead.com, which helps parents, teachers, and librarians find the best books for their children.
In the world of commerce, change is inevitable. The emergence of self-publishing provides more opportunities for writers to get their work produced; eReaders make books more portable; online booksellers and big box discounters offer books at lower prices. If we are complacent, these good changes will come at a cost we cannot afford: losing the traditional publishers that produce enduring classics, along with the bookstores and libraries that keep the classics in circulation. It would be wonderful if support came solely from private interests but it has not been enough. There is a role for our government to assist in the promotion, protection and preservation of enduring American literature. Our role is to demand this assistance.
To read the full James Patterson interview, visit Patterson interview.
To learn more about great children’s books, visit Read Kiddo Read.
As noted in last week’s blog, I went to Boston for my son’s graduation. While there, I visited the legendary Harvard Coop in Cambridge. Being in a place so filled to the brim with books and other treats for bibliophiles, I was reminded of a scene in the 1984 comedy-drama film Moscow on the Hudson where Soviet circus performer-turned-defector Vladimir Ivanov (Robin Williams) visits his first U.S. supermarket. Confronted with rows upon rows of various toilet paper choices, he is overwhelmed and faints. That’s how I felt at the Harvard Coop: all that artistry with stories, language, facts and imagination tucked into these magical things called books! I couldn’t buy all of them but how could I choose from among so many temptations?
Away from the obligations and distractions of home, I also leisurely dipped into the New York Times Book Review. It reviews only 2-3 percent of the books that are submitted, only books published in the United States and available through general-interest bookstores, and generally not self-published books. I marveled at the variety of new works that were elevated by appearing in the Review. Those books would soon find their places alongside the floor-to-ceiling bookshelves at the Harvard Coop, other stores around the country, and countless internet bookseller sites. But what about all the great books they didn’t review?
As daunting as it is for readers like me (and you) to choose books in which to invest our time, money and attention, imagine how challenging it is for most authors to get us to choose their books. This challenge is amplified many times over for newer authors, who have not developed a following. Like the Hollywood studio system of yesteryear, the publishing industry that rolled out new authors with national promotions and nurtured their careers no longer exists.
There is a lot of literary talent left in the shadows because most authors are not marketing-savvy. With the emergence of self-publishing services alongside an increase in small publishing houses, authors have new avenues to get their work published. But being published does not automatically equate with selling books, as many a disillusioned novice author has discovered. Authors must maximize their marketing efforts if they want to sell their books.
After months of anticipation, I am happy to announce that my webcast show Book●ed is about to go into production, with a global launch date coming this June. The show will be a lively, entertaining half-hour introducing authors and their recently published books. A new edition of Book●ed will debut every week and then be available 24/7 on our website, as well as other websites and social media. The marketing mix offered to authors is unique among literary webcasts. To find out more about the webcasts and follow our guests, please visit www.bookedwebcast.com. Don’t forget to sign up for email reminders of our weekly blog updates. If you’re an author with a great recently published book, check my website for submission guidelines.
Booklovers visiting the Boston area should take the T red line to Harvard Square and visit the Harvard Coop and (for used scholarly books) Raven Used Books.
No blog entry this weekend. I will be in Boston for the May 3rd graduation of my son from Northeastern University. With a mother’s pride, I congratulate Ian Vincent Delmar, who earned a Bachelor of Arts in International Affairs — Magna Cum Laude!
I was single and living in a Manhattan brownstone when I bought a paperback book because of its intriguing cover. I was not familiar with the author (who, at that time, had just one successful novel under his belt) and the title of his second novel didn’t grab me. But the 1976 Signet paperback with an embossed girl’s face, totally black except for one drop of bright red blood at the corner of the girl’s mouth, was unlike any I had ever seen. So I bought Stephen King’s Salem’s Lot, and read one of the scariest books ever.
How scared was I? During the day, I would immerse myself in the book. Every night, I would place the book outside my apartment and lock the door. The story was perfect gothic horror and the cover conveyed the spirit of the haunting tale.
After Salem’s Lot, I became more aware of book jacket designs. Some designs are iconic. They include the original covers for In Cold Blood ; The Godfather ; Catch-22 ; Brave New World ; Clockwork Orange ; The Great Gatsby ; The Grapes of Wrath and Psycho. Great covers don’t belong solely in the adult fiction realm; iconic covers for nonfiction include The Mind’s Eye ; We Must Love One Another or Die ; What I Talk About When I Talk About Running and Visual Shock. Iconic covers for youth literature include The Cat in the Hat ; Goodnight Moon and Stuart Little.
EBooks also rely on eye-catching covers but that’s a topic for another Blog entry. About eBooks, I’ll simply quote famed book designer Chip Kidd: “Much is to be gained by eBooks: ease, convenience, portability. But something is definitely lost: tradition, a sensual experience, the comfort of thingy-ness — a little bit of humanity.”
“Don’t judge a book by its cover” is good analogous advice about how we view people. Of course, it also applies to books. However, especially in today’s marketplace where we are bombarded with choices, we often select a book by its cover. That makes the cover a critical component of a book’s ability to sell. Unless we are looking for a specific author or title, the book cover reaches our senses before anything else. It’s like any other kind of non-specific shopping: we have some idea of what we need or want, we go to the marketplace and, even before we start reading labels (or book jacket blurbs), we reach for the item that intrigues or pleases our visual sense.
Authors would be wise to pay as much attention to the design of their book cover as they are to their manuscript. And readers should take an extra moment to appreciate the creative cover art of the book they are reading.