The title of Harper Lee’s Go Set a Watchman comes from the King James Bible, Isaiah 21:6: “For thus hath the Lord said unto me, Go, set a watchman, let him declare what he seeth.” Lee’s longtime friend, Baptist minister and historian Wayne Flint, said that in this passage Isaiah is prophesizing about the downfall of Babylon. “Nelle (Harper Lee) probably likened Monroeville (her Alabama birthplace and the inspiration for fictional Maycomb) to Babylon. The Babylon of immoral voices, the hypocrisy,” “Somebody needs to be set as the watchman to identify what we need to do to get out of the mess.”
Book●ed has teamed up with TASTE Food & Wine, a popular Chicago shop, to elevate author book signing events with quality wines paired by themes to the books. The launch of BOOKS ‘n’ BOTTLES™ will be Thursday, July 23, 2015 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at TASTE Food & Wine, 1506 W. Jarvis Avenue. You can view my brief video with Phoebe Snowe, talking about this new venture by clicking on BOOKS ‘n’ BOTTLES™.
For those who enjoy quality wine as much as quality books, BOOKS ‘n’ BOTTLES™ offers both as authors and readers get to meet in a convivial setting.
The first author to be fêted at a BOOKS ‘n’ BOTTLES™ event will be Susanna Calkins, whose newest book is The Masque of a Murderer. Published by Minotaur Books, it is the third Lucy Campion mystery set in 17th century England. Publishers Weekly called Calkins’s writing “Assured… Calkins’s familiarity with the period and her use of obscure details, such as the fire court set up to adjudicate claims after the Great Fire of 1666, are a plus.”
Reflecting themes in the book, a Rhenish (German riesling) wine and a claret will be featured among the wine options of the evening. Books will be available for purchase and signing. On-site book sales will be handled by The Book Cellar.
It might seem counter-productive to give away something you’ve spent your time and money creating, if your goal is to make money. But savvy marketers know that sampling is one of the most effective ways to expand customer awareness and generate purchases. That means giving away something you’ve produced. Vendors of food and cosmetics use this tactic very effectively. Smart authors and publishers are doing it too. A little taste builds up an appetite. When someone accepts your offer, a relationship has been established.
At Book Expo America this past May, free books were offered like lollipops. Often, but not always, giveaways were linked with author appearances and book signings. I returned home, my suitcase bulging with books I was eager to read, written by authors I hadn’t heard of. As part of the community that builds a buzz for book sales, I may recommend the books and authors through my Book●ed blog.
Are you an author who is not going to industry conventions? Working on a budget that doesn’t allow massive giveaways? There are many other ways to promote a book and entice readers to buy it:
Hold a contest. Through bloggers and other social media, offer your books as prizes in exchange for positive media coverage to targeted audiences. For example, a copy of Searching for My Father, Tyrone Power was given to a popular classic movie blogger to use as a prize in a May 2014 contest, the month of Tyrone Power’s 100th birthday. In return, the book got an enthusiastic write-up that was share with that blog’s readers and all the other bloggers in an association of classic movie bloggers.
Donate a book as a charity raffle prize. If your book theme relates to a charity’s cause, or if you personally support the cause, donate an autographed book as a fundraising raffle prize in exchange for an ad or other promotional plug at the charity event.
Donate a book to your local library. Tie the donation to the offer of a free talk about your book and a book signing/sale at the library.
Offer excerpts from your book. Do public readings where your book would be available for sale and autographing. Consider reputable places (print or online) where an excerpt could be reproduced with attribution to you and your book.
Use Social Media Distribution. Services such as BookGrabbr charge nominal fees to provide social media marketing promotions using free excerpts or the entire text from your book. See my June 21, 2015 blog post “How to Grab an Audience” for more information.
If you believe you created something worth having, give it away wisely and let it speak to its own value. Use the law of reciprocity: those to whom you give will feel an obligation to return the favor as a way of expressing their thanks. Everyone wins.
Book●ed has teamed up with TASTE Food & Wine, a popular Chicago shop, to elevate author book signing events with quality wines paired by themes to the books. The launch of BOOKS ‘n’ BOTTLES™ will be Thursday, July 23, 2015 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at TASTE Food & Wine, 1506 W. Jarvis Avenue.
For those who enjoy quality wine as much as quality books, BOOKS ‘n’ BOTTLES™ offers both as authors and readers get to meet in a convivial setting.
“Many new friendships, and even some romances, have started over wine at our tastings,” said Phoebe Snow, owner of TASTE Food & Wine. “We strive to create a welcoming atmosphere in our store and introduce wines that generate conversation.”
The first author to be fêted at a BOOKS ‘n’ BOTTLES™ event will be Susanna Calkins, whose newest book is The Masque of a Murderer. Published by Minotaur Books, it is the third Lucy Campion mystery set in 17th century England. Publishers Weekly called Calkins’s writing “Assured… Calkins’s familiarity with the period and her use of obscure details, such as the fire court set up to adjudicate claims after the Great Fire of 1666, are a plus.”
Calkins, an historian and educator at Northwestern University, will read from her book and talk about the fascinating time in which the series takes place. Reflecting themes in the book, a Rhenish (German riesling) wine and a claret will be featured among the wine options of the evening.
Books will be available for purchase and signing. On-site book sales will be handled by The Book Cellar.
Good books and good wines are a natural pairing. I love both. As my friend Phoebe Snowe described her popular Chicago wine shop — TASTE Food & Wine — and the twice-weekly wine tastings that draw a loyal following, my brain cells started sparking. I’d been to book signings at book stores where run-of-the-mill wine was offered. Why not elevate the wine to be as good as the books — especially in a convivial setting? What better venue would there be to hold book signings than at a really neat wine shop?
Phoebe jumped at the idea of combining forces with me. The result is BOOKS ‘n’ BOTTLES™, making its Chicago debut July 23rd from 5-8 pm at TASTE Food & Wine, 1506 West Jarvis Avenue. I recruited my dear friend, Nili Yellin (aka Chicago’s much-in-demand “Storybook Mom”), to help with onsite book sales.
Next step was finding the books people want to read and the authors they want to meet. I struck gold right off the bat. The summer lineup will be The Masque of a Murderer by Susanna Calkins on July 23rd and The Best of Enemies by Jen Lancaster on August 20th. And wait till you learn who our future authors will be (yes, you will have to wait but I promise news-making events are lining up).
The Masque of the Murderer is the third book in the acclaimed Lucy Campion series. Set in 17th century England, the book combines finely wrought characters, a richly detailed historical atmosphere, and a tightly-plotted mystery into a compelling read. Booklist says historian Susanna Calkins’ writes with “tantalizing clues and rich historical details,” that “draw readers into the seventeenth century, led by the piquant and elusive Lucy….”
The Best of Enemies is the newest uproarious book (launching in August) from New York Times bestselling author Jen Lancaster and early previews indicate fans will not be disappointed! USA TODAY said, “If laughter is a great tonic for the spirit, then Jen Lancaster… is a double dose.” PEOPLE magazine said, “She’s like that friend who always says what you’re thinking-just 1000 times funnier.”
BOOKS ‘n’ BOTTLES™ is a natural expansion of Book●ed‘s: mission to connect authors and their books with booklovers. The rapid response from major publishing houses, authors and publicists proves there is a thirst (pun intended) for such opportunities to bring authors together with their audiences. I look forward to seeing old friends and making new ones at BOOKS ‘n’ BOTTLES™!
Here with a Loaf of Bread beneath the Bough,
A Flask of Wine, a Book of Verse – and Thou
Beside me singing in the Wilderness –
And Wilderness is Paradise enow. — Omar Khayyám
Read as you taste fruit or savor wine, or enjoy friendship, love or life. – George Herbert
I love everything that’s old, — old friends, old times, old manners, old books, old wine. – Oliver Goldsmith
Give me books, French wine, fruit, fine weather and a little music played out of doors by somebody I do not know. — John Keats
Wine is one of the most civilized things in the world and one of the most natural things of the world that has been brought to the greatest perfection, and it offers a greater range for enjoyment and appreciation than, possibly, any other purely sensory thing. – Ernest Hemingway
Close friends contribute to our personal growth. They also contribute to our personal pleasure, making the music sound sweeter, the wine taste richer, the laughter ring louder because they are there. – Judith Viorst
A bottle of wine begs to be shared; I have never met a miserly wine lover. – Clifton Fadiman
We all grew up reading books published by companies that have been around for decades, some even more than a century. You know their names, their authors and many of their titles. For years, to be published meant to be elevated to the literary heights by the giants of the industry. The times, they are a-changing!
Most authors still dream of being published by one of the major publishing companies but there are other options to be considered. Today, there are four forms of publishing: traditional (major publishing houses), self-publishing (the author pays in advance for every service used), university presses (they publish more than text books but their genres are limited and they are struggling to compete in the changing marketplace) and independent publishing. Independent (“indie”) publishers are smaller presses that are separate from the publishing conglomerates but perform most of the same functions. (The terms indie publishing and self-publishing are sometimes interchanged but they are very different.) All forms of publishing are found at book stores, online and in libraries (although self-published books still struggle for acceptance in some of these arenas).
At this year’s Book Expo America, I was impressed not only by the number of independent publishers represented, but in their variety (many specialize in certain genres), quality production capabilities, marketing reach and author support. While it is true that indie publishers work with smaller production and promotional budgets, they tend to be more collaborative with their clients through the publishing and marketing process, which can be very attractive for an author. In a smaller pond, every fish gets more attention.
Major publishing houses won’t accept any manuscript that is not submitted through an established literary agent. This creates an extra hurdle for authors: getting their manuscript accepted by an agent before it will be considered by major publishers. Independent publishers consider manuscripts submitted directly by authors, although (due to their smaller staffs) the wait time for a response may test your patience.
Indie publishers employ the same distribution channels used by the major houses. Because of emerging and evolving companies serving the book industry, targeting specialized markets (military, schools, etc.) can be achieved with smart planning, regardless of the size or type of publisher.
If you are an author exploring your publishing options, your choices should be guided by: how much control you want to retain over the artistic aspects of your book; the format of your book (major publishers offer the most options); how much collaboration you want to have in the production and marketing of your book; how much time and effort you are willing to put into getting an agent.
For authors, indie publishers offer plentiful opportunities to get their books into the hands of readers. For readers, indie publishers provide wider access to great books, especially from emerging or less mainstream authors. And that’s a very, very good thing!
Ever read a book and imagined who should play the characters in a movie adaptation? I found a neat internet company call The Imagine Film List (The IF List) that lets you become a casting director, imagining your favorite book transformed into a movie with your choice of stars. It’s fun and it’s free.
Over coffee at Book Expo America last month, The IF List co-founder Noel Spangler explained to me how his company can help authors build a greater following for their books, possibly even attracting the attention of filmmakers. “We provide simple, but powerful tools to visualize any story as a movie, propose a dream cast, and nominate filmmakers to bring the story to life on screen. Proposals that receive the most support from fans are ranked at the top of The IF List, where they are in the best position to attract the attention of producers, casting directors, celebrities and others who have the power to turn ideas into reality.”
In addition to being a creative platform, The IF List is a comprehensive database and search engine – the first of its kind for imagined films and TV shows. “Our listings include profiles of thousands of proposed stories, roles, actors, and filmmakers, all with updated scores that reflect what is most in demand among moviegoers,” said Spangler. “Over the next two years, with the contributions of our fans, we plan to increase the size of our database tenfold, establishing The IF List as a valuable resource for discovering potential movies.”
When it comes to tech-savviness, I’m a Ph.D. – Push here, Dummy! So it took sitting through three similar sessions at Book Expo America to begin absorbing the technical aspects of a breakthrough marketing concept called BookGrabbr. The marketing part I grasped immediately since it echoed the concept that launched Book●ed: use personal contacts and endorsements through the internet in ever-widening circles to broaden awareness and interest in new authors and books. What excites me about BookGrabbr is how quickly, widely, inexpensively and relatively easily a book could be promoted.
The online marketing tool allows authors and publishers to give away eBooks or sections of eBooks in exchange for a social share from consumers. The idea is that by offering consumers books by requiring them to post about it on Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn, they will spread the word about the book with their networks and the books will take off virally. For self-publishing authors, the digital file they create for Print on Demand, eBooks or traditionally printed books can be used with BookGrabbr. Hachette, Simon & Schuster, Worthy, Regnery, Beaufort and Dunham Books are among mainstream publishers test driving BookGrabbr as a new social media marketing tool. An attractive featured benefit of BookGrabbr is the analytics provided to clients, including detailed demographics to help make better marketing and editorial decisions.
BookGrabbr’s library already contains more than 2,000 books, many from well-known authors and of popular titles. A “Grabb” occurs when someone “clicks” to download a book to their own BookGrabbr library. So, if an author’s book is “Grabbd” 500 times, and that author has 250 friends (less than the average number of “friends” the average Facebook user has), the total amount of potential impressions on Facebook would be 125,000.
In addition to Facebook, BookGrabbr supports platforms for Twitter and LinkedIn, further expanding a book’s reach. Each time someone chooses to read all or part of a book for free from the BookGrabbr library, they must make your book available to all of their social media friends. This implied endorsement of a book makes it more likely that “friends” will check it out, too. Books downloaded to a reader’s BookGrabbr library cannot be printed or shared. Availability of a book through BookGrabbr can be chosen for a limited time or ongoing.
Whether an author decides to offer an entire book or just excerpts will likely be determined by the author’s goals: building a “brand” (such as a series), getting people to purchase a printed edition of the book, wanting to build buzz for a book that could lead to sales, speaking engagements, etc. Offering a book through BookGrabbr is a way to get people talking and talking leads to sales. The possibilities are as plentiful as one can imagine.
There are other companies offering some of the services you get from BookGrabbr but it appears that none are as comprehensive or tech-progressive as BookGrabbr. It’s a company worth looking at.
If you’ve long dreamed of experiencing a writers retreat at the famed Ragdale Foundation artists community but couldn’t qualify for a subsidized residency and couldn’t afford the unsubsidized program, you can still get a taste of Ragdale this fall. Story Studio Chicago is offering Writing the Landscape: A Ragdale Retreat September 25th-27th. Patricia Ann McNair, author of The Temple of Air, will lead an intensive, immersive weekend of writing, nature, creative instruction, and inspiration. Workshops will focus on writing the landscape, both interior and exterior. In between sessions, participants can wander the grounds, share meals with fellow writers, and enjoy a quiet place to relax and write.
Registration is now open for Daytime only and overnight spots.
Elephants are big and powerful. You can’t miss them and don’t want to stand in their way. There’s a lot to like about elephants. But there’s a problem with elephants: they can’t tap dance.
Major publishers are like elephants. They make a big splash in the pool of public awareness. They carry the bulk of book promotions and sales. They are noticed wherever they go and if you are an author, you want to be invited to ride them. But they can’t move as quickly and adeptly as competitors in a rapidly changing market.
As the publishing industry is changing to meet reader and author interests, smaller indie and university publishers are gaining on the behemoths of the book world. Even self-publishing is surging ahead in its ability to connect authors and their books with booklovers.
At last month’s Book Expo America, North America’s largest convention for the publishing industry, the biggest booths and the longest lines for author autographs were hosted by the major publishers, whose names you already know. And some giants you’ve never heard of: The largest presence, in booth size and speakers, was China (North America is viewed by China as a major market for publishing services as well as readers of Chinese and Chinese-to-English translations). But the programs discussing what is new or changing in the book world were largely run by indie publishers and self-publishing/marketing services.
Two sentiments frequently heard at BEA: 1) Major publishers put the bulk of their marketing support behind already-well-established authors leaving lesser-known authors to fend for themselves; smaller publishers have smaller marketing budgets but will work harder for emerging authors. 2) There are more choices and opportunities than ever for authors to make their mark in the book world.
Lines are blurring among service providers. For example some book distributors have become book producers with quality that successfully competes with traditional printing. Meanwhile, other distributors are helping authors get into previously inaccessible target markets such as libraries and the military. The internet and social media have opened doors wide for authors to promote their brand and their books where readers are increasingly influenced on buying decisions.
The savviest self-published authors have sold millions of books, matching or surpassing major publishers. The operative word is “savvy” – from good writing to production, distribution and marketing – regardless of who publishes a book, all the pieces of the puzzle must fit together to make a book a success. Authors must be prepared to walk their brainchild (or brainchildren) past the embryonic stage and birth to a long and successful life.
Future Book●ed blog posts will help authors through the process. To see my previous posts with information Authors should know, go to Categories and click For Authors.
Booklovers should plan on being in Chicago next Spring: Book Expo America 2016 will be at McCormick Place from May 11th-13th and the Chicago Tribune’s annual Printers Row Lit Fest will be in June (dates to be announced). Keep following the Book●ed blog for updates.
Ignore all those Henny Penny the sky is falling reports that print books are at death’s door. I recently returned from Book Expo America in NYC and the industry filled all 4 levels of the city-block-size Javitz Center. All the major U.S. publishers were there, along with industry representatives from several countries (China had the largest presence with a hotel lobby-size exhibit area and many programs). Indie publishers and individual authors were also highly visible. Just as important were all the supporting service companies promoting their capabilities. The place was buzzing and everywhere you looked, there were books, books, books, beautiful printed books.
This is great news for authors and booklovers alike. Over the next few weeks, I’ll share with you what I saw, heard and learned at BEA. Here are some of the key observations:
• The major publishers (you know their names) are the elephants in the room, big and powerful but they can’t tap dance.
• Smaller, indie publishers are gaining in recognition and respect, helping to launch more great authors and books that are overlooked by the majors.
• Self-published books continue to grow as a percentage of new titles each year.
• E-books continue to be popular but print dominates by a wide margin.
• Services supporting self-published authors and their books are becoming more sophisticated, effective, accessible and user friendly.
• Social media is an increasingly driving force behind book sales.
• There are exciting new players on the field; watch them run!
If you are an author, know an author or want to be an author, you’ll find (and, I hope, share) a wealth of useful information in the coming weeks of the Book●ed blog.
Book Expo America is coming to Chicago! North America’s largest book industry convention will leave NYC in 2016 and come to McCormick Place May 11th-13th, bringing along its adjunct BookCon event on May 14th. BookCon is a newer event, geared to the general public. Consumers interact with the authors, publishers, celebrities and creators of content that influence everything we read, hear and see. BookCon features Q+A’s, autographing sessions, storytelling podcasts, special screenings, literary quiz shows and more. For anyone serious about being part of the book business, BEA is a must. For anyone who loves books, BookCon is a treat. Book●ed will keep you updated on these events as they develop.
Although I’ve lived away from it almost as long as I lived in it, New York City will always be home to me. When I say New York City, I mean Manhattan. I was born there on New Year’s Eve, spent my first years living on Broadway, attended the famed H.S. of Music & Art, roamed the fabled coffee houses of Greenwich Village and still live on that island in my dreams.
Returning to “my city” for Book Expo America led me to think of the enduring magnetism of this metropolis where anything is possible – good or bad. And of all the great books that have featured the city for atmosphere or as a catalyst. These should be on your list:
Non-Fiction Here is New York — E.B. White World of Our Fathers — Irving Howe The Great Bridge: The Epic Story of the Building of the Brooklyn Bridge – David McCullough Just Kids – Patti Smith
Fiction The Age of Innocence — Edith Wharton The Great Gatsby — F. Scott Fitzgerald The New York Stories of Henry James — Henry James A Tree Grows in Brooklyn – Betty Smith Call It Sleep – Henry Roth Invisible Man — Ralph Ellison Breakfast at Tiffany’s — Truman Capote Wonderful Town: New York Stories from The New Yorker – multiple authors The Alienist – Caleb Carr
After you take a few bites of “The Big Apple”, I’m convinced you’ll develop a taste that keeps bringing you back.
NYC is noted for excelling at many things; that includes producing and inspiring some of the world’s best writers. Flavorwire shares its list of New York’s 100 most important living writers.
One of my literary heroes is O. Henry (1862-1910). Although he lived only 47 years, he produced some 600 short stories, defined by their keen insights about humanity and usually punctuated with a twist ending. Born in North Carolina, O. Henry moved around the country but his most prolific writing period started in 1902, when he moved to New York City; while there, he wrote 381 short stories. Visit Pete’s Tavern (est. 1864) in Gramercy Park and sit at the booth with the plaque stating that William Sydney Porter — pen name O. Henry — sat in that very same booth when he wrote The Gift of the Magi, his most famous story.
O. Henry loved New York, its people, places and potential. It has been reported that his last words were “Pull up the shades so I can see New York. I don’t want to go home in the dark.”
Amen.
Who kept the faith and fought the fight; The glory theirs, the duty ours. – Wallace Bruce
As the political rhetoric of the next Presidential election heats up, much bloviating has focused on what people said and did in the lead-up to the Iraq war. Everyone wants to be on the right side of history but history is still in flux. Regardless of your political leaning, you’ve probably noticed how people’s view of the Iraq war has changed over the years, just as the view of the Vietnam war has evolved. This adjustment of judgment is the psychological nature of all humans, not just politicians, pundits and media personalities.
One opinion that has secured firmed footing, regardless of how we feel about war: soldiers who serve in our name, risking life and limb, are heroes. Literature helps us understand and fully appreciate the lives and sacrifices of those who serve in our military, as well as the heroic families that sacrifice to support them. It also enlightens our understanding of how society (that’s us folks) relates to soldiers … and how we can show our appreciation.
Regardless of which war interests you, and whether you prefer non-fiction accounts or novels carrying the theme, great books to enlighten and inspire readers abound. Here are some recommendations:
Non-Fiction Red Tail Captured, Red Tail Free — Alexander Jefferson with Lewis Carlson (WWII/Europe) Unbroken — Lauren Hillenbrand (WWII/Pacific) The Ghosts of Hero Street: How One Small Mexican-American Community Gave So Much in World War II and Korea — Carlos Harrison (WW II, Korea) Dispatches — Michael Herr (Vietnam) Jarhead — Anthony Swofford (Persian Gulf) Thank You For Your Service — David Finkel (Iraq) Fobbit — David Abrams (Iraq) Plenty of Time When We Get Home — Kayla Williams (Iraq) The Face of War — Martha Gellhorn (various)
Fiction The Red Badge of Courage — Stephen Crane (Civil War) A Farewell to Arms — Ernest Hemingway (WW I) Catch-22 — Joseph Heller (WWII) The Thin Red Line — James Jones (WW II, Pacific) Johnny Got His Gun — Dalton Trumbo (WW II) Paco’s Story — Larry Heinemann (Vietnam) Tree of Smoke — by Denis Johnson (Vietnam) The Things They Carried — Tim O’Brien (Vietnam) The Yellow Birds — Kevin Powers (Iraq) How important it is for us to recognize and celebrate our heroes and she-roes! – Maya Angelou
The legacy of heroes is the memory of a great name and the inheritance of a great example.—Benjamin Disraeli
We who are left how shall we look again
Happily on the sun or feel the rain
Without remembering how they who went
Ungrudginly and spent
Their lives for us loved, too, the sun and rain? – Wilfred Wilson Gibson
Your silent tents of green
We deck with fragrant flowers;
Yours has the suffering been,
The memory shall be ours. – Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
I deliberately did not read anything about the Vietnam War because I felt the politics of the war eclipsed what happened to the veterans. The politics were irrelevant to what this memorial was. – Maya Lin
From where I sit at my computer, I have a view of a spectacular Prairie Fire Crabapple tree that is in full bloom at this time of year. A glorious cloud of deep pink blossoms sway gently with every soft spring breeze. It’s one reminder of the miracle of flowers that reappear in colorful abundance each year at this season. This got me thinking about the role flowers play in literature. It’s not all a bed of roses.
In Daphne du Maurier’s haunting Rebecca, here’s the description of the flowers seen by the second Mrs. De Winter (who is never referred to by a first name) on the first approach to her new home, Manderley: “The woods had not prepared me for them. They startled me with their crimson faces, massed one upon the other in incredible profusion, showing no leaf, no twig, nothing but the slaughterous red, luscious and fantastic, unlike any rhododendron I had seen before.” How quickly the innocent “faces… in incredible profusion” become “slaughterous red, luscious and fantastic”. The flowers, cultivated by the deceased first Mrs. De Winter – Rebecca of the book’s title – are an omen of things to come, the evolution of welcoming grace into some very luxurious yet dangerous darkness. Flowers – their colors, fragrances and how they grow — make symbolic appearances throughout the novel to powerful effect.
In Hamlet, Shakespeare uses flowers almost exclusively in relationship to Ophelia. Implying that Hamlet’s love for her is fleeting, Laertes calls that love “A violet in the youth of primy nature”, comparing it to a charming, fragrant but short-lived flower. Throughout the play, Ophelia hands out flowers that symbolize different qualities in other characters. Even Ophelia’s death takes place as she is picking flowers and falls into a brook where she drowns: “Clambering to hang, an envious sliver broke,/ When down her weedy trophies and herself/ Fell in the weeping brook.”
Harper Lee used flowers memorably in To Kill a Mockingbird. In this story, the camellia represented justice. Just as Jem must nurture Mrs. Dubose’s white camellias, he must nurture the courage he needs to deal with the emotional upheaval of his young life. Fighting her own struggles before she died, Mrs. Dubose prepared a wax camellia for Jem, a camellia that would endure, as his courage must. Although they were not a focal point of the narrative, red geraniums also play an important, symbolic role. The description of Mayella Ewell’s property is like the “playhouse of an insane child.” Yet: “…against the fence, in a line, were six chipped-enamel slop jars holding brilliant red geraniums, cared for as tenderly as if they belonged to Miss Maudie Atkinson. People said they were Mayella Ewell’s.” While the Ewell family was not known to be caring and loving, the presence of the flowers symbolized the predisposition to good that still exists in everyone, no matter how corrupted they might be.
Now and through the coming months, don’t just stop to smell the roses you encounter. Think of what flowers symbolize to you. And give them more thought as you encounter them in the books you read.
Book Expo America (BEA), the largest annual book trade fair in the U.S. will be held in New York City this year from May 27-29. More than 750 authors, hundreds of new titles, 1,000+ exhibitors, and four Author Stages, along with the Digital Discovery Zone (D2Z) provided by the International Digital Publishing Forum (IDPF) make this one of the best environments for networking, sourcing, and relationship building in the publishing industry in North America. The BEA website has details.
The 31st annual Printer’s Row Lit Fest, considered the largest free outdoor literary event in the Midwest, is expected to draw more than 150,000 book lovers throughout the weekend of June 6-7 in Chicago’s South Loop. LeVar Burton, the force behind the PBS series “Reading Rainbow,” will be honored at this year’s Lit Fest as recipient of the Chicago Tribune’s 2015 Young Adult Literary Award. The Fest offers block after block of booksellers, vendors, performers and events, hosting more than 200 authors in panels, discussions and other programs. Among those appearing in this year’s extensive lineup are: Erik Larson, Edward P. Jones, Rick Bayless, Amber Tamblyn, David Axelrod, Lawrence Wright, Garry Wills, Aleksandar Hemon, Elizabeth Berg, Neal Stephenson, Scott Simon, Rebecca Makkai and more.
When we think “American” authors, we tend to assume they are U.S. authors, eh? Oh Canada,
how could we overlook you?! Because I am spending a few days at Niagara Falls, Ontario, I decided to explore Canadian authors and their books. I was amazed, as I expect you will be, to discover that these well-known authors you probably thought were from the States (each name accompanied by one of their best-selling books):
Margaret Atwood – The Handmaid’s Tale
Alice Munro – Lives of Girls and Women (also known for short stories)
Michael Ondaatje – The English Patient
Sara Gruen – Water for Elephants
Robertson Davies – What’s Bred in the Bone
L.M. Montgomery – Anne of Green Gables (series)
Yann Martel – Life of Pi
W.P. Kinsella – Shoeless Joe (became the movie Field of Dreams)
Here’s a list of lesser known (to us) Canadian authors whose books are also highly recommended:
Rohinton Mistry – A Fine Balance
Margaret Laurence – The Stone Angel
Mordecai Richler – Barney’s Version
Joesph Boyden – Three Day Road
Lawrence Hill – Someone Knows My Name
Alistair MacLeod – No Great Mischief
Farley Mowat – Never Cry Wolf
Authors like cats because they are such quiet, lovable, wise creatures, and cats like authors for the same reasons. – Robertson Davies
I write every day. I’m always in the process of writing my last book, until the next one. – Farley Mowat
A writer uses a pen instead of a scalpel or blow torch. – Michael Ondaatje
The eskimos had fifty-two names for snow because it was important to them: there ought to be as many for love. – Margaret Atwood
The eager reader is one who learned early on that reading can be fun. Typically, a child’s earliest experiences with books are being read to by an adult. Wanting to hold the magical spell of the lines and shapes on a page, the keys that open new worlds, the child learns to read.
Book●ed blog followers value reading. We love books. Can you imagine never having a book to call your own? In the United States, sadly, countless children do not own a single book. Fewer than half of families read to their kindergarten-age children on a daily basis. Thirty-three percent of low-income 4th graders are unable to read at their basic grade level; sixty-eight percent are unable to read proficiently at grade level. Forty million adults in the U.S. can’t read well enough to share a simple story with their child. One in four Americans grows up functionally illiterate.
Children who are poor readers at the end of 1st grade show decreased self-esteem, confidence and motivation to learn. They fall behind in school. They fall behind in life. We all suffer as a result. This is a scandal that does not have to continue!
Two programs are working diligently to turn the tide of literacy in the U.S.: RIF and Reading Rainbow.
RIF – Reading is Fundamental – is the nation’s largest nonprofit organization working for children’s literacy. In 2014, RIF distributed 1.7 million books to children in underserved communities. Since its establishment in 1966, RIF has provided more than 401 million books for children to choose and keep – “because to understand the value of books, kids need to own books.” There is no charge to the children or their families for the books or other provided by RIF.
In addition to letting children choose their own books from a carefully selected assortment, RIF volunteers generate enthusiasm for books and reading with storytellers, costumed book characters, guest readers and author visits. Programs are tailored to individual communities through collaboration with community members and parents.
Reading Rainbow was an Emmy-winning PBS series that aired for 23 seasons (1983-2006), reaching a nation of elementary school-aged TV-watching children and motivating them to read. For the show’s host, actor LeVar Burton, Reading Rainbow was more than a gig. “My mother was an English teacher, so there were always books around,” he said. “I’d be sitting in Sacramento, California, but I could see and experience things I couldn’t even dream of.” About the lifelong impact of early literacy, Burton observed, “If you can read, you are free. If you can read, no one can keep you in the dark. You can learn anything, inform yourself and make up your own mind.”
Burton’s commitment to Reading Rainbow continued after the series ended. He and a business partner produced a reading app. Realizing that tablet computers are not affordable by everyone, he is taking Reading Rainbow content in an expanded version to the Web. Burton supports reading books in digital format and in print. Although he co-founded a digital technology company, he also is a first-time author of a whimsically illustrated children’s book, The Rhino Who Swallowed a Storm in print because, “…we need to keep turning those pages.”
If you love books, love reading, love children, take a closer look at RIF and Reading Rainbow.
Adding to his Emmy, Grammy, TV Land and NAACP awards, LeVar Burton has just won the Chicago Tribune’s Young Adult Literary Award. He will receive the hone in June at the 2015 Printers Row Lit Fest in Chicago. In a statement from the newspaper, senior vice president and editor Gerould Kern said, “Through his passion, imagination and belief in inspiring your people, LeVar Burton has instilled the hoy of reading, in all its glorious forms, in countless readers and made an impact on many young lives.”
You can donate to RIF in honor of a child you read to or in memory of a parent who once read to you. Share the love.
If someone were to write your biography, what would it reveal about you? Would it be accurate? Could it be accurate? How would you write your own life story?
As I’ve worked with authors of memoirs and biographies about famous actors, I’ve been struck by the difference between the cultivated image and the person behind the image. In most cases, the persons featured in these books are no longer alive. The authors’ narratives are candid, intimate, revealing, moving … and sometimes shocking. I am left wondering how the people who are written about would feel to know their foibles and flaws were revealed to the world. Did they view themselves the way they are portrayed in these books? Even as I hungrily absorbed every detail of these accounts, I occasionally felt the discomfort of intruding in the most personal way into the lives of people who no longer could respond.
Biographies, autobiographies and memoirs are different genres. A biography is an account of someone’s life written by someone else; it should be complete and should be supported in the narrative or index by reliable, named sources. An autobiography is an account of a person’s life written by that person; it should be complete and supported in the narrative by reliable, named sources. A memoir is a collection of memories that an individual writes about moments or events that took place in the author’s life; it can cover specific periods of time and does not have to provide supportive resources.
I’ve become very selective about the biographies, autobiographies and memoirs I read these days. The best of them are entertaining and enlightening. Some are uplifting and inspiring. And if they do their job, they are memorable.
Here are some highly recommended life stories that may get you thinking about writing your own autobiography or memoir:
Autobiography My Autobiography – Charles Chaplin Sunday Nights at Seven – Jack Benny Knock Wood – Candace Bergen The Ragman’s Son – Kirk Douglas
Biography Louise Brooks: A Biography – Barry Paris Ann Dvorak: Hollywood’s Forgotten Rebel — Christina Rice Bogart – Ann M. Sperber Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption – Laura Hillenbrand
Hybrid Memoir/Biography Searching for My Father, Tyrone Power – Romina Power The Baron of Mulholland – Rory Flynn
Two of the books mentioned in Auto(biographical) Pilot are not currently sold in traditional stores. For more information about Searching for My Father, Tyrone Power, contact Tyrone Power First Edition. For information about The Baron of Mulholland, visit the author’s website.
Following the runaway success of last year’s Chicago Independent Bookstore Day and California Bookstore Day, twelve Chicago independent bookstores are banding together to join Independent Bookstore Day, a country-wide celebration of books and independent bookstores on May 2nd. From Andersonville to Hyde Park, book lovers should mark their calendars for this special day of literary festivities.
To encourage Chicago readers to visit their own neighborhood store as well as the other unique stores in different neighborhoods throughout the city, participating bookstores are offering special deals, raffles, author events, refreshments and general bookish revelry. Select customers will also have a chance to collect pages from each participating store to complete to a limited edition chapbook of a previously unreleased story by Stuart Dybek illustrated by Dmitry Samarov designed and printed especially for the day.
Stores participating include: The Book Cellar, 57th Street Books, Seminary Coop, Sandmeyer’s Bookstore, Unabridged Bookstore, Roscoe Books, Open Books River North, Open Books Pilsen, City Lit Books, Uncharted Books, Powell’s Bookstore University Village, and Women & Children First. Chicago’s independent bookstores, each with their own unique selection, all offer a variety of readings, discussions, and storytimes and special events for children. Most offer community bulletin boards and space for groups to meet. All are anchors in their neighborhoods, sources of information and entertainment, welcoming places for natives and tourists alike.
I have a beribboned bundle of letters my father wrote to my mother while he served in the military during WW II. They give me insights into a man who was reticent in the spoken word. His letters are potent, especially his expressions of love for his wife and son, my mother and brother (before my time). I read and hear his voice, alive in my mind, as I touch and smell the paper which his hands (and my mother’s) once held. Each letter is a treasure.
Letter writing began for practical use, to self-teach and to share information. The ancient historian Hellanicus noted that the first recorded hand written letter (epistle) was by Persian Queen Atossa, daughter of Syrus, mother of Xerxes around 500 BC. Letters are mentioned in Homer’s Iliad. Even the Bible includes letters. What would the New Testament be had St. Paul not been such a prolific letter writer?
Over time, as people gained access to writing tools and some form of mail delivery, letter writing became a popular way to express oneself. The art of letter writing emerged but every technological advancement – cheap postage, the telephone, the typewriter, the telegraph, and ever faster delivery — brought moans over the expected death of the art.
Today, the ease and speed of emails, texts, tweets, Facebook posts and other digital advances has resulted in more messages being sent to more people. Laments over the decline of the art of letter writing are as loud as ever. Never before have so few written so much that conveyed so little!
Yet, letter writers persevere. Everyone enjoys receiving personal letters. Some, including me, enjoy writing them as much as receiving them. Letters have the ability to change lives. They have, on occasion changed the course of history.
If you doubt this, check out some great collections of letters that have been curated in books; or check out one of the wonderful novels built around letters between people. These letters and the stories built around them have endured over years, centuries and even millennia. They may inspire you to pick up pen and paper or pull out that old tip-tap typewriter and pack your “epistles”!
Real Letters: Letters of Note: An Eclectic Collection of Correspondence Deserving of a Wider Audience — Shaun Usher (editor) To the Letter: A Celebration of the Lost Art of Letter Writing – Simon Garfield P.G. Wodehouse: A Life in Letters – Sophie Ratcliffe (editor) Graham Greene: A Life in Letters – Richard Greene (editor) The Letters of Edith Wharton – P.W.B. Lewis & Nancy Lewis (editors) 84, Charing Cross Road – Helene Hanff The Groucho Letters – Groucho Marx Searching for My Father, Tyrone Power – Romina Power
Novels with Letters (Epistolary Novels): The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society – Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows Dracula – Bram Stoker Daddy-Long-Legs – Jean Webster The Screwtape Letters – C.S. Lewis The Fan – Bob Randall We Need to Talk About Kevin – Lionel Shriver
One of the books listed in Letter Perfect is only available through mail order: Searching for My Father, Tyrone Power includes some wonderfully written letters by the renowned screen idol, his famous stage actor father and others. It’s part of a candid and fascinating biographical memoir about an extraordinary man who was King of the Box Office during Hollywood’s Golden Age. For more information, contact Tyrone Power First Edition.
Shakespeare had it wrong. Instead of “Beware the Ides of March,” it should be “Beware the Ides of April.” April showers may bring May flowers but April 15th brings tax time; that dreaded date when fear grips our emotions as Uncle Sam grips our wallets.
If you’re a self-published author, or are considering becoming one, you may be wondering what impact your literary endeavors may have on your income tax liability. Or maybe you haven’t even considered the impact. An oversight could cost you, whether you make money or not with your book.
I am not a tax advisor nor do I pretend to be. Tax laws leave me loopy. But there are some basic tax facts every author should be aware of. The first is that even disappointing sales of self-published writing can mean money in your pocket, instead of Uncle Sam’s, come tax time. That’s because the IRS has shifted its view of what constitutes a business versus just a hobby.
The IRS used to consider income-producing activity as a hobby unless it showed a net profit in three of the five most recent reporting years. Now, it wants you to succeed so it can tax your income later. The U.S. tax code permits entrepreneurs to offset the losses of one business from another income as a way to encourage new business.
As a self-published author, you may pay considerable money to editors, designers, printers, publicists and other services to publish and promote your book. Let’s say you spend $6,000 for those services and earn $2,500 in sales. In addition to offsetting your book income tax by $2,500 worth of your expenses, you could also reduce your other income tax by deducting the remaining $3,500 of expenses against your other job income.
The key is to demonstrate a serious intent to operate the new business at a profit; otherwise, it is a hobby. Steps to establish your business intent include setting up a website, printing business cards and promotional materials as well as marketing yourself and your book through social media. Consider establishing a business name and attending conferences. Learn the basic tax rules and follow them, keep your business records separate from your personal records, and don’t hesitate to hire experts for help; these are also legitimate tax deductions.
Depending on where you file your taxes and how you plan to sell your books, other steps you may decide to take include getting a local business license and applying for a resale certificate. You don’t necessarily need to incorporate but you will want to consult a tax accountant to see if you should establish a sole proprietorship business and obtain a Federal Employer Identification Number.
You don’t have to rush into any of these steps and may choose not to unless you see that your book finances reach $5,000 or more. But knowledge is power and could mean more money in your pocket to continue pursuing your literary dreams.
