Comments on Nathan Bransford, Author: This Week in Publishing 7/9/10

Thank you for sharing the video. I bawled all the...

2010-07-12T17:50:57.737-07:00

Thank you for sharing the video. I bawled all the way through. I wish they could do this at every school. Maybe it didn't stick with everyone, but I'm sure a lot of kids had
their eyes opened.

Marilyn - yes! I definitely miss you when you...

2010-07-12T08:51:36.878-07:00

Marilyn -
yes! I definitely miss you when you're gone too long. Glad you're having fun, though. :) And you're right. Given that we're dealing with grown-ups, we'd probably need to have several pre-challenge subcommittees. Then we'd probably have to have challenge days to help the sub-committees all get along. You know how mature and efficient adults are.

J.T. - Wow. Such power,such responsiblity. I'll have to contemplate how to use it for personal gain. I'll get back to you.

TerinTashi - One of the reasons I really like e-books is it allows all books to be published, especially the ones that are overlooked for various reasons. With paper books only, great books who couldn't find a publishing home quietly died in some drawer somewhere. With e-books, the author can self-publish and reach an audience. If the book is truly great, I have faith readers will find it.

And the United Nations is a great and idealistic vision. Too bad it became so corrupt. Sad. I must consider hypnosis on the U. N. If it worked on J.T.....

Great to have found your blog and to hear what is ...

2010-07-12T06:16:11.409-07:00

Great to have found your blog and to hear what is happening at the coal face of publishing. All the best Carla

Hi, A Pakistani girl escaped murder in the name o...

2010-07-11T21:50:49.561-07:00

Hi,

A Pakistani girl escaped murder in the name of "honor" on campus... she has written a stunning blog (http://theterrorland.blogspot.com) explaining how her west-educated teachers wanted to kill her at a university in the terror-hit country...

Nathan! Can she write a book about Talibanization and killing of women in the name of "honor" which could be a way of self-catharsis after the trauma? She writes well but is shy!

Regards,

Can't let it go without more about "Chall...

2010-07-11T19:24:41.794-07:00

Can't let it go without more about "Challenge Day" for grownups.

How many anti-UN folks know, or ever knew, that was the real purpose of creating the United Nations, and locating it in New York? To theoretically "prevent" by unanimous consent, or at the very least chastise, countries for waging "wars of aggression" on other countries?

To "talk out" differences, and generate understanding?

Yet folks who'd like to see the UN abolished never suggest giving the land back to the Rockefeller family.

Viva Espana! (And I admit, I'm a "Barca" fan over any team from Madrid, especially considering the history of Atletico--Francisco Franco's favorite team).

I believe Wry Writer's right. That will be the death knell, or scent, of "books". I hope not to live that long...(admitting to enjoying, truly, the scent of old paper).

Of course, there's history to the Holland/Spain battle as well. There was a time--a fair amount of time--that Holland, also called "the Netherlands," or, in Spanish, Paises Bajos, Lower Countries, was part of the Spanish empire. Of course, that's when Spain was part of Napoleon's French empire, but I'm sure such old rivalries never rear their ugly heads in grown up games...

Have a great rest of the weekend.

Mira, You wrote such a short post...such a short ...

2010-07-11T11:56:23.161-07:00

Mira,

You wrote such a short post...such a short post. **hypnotism wears off** Wow, Mira, I enjoyed your lengthy comment with so many great points. I especially liked your point about Challenge Day for adults. That is a fantastic idea. Although, with countries at war, there would need to be a Pre-Challenge-Day-Summit or something in which opposing sides bickered about where to hold the Challenge Day, how many news organizations would be allowed to attend...you, know, grown-up stuff. :)

Glad you like my links! I’ve missed chatting here this summer, but have been having a really busy summer, traveling, as well as taking day trips. It’s been fun. Hope you and everyone else here are having a wonderful summer!

Nathan wrote: One guess about which color I mea...

2010-07-11T09:02:08.567-07:00
Nathan wrote:
One guess about which color I mean team I'm rooting for in the final.

That reminds me of the film The Blind Side, when Sandra Bullock's character tells her son he should accept a football scholarship to the U. of Tennessee:

"...I promise that I will be at every game cheering for you...But I will not wear that gaudy orange, I will not."

That line cracks me up, because I have a lot of relatives in Tennessee.

I'd like to add a link on the e-future for tho...

2010-07-11T04:52:56.327-07:00
I'd like to add a link on the e-future for those who are interested:

The Future of Publishing, by Randy Intermanson:

http://www.advancedfictionwriting.com/blog/2010/07/07/the-future-of-publishing/

A good read for writers AND agents/publishers

Jake and Vienna...that was without a doubt the ugl...

2010-07-10T21:27:57.989-07:00
Jake and Vienna...that was without a doubt the ugliest thing I've ever seen on reality TV.

So funny saying this is where I came from. I'...

2010-07-10T13:58:17.172-07:00
So funny saying this is where I came from. I'd be humiliated too.

I'm rooting for Spain. Because because. They ...

2010-07-10T10:03:59.045-07:00
I'm rooting for Spain. Because because.

They are a passionate people.

And the one time I was in Barcelona the Barcelona team had just beaten the Madrid team and the place was crazy happy fun!

Of course I wouldn't be in Spain this time if they won, but I like to imagine their joy.

I don't really know anything about futbol as you can probably surmise.

And did you see this article in Salon.com?
http://tiny.cc/t6mfk

Nathan, I love the jubilance in your word play. Yo...

2010-07-10T09:39:30.372-07:00
Nathan, I love the jubilance in your word play. You so silly!

Thanks for the video link. I watched all of the episodes and cried at the end. Well done, Colusa high.

rose

I had successfully avoid all things MTV since Ruth...

2010-07-10T09:30:01.292-07:00
I had successfully avoid all things MTV since Ruthie went to rehab. How dare you suck me into the vortex that is MTV reality programming. Now I gotta go through MTV detox. Do you know how hard that is during the derth of summer television?

A pun my soul...still in Mira-induced trance...agr...

2010-07-10T09:28:24.377-07:00
A pun my soul...still in Mira-induced trance...agree completely with everything Mira says, has said, or ever will say...fresh out of puns at the moment...very sleepy...zzzzzzzzzz

If you really knew me...ah wait, that was then, th...

2010-07-10T09:22:27.954-07:00
If you really knew me...ah wait, that was then, this is now.

Great video.

Terin 7:15, is absolutely correct, age is the GREAT leveler, plus time, experience, and wisdom.

If you can just make it through without being too damaged and without damaging others, life can be grand.

Terrfic post !

Um...e-books vs. paper?
Please tell me books, with covers and pages will never be obsolete? Please !
When they sell a spray can of 'new book smell' for your e-reader publishing is in trouble.

Oh. And I graduated from a public high school in a...

2010-07-10T07:15:41.455-07:00
Oh. And I graduated from a public high school in a small midwestern town. My graduating class consisted of 590 students.

Don't talk to me about "groups" or "cliques" in high school.

I, too, was a "floater," somehow fortunately not tied to any specific defined group, though many often tried unsuccessfully to place me in such groups.

Our idea of "Challenge Day" resulted in some major fights that turned into near riots.

But it was a different time.

Went to my 30th (yes, I'm that old) high school reunion 3 years ago. Let me tell anyone younger, age is a GREAT leveler.

Just finished reading Mira's eensy, teensy sho...

2010-07-10T07:10:18.843-07:00
Just finished reading Mira's eensy, teensy short post.

I agree with all of it, almost as if my agreement was a predestined suggestion.

But I also have to support Spain, Mr. Agent Man. Sorry. Lived there too long not to.

An interesting optical illusion was run as a diversion by some friends on the internet. It was from a stuy that shws peples brans insert missing leters in print, on screens or on paper...

Mira's right, I think. When the "doomsayers" come out to decry ebooks with weak arguments based on little to no real research, the new technology has arrived and threatened the status quo...

That said, I prefer to buy books that are art, though I don't believe all are.

There is art in the book covers, of course, and some artistry in the very act of putting words together in an interesting and compelling manner.

But to me, art in writing, as opposed to artifice, is more valuable than currently commercially offered.

I'm sure I've mentioned it before, but I long--and probably always will--for a Maxwell Perkins to show up at a publisher's, find real literary greats that no one wants to risk any money promoting, and contribute to the art of literature what Perkins did.

I know Scribner's is still making money off it. I wonder, did they when he was with them?

When I'm reading my prose, I always read it on...

2010-07-10T04:43:05.892-07:00
When I'm reading my prose, I always read it on the screen and printed out, because each way "looks" different - and here's the weird thing: if I email my prose to someone/somewhere and then open the sent attachment and read it again, I'll sometimes find things I didn't before. Funny how funny our brains are...strange mass of clicks whirrs and general la tee dah going on up there.

thanks for the links!

I love your round-ups, thank you so much!

2010-07-10T03:01:07.093-07:00
I love your round-ups, thank you so much!

Oh good! It's Friday. Which means Nathan has ...

2010-07-10T01:22:10.881-07:00
Oh good! It's Friday. Which means Nathan has tons of fascinating links, and everyone writes these eensy, teensy, tiny posts.

Except Marilyn, thank god - where have you been, Marilyn!? I missed your links.

So, I've given up writing short posts on Friday. My new tactic is hypnosis. I will hypnotise everyone into thinking this is a short post.

You are getting sleepy. Sleepy. You feel relaxed and peaceful.
Everything is green. You suddenly realize how short this post is. Especially the four paragraphs I wrote before ever addressing the links.

So, good links. The anti-ebook research studies all have huge holes in them. Swafford made alot of unsubstantiated statements, the Askins study had a tiny sample size (and also quietly hides the fact that those 24 people said they prefer reading e-books to paperbooks in an off-hand sentence that is not referred to again), and the article about giving kids books was pretty much pure rhetoric. What this tells me - as a staunch e-book supporter - is that people are feeling threatened enough to try to back up their anti-e-book opinions with weak research. Yay! When the doomsday folks come out, then you know that e-books are getting stronger.

That was a fun and interesting article by Kiersten.

Happy blog anniversary to Eric! I remember when he was a guest blogger here, and that whole thing took off from this site.

I guess I see it abit differently than Mary Kole. I think books are art, and that art is then sold for money. So, I think I separate the functions more than she might.

Think of the sci fi covers on e-books!

J.T. can be very funny. And very punny. Ha, ha, ha!

The forums are so much fun. Thank you for the forums, Nathan.

I loved the video. What a powerful and wonderful program. I can't imagine a better use of television. That was very moving, thanks so much for sharing it. Fun to see your high school, too, Nathan. Also, it struck me there might be a use for that type of thing in the adult world. For example, if two countries were at war, they could have a Challenge Day, and air out their true feelings about having bombs dropped on their families. That might make a difference. So, stuff like that.

Okay, the post is over, so I'll unhypnotise you now. When I count to three you will wake up refreshed from reading this short post. You will also have a great weekend! :) One, two, three!

Awesome post and I love the video. I ended up watc...

2010-07-09T23:43:51.084-07:00
Awesome post and I love the video. I ended up watching the whole thing. Very emotional.

The other links were awesome too. I think I'll be one of those die-hard paper book buyers. I love to collect them and show them.

I liked the video. Wow, if that isn't the exa...

2010-07-09T22:21:59.649-07:00
I liked the video. Wow, if that isn't the exact same high school I grew up in, I'll eat some of this delicious homegrown food I just cultivated on the internet. :)

Maybe it's every small town in America. Kamas, Utah (my hometown) is cut from the very same cloth.

anon- I know, right?? I thought it was really goo...

2010-07-09T22:13:02.419-07:00
anon-

I know, right?? I thought it was really good, and it captured the town. That program is amazing and I'm in awe of the people who run it.

IDK if you meant to provoke this sort of reaction,...

2010-07-09T21:41:16.068-07:00
IDK if you meant to provoke this sort of reaction, but that MTV show was THE BEST. It was so moving, I started crying. I wonder if you're going there was more accidental to posting, seredipity, because it certainly felt like mine, & that was land far, far away, in a time long, long ago. And it reminded me why I write books w/teens in mind. Thank you for posting that.

Re Jan Swafford's article about having to prin...

2010-07-09T21:12:31.815-07:00
Re Jan Swafford's article about having to print stuff off in order to edit it, I'm not sure if that means paper is better for spotting errors, or that we're simply addicted to circling stuff with red pens :P

I vote the later.