Hello to everyone coming to the blog via today’s Publishers Lunch, which links to Wednesday’s discussion of the pros and cons of DRM, which originally linked to Publishers Lunch. And, uh, here’s a link back to today’s Publishers Lunch, although be advised that if you click on it you will be trapped in an infinite feedback loop for all of eternity between my blog and Publishers Lunch (but hey — at least you’ll always be up to date on publishing news!).
Everyone’s favorite de-motivating website 101 Reasons to Stop Writing has a new paint job and a new address, so put down those pens and typewriters and be sure and update your bookmarks. Oh, and don’t forget to vote on your favorite cliche in fiction.
Empty out your couches for some loose change, because you’re going to want a limited edition diamond-encrusted edition of British entrepreneur Roger Shashoua’s book DANCING WITH THE BEAR, worth approximately £3 million. Thanks to GalleyCat for the heads up! I’m so on it. Does someone have change for £10 million?
Jonathan Lyons, in his continuing series on agents standing by their clients through the submission process, has a great entry from friend and former colleague Edward Necarsulmer IV, director of the children’s department of McIntosh & Otis. He calls his slush pile the “discovery pile,” which had me slapping my head and whining, “Why didn’t I think of that?” (Edward is a very smart individual and a great agent). Thanks to Ello for reminding me to link to this.
And finally, thank you to everyone who has commented and are busy networking with other writers who are commenting on yesterday’s post on networking. Yay networking! You guys are so awesome. And increasingly well-networked, I might add.
Have a great weekend!
burgy61 says
I just want to thank you for all you do to keep writers informed about the publishing industry. I’ve been lurking here for a while and just joined today.
You have a great weekend too.
Anonymous says
I know you’re busy, Nathan, but any chance you’ll post some query statistics again?
Thanks for the great blogs this week.
Nathan Bransford says
Anon-
I tend to post those stats when I come back from being out of the office because they’re easier to tabulate all at once. But my next vacation isn’t scheduled until, well, November 2008 at last check, so I may pick a week to do it in the nearer future. Thanks for the request!
Danette Haworth says
Thank you for linking JL’s guest post with EN–it was wonderful.
Ello says
(blushing) – your welcome… and although I do admit to visiting Pubrants and a few other agents blogs also, you are my absolute favorite agent blog ever cause you give great advice and have the best sense of humor. In fact I fear I am actually addicted to your blog. I may need an interference…
Anonymous says
Also, when you have the opportunity to do the query stats again, could you let us know if people are sending the wrong genres for you? For example, I noticed that thrillers/mysteries seem to be the largest number in your previous tabulations, but isn’t listed specifically in your “about me” interests. Do those ever catch your eye? Aside from poetry and screenplays, is everything else potentially fair game?
Thanks for doing a great job!
Jen says
Thanks for the posts, Nathan. Have a great weekend. I’m going to scuttle back over to the networking comments again, I haven’t finished reading them yet.
Heidi the Hick says
I checked out the “favourite worst cliche contest” and it is killer. I can’t vote…they’re all so worthy of being banished forever!
(But I am pleased that I’ve already recognized and excised a few of them from my own projects!!!!)
Other Lisa says
Oh, I just checked out the cliches. The “running hand through hair” strikes perilously close to home…
cynjay says
Editorial Anonymous had a link to your blog in the comments section, so you’ll probably get a lot more kidlit writers lurking around here. So keep it clean. And pass the cookies.
(Actually, one of the best kept secrets in kidlit writing is that we love to wear sparkly revealing outfits and drink mojitos at our conferences. How else do you think we get inspired?)
jason evans says
Discovery pile.
That’s awesome! A spoonful of sugar makes the medicine go down.
Or something like that.