E-Pub Versus Traditional Pub

My critique partner Patti and I have been having long email discussions about e-pubbing.

I’m all for it. I’m all for reading e-pubbed books; I’m all for publishing e-pubbed books; and I think the future for e-publishing is just going to get more and more exciting.

But Patti, like many writers, has a part of her that already misses traditional publishing and wants to hold out for her own books to be bound and printed. She’s labored for years on these books, and she’s always dreamed of holding her books in her hands and flipping through real pages. She wants to see her name on a cover.

This is the discussion that’s been going on all over — well outside my and Patti’s inboxes. It’s been going on across the publishing world and all over the publishing blogs. Readers are embracing e-reading in rapidly increasing numbers (either on computers, laptops, or e-readers). Last January was the biggest jump, presumably because record numbers received e-readers for Christmas. Readers are simply getting used to reading books online, used to the backlit lettering, used to different column sizes. E-reader prices are coming down. It’s just becoming the norm, and people are craving their “real books” less and less. Continue reading

I Need Book Recommendations!

So here are two things I haven’t been doing lately:

  • Writing fiction
  • Reading fiction

And I really miss them both.

April was such a stressful month. And when I’m stressed, I tend to just lie in bed and stare at the ceiling. I know this is the worst thing to do. I know that, instead, you’re supposed to breathe deeply, go on walks, exercise, do yoga, take baths, read enjoyable books, etc. (And, for me, I could throw “write fiction” in there, because that’s usually a lot of fun for me.) But for some reason, when I’m stressed, I ignore all this good advice and just stare at the ceiling all night, making myself even more miserable.

But I’m coming out of my mood now.

And ready to just get out there and live and do enjoyable things again.

So first up — I need to load up my Kindle with some good (read: fun, upbeat) books to enjoy again.

Any recommendations?

Virtual Book Club — Online Discussion of David Nicholls’ ‘One Day’

Our book club’s February read was One Day by David Nicholls. Since some of you couldn’t be at the dinner and discussion, I thought I’d bring the discussion to you! (I wish I could bring you some of Carrie’s delicious Italian casserole and a slice of Lauran’s gorgeous strawberry cheesecake, too, but … well … that might get messy at your keyboard.)

The book, which is being made into a movie right now, is about Em and Dex, an English couple who reconnect every year on St. Swithin’s Day in England. Over a period of 20 years, they each live their own lives and have their own loves, failures and disappointments, but keep coming back to each other with something slightly missing.

Here’s what some of the members of the book club thought:

 

It felt too much like I was reading about my own struggles at that age, which I do not find interesting enough to read about unless the author can provide me with comic relief or something more than what I already learned on my own, neither of which I felt he did.  The author may have felt that the July 15th annual snapshot was a new and fresh way to present what would otherwise be considered ordinary lives, but to me it just felt gimmicky. I also found the story to be to0 predictable. — Lauran

 

I read the book and was sorry to miss book club. I enjoyed One Day. I went to college in England just a few years ahead of the protagonists, and I found the early part of the book evocative of the atmosphere around and attitudes among the ‘young set’ in those days. I also appreciated the no-holds-barred presentation of life–almost as if it were happening to, rather than by, the author, and I admire that technique (whatever it is!). However, having said all that, almost as soon as I finished it, I began to wonder whether I’m really going to remember the ‘flavor’ of this book in the future, let alone desire to read it again (these are my principal personal measures of a book). As the weeks go by, I increasingly doubt that this novel is going to stand out for me. — Rosy

 

What I liked about this book was that it was not a mushy romance, but one with realistic characters who were funny, tender and absolutely hilarious at different times in the story. I loved the light-hearted humor, very British! There were also some very poignant scenes in the book, like the one where Emma goes to Dex’s wedding. — Mary Ann

 

Rosy, It’s always interesting to see what makes a book worthwhile for someone else. A book’s particular flavor, that it be memorable and something you’d want to read again, have comic relief, impart some lesson of something new. I love that you have those criteria.

I guess the human element is usually big for me. Beyond that, I don’t really have any set criteria except for good writing. Does it impact me emotionally in some way? I wait for each book to take me where it takes me, someplace different, hopefully.

One Day is a love story. For me, it was beautiful by virtue of it being just that: a love story. The way the book was framed around one day each year over time had a simplifying effect that pared it down to the essential and made it easier for the author to focus on the two main characters without spending too much time developing the other personalities, subplots, and so on. Everyone and everything else becomes periphery. Over and over again, the author writes about the ongoing attraction, affection, mutual sweet regard, longing, and love Dex and Em have for each other throughout the decades without getting cumbersome or laden with detail. It was light and at the same time moving, and I felt the depth of the relationship, no matter what they were saying or doing on the surface.

I loved the book, and I was moved. Nicholls achieved a balance that felt neither masculine nor feminine in voice or perspective. My favorite passages where where he describes what Dex and Em are thinking, feeling, as each notices the other.

Like you, Lauran, I sensed what was coming—but not until just before. So, I’m not sure predictable is the word I would use.  — Barbara

 

I enjoy the diversity in our opinions because I always get something more out of a book listening everyone else’s opinion. And on the chance that I would re-read any of our books I look forward to seeing them through someone else’s eyes. — Lauran

 

What about you? Have you read One Day? What are your thoughts?

 

AAR’s New Top 100 Romances List Is Out!

Did I mention that AAR came out with their new Top 100 Romance List a few months ago? I’ve been working off a very old list — I think from 2005 — and carefully working my way down, reading as many of the books as I can to get a true sense of what’s popular in the romance world. I’ve almost covered the top 13 books on that old list, plus a smattering of about 15 books lower on the list from authors I fell in love with.

I must say, the list is outstanding. And following it is great fun. I’ve never been disappointed or stunned by any of the books in the top tiers. Since the list is compiled by masses of readers, I guess public opinion really shines through, and I find that all the recommendations are terrific. Since I only started reading romances about 7 years ago, I needed some direction (there are so many to choose from!), and that list really became an excellent road map for me, introducing me to several fun writers.

When the 2007 list came out, I rather ignored it, because I wanted to keep working down my old list in my methodical way, but now I think I’ll switch to the 2010 list. Many of the same books are on there, but also it includes many recent books that I’ve read or have wanted to read. (Nalini Singh, for instance, is on this newer list, and I’ve been wanting to read her for some time.)

So, without further ado, here’s the 2010 list. Continue reading

What Was Your Favorite Book of 2010?

Well, another year of reading, but this year I didn’t read nearly as much as I usually do. In fact, I think this is a record low. I was pretty busy working on my own books, I guess, in the evening hours (when I’d normally read fiction). Instead of curling up on the couch to read, I was sitting in my desk chair in the den, writing or rewriting dialogue and settings. But it was still fun. (Writing fiction is as much fun as reading it, truly. You never know what your characters are going to do next.)

Also, as I look over my list of books I read this year, I apparently needed to learn a lot. I read six nonfiction books – on writing, agents, the Wild West (research for my short story) and on paying for college! (Yep, need that one.) But I did manage to get a handful of fiction in, many of which were comfort re-reads.

Here’s what was on my complete list, in order from January through December (favorites at the bottom):

  • Jeff Herman’s Guide to Book Publishers, Editors, and Literary Agents (2009 Edition) — Huge. Intimidating. Took me a couple of months, but I finally looked through the entire thing with my little sticky notes and made a long list of possible agents. Then I gave them letter grades for how much they appealed to me (“C” through “A+”), and sorted the list in Excel. Whew! Now on to the next step in the agent search. … Continue reading
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