Found Around the Net

The one nice thing about working my day job is that, when there is down time, I’m able to surf the internet. This is a bittersweet indulgence for me because it reminds me of all the stuff I could be getting done with my internet business. At the same time, I come across some fairly interesting and eyebrow raising tidbits.

Earlier this month Victoria Strauss over at Writer’s Beware (a scam busting blog) talked about the slew of layoffs and hiring freezes going on at various publishing houses. Yes, the economy is taking no prisoners. However, I would have thought book sales would remain fairly stable. When people are stressed they seek things that help them escape the realities of their life. This is why movies do so well in economic downturn. For two hours you can live in some other world where creditors aren’t calling you wondering when you are going to pay your mortgage. But I guess the relief you get from books is not as instant as other means of escapism.

Also earlier this month, Jane of the How Publishing Really Works blog, wrote a brief post on the importance of doing your research both when writing your stories and when selecting a publisher. She linked to a very old review of a book written by LaVerne Ross and published by Publish America; a vanity publisher that is notorious for publishing books without any editing or even a first reading. The review is painful to read and left me embarrassed for the author. All I have to say is, sometimes a rejection letter is a mercy killing.

Literary agent Diana Fox blogs about a writer who was so desperate to get his book read that he faked an email from her just so he could send her a few chapters of it! Kids, don’t try this at home. Not only do you piss off the agent you risk your ethic hiccup getting around to people who could potentially help. The last thing you want is to become known at THAT writer.

Also in my travels on the internet, I came across a wonderful, wonderful website called StoryCorps. StoryCorps is a nonprofit project founded by Dave Isay that gets two people together and have them…talk to each other. A novel concept I know. But even more awesome is that the group records the conversations (more like interviews) and makes them available for download on their website.

You’ll find very few, if any, celebrities amongst the recordings. You have everyday people sharing their stories with each other and showing the world the real face of America. I encourage everyone to go have a listen when you have a spare moment. I promise you will leave the site feeling connected to the rest of humanity.