Alexander M. Zoltai's Blog, page 196
July 30, 2012
Why I’ve Only Been To One Writing Class In My Life . . .
I’m an unabashed maverick. Regular readers of this blog know that and, apparently, don’t mind… The “writing class” I went to (the only one) was actually supposed to be a writing discussion group—critique group—but most of the other attendees thought otherwise, sharing the “rules” they’d absorbed from others and usually misapplying them. Recently, the online [...]
July 27, 2012
E-Readers Can Be A Saving Grace . . .
Some like paper, some like pixels, some like both… But, if you check out my previous post, E-Readers vs Paper Books ~ What’s TheFuss?, and scroll down to the thought-experiment by Joe Konrath, you might see some clear advantages of e-readers… Also, an article in The Wall Street Journal, An E-Reader Revolution for Africa?, spells [...]
July 26, 2012
From The “I Can’t Believe It” Department . . .
Criticismis critical for writers—provided by beta-readers, editors, and readers. Well-balanced writers appreciate the good comments but crave the criticism that points toward possible improvements. Writers who can’t handle negative criticism should rebuild their expectations or, possibly, self-edit and never read reviews… But to sink so low as to bully one’s negative critics?? Ray Garton has [...]
July 25, 2012
What Should You Read Next?
How do you choose what to read next? Intuition? Ask a friend? Browse a bookstore? Browse a WebSite? Go to a library? Well, I found another way—based on other readers’ favorites and used over 10 million times… And, it’s called, ever so appropriately, What Should I Read Next? :-) I’ve checked it out and it [...]
July 24, 2012
Writers Beware ~ One of The Big Six Just Got Trickier…
As if writers didn’t already have a rough time when getting ready to publish. Legacy or Self-Publish? Shoot for an advance or pay for it myself? Which method of self-publishing? I previously published a post called How Can Writers Avoid BeingScammed? It appears there’s going to be a new wrinkle in the tortured landscape of [...]
July 23, 2012
When’s The Last Time Someone Read You A Story?
Remember the joy of being read to? Was your last time when you were a child? Has anyone read to you in your adulthood? Ever been to an author reading? I remember, when I was in my 50s, having someone read Hitchhiker’s Guide To the Galaxy to me—pure joy! :-) I found a post by [...]
July 20, 2012
Why Are Bookstores Dying? ~or~ How To Understand The “News” About Books…
In all the frenzy of damning Amazon for its success in the book business, many apologists for publishers and bookstores completely forget the Reader… Many also use what should be the “News” to spread propaganda… I’ve written a few posts about the US Department of Justice’s suit against Big Publishers that I feel can help [...]
July 19, 2012
Research Resources for Writers
A short post today with a big payout :-) All writers do research, even if only the kind that has them searching their own imaginations. Some writers take university courses. The New York Times has an article called Open Education for a Global Economy. It links to many research resources but focuses on ALISON—Free Online [...]
July 18, 2012
The Fears of Self-Publishing Are Still Hotly Swirling . . .
Those who blindly cling to the Traditional Model of publishing have a tendency to raise biased alarms when others show favor for Self-Publishing. I saw an article on one of my favorite sites, Publetariat, called Why DIY Publishing is Not a Dead End [ DIY meaning Do It Yourself ]. It was a reprint from [...]
July 17, 2012
Someone At Amazon Coined A Word ~ Did They Break A Writing Rule ?
Omnivoracious isn’t in my Oxford or Wordnik dictionaries. It’s a portmanteau word—”…blending the sound of two different words…coined by Lewis Carroll for the sort of words he invented…”. I’ll float a meaning: ragingly hungry for everything… And, it’s the title of Amazon’s reading blog. Then there’s Susan J. Morris: “a freelance fantasy author, editor, and [...]
