Monday Miscellany

I'm heartbroken. Crow Toes Quarterly is shutting down and its wonderful editor, Christopher Millin, is returning to his other passion, writing. I loved his publication and I appreciated being pubbed by him two times. His splendid, "playfully dark" collection of poetry and stories will be missed.



For those of you caught up in the book promotion frenzy, here's a great post by Arthur Slade about ads that work and how. Take a look. 









In this month's Writer Magazine, Susan Shapiro offers up 20 tips for selling your first book. The article is on pp 30-32, but here's a list of some of those tips (condensed).





Ask why you want to write the story. Inspire others? Legacy to kids?
Don't expect to make the big bucks out of the gate. Be realistic.
Just write the thing, for heaven sakes. The more pages you get down the better your chances at selling it.
Read the exact kind of books you want to publish.
Write what you're passionate about.
Frame your book for the sale: a clever title, 2-5 lines that sum up your book. This is for when you trap an agent in an elevator.
Ask for blurbs BEFORE you sell.
My favorite: "Plumbers don't get plumber's block." In other words make writing your priority.
Get criticized and good.
Her stragegy: Switch to non-fiction if your fiction ain't cutting it.
Build your platform: blog, TV, radio. Get known.


Daylight Saving Time:





45% of American adults say daylight saving time is not worth the  hassle. 40% say it is. 27% say they've arrived somewhere early or late because of it. Rasmussen Reports. I love daylight saving time. Wish they never turned the clocks back.



Sliding on the Edge, C. Lee McKenzie, WestSide Books, Spring '09