Red Sox, radio, Interfictions 2

Thu 10 Dec 2009 - Filed under: Not a Journal. | 1 Comment | Posted by: Gavin

The Red Sox just visited Franciscan but I only saw them leave because I was doing something else—but they visited Ursula and Kelly. Pictures were taken, by them, not us! They’re so young! And, so big! Seemed very nice. Apparently signed baseballs and took pics and made some of the kids (and maybe one or two of the parents) v. happy.

We’re on the radio tomorrow morning, call in and you too can take part in one of the oldest traditions in radio: pay to play!

Thanks to everyone who bought books at the sale or full price! You are awesome. We’ll wait until the end of the year to add up the donation but it should be a couple of hundred dollars.

We’ve run out of Interfictions 2 at the office (awesome!) so those orders have to wait a few days until the 4 more cartons of it we ordered come in.

Magic for Beginners has been included in a Best of the Decade lists from Salon—yay!

Kirkus Reviews is closing. What?!

Publishing is all about the tees. (Not a sic.) Go, Eric!

Nice review of our favorite bibliomystery Hound at Gumshoe.

And that’s the week that was.


Kelly & Gavin on Mike FM & a sale—all for Franciscan

Mon 7 Dec 2009 - Filed under: Not a Journal., , , | 31 Comments | Posted by: Gavin

UrsulaIt’s time for our once-every-ten-years end-of-the-decade sale and this year we’re donating a portion of the proceeds to Franciscan Children’s Hospital where our daughter, Ursula, has lived for the past couple of months.

Ursula, who was due on June 16th, was born on February 23rd, 2009, weighing 1 lb, 9 ounces. She stayed in the neonatal ICU at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield in an incubator for the first couple of months while we lived close by at the Ronald McDonald House. In May we expected “to bring Ursula, who [was at that point] currently well over 4 lbs, home in about two weeks.” That didn’t quite work out. After a PDA ligation, laser eye surgery, a g-tube procedure (eating required so much energy she would have had a hard time growing without one), and a tracheostomy to help out her lungs, which have been, and (will continue to be for the next year) the real issue, two months later, on July 21st, we did indeed get her home.

Ursula at homeThat was a great day—but not a great night. So the next morning we called an ambulance and she went back to Baystate Medical Center. There she went back on a ventilator and after a couple of days was diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension. After two weeks in the pediatric ICU, she was transferred to one of the meccas of modern medicine, Children’s Hospital Boston. After two weeks there—where we were able to sleep in Ursula’s futuristic ICU room (think Grey’s Anatomy—in space!)—Ursula was transferred to Franciscan Children’s Hospital in the Brighton area of Boston, ironically next door to the house we lived in 10 years ago. We found an apartment which is a 5-minute walk away, moved in at the end of August, and we’ve been here ever since. (All things continuing as they are, Ursula will come home in spring.)

Ursula & KellyLife has been hectic, and at times quite difficult, but everyone says being a parent is like that. Ursula is an absolute joy & a delight—and also the reason that we won’t be traveling for a while! Her lung condition, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, means that for the next few years we’ll need to keep her away from people during the flu season. The trach means she can’t speak, but she is fluent in kicking and smiling. She’s nine months old now, but only about five months old “corrected,” referring to her original due date, which is how you are supposed to think of a premature baby, in terms of weight, development, etc. She’s 13 and a half pounds, and by the time she is two or three years old, the damaged areas of her lungs will be small enough in proportion to the areas of healthy lung tissue that she shouldn’t need either supplementary oxygen or her trach. We’re learning a lot about babies, respiratory care, and how awesome nurses, doctors, and respiratory therapists are. At every hospital we’ve been to, we meet cool people because of Ursula.

Tiger babyFranciscan gets a lot of support (the Boston Bruins, big supporters of the place, are going holiday shopping for the kids on Tuesday!—and the Red Sox are coming by this week) but, hey, you know how it is in the health care zone: there’s always more needed. Ursula’s care is topnotch (and we strongly recommend and are eternally grateful to Health New England and Mass Health): from the 24-hour doctor, nurse (how do they stay so nice during the 12-hour—sometimes 16!—shifts dealing with all the poor, sick, cranky babies?!), and respiratory therapists to the speech (Ursula’s favorite person!), physical, and occupational therapists, to the cleaners who keep the unit sparkling, to the cheery people at the cafeteria (mmm!) and the front desk where we traipse by 3 or 4 times a day. And this is just one floor, the third, respiratory (with 24 beds), in one building of seven. They do everything for kids here: one of the playgrounds out in the back is set up for wheelchairs, it is awesome. It’s a huge place and every day hundreds of people come here to work and what they do is help kids.

So here are two things where maybe you can help—there’s a third which involves Holly Black, Kelly, and Cassandra Clare in Boston, but more on that at some later point.

First: radio. Second: sale.

Ursula & Gavin1) Radio: This Friday, December 11th, from 7 AM – 7 PM, Boston radio station 93.7 Mike-FM is doing a fundraiser for Franciscan. The idea is fantastic—and totally open to manipulation(!):

Operators will be standing by LIVE at 866-931-MIKE on Friday, December 11th from 7AM to 7PM to take song requests and donations. While any and all donations are warmly welcomed, remember that the bigger the donation the better chance you have of hearing your song exactly when you want!! Donations can also be made here.

About the Benefit:

The Mike-FM Request for Help to benefit the Franciscan Hospital for Children is a day long, celebrity hosted radio-thon pay-for-play which helps to raise money and awareness for the Hospital. Over the course of the 12 hours, Mike-FM will play any song you want to hear… for a price.

Celebrities will be paired with parents and from 9 AM – 10 AM Kelly Tuthill (celebrity news anchor from NewsCenter 5) will be on with Kelly Link and Gavin Grant (parents of the delightful Ursula).

Please call 866-931-MIKE and request good songs!

Ursula says hello to Howard2) Sale: we’ve been trying to work out an interesting sale and we think we’ve come up with a nice and easy one:

All our books are on sale—and $1 from every book (or ebook, zine, subscription, etc.) goes to Franciscan.

And, if you order items at full price, we will donate the difference between the full price and the sale price to Franciscan!

All our preorder titles are on sale, too! (They’re marked “Remainder” until we get it fixed.)

Paperbacks are less than $10—many quite a bit less!—and hardcovers are up to 40% off. Or, of course, more.

Media mail shipping within the US/Canada is included in the price (a note on mailing dates) and can be upgraded to Priority Mail.

Go wild! Feel free to do all your holiday shopping here! And please do spread the word, thank you.


Mailing dates for Xmas, etc.

Fri 4 Dec 2009 - Filed under: Not a Journal., , , , | Comments Off on Mailing dates for Xmas, etc. | Posted by: Gavin

Just looked at the last mailing dates before Christmas/your holiday of choice on the post office site. Not entirely sure what some of these mean and I don’t see Media Mail but if you are ordering from us and want it to arrive pre-Dec. 25th here are the dates.

Media Mail (7-10 days, 2 days in Massachusetts) is included in all our prices (except special sales…) and Priority Mail is here.

Domestic Mail Class/Product Cut Off Date
First Class Mail Dec-21
Priority Mail Dec-21
Express Mail* Dec-23
Parcel Post Dec-16
DBMC Drop Ship Dec-19
DDU Drop Ship Dec-23
International Mail**
Express Mail Military APO/FPO**

International Mail

International Mail Addressed To Global Express Guaranteed® (GXG)4*** Express Mail® International (EMS)5* Priority Mail® International (PMI)6*
Africa Dec-18 Dec-12 Dec-4
Asia/Pacific Rim Dec-18 Dec-17 Dec-11
Australia/New Zealand Dec-18 Dec-17 Dec-11
Canada Dec-22 Dec-18 Dec-14
Caribbean Dec-21 Dec-17 Dec-14
Central & South America Dec-21 Dec-12 Dec-4
Mexico Dec-22 Dec-17 Dec-11
Europe Dec-21 Dec-17 Dec-14
Middle East Dec-18 Dec-17 Dec-14

Futurama calendar writers …

Thu 3 Dec 2009 - Filed under: Not a Journal., , | Comments Off on Futurama calendar writers … | Posted by: Gavin

… send us an email and we will send you some books! Even thought the calendar is on the wall next to the fridge (mmm, beer) I just turned the page over today from November to December and discovered that we missed John Crowley’s birthday on December 1st— Darn! Happy Birthday, John!

And, last week, one of the things they recommended was to read Kelly’s story “Louise’s Ghost.” Who are these people? They are awesome and we want to send them some books!


Getting excited

Thu 3 Dec 2009 - Filed under: Not a Journal., , | 3 Comments | Posted by: Gavin

Holly Black, The Poison Eaters and Other Storiesabout Holly Black’s short story collection! She just handed in her excellent (and funny) new story, “The Land of Heart’s Desire,” which has something to do with these characters Roiben, Kaye, Val, and a few others that might be familiar to some.

The book comes out in February which means it goes to the printer soon, what fun!

And, we just heard back from some early readers who are as excited as us about this book:

“Gritty, grim, and fabulous—Holly is a master of dark magic and dark reality!”
—Tamora Pierce (author of Bloodhound)

“Holly Black is the Real Thing: a gifted writer with a solid grounding in what matters. Her stories are dark and splendid blooms rising from roots sunk deep in myth and tradition.”
—Ellen Kushner (author of The Privilege of the Sword)

“Simply put, Holly Black is one of our best writers. Enchanting and edgy, yes, but it’s the big heart in her stories that brings me back to her writing, time and again. Reading a new book by Holly is like meeting up with an old friend. They might be a little messed up from the last time you saw them, they might have some serious drama going on in their lives, but the connection is immediate, and when they’re packing up to head off again, you don’t want to let them go.”
—Charles de Lint (author of The Blue Girl)


Vid, discounts, art, made-up stories, and —

Wed 2 Dec 2009 - Filed under: Not a Journal., , , , , , | 2 Comments | Posted by: Gavin

so on. Wait: aren’t all stories made up? No! Because, wait for it, some of them are True. Riiiight, on with the show.

We added a short intro video (see below) to the Writer’s Daily Planner since it is so late to hits stores — managed to post it on Facebook and IndieBound, not sure if it will end up on Powell’s. Used the Flip camera, then upped the sound. Need a better mic!

And: we’ve added discounts! (Not sure if we will get organized enough to do a sale before the year ends. Hmm.)

A. DeNiro chats up LibraryThing. And, they have a new story on Strange Horizons.

Adam Roberts’s idiosyncratic take on Cloud & Ashes — he likes the story, not the dialog. (Do read his Kevin Anderson review as well, it’s v. v. funny.)

And: Greer gets some fan art.

Nice review of Hound @ Fictionophile: “If bibliophilia is an illness, then Henry Sullivan is terminal!”

Ed Park pulls a thread and finds a story in American Fantastic Tales.

And, you know, other stuff.

Many ‘ands make light work?


Happy St. Andrew’s Day!

Mon 30 Nov 2009 - Filed under: Not a Journal., | Comments Off on Happy St. Andrew’s Day! | Posted by: Gavin

Almost forgot (even though, yes, it’s noted in our Daily Planner—but, hey, that’s for 2010, not 2009)—to wish everyone Happy St. Andrew’s Day: a perfect excuse (as if one were needed) to have everyone over for a haggis dinner!

(Thanks to Karen Lord for the reminder!)


A., John, Vincent, Elissa, Bruce & Henry, & more

Wed 25 Nov 2009 - Filed under: Not a Journal., , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment | Posted by: Gavin

Publishing seems to take today off as part of the Thanksgiving holiday—maybe everyone on NYC is taking the day off to empty the oven of books so that they can try and cook a turkey?—but we in indie press land don’t recognize your bourgeois concept of “holidays.” All days are holidays here!

And in the meantime, coming up soon we have an interview with Daniel Rabuzzi author of The Choir Boats and we’re looking forward to the new issue of Xerography Debt (with a few reviews by yours truly).

Hilarious post by Elissa Bassist: What We Were Really Saying:

Me
I verb you.

Him
I similarly feel for you in this way, but I’ll never say the word verb in front of you or even behind your back to my friends. I have feelings only sometimes, and only when I feel like it.

Elsewhere, tangentially related to SBP: A. DeNiro (Skinny Dipping…) is celebrating the release of his first novel, Total Oblivion, More or Less, by hosting a fundraiser for MercyCorps—and if you donate and send A. an email he’ll send you a piece of postapocalytic ephemera.

Bruce Sterling gives the Wired thumbs up to Henry Jenkins intro to Interfictions 2: “Man, Henry Jenkins is the guru.”

Nice review of Hound:

Hound is a leisurely mystery, the action is secondary to the pace of life, the thoughtfulness, the focus on books and things literary. This isn’t fast-paced, action-filled. The story develops at it’s own pace, not to be rushed but rather to be savored. Indeed, the crime-solving is secondary to the portrayal of Henry, the sensitive bibliophile’s efforts to make sense of life. This is a “literary” novel with a mystery inside. It’s full of asides and memories of the character’s youth. The reader needs to relax and enjoy. Initially, I wasn’t sure I was going to like this, but my affection for this book and it’s characters grew as I read, until by the end I was quite satisfied. I look forward to the next in this different, intriguing series.

This generic image should make people rethink getting shiny new electronics for Xmas:

http://www.booksequalgifts.com/banners/Book_and_Bow.jpg

John Kessel (The Baum Plan…) is interviewed at Marshall’s Sekrit Clubhouse (shh, it’s a secret!) and can be seen on UNC TV’s Bookwatch here:

John Kessel
Play Video

A Working Writer’s Daily Planner 2010

Tue 24 Nov 2009 - Filed under: Not a Journal. | 25 Comments | Posted by: Gavin

December 2009
9781931520584 · Spiral bound · 6 x 9 · 144 pp · Multiple-copy discount

“I am ticking off the days until I can get my Working Writer’s Daily Planner. All work is at a complete stop until its arrival.”
—Karen Joy Fowler, author of The Jane Austen Book Club

A Working Writer’s Daily Planner 2010 is made by writers for writers—all kinds of writers. Whether you’re published or not, a poet, a bestselling novelist, retired, in school, an academic, a short story writer, or you are researching your nonfiction magnum opus, you’ll find that this calendar is a powerful motivational tool which easily integrates into the workday. You’ll find inspiration in the stimulating exercises  along with the daily and weekly structure you need to get the work done.

Download a Free Sample: March 2010 | Scribd.

Every week has its own page with  a handy list of upcoming deadlines, writing contests, information on where to apply for residencies, as well as inspiring quotations or writing prompts and exercises and suggestions, Federal Holidays (extra writing time!), and, at least once a month, a suggestion for a magazine (or other market) to submit your work to.

A Working Writer’s Daily Planner is first and foremost a practical resource: Each deadline or residency application is accompanied by a website address so that you can go straight to the source for more information. However, most listings also have all the information you need to apply or to send in your submission as well as a simple code so that you can tell immediately if a program, award, or market is appropriate.

Each month has a page for notes which you can use to plan ahead and at the back, you will find a handy Submissions Tracker to keep track of where and when you sent your work out, as well as many other features for you to use and enjoy throughout the year.

And, courtesy of our friend Abby Denson, for that time when you just need a total break from it all: there are paper dolls!

A Quick Index to A Working Writer’s Daily Planner 2010

July: Indie mag weekFinding an MFA Program
Kelly Link, “Beyond Competent and Accomplished: A Call to Action for Workshoppers”
How to Format a Manuscript
Kate Wilhelm, “Trivia Vs. Writing Real Stories”
Persevere
Contest and Award Fees
Goal Planner
Further Resources
CLMP Contest Code of Ethics
Paper Dolls
Submission Tracker
Photo and illustration credits

Reading Lists
Early Spring, Late Spring, Summer, Late Summer, Winter

Writing Exercises
Quick, Truth Or . . .?, Fifty First Sentences, Clichés, Soundtrack First

Writing Prompts

Writer's Calendar flat outSpotlights
Grants, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Poetry, Independent Magazines, State Arts Focus, Younger Writers, Residencies, Online Writing Classes

Inclusion of events, workshops, conventions, conferences, magazines, contests, websites, and anything else in this calendar in no way constitutes an endorsement by Small Beer Press who shall not be held accountable for any ­­­changes since the date of publication or reliance upon this information by readers. Please check the websites listed for full information on residencies, journals, grants, and so on. Small Beer Press received no payment or consideration in any form for any information included in this calendar. This is a work in progress and will be updated for 2011. We love to hear from readers so if there is something you would like to see included in next year’s calendar, please contact us at the address below.

A Working Writer’s Daily Planner 2010 is available at a discount to workshops, groups, companies, or for use as a premium. Please contact us for more information, thank you.

“Each week is given a full page with enough space to jot down interview times, for example, or to make note of those awful looming deadlines…. But there’s much more in here than the birth dates of writers who are far more famous than most of us will ever be. The facing pages are packed with information about writers’ residencies, writing prizes and awards in fiction, non-fiction, and poetry, writing fellowships, writing prompts and exercises, practical tips on formatting manuscripts and links to writing blogs and other online resources—and words of inspiration.”
—The Daily Hampshire Gazette

Instant Discounts (includes Media Mail shipping in the USA):

2 copies: $9


3 copies: $13


4 copies: $15


5 copies: $18!


Made by Small Beer Press in 2009.
Printed on 100# Boydon Gloss by United Graphics, Inc. of Maltoon, IL.
Text set in Cochin.



Stone Animals @ NPR

Mon 23 Nov 2009 - Filed under: Not a Journal., , , | 1 Comment | Posted by: Gavin

Nice surprise: Kelly’s story “Stone Animals” is excerpted at NPR.org.


Shipping out the calendar

Mon 23 Nov 2009 - Filed under: Not a Journal., , | Comments Off on Shipping out the calendar | Posted by: Gavin

It’s a hive of activity (punctuated by Sierra Nevada holiday ale!) here shipping out the Writer’s Daily Planner (and perhaps still following the Hq stuff…!)

Here are a couple of random shots of it — it’s great to have it (at last!) and be able to heft it around. Stores will be receiving it soon and we’re sending it out to writing programs and all kinds of things.

Writer's Calendar flat ouJuly



Small Beer Press … Horizons!

Sun 22 Nov 2009 - Filed under: Not a Journal., , , , , , , | 41 Comments | Posted by: Gavin

Opening up new horizons to all writers is where we are at! We understand that just over the horizon is where dreams are made! We are down with your writerly ambitions! We understand, as we is writers ourselves.

And, so, having no interest in the bottom line, after all we are publishers and everyone in publishing is in it for the art not the money, we are announcing the formation of a new, er, imprint? Vanity press? Bold, New, Shiny, Revolutionary, Don’t Watch Our Hands, Lots of Small Type in the Contract, Type of Publishing:

Easymark Books

We’re not interested in monetizing the slushpile, we’re interested in getting you to pay to publish it for our profit!*

  1. Let us help you get your book out to your real readership: your family and friends.
  2. See you book on bookshelves (if not in bookstores—see #1).
  3. For a mere $599 we will send you 5 copies of your book printed on our state of the art Print on Demand system. (Which sounds just like Lulu.com but isn’t, ok?) It will even have a color picture on the cover—with, and sit down because this is about to get awesome, Your Name Right There On the Cover!
  4. Our premium Marketing Fuss package includes faxes to people who don’t care as well as our ninja street team who will sneak your book into bookstores and, sometimes, even into the right section!
  5. In our super-premium “Booksellers” package—Usually $5 million, Today Only $2 million—we come to your town, open a bookshop, and stock your book. We will throw a launch party and have you do a reading and for a small additional fee we will throw in a couple of bottles of that sparkly Portuguese wine and some cubed cheese (which seem like such a good idea in the grocery store and look so sad on display) in the somewhat forlorn hope that people will come.
  6. Know nothing about publishing? Don’t worry, we’ll treat you right. Remember Yog’s Law and money. Then quickly forget it.

It is all about the dream!Become An Author

* This is an example of an unproofed sentence with a comma splice. If you pay for our Aspirational package (Usually $5,999, for this month only $1,995!) we will proof your book. Your unedited, uncopyedited, and unproofed sentences will become more like this:

We’re not interested in monetizing the slushpile. We’re interested in getting you to pay to publish it for our profit!*

* Or even this: We need to hit up the uninformed and rip them off before anyone else gets the idea.

And if Easymark isn’t for you, how about:

Upchuck Press

Because money, like beer, should always flow toward the writer. Unless we can get you to disgorge some first.

Become An Author

FAQ

Here are some common questions we thought we’d answer ahead of time:

Is this program for me?

No.

But I think my book could be a bestseller in this program.

It won’t.

Is this a vanity press?

Yes.

Is this just a way to part the uninformed from their money?

Yes.

Will my book sell? And if it does, will you publish it for reals?

No. Unless you buy a metric ton of it and sell it out the back of you car at flea markets. Which, as every writer knows, has in fact worked about three times in the last thirty years.

I have a lot of money and I want to write.

Hmm. Oddly enough those two things have nothing to do with one another.

Also, as to the latter: bum on the seat.

I don’t have quite as much money as that last questioner. Will you still publish my book?

Well, we have a super discount program where for $49 we read your manuscript and offer you more services for more money. How about that?

What is an “editorial review”?

One of our unpaid but enthusiastic interns will run spell chekc on your novel and recommend that you cut out most of the adverbs.

How will you publicize my book?

Well, it will be listed on our PaytoPlay website, not emailed to our email list, not mentioned on any of our websites, and not included in anything related to our press.

However, have you ever heard of “blogging”?

What price will my book be?

All our state of the art trade mass market paperback hardcovers are priced to sell at $22.89. You automatically get 5 free copies! (For the price of shipping.) In accordance with our publishing philosophy, author copies can be acquired at 200% of retail price. No royalty is paid on author copies.

Is this “the cynical use of a respected brand to legitimize a business model which has long been associated with predatory tactics, in the guise of inventing a shiny new business model for those brave enough to dream big. And pay through the nose, presumably“?

No! No. Er. Yes.

Will my book be a Small Beer Press book?

Are you daft? Of course not!


Go to Jordan’s next Sunday

Sat 21 Nov 2009 - Filed under: Not a Journal., , | Comments Off on Go to Jordan’s next Sunday | Posted by: Gavin

Got kids in the Boston area? Drop by Jordan’s Furniture in Avon, MA, on Sunday, November 29th, 2009, 9:00 AM – 11:00 AM for The Enchanted Village fundraiser for Franciscan Hospital for Children. And, yay!

Click Here To Order Siver Tickets Online

Call 1-617-254-3800 Ext 5430 To Order Your Silver Tickets By Phone

Experience an exclusive private viewing of the iconic Enchanted Village during its inaugural year at Jordan’s Furniture in Avon! Walk through the yesteryears of the display, take a picture with Santa, be transported by the Polar Express 4D Ride, and see the all-new Holiday Laser Light Show Spectacular in the MOM Theater!

Enchanted Village


Link dumps

Sat 21 Nov 2009 - Filed under: Not a Journal., , , , , , , | 3 Comments | Posted by: Gavin

Mini-io9 linkdump:

  • One of our authors Karen Lord’s debut novel Redemption in Indigo makes a list of 20 SF books to look forward to. And they are right! (Although it is the first edition, not only the first US edition. Hey, but rights are available… ) Anyway, it’s great and great fun and wethinks you will enjoy it.
  • SBP gets hauled out in a list of publishers reinventing publishing. Don’t know about that but it’s a list with some great people on it. (We all make that face when we pick up the mails as it is always the bills.)
    -> Have you see Jeremy’s letter in Locus about getting to use a Richard Powers cover? (Ah, googlefound here) It is awesome and Eclipse 3 is on the the TBR list.
    -> We will start an ebook store at some point and reinvent publishing. We will move from selling ideas on paper to just painted electrons on that gadgety new Apple tablet thing that we’re all going to get in spring.

Mini-Scotsman linkdump:

Mini-Guardian linkdump:

Mini linkdump:


Read some Poppy Z. Brite

Fri 20 Nov 2009 - Filed under: Not a Journal., , , , | Comments Off on Read some Poppy Z. Brite | Posted by: Gavin

Just posted an excerpt from Poppy Z. Brite’s wonderful short novel The Value of X, which can be found in our new book Second Line.

You can read the start of the second short novel, D*U*C*K, at the BSCreview.


It ships!

Thu 19 Nov 2009 - Filed under: Not a Journal., , | Comments Off on It ships! | Posted by: Gavin

The somewhat slightly maybe perhaps a teensy-bit delayed Working Writer’s Daily Planner has shipped from the printer! It’ll arrive on Friday at our distro’s distroing HQ (in Jackson, go comb your hair, Tennessee) and from there head out into the wide world. It may not hit stores by the No Shopping Friday-After-Thanksgiving but it should be getting out the week after. Wild cheers will greet any pics sent in of it out there in the wild.


some more men win some more awards

Thu 19 Nov 2009 - Filed under: Not a Journal., , , , | Comments Off on some more men win some more awards | Posted by: Gavin

1 guy, 2 guys, 3 guys, 4 guys. Plus: 2 extra guys.


He wants to make love to the mountain

Tue 17 Nov 2009 - Filed under: Not a Journal., , , , | Comments Off on He wants to make love to the mountain | Posted by: Gavin

Via Valerie via Ben:


Inspired by Interfictions

Mon 16 Nov 2009 - Filed under: Not a Journal., , | Comments Off on Inspired by Interfictions | Posted by: Gavin

[redacted] (series of 4) by Kristin RossCheck out the art inspired by stories from Interfictions 1 and 2 here — you can make it yours, too, if you want. And today Publishers Weekly says of the book:

Interfictions 2: An Anthology of Interstitial Writing
Edited by Delia Sherman and Christopher Barzak.
This anthology celebrates its cross-genre concept as much as its content, with a lengthy introduction, contributor notes, and afterword. Will Ludwigsen’s lovely, melancholy “Remembrance is Something Like a House” combines paranormal and true crime elements. Alaya Dawn Johnson’s dystopian “The Score” reads like a post-9/11 Twilight Zone episode. A scientist tries to prevent a world war in Elizabeth Ziemska’s winsome “Count Poniatowski and the Beautiful Chicken.” Stephanie Shaw’s strong and earthy writing grounds her story of dragons and a four-headed obstetrician in “Afterbirth.” . . .  Fans of the first Interfictions anthology will dig it.”


Which NYC conference should we go to?

Sun 15 Nov 2009 - Filed under: Not a Journal., , | Comments Off on Which NYC conference should we go to? | Posted by: Gavin

There are two Future of Publishing/Ebooks are Fun/Wow, Look at That conferences on in New York in Jan/Feb and we are wondering which one is worth going to and why?

There’s the O’Reilly Tools of Change, Feb. 22-24, and there’s:

Digital Book World

We’re working on an ebook store which will sell our books and some others and which should launch in time for everyone who buys the new Apple gadget to make it their homepage so we’ve been doing a little research and so on and if anyone thinks we should go to one or the other of these we’d love to know.


Anil Menon interview

Sun 15 Nov 2009 - Filed under: Not a Journal. | Comments Off on Anil Menon interview | Posted by: Gavin

Talks with (the indefatigable?) Charles Tan. And if you like that, go read his blog.


Everyone’s going bovine

Fri 13 Nov 2009 - Filed under: Not a Journal., , | Comments Off on Everyone’s going bovine | Posted by: Gavin

Go read Going Bovine. But first, watch this (old but excellent short):


Free books, songs, arguments

Tue 10 Nov 2009 - Filed under: Not a Journal., , , , , | 1 Comment | Posted by: Gavin

BSCreview has 3 free copies of A Working Writer’s Daily Planner 2010 to give away.  Want Want Freebies?

Lev Grossman included Kelly’s Magic for Beginners in a list of “the six greatest fantasy books of all time.” Ladies and Gentlemen, start your arguments.

Richard Nash calls out BEA (via Shelf Awareness) on their rather silly decisions not to have a big party and not to let in the grand reading public. BEA is dying and no one seems to care. The American Booksellers Association has sensibly started a new thing, the very successful Winter Institute where publishers and booksellers get to meet in peace. Book fairs (hello Brooklyn!) do tremendously. ComicCon is spinning off secondary fairs like no one’s business. Kids are lining up to get into manga fairs. Someone else is going to take up the slack (hello again, Brooklyn, LA, Washington DC, Miami). Putting publishers in front of the public is no bad thing. We went to a huge indie book fair in Italy that was 4 days long and bigger than the Javits Center. People love that stuff — come on BEA, get like AWP and other smarter conferences, let the people in.

Hal Duncan has songs (with Neil Williamson) and a successful pay-per-view (or whateveryoucallit) going on on his site.

There have been two fascinating reviews (one website, one blog—there are many on the blogs but I just happen to be posting right now) of Greer Gilman’s Cloud & Ashes: Paul Kincaid on SF Site,

Time and again, in innumerable different ways, we see hints about the ways that the stories we tell shape the actions we take…. This is where the circle is broken, and if events drive us incessantly towards tragedy as stories must, it is a very different tragedy from what has gone before.

Cloud and Ashes is not an easy book to read, but it is incredibly worth while making the effort. Any sense I have given of what goes on here is inevitably only partial, there is so much I have had to omit, major characters, significant plot lines. Above all, I have barely hinted at how much it plays with gender roles, how much it has to tell us about the role of women in shaping the world, indeed how every potent active character is female. It is a book you will barely grasp, but it is a book whose hold on your mind, on your memory, is assured. It is a story about story, and stories are what we are all made of. Abandon hope all ye who enter here.

And She Who Must on LJ:

I loved it, and it still took me about a month to read it; it’s quite long, and very, very rich. After a few pages I’d have to stop and digest what I’d read. I don’t think that’s a bad thing – indeed, I was in no hurry to reach the end, I didn’t want it to be over.


Other end of the stick

Tue 10 Nov 2009 - Filed under: Not a Journal. | Comments Off on Other end of the stick | Posted by: Gavin

Received by email today from one of the trade review journals after we queried them in September about reviewing our current books:

Dear Gavin,

Thank you for your inquiry regarding the title “XXXXXXXX.”
Unfortunately, this title was not selected for review by XXXXXXX
as it did not fit our present needs. However, we would
encourage you to send your future titles to us for review consideration,
and we look forward to receiving them.

Best,

Oh well. Next time.


Interfictions: LA + Henry Jenkins

Tue 10 Nov 2009 - Filed under: Not a Journal., , | Comments Off on Interfictions: LA + Henry Jenkins | Posted by: Gavin

First once-was-MIT honcho Henry Jenkins heads for LA, now he’s writing about interstitialism (fantastic intro here), and now tonight there’s a huge event tonight in LA.

La what? No! L.A.! Don’t miss the latest Interfictions event tonight in LA (and then on Friday in Boston) with a huge selection of readers, musicians and so on. Here’s the info straight from the horse’s mouth:

Q&A with Cecil Castellucci, and Interfictions 2 hits LA tonight!

To celebrate the launch of Interfictions 2, we’ve been arranging a number of interviews with the contributors, which will be posted to the new Interviews page in the Interfictions 2 section of our site. The first of these is with none other than a host of (and a featured performer at) tonight’s Interfictions 2 Reading in Los Angeles – Cecil Castellucci!

In addition to being the author of the Interfictions 2 short story “The Long and Short of Long-Term Memory”, Cecil is the author of three YA novels, Boy Proof, The Queen of Cool, and Beige, with a fourth, Rose Sees Red, coming in 2010 from Scholastic; two YA graphic novels, The PLAIN Janes and Janes in Love, illustrated by Jim Rugg; and numerous short stories. She is currently working on a hybrid novel and the libretto for a multimedia opera. She has played in bands, produced and directed a feature film, a few one-woman shows, a play, and does the occasional confessional stand-up comedy gig. She is always on the lookout for new ways to tell stories. Having lived on both coasts and both sides of the 49th parallel, she appreciates a well-coordinated snow removal operation but wisely hides out where none is needed. For more information, go to www.misscecil.com or visit her blog at castellucci.wordpress.com.

For those of you in or around Los Angeles, here’s the rundown on tonight’s event:

LOS ANGELES
Tuesday, November 10, 2009 from 8 to 10 PM
@ M Bar – 1253 Vine (at Fountain)

Liz Ziemska and Cecil Castellucci invite you to an evening of readings from INTERFICTIONS 2: An Anthology of Interstitial Writing edited by Delia Sherman & Christopher Barzak!

Performances by: Patty Cornell, Dave Foley, Kimberly Huie, Michael O’Keefe, Rasika Mathur, Darcy Martin, & others reading stories by Cecil Castellucci, Elizabeth Ziemska, Brian Francis Slattery, Ray Vukcevich, Peter Ball, Nin Andrews, and Stephanie Shaw.  Directed by: Flint Esquerra.  Musical accompaniment by: Jonathan Stearns.  No Cover + $10 food minimum.  Reservations are strongly encouraged: 323-856-0036.  Books will be for sale available courtesy of Skylight Books
http://castellucci.wordpress.com/2009/10/22/interfictions-2-anthology-reading-los-angeles/

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=154863864759&ref=mf

Sounds like quite a party! Until then, though, why not check out the interview? And stay tuned – we also have interviews with Jeffrey Ford, Alaya Dawn Johnson, Ray Vukcevich and others coming soon!


UK Twilight site giving away Pretty Monsters!

Mon 9 Nov 2009 - Filed under: Not a Journal., , , , | Comments Off on UK Twilight site giving away Pretty Monsters! | Posted by: Gavin

Ganked wholesale from BellaandEdward.com(!):

BAE UK Book Contest: Win Pretty Monsters by Kelly Link!

Posted on 31 Oct 2009 by Jenny || 0 Comments
We at BAE know how much you guys like books, and thanks to Canongate in the UK, we have a pretty cool Halloween contest for you.

Pretty Monsters is a great collection of horror short stories, and is a good crossover book that teenagers and adults will love. I really enjoyed it!

Photobucket

UK Competition:

Canongate Books is pleased to offer BellaandEdward.com prize copies of Pretty Monsters.


What’s for dinner?

Sat 7 Nov 2009 - Filed under: Not a Journal., , , | Comments Off on What’s for dinner? | Posted by: Gavin

Jonathan Safran Foer’s new book Eating Animals is causing a nice ruckus on the Huffington Post — and lots of other places. Nice to see people thinking about their impact on the world. I think it would be a great bookclub pick. For those interested in the numbers, United Poultry Concerns posted a list of the numbers of animals slaughtered for food (US only):

Chickens
Total number died for food: 8.13 billion (7.67 billion for meat, 458 million for eggs)
Average number killed per American meat-eater: 27.5 (26 for meat, 1.5 for eggs)
Average number consumed per American lifetime: 2,147 (2,028 for meat, 120 for eggs)

…

ALL ANIMALS
Total number died for food: 80 billion
Average number consumed per American meat-eater: 270
Average number consumed per American lifetime: 21,000


!

Sat 7 Nov 2009 - Filed under: Not a Journal. | 2 Comments | Posted by: Gavin

I just like exclamation points.


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