It’s that time again folks. We here at DGLM wish all of our great blog readers and commenters a very happy holiday, and we really do appreciate you stopping by our little corner of the web. It’s also time for DGLM to take a break for the holidays, both from the office and from the blog. We’re shutting down at the close of business today, and you won’t see us again until January 3, 2012. We’ll see you in the New Year!
Entrance to the lovely 1 USQ West
This has been a week of major Amazon consternation here in publishing land. First, they bought the 450-title trade list of Marshall Cavendish, a small, independent publisher of high-quality books for children. The reaction from booksellers was quick, including one tweeting that she was looking forward to shipping back all the Marshall Cavendish titles. Agents were (and still are) very curious to hear from the publisher about just what this means for our authors. Then they announced a fun promotion in which they’re asking customers to go to brick-and-mortar retailers, find items they want, scan their barcode with Amazon’s app, then get $5 from Amazon for doing price research for them! While this program does not include books (because as Josie Leavitt points out, they already know how much their competitors charge for books–no research needed!), booksellers and some authors have been up in arms about Amazon’s audacity. It’s certainly a ballsy move to proactively promote such behavior, though the app (and others like it) have been around for some time.
But one bookseller, Roxanne J Coady, has a modest proposal for Amazon that could help even the playing field. I won’t spoil the fun by giving anything more away, but please do take a look. A little levity never hurts.
It’s chilly and really windy here in LA–my first experience with Santa Ana winds! Judgment passed: I do not like them. That my power has gone out, albeit quite briefly, at least four times is a little frustrating. The weather and general moodiness in the air had me feeling a bit somber today, so I was quite pleased when my client Bryan Bliss tweeted this link to the worst of Dan Brown’s writing from a couple of years ago. Oh, was it ever what I needed.
Not to say that Dan Brown doesn’t have any talent, because he clearly does. His books sell by the boatload, and they’ve inspired hit films and numerous copycats. But he’s not really a master of the English language. In fact, his lack of English mastery, for me at least, is part of what I enjoy about his work. I’ll let you read the list and find your, but my favorite gem is: Overhanging her precarious body was a jaundiced face whose skin resembled a sheet of parchment paper punctured by two emotionless eyes.
Am I the only one who loves reading bad writing?
If you’ve read the blog even a few times, you’ve surely gotten the impression that I love both books and cocktails. And if you follow me on Twitter, you probably know that the combination of said items is something I also enjoy. So I was more than pleased when Shelf Awareness pointed me to this article about a recently-opened bar & bookstore combination. It’s a great idea, and one I wish more people would emulate. Then the book-cocktail pairing could begin! I imagine Jane Austen goes well with a nice French 75, and one deserve some scotch if one is making his way through War and Peace. Any James Bond reading should involve a Vesper, of course. Sounds like fun to me.
The only disappointment is that this place is in Denver, a city I’ve never been to. But perhaps this is all the more reason to plan a trip!
It’s a dream come true. Not only are you a published author, but your publisher is actually setting up an event for you! A reading at a bookstore, perhaps, or possibly something at a library or community center. You get nervous: What will I wear? Which section of my book should I read? What questions will I be asked? And, finally, most importantly: will anyone show up?
The answer to that last question, as just about every author can attest, is no. Well, it’s not always no–sometimes people show up. Especially if you’ve been writing for a while and have a following, of if you’re doing an event for later books in a series, or if you’re doing an event with authors who have a following. But as a first-time author out in the world, getting people to turn up is hard. I had an author at an event this past weekend that went spectacularly badly. Not only was it sparsely attended, but the store wasn’t able to get the books in time! So the author traveled to an event only to have a handful of people show up, and then couldn’t even sell the book to them. I wish I could say this was a rare occurrence, but it happens all the time.
But I’m not really here to complain. What I want to know from you, dear readers, is what makes you turn out for a book event? Do you ever go to events for authors whose books you haven’t yet read? Is there some sort of enticement that might make you come out? Or is the bookstore event best reserved to those with large followings? I’m curious to hear what you think.
I hadn’t planned on blogging about this today, but when Lauren suggested it, I felt free to gush. As I think most everyone knows, I’m a bit of a crazy cat person. And I like books. Growing up, our house was equally full of cats and books. I distinctly remember reading one of my favorite books of all time, A Castle in the Attic, while my cat, Bingo, was curled up in my lap. Bingo also kept me company on the nights that I read A House With a Clock in Its Walls, when I’d become convinced there was a ticking inside our walls. He’d curl his body right around my head, his nose in my ear, purring away. His jet-engine purring, right in my ear, drowned out any ticking and put me fast to sleep.
Cassius Claw, who lived with us in Brooklyn, loved to help me edit. By which I mean he loved to lie right on top of whatever I was reading. Or if I was on the computer, he would slowly walk across the keyboard, tail swishing in my face. I like to think he was just opinionated about the work–he was opinionated about everything else, so it wouldn’t be a surprise. I really miss having a cat in the house, but with a terribly allergic partner, we’re at a bit of an impasse. So I enjoy meeting cats out in the world.
Which brings me to the point of this blog entry, a really adorable story over at NYU Local about bookstore cats in NYC. There are cute pictures, sweet cats, and some happy (and sad) tales. It reminded me of one of my favorite LA bookstores, Skylight Books, which has a great cat, Franny. She might be one of the reasons I keep returning there, despite the story being across town. Well, that and a knowledgable staff and great curation.
Is anyone else out there both a crazy cat and book person? Or am I the only one with cat hair in my old books?
I took to Twitter today for some blog suggestions, and Rina Heisel wanted to know what mistakes I see writers making at conferences. I see lots of thems, but here’s my top 10 do’s and don’ts of conference going:
10. Come prepared to talk about your book without reading something. When I sit down for a pitch, or even just begin a casual conversation, I want you to be able to tell me about your book briefly without reading a script. Other people seem to have a memorized pitch, word-for-word, and stare at me intently as they try to remember each one. Nothing is more unsettling. Instead of doing that, imagine you’re telling me about your job, family or hobbies. You don’t memorize a speech to discuss those, you know them intimately enough to simply talk about them. Be as familiar with your book.
9. If you’re meeting with an agent or editor, find out a little about them in advance. The person may not be the best match for your work, but they can still provide helpful feedback. Knowing what they do in advance can help you to get the most out of your meeting.
8. Don’t be shy! Take the opportunity to meet as many other writers and publishing professionals as you can. Be polite, of course, but don’t hesitate to talk to people. I go to conferences specifically to educate authors–take advantage of that.
7. Have realistic expectations. Know what you want out of the conference, and set achievable goals. Scoring an agent or getting a request from an editor is always great, but it rarely happens. If you’re just starting out, a good goal might be getting professional feedback on your query or novel opening.
6. Make sure to take advantage of all the conference has to offer, from speeches, to classes, to workshops, to critiques, to social occasions. It’s all part of the experience.
5. Don’t forget that it was your first conference at some point! Embrace new attendees as much as you do old friends.
4. Dress comfortably, in appropriate casual attire. You don’t want to wear a business suit, but you also shouldn’t be wearing sweats.
3. Don’t be nervous! Conferences are typically a very lively, supportive environment. We publishing professionals aren’t all that scary. Conferences are NOT a requirement of our jobs, and we choose to attend them. We’re going on our spare time, and we want to be there. And most of us don’t bite.
2. Be ready to accept criticism. It can be tough hearing about problems with your work in person, and if you’re not ready for it, don’t sign up for a critique. The worst thing is to be defensive or hostile, and believe me, it happens all the time. It does’t help you, and it makes the critiquer feel as though he’s wasted his time. It doesn’t reflect well on your ability to handle a business filled with rejection, either.
1. Behave professionally. Don’t wear costumes. Don’t slip manuscripts under the stall door in the bathroom. Don’t drink to excess at gatherings. Publishing is a very small community, and bad behavior is remembered. While conferences should be fun, remember that you’re in a business environment and behave accordingly.
I think conference attendees may have even more tips, so please share them in the comments!
That’s it. I’m blogged out. I knew I was getting pretty desperate when I started telling you about my reading chair, though I do really love it. In fact, when I finish this blog post I’m going to go settle down and finish a manuscript I’ve been dying to get to. But seriously, what more do I have to say? In part, I’m tired from traveling the past two weeks, and my brain refuses to do anything more than required.
So, I’m calling on you, dear readers, to help me out. Who’s got questions? I’m happy to answer some shorter ones, and I’ll keep the bigger questions for future blog posts. But big or small, I’ll try to answer them all. And, the same rules apply here as do when I’m at conferences: try to keep your questions general. Don’t ask things specifically about the book you’re writing, or ask what you should do in a particular situation. I’m hoping these can be helpful for as many people as possible. So ask away!
December 22, 2011 
Michael 