Here's a great site for staying on top of anything related to Google/copyright/bookscan, etc.
http://www.book-grab.com/
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Google Apologises To Chinese Writers Over Book Flap
Wow, check this out. Apparently Google applies different interpretations to copyright rules...
http://www.booktrade.info/index.php/showarticle/25108
http://www.booktrade.info/index.php/showarticle/25108
Monday, January 11, 2010
Tips for Authors - Submission Packets
Authors often ask us what we, as reviewers, want to see along with their book, when they send it along for review. Different sites/reviewers may ask for different things, and indeed, we've received the full gamut of "stuff" from nothing at all (that's right, nothing, no contact name, email, nothing) to a packet that would take several hours to read. There's a happy medium somewhere in-between the two. Here's what we like/don't like:
- Submission Form: Many sites have one. Even if the form is an on-line submission form, if at all possible, print out a copy and include it with the book. We have a submission form but I'm always amazed at how many authors fail to fill it out/include it with the book.
- About The Author: Yes, we want to know a little about the author. If the book is non-fiction, what makes him/her an expert? If fiction, a little about the author's background is nice. No more than a page please. We don't want a life story. Sometimes our reviewers will insert a line or two about the author into the review. Readers want to know!
- About The Book: Absolutely! Actually, this is probably more important than information about the author. Again, no more than a page. Give us a synopsis of the book.
- Other Reviews: Other sites may argue the point, but I don't want to see them and will pull them from a review packet before sending the book along to a reviewer. I want my reviewers to read/review the book without any chance of their opinions being based, even remotely, on other reviews.
- Distribution, etc.: Where the book is being sold, through which distributors, wholesalers, etc. will be required by some of the larger pre-pub reviewers such as Publishers Weekly, but it is irrelevant to us. Don't clutter up your submission packet with this information unless it is required.
- Pretty Packaging: Nice but won't have any bearing on the review.
Author Interview with M. Hill
Our interview today is with M. Hill, author of The Ones That Got Away.
FQ: - You end the book on an optimistic note, though optimistic about life more than romantic relationships. What did you hope readers would think or feel after they read your memoir?
I would hope that they’d see there is more to life – and living – than just finding some guy to validate their existence. Too many women sell themselves short and stay with losers just so they won’t be alone. I may be a bit of an anomaly on this, but being alone is not so bad.
FQ: - As I got to know you through reading The Ones that Got Away, I came to think that you have led a happy life, with close family relationships, good friends, and a successful career. How did you come to write about the one aspect of your life that had been less than successful?
Simply, my story is an elaborate (no kidding, right?) answer to the question, “Why are you still single?” As you know, I’m not against dating, I don’t have one tragic episode that’s left me emotionally scarred, and it’s not that I haven’t had a fair share (more than a fair share, probably) of men in my life. It’s like I mention in the beginning, I’m just not that into it right now, and so, when people ask me that question, now I can say, “Here, read this.” (Not that I’m carrying around books like business cards!)
FQ: - It seems as though you wrote about every single date you ever went on. Were there any that you skipped?
Believe it or not, yes, I skipped some: The electrician in the plaid flannel shirt who took me to see The English Patient; the cable guy who took me to a comedy club in NYC; the waiter who splurged on a hansom cab ride around historic Philadelphia – just to name a few. Some dates just didn’t fit into the arc of my story; and some, like those just mentioned, didn’t really have a ‘story’ to them – they were just...dates. I mean, seriously, how much of a story could I tell about the businessman who yucked it up with his doorman when we went back to his place (he forgot something). To tell you the truth, I’m still wondering about that one. What was the deal with that juvenile behavior – was I that guy’s first date with a girl, a real girl, and not one of a blow-up variety? Who knows? Certainly not me – but see what I mean? No real story.
FQ: - In the book you were honest about some fairly personal details of your own life-- and also personal details about the men you have dated. I understand that you changed the names of some of the characters. Still, did anyone recognize himself? Have you gotten feedback from any of the ones who got away?
I think it’s the details that make a story relatable – and I do have a tendency to share, obviously (I’ve actually blogged about this very topic: www.otga.blogspot.com Diff’rent Stokes post of 6-21-2009), but believe it or not, I actually held back quite a bit.
I have received a fair amount of feedback and, from those who know me, most can’t believe how dead-on accurate my account is, so as long as it’s truthful...But as far as hearing from any ‘who got away,’ not yet; although I think chances are good that I may in the near future. About two years ago, after 14 years had gone by, I heard from Adam. (I have a detailed account of this on my blog: Blast from the Past post of 9-14-2008.) Anyway, the long and the short of it is that he had Googled me and then contacted me. And while you are correct that I changed the names of some of the characters in my book, what you don’t know is that I changed my name slightly, as well – M. Hill is a pseudonym. So, here’s what’s weird. I received a Christmas card from Adam and his family this year that was addressed to M. Hill. So he obviously knows about the book; but whether he’s read it or not, I couldn’t say. Of course he’s the one I said had a big dong so, really, does anything else I’ve said matter? He’s a guy, so probably not.
Now some of the others… I can’t say they’d be beaming with pride over what I shared, but as I said, it’s all truthful. If Jeff got a hold of my book he’d likely enroll in writing courses at his local community school so he could publish his rebuttal. Randy, although extremely funny, has no sense of humor about himself so I think a lot would be lost on him. And Mike, well, most of the intimate details I share surround him and it’s my belief that he would absolutely love this book. I really believe that – wouldn’t be the first time I was wrong, though.
FQ: - Especially given your interest in theater, has anyone suggested that the book would make a great play? I think it could be hilarious.
Thank you. I always feel that if I can make people laugh it’s all been worth it, somehow. No one has suggested a play, although some have suggested a movie – and I can easily see that. I have a tendency to view my experiences, while they’re happening, through my mind’s eye – like a cosmic camera – maybe that’s why my accounts are so detailed. I look at the scenes, the sets and the players – taking it all in...ACTION!
To learn more about The Ones That Got Away, please read the review at: Feathered Quill Book Reviews.
FQ: - You end the book on an optimistic note, though optimistic about life more than romantic relationships. What did you hope readers would think or feel after they read your memoir?
I would hope that they’d see there is more to life – and living – than just finding some guy to validate their existence. Too many women sell themselves short and stay with losers just so they won’t be alone. I may be a bit of an anomaly on this, but being alone is not so bad.
FQ: - As I got to know you through reading The Ones that Got Away, I came to think that you have led a happy life, with close family relationships, good friends, and a successful career. How did you come to write about the one aspect of your life that had been less than successful?
Simply, my story is an elaborate (no kidding, right?) answer to the question, “Why are you still single?” As you know, I’m not against dating, I don’t have one tragic episode that’s left me emotionally scarred, and it’s not that I haven’t had a fair share (more than a fair share, probably) of men in my life. It’s like I mention in the beginning, I’m just not that into it right now, and so, when people ask me that question, now I can say, “Here, read this.” (Not that I’m carrying around books like business cards!)
FQ: - It seems as though you wrote about every single date you ever went on. Were there any that you skipped?
Believe it or not, yes, I skipped some: The electrician in the plaid flannel shirt who took me to see The English Patient; the cable guy who took me to a comedy club in NYC; the waiter who splurged on a hansom cab ride around historic Philadelphia – just to name a few. Some dates just didn’t fit into the arc of my story; and some, like those just mentioned, didn’t really have a ‘story’ to them – they were just...dates. I mean, seriously, how much of a story could I tell about the businessman who yucked it up with his doorman when we went back to his place (he forgot something). To tell you the truth, I’m still wondering about that one. What was the deal with that juvenile behavior – was I that guy’s first date with a girl, a real girl, and not one of a blow-up variety? Who knows? Certainly not me – but see what I mean? No real story.
FQ: - In the book you were honest about some fairly personal details of your own life-- and also personal details about the men you have dated. I understand that you changed the names of some of the characters. Still, did anyone recognize himself? Have you gotten feedback from any of the ones who got away?
I think it’s the details that make a story relatable – and I do have a tendency to share, obviously (I’ve actually blogged about this very topic: www.otga.blogspot.com Diff’rent Stokes post of 6-21-2009), but believe it or not, I actually held back quite a bit.
I have received a fair amount of feedback and, from those who know me, most can’t believe how dead-on accurate my account is, so as long as it’s truthful...But as far as hearing from any ‘who got away,’ not yet; although I think chances are good that I may in the near future. About two years ago, after 14 years had gone by, I heard from Adam. (I have a detailed account of this on my blog: Blast from the Past post of 9-14-2008.) Anyway, the long and the short of it is that he had Googled me and then contacted me. And while you are correct that I changed the names of some of the characters in my book, what you don’t know is that I changed my name slightly, as well – M. Hill is a pseudonym. So, here’s what’s weird. I received a Christmas card from Adam and his family this year that was addressed to M. Hill. So he obviously knows about the book; but whether he’s read it or not, I couldn’t say. Of course he’s the one I said had a big dong so, really, does anything else I’ve said matter? He’s a guy, so probably not.
Now some of the others… I can’t say they’d be beaming with pride over what I shared, but as I said, it’s all truthful. If Jeff got a hold of my book he’d likely enroll in writing courses at his local community school so he could publish his rebuttal. Randy, although extremely funny, has no sense of humor about himself so I think a lot would be lost on him. And Mike, well, most of the intimate details I share surround him and it’s my belief that he would absolutely love this book. I really believe that – wouldn’t be the first time I was wrong, though.
FQ: - Especially given your interest in theater, has anyone suggested that the book would make a great play? I think it could be hilarious.
Thank you. I always feel that if I can make people laugh it’s all been worth it, somehow. No one has suggested a play, although some have suggested a movie – and I can easily see that. I have a tendency to view my experiences, while they’re happening, through my mind’s eye – like a cosmic camera – maybe that’s why my accounts are so detailed. I look at the scenes, the sets and the players – taking it all in...ACTION!
To learn more about The Ones That Got Away, please read the review at: Feathered Quill Book Reviews.
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Where on Earth
“I’ve been right here,” I told her. “I may have been a technological nincompoop until now, but that’s changing. I’ve been learning to do new things on my computer. I’m toddling into the 21st century.”
Yes, I’ve been sitting right here. Learning, as John Dewey said, by doing. In September, I decided it was time to update my web site, which was originally created a dozen years ago to publicize my books. Every time I had a new book published, either my friend Alexis Masters (www.designbyalexis.com) or my daughter-in-law would update it for me. I didn’t have a clue about how that was done. But when Alexis and I spoke on the phone early in October, she said, “You’re going to learn to work with the content management system yourself now. It’s time for you to stop being so helpless.”
And so the “class” began. First I created a Word table, into the boxes of which I wrote my ideas for new pages. Because I earn my living as a book editor, I changed the focus of my web site from my books to my editing work. The headline under my name now says Let Me Be Your Editor. After Alexis walked me through picking a color scheme, we got to work on the content management system (CMS). This is my “admin page,” which she titled The BAWriting Room (Remember to Breathe). We deleted most of the pages on the old site and I wrote new everythings, including pagettes on Maine coon cats, Michael Ball (I’m a member of his fan club), musical theater and Shakespeare, my trip to England, and my son Charles, who is also a writer. There are pulldown menus along the top of my home page, and these pagettes fall under About Me. I also wrote about how I work (“My Wordy Life”), set forth some opinions concerning how publishers treat writers, and selected a dozen books I’ve edited over the years to serve as examples of my work. But I didn’t forget my own writing—we also set up pages for excerpts from my books, some of my shorter works (including a prize-winning magazine column I wrote when my gay brother reappeared in my life after 23 years of silence), some of my poems, and a links page.
What did I learn to do? How to save all the new text I wrote as plain text files. How to copy and paste these files into the admin pages. How to save and refresh and edit the admin pages and save again. How to size and post photos to the pages. Alexis did the hard part, though; she made a nifty table for the thumbnails of the covers of the dozen sample books I’ve edited. How to add links, both internal and external. Let me brag a bit. Alexis said I learned better and faster than her other clients. Take a look at my new site: www.barbaraardinger.com. Tell me what you think.
That was October and part of November. When I was very young, I used to listen to the Horace Heidt Orchestra on the radio in my grandparents’ living room. Last year, Horace Heidt Jr. decided to write a memoir about his father, and I had the pleasure of editing it. The memoir is about 400 pages long and filled with wonderful photos. Here’s the tricky part—I had to edit not a Word document but the typeset pdf files. But you can’t edit a pdf file. I got to learn how it’s really done. You download and save it, then you start reading. The writing, while interesting, wasn’t good, so every time I saw something that needed to be rewritten, I had to highlight the words or punctuation and add a yellow sticky note. Adobe gives you a nice yellow pointer, which you move to the beginning of the highlight, and a yellow brick road to the attached sticky note. You type the corrections on the sticky note. Some pages had so many sticky notes I had to nest them. The typesetter’s a friend of mine, so I also wrote notes to her about global changes and hyphenation. Heidt had a radio show in the 1930s called Pot o’ Gold. This is also the title of his 1941 movie. But what he’d written was “Pot O Gold.” We had to change it every single time, plus put all the song titles in quotation marks and all the titles of movies and TV shows in italics. Yeah. Lots and lots and lots of sticky notes. My friend the typesetter trudged through them like she was crossing a swamp. I’ll be eager to see the book when it’s published.
In mid-December I was persuaded that social networking might help people find a good editor—me. So my son and a friend led me through the thickets of Facebook. I’m friending and being friended—and almost immediately I posted a note saying that “friend” is a noun and we should not verbize nouns. (Is the Facebook Team paying attention?) (No.) Now I’m looking at Plaxo and Twitter. I have not yet clucked or chirped or tweeted. I’m building up to it.
Finally, earlier this week, my Internet service provider (I won’t name it, but you can get a clue from my email address) fu—failed to connect. Repeatedly. I get all my editing work via email. I had to be on line every morning and several times during the day. Here was Another Useful Learning Experience. A helpful neighbor walked me through a different way to connect and we put a new shortcut on my desktop. One of these days, though, I’ll have to get into a “live chat” with one of the multi-talented minions of my ISP and get it fixed.
My plan is to go back to blogging for you about writing. We’ll begin with getting organized to write a book. Next time. Happy New Year.
Feathered Quill is excited to welcome Barbara back after a brief hiatus. Stay tuned for lots of great info. to help you with your book. We hope you enjoy her column. Learn more about Barbara at: Barbara Ardinger.com.
Feathered Quill is excited to welcome Barbara back after a brief hiatus. Stay tuned for lots of great info. to help you with your book. We hope you enjoy her column. Learn more about Barbara at: Barbara Ardinger.com.
Friday, January 8, 2010
International Book Awards Announced
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Linda Radke, Five Star Publications, Inc.
Phone: 480-940-8182
Website: www.FiveStarPublications.com
INTERNATIONAL BOOK AWARDS ANNOUNCED
Chandler, Ariz. (January 5, 2010) – Two prestigious international book festivals recently honored three Five Star Publications’ authors.
The 2009 London Book Festival named Mila Bernadkin first place winner in the Teenage/Young Adult category for The Attitude Girl which follows outspoken, materialistic 17-year-old Vicky on her rocky road to adulthood.
Bernadkin chronicles Vicky’s struggles with bullying, financial setbacks, idealism, loss and forgiveness, as she navigates through her young life.
Bernadkin will be honored on January 21st in London at the competition’s awards.
The 2009 New England Book Festival awarded Honorable Mention to Linda F. Radke and Ray Lopez in the “How To” category.
Radke’s The Economical Guide to Self-Publishing unveils the secrets to successfully self-publishing and marketing new books.
With Inside the Minds of Car Dealers, Lopez provides an insider’s view to the world of car dealerships -- revealing their secrets.
Radke and Lopez will be honored at an awards ceremony in Boston on January 16, 2010.
Based in Chandler, Ariz. Five Star Publications has been publishing and promoting award-winning fiction, nonfiction, cookbooks, children’s literature and professional guides since 1985.
For more information, visit www.FiveStarPublications.com.
###
CONTACT: Linda Radke, Five Star Publications, Inc.
Phone: 480-940-8182
Website: www.FiveStarPublications.com
INTERNATIONAL BOOK AWARDS ANNOUNCED
Five Star Publications’ Authors Honored
Chandler, Ariz. (January 5, 2010) – Two prestigious international book festivals recently honored three Five Star Publications’ authors.
The 2009 London Book Festival named Mila Bernadkin first place winner in the Teenage/Young Adult category for The Attitude Girl which follows outspoken, materialistic 17-year-old Vicky on her rocky road to adulthood.
Bernadkin chronicles Vicky’s struggles with bullying, financial setbacks, idealism, loss and forgiveness, as she navigates through her young life.
Bernadkin will be honored on January 21st in London at the competition’s awards.
The 2009 New England Book Festival awarded Honorable Mention to Linda F. Radke and Ray Lopez in the “How To” category.
Radke’s The Economical Guide to Self-Publishing unveils the secrets to successfully self-publishing and marketing new books.
With Inside the Minds of Car Dealers, Lopez provides an insider’s view to the world of car dealerships -- revealing their secrets.
Radke and Lopez will be honored at an awards ceremony in Boston on January 16, 2010.
Based in Chandler, Ariz. Five Star Publications has been publishing and promoting award-winning fiction, nonfiction, cookbooks, children’s literature and professional guides since 1985.
For more information, visit www.FiveStarPublications.com.
###
Thursday, January 7, 2010
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