Category Archives: Authors

One I’m looking forward to reading

While making the rounds today I ran across Buzz Girl’s post about Houghton Mifflin’s Spring 2008 list, which listed a debut novel by Jonathon Miles. The title is Dear American Airlines, and is billed as “an irate demand for a refund tut urns into a “cri de coeur” of a misspent life, talent unused and happiness lost.”

I recognized Miles’ name from his column on cocktails and his work at Men’s Journal. As I did some digging online he seems to be one of the more prolific and cross-subject reporters out there. So you may have seen his work elsewhere. I’m banking that his ability to pen a novel will be just as entertaining and insightful. We will all just have to wait until June to find out!

Readers get to vote on what gets published

There’s a new site in town, Worthy of Publishing. It sort of mashes the Threadless and MySpace democratic business models, to unpublished authors.

Basically, you sign-up and submit a synopsis, samples, etc. of your book. Then other people in the community go around reading and voting. The idea is that the cream will rise to the top and get the most votes/attention. Once that attention has hit a ‘critical mass’, publishers will step up sign the author and publish the book, banking on that ‘critical mass’ as an indicator of potential sales and interest in the title.

I’ve yet to find a self-published book that I enjoyed. I tend to have to lean on the profesional book folks to weed out the weaker stuff. Which I’m always greatful for them doing.

But this model intrigues me and I’m anxious to see if the “wisdom of crowds” theory applies here. I could see it happening…

The convergence continues

I am facinated by the conversion of print to digital process. There are so many opportunities, techniques and startegies to explore that it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. Which is why I’m glad that folks like Chris Anderson are around to think about such things. Specifically, the new business model of making money by giving away your creative property for free! Continue reading The convergence continues