Suspend Your Disbelief

Shop Talk

The Future of the Book? Try Futures.

by Celeste Ng

As Barnes and Noble looks to sell itself, chatter about the “future of the book” has grown. But would “futures” be more appropriate? NPR investigates: Dan Visel, a founder of the appropriately named Institute for the Future of the Book, points out that, first of all, a “book” can mean many things: A cookbook, a comic book, a history book and an electronic book are all animals of different stripes. “It would be a mistake to think that these various forms have a single, unified future,” Visel says. “Rather, I think it’s more appropriate to say that there are futures […]


"It's A Book."

by Celeste Ng

With all the discussion of ebooks and social networking and iThis and iThat, are you worried that the children of the future won’t recognize a book when they see it? Fear not. Author and illustrator Lane Smith’s new picture book, It’s a Book, explores the merits of a good old-fashioned paper book. It provides a valuable and tongue-in-cheek lesson for kids of the future and Kids These Days. In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, Smith discusses the genesis of the book and why he’s actually not anti-technology: What do you think of the concept of e-books or reading […]


Tao Lin: Literary guerilla marketer for the Internet era?

by Celeste Ng

Salon.com’s Daniel B. Roberts profiles Tao Lin, an emerging writer with an eye for unusual self-marketing opportunities. Lin has sold “shares” of his novel Richard Yates—$2000 for 10% of the domestic profits. He’s also auctioned off a package of goodies—including a T-shirt, an unpublished draft of a short story, and a “unique drawing of a Sasquatch holding a hamburger”—on his blog. And he engages with his readers directly using the internet and social networking, even posting his phone number online. Judging by his blog’s URL—http://heheheheheheheeheheheehehe.com/—Lin has a sense of humor about his work and his own marketing. But Roberts doesn’t […]


One City, One … Story?

by Lee Thomas

Many of us probably live in a city that’s participated in some version of “One City, One Book,” which is a great way to spark a conversation between strangers. This year the Boston Book Festival opted for One City, One Story. The BBF chose local legend Tom Perrotta‘s “The Smile on Happy Chang’s Face” as the tale to get people talking. On September 30th they’ll be giving away 30,000 bound copies of the story at locations around the city. You’ll also be able to download a PDF of the story on the BBF website. Added bonus: on October 16 Tom […]


eBook Readers Read More, Socialize More?

by Celeste Ng

Okay, they’re lighter. They’re cheaper. Some have argued that they’re greener, too. Now the Wall Street Journal reports that ebook readers read more books: A study of 1,200 e-reader owners by Marketing and Research Resources Inc. found that 40% said they now read more than they did with print books. Of those surveyed, 58% said they read about the same as before while 2% said they read less than before. And 55% of the respondents in the May study, paid for by e-reader maker Sony Corp., thought they’d use the device to read even more books in the future. […] […]


Mischief + Mayhem (and a party)

by Lee Thomas

Ever wonder if ‘power to the people’ is just a pipe dream? A few years back, writers Lisa Dierbeck, Joshua Furst, DW Gibson, Dale Peck and Choire Sicha decided to put art to the test and formed a collective called Mischief + Mayhem. From their site: The collective came together in response to the increasingly homogenized books that corporate publishers and chain retailers have determined will sell the most copies. We recognize that there are readers who want to be challenged instead of placated. The collective intends to promulgate writing unconcerned with having to please conservative editorial boards or corporate […]


What's your favorite position in bed?

by Celeste Ng

In which to read, that is. ABE Books asked this provocative question recently, wondering if it was “weird” to read on one’s stomach: I’ve asked around and have found many people who sit up, against the headboard or a pillow or two, and prop the book on their knees. Many side-readers. But no tummy-reader-elbow-proppers like me. Am I so strange? And across the literary interwebs, people responded, including Alison Flood of the Guardian: My technique is also lying on my side, but I prop myself up on a few pillows and hold the book in both hands. If it’s a […]


Book of the Week Giveaway: Nothing Happened and Then It Did, by Jake Silverstein

by Jeremiah Chamberlin

Three weeks ago, Fiction Writers Review launched a Fan Page on Facebook. The goal is threefold: to introduce new readers to FWR, to create an informal place for conversations about writing, and also to give away lots of free books. Each week we’ll give away several free copies of a featured novel or story collection as part of our Book-of-the-Week program. All you have to do to be eligible for our weekly drawing is to be a fan of our Facebook page. No catch, no gimmicks. And once you’re a fan, you’ll be automatically entered in each subsequent drawing. Last […]


Dancing with the… Authors?

by Celeste Ng

Nothing says “awesome reality TV” like “authors.” Right? On EW.com, Breia Brissey wonders why no authors have been featured in over 11 seasons of Dancing with the Stars: Even if you don’t watch the show, it’s hard to avoid the casting news each season. And if I’ve learned anything at all by watching week after week, it’s that the producers use the term ‘stars’ loosely. I get it. Dancing with the People You’ve Probably Heard About in the News, Regardless of Star Quality was never really a viable name choice. So I won’t hold that against the ABC powers that […]


Tomatoes, Basil… Books?

by Celeste Ng

Boston author Jonathan Papernick has found a new market for selling his fiction: the farmer’s market. Reports the Boston Globe: [W]orking as a character he calls Papernick the Book Peddler, the Brandeis University writer-in-residence fills a neon-painted shopping cart with copies of his newest work, a collection of short stories called “There Is No Other,’’ and walks through local farmers’ markets offering his wares. […] “I call it market-fresh fiction for the people,’’ Papernick said. “I don’t need to rely on good reviews if I can show readers my book, talk to them about it, let them flip through it, […]


You say Tomato, I say tomahto. You say paper, I say ebook

by Celeste Ng

Literature can bring people together—but it can also cause romantic tensions. Reports the New York Times: For Erin and Daniel Muskat, a couple in Brooklyn, the ink-stained quarrel has disrupted the togetherness of their reading habits. Ms. Muskat, 29, bought an iPad for her husband, 33, who works at his family’s shoe business, before their honeymoon in June, but quickly discovered that his electronic reading impinged on her old-fashioned reading. “I brought a book with me and I barely read it,” said Ms. Muskat, a media consultant. “We used to go to the beach and we’d both take out books, […]


(How) Do Authors Make Money?

by Celeste Ng

Tim Ferriss, author of the Kindle-published The 4-Hour Work Week, has an interesting look at the economics of how writers get paid: – For a hardcover book, authors typically receive a 10-15% royalty on cover price. This means that for a $20 cover price, the author will receive $2-3. If you have a $50,000 advance, a $20 cover price, and a 10% royalty, you therefore need to sell 25,000 copies (“earn out” the advance) before you receive your first dollar beyond the advance. This is the basic rule, but several quietly aggressive outfits — both Barnes and Noble’s in-house imprint […]




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