MAREE I THINK

Yes, I'm a Traitor

Sat, 26 Mar 2011 04:26:25 -0400

There was a lot of thinking involved. A lot of umm-ing and ahh-ing. But I made the decision to leave the Publishing Industry (for a little while at least) a few weeks ago. The decision was not, by any means, an easy one to make but there were a multitude of reasons that led me to do so. With this is mind, I probably won’t be updating this tumblr for quite some time. I doubt anyone is that disappointed. Take care. Maree.

The online future of Australian journalism, as seen by the industry itself

Tue, 11 Jan 2011 20:44:10 -0500

kotsialos:

It gives some data to what has been talked about for sometime.

http://www.teleread.com/paul-biba/the-online-future-of-australian-journalism-as-seen-by-the-industry-itself/

How NOT to Begin a Submission E-mail

Mon, 10 Jan 2011 22:55:00 -0500

Subject: Male Author Craves Approval

Seriously? Come on, man. This is a publishing house, not the singles section of the local newspaper.

Merry Christmas for Booksellers and Publishers?

Wed, 05 Jan 2011 00:22:46 -0500

I think not.

http://www.theage.com.au/entertainment/books/christmas-ghosts-haunt-the-humble-page-turner-20101218-191ea.html

NEW FAVOURITE BOOK - Fabulous Nobodies by Lee Tulloch “My...

Wed, 29 Dec 2010 09:06:00 -0500

NEW FAVOURITE BOOK - Fabulous Nobodies by Lee Tulloch

“My frocks are very quiet in their closet. I know they are depressed. I feel sorry for them. Frocks are so vulnerable. There’s all this talk about the poor homeless people and the starving farmers, as if they were the world’s downtrodden. They’re not the only ones. It’s all out of proportion. Did anyone ever think of the frocks? There are more frocks on this planet than there are human beings. Yet you never hear a single word about the way the frocks suffer. All this stuff about Biafra and Tasmania, or whatever, and you never hear a peep out of anybody about the frocks. The poor frocks have to hang there and take it.”

Best Slush-Pile Introduction Letter EVER!

Wed, 29 Dec 2010 09:01:00 -0500

Dear Submissions Editor,*

I’m hoping I’ve caught you at the perfect time. Right before you embark on your summer holidays so you’re not really paying attention to work. You’re too busy dreaming of those long, lazy days ahead, lying on a beach, spending quality time with the family, watching cricket on a 60” sceen or drunkenly revealing your true feelings for your superior to their face at the office Christmas Party (tick all applicable options). Basically, the one time of year when you’ll be in the right frame of mind to say; oh, sure, Liane. Whatever. Why not? Send your little manuscript. Send it forthwith. I’ll read it first thing next year. Then you’ll return from your break in 2011 feeling refreshed and relaxed, yet also invigorated and ready to see (or read) the best in everything. I will surely seem like the next Paul Jennings when you’re in such a good mood (the jaded, disillusioned feeling that everything you’re reading is all a load of trash doesn’t actually set in until at least March, does it?). Wow. She’s an evil genius, I hear you think. Perhaps I am. Perhaps I am.

*I really mean no disrespect to your position and I hope you won’t take offence at my letter!

YESTERDAY’S NINEMSN POLL Ninemsn’s polls are usually...

Wed, 29 Dec 2010 07:26:00 -0500

YESTERDAY’S NINEMSN POLL

Ninemsn’s polls are usually of very little interest to me, mainly because their topics are often quite loaded and tend to favour heterosexual, Anglo-Australians. But, obviously, this one caught my eye. At first I was slightly annoyed at the question itself because, let’s face it, it’s kind of a silly question. It’d be exactly like asking if you preferred reading a paperback book to a hardback book. Yes, you may have a preference but it doesn’t mean that you would turn down the option of your least preferred if your first preference was unavailable. E-readers are just another delivery system. I felt the phrasing of the question ignored this fact. That being said, once I voted and saw that 10% of those who had participated in this poll (at the point that I had) preferred reading on an e-reader I was actually blown away!

Have We Found a Place for Short Stories?

Thu, 14 Oct 2010 18:03:00 -0400

Amazon.com is betting that an uncommon length of reading material — longer than a magazine article but shorter than a book — will be a popular format in electronic form for its Kindle e-book reader.

The online retailer said Tuesday it is launching Kindle “Singles,” a section of its electronic bookstore dedicated to pieces that are 10,000 to 30,000 words or 30 to 90 pages.

Amazon said that is about twice the length of an article in The New Yorker or several chapters of a book.

And the company said it is soliciting the pieces outside of the publishing industry.

“Today’s announcement is a call to serious writers, thinkers, scientists, business leaders, historians, politicians and publishers to join Amazon in making such works available to readers around the world,” the company said.

It said “interested parties” should contact digital-publications@amazon.com

Amazon did not immediately respond to an inquiry about how much the “Singles” would cost.

The news comes as Amazon’s tries to keep its Kindle reader in the dominant position in the e-reader market.

It faces competition Apple Inc.’s iPad and other similar dedicated reading devices such as Barnes & Noble Inc.’s Nook.

In January, Amazon said it planned to offer do-it-yourself authors and publishers royalties of about 70 percent on their e-books if they use its e-book self-publishing program, the Kindle Digital Text Platform and meet certain criteria.

Amazon shares rose $1.89 to $154.92 during afternoon trading.

2 out of 5 HCP Publishing Assistants appreciate neck pillows on...

Sat, 09 Oct 2010 01:50:00 -0400

2 out of 5 HCP Publishing Assistants appreciate neck pillows on overseas flights

Has anyone read Booky Wook 2 by Russell Brand yet? I...

Sat, 09 Oct 2010 01:46:00 -0400

Has anyone read Booky Wook 2 by Russell Brand yet? I haven’t read My Booky Wook (he wasn’t famous enough for me to care back then) but god I’m having fun reading this one! I’m stumbling a bit with the British accent and constant stream on consciousness but it’s a satisfying bit of trash that’s much more clever than you think it is.

Not J-Franz's Glasses!!

Sat, 09 Oct 2010 01:40:00 -0400

To answer your first question: No, I wasn’t the one to attempt stealing his glasses.

To answer your second question: Yes, I wish I had attempted to when I met him.

Read more about the stolen glasses saga here:

http://newsfeed.time.com/2010/10/05/franzen-ransom-scandal-authors-glasses-stolen-by-lit-loving-layabouts/

Poor J-Franz. He’s having a pretty rough 2010!!

And You Thought "Freshly Ground Black People" Was Bad?

Sat, 02 Oct 2010 00:11:14 -0400

Yesterday Jonathan Franzen made an announcement to his readers at a publicity event in London’s Southbank. The critically acclaimed author, who was recently on the cover of Time magazine, regretted to inform his fans that HarperCollinsPublishers UK had printed an earlier version of the Freedom manuscript by mistake.

This affects stock in the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand. Franzen’s US publisher, FSG, are the only ones to print the correct version of the text.

It is estimated that this (easy to make!) mistake will cost HarperCollinsPublishers dearly.

Stephen King: Just Another Delivery System

Wed, 29 Sep 2010 07:17:00 -0400

Stephen King: Just Another Delivery System

Jonathan Franzen signing copies of Freedom after a reading in...

Sat, 18 Sep 2010 21:00:00 -0400

Jonathan Franzen signing copies of Freedom after a reading in Powell’s Books, Portland.

Powell’s Books in Portland, Oregon.

Mon, 13 Sep 2010 20:43:00 -0400

Powell’s Books in Portland, Oregon.

"…stealing toilet paper from the Burger King, which she had done several times trying to..."

Wed, 25 Aug 2010 07:05:01 -0400

“…stealing toilet paper from the Burger King, which she had done several times trying to survive as an assistant in publishing…”

- from Life Sentences by Laura Lippman

Apple Removes Erotica from iBook Charts… Devoed.

Wed, 28 Jul 2010 00:12:00 -0400

Apple Removes Erotica from iBook Charts…

Devoed.

Speed Reading Made Easy

Mon, 19 Jul 2010 08:05:28 -0400

A very clever Publisher sent me the links to the following websites to help speed up some reading I had to do:

http://www.spreeder.com/

http://www.zapreader.com/

Basically, all you need to do is copy and paste text into either the spreeder or zapreader program, choose a word per minute speed, then sit back and read like a speed demon.

Both programs are very easy to use, and make trawling through submissions much less painful. However, I do prefer the spreeder application, mainly because I find the font easier to read. But do try both out!

In 1966 The Beatles wrote a song about wanting to be a paperback...

Mon, 19 Jul 2010 07:48:00 -0400

In 1966 The Beatles wrote a song about wanting to be a paperback writer.

After managing a slush pile for almost nine months, this song has really started to resonate with me.

“If you really like it you can have the rights,

It could make a million for you overnight.

If you must return it, you can send it here

But I need a break and I want to be a paperback writer,

Paperback writer.”

It does make me wonder though… If The Beatles were alive today would they write about wanting to be a paperback writer? Or would they write about wanting to be a self-published author with a distribution deal with Amazon? How times change.

EBOOK PRICE COMPARISON SITE LAUNCHES

Sun, 20 Jun 2010 20:09:00 -0400

EBOOK PRICE COMPARISON SITE LAUNCHES:

Ebookant.com is a new Australian-based website that offers consumers price comparisons on over 270,000 ebook titles (and 60,000 e-magazines, 5000 etextbooks and 50,000 e-chapters).

http://www.ebookant.com/