e-publishing

Linkity Link

Nephele Tempest

Happy Friday, all! I’m here with my weekly link roundup. First, and most pertinent to this week’s general theme, I’m happy to say that both SOPA and PIPA are currently tabled. That does not mean they won’t rear their heads again, but it’s a step in the right direction. For those interested in the results of the Wednesday internet blackout/protest, you can see some statistics over here. It’s lovely to see what can happen when people ban together.

And without further ado, the fun stuff. Have a terrific weekend, and happy writing!

Why Print Is Here to Stay – an argument for a world with both electronic and paper reading material.

Writing Evocative Descriptions – some good advice and examples.

The 10 Most Anticipated Book Adaptations of 2012 – I didn’t even know some of these books were being made into films…

Famous Literary Friendships – a fun roundup.

Writing A Lot… and then some – an interesting look at the inner censor

Linkity Link

Nephele Tempest

Happy Friday! I’m out of town for the weekend, but I have not forgotten you. Here are some lovely and informative links to keep you entertained. Wishing you all a most enjoyable weekend, filled with books and writing accomplishments and all manner of good things.

First off, in honor of Veteran’s Day, Knight Agency author Bryan Andersen on MSNBC, discussing his inspirational memoir, NO TURNING BACK, about life as an Iraq vet, Purple Heart recipient, and triple amputee.

Knight Agency Clients Receive 24 Romantic Times Award Nominations — because we’re so very proud of our authors.

Small Talk — a lovely interview with author Anthony Horowitz.

The Truth About Amazon Publishing — a very informative look at the company’s new programs.

Literary Websites — a handy list.

Digested Read: Bleak House by Charles Dickens — an overview of a very long classic, in honor of the approaching 200th anniversary of the author’s birth.

What Makes a Writer?

Nephele Tempest

If you want to break it down into particulars, there are many things that go into becoming a writer, but at the most basic level, you only need to do two things: Read and write. So on this cool and sunny Sunday morning (at least where I am), I offer you two stories that address the question of reading, and how important it is to a writer’s development. Three guesses which of these I find more disturbing.

Writers Who Don’t Read – A growing trend, apparently. I don’t pretend to understand.

Across the Digital Divide – Seanan McGuire on why it is so important that books continue to be made available in print form. Eloquent and so very true.

Links for Hump Day

Nephele Tempest

I was very chatty in yesterday’s post, and I hope I gave you plenty to ponder. So today I’m just doing one of my hit-and-run visits, complete with links to some entertaining and/or informative reading material. Enjoy!

Weird Writing Habits of Famous Authors – Some of the pictures alone make this worth a quick visit. Just remember, whatever you have to do to get those words on the page, there’s someone out there who does something a little more… eccentric.

Apple Accused in Suit of E-Book Price Fixing with Publishers – I wish this were more surprising, but the price wars with Amazon were pretty obvious at the time. It’ll be interesting to see how this shakes out. More on this at PW.

Mark Twain House Employee Embezzled $1 Million – This breaks my heart. I grew up in Connecticut and loved visiting this house as a kid. If you’re ever in the area, I highly recommend the tour.

O Pioneers! – A great story on our love for the Laura Ingalls Wilder Little House books, and other examples of that same brave, adventurous spirit demonstrated by women who helped settle the west.

 

For the Record

Nephele Tempest

There’s a lot of talk going around about what agents are and are not doing in light of the sudden popularity of self-publishing in digital format. Mostly, I see people blogging about things they have misunderstood, or getting their definitions mixed up. For instance, independent publishing and self-publishing are not the same. Likewise, helping your client arrange to have their book digitally published through an established entity (Amazon for Kindle, Nook, Kobo) does not make you a publisher. So, to set the record straight:

The Knight Agency is made up of agents. We are not publishers, we have no desire to become publishers. We love being agents, we love working with our clients to help them build their careers. We act as middle men between our clients and their publishers so that they can continue to do the work of writing.

In that vein, we are implementing a program that will help our clients who are interested in digital self-publication. Our program includes our taking on the prep work that an author would do to self-publish on their own: finding cover art, converting the format, securing the copyright for their work, obtaining ISBNs, etc. We are not actually publishing anything, but working with the various self-publishing programs at major e-retailers, such as Amazon and Barnes and Noble, etc. We are not taking a publisher’s commission or cut, but just our standard agency rate of 15%.

This is a service we offer our clients, and only our clients, who are interested in pursuing digital publication for backlist titles that have gone out of print or were never available in digital format, and select new projects that have been unable to find a publisher through traditional methods. We hope that our efforts will allow the authors to focus on their writing instead of getting bogged down in the details of prepping a book for a self-publishing entity. Also, we believe as agents we can offer more in the way of marketing assistance and so on than an author could achieve on their own. But at the end of the day, it’s just another option for our clients.

For more, here’s Lucienne Diver’s take on our program, as well.