Should Some Books Be Banned?

Column by Cath Murphy October 19, 2012 30 comments
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Should Some Books Be Banned?

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Banned Books Week is over for another year. Did you strike a blow for freedom and read a banned book?

I didn’t.

The temptation in any article about book banning is to go all Listverse and lay out the top ten for readers' aghast inspection. Look around the web and that’s about the level of the debate: lists plus maybe a commentary on some obvious idiocies -- a Dr Seuss book banned because it advocates suicide, Black Beauty banned in South Africa during apartheid because the authorities believed it promoted miscegenation.

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Creating Your Literary Foundation

Column by Erin Reel October 18, 2012 15 comments
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Creating Your Literary Foundation

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Countless authors, regardless of bestselling status; regardless of traditional or self-published success; regardless of education; regardless of class, race, sex, or politics; will boil down the best writing advice you'll ever receive to - read, write, repeat. 

Truly, to understand the art of fiction, essay and memoir at its core; to write well; you must have an intense relationship with prose. Reading must be your true love; writing, your love letter.  

Recently, I received this question from a LitReactor:

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Is Reading Sexy?

Column by John Jarzemsky October 18, 2012 32 comments
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Is Reading Sexy?

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"Nothing about sex is cerebral...at least, none of the good parts are."--Chuck Klosterman

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Primer: Neil Gaiman, Storyteller

Column by Rajan Khanna October 17, 2012 11 comments
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Primer: Neil Gaiman, Storyteller

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Here’s the thing about Neil Gaiman-- he’s a great writer, but an even better storyteller. It's not a skill-mix that all writers have, but it's one that Gaiman has perfected; the ability to tell a tale, spin a yarn, weave a story no matter the place, the time or the medium. Which is not to say that it's effortless--a lot of work goes into his projects to be sure--but he often makes them feel effortless. He taps into that ancient ritual of mankind-- telling one another stories-- whether they be legends or myths or fairy tales.

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Adventures In Self-Publishing Part 3: So, Can We Talk About Some Stuff?

Column by Rob Hart October 16, 2012 24 comments
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Adventures In Self-Publishing Part 3: So, Can We Talk About Some Stuff?

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It's an oft-repeated piece of advice in the realm of self-publishing: you get out what you put in. The harder you work, the more copies you sell; nothing sells in a vacuum, and you can't expect to climb the ranks by sitting around and doing nothing. 

That's true! I know because I've been extremely busy this month, and haven't been able to dedicate much time to convincing people to buy my novella, and as you can see from the numbers below, my lack of effort shows. 

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The Fifty Year Sword: An Interview With Mark Z. Danielewski

Interview by Matthew Treon October 16, 2012 5 comments
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The Fifty Year Sword: An Interview With Mark Z. Danielewski

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Midnight approaches on Halloween. Five orphans and an East Texas seamstress at a birthday party sit, captivated by a Story Teller’s tale, and the long, mysterious black box he's set before them. But they're also being held captive by the malicious fate the Story Teller foretells: The Fifty Year Sword.

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Recap: The Walking Dead 3.01 - Seed

Column by Rob Hart October 15, 2012 1 comment
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Recap: The Walking Dead 3.01 - Seed

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Spoilers!

The cold open for The Walking Dead's third season makes this feel like a completely different show. 

The economy of it is spectacular: the survivors converge on a house. They sweep through to secure it and forage for supplies. They find nothing, and ultimately have to retreat once they realize they've been flanked by a crowd of zombies.

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Ask The Agent: Guerrilla Marketing And What You Should Expect From An Agent

Column by Bree Ogden October 15, 2012 3 comments
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Ask The Agent: Guerrilla Marketing And What You Should Expect From An Agent

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Navigating the rough terrain of today’s publishing industry shouldn’t be a solo event. This week in Ask the Agent, I’ll explore and dissect two of the industry’s mysteries, straight from the shoulder.

Question from Reilly

How important is guerrilla marketing for an aspiring author AND for a recently published author?

I’m the type of person in general (not just agent) who thinks that guerrilla marketing is very important in any business venture.

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