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posted on 11 July 2012
More dramas on GoodReads! Urban Fantasy author Jess Haines summarized it best.
...a Goodreads librarian (someone with greater moderating powers than the average Goodreads member) who went over a list of Steampunk titles and deleted a huge number of them. Doing that means the remaining titles show up higher on the ranking when one searches for “steampunk” in the Goodreads search engine. I’ve heard it said that the remaining titles were mostly by her author friends, so methinks there could have been something dastardly going on behind the scenes.I missed this drama, but I'm glad it was quickly resolved. Such abuse of GR-Librarian power is intolerable.
Secondly, I would like to take a moment to express my disgust with a website that is collecting and posting the personal information (names, photographs, where they work, screenshots of their twitter feed, etc) of book reviewers who left negative reviews on Goodreads...God forbid anyone should have an opinion and—good heavens!—express it publicly!There have been many reviewers and authors blogging their stance against the website-that-must-not-be-linked. While I love a good rant — and there have been a many good rants — I believe laughter is the best medicine for dealing with this drama llama. Here is my top three Fucking Hilarious blog-responses against the website-that-must-not-be-linked.
- Kat Kennedy’s Autobiography (Blogging Mistress of Snark)
- A Modest Proposal (Carolyn Jewel, Romance Author, "One of that Damned Mob Of Scribbling Women")
- Responding to Negative Reviews: Do's and Don'ts, Illustrated. (AnimeJune the Dazzling Blogger)
- Stock Photo of the Day — Search: Angry Grandma (Meljean Brook, Romance Author, Silly Stock Photo Lady)
# Writing Series: The Cliffhanger Dilemma
posted on 6 July 2012
When it comes to series, people seem to either love or hate cliffhangers...But most series, especially those following a central character throughout, seem to have one of two endings: cliffhangers, which leave you hanging at the height of the climax, and “soft” cliffhangers*, which in my mind aren’t really cliffhangers so much as they are hooks for the following book.Yech. Cliffhangers suck.
# What I learned in Japan about EPUB 3, Rakuten, Kobo, Kodansha, and Japanese e-publishing in general
posted on 9 July 2012
Question: What about writers? Are they thinking of ebooks?This is the most important part to me because I love ebooks and I love manga. Alas, the two loves hardly intersect in the publishing industry. I hope this will change soon. And by soon I mean this year.
Noma-san: Some are against, but gradually this will change. We are trying to do simultaneous paper, ebook, so get contract from author for both is way to go.
Question: Can Japanese culture be exported with ebooks?
Noma-san: "Already with manga, in Taiwan we have distribution company going to mainland China eventually, Japanese flavor needs to be added to Kobo in order to go global"
Mikitani: "I was amazed at how much manga was in FNAC in Paris, but in suburban stores, there's no shelfspace. So, selling ebooks online, where there is infinite shelfspace enables that possibility. This is great opportunity to export Japanese literature."
# Updating Trashy Romance Novels to Match ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’
posted on 6 July 2012
50 Shades of Grey is the iPhone of mainstream erotic literature — it changed the game, and now all the other not-entirely-explicit romance novels have to compete or die.Holy Mother of All Tentacle Aliens! What madness is this? You have to see the pictures to believe it!
Luckily, Shades fans aren’t exactly the most attentive readers, so you can just find-and-replace with some BDSM terms, slick up the cover, and you’re good.
# Conference Decorum: Where ARC Thou?
posted on 5 July 2012
Other ideas floating around in the larger discussion include some sort of tickets-for-ARCs arrangement, or scanning badges of attendees who have received an ARC. “I think a lot of this could be solved with easy solutions,” says Jensen. “But it requires work, and changes in mindset.” Most importantly, she stresses, “I don’t want anyone to be left out.”This is a follow up on the ARC-Gate drama llama. I'm glad to see there is a resolution on the horizon.
# Personal News
Thank you Karen for sending me a physical ARC! I give you love. Yes, I'll be reviewing The Dirty Streets of Heaven, an angel & demon Urban Fantasy. Hurrah!
Want more book-related news? Then visit these book blogs: Dear Author, Stumbling Across Chaos, YA Highway.
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