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Fictionwise is nine years old and they're having a birthday celebration, across-the-board sale. All ebook titles are reduced 30% to 50%. My books, Island Song, for example, is discounted down to only $3.50. Pretty darned cheap. Time to stock up on reading material at:
http://www.fictionwise.com/home.html
Enjoy!
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Thursday, May 21, 2009
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Zumaya Publications joins the Espresso challenge
The following press release is from Elisabeth Burton, Executive Director, Zumaya Publications:
Late in April, Zumaya Publications, parent company of the GLBT publishing imprint Zumaya Boundless, completed the paperwork that places all their titles currently being printed at Lightning Source into a pilot program with On-Demand Books, makers of the Espresso Book Machine. Other participating publishers are John Wiley & Sons, Hachette Book Group, McGraw-Hill, Simon & Schuster, Clements Publishing, Cosimo, E-Reads, Bibliolife, Information Age Publishing, Macmillan, University of California Press and W.W. Norton.
Through this program, Zumaya books will be available for printing at all facilities that have an Espresso. There are currently 12 EBMs operational worldwide, and it is my understanding that this pilot program is the first phase of a marketing plan to place more of them in the next few years. The ones already in operation are located at:
World Bank InfoShop, Washington D.C.
New York Public Library, New York, NY
New Orleans Public Library, New Orleans, LA
Internet Archive, San Francisco, CA
University of Michigan Library, Ann Arbor, MI
Northshire Bookstore, Manchester Center, VT
University of Alberta Bookstore, Edmonton, AB, Canada
McMaster University Bookstore, Hamilton, ON, Canada
Newsstand UK, London, England
Library of Alexandria, Alexandria, Egypt
Angus & Robertson Bookstore, Melbourne, Australia
University of Waterloo Bookstore, ON, Canada
Blackwell’s Bookstore, London, United Kingdom
Just about a decade ago, the first on-demand book printer came into being. The quality of the product, compared to the traditional printing methods, left a good deal to be desired; and the cost to print each copy was much too high for most book publishing uses. However, where only a limited number of copies—or a single one—was wanted, those early machines were both economical and sensible.
It was then that Random House editor Jason Epstein wrote Book Business, in which he stated that on-demand printing was the future of the industry. Epstein was one of the founders of On-Demand Books.
Since those early days, the quality of on-demand printing has grown exponentially, and today a digitally printed book is indistinguishable from its offset-printed counterpart with one exception: it will always have a glossy cover for technical reasons. By utilizing the improvements in digital printing technology, On-Demand was able to complete development of a compact machine that could revolutionize the way books are printed and sold.
The EBM, which costs $95,000 in its current incarnation, prints and binds a trade paperback book while you wait. Literally. In Blackwell’s bookstore, they’ve replaced the metal frame with glass so the buyer can watch as their book goes from digital file to finished product. You can view the process yourself at http://www.ondemandbooks.com/video2.htm.
The capability to print a book on-site in a bookstore or library means that shipping costs, both financial and environmental, are eliminated. Although no one has, as far as I know, calculated the environmental impact of the machine itself, it has to be borne in mind that the book would still need to be printed, yet that the now-standard print runs wouldn’t be necessary. Given 25-50% of those runs are returned and discarded, logic would suggest the EBM is a much more environmentally sound way of producing print books than any of the alternatives.
The benefits to independent booksellers in particular are clear. One of the biggest obstacles they currently experience trying to compete with superchain and online booksellers is their inability to offer a large range of titles. With an EBM, this would no longer be the case. They will be able to store the files for thousands of books and print off a copy when it’s wanted—and without paying fees to wholesalers and distributors.
In addition, they could, if provided with the proper files, print books for local people who may, for example, only want five or ten copies of a family history for personal use, thus providing an additional revenue stream.
The advantage for authors is that overseas sales will no longer be plagued by expensive shipping costs. This opens the whole world to the exchange of ideas through printed books in the way it has so far only been managed via ebooks.
We’re very excited about being part of this project, for all of these reasons. There’s something particularly exciting about being part of the future of an entire industry.
Late in April, Zumaya Publications, parent company of the GLBT publishing imprint Zumaya Boundless, completed the paperwork that places all their titles currently being printed at Lightning Source into a pilot program with On-Demand Books, makers of the Espresso Book Machine. Other participating publishers are John Wiley & Sons, Hachette Book Group, McGraw-Hill, Simon & Schuster, Clements Publishing, Cosimo, E-Reads, Bibliolife, Information Age Publishing, Macmillan, University of California Press and W.W. Norton.
Through this program, Zumaya books will be available for printing at all facilities that have an Espresso. There are currently 12 EBMs operational worldwide, and it is my understanding that this pilot program is the first phase of a marketing plan to place more of them in the next few years. The ones already in operation are located at:
World Bank InfoShop, Washington D.C.
New York Public Library, New York, NY
New Orleans Public Library, New Orleans, LA
Internet Archive, San Francisco, CA
University of Michigan Library, Ann Arbor, MI
Northshire Bookstore, Manchester Center, VT
University of Alberta Bookstore, Edmonton, AB, Canada
McMaster University Bookstore, Hamilton, ON, Canada
Newsstand UK, London, England
Library of Alexandria, Alexandria, Egypt
Angus & Robertson Bookstore, Melbourne, Australia
University of Waterloo Bookstore, ON, Canada
Blackwell’s Bookstore, London, United Kingdom
Just about a decade ago, the first on-demand book printer came into being. The quality of the product, compared to the traditional printing methods, left a good deal to be desired; and the cost to print each copy was much too high for most book publishing uses. However, where only a limited number of copies—or a single one—was wanted, those early machines were both economical and sensible.
It was then that Random House editor Jason Epstein wrote Book Business, in which he stated that on-demand printing was the future of the industry. Epstein was one of the founders of On-Demand Books.
Since those early days, the quality of on-demand printing has grown exponentially, and today a digitally printed book is indistinguishable from its offset-printed counterpart with one exception: it will always have a glossy cover for technical reasons. By utilizing the improvements in digital printing technology, On-Demand was able to complete development of a compact machine that could revolutionize the way books are printed and sold.
The EBM, which costs $95,000 in its current incarnation, prints and binds a trade paperback book while you wait. Literally. In Blackwell’s bookstore, they’ve replaced the metal frame with glass so the buyer can watch as their book goes from digital file to finished product. You can view the process yourself at http://www.ondemandbooks.com/video2.htm.
The capability to print a book on-site in a bookstore or library means that shipping costs, both financial and environmental, are eliminated. Although no one has, as far as I know, calculated the environmental impact of the machine itself, it has to be borne in mind that the book would still need to be printed, yet that the now-standard print runs wouldn’t be necessary. Given 25-50% of those runs are returned and discarded, logic would suggest the EBM is a much more environmentally sound way of producing print books than any of the alternatives.
The benefits to independent booksellers in particular are clear. One of the biggest obstacles they currently experience trying to compete with superchain and online booksellers is their inability to offer a large range of titles. With an EBM, this would no longer be the case. They will be able to store the files for thousands of books and print off a copy when it’s wanted—and without paying fees to wholesalers and distributors.
In addition, they could, if provided with the proper files, print books for local people who may, for example, only want five or ten copies of a family history for personal use, thus providing an additional revenue stream.
The advantage for authors is that overseas sales will no longer be plagued by expensive shipping costs. This opens the whole world to the exchange of ideas through printed books in the way it has so far only been managed via ebooks.
We’re very excited about being part of this project, for all of these reasons. There’s something particularly exciting about being part of the future of an entire industry.
.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Taking Risks
Today I attended the first meeting of a new screenwriter's group in San Francisco. There were nine writers in all, including myself, and at least three who have optioned movie scripts to independent studios. I am not the only published author of the group, but perhaps the only novelist. Some are journalist, others have produced other works.
I found it thrilling to be exchanging ideas about scriptwriting with these knowledgeable people. My script has been sitting on the shelf for the past six months…waiting…because I had taken it as far as I could on my own, and didn’t have anyone to bounce ideas off of or to offer constructive criticism. But that has now changed in, hopefully, a big way.
Best of all, my husband, Herman, has joined the group, as well. He’s spent the last few days feverishly working on the script he started last year. This will be something we do together, and I couldn’t be happier. Last summer he joined me in a scriptwriting class at the local community college. The class was not all we had hoped for but it did give us the basics and it made us collaborate, which turned out to be tremendously satisfying. For two people who have lived closely for fifteen years, we often have long periods of silence (sometimes several days), but during that class last summer, we were constantly chatting, exchanging ideas, supporting each other. It brought us together in a most creative way. I’m hoping we can recapture that closeness working in this new group.
So my task for his week is to pull my script off the shelf, dust it off with a careful reading to become reacquainted, then send out the first two opening scenes to the group for next week’s discussions. I can’t wait. I feel so energized.
I must confess, I’m a little frightened that, by being so jazzed about this new workgroup, I’m setting myself up for a let-down. There is always that risk that it will fail to meet my high expectations and I’ll eventually drown in disappointment, but then isn’t everything in life like that? I think it pays to get excited by life’s possibilities, take risks and to set high expectations for the things we care about. Don’t you?
.
I found it thrilling to be exchanging ideas about scriptwriting with these knowledgeable people. My script has been sitting on the shelf for the past six months…waiting…because I had taken it as far as I could on my own, and didn’t have anyone to bounce ideas off of or to offer constructive criticism. But that has now changed in, hopefully, a big way.
Best of all, my husband, Herman, has joined the group, as well. He’s spent the last few days feverishly working on the script he started last year. This will be something we do together, and I couldn’t be happier. Last summer he joined me in a scriptwriting class at the local community college. The class was not all we had hoped for but it did give us the basics and it made us collaborate, which turned out to be tremendously satisfying. For two people who have lived closely for fifteen years, we often have long periods of silence (sometimes several days), but during that class last summer, we were constantly chatting, exchanging ideas, supporting each other. It brought us together in a most creative way. I’m hoping we can recapture that closeness working in this new group.
So my task for his week is to pull my script off the shelf, dust it off with a careful reading to become reacquainted, then send out the first two opening scenes to the group for next week’s discussions. I can’t wait. I feel so energized.
I must confess, I’m a little frightened that, by being so jazzed about this new workgroup, I’m setting myself up for a let-down. There is always that risk that it will fail to meet my high expectations and I’ll eventually drown in disappointment, but then isn’t everything in life like that? I think it pays to get excited by life’s possibilities, take risks and to set high expectations for the things we care about. Don’t you?
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Monday, May 18, 2009
Favorite Interview Questions
Today I'm compiling a list of interview questions that I intend to submit to Rick Reed, the author of the book I reviewed yesterday (see post below this). I have a standard set of questions that I have used on other interviews, but I thought it would be fun to get suggestions from other writers and readers as to what they look for in an author interview.
What are your favorite questions?
What do you like to know about authors?
And for writers, what kind of fun, off the wall questions have you answered?
If you’ve got a second, please leave a comment to give me your suggestions.
Thanks,
alan
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What are your favorite questions?
What do you like to know about authors?
And for writers, what kind of fun, off the wall questions have you answered?
If you’ve got a second, please leave a comment to give me your suggestions.
Thanks,
alan
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Sunday, May 17, 2009
Book Review - Bashed by Rick R. Reed
Reviewed by Alan Chin
(PUBLISHER: MLR Press, 2009, $13.49)
Donald and his younger lover, Mark, strolled from the Brig (the leather bar where they had spent most of their evening) back to the alley where they had parked their car. It was late, the streets were deserted. They were playfully drunk and very much in love. The night’s chill made them anxious to be home where they could complete their joyous evening with more intimate activities.
Justin, a sixteen-year-old with an edge, was joyriding with his two buddies Ronny and Luis, both of whom were in their twenties. The night had been exciting for Justin. He’d had enough weed and beer to send him over the moon, and being with older thug types that he looked up to, gave him a quiet satisfaction that he, too, was a tough and dangerous man, not to be trifled with.
Everything was going great for Justin, and for Donald and Mark for that matter, that is, until their paths collided.
Justin went along for the ride when Ronny pulled the car to the curb and said they should give those two fags a good ass-stomping – something to keep them out of the neighborhood. But Justin didn’t notice the baseball bat in Ronny’s hands until it was too late the stop the deed. How could something as innocent as name-calling and a little slap-slap turn into something so brutal, so deadly? And what was Justin supposed to do now that he was an accomplice to murder? Suddenly, he didn’t feel so tough and dangerous.
Rick Reed has created two touching love stories deeply embedded within a tale of hate, fear and coping – the love of Donald for his lost lover, and the love of Uncle Walter for his troubled nephew, Justin. It is tense, riveting, honest, sometimes brutal, and definitely not for the squeamish.
After that first fateful night, the author takes us on a journey that follows two paths simultaneously. The first path is Donald trying to pull his life back into some kind of order after he survives the vicious attack that kills his lover and leaves him injured. The second path follows Justin as he tries to extricate himself from his thug buddies and return to a more wholesome life by hanging out with the only person in his life that seems to have it together, his gay uncle, Walter.
It is a touching web of regrets and coping, until Donald and Justin’s paths collide a second deadly time.
Looking back, the first thing that struck me was how well the plot was crafted. Rick Reed knows how to put you on the edge of your chair and keep you there. As the story unfolds, the writer in me felt a little taste of awe at the author’s skillful hand. The depth of the characters was also notable. The reader understands their frustrations, their motivations, and their pain with exceptional clarity. The prose, like the story, is gritty and hard driving. In my view, Mr. Reed has created a winner.
I did have a few issues that slightly detracted from my enjoying the story. In several areas I felt that the author did too much telling and not enough showing. I wanted him to trust me, the reader, more to understand the emotions without telling me.
I also had an issue with the number of improbable coincidences that cropped up, like Donald and Walter living in the same building, to mention only one. Each time the story presented an improbable coincidence, it pulled me out of the story and reminded me that I was reading a fictional story, not living though something tragic, and a story that needed something slightly unbelievable to make the plot work.
The last minor point I’ll mention, without giving too much plot way, is that the ghost of Mark makes several appearances in the story, seemingly to protect Donald. It works well in this story because it reveals the depth of their love for each other. My issue was merely that I’ve seen that done in many novels and movies, and am feeling that it’s a bit over-done.
Those small issues aside, I found it a thoroughly well-written story. It is not an easy read, due to the dark content and complex emotional interactions, though it is well worth the effort. If you like a well crafted suspense story and have nerves of steel, then by all means, this will keep you up nights until you’ve finished it, and perhaps even after.
.
http://www.rickrreed.com/
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Saturday, May 16, 2009
Baseball Has A New Fan
I experienced a pleasant surprise last night, one of those little curve balls that life seems to throw at me from time to time. A friend called in mid-afternoon, saying that a coworker had given him four tickets to that night’s Giants vs. Mets baseball game, and did my husband, Herman, and I want to join them.
I hadn’t seen a baseball game in fifteen years. When I managed a group of software engineers in San Francisco, once a year I would treat them to an A’s ballgame. We would all jump on Bart about lunchtime, whoosh across the bay and catch an afternoon game. I never enjoyed the game. Baseball for me is a bore, as is most team sports. But it was always fun to have a beer and hotdog with my employees and they seemed to have a grand time, like schoolboys cutting class.
So yesterday I was going hell-bent on Facebook and Twitter, and didn’t want to be pulled away, but I could tell Herman wanted to go, just to get us out of the house for a change. Well, as it turned out, I not only tagged along, I had a wonderful time. Of course the two beers I had before the bottom of the 3rd helped to get me in the spirit of the game, but regardless, the fans, being out with my husband and friends, the ballpark food, the game, all fused into a fantastic experience. By the end of the 8th inning, the score was tied at 6 all, so it turned out to be a nail biter. The crowd was somewhat drunk and rowdy, but in a good way. And me? I was glowing. It was simply a wholesome, fun thing to do on a Friday night.
I must admit, I was a bit taken aback by the prices, both for tickets and food, but I guess nothing is cheap these days.
So baseball has a new fan. No, I don’t expect to be dropping a wad on season ticket anytime soon, but I will gladly return to the ballpark for a night of food, friends, and a great crowd. Sometimes, it pays to take a risk, do something new.
.
I hadn’t seen a baseball game in fifteen years. When I managed a group of software engineers in San Francisco, once a year I would treat them to an A’s ballgame. We would all jump on Bart about lunchtime, whoosh across the bay and catch an afternoon game. I never enjoyed the game. Baseball for me is a bore, as is most team sports. But it was always fun to have a beer and hotdog with my employees and they seemed to have a grand time, like schoolboys cutting class.
So yesterday I was going hell-bent on Facebook and Twitter, and didn’t want to be pulled away, but I could tell Herman wanted to go, just to get us out of the house for a change. Well, as it turned out, I not only tagged along, I had a wonderful time. Of course the two beers I had before the bottom of the 3rd helped to get me in the spirit of the game, but regardless, the fans, being out with my husband and friends, the ballpark food, the game, all fused into a fantastic experience. By the end of the 8th inning, the score was tied at 6 all, so it turned out to be a nail biter. The crowd was somewhat drunk and rowdy, but in a good way. And me? I was glowing. It was simply a wholesome, fun thing to do on a Friday night.
I must admit, I was a bit taken aback by the prices, both for tickets and food, but I guess nothing is cheap these days.
So baseball has a new fan. No, I don’t expect to be dropping a wad on season ticket anytime soon, but I will gladly return to the ballpark for a night of food, friends, and a great crowd. Sometimes, it pays to take a risk, do something new.
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Friday, May 15, 2009
Lesbian Fiction Readers Choice Awards
Congratulations to all the winners of the 2008 Lesbian Fiction Readers Choice Awards.
The following email was written by Jo Fothergill:
We are very pleased to announce the results of the 2008 Lesbian Fiction Readers Choice Awards.
In alphabetical order, the Readers' Favorites are:
2008 Favorite Writer:
L-J Baker
Gerri Hill
KG MacGregor
Radclyffe
Ali Vali
2008 Favorite Speculative Fiction/Science Fiction/Fantasy Book:
Adijan and Her Genie - L-J Baker
On Azrael's Wings - D. Jordan Redhawk
Shadow of the Knife - Jane Fletcher
Storm - Kim Pritekel
Truth Behind the Mask - Leslie Davis
2008 Favorite Romance Book:
Blessed Twice - Lynn Galli
Deal with the Devil - Ali Vali
Fast Break - Mickey Minner
Night Call - Radclyffe
The Kiss That Counted - Karin Kallmaker
The Lonely Hearts Club - Radclyffe
2008 Favorite Humor/Comedy Book:
Dresses and Other Catastrophes - Dani O'Connor
Made For You - Geneva St James
Once - L.T. Smith
2008 Favorite Erotica Book:
Blood and Mint Chocolates - Adrienne Brennan
In Deep Waters 2: Cruising the Strip - Radclyffe/Karin Kallmaker
Lipstick on Her Collar - Sacchi Green/Rakelle Valencia
Periphery: Erotic Lesbian Futures - Lynne Jamneck (editor)
Thirteen Hours - Meghan O'Brien
2008 Favorite Anthology:
A Little Book of Big Christmas Tales - Anne Azel
Best Lesbian Love Stories 2009 - Simone Thorne (editor)
Chilling Tales of Terror and the Supernatural - Patty G. Henderson (editor)
Island Girls - Simone Thorne (editor)
Toe to Toe: Standing Tall and Proud - C Tierney (editor)
Wetter - Nicole Foster (editor)
2008 Favorite Mystery Book:
Calling the Dead - Ali Vali
Hotel Liaison - JLee Meyer
Land of Entrapment - Andi Marquette
Partners - Gerri Hill
Secrets So Deep - KG MacGregor
2008 Favorite Adventure Book:
A Pirate's Heart - Catherine Friend
Branded Ann - Merry Shannon
Lethal Affairs - Kim Baldwin/Xenia Alexiou
Fast Break - Mickey Minner
The Sea Captain and The Lady - Vada Foster
To Hold Forever - Carrie Carr
Thank you to all who voted. And special thanks to the writers on the list. Without you we readers would have nothing to read, nominate or vote for.
Jo Fothergill
LFRCA Administrator
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