Interesting Links for 08-13-2010

Welcome to Friday the 13th. Hope you’re all having a magical, rather than mundane, day.

What I Am Reading

Nearing the end of Elizabeth Bear’s All the Windwracked Stars, and so far it’s holding up well. I’m interested in seeing how she’s going to pull this all together in the end.

Just finished Public Affair, Secretly Expecting by Heidi Rice (part of a Harlequin reader reaction program I’m in). This one is from one of their “hotter” lines, which clearly plays a big part in the story, but at the same time, there’s a surprising complexity in the history of both main characters, affecting how Juno and Mac interact, and driving their interpretation of circumstances. I enjoyed this story a lot.

Life

Not sure where to place this one, but I wanted to share. It has suggestions for writing, for project management, and for a focus on success. Well worth the time to read this analysis of Pixar’s process:
http://www.copyblogger.com/pixar/

This is an incredible story about people helping people even when there’s no benefit and great inconvenience. Makes me have hope for the rest of humanity.

Publishing

This has been a great series about the writing business, and here’s its conclusion:
http://magicdistrict.wordpress.com/2010/08/09/5-things-ive-learned-about-writing-writing-is-a-business/

Testing of the effectiveness of editing in marketing hints at the importance of editors in all forms of publishing:
http://www.digitalbookworld.com/2010/how-to-measure-the-value-of-editors/

Writing

Tips for managing continuity in a series that could prove useful even with a single novel:
http://www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog/Some+Tips+For+Writing+A+Series.aspx

An interesting method of comparing character profiles. It might also prove useful when looking for overall themes in your work, either to avoid repetition or capitalize on your clear area of interest:
http://pbackwriter.blogspot.com/2010/07/cloud-profiles.html

Submitting

A solid list of what to know about agents who offer representation. Most can be researched (and should) before you submit, but there are some questions that are usually not available to the general public:
http://cba-ramblings.blogspot.com/2010/08/what-to-ask-agent.html

Fourteen reasons queries/submissions are rejected:
http://www.superheronation.com/2010/08/05/14-reasons-your-manuscript-got-rejected-before-page-1/

Technology

A look at the downside of electronic textbooks, and part of the reason when I bought an e-reader, I got the Sony dedicated one. It does nothing but display books in e-ink, and I like it that way :).
http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2010-08-10-ebooklearning10_CV_N.htm?csp=DailyBriefing

Promoting

Check your website and blog pages for visibility on the Web. Good analysis plus information on why each is important:
http://www.seoworkers.com/tools/analyzer.html

Why it’s important to use your name as your common handle. Here I’m hoping MarFisk is close enough to lead people to Margaret McGaffey Fisk (because my full name just doesn’t fit in the username space :)).
http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/2010/05/11/the-single-best-way-for-writers-to-become-a-brand/

This entry was posted in Interesting Links, Life, Promoting, Publishing, Reading, Science, Submitting, Writing Process. Bookmark the permalink.

7 Responses to Interesting Links for 08-13-2010

  1. Michele says:

    Didn’t realize that Windracked Stars was a series until I read this review: http://www.bscreview.com/2008/10/book-review-all-the-windwracked-stars/ I pretty much agree with what’s been said–which means now I’ll have to find the other books. Ah, well, I will add them to my every growing list! lol

    • MarFisk says:

      Hmm, I’m not sure I knew that, but it’s all good :).

      • Michele says:

        This is the comment from the article above: “All the Windwracked Stars is the first of three books in the Edda of Burdens series.” I would probably have to go back and re-read the Windwracked Stars, though maybe not. It was two years between reading Urban Legends and finding that was the Walker Papers series and getting the next four from the library and reading them. Didn’t need to re-read Urban Legends after all. Windwracked Stars seems more complex with so much in the book left unsaid.

        • MarFisk says:

          Urban Shaman, but yes, some people reread. I don’t. I’d never get anything read if I did :).

          • Michele says:

            I hear that! If a book sticks with me well, re-reads aren’t needed. If not, I wouldn’t read the series anyway, probably. Re-reading, to me, is like watching the same movie over and over. Very few I’ve seen would get that much of my time. lol

  2. Michele says:

    Article on e-book learning interesting. It remains to be seen whether this technology will be an aid or not based on the opposing views concerning the learning/retention problems associated with rich, click-through content. I still prefer a solid book, note paper and pens to anything digitized if I want to learn something. Even a stripped down model of anything–no gimmicks, gadgets, click-able links doesn’t ‘feel’right to me. I guess I could get used to it, but for me part of the learning is the visual experience, the feel of the book, the turning of the page, jotting of the notes. Those are my reinforcements–based on my history. If all is taken into consideration, though, I’m sure this tech can become just as effective. Interesting changes in the wind, I say. 😉

    • MarFisk says:

      Yep. People will need to adjust how they’re wired. Interestingly, Jacob’s chem book for next semester is half ebooks.

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