John Updike, at the 2006 convention of the American Booksellers Association said, “The printed, bound and paid-for book was – still is, for the moment – more exacting, more demanding, of its producer and consumer both. It is the site of an encounter, in silence, of two minds, one following the other’s steps but invited to imagine, to argue, to concur on a level of reflection beyond that of personal encounter, with all its merely social conventions, its merciful padding of blather and mutual forgiveness. Book readers and writers are approaching the condition of holdouts, surly hermits who refuse to come and play in the electronic sunshine of the post-Gutenberg village.”
John Updike, “The End of Authorship,” New York Times Book Review, June 25, 2006
Monday, February 23, 2009
R.L.S.
Seen in a school in Samoa.
“Robert Louis Stevenson, who was born in Scotland, was too delicate to work; instead, he became a writer of books.”
“Robert Louis Stevenson, who was born in Scotland, was too delicate to work; instead, he became a writer of books.”
Monday, February 2, 2009
Inkhornism
Inkhornism, apparently in common use from 1400 to 1600, or thereabouts, means a learned or pedantic word or expression. In 1553 Thomas Wilson wrote The Arte of Rhetorique, a work intended to assist budding poets. In it he made fun of exaggerated and overblown language and offered a tour-de-force gibberish example. “I cannot but celebrate and extol your magnifical dexterity above all other, for how could you have adepted such illustrate prerogative and dominical superiority if the fecundity of your engaigne had not been so fertile and wonderful pregnant.”
He sounds as though he was talking about a politician.
He sounds as though he was talking about a politician.
St. John Bosco
It seems this St John is the patron saint of editors and publishers, so perhaps we as writers should give him our respect: without editors and publishers, where would we be? No, don’t answer that.
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Faulkner– Ipse dixit
The writer’s only responsibility is to his art. He will be completely ruthless if he is a good one. He has a dream. It anguishes him so much he must get rid of it. He has no peace until then. Everything goes by the board: honor, pride, decency, security, happiness, all, to get the book written. If a writer has to rob his mother, he will not hesitate; the “Ode on a Grecian Urn” is worth any number of old ladies.
An artist is a creature driven by demons. He doesn’t know why they choose him and he’s usually too busy to wonder why. He is completely amoral in that he will rob, borrow, beg, or steal from anybody and everybody to get the work done.
My own experience has been that the tools I need for my trade are paper, tobacco, food, and a little whiskey.
Writing is - Ninety-nine percent talent . . . ninety-nine percent discipline . . . ninety-nine percent work. ”
I guess you can’t do better than that.
This is part of an interview that took place in New York City, early in 1956.
An artist is a creature driven by demons. He doesn’t know why they choose him and he’s usually too busy to wonder why. He is completely amoral in that he will rob, borrow, beg, or steal from anybody and everybody to get the work done.
My own experience has been that the tools I need for my trade are paper, tobacco, food, and a little whiskey.
Writing is - Ninety-nine percent talent . . . ninety-nine percent discipline . . . ninety-nine percent work. ”
I guess you can’t do better than that.
This is part of an interview that took place in New York City, early in 1956.
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Love 'em or hate 'em
Publishers get a lot of bad press – from writers, but where would we be without them?
Self Publishing
Way back when, when I was younger and even more foolish, I tried self-publishing – it seemed like a good idea at the time and the road to riches. I mean, the writing part was relatively easy, so how hard could selling be?
Don’t do it! Don’t touch it unless you have nothing else to do but promote your books and cold call every bookstore and chain from coast to coast. And even if you do sell them, there’s no guarantee you won’t get most of them back. You see there are damnable things called “returns”, which means if the bookstore doesn’t sell your babies in a reasonable period of time – reasonable to them, that is – they’re going to send them back and you’re going to write them a cheque, and your garage will be full of books no one wants.
There are vanity publishers out there, hundreds of them...most are honest and some who just want your money. But nevertheless, take my advice and go the regular route: find an agent, or find a commercial publisher; that way you can put your car in the garage overnight.
Take heed! Miguel de Cervantes (1547-1616) knew all about it back in his day when he wrote. “There are men who will make you books and turn ‘em loose into the world with as much dispatch as they would do a dish of fritters.”
Don’t do it! Don’t touch it unless you have nothing else to do but promote your books and cold call every bookstore and chain from coast to coast. And even if you do sell them, there’s no guarantee you won’t get most of them back. You see there are damnable things called “returns”, which means if the bookstore doesn’t sell your babies in a reasonable period of time – reasonable to them, that is – they’re going to send them back and you’re going to write them a cheque, and your garage will be full of books no one wants.
There are vanity publishers out there, hundreds of them...most are honest and some who just want your money. But nevertheless, take my advice and go the regular route: find an agent, or find a commercial publisher; that way you can put your car in the garage overnight.
Take heed! Miguel de Cervantes (1547-1616) knew all about it back in his day when he wrote. “There are men who will make you books and turn ‘em loose into the world with as much dispatch as they would do a dish of fritters.”
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