ThePublishingSpot: April 2006 Archives

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Apr29	The Great Poetry Web Survey Jason Boog April 29, 2006 Know More: Online Publishing, Poetry, Web Books, Writing Resources 2.0, Writing Resources Thanks to the Institute for the Future of the Book, I just found the results of a web survey taken by 137 serious poetry readers over at the literary environmental journal, Terrain.org. It's given me enough new material to last for a few weeks. Here's the Institute's essay... "There's a series of recent posts (1, 2, 3, 4) up at Ron Silliman's blog where he analyzes a recent study (by Simmons B. Buntin of terrain.org) of how people read and write poetry online. This is of interest even to those uninterested in poetry: Silliman is doing some very careful work in scrutinizing how and why people read online." It's utterly fascinating to see exactly how a small, intelligent writing community interacts with new web content. I haven't interviewed any poets yet, and I think I need to soon. More to follow next week. In the meantime, spend some time with Silliman's blog, he's generating a great conversation over there... "[W]hen I read, for example, Bill Berkson’s masterful online chapbook in the current issue of Big Bridge, or when I see Norman Fischer’s “After Alberto Caeiro” in the same issue, it is evident to me at least that the upper limit of web publishing is every bit as high as it is for print..." "[T]he web has everything, from the snooty neoformalism of William Logan to blogs devoted to slamming & the open-mic type sites like Poetry Super Highway. You want to check on the English-language poets of ? You can do it on the web. You want more content than you can find in the Library of Congress? You can do it on the web." Posted at 1:57 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
Apr29	Let It Rain Jason Boog April 29, 2006 We spend plenty of time over here talking about the business of publishing, but hardly any time discussing business publishing. To be honest, it's just not my strong suit. However, I'm more than happy to pass along any business... Continue Reading Posted at 10:29 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Apr28	Zine-tific Jason Boog April 28, 2006 As our discussion of Peace Corps writing winds down, I've got some good stuff lined up for next week.Next week will be Zine Week over here, studying those home-made, paper-based, small-print-run publications that have been lovingly produced by generations... Continue Reading Posted at 8:29 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Five Easy Questions: John Coyne, Part Four Jason Boog April 28, 2006 "When I caddied for Hogan he gave me one piece of advice about golf ... that I found has helped me in my whole life.Hogan told me that what's important is the next shot, nto the one you have... Continue Reading Posted at 7:34 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Required Reading Jason Boog April 28, 2006 As our on-going interview with former Peace Corps volunteer John Coyne concludes, here's a final Required Reading List for travel-minded writers.Peter Hessler (China 1996-98) has written for the New Yorker, New York Times, and National Geographic. His first novel,... Continue Reading Posted at 7:31 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Apr27	Great Peace Corps Writers Jason Boog April 27, 2006 As part of our ongoing interview with returned Peace Corps novelist, John Coyne, here are a few brilliant writers who worked for that volunteer organization--producing a flourishing writing community. Click on each name to see a full biblography and... Continue Reading Posted at 12:09 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Five Easy Questions: John Coyne, Part Three Jason Boog April 27, 2006 Writing about how Paul Theroux launched his prolific career from Peace Corps, John Coyne describes how an overseas volunteer experience can produce evocative fiction:"How many of us stood in front of similar classrooms and saw those young faces arriving... Continue Reading Posted at 7:13 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Apr26	Retirement? Jason Boog April 26, 2006 After spending the evening pondering this crazy essay, I have decided to retire. This one article will teach you more about the insider-baseball and behind-the-scenes maneuvers that take place in the publishing industry than I could possibly teach you... Continue Reading Posted at 8:30 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	An Endless Supply of Peace Corps Blogs Jason Boog April 26, 2006 While studying up for my interview with novelist and returned Peace Corps volunteer John Coyne, I discovered that you could spend the rest of your life reading Peace Corps blog posts and never finish. The whole experience is perfect... Continue Reading Posted at 7:29 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Apr25	Emptying the Mailbag Jason Boog April 25, 2006 Over the weekend, ThePublishingSpot devotee and brain expert, Ellen Weber, wrote in with a simple question. Check it out..."I find it also helps to read many good blogs -- such as yours -- to get a wider view of... Continue Reading Posted at 10:10 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Five Easy Questions: John Coyne, Part Two Jason Boog April 25, 2006 In his newest novel, The Caddie Who Knew Ben Hogan, John Coyne brings graceful poetry to an indescribable game--charming both golf fanatics and golf losers alike. Just listen to him write: "There was no break in Hogan's rhythm. He swung... Continue Reading Posted at 9:38 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	I See Bulldozers Jason Boog April 25, 2006 Our buddy Steve Bryant just wrote about Harvey Weinstein's attempt to steer the lumbering movie industry into the YouTube future. It's heartening to see a media company is using this new video-blogging technology, rather than trying to sue it... Continue Reading Posted at 8:04 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Peace Corps Blogs Jason Boog April 25, 2006 As part of our ongoing interview with the novelist and former Peace Corps volunteer John Coyne, I have a few world-traveling bloggers for your reading pleasure.It doesn't matter if you are working in a Guatemalan village or sitting in... Continue Reading Posted at 7:59 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Five Easy Questions, John Coyne, Part One Jason Boog April 25, 2006 I first discovered John Coyne in 2002 as I stumbled home from Peace Corps Guatemala. I knew I wanted to be a writer, but I had no idea where to begin--until his magazine showed me the way. John Coyne... Continue Reading Posted at 7:45 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	He's Baaaack! Jason Boog April 25, 2006 After a birthday weekend in sunny Los Angeles, I return in a jet-lagged fog this early, early morning...I apologize for the dead air yesterday, and I'll be running a normal schedule this week--including a travel writing and Peace Corps-themed... Continue Reading Posted at 7:00 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Apr21	Five Easy Questions, Erika Dreifus, Part Five Jason Boog April 21, 2006 Erika Dreifus teaches writing, blogs about writing, and writes books about writing. In short, she knows writing. "I try to cover all the bases, providing resources for the poets, fictionists, and creative nonfiction writers," Dreifus told me. "Being sure... Continue Reading Posted at 11:25 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Five Easy Questions, Erika Dreifus, Part Four Jason Boog April 21, 2006 Erika Dreifus literally wrote the book on paying markets for writers. Twice a year, she publishes an updated version of The Practicing Writer's Guide to No-Cost Literary Contests and Competitions with over 200 places where writers can try and... Continue Reading Posted at 5:56 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Apr20	My Very Own Networked Short Story Jason Boog April 20, 2006 Today is my birthday. Look it up if you don't believe me!I know, I know, all my loyal readers are wondering what they could possibly get me for my birthday--weighing Fed-Ex options to ship lavish presents. I'm going to... Continue Reading Posted at 8:06 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Hybrid Souls Go To Heaven Jason Boog April 20, 2006 Via boingboing, I discovered this brand-new web collaboration between writer John Sundman and artist Matthew Frederick Davis Hemming. The Pains is a serialized novella with pictures, available in a variety of media. Here, Sundman describes his collaborative, exemplary creative... Continue Reading Posted at 7:31 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Apr19	Five Easy Questions, Erika Dreifus, Part Three Jason Boog April 19, 2006 "To put it bluntly, I'm not very technologically savvy," writes Erika Dreifus, the writing guru over at The Practicing Writer, explaining how an e-book company opened new doors for her career: "Even I could follow the instructions for getting... Continue Reading Posted at 8:42 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	No Book Is An Island Jason Boog April 19, 2006 The good folks over at The Institute for the Future of the Book have a thick post about networked books. Resident scholar Ben Vershbow meditates on the brand new Farrar, Straus and Giroux book, Pulse. This multimedia book project... Continue Reading Posted at 12:41 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Good Writers Versus Bad Writers Jason Boog April 19, 2006 Too many uninitiated writers think blogging is a waste of time. Too many bitter bloggers think they will replace mainstream writer dinosaurs.In 10 years, nobody is going to care about these stupid distinctions--only the good writers will survive.Last night,... Continue Reading Posted at 7:59 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Apr18	Five Easy Questions: Erika Dreifus, Part Two Jason Boog April 18, 2006 After spending most of her life earning a Ph.D in History, Erika Dreifus figured out that she was meant to be a writer. Without wasting another minute, she jumped into a creative writing workshops, and created a new life... Continue Reading Posted at 8:05 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	How Do You Pronounce WYSIWYG? Jason Boog April 18, 2006 Visual by www.PDImages.com After that heady career-talk today, we should all chill out with some good writers. If you are in New York tonight, you should join me at the WYSIWYG Talent Show--a motley collection of bloggers performing at the... Continue Reading Posted at 12:52 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Super-Productive Writing Resouces Jason Boog April 18, 2006 Visual by www.PDImages.com I'd like to say hello to all the new readers visiting ThePublishingSpot via our week-long conversation with Erika Dreifus. All week I'll be feeding you some Super-Productive Writing Resources straight from The Practicing Writer headquarters...If you want... Continue Reading Posted at 8:34 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Five Easy Questions, Erika Dreifus, Part One Jason Boog April 18, 2006 Visual by www.PDImages.com "Hey, forget about earning money as a writer," Stephen Elliott told us last week. Nobody ever chased writing dreams to become rich and famous. Some people get upset if you suggest that you hope to support yourself... Continue Reading Posted at 7:38 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Apr17	Three Cheers for the Low Low Magic Middle! Jason Boog April 17, 2006 Visual by www.PDImages.com Congratulations my friends. Just by reading this kind of website, you are leading a new curve in Internet readership. According to David Sifry, founder of Technorati and one of the brightest lightbulbs out there, the future... Continue Reading Posted at 8:49 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	What Should I Do? Jason Boog April 17, 2006 Visual by www.PDImages.com One brave ThePublishingSpot reader sent in a question this weekend, and I'm more than happy to provide some answers. If you have problems with web writing too, please drop me a line... "I would like to write... Continue Reading Posted at 7:35 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Little birdies and Spring Flowers Jason Boog April 17, 2006 Visual by www.PDImages.com I spent the weekend hiking in Cold Springs, New York. Next weekend, I'm headed to L.A. for a weekend vacation. Needless to say, my brain is floating away, thinking about little birdies, Spring flowers, and beach vacations... Continue Reading Posted at 5:36 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Apr14	Snakes on an i-Pod Jason Boog April 14, 2006 Visual by www.PDImages.com Yesterday, I wrote about my love for interactive stories like the participatory real-life narrative being built around the television show, Lost. Turns out I'm not the only thinking about fan-influenced, cross-media stories this week.Steve Bryant has this... Continue Reading Posted at 8:58 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Don't Forget To Laugh Jason Boog April 14, 2006 Visual by www.PDImages.com For your weekend reading pleasure, I have one last set of Stephen Elliott-approved links to political-minded writers on the Internet. This time, I picked the funniest writers. Don't poke your eye out...Joshuah Bearman has written some of... Continue Reading Posted at 7:56 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Apr13	The Lost Library of 'Zines Jason Boog April 13, 2006 Visual by www.PDImages.com Jeffrey Yamaguchi is on a roll today, pointing out a sweet project over at Bernard College. They are building the world's biggest collection of 'zines, those home-made, paper-based, small-print-run publications that have been lovingly produced by generations... Continue Reading Posted at 6:47 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Coincidence? I Think Not... Jason Boog April 13, 2006 Visual by www.PDImages.com Earlier this week, one of ThePublishingSpot's friends interviewed another one of ThePublishingSpot's friends, tickling me pink. I feel like a cross between a matchmaker and a career counselor. Check it out as Jeffrey Yamaguchi over at the... Continue Reading Posted at 9:18 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Novel Scavenger Hunts Jason Boog April 13, 2006 Visual by www.PDImages.com My favorite part of this job is reading about genres being born on the Internet from the Chinese Gangster Story to the evolving art of fan fiction. Entertainment Weekly's PopWatch blog has some great (slightly poo-pooing) analysis... Continue Reading Posted at 8:59 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Apr12	Looking for a Writing Job? Jason Boog April 12, 2006 Visual by www.PDImages.com If you surf the Internet long enough looking for publishing news, you see way too many sites looking for writers or bloggers or unpaid help. Sometimes however, I run across a job posting that I admire. I... Continue Reading Posted at 2:33 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	You Find Politics in the Funniest Places Jason Boog April 12, 2006 Visual by www.PDImages.com Continuing our Stephen Elliott-led exploration of the political side of the web, here are some unconventional links for your reading pleasure.Artist Laurenn McCubbin has a sharp-looking site that combines all sorts of cool media with a dash... Continue Reading Posted at 7:51 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Apr11	New York City Readings Jason Boog April 11, 2006 Visual by www.PDImages.com One thing about this god-forsaken city I live in is that great writers and even greater reading series come through on a weekly basis. Just to illustrate, here are a couple events sponsored by ThePublishingSpot friends that... Continue Reading Posted at 12:37 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Politically Aware Creative Writers Jason Boog April 11, 2006 Visual by www.PDImages.com "Writing and politics are my two loves. So of course politics influences my writing, as it's part of my makeup and what comes out on the page is me," wrote Stephen Elliott in our Five Easy Questions... Continue Reading Posted at 12:26 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Five Easy Questions, Stephen Elliott, Part Two Jason Boog April 11, 2006 Visual by www.PDImages.com Stephen Elliott makes it look easy: rallying major writers for political fundraisers, editing biting political anthologies, and organizing a political action committee where writers and politicians can cooperate. All these achievements have grown from the reading community... Continue Reading Posted at 9:07 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Apr10	Si, Se Puede Jason Boog April 10, 2006 Visual by www.PDImages.com Politics is in the air this week. This afternoon, thousands and thousands of immigrants marched in New York City. Jumbotrons lined Broadway, broadcasting pro-immigrant speeches from the steps of City Hall. "Si, se puede," they said, "Yes... Continue Reading Posted at 10:52 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Political Blogging Resources Jason Boog April 10, 2006 Visual by www.PDImages.com Following my on-going discussion with Stephen Elliott, I'm exploring some Elliott-approved political and literary blogs for new readers. You like? You don't like? Chime in with more links in the comments section...Go spend some time at The... Continue Reading Posted at 10:28 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Five Easy Questions, Stephen Elliott, Part One Jason Boog April 10, 2006 Visual by www.PDImages.com Stephen Elliott's website doesn't fool around with Flash animations or other gimmicks, it just features a single column of blistering text. His writing combines the prophetic voice of the best political writers with the craftsmanship of a... Continue Reading Posted at 7:32 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Apr 8	Machine For Hurling Stones Jason Boog April 8, 2006 Visual by www.PDImages.com Oh, the things you can learn surfing the comments section over at Chartreuse. If my comments section were half as active as his, this blog would be a much better place... First off, a reader named Adrian... Continue Reading Posted at 2:27 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
Apr 7	Five Easy Questions, Tom Kealey, Part Four Jason Boog April 7, 2006 Visual by www.PDImages.com Every year, thousands and thousands of writers chase their dreams at creative writing MFA programs. Your humble narrator even spent a year and a half with the good people at NYU's journalism M.A. program. Speaking from experience,... Continue Reading Posted at 10:44 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Positive Life Lessons About Zoos Jason Boog April 7, 2006 Visual by www.PDImages.com Our friend Jeff VanderMeer just ran a hilarious interview with John Scalzi over at VanderWorld. I've written about how much I love Scalzi's Writing on Writing series, but this was even better. This interview made me laugh... Continue Reading Posted at 7:32 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Apr 6	More Creative Writing Links Than You Can Shake a Stick At Jason Boog April 6, 2006 Visual by www.PDImages.com Continuing our literary safari with Tom Kealey, I would like to direct your attention to Moorish Girl, the blog of Laila Lalami. She published a book of short stories last year, and her blog has evolved into... Continue Reading Posted at 1:40 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	PAC It Up, PAC It In; Let Me Begin Jason Boog April 6, 2006 Visual by www.PDImages.com While discussing new media and creative writing with Tom Kealey, I discovered the brand new LitPAC--a political action committee that rallies writers in support of progressive candidates. Founded by the literary-political-web-saavy writer, Stephen Elliott, they have... Continue Reading Posted at 8:26 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Blog Writing 101 Jason Boog April 6, 2006 Visual by www.PDImages.com Yesterday, the music-industry expert and new media blogger Chartreuse taught me something about web writing. Blogging is a dangerous genre, because it encourages writers to write before they think. We spend too much time trying to be... Continue Reading Posted at 7:39 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Apr 5	Light at the End of the Tunnel Jason Boog April 5, 2006 Visual by www.PDImages.com Thanks to Steve Bryant, I just read about the awe-inspiring success of the webcasting singer, Sandi Thom. I was so excited to read about somebody who created a web community, and then, unbelievably quickly, used that community... Continue Reading Posted at 2:38 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Five Easy Questions, Tom Kealey, Part Three Jason Boog April 5, 2006 Visual by www.PDImages.com The other day, I linked to Aaron Brazell, a punchy web consultant and writer over at Technosailor. He's been focused on blog elitism lately, and responded to me and a few other writers in a recent post: ... Continue Reading Posted at 11:46 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Gloom and Doom Jason Boog April 5, 2006 Over the weekend, I told you to read Gawker for digital age writing theory. Now, I'm telling you to read Gawker for content. This is the gloomiest post I've seen on the site in a long time. Surf through a... Continue Reading Posted at 8:18 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Digital Creative Writing Links Jason Boog April 5, 2006 Welcome MFA Handbook Blog readers... As part of my ongoing conversation with Stanford creative writing professor, Tom Kealey, I have a few red-hot links for your fiction-scribbling pleasure. Kealey reminded me of Robert Coover, a madcap writer who influenced a... Continue Reading Posted at 7:57 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Apr 4	Five Easy Questions, Tom Kealey, Part Two Jason Boog April 4, 2006 Over the last few days, I've corresponded with Tom Kealey, the award-winning short story writer and and Stanford University creative writing professor who literally wrote the book about creative writing MFA programs. It's been a great conversation, and I've decided... Continue Reading Posted at 2:13 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Writers' Blook Jason Boog April 4, 2006 The print-on-demand company, Lulu, just released the first annual Blooker awards, awarding prizes to the best website-developed books of the year. It's a great idea, and the company has a great year--it's a hard time for publishing, and these creative... Continue Reading Posted at 7:30 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Apr 3	Rubel Bombing vs. MySpace Jason Boog April 3, 2006 Aaron Brazell from the tech and politics blog, Technosailor, is guest blogging over at one of ThePublishingSpot's favorite blogs, ProBlogger. Turns out he generated a flurry of comments when he wrote this post:"[I]t all began over on my blog with... Continue Reading Posted at 3:18 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Five Easy Questions, Tom Kealey, Part One Jason Boog April 3, 2006 When Tom Kealey won the 2005 Joseph Henry Jackson Award for his short stories, the San Francisco Foundation judges praised a scene that was "rendered with astonishing grace, tenderness, and humor. The real mark of originality in the author's style... Continue Reading Posted at 11:25 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Chinese Gangster Story Jason Boog April 3, 2006 Two weeks ago, alerted by supersite BoingBoing and The Institute for the Future, I wrote here about an amazing bit of Chinese mass written fiction. It's an episodic gangster story written by competing authors:"In the following, there is the translation... Continue Reading Posted at 9:01 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Apr 1	Throwing Punches Jason Boog April 1, 2006 If you read ThePublishingSpot regularly, you know that I'm a softie. I don't make fun of other sites or preach politics, and I don't throw punches very well. Nevertheless, snark is one of the most powerful web writing genres out... Continue Reading Posted at 2:20 PM \| Permalink \| Comments

« March 2006 | Main | May 2006 »

Apr29	The Great Poetry Web Survey Jason Boog April 29, 2006 Know More: Online Publishing, Poetry, Web Books, Writing Resources 2.0, Writing Resources Thanks to the Institute for the Future of the Book, I just found the results of a web survey taken by 137 serious poetry readers over at the literary environmental journal, Terrain.org. It's given me enough new material to last for a few weeks. Here's the Institute's essay... "There's a series of recent posts (1, 2, 3, 4) up at Ron Silliman's blog where he analyzes a recent study (by Simmons B. Buntin of terrain.org) of how people read and write poetry online. This is of interest even to those uninterested in poetry: Silliman is doing some very careful work in scrutinizing how and why people read online." It's utterly fascinating to see exactly how a small, intelligent writing community interacts with new web content. I haven't interviewed any poets yet, and I think I need to soon. More to follow next week. In the meantime, spend some time with Silliman's blog, he's generating a great conversation over there... "[W]hen I read, for example, Bill Berkson’s masterful online chapbook in the current issue of Big Bridge, or when I see Norman Fischer’s “After Alberto Caeiro” in the same issue, it is evident to me at least that the upper limit of web publishing is every bit as high as it is for print..." "[T]he web has everything, from the snooty neoformalism of William Logan to blogs devoted to slamming & the open-mic type sites like Poetry Super Highway. You want to check on the English-language poets of ? You can do it on the web. You want more content than you can find in the Library of Congress? You can do it on the web." Posted at 1:57 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
Apr29	Let It Rain Jason Boog April 29, 2006 We spend plenty of time over here talking about the business of publishing, but hardly any time discussing business publishing. To be honest, it's just not my strong suit. However, I'm more than happy to pass along any business... Continue Reading Posted at 10:29 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Apr28	Zine-tific Jason Boog April 28, 2006 As our discussion of Peace Corps writing winds down, I've got some good stuff lined up for next week.Next week will be Zine Week over here, studying those home-made, paper-based, small-print-run publications that have been lovingly produced by generations... Continue Reading Posted at 8:29 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Five Easy Questions: John Coyne, Part Four Jason Boog April 28, 2006 "When I caddied for Hogan he gave me one piece of advice about golf ... that I found has helped me in my whole life.Hogan told me that what's important is the next shot, nto the one you have... Continue Reading Posted at 7:34 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Required Reading Jason Boog April 28, 2006 As our on-going interview with former Peace Corps volunteer John Coyne concludes, here's a final Required Reading List for travel-minded writers.Peter Hessler (China 1996-98) has written for the New Yorker, New York Times, and National Geographic. His first novel,... Continue Reading Posted at 7:31 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Apr27	Great Peace Corps Writers Jason Boog April 27, 2006 As part of our ongoing interview with returned Peace Corps novelist, John Coyne, here are a few brilliant writers who worked for that volunteer organization--producing a flourishing writing community. Click on each name to see a full biblography and... Continue Reading Posted at 12:09 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Five Easy Questions: John Coyne, Part Three Jason Boog April 27, 2006 Writing about how Paul Theroux launched his prolific career from Peace Corps, John Coyne describes how an overseas volunteer experience can produce evocative fiction:"How many of us stood in front of similar classrooms and saw those young faces arriving... Continue Reading Posted at 7:13 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Apr26	Retirement? Jason Boog April 26, 2006 After spending the evening pondering this crazy essay, I have decided to retire. This one article will teach you more about the insider-baseball and behind-the-scenes maneuvers that take place in the publishing industry than I could possibly teach you... Continue Reading Posted at 8:30 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	An Endless Supply of Peace Corps Blogs Jason Boog April 26, 2006 While studying up for my interview with novelist and returned Peace Corps volunteer John Coyne, I discovered that you could spend the rest of your life reading Peace Corps blog posts and never finish. The whole experience is perfect... Continue Reading Posted at 7:29 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Apr25	Emptying the Mailbag Jason Boog April 25, 2006 Over the weekend, ThePublishingSpot devotee and brain expert, Ellen Weber, wrote in with a simple question. Check it out..."I find it also helps to read many good blogs -- such as yours -- to get a wider view of... Continue Reading Posted at 10:10 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Five Easy Questions: John Coyne, Part Two Jason Boog April 25, 2006 In his newest novel, The Caddie Who Knew Ben Hogan, John Coyne brings graceful poetry to an indescribable game--charming both golf fanatics and golf losers alike. Just listen to him write: "There was no break in Hogan's rhythm. He swung... Continue Reading Posted at 9:38 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	I See Bulldozers Jason Boog April 25, 2006 Our buddy Steve Bryant just wrote about Harvey Weinstein's attempt to steer the lumbering movie industry into the YouTube future. It's heartening to see a media company is using this new video-blogging technology, rather than trying to sue it... Continue Reading Posted at 8:04 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Peace Corps Blogs Jason Boog April 25, 2006 As part of our ongoing interview with the novelist and former Peace Corps volunteer John Coyne, I have a few world-traveling bloggers for your reading pleasure.It doesn't matter if you are working in a Guatemalan village or sitting in... Continue Reading Posted at 7:59 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Five Easy Questions, John Coyne, Part One Jason Boog April 25, 2006 I first discovered John Coyne in 2002 as I stumbled home from Peace Corps Guatemala. I knew I wanted to be a writer, but I had no idea where to begin--until his magazine showed me the way. John Coyne... Continue Reading Posted at 7:45 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	He's Baaaack! Jason Boog April 25, 2006 After a birthday weekend in sunny Los Angeles, I return in a jet-lagged fog this early, early morning...I apologize for the dead air yesterday, and I'll be running a normal schedule this week--including a travel writing and Peace Corps-themed... Continue Reading Posted at 7:00 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Apr21	Five Easy Questions, Erika Dreifus, Part Five Jason Boog April 21, 2006 Erika Dreifus teaches writing, blogs about writing, and writes books about writing. In short, she knows writing. "I try to cover all the bases, providing resources for the poets, fictionists, and creative nonfiction writers," Dreifus told me. "Being sure... Continue Reading Posted at 11:25 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Five Easy Questions, Erika Dreifus, Part Four Jason Boog April 21, 2006 Erika Dreifus literally wrote the book on paying markets for writers. Twice a year, she publishes an updated version of The Practicing Writer's Guide to No-Cost Literary Contests and Competitions with over 200 places where writers can try and... Continue Reading Posted at 5:56 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Apr20	My Very Own Networked Short Story Jason Boog April 20, 2006 Today is my birthday. Look it up if you don't believe me!I know, I know, all my loyal readers are wondering what they could possibly get me for my birthday--weighing Fed-Ex options to ship lavish presents. I'm going to... Continue Reading Posted at 8:06 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Hybrid Souls Go To Heaven Jason Boog April 20, 2006 Via boingboing, I discovered this brand-new web collaboration between writer John Sundman and artist Matthew Frederick Davis Hemming. The Pains is a serialized novella with pictures, available in a variety of media. Here, Sundman describes his collaborative, exemplary creative... Continue Reading Posted at 7:31 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Apr19	Five Easy Questions, Erika Dreifus, Part Three Jason Boog April 19, 2006 "To put it bluntly, I'm not very technologically savvy," writes Erika Dreifus, the writing guru over at The Practicing Writer, explaining how an e-book company opened new doors for her career: "Even I could follow the instructions for getting... Continue Reading Posted at 8:42 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	No Book Is An Island Jason Boog April 19, 2006 The good folks over at The Institute for the Future of the Book have a thick post about networked books. Resident scholar Ben Vershbow meditates on the brand new Farrar, Straus and Giroux book, Pulse. This multimedia book project... Continue Reading Posted at 12:41 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Good Writers Versus Bad Writers Jason Boog April 19, 2006 Too many uninitiated writers think blogging is a waste of time. Too many bitter bloggers think they will replace mainstream writer dinosaurs.In 10 years, nobody is going to care about these stupid distinctions--only the good writers will survive.Last night,... Continue Reading Posted at 7:59 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Apr18	Five Easy Questions: Erika Dreifus, Part Two Jason Boog April 18, 2006 After spending most of her life earning a Ph.D in History, Erika Dreifus figured out that she was meant to be a writer. Without wasting another minute, she jumped into a creative writing workshops, and created a new life... Continue Reading Posted at 8:05 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	How Do You Pronounce WYSIWYG? Jason Boog April 18, 2006 Visual by www.PDImages.com After that heady career-talk today, we should all chill out with some good writers. If you are in New York tonight, you should join me at the WYSIWYG Talent Show--a motley collection of bloggers performing at the... Continue Reading Posted at 12:52 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Super-Productive Writing Resouces Jason Boog April 18, 2006 Visual by www.PDImages.com I'd like to say hello to all the new readers visiting ThePublishingSpot via our week-long conversation with Erika Dreifus. All week I'll be feeding you some Super-Productive Writing Resources straight from The Practicing Writer headquarters...If you want... Continue Reading Posted at 8:34 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Five Easy Questions, Erika Dreifus, Part One Jason Boog April 18, 2006 Visual by www.PDImages.com "Hey, forget about earning money as a writer," Stephen Elliott told us last week. Nobody ever chased writing dreams to become rich and famous. Some people get upset if you suggest that you hope to support yourself... Continue Reading Posted at 7:38 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Apr17	Three Cheers for the Low Low Magic Middle! Jason Boog April 17, 2006 Visual by www.PDImages.com Congratulations my friends. Just by reading this kind of website, you are leading a new curve in Internet readership. According to David Sifry, founder of Technorati and one of the brightest lightbulbs out there, the future... Continue Reading Posted at 8:49 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	What Should I Do? Jason Boog April 17, 2006 Visual by www.PDImages.com One brave ThePublishingSpot reader sent in a question this weekend, and I'm more than happy to provide some answers. If you have problems with web writing too, please drop me a line... "I would like to write... Continue Reading Posted at 7:35 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Little birdies and Spring Flowers Jason Boog April 17, 2006 Visual by www.PDImages.com I spent the weekend hiking in Cold Springs, New York. Next weekend, I'm headed to L.A. for a weekend vacation. Needless to say, my brain is floating away, thinking about little birdies, Spring flowers, and beach vacations... Continue Reading Posted at 5:36 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Apr14	Snakes on an i-Pod Jason Boog April 14, 2006 Visual by www.PDImages.com Yesterday, I wrote about my love for interactive stories like the participatory real-life narrative being built around the television show, Lost. Turns out I'm not the only thinking about fan-influenced, cross-media stories this week.Steve Bryant has this... Continue Reading Posted at 8:58 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Don't Forget To Laugh Jason Boog April 14, 2006 Visual by www.PDImages.com For your weekend reading pleasure, I have one last set of Stephen Elliott-approved links to political-minded writers on the Internet. This time, I picked the funniest writers. Don't poke your eye out...Joshuah Bearman has written some of... Continue Reading Posted at 7:56 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Apr13	The Lost Library of 'Zines Jason Boog April 13, 2006 Visual by www.PDImages.com Jeffrey Yamaguchi is on a roll today, pointing out a sweet project over at Bernard College. They are building the world's biggest collection of 'zines, those home-made, paper-based, small-print-run publications that have been lovingly produced by generations... Continue Reading Posted at 6:47 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Coincidence? I Think Not... Jason Boog April 13, 2006 Visual by www.PDImages.com Earlier this week, one of ThePublishingSpot's friends interviewed another one of ThePublishingSpot's friends, tickling me pink. I feel like a cross between a matchmaker and a career counselor. Check it out as Jeffrey Yamaguchi over at the... Continue Reading Posted at 9:18 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Novel Scavenger Hunts Jason Boog April 13, 2006 Visual by www.PDImages.com My favorite part of this job is reading about genres being born on the Internet from the Chinese Gangster Story to the evolving art of fan fiction. Entertainment Weekly's PopWatch blog has some great (slightly poo-pooing) analysis... Continue Reading Posted at 8:59 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Apr12	Looking for a Writing Job? Jason Boog April 12, 2006 Visual by www.PDImages.com If you surf the Internet long enough looking for publishing news, you see way too many sites looking for writers or bloggers or unpaid help. Sometimes however, I run across a job posting that I admire. I... Continue Reading Posted at 2:33 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	You Find Politics in the Funniest Places Jason Boog April 12, 2006 Visual by www.PDImages.com Continuing our Stephen Elliott-led exploration of the political side of the web, here are some unconventional links for your reading pleasure.Artist Laurenn McCubbin has a sharp-looking site that combines all sorts of cool media with a dash... Continue Reading Posted at 7:51 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Apr11	New York City Readings Jason Boog April 11, 2006 Visual by www.PDImages.com One thing about this god-forsaken city I live in is that great writers and even greater reading series come through on a weekly basis. Just to illustrate, here are a couple events sponsored by ThePublishingSpot friends that... Continue Reading Posted at 12:37 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Politically Aware Creative Writers Jason Boog April 11, 2006 Visual by www.PDImages.com "Writing and politics are my two loves. So of course politics influences my writing, as it's part of my makeup and what comes out on the page is me," wrote Stephen Elliott in our Five Easy Questions... Continue Reading Posted at 12:26 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Five Easy Questions, Stephen Elliott, Part Two Jason Boog April 11, 2006 Visual by www.PDImages.com Stephen Elliott makes it look easy: rallying major writers for political fundraisers, editing biting political anthologies, and organizing a political action committee where writers and politicians can cooperate. All these achievements have grown from the reading community... Continue Reading Posted at 9:07 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Apr10	Si, Se Puede Jason Boog April 10, 2006 Visual by www.PDImages.com Politics is in the air this week. This afternoon, thousands and thousands of immigrants marched in New York City. Jumbotrons lined Broadway, broadcasting pro-immigrant speeches from the steps of City Hall. "Si, se puede," they said, "Yes... Continue Reading Posted at 10:52 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Political Blogging Resources Jason Boog April 10, 2006 Visual by www.PDImages.com Following my on-going discussion with Stephen Elliott, I'm exploring some Elliott-approved political and literary blogs for new readers. You like? You don't like? Chime in with more links in the comments section...Go spend some time at The... Continue Reading Posted at 10:28 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Five Easy Questions, Stephen Elliott, Part One Jason Boog April 10, 2006 Visual by www.PDImages.com Stephen Elliott's website doesn't fool around with Flash animations or other gimmicks, it just features a single column of blistering text. His writing combines the prophetic voice of the best political writers with the craftsmanship of a... Continue Reading Posted at 7:32 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Apr 8	Machine For Hurling Stones Jason Boog April 8, 2006 Visual by www.PDImages.com Oh, the things you can learn surfing the comments section over at Chartreuse. If my comments section were half as active as his, this blog would be a much better place... First off, a reader named Adrian... Continue Reading Posted at 2:27 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
Apr 7	Five Easy Questions, Tom Kealey, Part Four Jason Boog April 7, 2006 Visual by www.PDImages.com Every year, thousands and thousands of writers chase their dreams at creative writing MFA programs. Your humble narrator even spent a year and a half with the good people at NYU's journalism M.A. program. Speaking from experience,... Continue Reading Posted at 10:44 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Positive Life Lessons About Zoos Jason Boog April 7, 2006 Visual by www.PDImages.com Our friend Jeff VanderMeer just ran a hilarious interview with John Scalzi over at VanderWorld. I've written about how much I love Scalzi's Writing on Writing series, but this was even better. This interview made me laugh... Continue Reading Posted at 7:32 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Apr 6	More Creative Writing Links Than You Can Shake a Stick At Jason Boog April 6, 2006 Visual by www.PDImages.com Continuing our literary safari with Tom Kealey, I would like to direct your attention to Moorish Girl, the blog of Laila Lalami. She published a book of short stories last year, and her blog has evolved into... Continue Reading Posted at 1:40 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	PAC It Up, PAC It In; Let Me Begin Jason Boog April 6, 2006 Visual by www.PDImages.com While discussing new media and creative writing with Tom Kealey, I discovered the brand new LitPAC--a political action committee that rallies writers in support of progressive candidates. Founded by the literary-political-web-saavy writer, Stephen Elliott, they have... Continue Reading Posted at 8:26 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Blog Writing 101 Jason Boog April 6, 2006 Visual by www.PDImages.com Yesterday, the music-industry expert and new media blogger Chartreuse taught me something about web writing. Blogging is a dangerous genre, because it encourages writers to write before they think. We spend too much time trying to be... Continue Reading Posted at 7:39 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Apr 5	Light at the End of the Tunnel Jason Boog April 5, 2006 Visual by www.PDImages.com Thanks to Steve Bryant, I just read about the awe-inspiring success of the webcasting singer, Sandi Thom. I was so excited to read about somebody who created a web community, and then, unbelievably quickly, used that community... Continue Reading Posted at 2:38 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Five Easy Questions, Tom Kealey, Part Three Jason Boog April 5, 2006 Visual by www.PDImages.com The other day, I linked to Aaron Brazell, a punchy web consultant and writer over at Technosailor. He's been focused on blog elitism lately, and responded to me and a few other writers in a recent post: ... Continue Reading Posted at 11:46 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Gloom and Doom Jason Boog April 5, 2006 Over the weekend, I told you to read Gawker for digital age writing theory. Now, I'm telling you to read Gawker for content. This is the gloomiest post I've seen on the site in a long time. Surf through a... Continue Reading Posted at 8:18 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Digital Creative Writing Links Jason Boog April 5, 2006 Welcome MFA Handbook Blog readers... As part of my ongoing conversation with Stanford creative writing professor, Tom Kealey, I have a few red-hot links for your fiction-scribbling pleasure. Kealey reminded me of Robert Coover, a madcap writer who influenced a... Continue Reading Posted at 7:57 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Apr 4	Five Easy Questions, Tom Kealey, Part Two Jason Boog April 4, 2006 Over the last few days, I've corresponded with Tom Kealey, the award-winning short story writer and and Stanford University creative writing professor who literally wrote the book about creative writing MFA programs. It's been a great conversation, and I've decided... Continue Reading Posted at 2:13 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Writers' Blook Jason Boog April 4, 2006 The print-on-demand company, Lulu, just released the first annual Blooker awards, awarding prizes to the best website-developed books of the year. It's a great idea, and the company has a great year--it's a hard time for publishing, and these creative... Continue Reading Posted at 7:30 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Apr 3	Rubel Bombing vs. MySpace Jason Boog April 3, 2006 Aaron Brazell from the tech and politics blog, Technosailor, is guest blogging over at one of ThePublishingSpot's favorite blogs, ProBlogger. Turns out he generated a flurry of comments when he wrote this post:"[I]t all began over on my blog with... Continue Reading Posted at 3:18 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Five Easy Questions, Tom Kealey, Part One Jason Boog April 3, 2006 When Tom Kealey won the 2005 Joseph Henry Jackson Award for his short stories, the San Francisco Foundation judges praised a scene that was "rendered with astonishing grace, tenderness, and humor. The real mark of originality in the author's style... Continue Reading Posted at 11:25 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Chinese Gangster Story Jason Boog April 3, 2006 Two weeks ago, alerted by supersite BoingBoing and The Institute for the Future, I wrote here about an amazing bit of Chinese mass written fiction. It's an episodic gangster story written by competing authors:"In the following, there is the translation... Continue Reading Posted at 9:01 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Apr 1	Throwing Punches Jason Boog April 1, 2006 If you read ThePublishingSpot regularly, you know that I'm a softie. I don't make fun of other sites or preach politics, and I don't throw punches very well. Nevertheless, snark is one of the most powerful web writing genres out... Continue Reading Posted at 2:20 PM \| Permalink \| Comments

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