ThePublishingSpot: July 2006 Archives

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Jul31	Snakes on The Publishing Spot Jason Boog July 31, 2006 Know More: Interactive Stories, Snakes on a Plane, Writing Resources 2.0, Writing Resources "At first she thought it was part of her dream, until she looked down into her cleavage and saw a tawny brown and black head with round beady eyes glaring back at her...Then, like some porno-Freudian nightmare come to life, the snake opened its mouth wide and let loose a jetting spray of toxic venom directly into her eyes." Pow! That's an excerpt from the Snakes on a Plane novelization. We've discussed this Internet-fueled cult film before, but I have a very special announcement: next week is Snakes on a Plane week over here at The Publishing Spot. Just in time for the August 18th release of this movie, I will have an exclusive interview with Christa Faust--the hardboiled writer who wrote the official novelization of the film. She'll tell us how she found work as a film novel-izer and talk about her genre-bending fiction as well... If you have a writer you'd like to see interviewed on this site, drop me a line in the comments section. I'll try my best to get you the answers you need... Posted at 8:04 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Jul31	Start Spreading the News Jason Boog July 31, 2006 Chartreuse--our blogging friend who built a reputation by talking about what's happening in media--has just decided to make something happen in media. In a dramatic post this morning, he decided to send new media journalists straight into the reconstruction... Continue Reading Posted at 7:59 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	The Publishing Spot Week In Review Jason Boog July 31, 2006 Just in case you were having picnics or sitting on the beach like me, here's a quick round-up of last week's posts--a nice way to ease back into another week of writing. My sponsoring blog network is currently experimenting with... Continue Reading Posted at 7:24 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Jul28	The Complete Blogged MFA Experience® Jason Boog July 28, 2006 This morning, Jeffrey Yamaguchi pointed me towards a great site run by a fellow Brooklyn-living writer. Over at After the MFA, Gordon Hurd asks the toughest question facing creative writing graduates: "What do I do now?"He knows what he's talking about:"Most... Continue Reading Posted at 7:58 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Sex and Knitting: Pitching a Personal Memoir Jason Boog July 28, 2006 Getting a book deal is like deep sea fishing: it's a long soggy battle and you never know what kind of fish you caught until it's all over. Today, author and blogger Joel Derfner tells us how he landed... Continue Reading Posted at 7:23 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Jul27	Scare Yourself Into Writing: How To Write with a Full Time Job Jason Boog July 27, 2006 In addition to maintaining a popular blog, teaching aerobics, and pulling off freelance writing gigs, Joel Derfner somehow managed to write two books over the last four years.Today, we find out how he did it...This is the fourth installment... Continue Reading Posted at 7:05 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	This Melancholy Profession Jason Boog July 27, 2006 As you stare out the office window, searching for the weekend, here are some choice posts from my favorite sites...Chartreuse just published a rough, rough letter from New Orleans. We need to get these stories out there.Edward Champion linked to... Continue Reading Posted at 6:59 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Writing Workshops In Space! Jason Boog July 27, 2006 Clarion, the country's best science fiction writing workshop, has re-opened for business this year in my homeland of Michigan. One of the workshop members, Alex Wilson just published a big round-up of all the new writers plugging away in East... Continue Reading Posted at 6:46 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Jul26	The Popularity of Books Such as Redneck Haikus: How To Pitch Wild Book Ideas Jason Boog July 26, 2006 "You think KierkegaardIs a new deodorant.I must be insane."Joel Derfner wrote a whole book of funny, pithy hikus like that one, detailing his search for love in New York City. Today, he tells us how he turned these bite-sized... Continue Reading Posted at 6:56 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	A Blog Isn't a Diary Jason Boog July 26, 2006 As our interview with author Joel Derfner continues, I checked out his two favorite blogs. While reading them, remind yourself of Derfner's Rule: "A blog isn't a diary." These writers have mastered the balance between personal stories and quality... Continue Reading Posted at 6:48 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Jul25	Be More Like Walt Whitman Jason Boog July 25, 2006 After reading our analysis of the New York Times' recent article about print-on-demand (POD) books, one of this site's most prolific readers chimed in with some self-publishing wisdom. Richard Grayson has published stacks of quirky books and short stories... Continue Reading Posted at 8:01 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	By Discipline I Really Mean Deadlines: Why (Or Why Not) Go To Writing School? Jason Boog July 25, 2006 The quickest way to start a fight in a room full of writers is to argue about writing school. Everybody has an opinion, ranging from "my creative writing program changed my life" to "only losers go to school for writing."So... Continue Reading Posted at 7:04 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Jul24	Give Them a Character They Like: How Writers Create Blogged Community Jason Boog July 24, 2006 "Joel is from South Carolina, where his great-grandmother had an affair with George Gershwin. After fleeing the south as soon as he possibly could, he got a B.A. in linguistics from Harvard..."I could keep quoting Joel Derfner's madcap biography,... Continue Reading Posted at 7:56 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Blook Yourself! Jason Boog July 24, 2006 The New York Times' recent article about print-on-demand books reminded me of a discussion I had with Tom Evslin six months ago.Evslin took his novel hackoff.com onto the web with free podcasts and print versions. His pioneering work just... Continue Reading Posted at 7:29 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Happy Video Monday: Snakes on a Television Jason Boog July 24, 2006 My buddy Lucas sent me an email over the weekend, reminding me of the super-cool Office promo contest over at NBC--part of an experimental partnership between the Big Networks and YouTube. I love the idea of using the video blogosphere... Continue Reading Posted at 7:19 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Jul21	Flashy Links Jason Boog July 21, 2006 Continuing with yesterday's flash fiction discussion, we are finding the best of short short fiction on the web. If you have somebody to add, chime in at the comments...One of our faithful readers, Jecklin (who has a flash-ish project... Continue Reading Posted at 11:01 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	"Bang your head agaisnt the wall" Jason Boog July 21, 2006 As we anxiously await our next featured interview, here's another chestnut plucked from the flames of my Five Easy Questions series.Charlie Huston stopped by a few months ago, chatting about comic books and vampire novels. Right now, he's taking... Continue Reading Posted at 7:24 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Jul20	No Strings and No Props Jason Boog July 20, 2006 So I had some drinks with Chartreuse (he's the guy hiding behind the cactus in the photo) and his Band of Merry Men last night.Turns out our blogging buddy is a skinny, emphatic talker who can leap conceptual mountains... Continue Reading Posted at 7:42 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Flash! Pow! Bang! Flash! Jason Boog July 20, 2006 I've been reading flash fiction--short short stories that hardly break a thousand words apiece--the past few years, but this essay by Rebecca Jane really made the whole genre come alive for me. Check it out:"Flash fiction is suitable for... Continue Reading Posted at 7:30 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Jul19	Are You Drinking Enough? Jason Boog July 19, 2006 After we wrapped our first videoblogged author interview, my buddy wrote in with a pile of suggestions. I think Ryan Hudson points out some good things that will help any web-minded writer. I especially appreciated his ideas about LiveJournal.... Continue Reading Posted at 7:59 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	"Make up sources! Make up quotes!" Jason Boog July 19, 2006 Just when we get done shaping up our prospective story pitches for magazines, Media Bistro tips us off to a webby contest that's looking for crazy magazine queries!Check it out:"The Renegade Writers have a new contest: Write the query... Continue Reading Posted at 7:29 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Put Down That Shotgun Jason Boog July 19, 2006 A heatwave and slow summer schedules have delayed the arrival of the next week's featured interview. While we wait, here's another so here's another gold nugget mined from my Five Easy Questions series. Listen to Claire Zulkey, a prolific... Continue Reading Posted at 7:03 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Jul18	Promiscuous News Jason Boog July 18, 2006 Two years ago, I had a chance to listen to Clive Thompson at a NYU lecture. It was the most important hour I spent in New York, sending me tumbling down the rabbit hole of web writing.Thompson just wrote... Continue Reading Posted at 7:54 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Three Very Simple Rules for People Who Want To Support Themselves as Writers Jason Boog July 18, 2006 The writer tao lin just published a sprawling essay about why he lost a book deal with Kevin Sampsell at Future Tense Books, generating over fifty comments that range from obscene to thought-provoking. Check it out:"jay leno's boss goes to... Continue Reading Posted at 7:41 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Letting My Readers Do All The Work Jason Boog July 18, 2006 A New York City heatwave is ruining my ability to type coherent sentences. Today, I'd like to let my readers do all the work...Last week, Jecklin from the blogged experimental fiction blog (yes, I meant to type that), Got... Continue Reading Posted at 7:06 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Jul17	The Publishing Spot Week In Review Jason Boog July 17, 2006 In all my excitement to go to the beach on Saturday, I completely forgot to publish my Week In Review for all The Publishing Spot readers who missed the action last week. In other words, I slacked at helping... Continue Reading Posted at 7:36 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	She Blinded Us With Science All Over Again Jason Boog July 17, 2006 A few months ago, we spent some time with Stephen DarkSyde, a science blogger over at DailyKos. During that action-packed week, I sent you to plenty of new science blogs that bring better science to the blogosphere. Well today,... Continue Reading Posted at 7:11 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Jul14	Anybody Who Knew Photoshop Was Making Money: Pulps vs. Blogs Jason Boog July 14, 2006 Welcome to the conclusion of my deceptively simple feature with novelist Paul Malmont, asking him Five Easy Questions. In the spirit of Jack Nicholson’s mad piano player, I run a serialized set of weekly interviews with writing pioneers—delivering some practical,... Continue Reading Posted at 7:53 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	A Little Scotch at the End of a Hardboiled Week Jason Boog July 14, 2006 Let's keep this short and sweet...Edward Champion recently went toe-to-toe with John Updike, delivering the longest conversation I've ever heard with that great writer. Then, Champion pounds out a smoking parody of Katha Pollitt's New York Times essay. A... Continue Reading Posted at 7:20 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	The Great Hardboiled Radio Show List, Beta Jason Boog July 14, 2006 After finishing my videoblogged interview with pulp fiction lover Paul Malmont, I went looking for hardboiled radio recordings-- chasing the shows that took pulp fiction to the airwaves. I posed the question over at Rara-Avis, the best hardboiled group... Continue Reading Posted at 7:14 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Jul13	He Wrote Magic: Researching Historical Characters Jason Boog July 13, 2006 Welcome to the fourth installment of my deceptively simple feature with novelist Paul Malmont, asking him Five Easy Questions. In the spirit of Jack Nicholson’s mad piano player, I run a serialized set of weekly interviews with writing pioneers—delivering some... Continue Reading Posted at 7:35 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Mitchell's Metaphorical Microscope Jason Boog July 13, 2006 I've been reading Mitchell Stephens' Without Gods blog for a few months now, partly because he's a friend, and partly because I love the idea of hashing out a book with your readers. It took a little bit, but... Continue Reading Posted at 7:09 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Peeking into The Communist Joke Book Jason Boog July 13, 2006 This morning, via BoingBoing, I found this outstanding article in Prospect about the history of the 20th Century Russian Joke. This topic has been near and dear to my heart for two years, ever since I discovered The Rabbit... Continue Reading Posted at 7:04 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Jul12	Just Close One Eye: Writing About Pulp Fiction Landmarks Jason Boog July 12, 2006 Welcome to the third installment of my deceptively simple feature with novelist Paul Malmont, asking him Five Easy Questions. In the spirit of Jack Nicholson’s mad piano player, I run a serialized set of weekly interviews with writing pioneers—delivering some... Continue Reading Posted at 7:29 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	I Know You Want To Read Geezer Noir! Jason Boog July 12, 2006 While researching my videoblogged interview with pulp fiction lover Paul Malmont, I discovered a couple hardboiled blogs that I hadn't read yet. Now I read them, and you should too...Writer and podcaster Vince Keenan posted a few times about... Continue Reading Posted at 7:09 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Get Out of Jail Free? Jason Boog July 12, 2006 Following yesterday's Long Tail debate about the death (or rebirth) of the blockbuster, reader Mike Levin weighed in with his theory that Hollywood will keep pumping out blockbusters because they fill a cultural need--a sort of "get out of... Continue Reading Posted at 7:04 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Jul11	My Favorite Pulp: Finding the Stories You Loved as a Kid Jason Boog July 11, 2006 Welcome to the second installment of my deceptively simple feature with novelist Paul Malmont, asking him Five Easy Questions. In the spirit of Jack Nicholson’s mad piano player, I run a serialized set of weekly interviews with writing pioneers—delivering some... Continue Reading Posted at 7:29 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	The Podcast Junket Trail Jason Boog July 11, 2006 Our videoblogged Five Easy Questions features Paul Malmont this week, a novelist nearing the end of a tour of the podcast circuit. I'm always cheered by new media and bookish interaction, so I wanted to point out some the... Continue Reading Posted at 7:20 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Pulp, Pirates, Zombies, and Me Jason Boog July 11, 2006 While we ramble on about pulp fiction, everybody else is writing about pirates! Over at Publish.com, Steve Bryant sums up the hullabaloo:"John Cassidy reviewed Chris Anderson's new book, The Long Tail, in the New Yorker. For those of you... Continue Reading Posted at 7:14 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Jul10	Pulp Revival Jason Boog July 10, 2006 As our video interview with novelist Paul Malmont continues, I've got some breaking pulp fiction news... The web magazine This is Pop Culture recently reported that two fantastic 1930's and 40's pulp series will be revived: "Doc Savage and... Continue Reading Posted at 7:59 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Honestly, I'd Rather Be Reading Books on the Beach Jason Boog July 10, 2006 Heading towards work in Manhattan this morning, the beach and summer seemed a million miles away. That means it's time for a beach book list. At my request, Jeffrey Yamaguchi from 52 Projects sent us a list of his favorite... Continue Reading Posted at 7:39 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Jul 9	I Never Told My Wife: How To Write a Novel with a Baby and a Full-Time Job Jason Boog July 9, 2006 Welcome to the first installment of my deceptively simple feature with Paul Malmont, asking him Five Easy Questions. In the spirit of Jack Nicholson’s mad piano player, I run a serialized set of weekly interviews with writing pioneers—delivering some practical,... Continue Reading Posted at 9:35 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
Jul 7	From Ziggy Stardust To Publishing Blogs in a Single Post Jason Boog July 7, 2006 The mystery blogger known as Bookseller Chick published a wonderful post today: opening up to her audience, exploring the blogosphere, and asking for readers' opinions about publishing blogs. Check it out:"Would/do you treat publisher blogs differently than an editor’s... Continue Reading Posted at 8:06 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	How in the Heck Are We Supposed To Tell Stories Now? Jason Boog July 7, 2006 I love the ways web writers can plug into communities and create interactive works. I've tried (with varying degrees of success) to use these new tools to tell stories...Still, two things made me think about webby storytelling in new... Continue Reading Posted at 7:57 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	"Keep Your Bartenders' Guide Close By" Jason Boog July 7, 2006 My Five Easy Questions interview feature will return next week, but in the meantime, I'm reprinting the best writing advice I've collected at The Publishing Spot... A few weeks ago, we spent time with Corynne Steindler, the editor of Jossip.com,... Continue Reading Posted at 7:01 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Jul 6	Virtual Memorials for James M. Cain Jason Boog July 6, 2006 Hardboiled genius James M. Cain turned 114-years-old over the weekend, prompting a flurry of memorial posts by some of the best crime writers on the web...Novelist (and pulp fiction scholar) Bill Crider weighed in: "Like a lot of you,... Continue Reading Posted at 7:54 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Love and Rockets Jason Boog July 6, 2006 As you may or may not have heard, the videoblog Rocketboom crash-landed this week, much to the dismay of people like me who thought those crazy people were on to something... The terrible thing about blogging news is that... Continue Reading Posted at 7:48 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Supporting Yourself Jason Boog July 6, 2006 My Five Easy Questions interview feature will return next week, but in the meantime, I'm reprinting the best writing advice I've collected at The Publishing Spot. Earlier this year, we spent some time with Nick Mamatas, the genre-bending novelist... Continue Reading Posted at 7:38 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Jul 5	"Forget About Earning Money" Jason Boog July 5, 2006 People seem to be enjoying my Best Writing Advice posts, so here's an excerpt from the gloomy and realistic discussion I had with political journalist, Stephen Elliott. Don't fret, Five Easy Questions returns next week with a special videoblogged... Continue Reading Posted at 7:59 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	How To Create A Subscription Service For Your Blog Jason Boog July 5, 2006 Our Jimmy-Buffet-loving reader, Mojo Shivers wrote in with a simple request: "I'd love some more information on how to put up a subscription option on my own site."Here at The Publishing Spot, ask and you shall receive... 1. Begin... Continue Reading Posted at 7:52 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Jul 4	Feel Free at the Virtual Patriotic Party Jason Boog July 4, 2006 Happy 4th of July! I'm probably the last person you want to hear from on a holiday, but if you promise two posts every weekday, then you best deliver two posts every weekday. For your apple-pie eating pleasure, I'm... Continue Reading Posted at 8:44 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Finding the Sweet Spot Jason Boog July 4, 2006 My Best Writing Advice post generated some activity last week, so here's another gold nugget mined from my Five Easy Questions series. Way back in the first few weeks of this blog, the business editor, publisher, and popular publishing... Continue Reading Posted at 8:26 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Jul 3	Be Patriotic, Subscribe to The Publishing Spot! Jason Boog July 3, 2006 The ever-helpful Copyblogger handed me a big slice of humble pie in his post, "Do You Make These Mistakes With Your Blog?" I've made every single one of these mistakes at some point. Read it, think about it. This... Continue Reading Posted at 8:07 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	"Desert topping and floor wax" Jason Boog July 3, 2006 This weekend, I've been reading Chris Boese over at Serendipit-e. He's a journalism professor with a long list of blogged works. It's always nice to see a j-school teacher flourishing on the Internet, you know that a new generation... Continue Reading Posted at 8:00 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Respect the Audience Jason Boog July 3, 2006 In honor of the national holiday and my lack of a writer to interview this week, I've been reprinting my Best Writing Advice posts, so here's another greatest hit pulled from my Five Easy Questions series. Feel free to... Continue Reading Posted at 7:29 AM \| Permalink \| Comments

« June 2006 | Main | August 2006 »

Jul31	Snakes on The Publishing Spot Jason Boog July 31, 2006 Know More: Interactive Stories, Snakes on a Plane, Writing Resources 2.0, Writing Resources "At first she thought it was part of her dream, until she looked down into her cleavage and saw a tawny brown and black head with round beady eyes glaring back at her...Then, like some porno-Freudian nightmare come to life, the snake opened its mouth wide and let loose a jetting spray of toxic venom directly into her eyes." Pow! That's an excerpt from the Snakes on a Plane novelization. We've discussed this Internet-fueled cult film before, but I have a very special announcement: next week is Snakes on a Plane week over here at The Publishing Spot. Just in time for the August 18th release of this movie, I will have an exclusive interview with Christa Faust--the hardboiled writer who wrote the official novelization of the film. She'll tell us how she found work as a film novel-izer and talk about her genre-bending fiction as well... If you have a writer you'd like to see interviewed on this site, drop me a line in the comments section. I'll try my best to get you the answers you need... Posted at 8:04 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Jul31	Start Spreading the News Jason Boog July 31, 2006 Chartreuse--our blogging friend who built a reputation by talking about what's happening in media--has just decided to make something happen in media. In a dramatic post this morning, he decided to send new media journalists straight into the reconstruction... Continue Reading Posted at 7:59 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	The Publishing Spot Week In Review Jason Boog July 31, 2006 Just in case you were having picnics or sitting on the beach like me, here's a quick round-up of last week's posts--a nice way to ease back into another week of writing. My sponsoring blog network is currently experimenting with... Continue Reading Posted at 7:24 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Jul28	The Complete Blogged MFA Experience® Jason Boog July 28, 2006 This morning, Jeffrey Yamaguchi pointed me towards a great site run by a fellow Brooklyn-living writer. Over at After the MFA, Gordon Hurd asks the toughest question facing creative writing graduates: "What do I do now?"He knows what he's talking about:"Most... Continue Reading Posted at 7:58 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Sex and Knitting: Pitching a Personal Memoir Jason Boog July 28, 2006 Getting a book deal is like deep sea fishing: it's a long soggy battle and you never know what kind of fish you caught until it's all over. Today, author and blogger Joel Derfner tells us how he landed... Continue Reading Posted at 7:23 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Jul27	Scare Yourself Into Writing: How To Write with a Full Time Job Jason Boog July 27, 2006 In addition to maintaining a popular blog, teaching aerobics, and pulling off freelance writing gigs, Joel Derfner somehow managed to write two books over the last four years.Today, we find out how he did it...This is the fourth installment... Continue Reading Posted at 7:05 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	This Melancholy Profession Jason Boog July 27, 2006 As you stare out the office window, searching for the weekend, here are some choice posts from my favorite sites...Chartreuse just published a rough, rough letter from New Orleans. We need to get these stories out there.Edward Champion linked to... Continue Reading Posted at 6:59 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Writing Workshops In Space! Jason Boog July 27, 2006 Clarion, the country's best science fiction writing workshop, has re-opened for business this year in my homeland of Michigan. One of the workshop members, Alex Wilson just published a big round-up of all the new writers plugging away in East... Continue Reading Posted at 6:46 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Jul26	The Popularity of Books Such as Redneck Haikus: How To Pitch Wild Book Ideas Jason Boog July 26, 2006 "You think KierkegaardIs a new deodorant.I must be insane."Joel Derfner wrote a whole book of funny, pithy hikus like that one, detailing his search for love in New York City. Today, he tells us how he turned these bite-sized... Continue Reading Posted at 6:56 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	A Blog Isn't a Diary Jason Boog July 26, 2006 As our interview with author Joel Derfner continues, I checked out his two favorite blogs. While reading them, remind yourself of Derfner's Rule: "A blog isn't a diary." These writers have mastered the balance between personal stories and quality... Continue Reading Posted at 6:48 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Jul25	Be More Like Walt Whitman Jason Boog July 25, 2006 After reading our analysis of the New York Times' recent article about print-on-demand (POD) books, one of this site's most prolific readers chimed in with some self-publishing wisdom. Richard Grayson has published stacks of quirky books and short stories... Continue Reading Posted at 8:01 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	By Discipline I Really Mean Deadlines: Why (Or Why Not) Go To Writing School? Jason Boog July 25, 2006 The quickest way to start a fight in a room full of writers is to argue about writing school. Everybody has an opinion, ranging from "my creative writing program changed my life" to "only losers go to school for writing."So... Continue Reading Posted at 7:04 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Jul24	Give Them a Character They Like: How Writers Create Blogged Community Jason Boog July 24, 2006 "Joel is from South Carolina, where his great-grandmother had an affair with George Gershwin. After fleeing the south as soon as he possibly could, he got a B.A. in linguistics from Harvard..."I could keep quoting Joel Derfner's madcap biography,... Continue Reading Posted at 7:56 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Blook Yourself! Jason Boog July 24, 2006 The New York Times' recent article about print-on-demand books reminded me of a discussion I had with Tom Evslin six months ago.Evslin took his novel hackoff.com onto the web with free podcasts and print versions. His pioneering work just... Continue Reading Posted at 7:29 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Happy Video Monday: Snakes on a Television Jason Boog July 24, 2006 My buddy Lucas sent me an email over the weekend, reminding me of the super-cool Office promo contest over at NBC--part of an experimental partnership between the Big Networks and YouTube. I love the idea of using the video blogosphere... Continue Reading Posted at 7:19 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Jul21	Flashy Links Jason Boog July 21, 2006 Continuing with yesterday's flash fiction discussion, we are finding the best of short short fiction on the web. If you have somebody to add, chime in at the comments...One of our faithful readers, Jecklin (who has a flash-ish project... Continue Reading Posted at 11:01 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	"Bang your head agaisnt the wall" Jason Boog July 21, 2006 As we anxiously await our next featured interview, here's another chestnut plucked from the flames of my Five Easy Questions series.Charlie Huston stopped by a few months ago, chatting about comic books and vampire novels. Right now, he's taking... Continue Reading Posted at 7:24 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Jul20	No Strings and No Props Jason Boog July 20, 2006 So I had some drinks with Chartreuse (he's the guy hiding behind the cactus in the photo) and his Band of Merry Men last night.Turns out our blogging buddy is a skinny, emphatic talker who can leap conceptual mountains... Continue Reading Posted at 7:42 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Flash! Pow! Bang! Flash! Jason Boog July 20, 2006 I've been reading flash fiction--short short stories that hardly break a thousand words apiece--the past few years, but this essay by Rebecca Jane really made the whole genre come alive for me. Check it out:"Flash fiction is suitable for... Continue Reading Posted at 7:30 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Jul19	Are You Drinking Enough? Jason Boog July 19, 2006 After we wrapped our first videoblogged author interview, my buddy wrote in with a pile of suggestions. I think Ryan Hudson points out some good things that will help any web-minded writer. I especially appreciated his ideas about LiveJournal.... Continue Reading Posted at 7:59 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	"Make up sources! Make up quotes!" Jason Boog July 19, 2006 Just when we get done shaping up our prospective story pitches for magazines, Media Bistro tips us off to a webby contest that's looking for crazy magazine queries!Check it out:"The Renegade Writers have a new contest: Write the query... Continue Reading Posted at 7:29 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Put Down That Shotgun Jason Boog July 19, 2006 A heatwave and slow summer schedules have delayed the arrival of the next week's featured interview. While we wait, here's another so here's another gold nugget mined from my Five Easy Questions series. Listen to Claire Zulkey, a prolific... Continue Reading Posted at 7:03 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Jul18	Promiscuous News Jason Boog July 18, 2006 Two years ago, I had a chance to listen to Clive Thompson at a NYU lecture. It was the most important hour I spent in New York, sending me tumbling down the rabbit hole of web writing.Thompson just wrote... Continue Reading Posted at 7:54 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Three Very Simple Rules for People Who Want To Support Themselves as Writers Jason Boog July 18, 2006 The writer tao lin just published a sprawling essay about why he lost a book deal with Kevin Sampsell at Future Tense Books, generating over fifty comments that range from obscene to thought-provoking. Check it out:"jay leno's boss goes to... Continue Reading Posted at 7:41 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Letting My Readers Do All The Work Jason Boog July 18, 2006 A New York City heatwave is ruining my ability to type coherent sentences. Today, I'd like to let my readers do all the work...Last week, Jecklin from the blogged experimental fiction blog (yes, I meant to type that), Got... Continue Reading Posted at 7:06 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Jul17	The Publishing Spot Week In Review Jason Boog July 17, 2006 In all my excitement to go to the beach on Saturday, I completely forgot to publish my Week In Review for all The Publishing Spot readers who missed the action last week. In other words, I slacked at helping... Continue Reading Posted at 7:36 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	She Blinded Us With Science All Over Again Jason Boog July 17, 2006 A few months ago, we spent some time with Stephen DarkSyde, a science blogger over at DailyKos. During that action-packed week, I sent you to plenty of new science blogs that bring better science to the blogosphere. Well today,... Continue Reading Posted at 7:11 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Jul14	Anybody Who Knew Photoshop Was Making Money: Pulps vs. Blogs Jason Boog July 14, 2006 Welcome to the conclusion of my deceptively simple feature with novelist Paul Malmont, asking him Five Easy Questions. In the spirit of Jack Nicholson’s mad piano player, I run a serialized set of weekly interviews with writing pioneers—delivering some practical,... Continue Reading Posted at 7:53 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	A Little Scotch at the End of a Hardboiled Week Jason Boog July 14, 2006 Let's keep this short and sweet...Edward Champion recently went toe-to-toe with John Updike, delivering the longest conversation I've ever heard with that great writer. Then, Champion pounds out a smoking parody of Katha Pollitt's New York Times essay. A... Continue Reading Posted at 7:20 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	The Great Hardboiled Radio Show List, Beta Jason Boog July 14, 2006 After finishing my videoblogged interview with pulp fiction lover Paul Malmont, I went looking for hardboiled radio recordings-- chasing the shows that took pulp fiction to the airwaves. I posed the question over at Rara-Avis, the best hardboiled group... Continue Reading Posted at 7:14 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Jul13	He Wrote Magic: Researching Historical Characters Jason Boog July 13, 2006 Welcome to the fourth installment of my deceptively simple feature with novelist Paul Malmont, asking him Five Easy Questions. In the spirit of Jack Nicholson’s mad piano player, I run a serialized set of weekly interviews with writing pioneers—delivering some... Continue Reading Posted at 7:35 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Mitchell's Metaphorical Microscope Jason Boog July 13, 2006 I've been reading Mitchell Stephens' Without Gods blog for a few months now, partly because he's a friend, and partly because I love the idea of hashing out a book with your readers. It took a little bit, but... Continue Reading Posted at 7:09 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Peeking into The Communist Joke Book Jason Boog July 13, 2006 This morning, via BoingBoing, I found this outstanding article in Prospect about the history of the 20th Century Russian Joke. This topic has been near and dear to my heart for two years, ever since I discovered The Rabbit... Continue Reading Posted at 7:04 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Jul12	Just Close One Eye: Writing About Pulp Fiction Landmarks Jason Boog July 12, 2006 Welcome to the third installment of my deceptively simple feature with novelist Paul Malmont, asking him Five Easy Questions. In the spirit of Jack Nicholson’s mad piano player, I run a serialized set of weekly interviews with writing pioneers—delivering some... Continue Reading Posted at 7:29 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	I Know You Want To Read Geezer Noir! Jason Boog July 12, 2006 While researching my videoblogged interview with pulp fiction lover Paul Malmont, I discovered a couple hardboiled blogs that I hadn't read yet. Now I read them, and you should too...Writer and podcaster Vince Keenan posted a few times about... Continue Reading Posted at 7:09 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Get Out of Jail Free? Jason Boog July 12, 2006 Following yesterday's Long Tail debate about the death (or rebirth) of the blockbuster, reader Mike Levin weighed in with his theory that Hollywood will keep pumping out blockbusters because they fill a cultural need--a sort of "get out of... Continue Reading Posted at 7:04 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Jul11	My Favorite Pulp: Finding the Stories You Loved as a Kid Jason Boog July 11, 2006 Welcome to the second installment of my deceptively simple feature with novelist Paul Malmont, asking him Five Easy Questions. In the spirit of Jack Nicholson’s mad piano player, I run a serialized set of weekly interviews with writing pioneers—delivering some... Continue Reading Posted at 7:29 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	The Podcast Junket Trail Jason Boog July 11, 2006 Our videoblogged Five Easy Questions features Paul Malmont this week, a novelist nearing the end of a tour of the podcast circuit. I'm always cheered by new media and bookish interaction, so I wanted to point out some the... Continue Reading Posted at 7:20 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Pulp, Pirates, Zombies, and Me Jason Boog July 11, 2006 While we ramble on about pulp fiction, everybody else is writing about pirates! Over at Publish.com, Steve Bryant sums up the hullabaloo:"John Cassidy reviewed Chris Anderson's new book, The Long Tail, in the New Yorker. For those of you... Continue Reading Posted at 7:14 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Jul10	Pulp Revival Jason Boog July 10, 2006 As our video interview with novelist Paul Malmont continues, I've got some breaking pulp fiction news... The web magazine This is Pop Culture recently reported that two fantastic 1930's and 40's pulp series will be revived: "Doc Savage and... Continue Reading Posted at 7:59 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Honestly, I'd Rather Be Reading Books on the Beach Jason Boog July 10, 2006 Heading towards work in Manhattan this morning, the beach and summer seemed a million miles away. That means it's time for a beach book list. At my request, Jeffrey Yamaguchi from 52 Projects sent us a list of his favorite... Continue Reading Posted at 7:39 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Jul 9	I Never Told My Wife: How To Write a Novel with a Baby and a Full-Time Job Jason Boog July 9, 2006 Welcome to the first installment of my deceptively simple feature with Paul Malmont, asking him Five Easy Questions. In the spirit of Jack Nicholson’s mad piano player, I run a serialized set of weekly interviews with writing pioneers—delivering some practical,... Continue Reading Posted at 9:35 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
Jul 7	From Ziggy Stardust To Publishing Blogs in a Single Post Jason Boog July 7, 2006 The mystery blogger known as Bookseller Chick published a wonderful post today: opening up to her audience, exploring the blogosphere, and asking for readers' opinions about publishing blogs. Check it out:"Would/do you treat publisher blogs differently than an editor’s... Continue Reading Posted at 8:06 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	How in the Heck Are We Supposed To Tell Stories Now? Jason Boog July 7, 2006 I love the ways web writers can plug into communities and create interactive works. I've tried (with varying degrees of success) to use these new tools to tell stories...Still, two things made me think about webby storytelling in new... Continue Reading Posted at 7:57 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	"Keep Your Bartenders' Guide Close By" Jason Boog July 7, 2006 My Five Easy Questions interview feature will return next week, but in the meantime, I'm reprinting the best writing advice I've collected at The Publishing Spot... A few weeks ago, we spent time with Corynne Steindler, the editor of Jossip.com,... Continue Reading Posted at 7:01 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Jul 6	Virtual Memorials for James M. Cain Jason Boog July 6, 2006 Hardboiled genius James M. Cain turned 114-years-old over the weekend, prompting a flurry of memorial posts by some of the best crime writers on the web...Novelist (and pulp fiction scholar) Bill Crider weighed in: "Like a lot of you,... Continue Reading Posted at 7:54 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Love and Rockets Jason Boog July 6, 2006 As you may or may not have heard, the videoblog Rocketboom crash-landed this week, much to the dismay of people like me who thought those crazy people were on to something... The terrible thing about blogging news is that... Continue Reading Posted at 7:48 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Supporting Yourself Jason Boog July 6, 2006 My Five Easy Questions interview feature will return next week, but in the meantime, I'm reprinting the best writing advice I've collected at The Publishing Spot. Earlier this year, we spent some time with Nick Mamatas, the genre-bending novelist... Continue Reading Posted at 7:38 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Jul 5	"Forget About Earning Money" Jason Boog July 5, 2006 People seem to be enjoying my Best Writing Advice posts, so here's an excerpt from the gloomy and realistic discussion I had with political journalist, Stephen Elliott. Don't fret, Five Easy Questions returns next week with a special videoblogged... Continue Reading Posted at 7:59 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	How To Create A Subscription Service For Your Blog Jason Boog July 5, 2006 Our Jimmy-Buffet-loving reader, Mojo Shivers wrote in with a simple request: "I'd love some more information on how to put up a subscription option on my own site."Here at The Publishing Spot, ask and you shall receive... 1. Begin... Continue Reading Posted at 7:52 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Jul 4	Feel Free at the Virtual Patriotic Party Jason Boog July 4, 2006 Happy 4th of July! I'm probably the last person you want to hear from on a holiday, but if you promise two posts every weekday, then you best deliver two posts every weekday. For your apple-pie eating pleasure, I'm... Continue Reading Posted at 8:44 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Finding the Sweet Spot Jason Boog July 4, 2006 My Best Writing Advice post generated some activity last week, so here's another gold nugget mined from my Five Easy Questions series. Way back in the first few weeks of this blog, the business editor, publisher, and popular publishing... Continue Reading Posted at 8:26 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Jul 3	Be Patriotic, Subscribe to The Publishing Spot! Jason Boog July 3, 2006 The ever-helpful Copyblogger handed me a big slice of humble pie in his post, "Do You Make These Mistakes With Your Blog?" I've made every single one of these mistakes at some point. Read it, think about it. This... Continue Reading Posted at 8:07 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	"Desert topping and floor wax" Jason Boog July 3, 2006 This weekend, I've been reading Chris Boese over at Serendipit-e. He's a journalism professor with a long list of blogged works. It's always nice to see a j-school teacher flourishing on the Internet, you know that a new generation... Continue Reading Posted at 8:00 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Respect the Audience Jason Boog July 3, 2006 In honor of the national holiday and my lack of a writer to interview this week, I've been reprinting my Best Writing Advice posts, so here's another greatest hit pulled from my Five Easy Questions series. Feel free to... Continue Reading Posted at 7:29 AM \| Permalink \| Comments

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