RIASS stuff:
Book Review: Crowned by Julie Linker'Rating: 
Book Review: Heading Out to Wonderful by Robert Goolrick'Rating:
Interview: Leigh K Cunningham on channelling Oscar Wilde and the importance of writing in earnest
Other bookish stuff:
Hazlitt, a new online magazine from Random House Canada, aims to bring back the essay. There are some spiffy articles in the current issue, but this one on succeeding in journalism when you cant afford an internship caught my eye.
When this pencil gets too short to use, you can plant it and wait for herbs to sprout! (Just dont chew on the end)
Martin Amis on the difference between irony and satire.'(And everyone in the world goes, ohhhh, riiiight!)
Diane Muldrow talks about famed illustrator Mary Blair and her art'Best known for her astonishing use of colour, Blair was an artist for Disney; she also completed a number of Little Golden Books.
Does the publishing industry care too much about writing quality?'Nathan Bransford, agent-turned-author, argues that although those in the publishing industry have a thing for nice writing, the general publicwell, not so much. Bransford notes that a lot of the popular books at the moment contain plenty of enticing stuff, but good writing isnt necessarily included in that. So for the general public, at least, is it true that story trumps all?
How to write a bad review'J Robert Lennon looks at the recent Giraldi review and ponders the good and bad ways to write a negative review. He argues that negative reviews should be balanced, contain a little humility on the reviewers part, and should include context. Two more tips: dont review stuff/people you hate, and dont be a jerk.
25 ways to generate better online book sales'This one focuses pretty heavily on stuff like SEO and metatags, but there are a few more handy tips in there as well: the contextuality of advertising/PR, the importance of collecting sales and marketing data, and of monitoring performance and adjusting and refining sales/marketing approaches with particular goals in mind.
A look at the popular books being read by US teens shows that kids are reading books containing prose appropriate for year five readers.'Of course, this doesnt necessarily mean that kids'cant read beyond this level, but that theyre obviously finding some appeal in the books (which are largely YA) that are written to this level.
The beginning of the end of print: a prescient memo from 1992.'The Post is not in a pot of water, and were smarter than the average frog, wrote Robert Kaiser, then managing editor of the Washington Post. But we do find ourselves swimming in an electronic sea where we could eventually be devoured or ignored as an unnecessary anachronism.
Why do childrens books so often have better covers than adult books?
Trust but dont verify: whats happened to fact checkers?'A brief little piece about Newsweeks dismantling of the fact checking team and the problems involved in relying on editors to process copy rather than edit it.
Lara Morgan on catching the eye of a publisher'and the career doubts that will follow regardless. This one touches on some similar issues to the article on writerly angst we looked at earlier this week. The road to publication is a strange one in that its many and variedand doesnt necessarily lead to Rome. Lara also talks about the self-doubt she feels when she looks at her bookshelf and wonders whether shes truly amongst the ranks of the other authors she sees there. (see also our reviews of Laras books)
An interview with Su Dharmapala, author of'The Wedding Season. I love her comments about the childlike behaviour of adults and about wanting to write enduring novels that become friends to the reader.'(see also our review of The Wedding Season)
An assessment of the (largely lacking) librarian skills of My Little Ponys Twilight Sparkle'PD issues aside, however, the author notes that Twilight Sparkle is embraced by the community around the Ponyville Library and is thus'not'a failure as a professional librarian.
I found that article on writing good bad reviews very interesting. I do think Im better able to review a book after having read more works by the author and understanding a particular book in the context of their work.
Jami Zehr recently posted..Nodds & Nends: Doctor Who Just Around the Corner
I completely agree with you, Jami. Its great to be able to review something when youre familiar with the authors work (otherwise its so easy to feel as though youve missed something!), and also with the genre they work in. Im growing more comfortable reviewing romance novels now, for example, as Im getting used to the norms of the genre.