Writer's Digest recently announced its picks for the 101 best writing-related websites. I'm drooling because I see a month's worth of blog posts here just talking about these awesome resources. They're grouped into these categories:
There's lots here for everyone, so check it out!
For all of us sad sacks who didn't think ahead and make this a four-day weekend, here's something that will brighten your last day at work. Surf on over to this post at Editorial Anonymous, where the writer has some fun at the expense of some iUniverse authors. (Yes, I'm about a week behind in seeing this, but it was worth the wait.)
The unspoken point is, of course, that when people are allowed to just publish books without the help of a professional editor and a traditional publishing house, you're gonna get some crazy stuff. I still applaud everyone's right to write, and I don't think the few should be able to decide what the many will read. But it's sad to see what some people think passes for a good book idea, a great title, and good editing. This is, as one commenter put it, what my slush pile looks like.
Looking for a creative outlet without the commitment of starting your own blog? Or maybe you already have a blog and are looking for a fresh, new way to drive more traffic to it? The answer to both dilemmas could well be this: Do some guest blogging!
As summer approaches, I am seeing more and more bloggers announcing that they are going on vacation soon and need people to fill in for them while they are gone (why didn’t I think of that instead of just leaving you hanging for 10 days while I went and contracted influenza in Europe?).
Although you can’t usually expect to get paid for it, guest blogging is a great way to channel your creativity and add “published” pieces to your portfolio. And if you already have a blog, the exposure you get during your guest stint could probably win you a few new readers.
How do you go about finding opportunities to be a guest blogger? This post at ProBlogger gives some tips. And hey, I would be glad to look at any guest blogging ideas that any readers might have (just be sure they're relevant). Send them to me via the comments or loricateshand at yahoo dot com.
I've mentioned before that we're publishing our first hardcover trade title, The PITA Principle, this summer. We're in uncharted territory on a number of fronts, not the least of which is "How do you manage the details of producing a hardcover book?" We are so used to doing our softcovers that we are having to really study up to deal with the various aspects that are different for a hardcover, such as
Our challenge was to design the most appealing package for the audience without blowing the budget. I'm happy with the choices we've made and am now looking forward to seeing the finished book. But first...back to checking second-pass corrections on it!
A virtual powerhouse of career information, advice, samples, articles, tools, links, and more, Quintessential Careers is a must-see Web resource. It was founded 12 years ago by authors Dr. Randall Hansen and Dr. Katharine Hansen and has everything you need to kick off your job search or career exploration.
Important features on Quintessential Careers include
Quintessential Careers tops many lists as the best career site on the Web. It boasts 3,400 pages of information, so it's definitely worth a look.
P.S.: These authors don't write for JIST, so this is my totally unbiased opinion!
Today our whole editorial and production group (nine of us) went out for a special lunch, as a kind of thank-you for all the good work we've done as of late. We've been really busy but are still putting out good stuff.
Just as we were polishing off our massive desserts at Maggiano's, a collective gasp went up. "It's Jason Priestley!" someone whispered. And so it was. The former 90210 hunk is heavily involved with the racing scene, so he spends a lot of time in Indianapolis in May.
On his blog he calls himself an epicurian, so I guess it's sad that he was hanging out at a chain. He brought along his wife and baby girl, who is just as adorable as you might imagine.
We tried not to be Midwestern rubberneckers. We snuck a few peeks at them and then filed out, purposely looking disinterested.
Yesterday I took advantage of the relatively sunny weather and went to the annual Country Market in the village of Zionsville with my mother-in-law, Kathy. She's an almost lifelong resident of that colonial fairytale town, and my husband grew up there.
